It's been a few days since I last posted, but I'm back again! I received my Ipsy bag a few weeks ago, but I held off opening it until I was finished with my 2nd to last core rotation of medical school this past Friday (whoop!). The finishing line is sooooo close, but lots of exciting (yet scary) things to hurdle over before Match Day! Hopefully things go smoothly and I get a decent number of interviews. I hate the unpredictability though, and things can either go really well or be a total nightmare. Anyway, this month's Ipsy bag review! Overall, I really liked this month's bag! Let's start off by discussing the bag. I like the design a lot -- it's a cool crisp black and white geometric pattern with a hot pink zipper that jazzes up the bag. Super classy! However, I really don't like the texture of this bag. It feels like that recycled plastic/pleather material that I'm not a huge fan of. I really like the Ipsy cloth bags a lot more. But still, I really like the overall design of the bag and most probably will keep it or give it over to my mom.

On to the makeup. Again, really nice products this month! The skincare product I received this month is the La Fresh Group Good Night. Night Cream. As I've always stated, I dot like to try out new skincare items since I have sensitive skin, so I most probably will be tossing this one out. The haircare product this month is the Marc Anthony Nourishing Argan Oil of Morocco Oil Treatment. Definitely the most promising haircare product I've received in an Ipsy bag to date. I've really gotten into putting a few drops of the Organix Argan Oil on the ends of my damp hair since it makes my hair super moisturized and soft. I'm super excited to try this brand out! It's a pretty generous size as well for something you only need a little bit of per use.

I received 3 makeup products in my bag this month. First, the OFRA Cosmetics Lip Liner in Wine which is a gorgeous berry-magenta shade that's going to be perfect for the upcoming fall season. I've honestly never used a lipliner before mainly because I'm not a huge lipstick wearer. And even when I wear lipstick, I don't really find the need to put on lipliner. I'll probably be passing this product off to my mom since she's a huge fan of lipliners and this shade is right up her alley. Next, the Bella Piere Cosmetics Mineral Lipstick in P.I.N.K, which is a true magenta lipstick that again is going to be a good color for the fall. I really like this one because it smells like chocolate! The smell is very reminiscent of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette in my opinion (although it may just be my imagination...). The quality seems very good since this swatched beautifully and smoothly on my hand. Can't wait to play around with this shade in the fall and winter seasons. Last but not least, my favorite product in the bag this month -- the Glamour Dolls Single Eyeshadow in Sorcery. Holyyyyyy crap. First off, the packaging is super cute! The color is a gorgeous milky bronze shade that reminds me of the bronze shade in the NARS Kalahari Duo. I absolutely love shades like these. They're really beautiful alone on the lid for everyday makeup, but can easily be upgraded to a smokey nighttime bronze look. The quality seems to be nice as well. I'm not sure if I'll be keeping this one or if I'll be passing this to my mom as well since I have a bajillion shades like this already in my makeup drawer.

Another really fun Ipsy bag! And I really liked how the makeup products were geared towards the upcoming fall and winter season. Speaking of which, this post marks (in my book), the almost-end of summer since tomorrow will be the first day of September! I guess Labor Day is the official last day of summer, but once September rolls around I start thinking of fall and winter, my favorite seasons of the year! I really enjoyed blogging more in August and hopefully the trend can continue in September as well. I have a few fall themed posts planned already so stay tuned! Lots of product reviews coming up soon as well :)

My Favorite Neutral Eyeshadows!

It's no secret that I'm a total eyeshadow junkie. Ever since I started wearing makeup, trying out new eyeshadow combinations has always been my favorite part of my beauty routine. I'm not too afraid of wearing a bold eyeliner or a crazy color in my crease, but neutral shimmery shadows have always been my favorite. Here are some of my favorite neutral eyeshadows, some palettes and some singles. 

Colourpop Super Shock Eyeshadow in Smash

This has been my most favorite eyeshadow color over the past few months. It's a gorgeous, shimmery, light bronzy taupe that looks beautiful all over the lid. It's sort of like a powder version of Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, and it goes with everything, by itself or with a darker crease color.

Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette

My very first eyeshadow palette ever! This is a must-have palette for everyone who loves warm toned  eyeshadows. Although the palette doesn't contain a lot of matte shadows, the shimmery shades it has are all super gorgeous. It's such a versatile palette and you can make an endless number of looks with it. Plus, it comes with an eyeliner!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Another great Urban Decay palette! This one contains more rose gold and mauve toned shades. I initially thought this palette would be a little too light for me or the colors wouldn't be good for everyday use, but I was totally wrong. The colors still look very natural, but they're different than your usual bronze and taupe shades. I love using the pink shades in the spring/summer and the mauve ones during the fall and winter. Great palette for those trying to branch out from neutral eyeshadows, but not quite ready for crazy bright colors.

Too Faced Natural Eye Eyeshadow Palette 

Since I lost my Naked palette, I purchased this one as a new, go-to neutral eyeshadow palette. I love love love this palette because it has a good selection of matte shades, shimmery lid colors, and darker crease colors. Too Faced makes really good quality eyeshadows. Whenever I'm in a rush or don't know what to wear, I always reach for this palette. The shadows come housed in a compact tin container that makes it great for travel.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadow Pan in Glamorous

The photo above isn't quite representative of its actual color. It's a really beautiful coppery bronze shade unlike any other in my collection. It's such a gorgeous all over lid color that really brightens up my eyes, especially when I haven't slept a full eight hours. The quality of these shadows is stunning too, and only $5.99 a pop!

NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Kalahari

Another one of my favorite eyeshadows recently. The shade on the left is a really beautiful milky bronze color. I haven't worn the right shade yet, but when swatched it's a shimmery taupe. I purchased this duo because both the colors make really good all over lid colors. Most days I just wear a single shadow all over my lid, so I tend to purchase eyeshadows that look good when worn alone. I also like that the left is a warm shade and the right is a cool shade, which makes it versatile. And again its compact size makes it great for travel.  

Exploring Indiana: IUP Campus

Last week when I was staying at Indiana, one of the places I'm glad I got some time to explore was the IUP campus. I half-expected it to be old and full of dilapidated buildings, but I was surprised to see that it was a really gorgeous, modern campus! I didn't go inside any of the buildings since school wasn't in session, but admiring the campus from afar was great as well. I really enjoyed driving through the campus because it has a very "campus"-y feel to it! The buildings all looked like they were recently built and had a beautiful terracotta-beige theme to them (like the school colors). Plus, the campus was very neat and tidy, and well maintained. I love Pitt, but one of the things it's missing is that it doesn't feel like the stereotypical campus that I saw in movies. Therefore, it was really refreshing to see a school that has the college feel to it. I honestly wish I would've toured IUP during my college hunt. Take a look at the pictures below! (I don't remember what the buildings were named, but they were gorgeous nonetheless!). 

Isn't it a gorgeous campus?! I wish I had taken more pictures! Anyway, I'm done living in Indiana for the month. I'll be commuting to the clinic everyday since I had a little issue with the neighbors in the apartment they selected for us. In a nutshell, he was a creepy old little man and it was in a sketch neighborhood, so I decided to just play it safe and commute. Also, sorry for the lack of beauty and makeup posts! Now that I'm getting back into wearing more makeup, expect more beauty-related posts :)

Quiet Friday Night In

When I was younger, I always thought that spending Friday night alone was a sad, antisocial thing. Now that I'm older and have a hectic graduate school life, I'm starting to see Friday nights as an optimal time for relaxing and destressing. In fact, I usually prefer to spend Friday nights alone nowadays. Although it's hard to see people having fun on Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram while I'm stuck at home alone on a weekend, I've grown to look past that and enjoy the chance to have an evening to myself. After a rough week at work, it feels really nice to relax and destress with some TV, a nice dinner, and browsing Pinterest. I also remind myself that even though I'm not surrounded by friends every single day and don't have "a clique", I still have some really good friends and a pretty good social life, and have nothing to complain about in that department.

This evening, I decided to venture to Target to pick up some things I needed for around the house. I absolutely love browsing Target, especially when I have a night off.  I also picked up a few groceries since I may end up commuting the remaining 2 weeks of my Family Medicine rotation instead of staying in Indiana (long story...). I'm trying this new resolve where I'm trying to buy as few groceries as possible so I don't waste as much food as I normally do. I'm also going to stop restricting foods and just eat moderate portions of things I like to eat mixed with some healthy foods. But that's another story for another blogpost. For my Friday night in, I picked up a bag of chips and salsa as a little treat to myself, and was planning on accompanying that with a glass of wine. Classy, I know.

Once home, I of course popped open the bag of chips and salsa, while making some of my favorite boxed mac and cheeses, the Annie's Organic Aged Cheddar Shells & Cheese. Soooo delicious!  40 Year Old Virgin was playing on TBS, which is one of my favorite comedy movies of all time. It was sooo relaxing just laying on my comfy couch with my fuzzy oversized blanket, watching the movie while catching up on my favorite blogs.  I ended the evening by going to bed a bit earlier than normal. I have quite a busy Saturday and Sunday planned, so it was nice to have a slow-paced evening and head to bed early.

So there you go. To everyone who's alone on a weeknight, don't think of it as being a bad thing. Sometimes it's nice to just unwind and relax alone. Of course, socializing with friends and family is important, but taking time out of the week for yourself is equally important. If you're sick of the old rut of takeout and movie, this article has a lot of great ideas for a more adventurous night in. I love some of these ideas and hope to try them out in the future. Crafting, baking, or cooking is also another fun thing to do if you're looking for something to do on an alone Friday night. The options are endless!

Exploring Indiana: Blue Spruce Park & Caffe Amadeus

Today, I had a free morning since clinic didn't start until 1pm. I was initially thinking about driving back to Pittsburgh last night, but I decided to stay in Indiana and explore. Since I had a full half-day, I decided to go for a nice nature walk at Blue Spruce Park.  

My 30 minute walk this morning was so peaceful and it gave me a chance to get away from the hustle-bustle of school and everyday life. Below you'll see pictures from along my walk. It's a beautiful, serene park...definitely one of the most quaint spots I've been to in a long time. The morning air was cool and crisp this morning, so it felt almost like fall weather. It was so nice to start off my morning by doing some light exercise. I'm sure I didn't burn a significant number of calories, but the walk left me feeling super energized, relaxed, and ready to start my day. I didn't even need a second cup of coffee today like I usually do! It's 8pm as I'm writing this, and I'm still super energized and relaxed! My goal for this month is to take 30-60 mins out of each morning to go for a walk at a park or a trail. There are so many walking trails around Indiana that I'm hoping to explore a couple more spots during the rest of my time here! And I'm hoping to continue my morning walks when I'm back in Pittsburgh. I have thyroid issues and even though I take medicine, I'm still tired throughout the day no matter how many cups of coffee I drink. I'm hoping that starting off my day with exercise will make me feel more energized and happier...and maybe even help me shed some weight! 

Park entrance 

Beautiful landscape and greenery of Indiana County 

Walking trail by the lake

Fishing spot by the lake 

Lake in the middle of Blue Spruce Park

Surrounded by nature on a peaceful walking trail

After my walk, I decided to spend the rest of my morning at Caffe Amadeus located in Downtown Indiana, PA. When I first got to Indiana, I did a search on Yelp for good study spots and coffeehouses, and this place came up with excellent reviews. The pictures of their drinks and desserts looked divine! Plus, they roast their own beans so I knew the coffee would be fresh. I decided to get just a regular latte and skipped the pastries since I didn't feel like eating anything sweet early in the morning. It's so cute how they give you a shot of water along side the coffee to take either before or after your coffee to cleanse your palate. I think you're supposed to take it before you drink your coffee, but I did it at the end to get rid of that residual coffee taste in my mouth. Their latte was absolutely delicious with a nice rich flavor. Also, one of the best latte arts I've seen. The decor of the coffee shop was a little quirky with pictures of classical composers, authors, and literary figures hung on the walls and antique armchairs and sofas spread throughout the shop. Needless to say, it was one of the most unique coffeeshops I've ever been to. It makes me realize how I should explore the coffeeshops in Pittsburgh instead of always going to Starbucks or Panera! At Caffe Amadeus, I read a few articles I had saved on my laptop and sipped my latte on a comfy armchair. It was a great study spot even though they didn't have Wifi. All in all, I would definitely like to stop by Caffe Amadeus before I go back to Pittsburgh, and try another espresso drink and maybe even get a pastry.

Since I had a few more minutes to spare, I decided to just walk along Philadelphia Street, which is the main street in Downtown. It has a bunch of unique stores that reminded me of antique shops. There were a few bakeries along the way too which I almost splurged at, but managed to control myself! Indiana is such a small little town, and it's refreshing to be somewhere away from a big city like Pittsburgh, and see how life functions in a small town.

Philadelphia Street at sunset

All in all, I'm really liking Indiana more than I thought I would. Although I was a little afraid at first, I'm finally getting used to the place and liking the small-town charm this place has. I can't wait to explore more places in Indiana during the rest of my time here! 

Stretching Routine

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I've struggled with weight for the past year. It hasn't been unintentional weight gain. It's been weight gain from an incredibly unhealthy diet. I'm ashamed to say that I've been eating mainly fried foods and a lot of takeout over the past year. I'm also ashamed to say that food and stress-eating has been my main coping mechanism over the past year. I've tried to go back to eating a healthy diet several times over the past year, but I've relapsed every time. I haven't checked my weight, but I'm sure I've gained at least 20 pounds since last year.

Now that the majority of my medical school duties are over, I'm looking forward to finally shedding the pounds for good. Indiana has a lot of beautiful parks and nature trails. I woke up this morning intending to go for a nature walk to begin my fitness journey, but unfortunately it started pouring as soon as I put my clothes on :( guess I should've looked up the weather before making plans! Hopefully the weather will be clear the rest of the week so I can make it out to the trails.

Because of the rain, I decided to just do some light exercises at the apartment. I love the Fitness Blender videos for at-home workouts! However, I've been sedentary for SO long that the thought of doing a cardio workout was very daunting (hence why I want to start off doing fun, easy nature walks). Browsing through their video library, I stumbled upon a stretching video that I've embedded above. Oh my goodness, it loosened up my muscles soooo much! It hit all of my sore muscle spots and it was only 6 minutes long! I'm really looking forward to doing this multiple times per day, even at my work desk!

I honestly think this video is excellent for all of us girls who haven't exercised in a while, have stiff muscles in the morning, or need a nice warmup before a cardio workout. Also good for those of us who sit at a desk most of the day and don't get much exercise at work. Although this video isn't a calorie scorcher, it's still a good way to get your body prepped for more intense workouts. I can definitely see myself doing this routine in the morning, around noontime, and in the evening to help relax my muscles. I'm also looking forward to drinking more water and eating more calorie-controlled meals. I may even make fruit-infused water while I'm in Indiana for a little extra kick! Expect updates ;)

Cleaning, Part One

Back in 2010, I bought Maria Menounos's book "The Every Girl's Guide to Life". I absolutely fell in love with this book and over the years it has inspired me in so many ways. One of the key pearls I've learned from the book, and firmly believe in myself, is that cleanliness and organization is one of the first and most fundamental steps towards happiness. Very few people can stay happy and truly organized living in a messy, filthy environment. While I'm not the cleanest person in the world, I try my very best to keep my life organized as much as I can and keep my space clean as much as possible. However, I admit that I haven't maintained my apartment as much as I wanted, especially when it comes to the floors.

This weekend, I decided to deep clean my apartment. I mean really really clean. Under the surfaces, removing dust mites from the nooks and crannies, get ridding of the little bits of foods stuck in random corners, etc. I got down on my hands and knees to clean every inch of the floor. I also ran our dishwasher empty to clean it on the inside. My shelves and drawers remain fairly organized most of the times, but I do like to spring clean every now and then and get rid of stuff I don't need anymore like old makeup, dead pens, etc. I set out to clean my entire apartment, but I was only able to get through my bedroom and kitchen. Although it took half a day to clean both of those spaces, I did a pretty thorough job and those rooms are now sparkling.

Next weekend, I hope to tackle my bathroom, living room, laundry closet, and my bedroom closet. After that, I'm hoping to clean my apartment every week and "maintenance clean" it so it doesn't get mega filthy again. I might make a cleaning checklist in the near future so I have a schedule.

July Beauty Favorites

I cannot believe August is here. This year is flowing by so fast! July was my Step 2 CK month and I'm so relieved that it's finally over. Today I figured I'd chit chat a bit about my July makeup favorites.  Mostly a bunch of rediscoveries that I've been falling back in love with in my makeup collection.

NYX Dream Catcher Palette in Dusk Til' Dawn

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette (Limit, Nooner, Liar)

Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in Fuller Fudge

Benefit Bella Bamba Blush

Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Berry Pop

Dior Addict Lipgloss in Delice

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Hot Shot

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Apricot Twist

Life Updates

I know I haven’t updated in a couple days, but I had a few setbacks that I was dealing with.  I recently got my grade for my Acting Internship which I was really upset about. I tried so hard to get Honors, but of course I only ended up with a High Pass. I honestly don’t know what I could have done better. I tried my hardest, got along with my colleagues, did well with my patients, taught my medical students. I just don’t know why I always get the short end of the stick. I feel like people who try half as hard as me are able to get amazing grades, while I’m stuck busting my ass and not able to get more than a High Pass in anything. I thought maybe I could break the mold with my AI, but apparently not. This has really impacted my self esteem and self confidence and I feel like total shit. I’m in Indiana for my Family Medicine rotation and can barely focus. Finding out my disappointing grade just sucked the confidence and drive out of me.  I used to be so motivated, now I just feel like I’m useless. I spent yesterday and this morning feeling like crap, couldn’t focus on anything, and spent my drive into the clinic this morning shedding tears, feeling sorry for myself and for my family. It reminded me of the news articles I’m always reading about students in Ivy League schools giving up and committing suicide because they can never meet the cut. That’s exactly how I feel. I’m in such a competitive school where everybody is amazing, and I’m definitely below average. It’s a really shitty feeling.

Anyway, I’m planning on talking to my Pediatrics advisor about all this. He’s on vacation until August 9^th, so I have some time. Hopefully I can still get into an amazing program like CHP, but I have a feeling I’m going to have to settle for something in the mid-tier range. I have a list of programs made up, but I may have to expand it given my subpar Step 1 score and straight High Passes in clerkships, including my AI. I feel like such a disappointment to both myself and to my family, who are always supporting me and want the best for me. I tried so, so, so hard but the setbacks and disappointing results are just getting to me. The below average Step 1, the average clerkship grades, the lack of AOA or Gold Humanism society nominations. The 30lb weight gain. It’s all just not worth it. If I could go back, I’m not sure if I would have even chosen medicine. I’m almost done with this hassle, but still another year to go….I was hoping that fourth year was going to be fun, stress-free, and relaxing but so far it’s turning out to be a nightmare.  

$10 Sundays: ELF Cosmetics

I haven't done a $10 Sunday in so long! I haven't been doing too much shopping, and I've been enjoying just playing with the makeup I already have in my collection. However, I went to Target a few days ago and decided to pick up some goodies from ELF that I had my eye on for quite some time now. Sooo many Youtube gurus have been raving about ELF products, and I haven't really dabbled in too many of their products. I own several of their brushes, but besides that I haven't tried too many things from their makeup line.

I really needed a new eyebrow brush since my Real Techniques one broke recently :( I believe I had gotten the ELF Essentials Brow Comb + Brush in the past, but I had lost it or something. I remember it being really good so I decided to buy another one and give it a go. It was only a $1 and is fairly good quality for this price!

Next, I decided to pick up the ELF Studio Lip Exfoliator for $3, which is an exfoliating lip stick. I've never seen an exfoliator in a stick before, but I saw this in one of Emily Noel's videos and knew I had to try it. I've always gotten the LUSH Lip Scrubs, but I don't like how you have to dip your finger and smear it all over your lips. It's super messy and the sugar gets everywhere. I've also tried the Fresh Sugar Lip Scrub, but that one's more liquidy and even messier. I'm hoping the ELF Lip Exfoliator is less messy and gets the job done. My lips chap super fast, so this product will be holy grail status if it works well!

Lastly, I purchased the ELF Studio Blush in Pink Passion for $3, which is a super bright, cool-toned matte fuchsia pink. It reminds me a lot of Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface, but it looks brighter and a bit more cool toned. Now, cool tones don't look the best on me, but I've been into bright blushes recently and decided to give this one a shot. I've heard a ton of great things about these blushes and I'm so excited to finally try a blush from ELF! I wanted to get one of their Blush Palettes, but I have so many other blushes in my collection I've been meaning to try that I decided to just pick up a single blush pan for now. I have my eye on the palette though so I'm sure that will be featured in an upcoming haul soon ;)

Projects I Hope To Complete Before 2016

It's been soooo long since I got a chance to craft. I know, I know no matter how busy you are you can always make time. I've done a total botch job at taking care of my health this year, and have majorly slacked in terms of keeping up with my hobbies. I'm hoping to do a better job at it this year and finally complete some of the projects I've had on my list (and Pinterest) for ages. Here are some of those projects along with their links.

Scrapbook. I've been working on a scrapbook for so long, but never managed to complete it. I've printed out a bunch of pictures, got pretty paper, embellishments, and have a lot of ideas but I just never got around to completing it. I'm hoping to finish it by the end of this year, or at least add my most memorable memories to my scrapbook!

Customized wine glass. I made one for my mom this past Mother's Day, and have been itching to make one for myself since. I dipped the stem in white-gold glitter and then wrote "Mom" in fancy letters on the main portion of the glass using a metallic Sharpie. I want to recreate a similar wine glass for myself, except write "Cheers" or something fun on the glass.

Glitter-dipped mason jars. Another glittery craft! (can you tell that I love glitter??) I think silver-glittered, clear mason jars would look so beautiful on my dresser, especially to store my makeup brushes. It's so easy to add glitter onto literally any surface with Mod Podge, a foam brush, and some loose glitter, and it looks incredibly amazing and spices up your space.

Decorative fall pillows. It's no secret that I cannot wait for fall. I also really want to get into sewing this year and the easiest sewing project for beginners are pillow covers. And the best part is that you can customize them a million different ways by choosing different types of fabrics, appliqués, designs, shapes, sizes, etc etc. I'm hoping to make some crimson square pillows for this fall season and then adding this adorable patchwork pumpkin design to add a bit of fall to my apartment.  

Fall centerpiece. I've always wanted to make my own centerpiece, but never make one since I don't have a formal table to set it on. However, I think I may make one this year using some pinecones, fake leaves, plastic pumpkin, candles, etc and then set it on our kitchen counter or windowsill, or somewhere eye-catching. This is such a fun little craft that again you can customize a billion different ways.