The Top 10 Highlights of My Summer | 2016

Summer break is officially over for me, and today was the first day back to school. I am a junior in high school, and it feels like summer went by soo fast! I honestly wouldn't have remembered to wake up for school today if it wasn't for my trusty planner and my annoying alarm clock. Today I am going to be sharing with you a recap of my summer break. I was super busy this summer with working, but also found time for myself.

I worked at a resale clothing store this summer, and it was my first job- besides babysitting and house sitting. I've wanted a real job for a long time, because in the summer I'm always extremely bored and just sitting around the house all day when I have nothing to do. I really like being busy and having a purpose for my day. Working really got me out of my bed and pajamas. I'm still working as a sales associate at this store, and will try to balance school with my part time job. 

Another one of my favorite things this summer was volunteering at Camp Invention at an elementary school near my house. Camp Invention is a camp all about thinking and learning. I worked mostly with the 2nd-3rd graders and I absolutely loved it! The kids were so sweet and the counselors all got to think of fun activities and games for the kids. I volunteered as a camp counselor for a week and was sad when the camp ended. I hope I have time to volunteer next year with these kids!

I really enjoyed watching the movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople! If you are looking for something super funny to watch, then definitely go watch this! You will definitely have more than a few laughs.

This summer I have tried to blog more. I got to work with my first company at the beginning of the summer which was super cool! It was such a great experience! I have also tried to better my photography and editing skills!

Practicing yoga was another highlight of my summer break. I practice with my mom and her friend, who is a yoga instructor. I also watch videos on YouTube and practice by myself in my room. I like to watch Yoga with Adrienne, because she's really great at guiding you through the poses with her voice. I hate when I have to keep looking over at my screen to see what the instructor is doing. I took a yoga class at a studio near me as well, which I also found very rejuvenating and awakening. Stretching is so great for you, and I think that yoga is great not only for the body, but also for the mind.

Since I got my license in May, I got to drive by myself this summer. I got to hang out with a lot of my friends which was super fun. We went to the pool and went shopping a lot (there really isn't much else to do where I live).

A small highlight was reading the Mortal Instruments book series. I love these kinds of books that take you into a whole new world where the unimaginable is real!

I watched Grey's Anatomy this summer as well, which I would definitely classify as a highlight. I have watched all the seasons on Netflix, and I'm waiting for the next season to come out on Netflix. I'm watching the sister show called Private Practice, which is all about Addison Montgomery instead of Meredith Grey.

I also went to the beach for a week near the end of the summer. You can read more about my beach vacation here. My family and I stayed at Caswell Beach on Oak Island. It's super close to a bunch of other beaches in North Carolina. The beach trip was a super relaxing way to end my summer!

A week ago, I went to the Gay Pride Parade in Charlotte. I marched with the Moms Demand Action for Gun Safety Group. The parade was packed which was so awesome! There were a lot of other organizations supporting their causes and the parade lasted a few hours. There were some really cool floats, and I also saw my first drag queen!

Thanks for reading!

Thea :)

Summer Waterproof Makeup Routine for the Beach or Pool ♡

Hey guys! I recently went to the beach a few weeks ago (click here to read about my beach trip). The makeup that I wore on my trip obviously needed to be waterproof, or else it would come off while I was in the ocean or swimming in the pool. Today I am going to be sharing with you my waterproof makeup routine that I do when I'm at the pool with friends or catching waves at the beach! I Sometimes I skip steps in this routine when I don't want to wear as much makeup.



Face
I first start with the Andalou Naturals moisturizer in 1000 Roses. This moisturizer is great because it has SPF 18 in it, which will protect your face from the sun. Next up, I use the Laura Mercier primer in Mineral which will make sure that my face makeup will stay in place and apply smoother. It will also make your face makeup more long lasting! Instead of wearing foundation, I like to wear a BB cream or tinted moisturizer in the summer. I've been using the Body Shop BB Cream in 04 which is actually on sale right now! I use the darkest shade because I get extremely tan in the summer. This BB cream makes your skin look very glowy and dewy because it is so moisturizing. When I have acne or any dark spots I want to cover up, I will use my Maybelline FitMe concealer in the shade Deep. To apply this concealer as well as my BB cream, I use my Swissco blending sponge that I picked up in my Ulta mini haul post in May. This blending sponge is a great alternative for the Beauty Blender, because it is half the cost! To set everything, I use my Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in Translucent. Lastly, I will pack the product on to this fluffy brush from Sonia Kashuk and concentrate it on my under-eyes to bake.

Eyes
While I am waiting for the powder to bake under my eyes, I do my eye makeup. I start with my ELF Smudge Pot in Cruisin' Chic and apply this to my eyelid with my finger. Since this is a cream product, it acts as a eyeshadow base/primer for my powder eyeshadows. It is also waterproof, so it won't come off in water. Sometimes I will just use this to act as my eyeshadow, or I will go in with my Covergirl TruNaked Nudes palette with the double sided eyeshadow brush from this kit. I use the shadow fawn as a transition shade, mink on the lid, buff in the inner corner, and cocoa on the outer v. Then I use the ELF cream eyeliner in black with the gel eyeliner brush from this brush set. I love this cream eyeliner because it is extremely easy to use, very black and doesn't come off! I will also use the brow pencil from this Essence kit as an eyeliner and tightline around my eyes. After this is done, I curl my eyelashes with this amazing eyelash curler from Revlon and swipe on a few coats of this Maybelline waterproof mascara.

Brows
I start my brows by brushing out the hairs with the brow comb from this Sonia Kashuk set. Then I use the brow brush from the Essence kit and fill in my brows with the shade cocoa from the Covergirl TruNaked Nudes palette. To make this powder stay on my brows, I apply this brow gel from Maybelline in the shade Translucent. This sets my brows and makes them stay in place even when I'm swimming!

Face (again)
Once I have finished my eyes and brows, I go back to my face. I use my powder brush from the Sonia Kashuk brush set again and dust away any excess loose setting powder. Then I will contour my face a little with this ProFusion contour palette. If you want to know more about how I contour and highlight, check out this post. I use the blush brush in the Sonia Kashuk brush set to give a less defined contour. If I want a more defined contour, I use the contour brush. I use my Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in the Bronze compact to highlight my face and bronze it up a little bit. I also use my blush brush for this. It gives a beautiful shimmer and glow to the face!

Lips
When my lips are chapped or rough, I like to use this ELF lip exfoliator on them. There are a bunch of great and nourishing oils in this exfoliator that leave your lips feeling smooth and moisturized! When I'm at the beach or pool, my lips get dried out so I like to finish this makeup look of by wear ing this chapstick to keep them hydrated. This chapstick also leaves a nice berry colored stain on my lips. 

Here's a picture of me at the beach!

And this one is of me and my friends at the pool together!

Thanks so much for reading! What are your favorite waterproof makeup products?

Thea ♡

Week In My Life: Beach Vacation at Oak Island ♡

Hey everyone! I just got back from the beach with my family on Sunday and wanted to share some of the fun things we did! I stayed at Caswell Beach on Oak Island for a week (from July 31-August 7).   My aunt stayed with my mom, sister and I from Sunday to Wednesday and then my dad came and joined us on Thursday. We rented a condo with a great beach view and access. Oak Island is an old fashioned little beach town on the coast of North Carolina. It's also close to a bunch of other beaches like Bald Head Island, Holden Beach, Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle and Myrtle Beach. It's also about a 15 minute drive away from Southport, which is a great town for shopping and eating. 

The drive from Charlotte to Oak Island was about 4 hours. We stopped along the highway at a produce stand that was selling delicious peach ice cream. 


While walking along the beach, we saw many turtle nesting spots. We noticed that at this spot there were a bunch of cracked and opened eggs, some with yolk inside. The people from turtle rescue told us that many of the turtles had already gone to sea and that a dog must have come at night and eaten the rest. A majority of them did find there way to the ocean which was great news!

Typical hair at the beach was either a messy bun or a ponytail. I hate when my hair gets all sticky and gross from the humidity so I like to keep it up and out of my face. I'm wearing a blue sports bra from Lululemon and a grey tank top from Champion.

We went to the Provision Company at Southport which had great seafood! If you are ever near Southport then you have to go to this restaurant. Don't be scared off if there's a really long line of people waiting, because they turn the tables over extremely fast. 

I got a new bikini top at Evita Swimwear Boutique! It's a white crochet halter top and I love it. It was only $15! The blue bikini bottoms went with a matching top but I thought it looked really cute with this new top too. 

Here's a picture of me in the bikini out on the balcony of the condo we were staying at. You can see the beautiful ocean view in the background! I was scared that this top wouldn't hold up in the water but it did! It withstood the rough waves like a champ.




This was the beautiful view from the Fish House restaurant that we ate dinner at. 



We kayaked around marshes and the intracoastal waterway. We also kayaked near Holden Beach which was really fun and great exercise. There were also other people paddle boarding around us and sailing around.

We ate lunch one day at the Flying Fish Cafe and we had a great view of the beach and the pier. The food was excellent and it was so nice to see everyone having fun out on the beach.


Here are all the bikinis I wore while I was at the beach. I bought the top left floral bikini top from a brand called Yamamay in Italy while shopping in Positano. The white bottoms, blue floral bikini top, light blue bikini set (top & bottoms) and pink striped bikini set (top & bottoms) are all from Target. I got the crochet bikini top from Evita's and the blue bikini bottoms from a brand called Cupsay. 

My trip to Oak Island was a nice, relaxing little getaway before heading back to school on August 29th :( I had a great time and thought the island was very charming and sweet! 

Thanks for reading!

Thea ♡

Best Ulta Beauty Eyeshadow Palettes Under $15 ♡

Hey guys! I have put together some really pretty eyeshadow palettes sold at Ulta Beauty that you can buy for $15 or less. These eyeshadow palettes are sooo perfect for summer because they give a nice bronzed glow. Most of these palettes also have warm toned eyeshadows with a mix of shimmers and mattes. I wish I could buy all of these palettes because I think they are so beautiful. If you have $15 to spend at Ulta, I would highly recommend buying one of these eyeshadow palettes for the summer. They are extremely versatile and you will definitely get a lot of wear out of them. I hope you enjoy this post and find some great inexpensive palettes to buy that won't break your bank!

 Shop this post ♡

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1. Carli Bybel BH Cosmetics Palette - $14.50
2. Makeup Revolution Stripped & Bare Salvation Palette - $10.00
3.  J.Cat Beauty Fab Five Bronze Creature Palette - $4.99
4. Covergirl Nudes TruNaked Palette - $11.99
5. Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs. Neutrals Palette - $10.00
6. Makeup Revolution Flawless Ultra 32 Palette - $15.00
7. Nyx Cosmetics Love in Paris Parisian Chic - $9.99
8. Kardashian Beauty Touch Tones Echo Palette - $9.99
9. Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Palette - $9.99
10. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Classic Nude Palette - $11.99
11. Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Redemption Palette - $7.00
12. Essence How To Make Nude Eyes Palette - $9.99

Thanks for reading!





5 Workout and Exercise Outfits ♡

Hey everyone! I've put together 5 different outfits that are perfect for running, yoga or any other workout. Now that summer has started there is more time for exercising. These outfits are super cute and light enough to workout in when it's hot outside. It's important not to wear heavy clothes while working out in the summer because you will sweat more. You will also become more exhausted and dehydrated. Trying to sweat more will not help you lose weight but will actually make you more thirsty. You need to make sure to wear appropriate clothes for the temperature outside. These outfits will make you look great as you workout while also keeping you cool and comfortable. Hopefully you guys find some outfit inspiration from these looks!

Outfit 1

Running Outfit
Shop this outfit ♡


Outfit 2

Outfit 3

Exercise outfit
Shop this outfit 

Leggings / Sports bra / Tank top / Phone case / Headband / Water bottle / Sneakers / Headphones

Outfit 4

Exercise outfit 3

Outfit 5

Exercise outfit
Shop this outfit ♡

Shorts / Sports bra / Sneakers / Headband / Tank top / Water bottle / Earbuds


Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: All thoughts, opinions and pictures are mine :)






Urban Outfitters Long Weekend Sale ♡

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Hello everyone! I have another fashion sale collage of my top picks! Urban Outfitters is having a long weekend sale where they are doing 25% most of there sales items. I picked out my top 20 clothing items on sale that I think are super cute for the Summer. I love their rompers and dresses but they are usually extremely expensive. You should stock up on them over the Memorial Day weekend since they're on sale! Also check out my Forever 21 sale post to find my top picks under $20 at Forever 21.

Thanks for reading!


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Disclaimer: All thoughts, opinions and photos are my own :)

Forever 21 Memorial Weekend Sale ♡

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Hey everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend so far! I had a teacher work day on Friday so I get to have a 4 day weekend. Forever 21 is having a Memorial Weekend sale of an extra 30% off sale items with the code EXTRA 30. They already have a summer sale going on now with discounts up to 75% off. I also got  an email from them for free shipping with no minimum with the code VIPFS through May 28, 2016. Make sure to hurry and buy some cute summery clothes! I picked out a few of my favorite sale items from Forever 21 that are all under $20! Hope you all have a great weekend 


Disclaimer: All thoughts, opinions and photos are mine :)





Cute Shorts Under $50 ♡

I picked 12 pairs of super cute shorts that are all under $50! I tried to find shorts that were on the less expensive side, because no one wants to break their bank when Summer starts. These shorts aren't your basic denim shorts- they are more fun and bright and are perfect for the Summer. There are different pairs for every occasion, and will be great to wear when it gets sunny out.


Shorts


I think all of these shorts are extremely adorable and affordable! Tassels, pom poms and high waisted shorts are in style this season. I really like when shorts are bright or have fun patterns on them. You ca just pair them with a basic plain shirt, and you already have a cute outfit.

Thanks for reading!

3 Outdoor Music Festival Outfits ♡

The big Coachella music festival has already ended, but there are a bunch of other smaller outdoor music festivals going on everywhere! The Spring and Summer is the perfect time to go to one, because the weather is nice outside and you can wear long flowy skirts and dresses. I put together 3 outfits for any music festival or concert that you might be attending. I got inspiration from some of the outfits that I saw celebrities wearing at Coachella. They are super cute and I hope they inspire your outfit if you are going to a music event!

Outdoor festival

Red shirt, $26 / Long skirt, $12 / Necklaces, $11 / Shoes,  $45 / Leather handbag, $54 / Bracelets, $38 /Rings, $8.70 / Drop earrings, $6.12 / Beach hat, $30 / Round sunglasses, $66

I think wearing a long maxi skirt with a crop top is super cute! The long skirt balances out the crop top, and is perfect for hot weather. I also think lace up sandals are really fun make any outfit look more interesting. A hat is always nice for protecting your skin from the sun. This boho jewelry is also really nice, because it can be stacked and matched with other jewelry. Sunglasses are definitely an essential, and I think these pink aviators go perfectly with this outfit!

Festival look 2

Shirt, $13 / Denim cutoff shorts, $88 / Sandals, $129 / Clutch, $20 / Flash tattoos $15 / 
Blue bracelet, $28 / Pearl bracelet, $85 / Beaded wrap bracelet, $38 / Necklace, $20 /
Head wrap, $11 / Lens glasses, $33

This outfit is a little more hipster. I think these long gladiator sandals would look super cute with high waisted shorts, so you can show them off to people without them hiding under a skirt or a dress. A cool way to wear a bandana is to tie it as a head wrap for your hair! I love the look of beaded bracelets and layered necklaces. I also think flash tattoos are a great way to add some fun and and shimmer to your look!

Festival look 2

Dress, $22 / Sandals, $45 / Boho purse, $49 / Multi color necklace, $26 / Rings, $9/
 Topshop hat, $48 / Sunglasses, $66

If you wear any kind of white clothing article, I definitely think you should pair it with some colorful accessories and jewelry! This tasseled necklace and clutch add fun pops of color and more to your outfit. I also think leather sandals are a nice basic for anyone, because they match almost anything. The rose gold sunglasses are super stylish and the hat tops off the look.


Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: All thoughts, opinions and photos are mine :)

Spring Break 2016: Bikini/Swimwear Trends ♡

Spring Break officially starts today for me! I am not going to the beach over Spring Break, because I am going college touring. I know a lot of people go to the beach over break, so I made a list of all the different swimwear trends for Spring and Summer! I love buying swimsuits, because there are so many fun prints, patterns and styles. I really think that there is a swimsuit for everyone and every body shape. I hope you guys have a great Spring Break and that you find some inspiration from this post. Check out my Pinterest bikini board to see more bathing suits that I'm loving for the Spring and Summer! ♡

Light Blue Bikini Top- TopShop
Maroon Wrap Top- Suboo 
Halter Coral Bikini Top- Mikoh
Strappy Black and White Top- Mikoh
Black Crochet Halter- Style Moi
Triangle Bikini- Look Book Store
Blue Tie Die Halter- Beautiful Halo
Bralette Bikini- Rip Curl
Crochet Trimmed Bikini- Kiini
Pink One Piece- Tart
Black and White One Piece- Etro

Strappy Backs-
Lately I have been loving bathing suits with really intricate straps on the back! They look really  cool and fun, and they also form really pretty designs. Fun strappy backs add a nice touch to an otherwise plain bikini top. 

High-Neck Lines-
High neck lines are extremely popular right now, and swimwear companies are finally adopting this trend! It gives good coverage while also looking super cute and stylish.

Crochet-
Crochet has also come into style, and there are some crochet bikini tops that can also be worn as barrettes and crop tops! Crochet bikini tops are perfect for the Spring and Summer and are always made in pretty designs. 

Bralettes-
These are super comfortable and really cute. They give a sporty and athletic look and offer good support.

One Pieces-
One pieces are back in style! There are some really cute one pieces with cute straps and fun prints. One pieces also give you a lot more coverage and won't slip off you if you are doing a lot of swimming and water sports.

Stores-
Here are some of my favorite swimwear stores! Some are more pricier, and some are more cheaper.

L. Space- www.lspace.com
Victoria's Secret- www.victoriassecret.com
Athleta- www.athleta.com
Pac Sun- www.pacsun.com
Lookbook Store- www.lookbookstore.co
Triangl- www.triangl.com
Forever 21- www.forever21.com

Thanks for reading my post! I hope these trends have helped you in picking out your swimsuits for this Spring and Summer ♡

Disclaimer: All thoughts, opinions and photos are mine :)


OOTD: 2.17.16 ♡

I hope everyone had a great extra day to their year, since 2016 is a Leap Year! I took these pictures about a week ago of my outfit of the day (OOTD). It was really nice where I lived on this particular day, so I wore a summery shirt, but made it Winter appropriate by adding a jacket and ankle boots. Enjoy! ♡


Necklace- Brighton
Bracelets- Alex & Ani
Shirt- Anthropologie
Jacket- Nordstrom BP
Jeans- Ann Taylor Loft
Boots- Forever 21



I really like this outfit, and I think it is perfect for warmer days in Winter. I think wearing more summery tops with winter or fall jackets looks great, and you can get more wear out of your clothes!


Face Moisturizer- Andalou Naturals
 Primer- Pur Cosmetics
Tinted Moisturizer- Laura Mercier
Concealer- Wet n Wild
Setting Powder- Laura Mercier
Bronzer- Wet n Wild
Bronzer- Bobbi Brown
Eyeliner- Essence of Beauty
Mascara- Benefit
Eyebrow Pencil- Anastasia Beverly Hills
Eyebrow Gel- Maybelline
Eyelash Curler- Revlon

My  dog decided he wanted to be features in this post!

Thanks for reading! 

Disclaimer: All thoughts, opinions and photos are mine :)