Look For A Night Out

A few days ago I was able to guest post over on Microscope Beauty and wanted to share it over here! It's my first go around with a beauty post, hope you enjoy! 

I never have been was the type of girl to wear heavy makeup, except for the occasional school dance or dance competition. I was always afraid of not looking "natural," but being on the dance team this past year helped me learn how to create a heavier look that worked on and off the court. 

&& onto the products! :)

Face: 

Maybelline Fit Me! Foundation in Sun Beige ($7.99):: I love the light to medium coverage this foundation offers. I don't feel caked on when I wear it. It also blends wonderfully to your natural tone.

Maybelline Fit Me! Pressed Foundation in Toffee Caramel ($7.99):: I use this to give more of a matte finish to my foundation. To apply I use a powder brush to ensure that I am just adding a light amount. I don't want to take away from the natural feel the liquid foundation leaves on my skin. 

Cheeks:

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Dark ($32):: While technically a bronzer, works great as a cheek highlight. I tend to have rosy cheeks when I get hot so I'd stick to applying a bronzer to add glow. 

Maybelline Fit Me! Blush in Deep Rose ($5.99):: Some days I need little face pick me up and blush can do the trick! This is when I add in some color to my cheeks - still applying bronzer too. *not pictured*

Eyes:

MAC Pro Color X 4 Compact in Shroom, Saddle, Embark, & Carbon ($48):: These shadows are amazing! I have never had a shadow that last so long until this palette was in my possession. I definitely would love to get a lighter combination for everyday wear. 

MAC Fluidline Eye-Line Gel in Blacktrack ($16):: I had never attempted to use anything but a pencil for my eye liner before the season. Now, I have purchased one of these for daily use too! I love the versatility of this eyeliner. You can apply it thicker for a more dramatic look and lighter for a subtle addition to your eyes - the choice is yours! 

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Pearls in Bronze Blowout ($6.99):: One word can sum this one up…GLITTER! I love using this to add sparkle to my shadow.

Maybelline Volum' Express - The Falsies (washable) in Very Black ($9.49):: The thing I love best about this mascara is that it has two different brushes. One for your top lashes and the other designed for the hard to get bottom lashes! I also find myself using the smaller brush to even out my top lashes. 

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes (washable) in Very Black ($6.40):: I usually use this mascara after I have applied my false lashes. It works really well to blend the false and real together. 

Ardel Fashion Lashes #105 or #110 ($ varies):: I'm very fortunate to have naturally long lashes so I only use falsies for game days. They definitely do a great job of making your eyes stand out. The only thing I would say is if you have sensitive eyes to be careful. They can irritate at times.

Lips:

I use a wide variety of lips throughout time. I would pick and choose which one based on what outfits we would be wearing throughout the game. A few of my favorites were:

Clinique Long Last Glosswear in Stellar Plum ($15)

Bath and Body Works Mentha Lip Tint in Plum Mint ($7.50)

Victoria Secrets Beauty Rush in Love Sparks ($10)

Last Minute Additions:

Wet n Wild Coverall Pressed Powder in Medium ($2.99):: I quickly blend under my eyes to create a more dramatic look/difference between foundation and blush.

Benefit Watt's Up Soft Focus Highlighter ($30):: I apply a thin line (using the edge of the stick) underneath my eyebrows for a simple highlight.

Are there any products on here you have used before?

What do you like to wear for a night out on the town?

❤ Nichole ❤

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Friday Favorites #17: Week of 6/27/14

Hey everyone! This week legitimately went by in the blink of an eye for me. I mean this whole month did honestly! How about you? Nonetheless, Friday is here, which brings about another round of favorites to spill and as always make sure to tell me what you have been loving this week too! 

--A Fault In Our Stars

On Monday Billy and I went to see A Fault In Our Stars. I personally have not read the book yet, but do have plans to. I usually try to read a book before I see the movie so I did things a little backwards this time. I didn't want to take the chance I would miss it while it was in theaters because I have a couple other books in the pipeline at the moment. The movie itself however was incredible. The messages throughout are amazing. All I can say is make sure you're prepared to shed a few tears. 

Source

--Long(ish) Drives

Long drives can be so peaceful. I have been doing them more frequent lately and I really enjoy my time in the car. Sometimes I turn the radio up and sing at the top of my lungs. Sometimes I drive in complete silence just thinking about life. Sometimes I take the time to reorganize my thoughts and things I have to do. Sometimes I brainstorm about different topics for the blog. Other times I look at the beauty of nature around me. No matter what it may be, I never find myself board when driving. 

--Late Night Workout

Earlier in the week I went for a late night gym session with some of my friends. I forgot how much I love working out at night if/when I have the ability too. I always wake up the next morning feeling more refreshed than ever and ready to take on the day. Going to the gym with friends in general makes a workout that much better too. I think I got as good of an ab workout in because of the fun we were having as I did actually doing abs. Friends are also great motivators!

--Treating Yourself

Yesterday morning I had a little bit of pampering! It started by going for a massage. Confession...I totally fell asleep during. I actually like to sleep if I can because I feel that by doing so I become even more relaxed. After the massage I met my mom at the nail salon for a manicure and pedicure. I absolutely love the way my feet feel after pedicures. It was quite a wonderful start to the day!

--Draft Party

As I am sure all of you basketball fans are aware last night was the NBA draft. The Pistons put on a draft party for their season ticket holders and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work it. I love interacting with people so one of my favorite parts was helping out over at the photo booth. 

During the downtime when there were no season ticket holders waiting to take their pictures with us, we decided to take our turn with the camera. The night was loads of fun!

--Post This Week

When I Look Back, I Look Forward on Thursday 6/26/14: 

--Most Loved This Month

Receiving my first ever VoxBox!

--Popular Post This Month

Is Less Really More? on 6/12/14:

What things made your Friday favorites list this week/month??

❤ Nichole ❤

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Linking up with Heather!

When I Look Back, I Look Forward

Hi and happy Thursday! Yesterday I had the opportunity to guest post over on Housewife Glamour for Heather and I couldn't help but want to share it today for Amanda's link up! It is a little different from my thinking out loud posts as of recent; shorter and no lists. Now I love putting together a long post, yet sometimes less words leave room more to think and that's my goal for today's post. The topic is something near and dear to me. It is something I feel is important to remind ourselves of often. 

Being proud of who we are…including where we came from.

No one is perfect. Now, society tries to tell us otherwise, but I promise you that if you are trying to reach it you will be forever searching. The only thing we can hope to do is be the best us that we can be which includes learning and accepting where we came from and what has happened to us. Everything that we endure plays a role in developing us to be the person we are meant to be.

We all feel pain.

We all make mistakes.

We all encounter obstacles.

We all face disappointment.

In the end…we all are human.

These things will always be apart of our lives. There is no escaping them. However, we do hold the power to make them into something we celebrate. I am by no means trying to make this sound as if it is easy to do. It's not. It could take days, weeks, months, or even years and then just when you think that you have the hang of it, life will throw another curveball your way. The key is to not let it dictate us and our every move. If we can be prepared that this thing we call life is going to be filled with multiple hills and battles to overcome each new day ends up being more manageable.

Always remember::

Our struggles develop our strengths. 

Adversity leads to opportunity.

& don't forget::

To be proud of who you are.

Questions of the Day:

1) What helps you overcome what life brings your way?

2) Is there one thing you find harder to accept over others?

3) How do you remind yourself to be happy with who you are?

❤ Nichole ❤

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The Photo Album #11

Holy cow, it's the last Wednesday of June?? Where is summer going?? One good thing does come from it being the last Wednesday of the month though because it means that is it time again for another photo album post. I know, I know ya'll are excited! A few weeks ago I mentioned that I would be transforming this series from weekly to monthly since I was feeling sort of rushed doing it every week. I love the concept of this series and wanted to make it a little more special so I felt as if doing it monthly would do the trick. If you are unfamiliar with my photo album posts I started them a while back with my friend Kayla to take a moment to look back to good memories from the past. Old photos always seem to have a way of putting a smile on your face and bring a little giggle to your day! 

The pictures for today are certainly a blast from the past. With the 4th of July around the corner (our independence day celebration here in the US) I couldn't resist pulling these babies out of the archives!

July 4th, 1994.

I was quite the stylish 2 year old don't you think??

We were in the backyard at my grandmas house.

I'm not sure where my attention is in this one. I appear to be confused errr or sad!

Man oh man, those outfits! lol.

Now, I don't remember this exactly, but from the looks of it it was a great time!

Do you ever see photos and wonder what the heck you were wearing?

❤ Nichole ❤

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A Disney Lovers Playlist

I had the chance to guest post yesterday on Underland to Wonderland and wanted to share with you!

I have and always will be a lover of all things Disney. As I have gotten older however, I have come to appreciate the valuable lessons in all they elicit. A place I tend to look most for motivation and inspiration is in lyrics. There are SO many powerful phrases hidden in the fun music. Today I'm happy to share some Disney favorites that encourage with you all! (title is linked to a video!)

My mom, dad, and I at Disney 2 years ago.

Let It Go - Frozen

"Let it go, let it go!

Can't hold it back any more.

Let it go, let it go!

Turn away and slam the door.

I don't care what they're going to say.

Let the storm rage on.

The cold never bothered me anyway."

Hakuna Matata - The Lion King

"Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase

Hakuna Matata, ain't no passing craze

It means no worries for the rest of your days

It's our problem free philosophy, Hakuna Matata"

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes - Cinderella

"Have faith in your dreams and someday

Your rainbow will come smiling through

No matter how your heart is grieving

If you keep on believing

the dream that you wish will come true"

The Bare Necessities - The Jungle Book

"Look for the bare necessities

The simple bare necessities

Forget about your worries and your strife

I mean the bare necessities

Old Mother Nature's recipes

That brings the bare necessities of life"

I See The Light - Tangled

"And at last I see the light

And it's like the fog has lifted

And at last I see the light

And it's like the sky is new

And it's warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

All at once everything looks different

Now that I see you"

Almost There - Princess and The Frog

"And I'm almost there, I'm almost there!

People down here think I'm crazy, but I don't care

Tribes and tribulations have had my share

There ain't nothing gonna stop me now cause I'm almost there"

Go the Distance - Hercules 

"I'll be there someday 

I can go the distance 

I will find my way 

If I can be strong 

I know every mile 

Will be worth my while 

When I go the distance 

I'll be right where I belong"

You Can Fly - Peter Pan

"When there's a smile in your heart

There's no better time to start

Think of all the joy you'll find

When you leave the world behind

And bid your cares good-bye

You can fly! You can fly! You can fly!"

Happy listening! :)

I hope you all are having a great Tuesday!

Questions of the Day:

1) Are you a Disney fan?

2) Is music something you look to for inspiration?

3) Which of these songs did you like best?

❤ Nichole ❤

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MIMM #18 {Easy Like A Sunday Morning}

Hi all! So, I just have to say I am loving the weekends lately. I'm not certain if it's because it is my first summer in 4 years where I haven't had the worry about class or homework, but well no matter what the reason might be they sure have been nice! This weekend was another packed one, however the days didn't feel rushed and they didn't fly by. I'm linking up with Katie to share the marvelousness!

Friday:

Started out by going over and spending the late morning/early afternoon with Billy's grandma. I absolutely love any and all time that we have over there. Around 4 o'clock I had to get ready to head down to a local outdoor music theatre, DTE, that we have for a dance appearance. I met the other 2 girls who were doing it also off the exit at 6:30 to grab some dinner and then carpool over. We had quite a bit of anticipation for we were not sure exactly what we were going to be doing. All we knew was when and where to be as well as what uniform to bring with us. Upon arriving we asked what it was that we would be doing and when we were told we all couldn't believe it! Lionel Richie was the artist performing and Friday night was his 65th birthday so we were being asked to help surprise him with a cake on stage! It was an absolutely incredible opportunity. Truly a night I'll never forget!

(sorry the fuzziness, the pictures are from off the screens)

Saturday:

Was the grand opening of our city's new farmer's market! Billy and I headed over to check it out around 2 pm. It was exciting to see how many people were there; actually a ton of vendors had closed down by mid afternoon because they had sold out of what they had! We walked around for a couple hours really taking our time to look at everything. Once we finished getting the few things we had spotted we then went over to Billy's house so he could do some of his yard work. I decided to take this time to enjoy the beautiful day it was and lay outside and read. Well, that was the original plan. What actually happened was that I only made it through one chapter before I ended up passing out for a good hour and a half. Napping outside in the sun and fresh air is one of my favorite summer things to do. The rest of the night was dedicated to relaxing and backing up the photos on my computer.

Sunday:

Began with my mom, dad and I doing a few returns and of course when doing returns a little shopping always seems to occur too. I picked up a couple cute pairs of summer sandals that were only $8, but had a "my bad moment" and totally forgot to snap a photo! When I got back home Billy, Nic (my brother) and I headed out to the gym. I tried my first ever interval run on the treadmill and boy did I get my sweat on! After, we were on our way over to a friends house for their FIFA World Cup cookout. We got back home in plenty of time to close out a great weekend by watching Americas Got Talent.

What did you do this weekend??

❤ Nichole ❤

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Friday Favorites #16: Week of 6/20/14

Hey everyone! So, I have some good news to deliver to you all. Are you ready? It's really exciting… 

**clears throat ready to announce** Friday is here!! :))

Pardon my moment of goofiness, but come-on, I had you wondering for a second didn't I?? lol. This week has been quite wonderful and I've been anxiously awaiting today to share my favorite things! I think this is why I subconsciously cut out the chitter-chatter from this posts intro - whoops. I hope your week has been a great one as well and I can't wait to hear some of your Friday loves too!

--New Summer Bag

Yesterday Billy had text me that he had something he wanted to give me and when we met up I couldn't believe my eyes. He found this gorgeous handbag for me at a little boutique in the downtown area of our city and he said that when he saw it he instantly thought it screamed me. It was love at first sight. The color combination is fun and perfect for summer. There is also a long strap inside to make it into a satchel. The coolest part is that the designers name is Nicole (like me!). He did good!

--Maybelline Eyeliner

Until this year I was never a person to wear any liner on the top of my lids. Honestly, I was just nervous that I wouldn't be good at it and it wouldn't look right. I had no idea what I was missing! I love the way it totally makes your eyes pop. I don't wear it for my everyday natural look, but I do carry it in my makeup bag and pull it out when wanting a different look. I found myself using it fairly often this week! If you're in need of a good liner I suggest giving this one a try!

--Starbucks Refresher

These can be so addicting! They are a nice treat on a hot day, packed with a boost of energy. I would drink one everyday if I could, but my bank account wouldn't be a fan! My go to flavor is very berry. 

--VoxBox

On Sunday I received my first ever VoxBox from Influenster - #SurfsUpVoxBox! I was like a little kid opening the box. I could not wait to see what the goodies were inside! My excitement that was through the roof and by the next day I had already tried out 3 out of the four products. 

**Interested in the details of what I got? Check it out here.**

--Dinner & Puppies

Tuesday early evening I met a couple of friends at a local crepe place for dinner. I think this was the first time I had entered a restaurant with not a clue as to what I was going to end up ordering. I have had crepes before, although I have never had anything besides a dessert crepe. I ended up ordering a seasonal crepe filled with different cheeses and mixed greens. It was delicious! 

After we finished up our crepes we all headed on over to Kayla's parents house to visit and play with the puppies that they recently got. I could have watched them all night, such personalities they have! They are little bundles of energy, which made snapping photos a little difficult. By the end of our visit we had tired them out to the point where I was able to at least take a few adorable shots. 

Meet the pups:

• Golden Retriever- Bancroft 

• German Shepard- Otto

--Organizing Apps

While I was on the elliptical the other day I decided it was time to evaluate the apps I had on my phone. I knew there were some that I never used, but I didn't expect there would be enough to clear up a gigabyte worth of space! I guess this spring summer phone cleaning was well overdue!

--Post This Week
Putting Two and Two Together on Tuesday 6/17/14:

&& that's a wrap…your turn!

Linking up with Heather for Friday Favorites!

❤ Nichole ❤

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