Ally's A-List for March

Happy April, everyone! But, for real... can we talk about how it is ALREADY APRIL?! Time is flying by! I am about ready for the cold and dreary days to be behind me, and am SO READY for the warmer weather and sunshine. Let's hope we only experience a few April showers to get beautiful May flowers! Speaking of dreary things, I am currently battling the WORST head and chest cold. Colds are just the worst because you just have to wait them out. One thing I swear by is Zicam, or Zinc therapy to help reduce my cold symptoms. At the first sign that I am getting a cold, I immediately grab the Zicam and it helps to reduce the symptoms of my cold. I hope everyone has had a great March, and ready for an even better April! I had a fantastic March. One of my favorite moments from March was when I went to visit some of my college besties, Amelia and Liz, to attend a bridal shower for our dear friend and sorority sister, Carter! Amelia lives in a gorgeous suburb outside of Atlanta, and we had the best time drinking margaritas, shopping, catching up, and making crafts for Carter's shower. 

SO... that brings me to my "A-list" for the month of March...

1. My Mini Weekend Vacay in Atlanta

I always love getting together with these girls because even though we don't get to see each other as often as we would like, each time we get together it is like NO time has passed! To me, that is the sign of a great, life-long friendship! I also discovered a hidden talent of mine, chalkboard artist! I had so much fun creating some boards for Carter's shower. Sorry for the photo overload, but I wanted to share our weekend and the amazing shower hosted by Amelia and Liz with my readers!

Amelia, Liz, and I met at Samford through our sorority and soon realized we were all VERY similar people who like to have fun, but also don't mind laying on the couch and having a movie marathon. Never a dull moment with these girls! 

For Carter's shower, we wanted to create some chalkboard art, and so I decided to take over this task, and discovered my hidden talent as a chalkboard artist. 

Some of the shower decor. Notice the fabulous monogram wood work.  

These "poms" were EVERYTHING. BUT... terrible to assemble! Note to anyone who buys these in the future, they are MUCH hard to assemble than you would thing!

MIMOSAS WERE A MUST!!

My second chalkboard art. I definitely recommend investing in the chalkboard "paint" pens, because they are much less messy and I thought made a prettier finished product. 

Liz is a FANTASTIC baker! She baked this DELICIOUS strawberry cake, and even made this monogram out of chocolate! Someone needs to open up a shop.... :) 

We really lucked out with beautiful weather for the day. True story, I even got sunburned on my arms! 

With the bride-to-be, Carter in the center. I can't wait for this wedding! 

Carter received some of the best gifts! 

After the shower, we decided to go shopping at a fabulous outdoor mall. Amelia discovered this amazing shimmer dusting powder. I mean, could this be more perfect?!

I discovered this card and great saying. I think this might be my new life motto.

2. Great Facial Care

So, something no one ever warned me about getting older, is that ACNE NEVER GOES AWAY!! I mean, I am pretty sure sometimes my face looks worse than it did during my teenage years. Ugh, so frustrating! After talking to some twitter followers, and friends, I found out that this is a problem for many girls my age. So, huge thanks and shout out to 2 people of Twitter, @rxbethontherun, and @brittmichealian for these suggestions that I believe have REALLY helped to clear up my face. I have noticed a huge difference!

• Cleanser: Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser
• This cleanser can be picked up at any drugstore for a price of around $7.99, and contains the drying powers of salicylic acid. This cleanser is not overly drying, but it does a fantastic job of cleaning my face. 
• Spot Treatment: Kiehls Blue Herbal Spot Treatment
• I use this spot treatment of acne spots, and it really helps to make them disappear a lot faster than normal. This spot treatment retails for $18.00, so yes, it is on the expensive side, but I believe that it is totally worth it! This salicylic acid treatment also contains Cinnamon Bark Extract, which has antibacterial properties along with soothing effects, and glycolic acid, which helps to slough off the dry skin.  

Thank you so much to @rxbethontherun and @brittmichealian for these recommendations! 

Some other facial care items that I have been using and loving include...

• Toner: Apple Cider Vinegar or Clean and Clear Deep Cleaning Astringent
• I alternate between both of these toners. If my skin is feeling a little drier than normal or irritated, I back away from the Clean and Clear Astringent, and will use a dilute solution of Apple Cider Vinegar over problem areas on my face.
• Moisturizer: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Facial Moisturizer
• SO OBSESSED with this moisturizer. My face has been extra dry this winter, and I have had a hard time finding a moisturizer that I love. Thanks to @missglamorazzi or Ingrid Nilsen's recommendation, I picked up this moisturizer at Sephora. While this moisturizer will set you back $24.00, it is AMAZING. Lightweight, but providing essential moisture to your face, I think that this has helped with my clearing skin.
• Spot Treatment: Zinc Oxide Cream
• What, diaper rash cream for your face?! I know, I thought it was weird too...but I have been using this diaper rash cream as a spot treatment on some pimples. It has amazing drying effects and can help dry up those zits in no time! 

3. When life gives you acne, use a GOOD CONCEALER, and face makeup! 

Since my face has been acting up like crazy recently, I have had to bust out some heavy duty concealers, foundations, and powders! Some of the things that have been staples in my face makeup routine for March have been:

• Marc Jacobs Undereye Concealer
• This creamy concealer is perfect for hiding those under eye circles. Also, the applicator tip is metal and gives a cooling effect to help those puffy under eyes!
• TruBlend Covergirl Foundation
• Call me crazy, but recently I discovered that foundations with SPF in them causes my dry patches on my face to be amplified! I know I am fair skin, and need SPF on my face, but I have decided to apply it in other ways instead of in my foundation. Being a lover of Covergirl's line of foundations, I decided to try this one without SPF, and REALLY love it. It gives medium coverage, but doesn't cause clunked up areas on my dry patches. 
• Neutrogena's Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation
• To get some more coverage and SPF on my face, I have been setting my foundation with a powder foundation. I really love this mineralized one from Neutrogena. This powder foundation has FANTASTIC coverage for a powder. 
• Benefit's Bo-ing concealer
• After all of this coverage, I still need some coverage on those stubborn acne spots. I turn to my ever faithful Bo-ing concealer by Benefit. This can be applied with your finger directly over your red spots or problem areas. 
• E.L.F's Tone Correcting Powder
• An always favorite, I use this fabulous powder to set everything on my face. It also helps to control the oil from popping up on your T-zone throughout the day. 

One concealer that I am dying to try, but has been sold out in my color at Sephora every time I go is NARS creamy concealer. I hear great things about this concealer, so once I can get my hands on it, I will share it with you all! 

4. Finally, my ENTERTAINMENT favorites for the month of March

SONGS: 

• Anything from the FROZEN soundtrack. Finally saw this movie and it lived up to all of the hype. Olaf is my HOMEBOY. 
• Classic by MKTO -- great song to jam to in the car
• I have been on a country kick lately and enjoying ...
• Kiss a Girl by Keith Urban
• Beat of the Music by Brett Eldredge
• Everything I Shouldn't Be Thinking by Thompson Square
• 19 You + Me by Dan + Shay 
• Heaven Knows by the Pretty Reckless 

TELEVISION: 

A collage of my favorite shows during March. The problem was that most of these shows come on Monday and Tuesday! My TiVo was on OVERLOAD, but luckily I could space them out during the week. Also, if you aren't watching Jeopardy, don't start watching or you might get addicted like I am! I randomly decided to turn this on one night and now my entire family is obsessed and we love to play along and see how dumb we all are! :) Pretty Little Liars and Teen Wolf wrapped up their seasons in March, and both shows are killing it! The Following is also killing it this season. This show never disappoints me with all of the crazy twists and turns it throws at it's audience. On the "reality, side of things, The Bachelor ended up being a HUGE disappointment, and Dancing with the Stars just started a couple of weeks ago, and always love watching this show. 

5. March Madness 

Did anyone else fill out the Billion Dollar Bracket in hopes of landing their hands of one billion dollars? Yep, I sure did. I had so many great plans, and then my dreams were CRUSHED, just like that, first round! :) Anyways, I never really watch basketball until March Madness comes around, and then I fill out a bracket just to see my luck at randomly picking teams I really don't know much about. But, can we talk about how TN made it to the Sweet Sixteen?! This team has not been the best throughout the regular season, but really showed what they were made of during the NCAA tournament! Does anyone have bets on who will win the overall thing? Personally, I hope it comes down to an SEC match between Florida and Kentucky. 

I hope everyone had a great month, and is looking forward to spring and warmer weather! Until next time!

Always Remember to Sparkle, 

ALLY 

Luck of the Irish!

I am so happy Spring is upon us, and what a better way to ring in Spring then with a fun green eye look for St. Patrick's Day! 

To start this look, I have already done my face makeup, and eyebrows. To prime my eyes, I used Kardashian's Beauty, Khroma dual eyeshadow sticks. I used the gold color and applied it over my entire eyelid. 

These sticks are the perfect way to prime your eyelids with a hint of color. They are a creamy formulation, and will help your eyeshadow look last all day!

After my eyes are primed, I am using my Too Faced, "Pretty Rebel," eyeshadow palette to apply the gold color, "Instigator," over my eyelid. I used my fingers to apply the color. 

To help blend the gold color out, I used an eyeshadow blending brush and mixed the colors, "Dainty," and , "Ringleader," and blending these colors into the gold .

Using my Pixi eyeliner, I lined my upper lash line and tight line, to give my lash line more definition. These eyeliners are sold at Target, and have become a new favorite of mine. They are very similar to Urban Decay's eyeliners. 

Now, for the fun colors! I used a mixture of a teal green and lime green to create this eye look. I first used my NYX eye liner pencil (the teal green color), and lined the inner portion (closest to the nose) of my upper eyelid, and lower eyelid. 

Next, I took my Covergirl eyeliner (the lime green color), and lined the outer half of my upper and lower eyelids. 

Finished eyes minus mascara. 

Add some of your favorite mascara, and VIOLA, you have a gorgeous green eye look! Also, excuse my hair... this is a result of it just air drying and no styling has been done yet! 

This is such an fun, easy, and quick, eye look to try out for the spring season! I think it is also subtle enough to wear for an everyday look. 

Thank you all for reading! Until next time! 

Always Remember to Sparkle, 

ALLY

Goodbye February, and HELLO MARCH! Here's to hopefully warmer weather, beginning of spring flowers, and more outdoor activities full of soaking up some sunshine! It's that time again, where I share the things that I have been loving for the month of February. I hope everyone enjoys, and let me know what rocked your month of February! I love hearing about new things!

Beauty Favorites: 

1. Trader Joe's Coconut Oil 

This stuff has been my savior in February! I don't know about you, but all of the warm dry heat inside has caused my skin to be SO DRY. I have been using this an all over moisturizer for my entire body. I usually apply this at night on my face, but recently I have been using this in the morning as well. Coconut Oil can be used for SO many things. I have been using it in place of lotion, facial moisturizer, hair product, and even for cooking. 

2. Khroma Beauty Eyeshadow Cream Sticks

I recently picked these sticks up at ULTA, and really like them for eyeshadow or a eyeshadow base. The colors are pigmented and SUPER creamy and haven't creased on my eyelids. I use them alone of underneath an eyeshadow. These sticks retail for $10.99, and I think that it is a good deal considering you are getting two eyeshadow colors in each stick! 

3. Sonia Kashuk Concealer Stick 

This has been an old favorite of mine for a while, but I really love using this concealer for basically anything! I usually use it as a spot treatment over red areas and pimples, but the consistently of this concealer allows it to be used under eyes or other places on the face. I always recommend this concealer to friends and family! I am also a huge fan of Sonia Kashuk's Hidden Agenda concealer palette, which has 4 different concealer shades in one palette to create a perfect color for your skin type. 

4. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion 

I have heard great things about this acne spot treatment for a while, and decided to try it! Hautelook.com was having a special on Mario Badescu products, and I ordered this. At night, you dip a Q-tip into the pink sediment at the bottom and apply it to your acne spots and sleep with it on overnight. I have definitely noticed that this helps to clear up my acne a lot faster! 

5. ULTA Gel Eyeliner Pencils 

Along with the Khroma Eyeshadow cream sticks, I have been using fun colored eyeliners from ULTA's Gel eyeliner collection. These eyeliners retail for $8.00 each and come in a variety of colors. My favorite colors from the collection are, "Storm," and "Denim."

NON-BEAUTY FAVORITES: 

SONGS: 

So, at my February rotation, we listened to Pandora shuffle stations all day, so many of these songs are songs that I discovered through Pandora! 

1. Replay -Zendaya --super catchy! 

2. Neon Lights- Demi Lovato --- Yes, another Disney star, but also very catchy! 

3. Drop in the Ocean - Ron Pope

4. Shake Senora -- Pitbull -- very good to walk to! Super fun song! 

5. Your Song -- Ellie Goulding 

6. If I Never See Your Face Again-- Maroon 5 (feat. Rihanna)

TV SHOWS: 

My television shows are the same from the month of January (check that out here!), with one new addition. I was browsing Amazon Prime shows and come across the show, Awkward. 

Awkward is about a girl in high school and like the title, all of the awkward experiences that high schoolers go through! I am only on Season 1, but I never want to stop watching because it is so hysterical! 

And another plug for some of my other favorite TV shows.. Teen Wolf and Pretty Little Liars. If you are not watching either, you are SERIOUSLY missing out. ESPECIALLY TEEN WOLF. 

I mean... all of the guys on Teen Wolf are SUPER attractive. And shirtless most of the time.... 

OTHER FAVORITES: 

1. Remington Dissolving White Strips 

These are fantastic for the tired person at night that doesn't feel like dealing with other whitening strips! I apply these to my teeth before bed and they dissolve in about 20ish minutes, and you don't have to brush your teeth after or anything! 

2. Dark Chocolate Truffle K- Cups

If you have a Keurig, buy these! You won't regret it! 

 

February is a short month, and so my list is a little shorter than usual! Thank you all for reading! And is anyone else excited for The Oscars tomorrow night? This is the first year that I have actually seen most of the movies that are nominated! I also can't wait for the fashion! I hope everyone had a fabulous February, and an even better March! Until next time! 

Always Remember to Sparkle, 

ALLY