Current Forever 21 Favorites

Rhinestone and Opaque Necklace $10.80




Striped Bow Ring $3.80




Rhinestoned Scalloped Collar Necklace $5.80

Falling Forward

Even though we're still in the middle of summer (haha...it's about 100 degrees here where I am), I'm already looking forward to fall...

Versace 

Zuhair Murad

Ulyana Sergeenko

Nail art for the first time-- Happy 4th of July!!!

Ok, ok, I know. My nails probably look really bad. But hey! I can't be perfect unless I start trying. This is the first time I've actually ever done anything fancy to my nails, so I'm actually pretty excited with the result. I guess you can say that my nails are sort of american flag inspired. The three striped nails represent the stripes on the flag, and the polka dotted nail represents the fifty stars. Hehe... 

One day, I will be strong enough to lift not one, but the both of us. I promise. #gothicvogueinspiration

What is Love?

Love...

Love is patient.

Love is kind. 

It does not envy. 

It does not boast.

It is not proud. 

It is not rude. 

It is not self-seeking. 

It is not easily angered. 

It keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the 

truth. 

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, 

always perseveres.

Love is honest. 

Love never fails.

OOTD: Summer Breeze

Summer… It’s finally here. Yet, why do I feel so empty? When other people think of summer, they think of ice cream, lemonade, mall dates, beach dates, warmth, happiness etc. When I think of summer, I think of stress, work, sleep deprivation, loneliness, and emptiness. Maybe my pessimistic feelings are just signs that I need a clean start of some sort. Maybe I just need to spend time away from the world for a while and clear my mind. Maybe after feeling gloomy and depressed, I will wake up to an entire new world. This outfit represents what this summer will hopefully mean to me: innocence, rebirth, and happiness. The white dress goes beautifully with the woven bag, and the juicy-colored scarf adds the perfect touch of color.

*Sigh* Life is full of surprises. The only way to discover them all is to live. 

Orla Kiely tshirt dress, $425
Dorothy Perkins high heel shoes, $57
Stella McCartney shoulder handbag, £885
John Lewis black hat, £38
Woolrich fringe scarve, $19




My Inspiration:

How to Become Strong

There are many people in this world who are weak. No, I'm not talking about physically weak; I'm talking about mentally weak. People break down far too easily during times of stress, and most people aren't capable of getting over such a breakdown without external aid. However, if we look to the great people of the past, they were all (in Emersonian terms) self-reliant.

Self reliance is a trait that contemporary members of society lack. It is the ability to stand in a crowd without blending in with the sea of conformist ideas and faces. It is the ability to smoothly sail through difficult times with mental fortitude. It is the ability to become one with thy self-- to understand oneself so thoroughly and holistically that no external force can break oneself down. It is exactly what it sounds like: the ability to rely on oneself.

When people lack the mental fortitude necessary to get over rough spots in life, they loose their self-reliance. With the loss of self-reliance comes the loss of integrity, discipline, self-respect, and ultimately, happiness. The loss of self-reliance compels individuals to take drastic measures in order to gain comfort from external sources. This can become problematic in many situations. For example, not being able to deal with an emotional dissatisfaction in a relationship may lead to cheating if one cannot use the strength of the mind to search for solutions that are able to preserve the integrity of a relationship. In the same vein, the inability to psychologically deal with the loss of a job or the absence of a promotion may translate into harmful concrete actions that exacerbate the problem at hand. For the aforementioned situations, a sufficient dose of mental strength would be enough to avoid many of the psychological and physical impacts. Although confiding in others may seem like a viable solution, external sources do not offer the type of help that is commonly needed.  Only by utilizing the power of self-strength can one become truly happy and fulfilled without harming those in close proximity to oneself.

True self-reliance is something that is easy to describe, but extremely hard to attain. However, with the proper dedication and will, self-reliance is within reach for every individual. There are a few beginning steps that one can take on the long journey:

NUMBER ONE: Understand the What and the Why


Be honest with yourself. True change cannot happen unless you understand WHAT changes you need to make and WHY you need to make them. Note that making a list of things you need to change isn't enough. You must understand, from the bottom of your heart, why you are making those changes. It may help to keep a personal diary. This way, you will be able to keep a journal of all your honest thoughts, knowing that no one else will never read them. By being honest with yourself, you are making a compact with yourself to use your own power in the first step of the climb to self reliance.


NUMBER TWO: Do things

There is nothing worse than sitting around and doing nothing. Not only does a sedentary lifestyle suck away physical vitality, it also causes mental vitality to seep away. Occupy yourself with PRODUCTIVE tasks that will either positively impact your future or bring happiness into the life of someone you care about. Menial tasks such as playing video games and sitting around chatting with insignificant people on the internet will only decrease your sense of self worth and compel you to take darker roads.


NUMBER THREE: Engage in Introspection

Many people tend to prematurely rush into the process of making themselves feel better once a personal disaster occurs. They tend to immediately look for comfort in outside sources such as friendships. Not only does this rarely produce any lasting effects, it also inhibits the ability to self-command emotions. Instead, you should take quiet time alone and think about the difficult situation at hand. This quiet time should be free from social networking, technology, etc. This should be a time during which you, and only you, reflect on your life in peace. Take a bubble bath, go on a jog, or even take a long drive with no final destination in mind. Remember: this is a time for introspection, meaning that other people should not be within talking distance of you.

TO BE CONTINUED SOON...

Things I Find on the Internet: Reading Literature in High School

Fashion Through a Guy's Eyes

The other day, I asked my friend Jacob to create a few outfits based on what fashion means to him as a guy (don't worry-- this isn't his hobby; he owed me). The sets he came up with are surprisingly wearable and, as much as I hate to admit it, some may actually be considered cute. Of course he learned everything he knows from me, mwahahahaha (just kidding). I guess this experiment busted the myth that guys don't know what looks good. Though he did incorporate a few fashion faux pas in his outfits, he did pretty well considering that he is a teenage boy who is obsessed with Xbox.

My personal favorite <3

Quite cute and charming

A little odd... but still, not too bad

Cute concept... but a little too matchy matchy?

Sweet and girly 

Beauty Review: Wet n' Wild Mega Last Matte Lipstick in Just Peachy (903C)

For girls like me with yellow skin undertones, it's often hard to find a nice lipstick that contains neutral-warm pigments without either A, being too expensive, or B, looking too chalky. Coming across this lipstick was probably the best thing that has happened to me in a while. Now, I'm not usually one to wear makeup, but sometimes, I like to give myself a little color on days when I feel icky. This lipstick is not only long lasting (it lasted on my lips for about four hours-- though I didn't eat or drink during that period of time), but is also highly pigmented and opaque. It comes out a beautiful light nude color with a generous hint of pinkish-peach as a pick-me-up. The only con is the packaging: the lipstick doesn't screw down the tube all the way. But for only $2.99, it's worth being a bit more careful. Also, since matte colors tend to be a bit drying, a lip balm of some sort is needed. Overall, this is definitely a bargain (and I got mine for 40% off! Hooray!).

Also, the texture is super creamy (but not too creamy) and glides on relatively smoothly. My favorite thing about this lipstick is that the color is noticeably different from my natural lip color and yet, it looks incredibly natural on.  

OOTD: Nude Pastels

Out of all the trends that are trending this spring, pastels are probably my favorite. When I was in grade school, we would always do art projects to celebrate major holidays. Unsurprisingly, my projects would almost always have a pastel color scheme. I just loved the way the muted pinks, blues, yellows, greens, and purples looked in the sunlight. However, as I grew up, I also grew out of pastels; I thought that they were only for little girls, and I was embarrassed to be seen out in public with a pastel colored shirt on. This spring has helped me rediscover my long lost childhood love and has helped me realize that whatever your age is, pastels will always be appropriate and beautiful.

Miss Selfridge crop top, $50

Bodycon skirt, $45
Kate Spade stacked heel, $328
Reed Krakoff metallic handbag, €1.440
Moxham leather bangle, £60
Kate spade jewelry, $33
China Glaze nail polish, $3.65




My Inspiration: