Fashion, beauty, advice, tips, and rants, I hope to do my best at giving you guys the best information I can. Any products I review are my own opinions and purchased with my own money, I'm not popular enough to get free stuff I guess.
I'm a 19 year old second year student majoring in Communications Studies at Carleton University. I love writing and beauty, so this blog is going to be a culmination of all the things I am most passionate about. Thank you so much for checking out my blog!
Lucky for this blog, every time my life goes into crisis mode this thing gets a whole flood of content! (Barring the last crisis earlier this year since I was being flooded by liquor and poor judgment).
This post is going to be significantly shorter than the last, and it's going to consist of things that I will be doing to take of myself.
SPEND ONE WHOLE YEAR SOBER - I don't mean this in an "I'm an alcoholic" type of way, although that is arguable. I mean this in a "I will not get shittered because of a broken heart" type of way. It really does nothing except make things worse on my heart and body. And I don't know if my liver can physically handle another three month bender. Am I never gonna touch a drink for a whole year? I mean, that's the goal, but I won't deny myself a bottle of wine to unwind and de-stress.
GET AWAY - Like I mentioned in my last post, I am going to be booking myself a birthday getaway in the mountains where I can disconnect and recharge - if I could do it sooner I would, but alas, my birthday seems the best time for me to disappear as I hate celebrating it and I would rather not remember that I will be turning 22.
EMBRACE THE SINGLE LIFE - Having rewatched a bunch of my old videos, I can confidently say that I have not truly been single in 3 years. I have loved someone else for 3 years and have neglected myself. Like I said, I am insecure and I'm hoping in embracing singledom I can find my confidence again.
LOVE MYSELF - I'm being dragged to the gym and I couldn't be more relieved. I need to keep myself busy and if I can get my body back (dating Alan for the last year and a half was not good for my waistline) all the better.
If you have any other suggestions on how to take care of yourself and tips on how to be single please tweet me @aly_bean or leave it in the comments! I will also be updating my YouTube channel more, so keep an eye out for that! (YT: Alycia Benson)
The time of year when we all gather round and decide which mask to don and display to the public. The time where girls decide to be ironic or sexy, cute or funny. The time where boys decide they can be muscular macho men or perverted old men. Whether you decide to be scary or funny or cute or sexy is up to you. The Halloween store is your oyster, so go be a pearl.
It's been debated and argued about over and over again on social media. Have costumes for girls/tweens/teens/women become too scandalous?
Truthfully, we know they are. Obviously kids should have the opportunity to be kids, but whether or not we allow them to be is another thing. Personally, I've always erred on the side of being cute on Halloween rather than sexy, simply because it is not in my nature to be overly sexual. That's not my personality.
Much scare
While we like to see Halloween as a time to hide who we really are, I think it's a time that people actually reveal who they really are. Barring the numerous murderous clowns, serial killer costumes, and zombie outfits. I'm assuming most of the population isn't running around with a serial killer-clown-zombie alter ego. But girls who are comfortable wearing thigh high fishnets and a tiny pouffy skirt when they're fourteen only prefaces to the kind of person they'll grow up to be. (Sorry, girls, you have a lot of growing up still do to.) I am all for body positivity and doing whatever makes you happy and being confident in yourself, but up in Canada, if you're wearing those tiny skirts and fishnets, that ain't fooling anyone.
Also, can we just talk about how expensive it is to buy those tiny costumes? For a mere handful of cheap fabric and itchy crinoline, you're looking at upwards of $60 CDN. Even Value Village won't sell you a "whole"(-ish) costume for less than $50 CDN if you want the whole thing. To piece it together by yourself would be a lot cheaper. It also involves a little work and creativity, but I think it's worth it in the end. Nobody wants to be a Karen:
Too many Mean Girls gifs? YOU DON'T EVEN GO HERE!
Parents, I'm not one myself, but please, if you don't want your little girl to dress like Regina, then don't fork over the money to buy them a costume you don't think is appropriate. My parents never failed to miss an opportunity to remind me that so long as they hold the purse strings, I'm pretty much putty in their hands. (Despite my many efforts to become an anarchist and resist authority - Sorry, Mom and Dad).
The only place where dressing "too sexy" is a a huge issue is when costumes are geared for girls under we'll say 15 cause after that, chances are peer pressure is a scary thing. Ultimately, I feel like parents have a huge impact on whether or not their child dresses "sexy". People can tout the body positivity speech all they want, but actions speak louder than words, so don't bash other women whose bodies may not suit the conventional notions of what it means to be "sexy". Let's all just support each other this year and not judge anyone for choosing the costumes they'll be sporting this year. Mind blowing, I know.
Just the other day, I was browsing around the Halloween store, looking for some inspiration for a sexier Captain America/American Dream Girl outfit when I noticed a little boy who was between 8-10, scrutinizing a sexy Snow White outfit. That was super weird. As soon as I began perusing down the aisle, he guiltily dropped the costume and ran to his mom. So, I think the impact of the "sexy" costume isn't just a thing that impacts females, but also males. Explore your sexuality however you want, but kids ought to have a chance to be kids and if that means hiding the sexy princess costumes and giving more clear boundaries, then why not?
Adults can be sexy, and kids don't have to be exposed to it. That's that. All in all friends, be safe, do you, and have a happy halloween.
Leave a comment or post a pic on what you're being for Halloween this year and don't forget to follow and share this blog if you like the content!
XOXO
-A. Bean
This year, I'm being the American Dream Girl, and the BF is Captain America ;)
Recently, as in just yesterday, I got a package from Nasty Gal! I ordered this adorable watermlon shaped clutch that I fell in love with at first sight! I couldn't get it out of my head, and so one thing led to another and yeah...
I digress, this is not confessions of a shopaholic.
Today's post is dedicated to a review of my experience with Nasty Gal since I've never ordered from there before, go over shipping, delivery, etc. After all the technicalities are through, I'll jump right into how I styled the adorable clutch! This is just one way this item can be styled and I will definitely include other outfits and inspirations for you guys to check out!
"Nasty Gals Do It Better"
I don't know what they do, but I guess it's better.
As a general rule, I rarely order/purchase anything over 20$ simply because I know once I go over the 20$ mark, I be doing that 80s shopping cart move and tossing things in that I either don't need or think look good on the model and not necessarily me.... Hello, my name is A. Bean and I am a victim of buyer's remorse.
All that to say, when I did close my eyes and hit the "Submit" button to order the clutch I was filled with both anticipation and horror.
"Did I really just spend 40$ on a watermelon purse?"
"When am I going to use it?"
"Where?"
"How?"
"What?"
Shortly after my tirade of insecurity over my decision, I was then consumed by an overwhelming sense of excitement.
"When is my purse going to arrive?"
"Has it shipped yet?"
"I can't wait to show it off!"
"I'll wear it with so many things!"
In fact, I was so excited, I couldn't stop talking about it for two days. Straight. All day e'er day. My friend probably wanted me to get my clutch just as soon as I did just to stop me from raving over the "Adorable Clutch".
Nasty Gal is a reliable site as far as purchasing things go. I've seen a few YouTubers talk about Nasty Gal, and I'm not sure if it's an actual store in the States or if it's purely online, but I can tell you guys that within a day or two of my purchasing the Adorable Clutch, I received shipping info and immediately received confirmation of my purchase which does wonders on the deeply ingrained fear that I just spent 40$+shipping only to never receive word of the fate of my Adorable Clutch. Or whatever it was that I happened to convince myself I needed.
Like with most tracking numbers, it takes around 24 hrs for it to work and after that it's only a matter of obsessively checking the location of your package. Too bad boyfriends couldn't come with tracking numbers, hey?
I kid, I kid! But for reals. I'm sure I'm not the only one to say it.
All in all, shipping took about a week and half which is pretty fast considering it shipped from the States. I'm very happy with the overall shipping and timeliness of my order. Contrary wise, I placed an order through HauteLook because they were having a sales event featuring The Balm cosmetics. For those of you not in Canada, the Balm doesn't actually ship to Canada. In addition, the HauteLook sale had their cosmetics at as much as 50% off! Can we say steal?
However, my initial excitement wore off when I started reading some reviews on HauteLook and their shipping and customer service. I haven't received a confirmation of shipment of any kind, although I did receive a confirmation of order, and it's been about a week. Also, some of the reviews I read stated that HauteLook doesn't stay true to the estimated time of arrival they give you on the confirmation email, saying that it can go up to 2 months before they received their order. With reason, I'm worried, but I'm supposed to receive my order on the 27th of March. I will definitely give you guys an update on that situation and with any luck, a full review on all the makeup things I ordered from The Balm through HauteLook!
Now onto the fun part...
My OOTD was actually something I was wearing earlier that day.
Disclaimer: Dad, no one was present during the taking of these photos, all photos of me are taken by me due to a crippling awkward and giggling syndrome which grips me inexplicably if I try to take a serious photograph with anyone present. All photography is credited to the Timer Cam iPhone app.
The leggings are from Winners. They are kind of high waisted but tend to slip down from their high waisted-ness to an awkward mid rise but not quite. However they are super thick and have seams down the center so I feel okay wearing these as pants.
My top is also from Winners. I got it on sale over the summer for, wait for it, 3$! That's right. My cute little cream coloured lace peplum top was three dollars. With tax. It did come with a slip tank top thing to go underneath but I lost it or something, so in place of that, I just wore my own cream coloured cami from Old Navy. It's super comfy and if I could wear that cami everyday I would. It is quite long, so I ended up just tucking it into the leggings and smoothing any gatherings so the leggings didn't bulge awkwardly.
And of course, the highlight of the look, my Adorable Clutch. Like I said, it's from Nasty Gal, the link to this particular bag will be included if you're interested in purchasing this super cute accessory too! #TwinningWithBean? Nasty Gal is pretty pricey but this clutch was pretty cheap compared to most of their other merchandise! Side note, Nasty Gal posted a photo of the clutch on Twitter (the one pictured at the beginning of this post) and it has a strap. Just want to let you guys know, it doesn't come with a strap or places where you can clip on a strap, just as a heads up. It's a clutch, not a dual purpose crossbody bag.
My hair I styled down although I would have loved nothing more than to throw it up in a top knot and call it a day because it really wasn't cooperating that day. Or any day following that day.
For eye makeup, I did a neutral smokey eye with my Urban Decay Naked Basics palette and some highlighting shadows from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette.
As a base, I used the Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in Barely Branded. That went all over my eyelid, all the way up to the brow bone to create a nice shimmery base for the shadows.
Next, I took Naked 2 on a fluffy crease brush, from the UD Naked Basics palette and blended that into the crease and lightly on the outer V of the eye.
After it was blended out softly, I used the pinky pearly shade from the Chocolate Bar palette on the center of the lid as well as on the brow bone for a brightening effect.
Then I took the Rimmel Scandeleyes Shadow stick in Witness White and dotted that on the inner corner.
I used a brown liner to line my upper lash line for a softer look and a nude pencil on my waterline to once again brighten the eyes.
I used the L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess mascara to finish up my eyes.
On my nails: Nicole by OPI in My Lifesaver (I think this was actually part of the
Justin Bieber collection...Disclaimer #2: this blog is not associated or in support
of the spoiled delinquent starlet.) On my accent nail is a metallic gold colour by
China Glaze. The colour has no name....
This clutch is such a fun spring/summer accessory and guaranteed to wring compliments and attention! You could style it similar to how I did, which was last minute and unplanned but I think I actually like the pop of colour and fun the purse adds to the look. Or, you could pair it with a pair of light wash jeans, a loose fitting graphic tee haphazardly tucked into the jeans, boho wedges, and a straw fedora with a pair of wayfarers, and you've got an adorable, casual spring look. If you wanted to dress it up for a fun night out, wear a light floral sundress, black or nude pumps, a light faux leather jacket if it's chilly on summer nights wherever you are (like it can get here!), a coral lip, winged eyes, and boom! Stunner.
I hope you have had a great week so far and here's hoping the rest of the week will be even better!
As another month waves goodbye, we say hello to a new beginning and warmer weather hopefully! It almost means I get to look back and see which products I have been loving the most! I'd say the month just flew by, but....awkward, it's only 28 days long. Anyway, this month I actually have quite a few favourites so let's get right into it!
I'm going to start off with my biggest favourite this month because I can't even get enough of using it! It's the L'Oreal Lash Out Butterfly mascara. The wand is so weird and quite a bit flexible, at least more so than any other mascara wands I've tried. If you guys saw my drugstore haul, you'll know what I'm talking about when it comes to the wand. It's asymmetrical, and according to L'Oreal, helps flare out and extend the outer lashes for that "fluttery" butterfly type of look. I don't know if my lashes looked like baby butterflies on my eyes, but I can tell you guys one thing for sure. After a few coats of this, it looked like my lashes could have fluttered right off my eyelids they were so long! It looked like I had falsies on, this mascara is that good. I'm really loving the L'Oreal mascaras over the other hyped up mascaras such as the Maybelline The Rocket and Benefit's They're Real mascara. I haven't tried either one, but honestly, if you can find the L'Oreal ones on sale they are so much cheaper than the Maybelline ones and definitely more so than the Benefit one! At my drugstore, the Maybelline line tends to run in between 6.99-15.99 depending on the product with the mascaras ranging around 10$ a piece. The L'Oreal ones can go for up to 14$ originally priced, but when they're on sale at my drugstore, it's only 7$. Seriously guys, of you can find either the Butterfly mascara or any one of the Voluminous Million Lashes by L'Oreal, get it! I can't stop raving about these mascaras since I purchased my first one in December!
Speaking of Benefit, you guys know if you read my latest haul post, I took my Benefit virginity this month and purchased two products by them. Honestly, it's about time too. Benefit has such adorable packaging and I've had such a hard time narrowing down which products I wanted to try the most by them (because let's be honest here, the Chronicler be more broke than 2 Broke Girls). So, I finally gave in and bought a hyped up product and a product I haven't heard anything about. I'll start with the hyped up one. It is the Benefit Rockateur blush. Yes, I was very late to jump on the Rockateur fan bus, but better late than never right? After seeing a few reviews on YouTube, I finally said screw it, and grabbed it. Yes, it was an impulse buy. (I had to escape the scary beauty lady who thought it was a good idea to put hot pink blush on my cheeks. She thought it "matched my skin tone beautifully". Uh, the only skin tone hot pink blush world for is darker skinned beauties, not this pasty pale vamp. End rant about the scary drugstore beauty lady.) Despite being an impulse buy and resulting in the subsequent burning need for me to buy a proper blush brush, I absolutely fell in love with blush and I don't think I'll be falling out of love with the Rockateur blush any time soon. It's the perfect kind of subtle blush for me. It's not as glowy or shimmery as I thought it would be which was a little sad, but I absolutely love the colour. When it comes to blushes, I'm terrified of applying too much and looking like the matchmaker from Mulan. *shudder* With this blush, that fear is unwarranted and makes me a happy Chronicler. If you've been tossing around the idea of splurging on a blush, this would be the one. It'll probably change for me next month, but until then, this one is my fave. ❤️
The next Benefit product I bought is my favorite gloss for this month. It's the Dandelion gloss by
Benefit and I absolutely love this gloss for everyday use. It also looks amazing over top of any nude or pinky lip colour. It's not super long wearing and it might taste a little sickly sweet for some people, but I love it all the same. I actually find it really soothing reapplying lip gloss, so the fact that it doesn't last forever on my lips is great for me. The gloss itself isn't tacky or sticky which is my main issue/fear when buying glosses (even though the stickiness usually means it's a long wearing gloss, so if that's your thing, maybe this one isn't for you?). It also claims to be "ultra plush" and at first I was like, "Whaaaaat?" But after applying for the first time, I couldn't stop rubbing my lips together because they felt so soft! In a nutshell, if you're looking for a nice gloss to spoil yourself with, I highly recommend this one by Benefit!
My next favourite is my Rimmel and it's their Scandleyes Waterproof Kohl Pencil in Nude. I really love using this on my waterline since I find that unless you're super pale, white liner on the waterline is just too harsh. This pencil brightens and opens the eyes and is perfect for an everyday look. This pencil goes on super smoothly with no tugging whatsoever. I find that's my main issue/fear with trying out new drugstore eyeliner pencils - either they aren't opaque enough, or don't go on smoothly at all, making application a huge pain! I intend to buy another in black for those days when I want a smoulder eyes kind of look because these pencils don't smear at all! This pencil has definitely worked it's way into my everyday go-to makeup routine.
Another favourite of mine, also by Rimmel, is their Scandleyes Eyeshadow stick. Mine is in the shade Witness White, and it is perfect for highlighting beneath the brow and also adding that pop of white on the inner corner - which is a look I have been obsessing over recently. I just think it looks so dewy and innocent looking! A look that isn't such a bad thing during the day time. It's a quick and easy application, and, like their kohl eyeliner, glides on super easily and creamy. I'm not sure about staying power since I don't tend to check on my makeup throughout the day unless I'm in a washroom or passing by a mirror, but as a whole, the product looks gorgeous on the eyes.
Keeping with the eyes, I rediscovered how much I love the Maybelline 24 hr Color Tattoo cream shadows. I repurchased Bad to the Bronze when I was home for Reading Week, and also purchased a new one called Barely Branded. My Bad to the Bronze one got kind of ruined while travelling, so of course, I had to purchase it again! I used this all the time over the summer and it got a little forgotten in the midst of my recently acquired eye shadow palettes. But after repurchasing it, I've begun using it everyday in addition to using the Barely Branded one I bought. Barely Branded is a creamy pearlescent shade that is perfect as an eyeshadow base (the main reason why I bought it) and works beautifully as a highlight under the brow bone. I also dotted this along the sides of my cheekbones for an extra little glow. All in all, I'm a huge fan of the Color Tattoos by Maybelline.
Next up, I have a product which I purchased back in January and was kind of on the fence about it until recently. It's the Revlon Photoready Skinlights product. Mine is in the lightest shade which is Bare Light. Basically it's a liquid luminizer that's supposed to give your face a natural glow. At first, I was skeptical on the shade I got because I thought maybe it was just too sheer and not really glowy enough for the effect I hoped to achieve. Once you're in natural lighting though, your face looks i
ncredibly healthy and radiant. I apply this after I apply my foundation and it usually goes on wherever I want to highlight - cheekbones, center of the forehead, tip of the nose, cupid's bow, and chin. I highly recommend this product if you're looking for a luminzer that is half the price of the high end ones. This achieves such a beautiful, healthy, natural glow and for where I live, the gloomy weather really dims down the face so this product is a must in my makeup routine.
Moving onto another face product I have been using everyday is the Maybelline Master Hi-Light by Facestudio in Light Bronze. I believe there are four or five shades to choose from, the shades in the middle being more pinky than the one I have. I went/am going through a phase where I love the look of blushes used as bronzers and was on the hunt for the perfect toned blush since, obviously, most of them seem to run too pink to be used as a bronzer. Then I saw this gem at the drugstore and swatched it once I tore it open at home and was super happy with the result! The mosaic type of packaging seems to be a pretty popular trend in the beauty world as of late, so it's often difficult to tell exactly what colour you're going to get from the product. The Maybelline blush/bronzer that I have definitely comes off more brown with a slight tint of pink which is exactly what I wanted. The hints of white in there are for the highlighting effect, I suppose, but honestly, I don't really see any of the highlight coming off on either my finger or a brush, so if you're worried about the flecks of highlight, don't. All in all, I'm a big fan of Maybelline, and this product has been added to the repertoire of products I love to use.
Lastly for makeup favourites, I have been loving the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. I was tossing around the notion of buying this liner for months, the only deterrent being the price (almost 30$ at Sephora), but a few days before Valentine's Day, when I was feeling super sorry for myself, I went on a mini shopping trip to Sephora before I was flying home for the week. And there it was. Shining like a beacon of light atop a display that proudly read, "Sephora's Award Winning Best Sellers", and, like the sucker I am, I was immediately drawn to it like a helpless moth to a flame. After that, I basically drifted through the mall in a daze, having been zapped by the price of the two items I bought. All that to say, I really really freaking love this liner! It applies black as pitch and once it's on, it is on until you want it off! I was looking for a waterproof liner because my eyes tend to get crazy watery when I go outside in the winter/brisk months, any kind of liquid eyeliner instantly ends up all over my eyelids, effectively ruining my eyeshadow, and basically my entire look. Maybe it was just the eyeliner I was using, but this one doesn't make my eyes water at all, and on the rare occasion it does now, the eyeliner stays put. (PS- When I say my eyes water, I don't mean just like a little teary eyed, I mean it waters to the point where my eye turns into a waterfall of tears. It gets pretty cray.) In a nutshell, this was totally worth it, and I will never turn my nose up at pricier liners again, as I have yet to find a drugstore alternative to this baby.
Finally, I have an UNfavourite this month, which makes me really sad because I really wanted to love this product! Thankfully it was cheap enough that I'm not too heartbroken over it, but just the same, an unfavourite is always a tragedy. It's the Hard Candy Baked Bronzer in Tiki. If you guys follow any number of beauty bloggers on YouTube, you'll probably have seen this product mentioned numerous times and raved about. Spurred by the many amazing reviews of others, I hightailed my booty over to Walmart and bought it. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, this product says bronzer, when really it's so pale, it might as well be a highlighter. It looks golden in the packaging and swatches beautifully. However, I found when I actually used this product, it came off more yellowy than gold and didn't do anything to highlight so much as add pigment that I didn't want to my face. Maybe I'm just too pale for this product to work for me, but I find that it just isn't my thing sadly.
Onto random things I have been loving over the course of February...
Favourite TV show: Orange is the New Black - After hearing that season two is going to be released in June, I hurriedly rewatched the entirety of season one and fell in love with it all over again! "I threw my pie for you."Hahaha! Can we please just have a moment of love for Crazy Eyes? If you haven't watched Orange is the New Black yet, get on it! For whatever reason you haven't seen it yet, it definitely is worth the hype and raving since it's truly an amazing show that pushes the boundaries of mainstream TV.
Favourite song: Anytime covered by SoMo - Okay, so I kind of raved about how much I love "Ride" by SoMo, which is an original song by him. After hearing "Ride", I began listening to a few of his other songs, which are mostly covers at the moment, although he has come out with his own album available on iTunes now, I believe, I came across this song and just fell in love with his voice all over again. Hip Hop/R&B music isn't really my thing at all, but I will listen to anything SoMo has to sing with a smile on my face. I love rock and alternative music, so for me to rave about this guy for two months straight, you know he's something special.
Favourite Hair Product: TresEmme Flawless Curls Mousse - I think my hair just gets too used to a single product after a few months, so I find myself either needing to deal with lifeless curls, or hunt for a new product. There have been some hits and misses in the past, and the most recent hit has been this one by TresEmme. I've never tried products by them prior to this, but I have to say, I'm really happy with the results. I use the mousse after my shower when I know I'm going out that day/night and once my hair is dry, the curls are bouncy and actually curled, which means little to no frizz! Yay! The next day, as opposed to being perfect curls, there a little less structured and more what I'm used to, which is them having a mind of their own. That being said, if you sleep with the product still in, it's not a huge deal, since my hair gets softer and the curls more what I'm used to seeing on my head. All in all, it's a great product so far!
Favourite Fashion Item: "Hello Gorgeous" T-shirt from Old Navy- I usualy don't shop at Old Navy often, but before the fall semester started, my mom took me and my out shopping where I found this T-shirt! It's super cute to dress up or down and because it's so simple, there's no way you can wear it wrong. On it's own or with a blazer, it looks great either way. I highly recommend checking our your local old navy for a similar shirt since I would have bought dozens of them had I known I'd love this shirt so much!
Favourite YouTuber: Bethany Mota - You may know her as Macbarbie07 on YouTube or have seen her name splashed across various ads for Aeropostale. With over 5 million subscribers, she's a hard character to miss. Recently, she's been super busy with her clothing line, but I know whenever I see a new video from her pop up on my subscription feed, I have to click it! I always look forward to her videos and love rewatching some of the ones she's made in the past. A huge inspiration and incredibly talented, she is my February YouTube favourite! #Motavation
That's everything for this past month's favourites! Hopefully this isn't up too late....Thank you so much for reading and I can't wait to see what goodies March will bring! Let me know in the comments what your favourite beauty or random product was for February!
