A Notably Notable Christmas!

Hello,

It's me.

WOW. Where has the time gone? When did we all get so busy? 

It is not a Thursday, but I just watched Zoella's "A Very YouTube Christmas" tag, and I thought it would be fun to answer the questions as if we were having a NotablyNotable Christmas Party!

Here's the video for anyone interested:

Questions -

Who would bring the best dessert?
Monica! She's the Pinterest Queen <3

Who would carve the turkey? 
I'm going to go with Jayme, lol. Would we have turkey, though? Probably not.

Who would take the best photos?
Brian, hands down. Have you seen http://instagram.com/unicornhairflips ? Oh look, a shameless plug.

Who would look the most glam?
Our own little Beauty Guru, Sharmaine.

Who would have the tackiest Christmas jumper?
People would get on my case if I didn't say myself for this one.

Who would make the worst Christmas jokes?
I think I'm the winner for this one as well. Worst jokes in general.

Who would fall asleep first?
No contest. It would be Jayme.

Who would be the last one dancing?
Sharmaine. She's the youths.

Who would bring the worst gift?
I would bring the worst gift on purpose.

Who would be in charge of Christmas music?
I'm going to delegate this task to Monica. She picks all the jams.

Who would be in charge of Christmas dinner?
If it wasn't me initially, it would probably end up being me. 

Who would make the best snowman?
It doesn't snow here, but I'll give it to the boys.

Who would win at all the games?
Not Jayme! lol. I don't want to jinx it, but I have a history of winning party games.

Who is most likely to knock over the Christmas tree?
Sharmaine, if she's had one too many drinks lol

Who would be the best Santa impersonator?
I want to say me just because I think I am the one with a Santa jumper, but it would have to be one of the guys. 

We promise to be up and running again in 2016! I hope you enjoyed this quick, cheeky little post. We hope you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year! 

Look out for a Motivational Monday post on January 4, 2016 :)

Trendy Tuesday || Let's Talk About Lips

Hi friends! Long time no chat. Silly life, getting in the way. But we are back and ready to get the ball rolling again.

Today I just wanted to have a chat because you know, it's been awhile. And now that the weather is changing and the leaves are falling, fall fashion and beauty is in full effect. Needless to say, I'm having a great time. I am living! Fall fashion is my favorite, hands down. But that is a different story for a different day.

I want to talk about lips. No, not like the Kylie Jenner lip plumping business. But lip products! Lipsticks, lip glosses, lip stains, lip pencils. Because I think I've found my staple lip combination for the fall and I am very excited about it.

I want to throw it back a year. I remember 19 year old me, just really starting to get into makeup. My lipstick collection grew leaps and bounds in a short period of time. I like to think that I was different - in the sense that instead of gravitating towards the subtle nudes, I chose every bold lip color in the book. I was into the vampy, almost black lip, the hot neon pink... You name whatever bold color you may be thinking, I was probably willing to try it. Besides orange. I'm still not a fan of orange, but I'm warming up to coral!

Anyways. Fast forward to present day and I've completely changed my lipstick preferences. Lately I haven't gravitated towards the berry lip, or any matte lip of sorts. During the summer I was into the "your lips but better" color with gloss on top. So I've been confused about how I want to deal with the transition between summer and fall when it comes to what types of lips I want to rock... Until yesterday morning!

I was just going about my usual morning routine, getting ready for class and applying my makeup, until I reached the end of my makeup routine and had to choose what lipstick I wanted to wear. I started out with Spice lipliner by Mac. Too pink, I thought. So I grabbed Whirl lipstick by Mac and began dabbing it onto my lips. I took a step back, looked in the mirror and thought, "whoa, that is too dark, that is too much." Finally, I took Velvet Teddy lipstick by Mac (lol, I don't know whether to be embarrassed or ashamed for using all Mac lip products... Yolo I guess!) and applied it to my lips and boom. Magic. I discovered my staple lip combination for this season.

I appreciate the combination because it is slightly vampy thanks to Whirl, but it's still subtle and fall appropriate because of Spice and Velvet Teddy. I know I will be wearing this combination well into the next few months!

So, I hope you enjoyed my ramble about lipsticks! It felt nice to just sit and type out my excitement. If you stuck around and are currently reading this, thank you. I appreciate it!

See you guys on some Tuesday in the future to talk more about all things fashion and beauty! Xx.

Trendy Tuesday || Sharmaine's Guide To Back To School Fashion

So if you're anything like me, you take your outfit for the first day of school seriously. "I have no clothes," you say. That is a lie. You have plenty of pieces you could put together to create something fabulous. These are my suggestions for how to shop for back to school and outfit ideas for the first day!

SHOPPING SUGGESTIONS

• Go into it with an idea of what you want to buy. This is a no brainer, people are aware of their style and people like what they like. If you have a dress code, just follow it. Once you get into college or out of high school, dress codes are no longer a thing. Just be patient, we've all had to go through our dress code days.
• I would suggest sticking to simple pieces because that is more my personal style, but I also think simple pieces can be styled in so many different ways and accented with different accessories, etc. You could create a bunch of different outfits with the same black shirt! This isn't to say you shouldn't add trendy pieces into your back to school wardrobe. I encourage being you and being different! It's just nice to fall back on simple pieces to create multiple outfits.
• Get a couple pairs of new shoes. Treat yoself! Honestly, shoes complete a look. Get a new cute pair of boots for fall, or those cute sneakers you've been seeing all over Tumblr. If you're anything like me, shoes are an addiction, so you already know you'll be completing this step anyways.
• Be bold, but don't forget to set a budget and limit yourself. You'll be okay without those $80 jeans unless you absolutely need a new pair of jeans. Go to Value Village or Goodwill and be thrifty! You can find the best pieces for your wardrobe at thrift stores. It will be different and one of a kind and it's always fun to go thrifting if you have the patience for it.
• If your parents are the ones who will be spending money on you for back to school shopping, don't forget to thank them, okay? They work hard for their money, to put a roof over your head and make sure you're fed, happy and healthy. This is an extra step they're taking to make sure you're taken care of and to remind you that you're loved. Do what you can in return for the sacrifices they make for you on the daily.

OUTFIT IDEAS

• So, I'm in college. There is no dress code and you can get away wearing whatever you want. But since I'm so simple, the perfect outfit for me would be a nice pair of jeans, a cute flowy top and flats, or some sort of variation of this. Modest is hottest in my opinion! Add a statement or long chained necklace to jazz it up, or a different pair of shoes and you'll have my perfect back to school outfit!
• If it's a little chillier outside, I love wearing a pair of riding boots and then revolving an outfit around them. A pair of jeans, maybe some knee high socks or leg warmers peeking out at the top, a sweater and a trench coat or a rain jacket. You'll look very put together in this outfit, I promise!
• And for those days where it's warm outside, which it never is here in Washington, I would fancy the combination of a dress and a pair of booties. I've been into the paisley prints and the long sleeve dresses with the dainty stitching lately, so I would gravitate towards something of the sort. Throw on your favorite pair of booties for an instant boost, tying the entire outfit together. I would also put on a cardigan or a leather jacket just in case!

So there you have it! My suggestions and outfit ideas for back to school. Now I know everyone is different and I'm not saying you have to follow anything I've said. I just wanted to put my ideas out there to help anyone who needs some inspiration! 

With school coming back around, I hope you all have an amazing school year! Join clubs, meet new people, stay on top of your schoolwork and study hard! In the end all of your hard work will pay off. 

Cheers to a new school year!

Tinker Thursday || How-To: Sort Your Closet

I’m so so sorry I missed last Tinker Thursday! I don’t know if it was because I just could not get adjusted to being back at work, or if the first week of summer session #2 completely caught me off guard… but a post never happened… and I truly apologize.

That being said, I am back with a fun little post. I recently went online shopping and figured I should take a look at my closet to see what I can rid of. Curse you Fall Fashion! My favorite fashion season… hence the new clothing. ANYWAY. On to the meat of my post: How-To Sort Your Closet! 

Disclaimer: I am not a closet-cleaning expert. I am sharing a few tips and tricks that work for me and my cleaning/purging style. Some of these may not work well for you. 

1. Make it a recurring theme - Sure, “Spring Cleaning” works for some people, but for me, spring is the busiest time of year (work and school-wise). I find it easier to handle when I look through my closet periodically. We usually do two balikbayan send-offs per year, and I find this the perfect opportunity to send some clothes to my family in the Philippines.
2. On that note: Have a destination for your unwanted clothing - I think it’s easier to get rid of something when you know it will end up somewhere it is really appreciated. Sending my unwanted clothes to the Philippines not only gives my relatives “new” clothing to wear, but they are so incredibly thankful for anything I send. It warms my heart to know that I can give them things that make them happy; simple things like clothing. Whether it be handing down articles of clothing to relatives, donating to a local shelter, or selling them online to buy new clothing - having an endgame is a great motivator. 
3. Take everything out - Yes, you heard me! Take everything out of your closet and place it on the bed. It doesn’t matter if you do it all at once or by sections, physically removing clothing from your closet makes you more conscious of what you put back into it. I remove sections at a time and sort things out on my bed.
4. Make different piles - Whenever I clean out my closet, I sort things into “Definitely Keep”, “Maybe/Maybe Not”, and “Definitely Not Keep”. There are times when I’m doing a random sort through that everything remains in the “Definitely Keep” pile, but hey, at least you had the intention of sorting things out, right?
5. Be honest with yourself - Are you really going to wear that article of clothing again? If you’re like me, you hold on to a lot of things because they’re attached to some sort of memory. I’ve gotten better at letting go of pieces of clothing. If you can’t remember the memory without the clothing as a trigger, was it really that memorable? 
6. Rearrange your clothing the way you see fits best - I go through phases where I want everything arranged by color, then switch it up to type of clothing, then back to color. I usually place batches back into the closet and then inter-arrange (is that a term?) newer batches into the initial set.
7. Here’s a little trick I learned from YouTube: Flip your hanger hooks so they’re hooked on from the inside of your closet. Whenever you take an article of clothing out, you can place it back into the closet with the hanger placed “normally”. When it comes time to do your periodic closet sort, pull out the articles of clothing whose hangers weren’t flipped over first. You obviously did not wear them for a reason. Don’t put any of these in your “Definitely Keep” pile. Sort them into your “Maybe” and “Do Not Keep Piles”.

As with any advice, there are exceptions to a rule. Of course you’re not going to wear your wedding gown within 6 months to a year. Of course that’s a memorable article of clothing. I am the queen of sass, so do not attempt to sass me on this. =P As previously mentioned, these are just a few tips that work for me and my lifestyle.

Let me know if you have any tips on cleaning out your closet! I know I probably missed some crucial steps, but I think this is generally how I go about sorting through mine. Hope this post was somewhat helpful! I’ll be back in two weeks with something new!

xo, rox

Wildcard Wednesday || The Dawn of Phase 3 (and Justice)

Greetings everyone and thank you for stopping by for another edition of Wildcard Wednesday! A lot has happened between my last post on July 8th; most of it coming from San Diego Comic-Con 2015 with trailers galore for the ultimate DC and Marvel fans. For this week's blog, I would just like to go over what we can expect from our favorite superheroes next year and I am also going to give a little recap about Ant-Man and my thoughts about the film.

2016 is anticipated to bust the block throughout the year with a whopping 7 scheduled releases from DC and Marvel:

• February 12: Deadpool (Fox)
• March 25: Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice
• May 6: Captain America: Civil War
• May 27: X-Men: Apocalypse (Fox)
• August 5: Suicide Squad
• October 7: Gambit (Fox)
• November 4: Doctor Strange

(Sinister Six was scheduled to release in 2016 prior to the recent news of Marvel and Sony co-producing a rebooted Spider-Man film, so that is currently pending)

I know that Star Wars isn't within the Marvel or DC universe, but since it's being released in the middle of December, it will technically be a 2016 film. Star Wars is arguably one of the biggest franchises is movie history. Given the fan-base has been waiting for a sequel like this to come we can expect huge numbers from Episode VII, setting a bar for Batman v Superman to inevitably beat. I mean c'mon...Batman and Superman are obviously the most popular superheroes ever. This is the first time they will be featured in a live-action film, they've got to beat the record by a landslide right?

Deadpool is a relatively new character. Although he was introduced in 1991, his unique personality and connection to the comic-book readers has created a huge cult; convincing Marvel to have his own film. That preview from Comic-Con brings a lot to the table. The origin story and his crowd-pleasing personality already has me excited to watch his movie.

For the X-Men franchise, Bryan Singer has done an amazing job cleaning up the mess made from X-Men: The Last Stand and essentially rebooting everything with Days of Future Past. Now that all the X-Men are back, their ultimate super villain Apocalypse is lurking around the corner. He is an ancient mutant known to be the first to carry the mutant X-gene. He has the power to control molecules, which allows him to change his form, enhance his strength and size, regenerate limbs, and he has the capability of virtually all physical superhuman powers.  If you're a Dragonball Z fan, imagine Apocalypse being like Cell. That's what the X-Men have to face. However, it's not like Wolverine can just kick Apocalypse in the stomach, he spits out an android, and then he is powered down a level. It ain't gonna happen like that.

I'll be honest with you, I don't follow DC as much as I know about Marvel, but the Suicide Squad looked pretty interesting as well. Since I'm being honest, I'm mostly curious to see Jared Leto play the Joker. I'm assuming that's why they inserted his piece last in the Comic-Con trailer. He looked pretty awesome. Similar to how he looks in Arkham Asylum. I believe we also saw a glimpse of Batman intruding with the Squad's plans so we'll see how the Batman v Superman aftermath keys into the story there.

We haven't gotten a lot of news about Gambit and Doctor Strange, but there's obviously still a lot of time in between for a little teaser to be released.

Now...two huge storylines from DC and Marvel's franchises come to the big screen. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will loosely follow Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and their meet-up in Gotham. On the other side, we have the famous Marvel Civil War storyline where the U.S. Government passes a Superhuman Registration Act. Those who oppose the act are led by Captain America and those who support the act are led by Iron Man. A major component in the story is Spider-Man/Peter Parker. As far as the box office goes, I think Batman v Superman will blow away the records previously set by the first Avengers film and Age of Ultron. Sorry, Cap...you've got enough on your plate to worry about box office numbers with your Civil War and all...

Alrighty. Last thing I wanna talk about is Ant-Man. Where do I start...I really enjoyed the film. I would give it a B+ with its solid character development and including important origin stories that fill in the background of the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym and the passing of the torch to Scott Lang. You might hear from people that they didn't like Ant-Man because it was slow and there wasn't a lot of action. These are the kinds of people who are spoiled with action-packed films and don't enjoy filling in plot points and character development. You cannot come into this film expecting it start off fast like how Age of Ultron did. It's a new character. An original Avenger...that shrinks down to an ant-sized man. What more can you expect?

That is all that I have for you this week. Lots of trailers. Lots of speculation. Lots of anticipation. 2016 will be about the beginning of Marvel's Phase 3 in the MCU vs. DC's start of the Justice League. Even though they are 8 years behind, I believe DC can easily make up ground if and only if the rest of the League can shine in their stand-alone films. I'm excite. Are you?!

Trendy Tuesday || Get Ready With Me - One Direction Concert! (And a cheeky little Summer Lookbook)

HI GUYS! I'm so sorry for missing last week, but I'm here today to make it up to you! The reason why I missed last week is because I was in Seattle for the One Direction concert at CenturyLink Field! Tuesday was a crazy day for me, as I was out and about and at a hotel with not the best wifi... Excuses aside, I wanted this post to be about how I got ready for the concert, so let's get started!

MAKEUP

Primer: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer 

• For events like these, we want our makeup to stay on our face all day long. Also, I'm pretty sure this is my new holy grail primer - I've fallen in love with it.

Base: BareMinerals Complexion Rescue - Spice

• This tinted moisturizer is perfect for color correcting and it's not as heavy as foundation! I used my beauty blender for application.

Concealer: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer - Ginger

• I applied this generously using my beauty blender underneath my eyes, the center of my forehead, the bridge of my nose and my cupid's bow for a brightening effect. I went back in with a concealer brush afterwards to get anything my beauty blender didn't.

Powder: MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation - C5

• To make sure my concealer stays in place, I set with this powder using a Real Techniques powder brush. This powder is a winner in my book because it locks my makeup in place while adding more coverage.

At this point I sprayed Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray to ensure my base wouldn't budge throughout the day.

Bronzer: Too Faced Dark Chocolate Soleil Bronzer

• My favorite! Using a Real Techniques blush brush, I applied this all over my face to warm my skin because bronze goddess = goals. Ya feel me?

Contour: Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit - Medium/Tan

• Using the Real Techniques Bold Metals Flat Contour Brush I mixed Macchiato and Nutmeg and placed the product in the hollows of my cheeks to give the illusion of a slimmer face.

Highlight: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfecter - Opal

• My other favorite! Using a Sonia Kashuk fan brush, I applied product to the tops of my cheekbones, the center of my forehead, the bridge of my nose, my cupid's bow and my chin to give my skin that sun-kissed, dewy look.

Eyebrows: Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade - Medium Brown

• You know the drill with eyebrows. Using the spooly/angled brush made specifically for Dip Brow, I filled in the brows and set them in place using Elf clear eyebrow gel.

Eyeshadow: Lorac Pro Palette

• Literally the easiest eyeshadow look ever and I was so happy with the end result! Taking "Cream" on a fluffy brush I placed it all over my eyelid and then using a crease brush I put "Mauve" in my crease, adding more product to the crease until I was satisfied with the depth of the color, and that's it!

Lashes: Maybelline Lash Sensational & Ardell Lashes - Demi Whispies

• Since I'm fancy like that, I decided to put on fake lashes and after I applied them I added mascara to blend the two together.

Eyeliner: L'oreal The Super Slim Infallible Liquid Eyerliner

• I applied this over the lash band to hide any eyelash glue that didn't dry clear.

Lips: MAC Lip Liner - Spice & L'oreal Collection Exclusive 610 - Eva's Nude

• Seriously the BEST lip combo ever. Lined and filled my lips with Spice and put Eva's nude on top and honestly I've found my new favorite nude lip combo. And it lasted all day long!

Add a few more sprays of the setting spray and that's the makeup done!

HAIR

Suuuper easy, I just massaged Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo & Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo into my roots and straightened my hair using a Chi Flat Iron. In the end I chucked on a hat from Urban Outfitters to add more to my look.

OUTFIT

Top & Skirt: Topshop

Boots: H&M

Hat: Urban Outfitters

My outfit!

 Makeup!

 Rhonda & I being silly before the show!

The completed look featuring my posters :)

Thank you guys for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this blog post! I'll see you guys next week!

XO

PS - I recently uploaded a summer lookbook on my YouTube and it would be amazing if you went on over and checked it out :) (youtube.com/sharmainemiranda)

Motivational Monday || The travel bug

"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment" -Hilaire Belloc

Greetings to you from Portland, Oregon! I am in the middle of a week-long road trip with my very good friend, Shelley, and we are visiting the beautiful Pacific Northwest! So it may come as no surprise when I say that today's post is inspired by my current vacation! 

Have you ever noticed that you act just slightly different when you travel?! You may find yourself smiling more, being a little more chatty, patient, adventurous, etc. Well I definitely notice that I am  a slightly different person when I travel. There is something about breaking out of our monotonous lives for a getaway, that breaks me out of a shell I didn't know I had! Prior to this roadtrip, I found myself in something of a rut. I wasn't miserable per se, but I was definitely having feelings of boredom and dissatisfaction in my daily life. Work was just there, I had my daily routine  and just basically going on "auto pilot". I always recall this quote from the Tyler Perry movie "The house that preys", where one of the characters poses the question, "are you living? Or are you existing?" Well at this point, I was definitely just existing. By the way, I have this quote up on a quote board in my room and it's great to check in with from time to time. When I want to be a little more reflective, I will read this quote and do a sort of check-in with myself to see where I'm at and gauge my satisfaction level with life.  

Anyway back to this travel thing. So Shelley and I have been great friends since grad school (about 5 years ago), and we decided we both needed a getaway. Rather than spend money flying somewhere, we decided to drive up to Portland since neither of us had been (I had gone for a conference back in college but didn't remember anything about the city since I was stuck inside most of the time). 

Since being on the road, and making our various stops, I've noticed these feelings of happiness and joy come over me. Seeing the beautiful (and not so beautiful sights), has filled me with awe and satisfaction. When we do stop, I'm finding that I am cheerful and less hesitant to chat with locals (something I seldom do at home). And more than anything, I am enjoying the time I am spending with a dear friend. Times like these are precious and it makes me wish I could bottle this stuff up for those days when life just doesn't seem all that exciting.

Is it a coincidence that I am feeling all of these positive feelings and experiences?! Absolutely not! For one, I do not believe in coincidences, and secondly, many will attest to the wonderful effects that travel can have on a person! It isn't just about getting out of the monotony of our lives that makes travel so important (and truly necessary). It is the opening of our eyes to a world outside of our own that makes travel truly special, unique, and so beautiful. Even though I am traveling within the U.S., I have been exposed and connected to different environments, different people, and a different culture. And THAT is what travel is all about. 

Next time, you get the opportunity to travel, even if it is for a weekend trip to the neighboring city, or a new place in a different part of town you've never been to, I highly encourage you to consider the many wonderful benefits (and fulfillment) it may bring to your life! 

For now, here is a pic that was snapped today, from Netarts Bay, Oregon as we closed the book on an awesome day in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! 

Until next time!  

Monica :)