Update and THANK YOU!

I bet you all thought I was never going to post again

Well...

HERE I AM!

I don't even have an excuse for my obscenely long absence

I just got out of the routine of blogging

I would think about posting something, and then just... not

This spring was pretty busy for me at school, and this summer has consisted of a lot of working

Can I just quick say that I can't believe we are already over half way done with 2013

That's nuts

While this is a very general statement, it is very true:

This has just been a wonderful year

Quite a lot has changed in my life, too much to write about in one post, but I'll update you guys in future posts

One thing I would like to update you on, is a very generous gift I received from Elle Magazine

Last summer, my lovely friend Alyssa had the amazing opportunity to do some work with Elle [I'm so jealous]

She asked me if I wouldn't mind answering some questions about my blog. I didn't know what the interview would be for, but I willingly participated!

She asked questions about my style, my inspiration, and basically just things I talk about on my blog

It was fun chat about it with her

As you guys probably know from some of my previous posts, I have a love for Rebecca Minkoff handbags.

I just think they're lovely; nice shapes in fun colors and patterns that are classic and chic, yet trendy

This spring I could not believe it when I received a package from Elle Magazine

Inside was a Rebecca Minkoff bag

I'm still in shock to be honest

They sent me the bag to thank me for my answers, but honestly, I want to thank them just for listening!

I'm so touched by their gift, and would like to send a huge THANK YOU to the magazine

I feel quite bad that it has taken me this long to talk about it, but like I said, I fell out of the blogging world

I really miss it, and I'm hoping it won't happen again

All in all, I'm alive, I miss blogging, and I want to send out a huge thank you to Elle Magazine for my very generous gift
I hope you all have a lovely day
XO Kara

Spring Haul

Helloooo!!

I'm finally back today

I have a little haul for you

The promise of spring always gets me excited to go shopping

I picked some new things up over the past few weeks and I want to share them with you all

 H&M:

 Kohl's:

[I was quite shocked]

Nike Outlet:

[Woo!!]

Sorry it's slightly out of focus

 Ulta:

 Revlon Photoready BB Cream, Revlon Just Bitten balm stain, Butter London nail polish in Teddy Girl

 Bath & Body Works: 

Two of my favorite scents

If you haven't smelled Market Peach yet, GO DO IT!

It smells phenomenal

And Mahogany Teakwood smells exactly like Abercrombie

I have picked up a few more things recently and I'm willing to share if you guys like these kind of posts :)

Thanks so much for reading! Have a lovely day & I'll talk to you soon
XO Kara

M.I.A.

Hi friends!

I hate when my life gets unbalanced

After spending a semester going to school in Spain (and by going to school I mean occasionally going to class and traveling practically every weekend), I have been having a little trouble adjusting to school in the states

Now that I have been in class for a few weeks, I'm starting to get back into a routine, and I'm really going to work on blogging more regularly

You guys know I love blogging, and it's a great outlet from the stresses of school

I'd love love love it if you would leave a comment telling me what kind of posts you'd like to see in the future!

More reviews? tutorials? OOTD's?

Again I'm so sorry for the lack of posts and I really look forward to posting more soon :)

Talk to you guys very soon!

XO Kara

Bits of Decor

Hi friends!

How's life?

Today I'm taking a little break from makeup and beauty 

to talk to you all about decor

I absolutely love decor and any way to make the home a little more beautiful

I look forward to getting an apartment of my own after I graduate to be able to decorate my whole home however I want

I'm going to share with you one of my favorite corners of my bedroom

One of my go-to techniques for decorating is using some of my favorite shoes, accessories, beauty products, etc.

I mean, I spend all of this money on these things, why wouldn't I want them on display?

I used a simple bookcase to shore the shoes

Storing them with one facing the front and one the back makes it more visually appealing and lets you see more of the shoe

Having my nail polish on display adds color to my room and also helps me choose what color I'm in the mood for

On top I keep a basket with odds and ends for doing my nails (polish remover, nail file, etc.)

A Toms shoebox

A picture frame with photos from Spain, Ireland and Paris with my friends

And a few Victoria's Secret PINK dogs

I absolutely love this corner of my room

It shows off some of my favorite things and gives me inspiration

Let me know if you guys would like to see some other decor!!

Thanks for reading

XO Kara

Review :: Maybelline Color Whisper

Hello loves

I have another review for you today

I'm a sucker for lip products

I feel like I can never have enough

Especially at the drugstore

The other day at Ulta I saw a display for the new 

Maybelline Color Whisper lipsticks

The packaging really caught my eye--

Colorful and sleek

These are very reminiscent of the ever loved Revlon Lip Butters

They range from shiny nudes to deeper berry colors

20 in total

I practiced a lot of self control and only bought one

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about them so I didn't want to be stuck with a bunch of lipsticks I don't like

I chose the color Who Wore It Red-er

As I said before, I love the packaging of these

It's sleek, yet bold

They're also quite thin and light

The consistency is very smooth

It's marketed as color pigments in a gel form

They glide on the lips very well, actually maybe a little too well

With products like this, you don't want to think about lip liner

I had to be very careful when applying this because it's so slick its very easy to get some onto your face

With that being said, these are also very pigmented

They are quite shiny as well

To be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the color I chose

I feel like on the lips it looks much more pink than in the tube

I was hoping for a truer red

Overall--

They have a nice color selection

Packaging is great

Consistency is very smooth

Quite comparable to the Revlor Lip Butters, but I'd say that these are smoother

With that being said, I think I prefer the Lip Butters

If you try these out, I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

Thanks so much for reading

XO Kara

Current Makeup

Hi friends!

Today I want to share with you some makeup that I have been loving lately

These products have really stood out to me, and I find myself constantly reaching for them

In winter, my skin looks quite dull, I think this is the case with most people

The products I'm going to share with you have really helped bring life back to my skin

Face--

 Rimmel Stay Matte powder:

I use this just through my T-Zone to prevent my skin from looking shiny

NYC Bronzer in Sunny:

This bronzer is great for the winter months

It's fairly light, so it doesn't look too orange on paler skin

It's completely matte, so it's great for contouring

The best part, it's only about $4

NARS blush in Sin:

This has quickly become one of my favorite blushes

It's one of those colors that is just perfect with almost any look

It's a gorgeous berry color with gold shimmer

The berry color adds richness to the skin, and the gold shimmer helps warm up your complexion 

Benefit's High Beam:

This liquid highlighter adds the perfect amount of luminosity to the skin that we're often lacking in the winter months

I use it practically every day

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch concealer:

I've talked about this product before

It's a great under eye concealer that is very brightening

Eyes--

Chanel eyeshadow quad in Mystic Eyes:

I have been using this quad almost every day since I bought it almost a month ago

The colors are perfect for every day wear

The matte pink color is great all over the lid with the light bronze in the crease, the dark brown along the lower lash line and the silver on the inner corners

Absolutely worth every penny

Josie Maran Argan Mascara:

This mascara has a larger wand than I typically like, but it's growing on me

I like the formula of this mascara, it's not too wet

It leaves your lashes very full and soft

Lips--

BareMinerals lipgloss in Trail Blazer:

This lipgloss is a really nice peachy nude color that looks great over lipstick or on its own

The formula has good staying power and it isn't sticky

It also tingles a little bit when you apply it

These have been my favorite beauty products lately

I'd love to hear what yours are!!

Thanks so much for reading

XO Kara

What's In My Bag?

Hello loves

As you probably know, I really enjoy watching beauty YouTubers

I'm subscribed to an obscene amount

One of the most popular "beauty" videos on YouTube is probably the 

"What's In My Bag?" tag

I personally love watching them

I guess I'm just nosy like that

I can't believe it's taken me a year to write this post, but I figured it was time to share it with you all!

You guys probably remember my beautiful Rebecca Minkoff bag I bought in summer

In case you didn't see it, her she is

While I was in Spain, I saw there was a Rebecca Minkoff event on Hautelook

[In case you don't know what Hautelook is, it is a website that has really great designer events that change every day, and they are greatly discounted]

I couldn't resist, and bought my bag a sister

What can I say? I think Rebecca's designs are flawless

I ordered it in the beginning of October and had it sent home, so I had to wait until December to actual see my beauty in person

They definitely aren't cheap, but in my opinion they are well worth the money

[If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen this bag plenty of times, but this is her debut on my blog!]

Most people are familiar with her Mini MAC bags, this bag however is the original MAC, which is just a little bigger

I seriously love this bag so much

It's a great size for me

I don't like huge bags, but it also holds every thing I want it to

It has an inside zip pocket, as well as two pockets on the other side

There is a zippered pocket under the clasp closure on the outside of the bag, as well

The gold hardware is great quality, as is the leather

I absolutely love the chain strap [which is removable]

The cheetah pattern also helps make a simple outfit more exciting

Overall, I couldn't be happier with this bag

Let's move on to what is inside

I've mentioned before that I am a Type 1 Diabetic, so I always have my blood glucose meter and fruit snacks [in case my blood sugar goes low] with me

This is kind of frustrating at times because I have to have my meter with me, but it's kind of large, so I always have to take that into account when buying a new bag 

 Since it's pretty much always freezing in Wisconsin, I have my deep purple leather gloves

 I'll usually bring whatever lip product I'm wearing that day with me, but these three are almost always in my bag since they go with anything

Maybelline Baby Lips, Chanel lipstick in Charme, and Mac lipstick in Modesty

And gum, of course

 Next is my coral wallet from Coach

It's a really great quality leather wallet

As you can see, there's plenty of room for cards, and I really like the metal turn-lock closure

 Often times I will switch back and forth between my wallet and this Coach wristlet

Next is my favorite hand lotion of all time

Soap&Glory Hand Food

No joke, this stuff is amazing

It makes your hands so soft, and hardly leaves a residue

The smell alone is reason enough to buy it

I like this mini size because it's perfect to keep in your purse

They usually have these in the line as you check out at Sephora and it's only $5

Next are my car keys, nothing special, but I love my Tiffany & Co. key ring, and also my little shell keychain from The Camino de Santiago

 My iPhone 4s

 Last, but definitely not least, my sunglasses

They are Polarized RayBan Wayfarers

These are probably my favorite sunglasses ever

I have pretty sensitive eyes, so even if it's not very sunny, I'm usually wearing my sunglasses

The contents of my purse change slightly depending on what I'm doing

But for the most part, this is what I usually have with me!

As I told you guys I'm quite nosy, I'd love for you to do this tag!

Either write a post or simply write your essentials in the comments :)

Thanks so much for reading!

XO Kara