Everyday Makeup Routine!

     Hey guys! I have been using a lot of newer makeup products recently and I have finally found a routine that I LOVE. So I thought I would share it with you!

To start off with I use the e.l.f. blemish control face primer. I had never used a foundation primer before this and I don't know why I never have until now! It makes foundation go on so much smoother and last longer throughout the day! 

I then continue with the Rimmel 25 Hour Lasting Finish foundation. This is a full coverage foundation and probably one of my favorites that I've used! I am in the shade Light Ivory and I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to apply it.

My next step is using the NYX Above & Beyond Full Coverage Concealer. I've gone back and forth between this and the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer but I gravitate towards this one more! I like that this is in a pot so you control how much product you use. A little goes a long way with this! It genuinely is full coverage and I like it a lot.

I use the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder to set all of my face makeup and to ensure that I don't get shiny throughout the day as I do unfortunately have oily skin. 

My next step is to use the Maybelline Master Contour kit to - well, contour my face! It comes with a bronzer, a blush, and a beautiful highlight color! There are two versions of this palette: one for light skin and one for dark. I use the one for light skin and have been very impressed by the quickness and ease of this palette. 

I then use the e.l.f. eyebrow kit with an It Cosmetics angled brush to fill in my eyebrows. This kit comes with a gel and a powder, but I just use the powder as I find that so much easier!

Moving on to eyes, I use the e.l.f eyeshadow primer to prep my eyes! I believe they have revamped this product recently. The packaging has slightly changed and the formula of the primer is so much smoother. It makes me shadows stay put all day and definitely brings out their color!

I have been absolutely in love with this eyeshadow palette recently. My friend Kelsey (her blog is lovefromkelsey, go check her out) actually recommended this to me and I am so glad that she did. This is the NYC Lovatics by Demi palette. (Yes, Demi Lovato!)

I typically stick to the first four shades of the palette as I think they are the most wearable for everyday looks. They are very pigmented and the colors are absolutely gorgeous.

To line my water line I use the Rimmel Scandaleyes eyeliner in brown. This is a very smooth eyeliner that doesn't irritate my eyes at all! And it looks very natural. 

For liquid eyeliner I use the NYC High Definition liquid liner in black. This is a felt tip pen which makes lining and doing cat eyes so much quicker and easier in my opinion! I could never get the hang of gel as much as I tried.

I actually use a duo for mascara! I became obsessed with Roller Lash by Benefit about a year ago but I have recently fallen in love with Super Length by Revlon! The two of these together bring insane length but also incredible volume to my lashes which is actually what I look for! (And the Super Length is waterproof which is an extra bonus because you never know when you'll need it.) 

To highlight my brow bone and inner corner of my eyes I use the idol eyes by Wet n Wild. I have used this for years and haven't found anything yet that I love as much!

I haven't recently discovered how wonderful Lush lip scrubs are. I have been a Lush lover for years now and it wasn't until they brought out their Valentine's Day range that one of the lovely ladies persuaded me to try The Kiss lip scrub. I use it every day before applying lip color or balm and it keeps my lips moisturized all day long! And it tastes pretty nice as well. 

Another recent love is the Milani lipstick in the shade Matte Darling. It's a gorgeous pink nude which has been one of my favorites to wear for Spring!

To finish off my makeup for the day I use the Wet n Wild Photo Focus setting spray. This makes sure my makeup stays in place all day and it also smells great! This is one of my favorite products I have ever used and highly recommend it for a cheaper drugstore option of setting spray!

My last favorite isn't a makeup product but I have been using every day that isn't a freshly washed hair day! Influenster sent me the Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo to test and review and I have fallen in love with it! Unlike other dry shampoos I've used, this one doesn't leave white powder in my hair! It is completely transparent and doesn't leave any residue at all! It keeps my hair looking and smelling very fresh and I've noticed it adds a bit of volume as well! 

I would love for all of you to share with me some of your favorite makeup products so that I can try them all out! Love you all xxx

My Valentine's Day Thoughts

     For the first time in my life I actually have a Valentine this year. SHOCKER. I know. I am extremely happy about that but my feelings towards Valentine's Day have not changed.
     You DO NOT have to have a significant other to spend this love-filled day with. Valentine's Day is a day surrounded by love and, hopefully, happiness. Do something special for a family member or a close friend. Anyone who you love deeply and care about immensely!
     The word doesn't always have to mean romantic love. Sure the giant teddy bears holding hearts that say "Be mine" can get intimidating. But there's always something for everyone. Make the day special in your own way.
     No one should be sitting in their bedrooms wearing pajamas while crying into a bucket of ice cream with The Notebook on in the background. Make the most of every day whether your status says 'single' or 'in a relationship.'
     And if it helps at all, I love you. xoxo

You CAN Overcome Anxiety

     Hello again! I hope everyone is having an incredible start to 2016. Honestly, mine has started off better than I imagined. I strongly believe that this year is going to be amazing from start to finish. I also wanted to address something before I get into the heart of this post. I reached 1000 page views on this blog about a week ago! To me that is honestly something to be proud of. Just knowing that there are people out there who are reading and hopefully enjoying what I have to say warms my heart immensely.
     That is not what this post is about though. I wanted to use this week's post as an opportunity to help some of you. And also helping myself in the process. If you're reading this and you've read a few of my other posts on this blog then you know that unfortunately I suffer with anxiety. And I have for most of my life. However, I have never gone as in depth with it as I am about to. So believe me when I say I'm just a tad bit terrified.
     I began having this feeling at a very young age that I wasn't "normal." I didn't feel the way other children my age felt. My mother was a volunteer in my classrooms from kindergarten through 5th grade. In all 6 years that I spent in elementary school, whenever my mother wasn't in the room for longer than 10 minutes I would start crying. Or even days that my mother was not at school with me, I would cry throughout the day. I would fake that I was sick so that I would get sent to the nurses. I would then cry so much that my temperature would begin to rise so I would be sent home. Why did I do this? 5 year old to 10 year old me always assumed the worst. I thought something happened to my parents. Even if my mom left the classroom to go make copies in the library, I thought something was going to happen in that span of time.
     It was so bad every day that it got to the point where most of my teachers would have a "sticker system." Basically if I didn't cry for an entire school day, I got a sticker. It never felt "normal" to me. My classmates hardly ever cried. So why was I like this?
     As I got older it began to get worse and worse. I would feel physically sick before doing presentations or if I had to do group work in classes that I had no friends in. I wouldn't allow myself to make friends out of fear that I annoy everyone I talk to. Even now I still constantly feel like I'm annoying every single person that I talk to, even though logically, I know that that's not the case. It's just a constant blanket of insecurity that I've been living with for most of my life.
     Just to clear some things up, I know that everyone experiences anxiety differently. 100 different people could be experiencing the same mental illness, but everyone experiences it, deals with it, and lives with it differently.
     No one should ever make you feel bad about any mental illness that you have or have had. I was once told by someone who I thought was my best friend that I use anxiety for attention. Ever since then I've been afraid to talk about it, especially in the open like this.
     But no matter how long you've been plagued by this terrible disease, you CAN overcome it. That's where I'm trying to go. You don't have to live with anxiety. You don't have to let it control you. I know that is a lot easier said than done. Trust me. I know from experience. But I do believe I am getting better. Just talk to those you trust whenever you do feel anxious and they'll help you through it. If you are in a situation where you're alone, just breathe. I would always tell my boyfriend whenever I would feel anxious and that's exactly what he told me. "Just breathe." That has helped me more than he knows.
     I have said this many many times on blog posts like this but I 100% mean it. I am here for each and every one of you. No one should ever feel like they have no one to talk to or that they're alone. Because I care about everyone reading this and will help you out in any way that I can. You can comment on here, message me on YouTube, tweet me (@melissagauntt) and we will talk about anything. Even if you want to talk about ice cream, we can do that.

I hope you're all having a lovely evening, night, morning. Basically whatever time of day it is where you are, I hope it's lovely. And I love you.

In Real Life by Joey Graceffa Review!

     I've decided that on this blog I would love to start reviewing/just stating my thoughts and opinions on some of my favorite books. I finished reading In Real Life by Joey Graceffa about 3 days ago and it has been on my mind ever since. That's how you know a book is empowering and leaves a lasting impact on your life.
     In In Real Life Joey brings the reader on a journey throughout his entire life thus far. He shares personal stories such as struggling with an alcoholic mother to being bullied for sexuality assumptions. I personally loved this book, not just for the insight into Joey's life and journey; but because throughout the book, Joey includes his own life advice for his readers and YouTube viewers.
     Throughout Joey's rise to Internet fame, he has stayed true to himself. He has and will always be an incredibly hard worker and he will never lose sight of his past, all while still trying to better his future. He realizes that his YouTube viewers are what got him to where he is now, but he also takes deserving self-pride into his own accomplishments.
     I will without a doubt read this book a second time at some point. This story has brought me a whole new level of admiration for Joey Graceffa. If you haven't read this book, you should give it a shot. And if you somehow have never seen any of Joey Graceffa's videos, you should definitely watch them. https://www.youtube.com/user/JoeyGraceffa

                                                                                                                                      Love you lots
                                                                                                                                      Melissa

Creating A "Happy New Year"

     Woah, do any of you remember me? I am going to assume that for most of you, the answer is probably no. And for that I have to apologize. That is entirely my fault. I have let so many things slip through my fingers throughout the course of 2015 and unfortunately, this blog fell onto that list. For that, I am incredibly sorry.
     But I'm back. I am back with a bang louder than the fireworks you are currently hearing outside your window and will continue to hear until 4:00 in the morning. Like those lingering fireworks, you will be so sick of me by the end of 2016. And yes that is my goal. Not to push you away, but to constantly be there. Whether you are a regular reader of my blog or you just happen to stumble through my posts possibly searching for something. That's what I want. I want my blog to house advice, opinions, my own personal experiences, things that I love, and basically just whatever I come up with when I sit down and make my fingers go to work. (By that I meant typing, not other weird activities that fingers do. Moving on.)
     2015 was not the best year of my life by any means. Mentally, it was the worst. I will spare you and myself the horrific, flashback-prompting details, but for a while I was not myself. I've slowly gotten back to that which is why I'm ready to thrust myself into this year.
     You can create 2016 to be whatever you want it to be. About 2 hours before the wonderful ball in Times Square was lowered, I was having lots and lots of anxiety about this new year coming up. I then started talking to one of my best friends who basically slapped me in the face with a wake up call. You can make this year whatever you want. I've always scoffed at the idea of "new year, new me" but I might be starting to understand. I've always believed that you can change your life or any aspect of it whenever you wanted. No day has to dictate that. But I do understand the opportunity that the ringing in of a new year brings for change. If there's something that you've always wanted to do, just do it. (Oh hey Shia.) Absolutely nothing is stopping you from doing that. Don't make New Year's Resolutions for the fun of it just to feel like you're setting a goal for yourself. If you don't think you'll have the time or even the energy to work out more, don't set yourself that goal. Because if there is an obstacle that presents itself and you can't complete that resolution to the standard that you have set for yourself, then you'll start feeling insecure. That's where the bad mental health kicks in.
     Each of us is in charge of our own happiness and we know what will and will not work for us in making sure we stay happy. Wanting to be happy is not selfish. It's healthy. It's essential. If there are people that you had to leave behind in 2015, that's okay. People can be very toxic. Toxins destroy you. You may have some wonderful memories with that person and that is fine, but that doesn't mean that they are good for you overall. Hold those memories close to you forever and remember the good times you had. You don't have to feel hate towards someone who is no longer in your life.
   

     At the end of this post I just wanted to include some of my favorite pictures that have captured some of my favorite memories of 2015. I won't caption them at all. I want you to interpret your own stories as to what each of the pictures mean or capture. I also am going to encourage you to leave some photos in the comments of this post so that I may imagine my own stories as well. And leave your New Year's Resolutions in a comment below as well. I would love to scroll through and read some. I hope everyone has a lovely and safe 2016.

                                                                                                                            xoxo
                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                  Melissa