My First Product Review!

Hey Y'all!

Hope you've enjoyed your week so far! It's almost Friday!

I previously posted about my mini-Target haul. I've given it quite a few days, and I've tried out these products multiple times since then. I thought I'd review the products in case any of y'all ever want to try them out! These are just my experiences with them, so if you're still interested in them after reading this, by all means try them! I don't want to sway your opinon one way or the other, this is just my take on them!

First off, I posted about how the Up & Up (Target Brand) Makeup Remover wipes were so amazing, and my go to makeup removers... Until these! The ELF Makeup Remover Wipes are SO much better. You only get 20 cloths, but for $3.00 who cares?! They go a long way, too! The Up & Up started burning the area around my eyes, the more I got to the bottom. I'm assuming this was because there was more liquid product on the wipes themselves. These, however, don't do that. I've gone as far as taking one from the bottom. I can use them on and around my eyes, and they remove the makeup so well. I have normal to dry skin, so these are great. They don't dry me out anymore than I already am, and they also don't cause my face to be oily. Definitely invest in these if you're interested! I'll be choosing these over Up&Up from now on!

Next, are the Up & Up Cucumber Cleansing Cloths! These are still wonderful. They aren't harsh and abraisive on my skin, and they leave it feeling so smooth and soft! The smell isn't overbearing, either. The only thing I would change would be the packaging. To close these, it's basically just a sticker. Overtime, it becomes less sticky, so it's hard to keep closed. They need to stay closed to stay moist, so I'll probably end up putting them in a zip lock bag or something. Other than that, they're great! The price is great, too and you get 30 wipes in each package. They also have another scent, I want to say Apricot? I'll be trying those next!

Unfortunately, I was not as happy with the Elf Blotting Papers. I tried them a few times when I was a little oily, and I was not satisfied by any means. I purchased them for $1.00 at Target. They were the Green Tea ones. I disliked them so much, I'm contemplating just throwing them away. When you pull them out, they're disgusting looking. They look like mold is growing on them, first off. Second, when you're using them on your face, the mold-looking stuff comes OFF of them, and is supposed to "help your skin." I'm sorry, it just grosses me out to think that stuff is going on my face. Just my opinion, if you want to try them. Go ahead! I will not be re-purchasing these, though! (Sorry the picture of the actual sheet is such bad quality, I took the picture with my webcam.)

The next thing I got was the complexion brush! I needed a new blush brush, but Target didn't have a specific brush for that. They had the bronzing one, which I already have. So, I decided to try this one for my blush. I have no complaints! It's super soft, and easy to clean! It hold a good amount of product on it, and it's super easy to use when applying your blush AND when blending your bronzer and blush together. (Sorry mine is a litle dirty, I hadn't washed it before this picture.) Overall, this is one of my favorite brushes from Elf that I have. For $3.00 you can't go wrong! 

 Now onto lips! I purchased the Elf Moisturizing Lip Color in Pink Minx. I'm not a bold lip kind of girl, so if you are then this is for you! I even tried blotting and adding a little gloss, and it was still a little too pigmented for me. I like a natural lip for day, and this just isn't it. Now, with that being said I do like this if I'm going out with friends or out to dinner. It's a fun color for something like that! I also previously bought the same lipstick in Lavishing Rose. It's also a little too pigmented for me. Lavishing Rose is one of those that I wear on date night, and I also wore it to a job interview (and was complimented on the color.) I'm not very tan, infact I'm quite pale. So, this was a darker bold color that I think goes well with my skin tone. I want to try the other colors Elf provides, if I can find one in maybe a Nude! If y'all ever find one, let me know the name of the color and where I can get it!

(Pink Minx)

(Lavishing Rose)

I didn't purchase this one in my Target haul, but I did purchase it awhile back. It's the Elf Lip Exfoliator in Clear. I love this because I constantly have rough lips or places that I wish were smoother. This exfoliator is easy to use, and it isn't harsh like other name-brand lip exfoliators that I've tried. It was about $3.00 and it's lasted me for so long. I believe I purchased it about 3 months ago, and I haven't even made a dent in it, yet! Sorry it looks kind of gross, it's been at the bottom of one of my makeup bags. Oops! Anyways, try it! You won't regret it!

Lastly, for lips this is something I picked up today at Walmart! I saw it as I was checking out, so I decided I'd try it! It was about $4.00, and there was only this color (Sheer Coral) and another baby pink color. I've tried it twice today. So far, so good! It is colored, but the color actually doesn't show up on your lips too much. I put it on, and it looked like the same natural color of my lips. It's VERY moisturizing, too! It's definitely one I'll be keeping in my purse as my go-to! 

 I picked up a few other random things today at Walmart as well.

I've been needing some good combs to part my hair, and to tease my hair with. There was a pack of 2 combs for $2.50 or I could get this pack of TWELVE or like $2.79. In this pack, you get 6 pocket combs, 2 all-purpose combs, 2 tail combs, a mini styler, and a dresser comb. Will I need all of these? Probably not. But, for 29 more cent, why not?

I also picked up this phone case. Walmart has those $4.77 barrels of iPhone accessories. They have a TON of iPhone 5 phone cases, so I really had to dig to find this one. I'm going to order a small monogrammed decal soon to add in the pink area, but I just really loved the colors of this! I'm constantly changing my phone case, so I'm always looking for ones that are $5.00 or less! The front part of it is an extremely hard rubber type of material, and the back of it is a hard plastic. (I got my button sticker at Walmart, too. 6 of them for $1.88. I went to go buy more of them today, and they were completely out. Bummer!)

Anyways, that's all I have for y'all today! Check back soon, because there's no telling when I'll do another product review!

If you have any cheap/pretty affordable makeup, hair-care, tools, etc. that you think I'd like, please let me know! I'm always down to try new things like this!

Until next time!

What Getting Engaged at 19 DIDN'T Stop Me From Doing.

I'm constantly seeing people on Facebook share those blogs about "why you shouldn't get married before you're 25" or the post's about "What every 20 something year old should do before settling down." Well, I'm here to talk about what getting engaged at 19 didn't stop me from doing.

Let's get started:

1.       Finishing College

·         If anything, getting engaged at 19 has pushed me to work harder academically. When Dallas asked my parent’s if he could propose, they had ONE stipulation. I had to finish school before the wedding. Ideally, this would’ve been me getting my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. As it turns out, I’m getting my Associates in Business Administration instead. (But being married won’t stop me from getting my bachelors degree.)

2.       Having a Social Life with Friends

·         “Getting engaged at 19 sounds a lot like leaving a party at 9 pm.” We’ve all heard that one, and to us who are young and engaged or married, it’s super annoying. I still go out dancing with my friends. I just went out this past weekend to celebrate a friends 21st birthday. I grab lunch, we get our nails done, or we just hang out at their house. Being engaged doesn’t automatically mean you can no longer hang out with your friends.

3.       Having Plans For My Future

·         I don’t look at engagements and marriage as a lockdown. I’ve always had plans for my future. Jobs, vacations, memories, everything that I’ve ever seen myself doing, I still do while being engaged, and I will while being married. The difference? Now I have someone by my side through it all, to enjoy all the career changes, vacations, memories with. I have my best friend there. What’s better than experiencing all of life’s joys with your best friend? Nothing!

4.       Being my age!

·         I’m almost 21. I’m in the prime of my life (or so everyone tells me.) I’m a college kid, I stay up late, I sleep in late. I eat too much fast food, I listen to my music loud. I go to work, I use social media more than I should. I see my friends. Do I party? No. I personally don’t, because I never have. It’s not my thing. The only difference between the “average” 19-20 year old and myself is, I’m engaged. I’m going to be a wife in about 10 months. I’ll no longer be 19 or 20. I’ll be 21 and living with my husband, my best friend. I’ll go to work like I do now, we’ll pay our bills together, we’ll cook dinner, we'll go out with friends, and we’ll live our life together. It’s no different than what most people do at 26+. It’s just looked upon as “unacceptable.”

5.       Not looking at those who don’t want to be engaged/married by 21 differently.

·         Lastly, getting engaged at 19 and (I will be) married at 21, hasn’t made me look at others any differently. I don’t judge you because you don’t make the same choices in life as me. Because ultimately, that’s what they are. MY life choices, and yours are YOURS. Interesting concept, I know! Everyone is different, and we all have different paths in life. Does yours make you better than mine? Absolutely not. If you want to wait to get married until you’re 35, GO FOR IT! If you want to get married at 18, GO FOR IT!

I asked a few of my twitter followers, who were also engaged at 19 what their responses to this question would be as well, here are a few of their answers…

“

Being engaged at 19 didn’t stop me from seeking to truly discover exactly who I am. We’re young & we will change. We’ll evolve as people, and we know that. Because we know that, we learn about new things together.  It didn’t stop me from finding myself.” –Hope

“Well, it didn’t stop me from having friends. Like, I felt as if people still wanted to be friends with me. It didn’t take over my life. I still made great grades, and I got a job. It didn’t make me want to have kids right away, either. I still want to accomplish goals. I could go on and on!” –Emily

“The main one that pops into my mind is parties! We just do them together now instead of separately. It’s like a permanent buddy. The other would be spending money. I feel a lot of people think you can’t spend money if you’re engaged for some reason. We spend money separately and together, we just ask each other first. It also didn’t stop me from finding my own identity. I still wanted to be me and figure out who I wanted to be as an adult.” –Brittany

“Everyone is always joking about being “old and married.” Meanwhile, Jordan and I love going to concerts and staying out all night dancing, traveling to new places- like going to DC just randomly. Plus, beach trips, and we even paid off his car and got me a new one. Not to mention I, of course, got my degree.” -Kristen

The way I look at it is, I met Dallas when I was 17 years old. We met totally by chance.

Is our relationship perfect? Far from it. Is it strong? Absolutely.  We’ve grown together. From me being a 17 year old high school student, to me almost finished with college. Him switching a few jobs, and both of us trying to find our place as individuals but as well as a couple.

My soon to be Mother-In-Law has told me a few times “your 20’s are the hardest years of your life. You’re trying to figure out exactly who you are, while constantly being thrown new challenges.”

There is no doubt in my mind that God brought us together. He has a plan for us.

He has a plan for everyone.

God's plan for us was that we get engaged at 19 & 21, and we get married at 21 & 23.

This isn’t His plan for everyone, and that’s okay!

His plan is for us to get through our “Terrible 20’s” together, all the while making them NOT so terrible!

To be the rock for the other, to have a shoulder to cry on, to have someone to tell good news to, and someone to cherish every moment of life’s blessings with.

The main point of this post was to stress how unimportant age is. If you’re happy, in love, and your relationship can stand through the trials and tribulations that life may throw at you… Who is to say two individuals, whether they're 19 or 49, shouldn’t unite as one to become man and wife? 

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” - Genesis 2:24

 

My First Post- Oh Happy Day!

For my first post on this blog, I want to introduce myself a little! I've really thought about doing this for awhile. I've always been so interested in blogging, but I never thought anyone would really read it. Well, I'm throwing everything out there, so I hope you all enjoy it. My name is Bethany, but almost everyone in my life calls me B, so please feel free to as well. I'm engaged to my high school sweetheart, and we're getting married on May 16th, 2015. His name is Dallas, yes like the town in Texas. He's my best friend, and the love of my life. I could go on and on about him forever, but I'll seperate them into multiple post's. Maybe one day I'll even post the story of how we met, and how he proposed. My intentions for this blog are to have somewhere to share my beauty favorites, my bargain finds, and even ramble about the wedding planning process. I hope to connect with others out there, to learn more beauty tips, couponing tricks, etc.

This is my journey to becoming a college graduate, a newlywed, and a blogger.

I hope you enjoy the ride!

xoxo,
-B