Dec5

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Chopper

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Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Chopper

Hi everyone! Today, we are moving on to Urban Decay’s Naked 2 palette and taking a look at some of my favorites. This palette was a hand me down from my sister, Kristen, and I really like it. But, I’m pleased to say that I definitely own the drugstore dupe of it! For ten dollars, the Nude Rose Gold palette by Elf featured a lot of the same shades for a fraction of the cost. So, that’s a little pro tip for you if you love this Naked palette but don’t want to spend the cash on it. In case you forgot what the Naked 2 eyeshadow set looks like, here it is:

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And, the color that I am going to feature today is the charming rose gold shade called Chopper. Check it out:

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^^^ The top heart is Chopper wet and the second one is when it’s dry.

I bet you guys thought that I was going to go for the bronze shades in this post, huh? Haha, although I do deeply love my gold and bronze shadows, this past year has been about all rose gold everything in the beauty and fashion world. So, it only seemed fitting to showcase the lovely shade, Chopper, as we talk about the Naked 2 palette.

Rose gold is a fantastic color, because it’s flattering on literally any person no matter their skin tone. It’s a shade that looks universally good whether it be used on makeup, clothing, or accessories and it’s just darn right chic and sweet. I do love this shade from the Naked palette but, it did not apply well when it was dry at all. It was flaky, the color was dusty, and it didn’t do anything for me. But, when it was wet, it applied like BUTTAH so that’s something to remember if you’re interested in these palettes.

Despite some application issues, Chopper is still a beautiful shade and I can definitely see myself wearing it. The fact that it doesn’t stray far from my favorite golden color palette doesn’t hurt, either!

Do you like the Urban Decay Smoky or Naked 2 palette better? What is your favorite color from the Naked 2 palette? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Dec4

Newsflash!

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Newsflash!

Helloooo everyone! We interrupt your scheduled programming of Urban Decay palette swatches with a very important Newsflash. Becauuuuuse GUESS WHAT?! Some very exciting things are happening in Lil Red’s world and I wanted to share it with all of you first. So, let’s get started!

For those of you who don’t know, I used to be very big into theater and acting in plays. Then, when college began as well as the blog, I just kind of fell out of it. I haven’t done a show in about four years but, I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t miss it. In fact, a month or so ago, I was chit chatting at work and talking about how if an acting opportunity came up, that I’d love to do it.

Well, the cosmic gods answered this seemingly meaningless conversation because, about a week ago I got a Facebook message from an old theater friend inviting me to act in one of her shows. The play is called the Parish Chronicles and it was written by her. The role that she offered me was one of the female leads and, coincidentally, I read that part for her about five years ago when we were just having some fun performing other people’s scripts.

I was so flattered and happy and then had an “oh shit” moment when I realized how demanding it would be to do a show. I already couldn’t make the scheduled rehearsal times but, that was solved when they offered special times just for me to be able to make it. And, then, I thought how the two weeks that the play runs would really put a damper on my work life as I work most evenings.

I was so beside myself because, as excited as I was to be offered this part, it would really shake my work schedule up. I asked my friend for a few days to think it over and, after some deliberation, I accepted the part the following day. How often does a leading role just fall into someone’s lap? They are making a rehearsal schedule just for me and I work hard enough that a minimal few work weeks when the show runs won’t be an issue, either.

I felt so good when I started ice skating again and I know that getting back into theater is going to be an amazing thing for me, too. And, you know what the best part is? When I participated in theater and figure skating during my teenage years and early twenties, I was so depressed and miserable that I didn’t even enjoy it. Frankly, I didn’t want to get out of bed unless it was to cut, make myself throw up, or get drunk. So, of course I didn’t fully get to experience the joys of skating and theater no matter how much I wanted to.

Now, since I’m in a better place in my life, I am ready to finally revel in the fun, excitement, and craft of acting as well as continue on with my skating. I feel proud that I’m letting myself get back into my once loved hobbies instead of falling into the trap of not doing it because I haven’t in so long. Being on the ice again was just like riding a bike and I know that acting will be the same way. I feel happy and I can’t wait to dive into this new adventure!

Do you have any exciting news to share? Who else has been bit by the acting bug? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec3

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Whiskey

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Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Whiskey

Hi! My final favorite from my Smoky Naked palette by Urban Decay is a delicious chocolate brown called Whiskey. A yummy drink and an even more enticing shade, this color lives up to its namesake and is a perfect blender shade or a cool new substitute for plain old black. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

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^^^ The first heart is the color wet and the second is when it’s dry.

I used to shy away from eyeshadow shades in brown back in the day, because I dubbed it as a “boring” color. But, now, I use it fairly frequently when I’m doing my makeup. I love how a rich, chocolate brown looks when paired with a deep purple or a pale pink, which are also colors that I use often. When worn together, these colors create a fresh take on a standard smoky eye and it looks just as come hither as it would when done with traditional colors.

I also like using brown eyeshadows as an eyeliner on my top lid to change things up from time to time. I never wear black eyeliner on top, because it looks too harsh on me but, chocolate brown is a softer alternative that is much more flattering. Whiskey is a great eyeliner shade, too, because it offers that little hint of sparkle but the color is still deep enough to line your lid thoroughly to make your MOTD pop.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow as we move on to the Naked 2 palette!

What eye makeup color do you use as an alternative to black? What is your favorite shade in the Naked Smoky palette? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec2

Find Your Dream Career: Here’s How

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Find Your Dream Career: Here’s How

Are you stuck in a job that you really don’t like, but not taking any steps towards actually finding your dream career? Dream careers are not a myth; many people go to jobs that they really love every day. And, having a job that you love rarely feels like work. If we’re being realistic, though, all jobs will come with some elements that you’re probably not going to like. But, if you like it for the most part, you have job satisfaction, and you are able to enjoy a life outside of work, then you’re winning!

So, here we’re going to talk about how you can find your dream career and stop meandering. You might be thinking ‘I’ll do it next week’ or even ‘next year I’ll start’ – but those days rarely come. You’ll keep putting it off to a later date unless you do something about it now. Let’s take a look at how you can find your dream career today:

Assess Your Skills, Talents, & Interests:

The first thing you need to do is assess your skills, talents, and interests. This will allow you to brainstorm on what sort of roles you think will be best for you. It’s a good idea to know what sort of things you don’t like to do or that you’re not so good at, so you either know what to avoid or what to improve upon. You can also try to think way back to when you were a child; what sort of thing did you love to do then? Were you an avid reader/writer? Did you love to build model airplanes, paint pictures, or make your parents watch an all-singing all-dancing one person show? These can be big clues as to what would suit you now.

Write Out A List Of Jobs That Suit You:

When you know what you’re looking for in your job, you can use the above criteria to guide you in your search. Many experts like to use an Excel spreadsheet to organize job searches. However, feel free to use the format that suits you best. Don’t forget to think outside of the box, either. If you’ve always had a dream of being a nurse, but you want to travel the world so you’re put off going for it, you can look into travel nursing jobs. You don’t have to sacrifice your dreams to land your dream job!

Get An Internship To Gain Some Experience:

You can often pursue your dream job through a college or university while you’re obtaining an education. If you decide to go back and improve your skills so you have more chance of landing your dream job, see if you can get an internship to gain some experience while you’re there. Internships often lead to job offers or, at the least, a more impressive resume, so they are always a good thing.

Join LinkedIn:

LinkedIn can help you to learn a thing or two about the industry you want to be in, as well as make valuable contacts. You never know; you might even find your next job on there. Reach out and make connections because, often times, it’s all about who you know.

Through trial and error, a dream job can certainly be landed on. But, it’s up to you to make the effort to get out there and grab it!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Dec2

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Armor

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Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Armor

Hello everyone and welcome back to some more swatches from the Urban Decay Naked palettes. The metallic silver seen below called “Armor” is from the Smoky palette and I am a huge fan. Once upon a time, I used to use a metallic silver eyeliner from The Body Shop and it was the best. I used this eyeliner all of the time and, then, out of nowhere it gave my eyes an awful reaction. They must have changed the formula or something, because both of my peepers turned red and grossly swollen within minutes. It was disgusting! Ever since then, I’ve never bought a silver eyeliner or shadow to compensate for my TBS one, so it’s nice to have Armor in my arsenal. Take a look:

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^^^ The big heart is the eyeshadow wet and the smaller one is when it’s dry.

Although Armor is pretty when its dry, the wet color is where it’s at. The striking, metallic silver with that slightest hint of gunmetal grey makes for a shade that will give your eyes a pop with an unexpected color. Silver is a very underrated eye makeup color, so I’m looking forward to bringing it back after all of those years of not using my TBS eyeliner.

When it comes to wearing any eyeshadow, I always wet my Q-tip applicator before I apply. I love the saturated pigment when the shadow is wet and the dry color just doesn’t cut it. Through my swatching research, I am finding that the Urban Decay colors don’t apply very well when dry, but the application is like BUTTAH when it’s wet. Although this might be annoying to some, it’s great for me, especially because I love this shade when it’s wet oh so much!

Do you prefer your eyeshadow wet or dry? What is the best drugstore or high end brand of eyeshadow? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Dec1

Selfie Spam & An Accessory Story

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Selfie Spam & An Accessory Story

Hello! The broadcast of the Naked palette swatches has been interrupted by some Selfie Spam & An Accessory Story. We apologize for any inconvenience.

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Wow, I guess I’ve been really feeling myself lately!

The pictures that I love the most are the ones with some very special accessories. In two of the above pictures, I am rocking some of the hats from my late grandma’s collection and never have I felt so beautiful. My beloved grandma had a stock pile of over one hundred hats, and that love single-handedly got passed down to me in what is known as the “Hat Gene”. Hats are an obsession for me but it’s a healthy one, I promise! This love has helped kick start quite the collection of my own but, my most prized ones are my grandma’s, of course.

Hats are something that require great confidence to pull off and, for a good long while, I just didn’t have it. And, like many things, my self esteem and image got better with time and popping a hat on my head as I walked out the door seemed like an easy thing rather than a nerve wracking feat. Once a better sense of confidence was instilled in me, wearing hats became an exciting staple in my personal style, because nothing screams chic more than a well dressed woman in a beautiful hat.

No matter which hat I choose from my collection to wear, whether it be a vintage piece of my grandma’s or a new purchase of my own, I always feel like I have this warm halo of love around me. I know that my grandma would be so happy to see me wearing her own favorites as well as the new ones that I picked out, all because of her and her timeless elegance. ❤

What is one of your favorite accessories to wear? How about your favorite style of hat? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov30

Get More Involved In Your Local Community

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Get More Involved In Your Local Community

Whether you have recently moved into a new area or you are just keen to try and improve your current sociability, you will find that it is a great idea to try and get more involved in your local community whenever possible. Getting more involved is often merely a matter of doing more and getting out there as a way to have some fun, do good, and meet new friends. In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the activities in particular you might want to consider if you are going to try and get more involved in your local community. Consider some of the following and you’ll be surprised at the difference that it makes:

Play Sports:

Playing sports is an activity that is offered in almost every community. The sport that you choose to play is up to you, but it might prove especially expedient if you go for one that is strongly team-focused, so that you can meet many more people. You will find that sports such as softball and baseball and so on are especially good for this. If there are no such groups out there, grab some softball lineup cards, find a place to play, and start one!

Take An Evening Class:

If there is some skill or ability that you have always wanted to have, you might want to consider taking some kind of evening class, instead. You are bound to be able to find some in your local area, and hopefully a few that spike your personal interest. The benefit of this, is that if you go and learn about something that interests you, you are bound to meet a number of like-minded people and, in doing so, you will find that you will soon become a real part of the community. This is one of the surest and swiftest ways to build up a strong network of friends, so it’s definitely worth considering. Take an evening class at your local university or college, and you will be able to get much more involved in your community in no time.

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Always invite your new friends to coffee!

Volunteer:

One of the more wholesome ways to get more involved in your local community is to volunteer somewhere. If you look around, you are sure to find opportunities for this, as there always are. Soup kitchens, church programs, the Special Olympics, and animal shelters are all great places to start. Doing good feels good and you will meet plenty of new people (Or pets!) as a result.

Getting involved in your community is a fun way to fill up your free time and, with the new friends that you make, you will be the talk of the town in no time!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Nov30

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Smolder

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Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Smolder

Helloooo! My sister recently bequeathed her Urban Decay Naked palettes onto me, so we are going to go through the Naked 2 and Smoky palettes and swatch some of my favorite colors. Today, we are going to look at one of the standout shades from the Smoky palette – a lovely deep purple called Smolder. Take a gander at these pics and let’s discuss:

^^^ The first heart is the eyeshadow when its wet and the second one is when its dry.

As we all know, I don’t change it up very often when it comes to my eye makeup. I like what I like, I know what shades work for me, and I stick to them like glue. However, one shade that I do like to apply when I’m feeling saucy is purple. Not ultra bright or metallic purple, but a nice, deep shade like the one seen above. Anything too bright looks crazy with my hair, and Smolder is just right. The dark, smoky shade makes my hazel eyes change to green, as purple and green are complimentary colors, and I love using it to make my peepers pop.

What I also like about Smolder is that the purple becomes really evident when the lighting is good. As you can see from the pictures, the eyeshadow looks almost brown in my yellow-ish bathroom lighting. But, as soon as the flash came on, you could really see that sexy, smoldering purple, which is a fun surprise. So, in a darker setting like a candle lit dinner, you get a delicious chocolate brown and, as soon as the flickering candles catch your eyes, you get a striking jewel tone. So cool!

What is your favorite shade of eyeshadow to wear? Which color compliments your eyes the best? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov29

Boosting Your Career Through Life Long Learning

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Boosting Your Career Through Life Long Learning

After finishing school or university, the thought of picking up a book and learning something else can be the furthest thing from your mind. It’s understandable – you’ve done what you need to do to make it in the working world, so why continue learning? But, life long learning can offer a lot of benefits, and could be essential if you want to reach the top of your career. Need some further convincing? Here’s how life long learning can benefit your career:

Turns informal training formal:

Many careers begin by learning on the job, which can be a great way to gain skills and practical experience. However, the job market continues to be competitive, and even if you have years and years of experience – some employers will want to see some formal qualifications. Explore the different ways that you can validate your skills – an Experienced Worker Practical Assessment is extremely valuable in the construction industry, while a formal qualification in a language can look great on a CV. Getting that validation of your skills can be a major achievement and will help you a lot when it comes to trying for new opportunities.

Keeps your mind and skills sharp:

You might know everything there is to know about your profession now, but you can never predict when changes might happen. Take marketing professionals, for example. Fifteen years ago they barely did anything online and now everyone is finding themselves needing to know about Facebook and digital marketing in order to do their job. Regular training will help keep your mind and skills sharp to help you stay relevant in your field. Keep an eye on upcoming training courses and make sure you continue to learn as you progress in your career.

Just as changes in the way you do your work can’t be predicted, emergency situations at work can also happen when you least expect it. Having first aid and CPR training is a wonderful skill to have both in and outside the workplace and can be lifesaving. Talk to your employer because they might even comp the class after you find a location when entering a search for “first aid courses near me“. Never underestimate the value of being prepared for any situation that might occur. Yourself, coworkers, and complete strangers will be so thankful you did.

Leads to new opportunities:

Training and development is an important part of your career, and they’re often linked. If you’re interested in improving your career development, then undertaking some training courses can show that you’re passionate, committed, and interested in building your experience. Most employers have workplace training programs, so discuss it with your manager or HR department to find out what’s available to you.

Could help you switch careers:

Even if you love what you do right now, there’s no guarantee that you’ll still love it in five or ten years’ time. Having some additional strings to your bow isn’t a bad thing – your other skills and talents could be used to run a great side hustle or even help you move within departments at work. Taking on additional learning can help you find out where your interests really lie to help you do more of what you love – on a formal or informal basis. Make sure you’ve considered your options carefully before deciding on a career switch to ensure that you’re ready to take the leap.

If you are considering a career change through furthering your education, it’s a good idea to take things one step at a time. Perhaps you’re fascinated by the justice system and criminal behavior – choosing to study Criminology could open doors to rewarding careers in law enforcement, victim support, policy development, or research. Starting with just a class or two allows you to explore this engaging field while ensuring the change is feasible financially and personally fulfilling. Going back to school and starting from scratch is a major decision, so plan carefully to achieve both your short and long term goals.

Learning throughout your career is a great way to stay interested in what you do and stops things from becoming stale. Whether you choose to learn a new skill, a new language, or something else altogether, find ways to embrace learning throughout your working life and enjoy all of the benefits it brings.

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Nov29

New(ish) Urban Decay Naked Palettes

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New(ish) Urban Decay Naked Palettes

Hiii! On Thanksgiving, I was in for a treat because my sister had some hand me down makeup palettes for me. Kristen is a makeup guru and loves shopping Sephora and Ulta for high end cosmetics. Although there are a few things from Sephora that I couldn’t live without, I tend to stick to the drugstore brands, myself. So, it’s always extra special when Kristen has some makeup that she’s ready to part with because that means I get to reap the rewards! Take a look at my New(ish) Urban Decay Naked Palettes and let’s discuss:

Smoky Palette:

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Naked 2 Palette:

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When it comes to eyeshadow, I wear a minimal amount, at best. I stick to the colors that I like and that’s about it. I don’t know how to cut crease, I’m not the best blender, and doing a proper smoky eye? Forget about it! But, that’s what is going to make having these palettes a lot of fun because I can play around and practice. Plus, having actual makeup brushes instead of Q-tips will be sure to help, too!

Obviously, I’m partial to the Naked 2 palette, because I love gold, bronze, and pink colors on my eyes. In fact, if I felt the urge to spend a decent amount of coin on a palette, this would probably be the one that I would purchase. So, having the Naked 2 palette is nice because all of the shades are basically old standbys. Although, I like to think that I have the drugstore dupe of this palette, already. The Elf Nude Rose Gold palette is an excellent compromise for a ten dollar price tag and I love using it! If you are a fan of the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, definitely check the Elf dupe out if you’re not looking to spend a lot of cash.

And, as far as the Smoky palette goes…. Well, it will be a learning experience. I actually quite like all of the colors in it, it’s just going to be more of a matter of applying them well. I rarely wear darker colors on my eyelids, so I’m not really sure what it will look like but, I’m kind of excited to try it out. I don’t even think that I would give this palette a second look in stores, so it was nice that Kristen gave it to me so I can test out some new MOTDs!

In the next few daily posts, I’ll be highlighting some of my favorite colors from each palette so keep your eyes out for that!

Which colors would you like to see swatched from my new(ish) palettes? Do you have a favorite palette or eyeshadow brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah