"Mood is right, thinking 'bout those summer nights, those summer nights." 

— Summer Nights, Iration

So I accidentally deleted and remade my entire YouTube channel, but good news is that a new video is up! I did all the painstaking work for revamping my channel for this blog and re-uploading all my makeup videos. Good thing there weren't that many! And I decided not to re-upload the other things to keep it neat and relevant to my blog.


For this look in the video, I did an eye makeup tutorial for a night out during the summer, either with the girls or on a special date. I chose a sultry sort of look that can seem natural depending on what else you add on top of your eye makeup. The rule here is always apply colors from light to dark in order to get a more blended look. After that, you can add a thin eyeliner, or make it bold and increase your smokey look. I chose something in between: a sharp, medium-length winged shape. The materials I used are at the bottom of this post.

This is a close-up of the look. I added bronzer to sharpen the look of my cheekbones, and I added a little bit of blush over it to make it less harsh.

You can see I'm still learning how to enhance my features, but I'm doing my best to get better at it. This look was actually my first time I tried this eyeliner shape of attaching the wing to the bottom of my lower lash line, and I actually really love it. It's imperative that the eyeliner be sharp to achieve this look!

I don't use fake lashes, but I do want to try. My mascara is a hit and miss sometimes, but today it made my lashes look like they were actually there. If the lighting wasn't so terrible, this picture would be just 100%, but I guess it will just have to do.

As for my lips, I have a deep rich purple lipstick that I got from Sephora, but whenever I put it on my lips, it looks more magenta/pink after it settles. Purple or not, it completed my look anyhow. Also, please forgive my unkempt eyebrows! I'm growing it out and still figuring out what to do with it. I'm playing around with what I can do with my eyebrow kit and how to shape my eyebrows.
• Sephora Collection: Rio Nights Waterproof Gel Liner
• Sephora Collection: Must-have Angled Liner #90
• e.l.f. Eyebrow Kit: Medium
• NYC Sun 'N' Bronze: 706 Hampton's Radiance
• Jordana Cosmetics: 18 Touch of Pink

I've always had really dry lips, even when I've hydrated sufficiently (as you should always do!). The dry skin on my lips gets really irritating and I start making a habit of picking it with my teeth, even though that does even further damage.

So, to take good care of my lips, I try to exfoliate every so often so that my lips feel smooth and moisturized. Lip exfoliants can get unnecessarily pricey, and for that reason, I made my own scrub with household items found in many kitchens (and bathrooms)! My inspiration came from one of Michelle Phan's videos, but I tweaked it a bit to fit my own needs, which is what you can do when you make your own scrub.

Even after taking a shower, you can still see that my lips are dry and on the verge of cracking.

Lips are smooth and ready for any part of the day.

The 3 ingredients I used were: sugar, honey, and Aquaphor. You will also need measuring spoons and an empty container.

I used a shotglass instead of a makeup container, but the container would be great if you can close it so you can keep it with your other makeup accessories and use it when you need it. Amazon has a cute container that's $10-12 for 10 pieces with color options of green or translucent. Many of the containers I found online came in bulk, and those that came in 3-5 sets were usually a little more expensive, so think about your options!

Instead of Aquaphor, you can use any Vaseline-type ingredient that you have in your home. I've had Aquaphor since my third tattoo in 2013, so I figured I'd put it to use again! It's best if you use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar, though, since the sugar is the main ingredient that acts as the actual scrub and wipes away the dry skin when you rub it on.

My measurements: 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1/4 teaspoon Aquaphor. The measurements you can have fun with and adjust to your desire. It's quite simple to eyeball it, too. If you're using a squirting Vaseline bottle, just one small squirt should be good enough. I would actually prefer a squirting bottle to avoid the hassle and messiness of getting it off of the measuring spoon and into your container.

Apply to lips with fingers as if applying lip gloss.

Optional step: Add some color!

For my first blog post, I will be reviewing some really cool mask sheets from Nature Republic. These were a graduation gift from a couple of my friends, and I had never used these kinds of masks before, so I figure I'd give it some thought and express my opinions about it.

I've already tried two different kinds since I got them: Avocado and Cucumber. The other types are: Rose, Green Tea, Shea Butter, Tomato, Açai Berry, Royal Jelly, Aloe, and Bamboo.

I have experience with Avocado facial clay masks, so I tried the Avocado first. The directions in the back indicate that you have to wash your face and apply toner in order to prepare the skin for the mask, which I did. I used my daily cleanser from Clean & Clear and a skin toner from Clinique.


The steps are pretty simple. Take the mask out of the packaging and apply to face, using the eye holes for accurate alignment.

When taking it out, you can tell it's packed heavily with the cream that helps moisturize the skin, so apply it carefully, or else you'll end up smearing other areas with the mask juice. After gently padding the mask onto my face for maximum absorption, I usually leave it on for about 20-30 minutes. There aren't harsh consequences if you leave it on for longer, but if your skin is done absorbing what it can, it wouldn't make much sense if you keep it on for more than you need it.

Both the Avocado and Cucumber masks felt pretty similarly to each other; there were no heavy or unwanted smells, and it stayed in place as long as I didn't do anything drastic with my face (like eating a snack, but light conversation is fine).

Washing it off was easy, and after patting my face dry with a towel and applying a facial lotion, my skin felt renewed and ultimately moisturized. The feeling lasted most of the night, and even in the moring, I noticed my skin was softer. I definitely recommend this product. I've seen eBay sell it for $9-13 for 7-10 mask sheets in all the types. Or, if you really love it, Amazon has a set of 30 masks for $45 + free shipping! Whichever you decide, I say it's worth a try, especially since the packaging is super cute and elegant. You can just add it to your bathroom as a decoration until you use it.

I'm not sure if people would play favorites on the different kinds of sheets that Nature Republic offers; more like a "Try each one for fun!" type of deal. As for me, I will definitely be looking for more mask sheets for the future, but will only add it to my mask routines with regular clay masks instead of replacing it completely. The feelings the mask gives me is a softer sensation than the zesty sensation I get when I take off my clay mask.

All-in-all, I recommend this for a nice night in, binging on Netflix and drinking some wine. And even on a night-to-night basis. It's easy to use with little to no mess and revitalizing results.