College Dorm Tips and Essentials~!

Hey Guys~!

So I'm going back to college soon, and I'm actually really excited, especially because I love decorating my dorm room. Last year my room was kind of simple, but this year I plan to go all out. Today I'll be sharing some items I recommend having in your college dorm, as well as tips for decorating and organizing. So let's start~!

Decorating your room, in my opinion, is so much fun. You have the freedom to do whatever you want.

Something I always wanted was a loft bed, basically a bunk bed with no bottom bunk where you can put things or just hang out under the bed. With some fairy lights, I gave my under the bed area some character. I also put my desk under it to save space and so I'd have a relaxing area to do work.

This year I plan on hanging up photos in my dorm or making a collage to hang up. I also want to get an empty board to collect tickets, pictures, etc so I have something to look back on as a reflection of the year. I'm an artsy person, so I love doing any crafting and I find it relaxing.

I totally recommend personalizing your room with whatever you like. For example, in my room I hung up a Harley Quinn painting I made cause I like comics. If you don't make your own art, just search for something you would like to have up in your room. I personally like supporting artists, so check out sites like Etsy and Redbubble to find all kinds of decorations.

You want your room to be a relaxing place, so make sure you bring something to do if you're stressing out. For me, drawing or doing any art is relaxing, so I bring a sketch book and some pencils or paints with me. I also brought a yoga mat and some crystals for meditation.

I have some organization tips for your dorm too.

1.) Get mini storage shelves

These things are so useful. I've kept makeup, school supplies, jewelry, and important receipts there. They come in so many different sizes that you could get one to fit whatever you want.

2.) Command hooks are your best friend

These reusable hooks are perfect for anything and everything. I hung up towels, coats, and purses, which allowed for there to be less clutter in the room. They also are great to hang up photos, pictures, a calendar, basically anything you want on a wall.

3.) Drawer insets save space

I plan on using these in the dresser in my dorm to help reduce mess. There are different sizes of these too, so you can use them in also in a desk drawer to organize school supplies.

I hope you guys likes these tips, which can also be applied to living in an apartment, when you need to save space. I might share a picture of my decorated dorm in another post, so leave a comment below if you would like to see that. Thanks so much for reading and I'll see you at my next post~!

xo

Alyss

(Also I might update my blog so it fits more of what I'm interested in, there might be a name change, so please don't freak out if this blog doesn't look the same anymore)

What's in My Back to School Survival Kit~!

Hey Guys~!

I am back in school, like I assume most of you are. Besides carrying around my textbooks, binders, and pencils, I have this cute little pouch. Inside I keep what I call, my school survival kit. This is basically an emergency kit, containing what I need for school, besides my homework. So let's start~~!

Forever21 + Etc. Back to School Clothing Haul~!

Hey Guys~!

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. My computer broke and I just started school. I'm trying my best to manage my time with school, blogging, and work. But I promise I'll get better at it °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° Anyway I thought that today I'd share with you the clothes that I bought for school. It's mostly from Forever21, which is one of my favorite stores, but I did get a few other things from random other stores. So let's start~~!

I'll start with the stuff I got at Forever21. When I bought everything, they had a deal that if you spent $50 or more, you would get $10 back in store credit for a future purchase. I'm not sure if that's still available, but if it is you should definitely get some stuff if you like their clothes.

The first thing I bought were some high-waisted jeans. I had wanted a pair like these for a while now, but everywhere I looked they either were too expensive or they didn't look right on me. Thankfully I just have to hem these, since my legs are really short and there aren't different lengths offered. But besides that they look and fit really nicely.

Next thing I got is this skirt. It is a circle skirt, which looks really flattering on so many body types. This one is totally my style, since I'm a floral addict. The roses are different shades of dusty pink or mauve and I really like that the pattern has a bit of a vintage feel.

To wear with that skirt, I just got a pale pink camisole that matches the colors in the flowers. It has a slight v neckline, but it's not super low or anything. Also I'm happy to say that these are see thtough, you guys have no idea how many see through ones I have and how much I hate them.

In the fall / winter I like wearing comfy shirts with leggings and boots. Even though I'm not a huge fan of tribal print, I really like this shirt. The color scheme has a lot of warm tones, which I thought would be great for fall. It's super soft and feels light weight too.

Lastly from Forever21 I got this cardigan. I absolutely love wearing cardigans, and prefer them to be a bit over-sized. This one is perfect for fall and winter. It's a light cream color with black detailing. I think that this would look great with a lot of things and that it could be either dressed up or down.

These two things I got were from Betsy Johnson, and I love her designs. Both of what I got were impulse buys, but I know I will end up wearing them a ton.

The first is this cream and black colored wallet. It's so cute~! I love the stripes, the studs, and the scalloped detailing. The inside has a lot of pockets for cards, cash, and coins, which I also really like. It's a nice sized wallet, but it's small enough to fit into a majority of my purses.

The other thing I got is the matching purse. I know, I really need to stop shopping~!?!?! This bag has the same color scheme and detailing as the wallet. I really like that it has a cross body strap and smaller ones, so I can wear the bag however I like.

So that's everything I bought for my Back to School season. If you want a look book or a review on anything I bought, let me know in the comments below. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you at my next post.

xo

Alyss

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Back to School Survival Kit~!

Hey Guys~!

I have another back to school post for all of you. Today I'll be sharing a kit of stuff I think everyone should have in their locker. I did a similar post to this last year, so if you want to check that out, {click here.} Of course you can substitute or take out some things, but this is what I like to have either on me or in my locker at school. So let's start~~!

Here's the bag I plan on keeping everything in. I got it in a Clinique set last year. It came with the little matching pouch too and I'll start with what I keep in there first. I like to have this one in my bag, so these are the things I always want to have on me when I'm in class.

Hand Sanitizer

If you’re going to lunch or you just feel like your hands are dirty, it’s great to have your own hand sanitizer. You can buy one just about anywhere, but I personally like this one from Bath and Body Works. There they have tons of different scents, the one I have is Fresh Picked Wild Berries and it smells really nice. They’re small, so they don’t take up a lot of space in my bag.

Gum

I don’t really feel like this needs an explanation of why I have to have this with me. But for those of you that want one, gum makes your breath smell nice. If you’re in school, where you have people that you kind of, sometimes, need to talk to, everyone will like talking to you if your breath doesn’t smell like your breakfast or lunch that you just ate.

Lip Balm

Especially in the fall and winter, I love having a lip balm on me. I do get chapped lips easily, so I constantly reapply lip balm throughout the day. There are all different kinds you can get, tinted, scented, etc. But if you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know I love the Maybelline Baby Lips, so that’s what I’ll have with me.

Perfume Samples

I always get perfume samples at places like Ulta and Sephora that I never really use. However at school I don’t enjoy taking a big perfume bottle or anything in my bag because it could break. So having these small samples of perfumes I like is great. I can spray them on after gym or whenever I need a quick, nice smelling, pick me up. The ones I have here are the same and they are the Jo Malone perfume in Nectarine Blossom and Honey.

Earphones

When you have independent work time in class, I personally enjoy listening to music; to do that I need to bring my earphones to class. The ones I have are some cheap ones from Amazon that I got in a phone accessories pack. Also I like being able to listen to music when I’m working in the library or walking to or back from school.

Now I’ll show all of you what I keep in the larger bag. This one I will keep in my locker, so in here are things that I like having on me, but I won’t need to have on a daily basis or just to have for emergencies. So let’s move onto that bag~~!

Mini Deodorant

I have a gym class in the middle of the day, and I want to smell nice for the rest of the day, so I like having some deodorant on me. This one is a mini, to save space, and it’s from the brand Secret in the scent Ooh La La Lavender. Really any deodorant will do, and the mini ones are easy to find in the travel sections of drugstores.

Sunglasses

I won’t need these for the entire year, but for the warmer / sunnier days I like having sunglasses for if I’m sitting outside, walking to and from class, or walking home. Also I like keeping them in a case so they don’t get scratched or ruined. My case is from Omega and I’m not sure if you can get this. My sunglasses are cat eye shaped, and I’m sadly not sure where they came from.

Hair Elastics and Brush

If a hair falls out of place, it’s getting hot, or you’re just having a bad hair day, having a hairbrush and elastics is great. I personally like having these for gym class so I can tie my hair up into a ponytail. I know there are places that sell smaller hair brushes, but I really like this one.

Nail File

I always have the problem of breaking my nails. So having a file on you or in your locker is great. That way if you chip a nail or something, you can easily fix it. This is a generic one, and I think I got it in a pack.

Cash

If you are going out after class with your friends, need to buy lunch, or you have a free block, you need to have some money. At maximum I like having ten dollars because I don’t want someone to steal a ton from me or to lose any.

Extra Pens and Pencils 

I don’t know about you guys, but I always lose all my pens and pencils before the end of the year. So I like having a ton of extras in my bag. I just have some mechanical pencils and some colored pens. I love taking notes with colorful pens, since it’s just more fun.

So that’s everything in my back to school survival kit. If there's something that you'd keep in this kit that I didn't include, let me know in the comments below. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you at my next post.

xo

Alyss

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Back to School Makeup Tutorial~!

Hey Guys~!

It's back to school season, and I know some of you guys have already started school, so I thought I'd show you a look that you can wear to school. It's super quick and easy, making it great for school mornings where you're busy getting ready for the day. So let's start~~!

This tutorial is on YouTube, {click here} to watch it on YouTube. Or you can watch it here. Below the video I have a list of the products I used and the shades that I used.

★・・・・・・・★ Product List ★・・・・・・・★

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in #15

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic
Anastasia Brow Wiz Pencil in Soft Brown
Elf Eyeshadow Primer in Sheer
Stila in the Know Palette {Wind, Desert, and Rain}
Maybelline Eyeshadow Duo in Dusk
NYX Wonder Pencil in Fair
Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara
Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate

I hope that you guys enjoyed this post/video. I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to my YouTube channel, which is linked at the bottom of this post. If you guys want more makeup tutorials, let me know what you want to see in the comments below. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you in my next post

xo

Alyss

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My Back to School Fashion Essentials~!

Hey Guys~!

It's back to school season again, which I know no one is excited about. But I thought I'd pump you all, and myself, up for back to school shopping~~! I hate going back to school, but buying a new wardrobe always makes me optimistic for the new year. Today I thought I'd share with all of you the essential pieces of clothing I think you should have in your wardrobe for back to school. All of them are from either Forever21, Urban Outfitters, or Dresslink. So let's start~~!

A Pair of Jeans

No matter what, a simple pair of jeans is necessary. They go with just about anything and it's super easy to come up with outfits with them. There are tons of different styles; you can get different washes, colors, patterns, with or without rips, etc. Personally I like these jeans from Forever21. They are the Classic Faded Skinny Jeans, {click here} to check them out. These are a light wash skinny jean with no rips, so you can make them either casual or dress them up a little depending on what you wear with them. 

Casual Dress

 During the school years, there are many times, that if you're like me, you'll oversleep. Those days you need to focus on making sure you're prepared for school, and not what you're wearing. A great thing that you can just throw on is a casual dress. I found this one on Dresslink, {click here} to check it out. I liked the pastel color, since it will add some brightness to your look and you'll look like you spent a lot of time getting ready.

  "Little Black Dress"

Along the lines of having a casual dress, a little black dress is something everyone should have. I know that sounds a little cliche, but it's so true. Often there are events, both in school and outside of school that you need to dress up for; such as a school dance, a party, job interview, etc. By having such a basic dress in your wardrobe, you can create tons of looks by wearing different accessories, jackets, shoes, etc. I really liked the scalloped neck line of this one from Urban Outfitters, {click here} to check it out.

A Sweater or Jumper

 

 If you really aren't into dresses, but you want something else you can just throw on, a sweater or jumper is a great option. They can be worn with leggings, jeans, shorts, or skirts, making them really versatile. I like having a few plain solid colored ones, and a few with either cute details or graphics. The one on the left is from Forever21, {click here} to check it out, and the one on the right is from Urban Outfitters, {click here} to check it out. I now realized that both of the ones I showed are blue, but feel free to get any color you like.

Black Flats

 

 Everyone needs a shoe that can be thrown on and go with any outfit. Flats are that shoe. They are great for everyday or for special occasions. Because there is no heel, they're easy to walk in and won't cause you any pain. These ones are from Forever21, {click here} to check them out, and I liked these because of the round toe box, but get whatever you like. There are tons of places that sell simple shoes like these so you'll definitely find something that suites your style.

Watch

 When you are running around school or wanting to know when class will end, you'll need a watch to look at. I love wearing watches to school because I don't have to get my phone out of my bag to check the time. There are tons of different watches available and they are sold everywhere. This one is from Dresslink, {click here} to check it out. And I picked this one cause the clock face has a floral print and I love floral~~!

Cardigan
 

 I personally don't like wearing sweatshirts to school. But I do want to stay warm on those chilly days, so something I suggest getting is a cardigan. They come in many different colors, patterns, and styles, all of which range in thickness. I like having a few thin ones for the warmer months and some thicker ones for the cold months. This one is from Forever21, {click here} to check it out. I really liked the color selection for this one, especially the dusty rose color as seen in the picture. 

Boots 

 

The last essencial I think you should have are some boots. There isn't a particular style I think everyone should have, but just have something that is easy to walk in, so no thin heels~~!! For a casual boot, I love combat boots like these from Dresslink, {click here} to check them out. Last year I had a pair that were similar to these but were a light brown color. I really like them cause they're super comfy and went with just about any outfit. So I think they're great.

Those were my back to school fashion essentials. If you want more back to school themed posts, let me know in the comments below. I either want to do a look book of outfits I wear or a makeup tutorial. Let me know which one you'd prefer. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you at my next post.

xo

Alyss

･✿ヾ╲(｡◕‿◕｡)╱✿･ﾟ

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Face of the Day: First Day of School~!

Hey Guys~!

School started for me this week ;_; and I wanted to show you the makeup look I wore today. I will also be posting an Outfit of the Day for my first day of school too, but that'll be a separate post.

I wanted my skin to look clean and flawless, so I used my favorite high coverage foundation, Revlon Color Stay. I used the Normal/Oily formula since it's still hot where I live, making my skin still oily. I applied it and blended it out using my hands to help my product look more natural. Then I used my ALMAY Wake Up concealer under my eyes. The color is lighter than my skin tone, therefore brightening up the face. Then I applied my powder, Rimmel Stay Matte all over my face using the ELF Complexion Brush. I just wanted to add a little color to my face, so I used my Dandelion Benefit Boxed Powder. It's a light pink blush, and looks natural on my fair skin tone. 

First I primer my eye lids using an eyelid primer from ELF in the color Sheer. Then using my Milani Brow Fix Kit, I just filled in the sparse parts of my brows.  For my eyeshadow look, I used colors from the Urban Decay Naked Palette. I applied the color 'Sin' onto my lid using the ELF Eyeshadow Brush,  Next I applied 'Naked' into my crease using the ELF Blending Eye Brush. With the same brush, I applied 'Buck' into my outer eye corner and blended it in. Then taking an angled liner brush, I applied 'Naked' on my outer lower lash line. Using Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude, I lined my water line. With my pinky finger, I applied the color 'Virgin' to my inner corners and my brow bone. Lastly I curler my lashes and applied Revlon Lash Potion to them. 

For my lips, I just applied my Nivea Kiss of Cherry Lip Balm to my lips. The color is a sheer cherry red and it can me build-able. 

So yeah that was my makeup look for school. Comment if you guys want an outfit of the day post for my first day. See you guys at my next post xo

Back to School: Survival Guide for Freshman~!

Hey Guys~!

and welcome to my third back to school series post. To see my makeup starter kit or my must haves for school, click on either of the links. 

 
Today though I'm going to giving advice for freshman. Going from middle school to high school can seem terrifying to some. People always assume their years in high school are going to be like their favorite TV show. High school's nothing like that. 

High school is a free place where you can express yourself and be who ever you want. You get to choose your classes, meet new people, and you get to have fun. 

But there are some things you really shouldn't do. . .
And I mean it. Don't do ANY of the things I have underlined below. 

1.) Just because you don't have a class with your best friend, you switch classes

NO. Don't do this. All it does is screw up your schedule and depending on if you have to move to an honors class or a standard class can mess you up. Every teacher is different and by possibly getting a different one, you could end up not liking him or her and you'll be stuck with them. Even if your best friend is there, she could make friends in her class too. You're not your best friend's pet, you don't need to be in every single class with her. 

2.) Pick what electives your friends are picking

This may seem difficult to do, but trust me, you'll make a ton of friends this way. If you like drawing and all your friends pick orchestra,  take drawing. You don't want your electives to be things you don't enjoy. They're supposed to be a break for you. Also by taking a class with a subject you like, you'll find people with similar interests as you. Then you can make more friends.

3.) Acting fake

This may sound harsh in some ways, but by pretending to be a slut, nerd, jock, or anything you aren't will give you some problems. For example if you've never dated a guy and you dress like a slut, you will get A LOT of perverted comments and unwanted flirting by really gross people. Also by acting fake, you are suppressing who you really are. If you like reading and you pretend to be stupid, then you aren't really experiencing high school. Like I said before, high school is a place where you should feel free and express yourself.

4.) If your friends are doing something, (drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc.) you should do it too

If one of your friends tells you to do take a smoke, don't do it. First of all you don't know where he or she got the cigarettes from. Second if they tell you it'll make you cool and popular, it's not gonna. It just makes your breath stink and no one, but your smoking buddies will want to talk to you. Don't let your friends peer pressure you into something you don't feel comfortable doing. They'll do anything to convince you, but just don't listen to them. If they tell you if you don't smoke then they won't be friends with you, then they weren't your real friends.

Here are some things you SHOULD do . . .

1.) Get involved in either a sports team, club, or school play

Doing any extra curricular activity will help you meet new people. If it's with a group of people you'll meet people with similar interests. When picking an activity pick either something you like/ you're good at or try something new. If you like soccer, try out for the team. If you like singing, join choir. 

2.) Try to make one friend in each of your classes

This can be hard for some people and you may feel like you're not friends with anyone, but put the effort in and give it a try. By making that one friend you'll be excited to go to that class.  Also they could help you become friends with other people in your class. 

3.) Keep organized

I'll admit I have problems with organization. But keeping everything organized will benefit you. Use either folders or binders to organize the materials from each of your classes. Something I did that helps is have a folder for homework. If I had to complete a packet or worksheet for homework, I'd keep it in the folder so I wouldn't have to take all my binders home. Also always make sure to have a planner or agenda book. My school sells them, but I bought my own. Using something like this to write down your assignments, tests and projects will help you keep track of everything.

4.) Have Fun~!

In high school you have more freedom. Don't abuse it, but enjoy it. You have a say in your classes, you have new people to meet. You can be who you want to be and find other people like you. It does seem scary at first and you may feel alone. But remember, even if they don't say or show it, everyone is nervous on their first day.



I hope these tips were useful and good luck in your first year of high school~!