June Favorties!

Once again another month has passed and I am in shock! This month started out being filled with those relaxing-sleeping-in-until-11oclock am type of days and ended with me moving around from place to place like a chicken with my head cut off (southern term). Through this month however, I have been loving a lot of exciting things in my opinion and can't wait to share them all with y'all!

Beauty:

Clinique Superbalanced Makeup- I did a full review of this foundation (here) so it is no secret that this literally has been what I have been wearing everyday this month and I have no intentions of letting it go! Great foundation for everyday wear and every skin type as well!

Clinique Strawberry Fudge Eyeshadow Duo- I also used to own this a long time ago and when I ran out I ended up just forgetting about it. Recently in a free gift at Clinique I received the duo and re-fell in love with it. This gives a rosy toned neutral eye look which is great for beginners in makeup or anyone wanting to achieve a fast, pretty look!

Clinique Blush in Smoldering Plum- This color wasn't something I looked at and suddenly fell in love with it. I thought it was a nice violet shade but nothing to fancy. Once I swiped some on the back of my hand though, I realized I loved it. It is a great plum color however it isn't dark. It gives more of a brightening effect which you wouldn't expect. Love this blush!

Real Techniques Blush Brush for Bronzer- I know it sounds weird using the huge blush brush for bronzer but I love how it bronzes up my face without giving me the drag queen contour line on the side of my face. I use this brush with my Hoola bronzer (review here). Great little combo!

Merle Norman Lipstick in Rose Sorbet- I love this lipstick for the sole purpose of being that great bright lipstick that gives you some color without being scarily bright! This lipstick isn't super moisturizing but I find that it doesn't dry out my lips which is strange. It is super opaque yet subtle enough to wear for any summer day.

Essie Tart Deco Nail Polish- This nail polish has been my #1 obsession this month! I love the bright muted orange color for summer. It isn't an obnoxious orange yet it is still bright which is why I love it! I picked up mine at CVS but you can find it at any drugstore or Target as well.


Books:

A Separate Peace by John Knowles- This book was something I was required to read for school this summer but I actually found it quite enjoyable. This book is considered a classic because it is such a simple (some may say boring) story with such a deeper meaning. I didn't fully understand the book until I started to think about it after I was finished. This book was quite enjoyable in my opinion. (Full review under the 'Book List' Tab).

If I Stay by Gayle Forman- The week I read this book I couldn't put it down. This story is so well written and I admire and envy the authors vast imagination when creating this storyline. The story is about a family that gets into an accident and the main character Mia is suddenly in a state where she is seeing everything happen to her and her family and is faced with the choice to live or die. This book is soon to be a movie which once again I am very nervous about, but I am also very excited! This book is such a great read for teens and the way this story is laid out keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time! (Full review will be under 'Book List' tab soon)!


Movies:

The Fault in our Stars- This movie was based off the book which I am sure you probably already knew and if the book wasn't so flippin fantastic I wouldn't have stood in line for an hour to see the movie! This is my absolute favorite book and the movie far exceeded my expectations. I of course still favor the book over the movie but the movie was almost spot on in the fact that the characters and scenes were almost exactly how I pictured them. I did a full Book vs. Movie post (here). I give my full thoughts on that post but pretty much I was obsessed with the book and I was very pleased with the movie as well!


Random:

8 Cups of Water a Day- I know this sounds straight up bizarre to be in a favorites post but this month I challenged myself to drink 8 cups of water a day and it is incredible how much better I feel from it. I don't feel as bloated, I tend to snack less because drinking that much water keeps you full most of the time, and I feel more energetic and less lousy. I have to admit there have been days I have slipped up and drank some coke or sweet tea and didn't drink hardly enough water but those days I noticed a big difference in the way I felt. Definitely something I am going to try to keep up with through the rest of the year and my life basically!

That is all for my June Favorites! What have you been loving this month? Comment below or send me an email!

jgraceblog@gmail.com 

Hope you enjoyed! Talk to y'all real soon!



My Top 4 Favorite Moisturizers!

Hello everybody! Today I am going to be sharing with you my top four favorite moisturizers. Moisturizers I almost always assume are the same but these four are all different and I love them all for different purposes. A few I am sure you have heard of, and others you may not have. Enjoy!

1. The Body Shop Mango Body Butter- I am sure a lot of you have heard of these because they are magnificent. I particularly am not a huge fan of the formula as I am the smell. The formula kind of leaves you hands looking greasy however, the smell is so amazing. It is a very fruity smell and makes you smell just so fresh! I love it! I could literally put it all over my body and smell like a humongous mango!

2. Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Lotion- This lotion is more of a thick lotion however again, the formula isn't what I am raving about this time, but more of the smell. This scent is amazing in the lotion form. In other forms such as body sprays I don't like it as much personally, but the lotion is just a hint of vanilla to make you smell nice and sweet! This is my favorite scent.

3. Curel Lotion- This lotion feels so luxurious all over the body. If I am feeling a little dry during the day I will often times just put this all over my arms, legs, and face. This has no scent which is nice for those purposes but feels so thin and cooling. It is super refreshing and lasts a long time! (Should be applied to hands before a movie date :) )

4. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion- This lotion is part of the 3 step system they have at Clinique which I have done since I was 12 years old. This lotion is more on the thick side but provides such a nice base for makeup. I do this after my first 2 Clinique steps and this feels amazingly cooling and leaves my face feeling like a baby's butt!

That is all for my favorite moisturizers. What are your favorite? Comment below or send me an email!

jgraceblog@gmail.com 

Hope you all enjoyed! Talk to you very soon!



3 Ways to Relieve Stress- Weekly Devotion

Stress is something most humans experience at some point or another. I have here 3 ways that I like to personally get away from everything and just relax.

#1- Take a walk/ exercise- Taking a walk always puts me in a better mood and gets me motivated and ready to continue what I was doing. Participating in any physical activity is known to relieve stress and I have definitely seen this take place in my life. I don't mean you have to take a break in the middle of what you are doing and go run 5 miles and get super sweaty, but sometimes just taking your dog for a small walk or doing some jumping jacks in the pool is just what you need.

#2- Call an old friend- I don't know if y'all know this, but that electronic device that you keep in your back pocket all day actually has this feature where you can pick it up and call someone and actually hear their voice. :) But really, calling an old friend or even a friend that you just talked to is a great way to relieve stress. Sometimes just taking 15 minutes out of your day to talk on the phone is just what you need to chill for a bit.

#3- Read a book- Escaping into a different story for even just 10 minutes is always a favorite way for me to calm down a bit. Laying out in the sun or laying under my covers in bed and reading a good book is known to be very relaxing, so I would recommend this for a quick stress relieving remedy.

Extra Tip- Pray- This is the number one way to relieve yourself of stress! Giving everything over to God lifts such a weight off your shoulders you wouldn't believe it! 
 John 14: 27 says: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

What do you like to do to escape and relax a bit? Comment and tell me! If you would like to email me about anything feel free!

jgraceblog@gmail.com

Hope you all enjoyed and I can't wait to talk to you all some more later!

My Favorite Everyday Foundation

 

Hello girlies! Us makeup lovers are always on the hunt for the best possible foundation. I have gone through a lot considering I am only 15 and haven't really been wearing foundation that long but I have definitely determined my favorite of all time. That would be the Clinique Super Balanced Makeup here. I am in the second to lightest shade which is weird but for some reason I wear a lighter foundation that you would think.

 

 

 

It is no secret that I love Clinique but I haven't always worn this foundation. I started wearing it when I was 13 years old and once I ran out I decided to experiment with some other types of foundations. None on them were working for me so I have found my way back after 2 years to this baby!

 

The super balanced foundation gives moisture where needed but doesn't add moisture to places already oily so this is essentially the perfect foundation for everyone. It is light to medium coverage which is just what I like for everyday wear. I 100% recommend at least receiving a sample and trying it out. You will love it I am sure!

What is your favorite foundation? Comment below! If you have any questions you can also email me!

 

jgraceblog@gmail.com 

 

Hope you all enjoyed! Look forward to hearing from y'all!

 

 



Revenge of the Bridesmaids- Movie Review

 

 

If you own Netflix you may or may not have come across the movie 'Revenge of the Bridesmaids'. I recently was told by a friend that I HAD to watch it and I have watched it several times since then! This movie is set in older times which makes it very cute in my opinion. The cast is hilarious including Raven Symone and more. This movie isn't too long and very girly and cute!

 

I would say that this is a movie probably appropriate for those 12 years old and up due to some references and some language in a few scenes. Otherwise, I would say this makes a great movie to watch with your mom, sister, but definitely girlfriends!!

 

I loved this movie and hope if y'all watch it, that you enjoy it also! You can watch the trailer here.

 

If you have seen this movie than comment down below what you thought! If you have any additional questions or thoughts feel free to email me as well!

 

jgraceblog@gmail.com

 

Hope you all enjoyed! Talk to you soon!

 

 

 



See What Matters Most- Weekly Devotion

 

Hello girlies! I am back with another weekly devotion today and I am sharing with you something I think all of us including myself have struggled with probably in the last 24 hours in you are like me. I am talking about getting caught up in the troubles of this world.

 

Sometimes I get so sucked into what my troubles are and forget that God is in control of everything. I think sometimes the Lord is saying "Keep your eyes on Me and My Word, and you will see My hand at work in everything around you."

 

Often times our greatest blessing is something that we loose. I know this sounds odd but a lot of the times God has to let good things fall apart so that better things can fall together.

 

2 Corinthians 4:18 says "So we don't look at the troubles we have right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever."

 

So this week, when you feel like there is so much trouble going on in your life and it is consuming your every thought, just through your hands up and let God be in control. He only wants what is best for you so that is what is going to happen if you let him.

 

Remember if you have any thoughts or questions or just want to chat leave a comment below or email me! I love hearing from you all!

 

jgraceblog@gmail.com 

 

Hope you enjoyed! Follow for more random interesting posts this week!

 

 

 



My Summer Must Have Beauty Products!

Hello ladies! I have a very exciting post today as it is my first summery makeup post. I hope to be doing a lot of posts all about summer this season and to kick it all off I am going to be showing you my must have summer makeup products. During the summer it obviously starts to heat up (especially in Florida where I live) so we all have those products that seem to save the day.

  

1. A good BB cream is always necessary. I have tried tons that just don't do the job, but one that I do ADORE is the Tarte BB Cream 12 hour Primer in Light (here). I have gone through 2 bottles of this stuff already. It feels like silk when you put it on, evens out the skin tone beautifully, yet feels like nothing on the skin.  

 

2. During the summer time I feel it is appropriate to experiment with color on your lids and my favorite way to do that is just to add a pop of a bright color on your lower lash line. My favorite product to do this with is the Milani Eyez 12 Hr Wear Pencil in Aquatic Style (here). Such a beautiful bright color and the thing I love about these pencils is that the color is not going anywhere. 
 

3. A bright blush is always something I love during summer because it gives you that 'I just got back from the beach' look. I know you all are probably tired of hearing me talk about this but I love (as you probably know) the Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Peach Pop (here). I can't get over how cute it is (in the packaging and on the cheeks).. y'all have to try it!

 

4. A nude lipstick is always a must in the summer. When you are nice and tan you always want a nude to extenuate the color on your face. My favorite is the Clinique Lipstick in Bamboo Pink (here). This is a great moisturizing, pigmented, dark nude lipstick for the summer!  

 

These are my recommendations! What are your favorite summer products? Comment below or email me!

 

jgraceblog@gmail.com 

 

Hope you all enjoyed! Talk to you soon!  

 



Get Ready With Me: Masquerade Party

This past weekend was one of my good friend's 16th birthday so for her sweet 16 she threw a masquerade party. This outfit, hair, and makeup are all definitely full proof for any dance party of any kind. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hair

I did a basic hair style, nothing too fancy. I simply curled my hair with my flat iron and pulled it all over into a side pony tail, leaving a strand or two sloppily hanging. I also took my bangs and gave them a little flip backwards so they flowed with everything too. I can't say that by the end my hair still looked this put together after dancing all night, but the good thing about this hair do is that it still looks fine even once it is messed up a tad.

 

 

Makeup

As you can see in the picture above I went rather dramatic. I used the Lorac Pro Palette for this look (review can be found here). I used the shade light bronze and gold on the eye lid along with taupe and espresso on the crease, outer v area, and under my eye. I used the shade nude to highlight under my brown and inner corner. Finally, I popped on some mascara and I was finished for the eyes.

 

For the face, I used a cream foundation that I will be reviewing very soon, and some other little things here and there (all of which I probably sweat off by the end of the night. haha)

 

 

Outfit/Dress

Sadly I cant locate this dress for y'all. It is from a boutique somewhere in Los Angeles, California. The minute I tried the dress on I had to own it because it is so different from anything I have ever owned or seen before, and I have been receiving a lot of compliments on it so I love it.

 

For shoes, I just wore some black heels that were kind of short in comparison to my usual heels, which made it a lot more enjoyable to dance in.

 

The mask I purchased off of amazon here. I didn't end up wearing it more than 5 minutes but when I did wear it, I liked it :)

 

 

Here are some random goofy pictures of some friends and I at the event:

 

 

 

 

                                           

 

Do y'all have a 'Get Ready With me Post' that you would like me to see? Comment below or email me!

 

jgraceblog@gmail.com 

 

Hope you all enjoyed! Talk to you soon!

 



How to Ask God For Help- Weekly Devotion

 

Hello gals!  I think that all of us at some time or another have definitely tried to do some things on our own. I know I have had my fair share of trying to face challenges on my own. I would like to say that I have tried to face things without Gods help only once and never tried that again, but this isn't the truth. Truth is, though I don't know why, I have tried to do things my way and throw God out of the picture, more than once. Want to know how that turned out? Badly. I understand that he only wants what is best for me. I understand now that when I try things on my own he probably wants to laugh. Us trying to run our own lives is like a toddler saying they can push the dead car to the gas station. It is just going to fail. God simply wants to help us, so why don't we let him.

 

Often times, we don't want to ask for help because we don't want to feel weak. We humans like to have the 'we have it all together' mentality, and asking God for help would actually have to involve us admitting we cant do it alone. Ouch, that's a hard one.

 

Psalm 121:2 says "My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth."

 

God is in charge of everything in the entire universe and made you and me, so I think it would be best to ask for his guidance and help along side us.

 

Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

 

With God by our sides we can do all things. Plain and simple, so why would we want to even try on our owns? I have no idea why I have even tried. Every time that God and I are on the same team, everything works out for the better. However, every time I try to pull a one man job, I fail.

 

Often times, it can be hard to pray for help but here is a verse I often look to and love for that purpose:

 

Romans 8:26 says "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

 

Stop making it hard on yourself and trying to do things all on your own. God wants to help and will. All you need to do is ask.

 

 

I challenge you all to try asking God's help this week. If you have any thoughts or questions comment below. Also, feel free to email me!

 

jgraceblog@gmail.com 

 

Hope you all enjoyed! Talk to you soon!

 

 

 

 

The Fault In Our Stars Book vs. Movie

 

 

Many of you I am sure have read the book 'The Fault In Our Stars' by John Green as I did. I loved this book as I read it in 2 days and probably cried for a week. Then, I read the book again.. and again.. and again. Alright, so needless to say, I was a big fan of this novel and will probably always love it. When I heard that my all time favorite book was being turned into a movie I had mixed emotions as I am sure a lot of us do when we learn a book is being turned into a movie. The movie came out June 6th, and I stood in line for an hour so that I could go get a seat to see it. I will be reviewing the movie but also comparing it to the amazing story that was first made in writing.

 

I am slightly partial to the book because I fell in love with the characters and the storyline the way I pictured it. However, I could not have found two better main characters to play Augustus Waters, and Hazel Grace. I thought that Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort were so fit for the roles. I also felt that the characters emotions and actions from the book were portrayed quite nicely from the writing to the screen. Great acting, casting, and characters.

 

There were of course a couple minor scenes that were left out and several scenes having to endure through some small changes, however, I was so happy to see how on point most of the scenes were. I had pictured several scenes the exact way they were portrayed in the movie which made me very pleased.

 

Overall, I cant say enough good things about this book and movie. I usually am always disappointed by the movie version of my favorite novel, however I was so impressed with how accurate this movie was with the book. I also admired how much the author John Green was behind all of this and how supportive he was, along with how passionate the cast was in portraying this amazing story correctly. I think this all definitely came through in the finished product and I will definitely be purchasing this movie if it comes out on DVD.

 

I recommend you read the book, pack some tissues (okay, a lot of tissues), and then go see this movie!!!

 

Have you seen the movie or read the Fault In Our Stars? Let me know in the comments. As always feel free to email me with any questions on anything!

 

jgraceblog@gmail.com 

 

Hope you all found this helpful and enjoyed! Talk to you soon!

 



Glow in the Dark Pool Party- Party Planning Ideas

This past Saturday my sister turned 13, but Friday was her big party! My mom and I had a blast putting this party together. I got the idea from Pinterest (here) when I saw a picture of glow sticks in a swimming pool. A glow in the dark pool party sounded like a fun and enjoyable party to put together and I can honestly say that even though the party wasn't thrown for me, I had a ball!

 

Below I will show several different pictures from the party. Unfortunately, it was quite difficult to photograph glow in the dark things but I did my best. I will also be listing links to a lot of the supplies we got, so if you want to re-create this party you can do so easily!


Since my mom and I decided to keep all of the glow décor strictly in the outdoor pool area, we decided that the decorations for the inside would be black and neon colors:

 

We bought these bags from Party City (here) and they fit perfectly with all the other décor inside. We filled these goody bags with candy, Glow in the Dark Earrings (here), and Glow in the Dark Lip-gloss.

 

 

 

 

 

The decorations used on the inside were all party of the "Disco Party Theme" at Party City, so if you actually go to the store you will see all of these items in one place.

 

The plates can be found (here) and the matching napkins can be found (here).

 

The center piece can be found (here). We decided to put the confetti around the table and the large centerpiece in the middle. Then, instead of using the other two disco balls on the table, we took ribbon and hung them from the light fixture.

 

The balloons can be found (here).

 

 

These pictures definitely aren't the best but have some mercy because everyone was jumping around, and it is hard enough to take pictures of glowing things at night, however these pictures do show how much fun this type of party is. After my sis opened presents and they ate pizza and cupcakes, they all went outside to dance and swim to blasting music with glow in the dark accessories.

 

We already owned the volleyball net.

 

Light up balloons can be found (here). These were probably the coolest things ever. We tied them down and let them float and they light up and change colors for 15 hours. They have to be filled with helium to float but once they were kind of wet, we threw them in the pool and it was honestly such a cool accessory to have for the party.

 

A pack of glow sticks can be found (here). Everyone had on bracelets and necklaces along with throwing all the extras in the pool to make the water glow. This was really cool and enjoyable.

 

A glow in the dark Frisbee disk can be found (here). This was also just an awesome thing to throw in the pool and throw back and forth!

 

The glow in the dark ring toss game we had in our yard can be found (here).

 

The light up lanterns that we attached to our orange tree behind our pool can be found at CVS stores.

 

During the party we had a couple of games set up off to the side in our yard.

 

The limbo stick we used is available at Party City stores along with the glow in the dark hula hoops we bought for the party.

 

 

Inside the patio we bought several bowls to have chips and cookies in along with filling our cooler with drinks. This was also where the stereo was and where we had a disco ball found (here).

 

Also inside there we had a black table cloth and more of the disco plates from the inside decorations.

 

I may have also had a little surprise to try real hard to embarrass my sista on her first day as a teenager..... TADDAAA! Yeah I kinda bought a glow in the dark wig. Oh and my dad is photo bombing the picture. :)

 

 

Anyways... This party was loads of fun to put together and a super great idea for a summer party with some friends.

 

 

 

What type of parties do you love during summer? Comment below or email me!

 

jgraceblog@gmail.com 

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post. Talk to all on Friday!