If you have a recent high school (or college) graduate to buy a gift for, below are some ideas (the majority of which I received as gifts for high school graduation, aside from the always-loved cash and gift cards, that helped me throughout my college experience that I still have and use to this day):
*Laundry basket filled with: Command strips (SO expensive for what they are, especially when they’re the only thing you can use in a dorm room), batteries, cleaning supplies, tool kit, power strips, 10 ft. phone charger, etc. (This would be SO appreciate by a college graduate. Maybe even more so than a high school graduate. #adulting)
As the humidity starts to crank up here in Memphis, I am dreaming about hitting up the beach on basically an every day basis (seriously, Memphis is worse than Houston on that front I’ve decided). I am wanting some sun and sand in my life, with a healthy dose of social distancing. Here are some items that I would love to have while having fun in the sun:
I have spent some time away from this space to intentionally learn more about what part I can and should play against racism and ways in which I can support the black community, as well as praying for healing and unity in the U.S. With that being said, out of all of the resources and content I have consumed on social media, Alyson Haley’s post, “I’m Angry. Now What? How To Put In The Anti-Racism Work,” has been incredibly helpful to me. As such, if there are any resources you would like to link to in the comments, or any black-owned brands that you would like for all of us to know about to support, please leave them below!
As I have felt throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and now through the protests being held throughout the world, I have been unsure on how to pursue this hobby of mine as I feel both personal (I find creating content for this blog very cathartic), and professional (I hope that I can grow this space into something that I am proud of and can help support my family with some day), pulls to create here. For now, I’m going to continue on until y’all provide feedback otherwise, but know that I am praying for every person that reads this blog (as silly as that may seem on a Target wish list post), and all of the other residents of this amazing planet that we live on.
And, with that, let’s get into some things I’ve had my eye on at Target, but that I have not been able to justify purchasing since I do not leave my pajamas as I continue to be lucky enough to work from home. A girl can dream, right?
I was inspired by Taylor Wynn’s (@taylorwynn), recent “Full Face of Essence Cosmetics” video and I had to try out an (almost) full face for myself! Coincidentally, Taylor’s video coincided with a B1G1 50% off sale on Essence at Ulta, so I was able to snatch up all of the below products, plus the Wet n Wild foundation and Maybelline powder that I already had in my collection (that were both also purchased previously on-sale), for a grand total of $46.67 before tax. With that being said, all of these products retail for $62.86 before tax, so you can get an amazingly affordable, full face of makeup for under $70, no matter if there is a sale or not. However, I of course always recommend you holding out for a sale and keeping your eyes opened to all available coupons! Now, let’s get into what I think of the makeup. 🙂
I got the nude shade of this pencil, and while it is very pigmented, it was a bit more crumbly than I would have liked and irritated my eyes a bit. However, I think that was partially due to having not worn makeup in quite a few days (keeping it real here in quarantine), so I will continue to test.
Okay, y’all, I adore this bronzer. Easily my favorite product (besides the highlighter). I got the shade for blondes and it warms up my complexion so well, without being orange at all.
This thing brings the glow in a really intense way! I like it so far, but will have to let you know more once I have more time to test these products out.
I used this mascara once in the past, but recall not liking it because it was difficult to take off. However, with my current DHC oil makeup remover, I had no problem at all. I do like the amount of volume and length that it brings to my lashes for every day, but I like my Urban Decay Perversion mascara for more volume for night.
This stuff really does brighten your under eyes right up, but it did make my under eyes look a little dry. However, I did add more powder than I normally would since I’m trying to stop the inevitable mascara transfer from my oily skin during the summer, so that experimentation could be a factor (or it could be the concealer. TBD!).
I liked the eye look I ended up with for the three shades I used, but the shades I did use were definitely the hardest to blend that I’ve used in a long time and are quite crumbly. However, for $5 for a palette with this amount of shades, that is a heck of a deal. But, if I’m honest with myself, I would personally purchase one of Melted Chrome Eyeshadows in retrospect, as I think I would have gotten more use out of that.
The shade that I purchased is no longer available on Ulta’s website, but I do like the formula. Essence’s lip gloss formula is supposed to be great in general, so I don’t think you can go wrong there (but you may be able to prove me wrong!).
Carly Elizabeth Wallace 