HAHA it's SUMMER // Movie Review

    Let me tell you, time is flying by faster than possible... I cannot believe that 5 months has passed since the start of the year like this. I've always been told that time goes faster as you get older, but I didn't buy it until now. Well, it's summer now for me, and I am finally home. I could not be more excited, I have so many things I've wanted to do but I haven't had the time to! On the list is getting a summer job, getting into a workout routine, and blogging regularly. This is hopefully going to happen as I settle in, but I am also excited for the travel plans I have :). In June, I am taking a two week trip with my mom to New England and then for a week or so in July, I am going with my family to the keys. 

    Now I just went to the movies the other day with a friend, and we both fell madly in love with what we saw. You may have seen the previews for Me Before You, and it seemed a bit cliché to me, but  I could not have been more wrong. This movie captured my heart in so many ways: the costumes, characters, setting/scenery, storyline, etc. The producers and director really knew what they were doing with this. Emilia Clarke did a fantastic job as the adorable, big-hearted Louisa Clark who was hired as a companion to Will Trainer (Sam Claflin) who had been paralyzed in a road accident. Louisa is the most lovable and oddly confident character I have seen in a romance like this. She wears clothes that are out of this world and her good nature was such an inspiration. While I don't think I could ever be as selfless as she was, I can definitely try a little harder. Here are a just few of my favorite of Louisa's outfits from the movie, they take an open mind to fully appreciate ;).

Here are my ratings, and a disclaimer that these are my personal opinions just for fun>

Casting 10/10

Storyline/Predictability 8.5/10 

Originality 9/10                                              

Costumes 11/10 haha, obviously my favorite part of this movie                              

Soundtrack 9/10                                                 

Overall Quality 9/10

    Alright so I won't spoil anything, but bring some kleenex to the theater because I definitely recommend that you go see it! If you like romantic stories, this one will play with your heart like play-doh. Thanks for stopping by!

True Grit // Movie Review

    When my dad first proposed this movie for us to watch, I was very reluctant to say yes. Now I'm glad that I gave in! The original True Grit was pleasantly entertaining, it was nothing like I expected, but to be honest, I don't really know what I expected. I think this was my first John Wayne movie and I liked the main characters a lot. The young woman, Mattie Ross (played by Kim Darby), was independent and smart and I think I learned a thing or two about girl power from this one! This story was very different than my usuals and I was happy to be watching one of my dad's favorites with him. I would definitely recommend this, since it's a heartwarming tale of a hardened man learning about compassion and love from a very unexpected place. 

happy watching! xoxo,

Winter 2015 Night Routine // Products and Reviews

    Hello everyone!! Recently, I've been focusing on clearing up any acne prone spots on my face as well as moisturizing to avoid dryness in these winter nights. I've also discovered a whole slew of new products that I am IN LOVE with. Let's get started...

    Every night, I start by taking off my makeup with the Burt's Bees Grapefruit makeup remover wipes and I love the way they work. They leave my skin feeling very fresh and light. Then, to make sure every speck of dirt is out of my skin, I use a small sponge with the Clean & Clear facial scrub. It has these little beads that exfoliate or something haha, I love those. I have already gone through a whole bottle and bought another so I am excited to introduce this as a new staple in my routine! Next is a product that I have been using my whole life. My mom introduced me to Bio Oil as a way to get rid of scars, moisturize and even up skin tone. It really works! I tell you, it works miracles :). I use it at night since it is an oil and it wouldn't be smart to walk around withe even more oil on my face than normal. So after the Bio Oil, I try to counter act the oiliness a bit by using the oil free moisturizer from Neutrogena. It's very fresh and leaves my skin feeling cool and clean. The next product is also one introduced to me by my mom, it's a cream called Cilka. I put it along my lash line to strengthen my teeny tiny lashes. It's been very helpful, I love it! Now this next one is a new buy. They were having a BOGO sale at Lush and I bought a lip scrub for a friend and I kept the other one. It's made of sugar so it's edible after you finish using it. It's so much fun and it leaves my lips feeling SO SOFT!! To avoid them drying out, I swipe on a bit of my mint EOS right before I go to sleep. 

1. Burt's Bees Pink Grapefruit Towelettes 
2. Clean&Clear Morning Burst Facial Scrub
3. Bio Oil
4. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer
5. Cilka Eyelash Cream
6. Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrubs
7. EOS Sweet Mint Balm

Well, that's all for today. I hope you liked my lineup, and let me know if you've tried any of these products. Thanks for stopping by! xoxo,

Makeup // Beauty Faves for Winter 2015

    Lo and behold, the expanse that is my makeup collection :))) I only wish I was kidding. I'm one of those people that is constantly seeding through products, so I really only end up with the ones that work best. Probably my staple in an everyday look is mascara, and I'm constantly looking and trying out new ones. The Clinique Lash Power has proven to do exactly what I need and I love it. With its large feathery brush, it produces results without going overboard. I like a natural look and this mascara really only enhances my lashes and I can layer it where I like a heavier look or I can swipe on just one coat and there's no clumping. I've found that it's a wonderful formula. For eyeshadow, I haven't experimented too much, and I like to keep it simple. Since I am in school, sometimes a few extra minutes of sleep > killer eyeshadow. But now that I am on break, I'm hoping to try a few new things out or maybe I'll get a new palette for Christmas, who knows? Sometimes though, when I'm feeling a bit more glamorous, I'll go for a light shimmery shade just to brighten, and then a matte color that matches it to soften the whole look up. Really simple. As far as lip products go, my philosophy is that you can never have too many chapsticks, lip balms or stains. My Burt's Bees is with me ALL THE TIME. Ever since I started using it a few months ago, I have literally never had dry lips. Well, now I get really boring: All I use for face products is a Maybelline BB Cream that I got one day at Target. It's actually the first face product that I have ever owned so bear with me, I'm still easing myself into the makeup world. I like it a lot though, it does a great job evening my skin tone in the tough spots and the only complaint I have is that it doesn't mattify very well. 
    I hope you like my daily lineup, I have all of the products linked down below if you would like to check those out. Tomorrow, I've put together my night routine as well as the products I use for that. 'Till next time!

Burt's Bees lip treatment / Clinique lip treatment / Maybelline eyeshadow / Maybelline tinted moisturizer / Clinique mascara / Revlon lip makeup / E.l.f lip stain / Maybelline lip makeup / Mac cosmetic

xoxo, 

Angels and Demons

Angels and Demons Cover Art

    I have always enjoyed mystery stories, but I had never experienced something like the thrilling riddles that Angels and Demons contained. The struggle between understanding religion and science is brought to extreme measures and this shows how much we take religious/scientific peace for granted. 
    I had heard some small conspiracy theories starring the Illuminati but I never knew exactly what it all meant. Dan Brown set it all up in such an interesting way. As horribly evil the Illuminatus society turned out to be, I could not stop thinking about how ingenious and brilliant their tactics were. Despite some of the gruesome parts of this story, I feel like the chase and the time limit really sped up the pace of the plot. It was amazing to see how much action and strategy that Dan Brown could fit into just a few hours in the story. This makes it relatable because so much happens in our lives in a flash. We go through such an incredible load of experiences in our short life times and Angels and Demons really explores the possibilities. 
    It's great to see someone be as smart as the main character, Robert Langdon. He and his partner, Vittoria Vetra, race through Rome with only their brains as a weapon. The amount of history and information that Dan Brown was able to squeeze into this story is fascinating. While I was reading the book, I felt as if I was actually there, walking through the streets, seeing the famous monuments and statues.
    I am excited to now be able to see the movie and after that, spend my weekend curled up with The Da Vinci Code. I'm looking forward to all of the new puzzles and secrets that are going to boggle my mind.

Hair: Braids, Ponytails and Twists!

Logo cutegirlshairstyles.com

    If there is one thing I have the most fun doing, it would be hairstyling. I used to just wear my hair the same way everyday until a couple of years ago, when I started to experiment with various styles. This year I have become a bit famous for my creativity and everyone asks me to do their hair! It is so much fun and I really enjoy the feeling I get from making people feel special. 
    After I had kind of worn out all of my styles, I started looking for more, and for tutorials on how to master certain techniques. I found Cute Girls Hairstyles and I could not stop looking at all of the inventive and original ideas that Mindy McKnight has thought up. Her 5 daughters are adorable and I am so jealous of their beautiful long hair. This blog has taught me so much about hair and how to get it to do what you want. Cute Girls Hairstyles follows a lot of the newest trends since her daughters are in school. This made me realize the reason why you see a lot of the same hairstyles everywhere. 
    Recent fads I have seen in the past few years, that have been continuously reborn throughout generations, have been Top Knots and French Braids. When the buns were popular, you didn't see braids at all and vise-versa. That gave me an inspiration: to always try to wear what is not in style. That way it's always fun to see how people are fascinated with what is different and then slowly see the transition in what everyone wears. 
    If you ever need any ideas for a hairstyle for any occasion, go to http://www.cutegirlshairstyles.com/. For a quick preview of what you might see, I posted the links to some of my favorite styles down below. ⬇︎

Bow Braid:
http://www.cutegirlshairstyles.com/hairstyles/time/10-15mins/diagonal-bow-braid/

This style is so beautiful, but it is equally hard to accomplish. I have tried this braid so many times, and I haven't been able to get the hang of it yet! I wish you good luck!

Flower Bun
http://www.cutegirlshairstyles.com/hairstyles/time/5-10mins/dutch-flower-braid-updo-hairstyles/

Crown Rope Twist http://www.cutegirlshairstyles.com/hairstyles/time/5-10mins/crown-rope-twist-braid/




 
Another one of my favorite hairstyling sites is http://www.hairromance.com/. Be sure to check it out!

And as Mindy says, "Happy Hairdoing!"

The Hundred Foot Journey

Poster The Hundred Foot Journey

    My mother invited me to see this movie along with my dad at our local theater the other day and I absolutely loved it! Helen Mirren is such a fantastic actress and I think that she was perfect for the role of Madame Mallory. Her entire demeanor brought so much to the movie. I also couldn't resist the Indian family that the story centers around. Their dad was just too cute! And the kids made their life more realistic and human. I had never heard of Manish Dayal before and I could not believe how much I loved him. Apart from being super handsome, he made a great Hassan, an underestimated (but ambitious) self-taught cook. 


   I loved how this story had a simple plot and domestic conflicts but complicated emotions surrounding it all. Through this, we are once again reassured that it is best to follow your dreams at any expense with the hopes that you will be happy overall. However, you will not always find happiness in the expected places. Hassan makes it to the highest he could go in professional French cuisine thanks to his natural ability to mix cultures through food ingredients. While in that top position, he realized that it took a lot more than fame and fortune to feel the beauty and satisfaction he got from the life he left behind him. This movie if full of color and great photographic scenery, you can almost smell the aromas coming from the kitchens.  This feature is definitely on my top ten movies list and I could watch it again and again. I like this kind of feel-good stories and The Hundred Foot Journey is my favorite so far. I hope you enjoy it too. Salút!

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Cover Art The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

C. S. Lewis is a really unique author. I love his writing style and his characters, they somehow feel real as well as having a sort of fictional quality about them. 

    I think that even though this book is very short and easy, it is delightful. I like C. S. Lewis' creativity in establishing this fictional world. I consider the Chronicles of Narnia very entertaining. However, through another author I realized that C. S. Lewis lacks humor in his stories. Matilda, protagonist of Roald Dahl's children's novel Matilda (my all-time favorite book) says,

 " ‘I liked The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,’...‘I think Mr C. S. Lewis is a very good writer. But he has one failing. There are no funny bits in his books.’....
....‘Do you think that all children’s books ought to have funny bits in them?’ Miss Honey asked.

‘I do,’ Matilda said. ‘Children are not so serious as grown-ups and love to laugh.’

    Matilda's wise words ring true to me even today, it's nice to laugh more than once in a while. Sometimes it's fun to read an easy book, childrens' novels are very enjoyable when you let your imagination run wild.  :)

The Language De L'amour: Vanessa Paradis

    One of my favorite languages in the world is French, I love how it sounds in music especially. When I first heard of Vanessa Paradis I immediately became a fan of her music. She debuted her first song, "Joe Le Taxi" , which made it to the top charts, when she was only fourteen years old. I don't understand everything she's saying in the lyrics, but it is about a taxi driver named Joe in Paris. Now in her early 40's, Vanessa Paradis still performs. Her voice is much more mature and she still sounds beautiful. My favorite of her more recent songs is "Il Y A", which translates to "there is".

    Vanessa Paradis is very famous around the world not only for her musical career but also as an actress and model for Chanel. Many other well-known artists have done covers of her songs. Here, listen to "Joe Le Taxi" and "Il Y A" . Click on the videos below. ↓

                                                                Joe Le Taxi

Il Y A

Sweet Poetry

     Although I would not call myself a chocolate person, I enjoy eating Chocolove. My mom and I discovered it at our local Health Foods Store and we both couldn't stop eating it! I prefer dark chocolate and it surprised me how many options I had to choose from. The two chocolate bars pictured are my favorite, especially the coffee crunch.

    A special feature of Chocolove is the love part. On every wrapper there is a different love poem. All of these poems are unique, some are even from famous romantic plays and writers. I have included a picture of the poem from the Almonds and Sea Salt bar below. ↓ The surprise factor is always great, you never know what poem you're going to get and which poet you are going to discover.  If you would like to see all of the different flavors and sizes check out Chocolove at their website: https://www.chocolove.com/

Click to read the poem. Thanks! <3

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie

Cover Art Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie

    This book was a really cool find for me because it is different from a lot of other books like this. Instead of being the normal sob (but understandable) cancer story, this book tells it from the older brother's point of view. Steven is a middle schooler that has a hard time telling anybody about his little brother's condition while trying to lead a normal life. I like how this story doesn't center completely around the cancer, but it symbolically shows Steven's struggle to get control of his life, trying to support his brother (Jeffery), but also working on his own things and social life. This story was narrated in the sarcastic tone of a 14 year old boy who earns a lot of wisdom over a span of one school year. 

    I was pleasantly impressed by Steven's compassion for his younger brother, he would do anything for him. The "conflict"  or "obstacle" of the story was not caused by Steven's lack of perception for Jeffery's condition, but because of an internal self- acceptance that he is forced to learn. 

I really loved this book, I would recommend it to readers of any age. 

Dinner For Schmucks

Cover Art Dinner For Schmucks

    I watched this movie last night and I could not stop laughing. Steve Carell is just inhumanly funny as an innocent man who stumbles upon a man who learns a thing or two from him. Even though throughout the story, Steve Carell's character (Barry) seems really thick skulled and childish, he shows a kind of compassion and humanity that really makes him different. Even after his only friend puts him down and treats him badly, Barry is still there, doing the right thing. Apart from the comedy side of it, there is a really strong life lesson that I think can make a huge difference. I thought that this film had all the components that it takes to have a great movie; internal conflict, romance, comedy, drama, complications, and a couple of really crazy characters. 

    Take it from me. Even though it's hard sometimes, stay true to yourself and do what you know is right, and everything will work out better. 

La La La (Brasil 2014)

 

Promo La La La (Brasil 2014)

   With the excitement past of this year's FIFA World Cup, I can lean back and think about it clearly. I loved rooting for my favorite teams with my family and seeing the flags and colors in the stadiums. Along with all of that I was so happy to see that Shakira was coming out with another World Cup song. After Waka Waka for 2010, Shakira definitely had a high expectation for this year's song. I think that La La La (Brasil 2014) was really good and that it met the intensity of these fútbol games. 

    I love Shakira, of course, she's Colombian. :) And I love her patriotism for Colombia. One of my favorite things about the La La La music video is all the flags and support from people in the video for their own countries. The face paint, the flags every where, and faces of every race representing their people and their players out on the field. I like the English version, but since I do speak Spanish, I really love the Spanish version. Even if you don't speak Spanish, I think you would still enjoy it.  Down below ↓ there is the video and I've included a link to the English version if you would like to know what the lyrics mean.

    This is a very fun song and a great video, happy "fútbol-ing". :)

La La La (Brasil 2014) English Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-7knsP2n5w

Ondademar

Logo Ondademar

    Ondademar is a Colombian swimwear brand that has great patterns and styles that are recognized around the world. 
   
    Being half Colombian, I started wearing Ondademar when I was just a baby. Not a lot of people here in the U.S. know about Ondademar so it has always been very cool for me to have unique bathing suits. Something I think that Ondademar does very well is that the patterns are applied to all the different sizes and styles. As you can see below ↓, the collections are not exclusive. 

    I love all the beautiful swimsuits that I've seen come out for 2014. If you want to stand out on the beach or by the poolside at any age, check out Ondademar.

Women's Shell Bikini

Shell Collection

Baby Shell One-Piece

 

   Girl Shell One-Piece 

Ania Collection

Women's bandau Ania Bikini 

Women's Ania One Piece

These were some of my picks for the summer:

The Selection

Cover Art The Selection

When I read The Selection for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved it. The way this book was written really got my attention. 

    I always love an internal conflict and America's choice between Aspen and Maxon really broke my heart for her. This was the kind of story where I picked a side and then the whole time I was reading it I was like, "Yes! Fall in love with Maxon!" or "No! Bad America! Do NOT think about Aspen!" Note the exclamation points. :) There was no way I could stop at just the first book, I just inhaled the next two. The plot line was just so good it was impossible to stop until I knew who she picked. I went for Prince Maxon by the way, sorry to all you Aspen fans out there.... 

    I definitely suggest reading this book! And don't miss out on book 2 and 3!

Cover Art The One #3

Cover Art The Elite #2

Obvious :)

No Resevations

Cover Art No Reservations

I really enjoyed watching this movie for the first time, Catharine Zeta-Jones was perfect choice for this character. The main character Kate, is a tightly wound top chef that all of the sudden finds herself the guardian of her tiny little niece, Zoe. Zoe was played by Abigail Breslin and I loved her character. Even though she was no more than five years old, she was always right in the movie. She knew how the story had to end. 

    Apart from the great romantic story that unfolds, you get to experience the realization that Kate goes through that changes her life. I am a huge chef/cooking show person and it was really interesting for me to get an inside look on how real kitchens work. What surprised me was the intensity and stress level at which those  cooks have to work. I wish I had that kind of ability. :)  

The Testing

Cover Art The Testing

    This was an incredibly thrilling book, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. When I finally was able to take a break from reading it, I couldn't stop thinking about the characters and plot twists. Definitely one of the best books I had read this summer. The way that the author wrote this story made you feel like you were right there with Cia and Tomas and the other Testing contestants, fighting for your life. 
  
    I did read the Hunger Games and I think that this book leveled with me a bit better. It's a similar feel, but I enjoyed the depth and mystery of the characters in The Testing. 

    I hope that the word gets around that this book is out because I think that this series is going to be a big hit. Be sure to check The Testing out as well as the next two books in the series, Independent Study and Graduation Day.

Cover Art Graduation Day

Cover Art Independent Study

Charlotte Olympia

Logo Charlotte Olympia Dellal

    I think that Charlotte Olympia is one of today's most unique and creative shoe designers. Because of her fresh and modern approach, celebrities and even royals are dying to be caught wearing her shoes and carrying her handbags. 
   
    Shoe design has always sparked my interest and it was amazing for me to learn about Charlotte Olympia. I look on her website and I just sigh at how beautiful her shoes are. I never imagined that shoes could be so dreamy. Some of my favorite lines include the Eastern Cosmic collection, Kitty and Co., and Kitty 110.

Kitty and Co. Charlotte Olympia

Eastern Cosmic Collection Charlotte Olympia

Kitty 110 Charlotte Olympia

    



















Charlotte Olympia also designed a pair of shoes exclusively for Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco. The sophisticated black leaf pattern created a trend throughout the fashion world.

black suede open toe leaf boots Charlotte Olympia

Charlotte Olympia....Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco