1. Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin [370 Toast]- ($9.99, drugstores)- The bottle pictured above is the 4th bottle of this foundation that I have completed. This is one of my holy grail favorites! I love the coverage that it provides (medium-full coverage), its lasting power, and its affordability. I also love that it this particular formula gives a matte finish. If you know me, then you know like I love a matte look. Therefore, this product is a definitely favorite that has already been repurchased. By the way, it comes with a pump in the United States now, how great is that?!

2. ELF Eyebrow Kit [Medium]- ($3, eyeslipsface.com, select drugstores)- This little kit was so hyped up about on YouTube before the whole Anastasia phase became the newest brow breakthrough. This product is nice. I primarily used up the wax side so long ago to fill in my brows. The powder was way too light too use in my brows. Therefore, I used it as a crease/transition shade for my eyes. It was good for that. As of the current moment, I might repurchase this in the future. I'm not too entirely sure. I'm loving my Anastasia Brow Wiz (Yes, I finally fell into the Anastasia hype). If I do repurchase it, I would repurchase it in the shade Dark. Personally, I didn't feel like Medium was dark enough for me.

3. ELF Brightening Eye Liner [Black]- ($1, eyeslipsface.com, select drugstores)- Before you think I just go through eyeliners like no tomorrow, I had the tiniest nub of this for forever that I finally decided to go ahead and use up. This eyeliner smudged like it was no tomorrow. Therefore, it will never be repurchased.

4. Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner- ($4.50, drugstores)- As of now, this is my favorite pencil eyeliner that I have ever tried. It stays better than most and doesn't smudge as much as others. A lot of people say that they can wear it in their waterline without it smudging. I can't. I can't even wear it on my lower lashline without it smudging. Therefore, I set it with black eyeshadow. I'm trying the Marc Jacobs one right now so I'll let y'all know my thoughts on that one soon.

5. Kat Von D Lock-It Featherweight Primer (sample)- (sample value $0.64, full size $32)- This stuff was super thin and lightweight. However, the sample that I had smelled too much like chemicals for me to handle. Maybe my sample went bad or something, who knows? This stuff made my skin feel oily which I don't like. I won't be purchasing this in a full size.

6. Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation [Medium 54] (sample)- (sample value $0.70, full size $35)- This stuff has so much pigmentation behind it. A little bit goes a long way. The coverage on this stuff was amazing. However, I'm not too sure that I would go about purchasing this because I love my Revlon Colorstay and the price point behind it. To be honest, I'm really not into changing up my foundations.

7. Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara [Black Pearl]- ($5.94, drugstores)- First off, I feel like there is a mascara in every single one of these posts. This one is fine. You can build it up to add length and a little bit of volume. I'm not one to spend forever on my lashes and apply 1000 coats of mascara in the mornings. I've already repurchased this mascara. However, the one I currently have isn't in the Black Pearl version.

8. The Body Needs Blush [Soft Burgundy]- ($2.99, thebodyneeds2.com)- This color was so pretty. The berry mauve-y color blushes are my absolute favorite to wear on my cheeks because I feel like they look so natural. However, I'm not the biggest fan of loose, mineral blushes. This will not be a repurchase and this shade is no longer sold.

Total $ for July Makeup Empties: $28.76

Hey there my loves! Today, I am FINALLY starting the college series that I have been wanting to start for the longest time now. Without further ado, here are the things I wish I would have known.



 1.) Studying is so important. 



I was one of those lucky student who breezed through high school. I ended up breezing through my general education courses as well. However once I actually got to my major classes, that was a different story. Yes, some were easier than others. However, I don't believe that there really are many "Easy A" classes in STEM majors.

2.) "Easy A" classes won't always be an easy A.



Man, let me just tell you. Never judge the caliber of a course just by the course title. I have taken classes like Marriage & Family and African American Studies courses thinking they would be easy courses. My Marriage & Family class was tough, but I respected that. I learned a lot of useful information in my class and I'm so glad I took it. As for my African American class, there was constant reading assignments and papers to be written. Granted, I ended up with an A and an A+ in these classes respectively. However, they still required A LOT of work to pull that off.

3.) Pick a college based on you. Don't just pick from a pool of popular colleges.




When I tried to decide what college to attend, I picked big name schools (with the exception of one). There is nothing wrong with attending a big name school. I actually still attend one. However, I believe that you should pick schools based off of your major, where you want to be location-wise, and the opportunities the college can provide to you.
4.) Decide what you want to do and what you want to study.

1. Black Radiance Body Building Mascara -($2.99, select Walgreen's and Walmart stores)- There is honestly nothing special about this mascara. It might be great if you were looking for that natural lash look or you have naturally long, pretty lashes. Definitely not a repurchase.

2. Fresh Sugar Lip Serum Advanced Therapy (sample) -(sample value $7.20, full size value $36, Sephora)- First of all, it's crazy to think that a small sample like this could end up being worth so much money?! This product had the lemon scent that Fresh lip products seem to have. However, this scent just seemed to be more intense. Also, the formula is way more liquidy. If you have tried the Fresh Sugar Lip Balm (the original clear one), just imagine that product 3-5 times more intense in moisture. However, I honestly prefer the regular Fresh lip balm over this one.

3. Wet 'n Wild Silk Finish Lipstick in 510A (Light Beige Frost) -($0.99, Walgreen's stores)- First of all, this specific lipstick is discontinued. The Wet 'n Wild Silk Finish Lipsticks were reformulated, and I honestly haven't tried any of the new formula ones. However, if you're still curious as to how I feel about this particular product, I didn't like the shade. It was too frosty. I decluttered most of these that I had in my collection. I'm so glad that this is done!

4. ELF Shimmer Palette (white shade) -(value for white shade $0.75, whole palette $3.00, eyeslipsface.com, Target stores)- To be completely honest, I wasn't going to include this product because it's not a complete empty project. However, I know that I included the price value of this in my project pan empties/ makeup empties last year. Therefore, it is continued to be consistent. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a part of this post. Anyways, I love this palette as a highlighter. I would definitely repurchase it. The only reason I'm panning it is because it's getting on the older side of the products in my collection.

Total $ for April Makeup Empties: $11.93
Total Makeup Items Finished in 2016 (so far): 13 - I'm not counting the ELF palette as an official empty.
Total $ for 2016 Makeup Empties (so far): $74.77

1. Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara- ($5.94, drugstores)- This is one of my all-time favorite mascaras. I've purchased 5 or 6+ tubes of this. I love that it adds a lot of volume and a little bit of length. The only ting that I don't like about this mascara is that it is a pain to get off with just regular makeup wipes (in my opinion). However, if you use something like the Neutrogena eye makeup remover, this stuff comes off so easily. It's definitely something that I would repurchase in the future.

2. Rimmel Stay Matte Primer- ($6.99, drugstores)- This primer is one of the only primers that I have used that I actually feel like does something. During the winter time, this primer will keep me matte all day long in combination with the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. However, as it has begun to warm up a little bit, my face has been a little bit more oily. I find that the combination of Rimmel Stay Matte products will keep me matte until about late afternoon. (I apply my makeup at either 6 or 7 in the morning.) The consistency of this product is a little thick. In fact, I was actually FaceTiming while I was doing my makeup one day and told the person that I was talking to that it almost felt as if I was putting Elmer's Glue on my face. I actually love that it's thick since my skin tends to be on the drier side most of the time. The tackiness of the primer also helps my foundation to cling to it so that I don't have problems with makeup transferring either. I have already repurchased this product. (Note: This product was finished after my project 20 pan update was filmed.)

3. Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara- ($26, marcjacobsbeauty.com/ Sephora)- To be honest, I wasn't really a big fan of this when I first started using this mascara. This mascara had a dry formula when I first opened it. That was a big turnoff for me because I love mascaras with a wet formula. However, after I continued to keep using this product, I stopped focusing on that con and realized that it actually gives incredible volume. It literally gives more volume than any mascara that I have ever used. The brush on this mascara kinda tapers in the middle. As far as repurchasing goes, I would love to have this in my collection again but I'm not too fond of the price point. (Note: This product was finished after my project 20 pan update was filmed. / Disclaimer: This product was sent to me by Influenster but that does not affect my personal opinions.)

4. NYX Above & Beyond Full Coverage Concealer- ($5, nyxcosmetics.com/ Ulta)- This concealer was alright. It did have a pretty good amount of coverage behind it. However, the shade range was not ideal. NYX did not have a shade in this line that actually matched my skin tone. Also, the lasting power on this was not that good for me. At the end of the day, I could see the spots on my face that I was initially trying to cover in the first place. I was so glad to see this go, and I definitely will not repurchase this.

Total $ for March Empties: $43.93
Total Makeup Products Finished in 2016 (so far): 10
Total $ for Makeup Empties in 2016 (so far): $62.84

 1. Carmex Everyday Soothing Lip Balm- ($1, drugstores)- This stuff is literally holy grail for me! It literally saves my lips from being a dry, cracked mess in the winter time. This is something that I will already repurchase. I literally have another tube of this stuff in my purse right now.

2. Maybelline The Falsies Flared Mascara- ($5.94, drugstores)- I absolutely love this mascara. This is my 6th or 7th or 8th tube of this stuff? (Once you repurchase something so many times, it's kinda hard to keep track of the number.) This mascara lengthens my lashes and adds a tiny bit of volume. This is something that I would repurchase again. It's one of my favorite mascaras, but I love to rotate mascaras.

3. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (Translucent)- ($4.99, drugstores)- Can I just say that this stuff lasts forever? I believe it took me 10 months to go through this powder. It does add a matte finish to your makeup without looking too cakey. However, this product alone will not keep you matte all day. It keeps me matte solely for about 3-4 hours before the finish of my foundation begins to break through the powder. However, this combined with the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer works wonderfully for me and keeps me matte all day. When it's all said and done, I did repurchase this powder to wear in conjunction with the primer.

4. Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm (Grape Vine)- ($3.99, drugstores)- I absolutely loved this product! It's the best tinted lip balm that I've ever tried. This lip balm was more hydrating than the Baby Lips in Quenched. The lip balm gave a sheer berry-toned color on my lips which was perfect for applying to go to school/work. It added just the right amount of color and moisture while looking like I'm not trying too hard (which apparently the whole effortless look is a thing?) I definitely would repurchase this in the future.

5. Wet 'N Wild Color Icon Pencil (Pretty in Mink)- ($0.99, drugstores)- I believe that this is the 3rd one of these pencils that I've been through. I use these to fill in my eyebrows. It will smudge if you don't set it with a brow gel. It's an expensive way to fill in your eyebrows (which I absolutely hate doing by the way). I've been interested in trying different brow products lately but this is something that is tried and true that I know is going to work. As for the moment, I'll keep repurchasing this. Buuuuut the makeup addict in me is like, let's try something new and pretty! (makeup addicts everywhere: I know you know that feeling.)

6. ELF Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick (Summer Nights)- ($2, eyeslipsface.com, select drugstores)- Can I just say that this product this product was almost perfect besides 2 things? crappy pigmentation and glitter mania (product swatched below). This product had a minty smell to it- I loved  that. It gives your lips a tingling sensation as if it is going to plump your lips- I loved that. However, like I mentioned, I didn't like the lack of pigmentation and the INSANE amount of glitter in the product, like straight glitter. I hate glitter on my lips. I would be curious to try this product if I found a shade in a satin or creme formula. However, I don't think I would be so eager to try it so soon.

Total Makeup Empties in 2016 (so far): 6

Total Monetary Value: $18.91

TADAAAA! This is it for my makeup empties for the months of January/February. I'll have my March makeup empties post up in about a month. I'll be saving my makeup empties throughout the year for a compilation of makeup empties video. However, I won't be doing reviews in that video because they'll all be reviewed throughout the year.

Reflection: 2015 was definitely an interesting year for me. It was definitely not what I imagined it would be. In 2015, I feel like I spent more time trying to make other people happy and seeking the approval of others. I remember thinking that other people's opinions of me meant so much to me. I remember feeling stressed out a lot because I was essentially a "yes woman." I spent a lot of my time down and unhappy with how my life was and things that I couldn't change. I spent part of 2015 running away from God because I couldn't understand what He was doing in my life. I tend to not be the most optimistic person. I call myself being a realist instead. When I originally sat down to write this blog post, I intended to highlight the good times of the year. However I know that when I reflect on this at the end of 2016, I'm going to want to remember it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Haha, without further ado, here are some highlights. (P.S. I've now learned from this blog post that I suck at reflections.)

-I finished my sophomore year of college.

I take horrible pictures right?

-I got a new job that I absolutely love. <3

-I met some pretty amazing people.

-I got to meet some players of a professional basketball team.

-I now serve on the board of an organization at my college.

-I got to see Nick Cannon and the Wild 'n Out crew perform live.


-I got to see Ludacris live as well as 2 other performers live.

-I got to explore and see different parts of the town that I go to college in.




I hope you enjoyed this post. I'm not normally the type to do New Year's resolutions but I realized that I wanted to really make a lifestyle change right before 2016 hit and I figured why not do it now. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. It literally means so much to me. <3

Hey guys! This is something that I've been meaning to do for a long time and I figured that the start of 2016 would be the perfect time to start this journey again... As much as I hate the idea of new year's resolutions, I decided that I needed to make some this year given recent occurrences in my life. My ultimate goal this year is to focus on my happiness and doing what makes me happy. Honestly, it would make me happy to have my ideal hair length. Right now, my ideal hair length is waist length.
At the beginning of this blog post, you might have noticed that I said it was time to start my hair journey again... Yes, I've been on a hair journey before. Previously, I've taken my hair from about neck length to armpit length. After that, I kinda quit my hair journey because I was happy with that length and how healthy my hair was. Now... not so much. Like I previously said, my ideal length is waist length (which I know will take me forever to get there). Also, my hair actually isn't that healthy either. It's like my hair is cut into a long bob. (The front and sides are long and the back is shorter.) It's ironic because people will compliment me on my hair and I'm thinking if you only knew.

 As you can see, my camera does a great job at making my hair look nice and healthy on camera. Wait, until you see the back though....
Here is the damage... Yeah, I almost didn't post this picture to this blog post. However, I figured if I was going to document this journey, I have to document the good, the bad, and the ugly... Now, unto how I'm going to attempt to fix this problem.

Goals for January:
-Minimize heat styling to at most 1x/week, preferably no heat styling though. (It kills me to say this, especially since I love my new flat iron.)
-Get back to moisturizing and sealing night and day. (This was key to my hair growth in my 1st hair journey.)
-For hair styling, either wrap hair at night or sleep in braids. (To be completely honest, I suck at wrapping my hair so we'll see how that turns out.)

That's all of the goals that I'm going to set right now. I'll update you with pictures and hopefully progress in a month!

If you're doing a healthy hair journey, let me know!