Love Me Like You Mean It

April Favorites 

Hello Lovelies. I'm Jordan Nicole :) April has come to an end. I'm not quite sure how that happened so quickly! Summer is nearly here. At least in Texas it is. I have been loving the spring so far though. It has been a great month and I'm looking forward to all of the things coming up in May. As always, this is my month favorites. Just some bits and bobs that I have been particularly enjoying this month :)

Fashion

Black Floral Kimono

Last year when kimonos really exploded in popularity, I wasn't fully aboard the train. I wasn't sure I thought that they were cute. By the time I had decided I wanted one, it was already getting cold and I didn't want to buy one if they were going to go out of style by the time I could wear it again. Then spring rolled back around and they had managed to stay in style. I found this one at Target and I adore it. It is so pretty, and obviously the floral pattern is what pushed me over the edge on buying it. I do love a good floral outfit :)

Target Boyfriend Jeans 

I bought these when my Mama got a gift card to Target from work. I wasn't really that sold on them (or Target jeans in general) when I got them, but I wanted to buy something that I wouldn't usually spend my money. I didn't have any boyfriend style jeans, plus I don't own a lot of light wash jeans. Anyways, I bought them and then they proceeded to spend a few months in my dresser not being touched. A few months ago I pulled them out again and when I put them on they just fit better than they had when I purchased them. I have been wearing them a ton lately. I love to throw them on with a top and some Keds. I think they are really cute and a great piece to have.

Accessories

Navy Floral Keds 

My Mama just got me this pair of Keds while we were buying her a pair of Sperry's out at the outlet mall. I had wanted this pair when it was originally released, but had never managed to get my hands on them. They are so adorable, and again that floral pattern snuck in there and stole my heart. They were on sale, which is awesome. I have worn them a ton already. I am now up to six pairs of Keds. I think the obsession is real.

Beauty

Lorac Face Primer 

I got this as a sample when I purchased my Lorac Unzipped Palette earlier this month. The palette itself comes with a sample of their eyeshadow primer but Lorac was giving a sample of their face primer to anyone who bought one of their products. I tried this, not expecting much, one day and was so pleasantly surprised to see that it is wonderful! I have never tried the Benefit POREfessional, so I can't make a comparison there, but compared to the Maybelline Baby Face primer, it is so good. I may just have to purchase the full size, which is saying a lot for me.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I bought this brush after I purchased the Real Techniques stippling brush and their version of the beauty blender. I loved those products so I figured I should try their most popular brush out. When I first got it I was using it for my blush and bronzer, but one day this month I decided to try it with my foundation. It is AMAZING. I love the finish it gives my face. It makes my foundation apply so evenly. I also use it for my concealer and my blush. It is such a multipurpose brush. I need another one desperately. I highly recommend you try this one out.

Home

Vanity Stool

Earlier this month I had my Mama bring me my old desk from back at home so that I could use it as a vanity in my apartment. I got it all set up and was loving it, but the only thing I was missing was a stool. My Daddy looked online and we were pretty sure that it was going to cost at least $50. We nearly purchased a $75 one even. Then I went to Ross with my Mama & Grandma one day, and we found this vanity stool. It was $25! This adorable vanity stool was only $25. It was such an exciting find. This stool being so cheap actually helped me be able to purchase the next item in my favorites even.

NYC Picture 

I have a fairly large (for a college student) apartment and the ceiling in the living room happens to be vaulted. This makes it look extremely empty. I have a picture hung in my dining room but the walls in my living room were predominately empty. When I saw this picture on our trip to Ross I was so excited. It is so pretty and at $25 it was quite the steal. I hung it above my couch and it has really added a lot to the room.

Entertainment

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

I picked this up in the book section at Target one day when I was just browsing. I'm not sure why, but I decided to buy it. I very rarely do that because I have such a long list of books I want to read that buying one that I just saw for the first time doesn't typically happen. I usually just add it to my list and move on. Well with this book I bought it and started reading it a few days later. It only took me two nights to get through it. It is so adorable! Such an original concept and such a cute love story. You are really routing for the characters to be together, alongside the 14 people who tell you the story. Instead of the two characters in the love story telling you what happens, 14 people that are around them watching the story unfold tell you. It is so good. If you are looking for a new and original book to read, pick this one.

KathleenLights' Youtube Channel 

I watch a pretty big amount of Youtubers. I have such a large lineup that I don't haphazardly add to my subscriptions. I just don't have the time. When I cam across Kathleen a few months ago, I instantly liked me. I hit the subscribe button half way through my first video. I have loved her ever since. I look forward to her videos all week. I just think that she is so gorgeous and then on top of the fact that she does the most gorgeous makeup looks, she also has an amazing personality. She is so bubbly and warm. I feel like I know her, and that is not a quality that every Youtuber has. She is also so unique. I can't say that I am subscribed to anyone else who could replace her. You should check out her channel!

Love Me Like You Mean It by Kelsea Ballerini 

My Mama showed me this song when I was visiting home one weekend, thinking that I would really like it. She said that it perfectly described a relationship situation I was in at the time. I just rolled my eyes and looked it up. I am so glad that she showed it to me! It is so cute. The video is adorable too. If you are in your late teens or early twenties then I think you will really relate to this song. My favorite lyric is "If you're going to say it make me believe it." She is referencing saying I love you. It is just a really great song.

Girl Crush by Little Big Town 

I just found this song this past weekend but it has so instantly become my new favorite that it has to be included in my monthly favorites. There has been some controversy over it because people are misinterpreting the message behind the lyric. At its core, this is a song about a girl wishing she was more like the girl who is with the boy she wants to be with. She figures that is she was more like her, then he would want to be with her instead. It is so heartbreaking and relatable. There are just some amazing songs on country radio right now. I'd recommend listening to all of the songs in the top 50 country charts on iTunes.

This month was a little long, but I just happened to be loving a lot! I hope that your April was filled with more flowers than showers and that your May follows suit. Let me know what your favorite things in April were in the comments :) 

Suspicions

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara Review 

Hello Lovelies. I'm Jordan Nicole :) When it comes to makeup my favorite product has to be mascara. In all of the years I have been wearing makeup, it is the only step in my makeup routine that I hate to skip. If I could only put one thing on in the morning, mascara is what I would grab. Seeing as mascara is my favorite product, I tend to try out a lot of them. I only recently started trying the more expensive mascaras. I used to only true the drug store options.

I love Urban Decay so I really wanted to try out their mascara. I knew that I thought the brush looked amazing from all of the times that I opened the tester at Ulta and Sephora, but I wanted to see how it compared to some of my favorites. I only bought the sample size, just in case I hated it, but I am happy to report that I will definitely be buying the full size when my sample is gone.

The brush on this mascara makes it give such a cool effect on the lashes. It does not add an excessive amount of volume (like Too Faced Better Than Sex) or a ton of length (like Benefit Roller Lash). It is actually a part of its own category in my opinion. I have heard a lot of people on Youtube say that they aren't fans of this mascara, and I can understand where they are coming from, but I don't agree. I think that it gives me the perfect option for a natural, no makeup makeup day.

The thing is that it isn't the blackest formula and it doesn't transform your natural lashes into looking like you are wearing false lashes. It simply gives you extremely fluttery and natural looking lashes. I love this effect. I think that my eyelashes look so gorgeous fluttery, and this mascara is the ultimate fluttery option. It makes them look long and wispy, but without overpowering your eyes with black.

I have never used anything from the drug store that replicates this mascara, and none of my higher end ones do it either. I think that this is the perfect choice if you are just starting with makeup and you don't want to have a harsh transition from not wearing makeup to wearing it. It is a nice, natural and subtle way to start wearing mascara. And for those of you that have been wearing makeup for years but have never found the perfect mascara for those natural makeup days, this is it. You will enhance your lashes without looking to done up. I love throwing this on when I am just have a laid back kind of day. I think it makes my lashes look so pretty.

Urban Decay's Perversion Mascara is available online at urbandecay.com and online & in stores at Ulta and Sephora.

Please Remember Me

I Wrote This For You  

Hello Lovelies. I'm Jordan Nicole :) This week I was feeling a bit blue so I did something to treat myself a little. We all need to treat ourselves to something every now and then. My spurge was to buy a book that has been one of my favorites for a long time. I first purchased it on my kindle one late night and then proceeded to read the entire thing that night. I can honestly say that reading it changed me. Every once in a while you find a book that just speaks to your soul in a way that nothing ever has before. This book was that for me. I have always wanted to own it in its physical form, but had never managed to purchase it for myself. 

I Wrote This For You isn't really a book. It is more like a collection of poems. The most eloquent and magnificent poems you will ever read. It isn't poetry in the classic sense of the term. You aren't going to read it and compare it to Walt Whitman, but it is something that has touched my soul. Along with each poem there is also a photograph. All of the photography was done by Jon Ellis, and it is the perfect touch to complete the book. The author chooses to go by the pin name, pleasefindthis. If you read I Wrote This For You, you will see that this pin name is very moving. 

I know that this isn't my typical post but I figured that if I have found this thing that is so amazing, then shouldn't I share it? I have personally read through this book six or seven times. I think that says something. It also happens to be poetry month, so this is a way to celebrate it :) 

In order to share a taste of how amazing it is, I thought I would include a handful of my favorite pages.

The Bibliography Of Strings
And you taught me what it feels like. And the how it feels to lose it. And you showed me who I wanted. And then who I wasn't. And you ticked every box. And then drew a line. And you weren't mine to begin with. And then not to end with. And you looked like everything I wanted. And then became something I hated. And you get thought of everyday. And then not in a good way. And you let me leave. And then you wish I'd stayed. And you almost killed me. But I didn't die.

The Point Of Contact
And then my soul saw you and it kind of went "Oh there you are. I've been looking for you."

The Ghost Train
And if you can't say yes, answer anyways. Because I'd rather live with the answer than die with the question.

The Fragile Arc
It may have just been a moment to you, but it changed every single one that followed for me.

The Needle And Ink
Look at you, like a new tattoo. Because I might not always have you but I'll have the feeling of you for the rest of my life.

The Forgotten Feeling 
I know there was something before you. I just can't remember what it was.

The End Of That 
If you thought that was our second chance, you're wrong. It was our last.

The Bridge From Solitude
Just like you mistook lust for love, you have mistaken being alone with loneliness. So I'm fine. Thank you for asking.

The Tales From Bar
You're just another story I can't tell anymore.

The Next Stop
Only because it's still so raw and real. Soon I'll just be a series of images that sometimes flash through your mind, when you least expect. And after that, only a few will stay. Then, one. A memory of a memory.

The City Rises And Falls 
You were a dream. Then a reality. Now a memory.

The Seconds Before Launch
This isn't me missing you. This is me missing the me I used to be. This isn't me.

The Fragments Belong Together
Things just break sometimes. Maybe we should blame that third personality we became, that personality we shared together. Maybe it's their fault because you're a good person and I think I'm a good person too. We just weren't made for this.

The Refracted Night 
You forget that, in the dark, we must move closer together in order to see each other. You were never alone.

The Rain Was Once A Cloud
Know someone as much as you can. Hold onto the moments that define them. Then when their body leaves, they won't.

Those are just some amazing segments from an even more amazing book. If you are a fan of observations about the world around you then I would say this is a must read for you. 

I Wrote This For You is available in both digital and physical forms. You can purchase it on amazon.com or from Barnes & Noble. 

Colors Of The Wind

My Spring Nail Color Essentials 

Hello Lovelies. I'm Jordan Nicole :) Spring is in full swing now and I have been having the best time transitioning into my spring nail colors. I like to have my nails painted but I hate getting manicures. The nail polish always chips after a few days and then it feels like such a waste of money. So I do my nails at home most of the time. They look perfectly fine and that way I get to change polish colors when my nails inevitably need to be redone after three days.

I have been rotating between a few colors in my collection that I think are perfect for spring time. Some of them are brand new and others have been in my collection and repurchased for years. I pretty much stick to bright colors in the spring time, so all of these nail polishes are varying shades of blue, green, pink and coral. When I look at all of the bright wildflowers growing around me in the spring time, I just want to have bright nails to match.

Essie- Bikini So Teeny



This is one of my all time favorite nail polish colors. I think that it is simply stunning. I have found various other brands that have shades similar to Bikini So Teeny but they just can't get it exactly right. I look forward to pulling this shade out all autumn & winter long. It is probably my most worn shade in the spring time. The only downside with this polish is that I can't get away with wearing only one coat. I am really lazy about my nails and having to take the time to apply two coats, and wait for them to dry, can be a bit annoying. I think that the color is worth it with this one though.

Sally Hensen Miracle Gel- Tidal Wave & Top Coat 



I purchased this a few months ago after I watched Rachel of Rachhloves on Youtube, review it. I think that it is the most beautiful blue. I have had other nail polishes similar to this shade over the years (my high school colors were red, white & blue) but never one that was as pretty as this. It is a gel formula, and you have to buy the top coat when you buy this polish, but once you buy the top coat you can use it with any color from the range. It dries pretty fast, even after doing two coats of the color and one of the top coat. It doesn't feel heavy on the nail, which I really like. I haven't tried any other color from the range yet but this one did last a few days longer than my regular polish. Not anywhere near as long as a gel manicure from the nail salon, but it gives me an extra two or three days without chipping.

Color Club- Age Of Aquarius 



This is a brand new addition to my nail polish collection this spring. I actually got a pedicure and picked this color out for my toes. After it was done and I was walking out of the salon I realized that this color was amazing. I instantly knew that I was going to have to purchase it. I looked online and couldn't seem to find any store that carried the Color Club brand. I decided that I would just have to go to the nail salon and ask if they had a bottle I could buy. Then, before I could get back there, I found it at Bed, Bath & Beyond. It was totally an accident too. I went to look at their makeup storage containers (which were a flop, I'd definitely recommend sticking with the container store) and noticed that they have a makeup section (who knew?). They have a great nail polish selection and they happen to carry Color Club. I was so thrilled and have worn this a ton since I found it.

Revlon- Posh



I bought this last summer on a whim and I am so glad that I did. This has been my most worn nail color since purchasing it. I just love how bright it is and how much of a true green it is. I get a lot of compliments on it as well. I have a few of the Revlon nail polishes and I absolutely love them. The formula is always good and they never need more than one coat. They also dry really fast, which is always something I want in a nail polish. Not only is this green pretty in the fall, but I think it transitions into spring perfectly. It is really an all year around color. Plus, it is adorable on St. Patricks Day :)

Sally Hensen Insta-Dri- Snappy Sorbet



I got this color because I wanted a coral that leaned more to the orange side. I think this is the perfect amount of orange, without actually being orange. I love corals and I wear them a lot (on my nails, in my makeup and in my wardrobe) but I try to change up the shade of coral that I go for. This one was something I didn't already have in my collection and I think it is perfect for spring/summer, when all of the orange tones are replacing all of the berry ones. I also bought this because I really wanted to try the Insta-Dri range. I was so thrilled to see that it really does dry super fast. I haven't timed it but by the time I am done with my second hand, my first hand is dry. It is pretty great. Plus, it only needs one coat!

Essie- Sunday Funday



This is my favorite coral nail polish I have ever owned. I think that it is the perfect true coral shade. It is easy to get polishes that lean more towards the pink or the orange side of the spectrum, but this one is about as in the middle as you can get. I also love that it has the subtle sparkle to it. It is so pretty when the sun shine hits it. I love looking down on a sunny day with the windows rolled down in my car, and seeing this on my nails.

Revlon- Optimistic



When I was younger the only colors I wore on my nails ranged from bright neon pink to red. This is definitely one I would have been wearing in middle school. It is a true pink. Pink is one of my least favorite color when it comes to makeup and wardrobe picks, but I do love it on my nails. This one is a great shade plus, just like Posh, it is a great formula. It doesn't need more than one coat and it dries pretty fast. This one will probably get even more love in the summer time than it has been this spring, but it is definitely a spring staple color.

Those are just a few of my favorite polishes for spring time. I think that they are all essentials for the season. A bright nail just goes so well with the sunshine and the flowers! Let me know what your spring time essential nail colors are in the comments :)

This Moment

All We Get Are Moments

"So if all we have is that glance in the window. If all we have is until this train stops. If all we have is till the sun comes up, till your lift picks you up. And if all we have is until the day we die. I'm ok with what we have," 

-I Wrote This For You, Iain Thomas

Hello Lovelies. I'm Jordan Nicole :) I've been thinking about moments a lot lately. I have been thinking about how all we are guaranteed in life are moments. We live these moments and in the end all of these moments are strung together and that is your life. 

You see I have been in this moment that I don't want to end. I love the moment I am in. I have loved plenty of moments before this one and I am sure I will love plenty of moments after this one too. I just don't want this one to end yet. I want this moment to last as long as it can. 

The thing I have realized is that whether this moment only lasts until tomorrow or it lasts the rest of my life, I want to experience it. I want to fully live this moment. I sometimes hold back in an attempt to make a moment last longer but that is no way to experience everything a moment in time has to over. Ultimately, this moment will end. As they all do. They must. Time moves forward and all moments end eventually. We don't get an unlimited number. There will only be so many moments that add up to your life. 

Don't fret about how long a moment will last. Don't get hung up on moments that have already passed. Be here, now. Don't be afraid that if you do the wrong thing, then this moment will end sooner than if you want it to. There is no wrong decision. Just push forward, along side time, and enjoy the moment you are in right now. 

Because whether this moment only lasts as long as your next breath, or lasts until your last, it is going to be a part of your life. A moment is a moment, no matter how brief it may be. Live in it. 

Oh, Tonight

Setting Aside Your Pride 

Pride

(n.) a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements.

Hello Lovelies. I'm Jordan Nicole :) I have learned the hard way, more than once, that pride can take something that is great and completely destroy it. Not only have I experienced this first hand, but I have watched people that I love, tear apart relationships because of their pesky pride. While I can admit that pride can be helpful in the sense of achieving your goals, I think that it ultimately hurts us more than it helps. How many times have you liked someone but refused to tell them because you wanted them to tell you first? What about disagreeing with the way someone is treating you, but not telling them because you think they should just know you are upset? These are examples of your pride getting in the way of what you want. 

This can sound a little bit crazy if you think about it. I mean, why would your own pride make you end up without things that you want? Shouldn't your brain be helping you get everything you've ever wanted, not be sabotaging you? Well, that just isn't the case. We self sabotage all of the time. At least I know I do, and I see if happening around me quite frequently. 

You see pride is the voice in the back of your head that makes you hold back your feelings in order to protect you from rejection or being wrong. You want to be right and make choices that lead to that result. What would happen if you tell that person that you like, that you like them so much that you can't think of anything else? Ultimately the worst thing that can happen is that they say they don't feel the same. Not so bad, right? Wrong. Everyone fears rejection. The annoying voice in your head is telling you to after all. It only wants you to do things that have a guaranteed positive outcome. 

I have personally missed out on so many wonderful opportunities out of the fear of being wrong or rejected. My pride gets in the way all the time. I just have this need to satisfy it. I am too proud to say how I am really feeling. 

I don't know about you, but I am tired of it. I am ready to go out into the world and say "This is me. Deal with it." to anyone or any situation that my pride is telling me to hold back from. What do I have to lose? Nothing. What do I have to gain? Everything. 

Lets all make a deal with ourselves to not hold back from what we want. 

Tell that guy that you are friends with that you want more. The worst that can come of it is the word NO. And I think that we should all be a little less afraid of that word. It isn't innately bad. It can lead to the most wonderful things in your life if you are willing to let it. 

So set aside your pride with me, and let's go try and get what we really want in life. You'd be amazed what a little less pride and a little more risk taking will do for your happiness. 

Hallelujah

Nars Dolce Vita Lipstick Review 

Hello Lovlies. I'm Jordan Nicole :) I have never had a very large lip collection. I didn't like the texture of lipstick on my lips for years. So when I recently got into lip products I was very surprised by myself. I had this lipstick on my wishlist for 2015 and have been coveting it for quite some time now. A few week ago while I was makeup browsing with my best friend Amanda she convinced me that I should finally purchase it. Nars lipsticks are not inexpensive so it felt like quite the splurge to buy it for myself. This is something I have really been wanting though, and I knew it was going to get so much love as an addition to my makeup bag.

I have talked about my love for nude lipsticks a number of times in posts so I suppose it wouldn't come as much of a surprise that for my first lipstick splurge I picked a wonderful nude shade, Dolce Vita*. I love lipsticks that are "your lips but better" and I just feel like this is the perfect version of that effect. I feel so pretty wearing this and I don't really think I could ask for much more from a makeup product than that.

This lipstick is a deep nude without having an overwhelming brown undertone that washes you out. There is a pink undertone that really compliments and mimics natural lip color. Of course everyone has different skin tones and that is reflected in our natural lip color, meaning that this being my perfect shade might not translate. I love it though. I have been looking forward to putting it on every day when I do my makeup. It stays on the lips really well but I do feel that I need to reapply it after I eat or drink something. It isn't bothersome enough to make me love this product any less though.

If any of you own a Nars lipstick that you absolute love then I would love to hear what shades they are. I may be hooked after this first purchase. Do you like this shade? Would you give it a chance? Let me know in the comments :)

*Linked if hovered over.

Here For A Good Time

Lorac Unzipped Gold Palette Review

Hello Lovelies. I'm Jordan Nicole :) This is it! The last day of palette review week has arrived. I am frankly just thrilled that I managed to stick to the schedule and get a post up every day this week. It proves to myself that I can do more themed weeks successfully. For our last day with this theme I am going to be reviewing the Lorac Unzipped Gold palette. This was the first palette I purchased since really jumping into the makeup scene. I think that is jumped out at me for a lot of reasons but the colors had to be the main reason. It is a unique combination of shades and has proven to be an amazing palette.

Lorac's Unzipped Gold palette.

 I mentioned a few of my concerns with the packaging in yesterdays post. As with the Unzipped palette, the packaging for this palette is a cardboard case with a magnetic closure. This fact already makes this palette lean towards easily being damaged but the real problem with this packaging is the fact that is is white. I have gotten this palette dirty so many times already. I understand that the white with the gold writing on the front is really pretty but it just isn't functional. It can luckily be easily cleaned with a makeup removing wipe but I shouldn't need to clean the packaging of my palettes before I do a post about them. This fact doesn't outweigh how amazing the palette itself is, but I thought it would be helpful information :)

This palette comes with ten shadows that all have a golden/warm tone to them. As with the Unzipped palette, I think that this one would look wonderful with so many skin tones. The warm feel makes it ideal for people with yellow undertones (warm) but my best friend Amanda has used this (she has pink undertones) and it looked wonderful on her. Unleashed looked so amazing with her blue eyes. It really made them pop. So I think that this palette would work for everyone ultimately. I love the way the golds look with my skin though. Though this palette has a similar tone to my original Naked palette, they are very different and owning both has not caused much overlap in my opinion.

Out of the ten shadows in the palette four of them are matte, while the other six are shimmers. I think that is a good balance and that this palette supplies you with everything you need to just pack it, and still be able to make looks for day and night wear. The matte shades in this palette are less diverse than those in the Unzipped palette but I have still found a use for all of them.

 (Top Row:Undressed, Uninhibited, Unpredictable, Undeniable, Unedited)

(Bottom Row: Unlocked, Unlimited, Unleashed, Unwind, Unafraid)

My favorite shadows from the palette are Uninhibited, Unpredictable and Unleashed. I forgot to mention this in yesterdays post but I adore the names of the shadows in these palette. They are so pretty and cleaver. I love when names have a theme like these do.

I already raved about the formula of these shadows in yesterdays post but I am going to have to rave just a bit more. The mattes in this palette are the same as those in the Unzipped palette. The formula is good in terms of the shadows not being chalky but they color pay off is not as wonderful as the shimmer shadows in this palette. They are easy to build up though and blend wonderfully on the skin. They are perfect for what their intended purpose is. The shimmers in this palette are just as amazing as the Unzipped. I have never felt any shadow that was as creamy and rich as these. The color pay off is amazing. This is true of all of the shimmers, but the one that is really special in this palette is Unleashed. It isn't just a shimmer. It is almost metallic. The pigmentation is so amazing. I don't have anything else like it in my collection and I don't even think I have seen anything similar to it on the market. It makes my best friend Amanda's blue eyes look gorgeous but it also makes the yellow/amber tones in my brown eyes pop. It is like a super shadow. If it were a super hero it would be Iron Man (I just feel like it would have his witty & sassy personality)! As with the Unzipped palette, the $42 price tag makes this palette seem like a complete bargain.

Lorac's Unzipped Gold palette is available online at loraccosmetics.com and online & in stores at Ulta and Sehpora.