What Have I Done?

Happy August, y'all.

I thought today I'd share a more personal post. Recently I've been feeling like I haven't accomplished anything, haven't seen anything, been anywhere. Right now, the girl I love more than anyone in the world is ten thousand miles away, and I haven't seen her in months. She doesn't care, though, that she isn't here. She's exploring the world and living in a different culture, the only thing that I've ever wanted to do.

To fight the ¨bored syndrome,¨ I thought I'd compile a list of WHY MY LIFE HAS BEEN AWESOME.

1. I've hailed a taxi cab in downtown Chicago.

2. Eaten fresh gelato so delicious that it made me want to cry.

3. Seen the Eiffel Tower.

4. Met Justin Morneau. (Who's a baseball lover? I'm a baseball lover!)

5. With only five months of part time German study, I've passed a B1 level examination.

6. Had neon pink hair.

Throwback to age 13. Eep. (HI LISA!)

7. Started this blog. Despite posting rarely, I'm always planning new posts in my head.

8. I'm currently surviving high school :) It's a pretty challenging thing.

9. Read Harry Potter in French.

10. Walked the Oregon coast, and watched the sun go down on the ocean.

I think that about sums it up. Ten simple but special things that I've done, that define me, and that not everyone has. 

Love,

Elizabeth Rose

Macarons

Macarons are so delicious. The best, most adorable cookies ever. Yesterday I made a batch with coconut shells and strawberry buttercream filling. They were heavenly. There are no pictures because we ate them too quickly :D

NOTD- Maybelline Orange Fix

Hey!

Today I have a quick Nail of the Day. I snagged Maybelline's Orange Fix at Big Lots for one dollar last week, and I must say, it was worth it.

P.S. If the picture seems really awkward or blurry, that would be because I took it in the car!

Pretty and orange and creamy and perfect. Three coats with top coat.

Love,

Elizabeth Rose

Dream Vacation (or home?): Estonia

Hey all! Sorry about the brief disappearing act. An AP Biology textbook was calling my name.

At any rate, hello again. Today I have another dream destination: Estonia! Why? It does seem random, doesn't it.

It began two years ago, when a marvelous CD arrived on my doorstep by the artist Kerli, who comes from... Estonia! You guessed it. I fell in love with her and her music. When I saw a worn out copy of ¨Learn Estonian¨ at the used bookstore, I snapped it up. I worked through the whole book, gaining a beginner, but decent, knowledge of the language. When my teachers reminded us to continue checking out colleges, I knew where I wanted to look.

The University of Tartu, in Tartu, Estonia, is Estonia's top ranked university and is well respected throughout the world. After looking through pictures, learning more about the university as well as the town, and checking prices, I knew that I wanted to go to Estonia for college. This is where I am now, not yet a high school graduate, but knowing exactly my secondary choices. 

If that doesn't work out, I plan to attend university in Germany, and visit Eesti whenever I can :)

If you actually bothered to read my paragraphs, here are some pretty pictures of Estonia as a reward. (None belong to me)

(Tallinn)

(Baltic Coast)

(Tartu)

Love,

Elizabeth

Haul! Ulta and Walmart

Since it's been so long since I've (posted) hauled, I thought I'd show y'all some pretty new items I picked up.

Is it just me, or do the oddest people frequent Walmart? Obviously much of their clientele is perfectly ¨normal,¨ but I always see... hm... peculiar outfits and, uh, other things.

*coughs*

Anywho.

Look at the pretties. I love Pure Ice (2$ at Walmart). These are in:

And a quick, horrible swatch of the beautiful blue. Like, ugh. Look at the amazing dustiness.

My nails are so short right now! #thestruggle

I can't even begin to explain how flipping excited I am for this. I've wanted it for nigh on a year now, but Ulta has NEVER HAD IT IN STOCK, until I randomly noticed one hanging out in the bottom of the display. First impressions are awesome. Essence All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder, 4$ at Ulta.

Oh look, more pretty sparkly things. Surprising. No, I am a proud magpie. Here sits the beauty of Hard Candy Glitter Topper  and the NYC Gold Topper . So sparkly.

And then, a product entirely new to me, the Jane Cream Eyeshadow. It's really easy to apply and doesn't crease, but it's also depressingly and ridiculously sheer. Sad day. It does, however, give a nice metallic finish to things already colourful.

I can't believe I've never owned the Maybelline Master Precise Liner, given that it's probably the most popular drugstore eyeliner out there. At first swatch it's delightfully black with easy control, hopefully this is a continuing trend!

Since I love my Almay Color + Care Liquid Balm so much in pink, when I saw two Almay coupons and a sale at Ulta I rushed to pick up the nude. Grand total? Free. Yay for bargains! It's a perfect, everyday glossy nude tone.

(Not really) last, and (certainly not) least, the NYC Jumbo Pencil in. That's right kids, now absolutely every brand has one of these. This one is sure nice swatched, creamy and pigmented, but I haven't had a chance to try it on my lips yet. We'll see!

Ok, so I also bought another Jane product, an eyeliner in a teal colour, but I seem to have already lost it. Awh. At any rate, I do like those eyeliners. I have one in chartreuse and I wear it far more frequently than one should wear chartreuse eyeliners.

What have you picked up recently? Any of these interesting enough for a review?

Kisses,

Elizabeth Rose

Summer, Language, and Indila

Hello all! I am here to announce a triumphant return for summer, just as promised last year. I've got lots of great plans for posts that will expand on the world of beauty, hopefully stretching into some of my other interests, as well.

On the topic of other interests, there have been more than a few hints recently of my language obsession. I've been learning three. I'm taking French in school, German outside, and my friends and I use Esperanto as a secret language (that has so many cognates it can be understood by a non-speaker). Recently, too, I've discovered the marvelous use of Skype as a tool for speaking to native Germans. There's rather a dearth of them here, and thusly my speaking abilities are quite limited. How I only now realized this exists is beyond me, but better late than never, no?

As a result of my new appreciation for linguistics, I've been playing with the idea of a YouTube channel for English learners. I have no formal training in ESL, obviously, but my grammar is excellent and I love words more than anything. Good idea?

I haven't listened to any music in English for a while now, sole exception being Lily Allen's new album, Sheezus. Her sass gets me through each day, I swear. For foreign language music that non-speakers would appreciate, I urge more people to look up Indila. This pretty French woman has a strong, lovely voice, and irresistibly catchy songs. Hit singles Dernière Danse or Tourner Dans Le Vide would be great places to start, but my personal favorite song must be Boîte en Argent, a twinkling ballad.

My, it's gotten rather late here, hasn't it? I suppose I ought to tend to my homework now.

With love,

Elizabeth Rose

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

Wishing you a holiday full of family, fun, and (if it's your thing), worship.

Love,

Elizabeth Rose

This Week I've Been Loving...

Okay. My obsession with Yuna is getting worse by the day. Her beautiful voice is a mixture of Christina Perri and Coeur de Pirate. Sound odd? There's really no way to quantify how she can effortlessly switch from deep, raspy, seductive loveliness to poppy but not sugary sweet. Her album Nocturnal has a permanent spot on my constantly rotating favorites list, the best songs being Falling, Mountains, and Lovely Intermission. 

Also in music, ich liebe Christina Perri's new album. Run will definitely be played a lot in the next while, along with Burning Golden. I've only owned it for a few days, but a great first impression for someone who wasn't particularly impressed by her first effort.

Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones. How on earth did I miss the amazingness that is A Song of Ice and Fire until a month ago? Come to think of it, that's probably what caused my disappearance recently. Too busy devouring seasons 1-3 and five monstrous books. Done with both now, and crazy excited for the rest of season 4. Any other Littlefinger fans out there?

Beauty has been kind of meh in my world of late. *gasp*. I know. Though... the NYX Infinite Shadow Sticks are all kinds of awesome. I've worn the shade Flushed every day this week. You literally just smear it on the lid, blend quickly with your finger, and they don't crease. Eyeshadows always crease on me. These are magic.

Uh, so yeah. Not feeling particularly eloquent today.

Love,

Elizabeth Rose

NOTD- Revlon

I have a couple fun posts that are not quite ready to go up, so I'll hold y'all over with a NOTD. This is Revlon's Colorstay Nail Polish in Red Carpet. It's a perty shiny red that's perfectly opaque and shiny in two coats. Take a look, and please don't judge my messiness :)

This Week I'm Loving...

Like the header? My posts are too many words and not enough graphics, so I'm attempting to remedy that :)

I've been feeling goth this week, so my picks are a bit darker than usual. Without further ado, my weekly favourites are...

Fight Like A Girl- Emilie Autumn. My best friend has officially converted me into a Plague Rat. I absolutely love this song, and the rest of the album is excellent, too. A bit macabre, though, no denying.

Another excellent song would have to be Adieu by Coeur de Pirate. I adore her ethereal voice and the bubbly sound of her records. Even those who don't speak French would have to like it.

I *embarrassed cough* didn't read any books this week. *Hangs head in shame*

My favourite beauty product right now would have to be the Revlon Lip Gloss in Orchid. It's a pretty sheer lilac gloss. Fun fact: purple toned lip products minimize redness on the face.

To my dog lovers: Aren't they better than cats? My friend and I have been arguing about that. He says dogs should be exterminated.  >:(


Love,

Elizabeth Rose

Product Prettiness

Just a brief snap of a product that  think is lovely just to look at. I may or may not do more of these in the future, so let me know if they're fun!

Love,

Elizabeth Rose

Springtime Outfits

Some/ all of you may know that I'm up here in Minnesnowda, and therefore spring is pretty far off. Nevertheless, I like to look forward and try to anticipate the springtime *just two more months*. As such, I've picked out some pieces I shall be *wishing* to add to my closet in spring.

From Urban Outfitters, this pretty imitation turquoise ring. For a jewelry maker, I sure to like to buy rings. This one seems versatile, no?

I don't ever wear boyfriend jeans, but the acid rinse and detailing make these ones from H&M too adorable to pass up.

Again from H&M (definitely one of my favourite stores), this dove-print dress. I'll put some chunky black wedges and a jean jacket with it, maybe a silver necklace or two.

Okay, I'm basically allergic to long posts, and a stack of math homework awaits me, so that's all for today. Tomorrow or the next day I'll do an EOTD, as I have a good one sitting around. 

Love,

Elizabeth Rose

Language

I've been thinking a lot recently about language. I've always been good at it. Despite having no previous knowledge of Spanish, I was always the person other students would flock to in middle school for help. It came naturally.

Before my trip to France last year I learned some very basic French, common phrases and words that I thought I might encounter. I loved the sound of the language and was certain I would take it in high school. So I did. French One was a delightful class, for most of my best friends were in there, but it was simply too easy. I learned the whole textbook, which comprised French One and Two, in only the first semester. For the rest of the year I coasted. Then I had to decide about sophomore year.

When I registered for sophomore year, initially I had no idea what to take. I debated between French Two and Three, knowing Two would be child's play, but not wishing to leave my friends behind. I compromised and did French Two, deciding I'd study outside of school levels three and four. I still had one open class period, though. The answer came out of one of the most random things my friends and I have ever done.

Two of my friends and I play a peculiar game. I speak French well, and one of them is entirely fluent in German. The third of us supplies creativity and invents the most preposterous phrases. The first time we played this game, she merely asked the other to translate, "I want to ride a llama into the sunset with a pineapple on my back while eating pickles," into German. He obliged. I loved the way the words looked on the page, with the umlauts and capital letters. It was lovely. I decided I wanted to learn German.

Now I am learning French and German at school, as well as doing external study on both. I skipped the first level of German to keep up with my friends in that class, and I do still find it simple. I love the languages, and know that I want to use them for the rest of my life. I've been looking at colleges with programs in both (not altogether a large amount), and wish to become fluent.

If anyone who might read this post speaks either of these languages, please speak to me in one of them! I need the practice and love to speak them.

Love,

Elizabeth Rose

This Week I'm Loving...

This week I'm obsessed with all things German. I should have a post going up on me and languages tomorrow or Thursday, but for now, know I'm obsessed.

Books:

Admittedly having nothing to do with Deutsch, this week I'm enjoying Enders, sequel to Starters by Lissa Price. They're simply written teen dystopia, nothing to pass on to the grandchildren but fun to read nonetheless.

Music:

So laut ich kann- Luxuslärm. While my German isn't fluent, I can still love Luxuslärm, no? My favourite song is also the first single off of the album, leb' deine Träume. Translated literally it means, ¨live your dreams.¨

Coeur De Pirate- Coeur de Pirate. My particular favourite French Canadian songstress, her bubbly pop music transcends the language barrier. Despite being a short, thirty minute album, it's absolutely worth a listen.

Beauty:

This week I'm obsessed with the Essence Metal Glam eyeshadow in Frosted Apple. It's such a lovely pinky-rosy shade with plenty of sparkle and pigment. The fallout isn't even too awful for what it is. The price is even better than the product, at less than three bucks a pop.

Love,

Elizabeth Rose

Review- NYC Applelicious Lip Balms

Hello! I am back with a brief review of the NYC Applelicious Lip Balms in.. uh... Applelicious Pink, Blushing Golden, and Caramel Apple. These are currently on clearance at Target, so if you like them, go for them now. I like them.

These are cute shimmery lip balms housed in a swivel up red plastic casing. It looks and feels cheap, but works, so I don't particularly care. The colour selection is five or six shades, of which I have swatches of three.

Apologies for the low quality photos, my camera is acting up, so the phone it is. This is my favourite colour, Caramel Apple. It's a pretty nude colour with far less shimmer than either of the others.

This is Blushing Golden, which was the first one I bought a few months ago. It's basically just shimmer that I find fun, but many may not like. It does have some grittiness, but it's only noticeable once the balm wears off.

And Applelicious Pink, which is far more pigmented than it appears here. It's a bright fuschia-pink with, again, shimmer. Not so much as Blushing Golden, but to be noted.

Top: Applelicious Pink, Middle: Blushing Golden, Bottom: Caramel Apple

The moisture on these is good for being relatively pigmented, quite comparable to Maybelline Baby Lips or the Covergirl Smoochies, though these are my personal favourites of those three. Overall I love these. The lasting power is ~2 hours, about as much as I get from anything, and they moisturize, to boot.

Buy before they're gone!

Love,
Elizabeth Rose

Apologies and a Plea

My best intentions have once again left me without a post in three months. I'd apologize, but that's getting old quickly, honestly. Instead I will leave you with a promise of a post later today, and a request.

I've been dabbling in fictional writing, and my first cohesive effort, written with a friend, is up on Wattpad currently. If any of you would care to check it out, I'd be grateful forever.

http://www.wattpad.com/story/9958772-corsets-curtsies-and-a-job-to-be-done

Love,

Elizabeth Rose