I have been getting into highlighters recently and thought that I would share the few (yes, few) that I have. I'm always a sucker for glow, especially when it's a J-Lo glow. My highlighter collection is clearly small and needs some more additions, but I don't often use them as much as blush or bronzer and I have been very impressed and content with these three. 

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector full size $38- I had to include this mini rose gold highlighter because it's such a great product. I haven't ever used Becca before, but I get the hype of all of her products. I wouldn't normally use this on my cheeks as much, but it is a beautiful eye shadow and adds a pop of shimmer and color to any summer or spring look. I don't know if you can buy this mini separately because I got it in a Sephora Favorites set. 

Soap & Glory Glow All Out $15- I really love this highlighting powder in the winter because it is more of a frosty and "moonlit" type of highlighter. It's subtle, but can be flattering on many people. I think this would be a great powder to use to brighten up the face by lightly dusting it on after foundation. It gives off a very natural shine.

Essence Pure Nude Highlighter $4.49- I have to say, this highlighter takes the cake and really impressed me. This golden highlight really gives off the J-Lo glow vibe. It's very opaque and a little amount goes a very long way. I love the way this looks in the summer and I am obsessed with it's versatility because you can also use it as an eyeshadow like the Becca one. For the price and the quality, it's well worth it. I haven't tried many of Essence's products, but this by far, is one of the best drugstore highlighters. 

Whether you are looking for the J-Lo glow or not, these highlighters do a bomb job at achieving it either way. I have slowly been acclimating to all of the highlighting nonsense and really adore the way highlighting can transform any look. There are some great expensive and inexpensive quality products that are amazing and no one should feel like they have to spend their paycheck on it. My worth it buy was probably the Essence highlighter because of how pigmented and creamy the formula is and how great the price is. 

What highlighters have you been loving?

It's usually not normal for me to purchase spring shoes early on in the season, but there have been a couple pairs that have really caught my eye over the past few months. I love shoes, and my obsession keeps on growing and growing. I've read the articles, seen the posts, watched the lookbooks, I've made my decision on only two pairs of shoes that I really wanted for this season. I purchased these Chanel-like, American Eagle Espadrille Flats and these Arizona Soft Footbed Birkenstocks as my splurges for this season. 

I like the copper hardware on these and they are incredibly soft. At first, they gave me a little rug burn because they were brand new, but now I have also broken them in and love them so much. It's unfortunate that Chicago is still 40 degrees out! I am so ready to pair these with sundresses and rompers. 

What spring shoes do you plan on wearing this season?

Hello all! I know it has been a rough couple of weeks, but over this past weekend, I got the amazing opportunity to travel all the way from Chicago to "the happiest place on earth"--Walt Disney World. It was a very well deserved trip that my entire highschool marching band had earned. If you're new here, I am was on color guard for three years and I have been truly blessed to have been with a great family of amazing friends. It has been one heck of a year and a high school career for that matter, and I couldn't have asked for anything better. 

Day 1: Magic Kingdom

I was there with all of my band and color guard friends and on the first day, we went straight from a 20 hour bus ride to a 20 hour marathon of walking and riding. I was the most excited for Magic Kingdom because it has been about 6 years since my last visit and I was feeling the nostalgia a lot once we got there. So many things I remembered and so many new things I had never seen before like Belle's castle or the new Dwarves ride that I ended up loving. 

We got fastpasses to three things; space mountain, splash mountain, and to meet Rapunzel and Tiana. I had never done any of those things because when I was little I was in the "weenie club", my mom would taunt at me...then I'd just get ice cream and everything would be fine. Ah those were the good ol' days. 

After being in our hot and sweaty uniforms in the beautiful, 80 degrees and sunny weather (as opposed to Chicago's 40 and rainy) we changed and received a golden Mickey award for marching! We also got Disney performing arts hats that I ended up embroidering and getting signed by Mickey himself. 

Day 3: Universal Studios

Of course, here's me with the $7.50 butterbeer that everyone needs to get when they're there. It was just like a coffee or butterscotch frappuccino with a marshmallowy foam on top. So sweet, but super delicious. I wasn't feeling too great that morning, but I did go on the Hippogriff ride which was really fast and awesome. We also went around to Dr. Seuss Land and Jurassic Park Land to explore the other rides. We ended up getting completely soaked on a Popeye raft ride and I was so ready to get on the bus and change into my warm sweats. 

I know this post might not be as detailed as you might have hoped, but I want to just remember the things I want to remember and save the memories. I am probably running on only 6 hours of good sleep, but this morning I slept in until 11 and could have slept until 3 or 4. It was all so worth it and I wanted to thank my parents for helping me go on this trip and supporting me with flags for the past three years, my coach, Mrs. Riley for sticking with me and helping me become a better flagger and performer, my band directors, Mr. Riddle and Mr. Pavlik, for dealing with everyone and making this the first Disney trip our band has gone on, and to just all of my friends and supporters who have also helped me along this one hell of a journey through my high school career. I hope to remember this for the rest of my life and I am sincerely grateful and glad I got to be a part of this experience and marching band. 

I have been loving liquid lipsticks lately, however, the problem of dry and cracked lips always ruins the look. I have seen all of the scrubs and oils, but I wanted something handy that I could just easily and conveniently use to scrub my lips before I applied my favorite liquid lipsticks. The E.l.f. Lip Exfoliator in Mint Maniac has been a game changer and really has made my routine a whole lot easier. 

For many of you makeup lovers, liquid lipsticks are probably a staple and dry or cracked lips are totally not. It's safe to say that I have probably found one of the best solutions out there. Forget the messy and oddly flavored Lush lip scrubs, Elf knows where it's at! With six other flavors, including pink grapefruit and coconut, elf has created a convenient lip sugar scrub that's totally edible and easy to use before using your Kylie Lip Kit. For only $3 dollars, you can have the most soft and kissable lips out there. Who doesn't want that? 

These lip scrubs are infused with vitamin e, Shea butter, avocado, grape and jojoba oils to smooth and help protect your lips. All pretty safe ingredients to me! I like to wet or lick my lips before applying it because it can be harsh on dry lips. Then I either lick it off my lips or wipe it off with a tissue and apply my lip balm or lipstick. I just find it so easy because you don't have to abandon your makeup routine to go into the bathroom to get your fingers all messy while scooping out your bubble gum lip scrub. If you aren't a diy fan and don't feel like making your own sugar scrub, I would really suggest purchasing this amazingly inexpensive one. It's so convenient to just bring along for quick fixes.  

I just hope that whichever direction I chose, collegewise, is a good one. And all of the colleges I did apply to are all great choices and options that I have and I know that I will be in good hands no matter where I choose to go. It's just a matter of time and waiting to find out from scholarships that has been holding me back. 

I also hope to just clean out everything cuz SPRING CLEANING!! My ocd this season has been pretty on edge and I have been trying to get my room situated and tidied up. I already have a pretty clean room, but my closet needed major help. I took out all of my shoes and cleaned out some bins I had filled with crap. I feel like tidying up your space really helps tidy up your mind and it's made me a bit more calmer knowing that my space is organized. 

Also, speaking of clearing minds, I have still been doing yoga if any of you have been wondering. I have been keeping up with it and sculpting almost three to four days a week. I really love it and I feel like I can see my body changing and getting incredibly stronger. If you are wondering about joining a yoga studio, I would definitely recommend it. Many yoga studios have free trials and you never know what you might find to end up loving. It's one of my favorite ways to stay active. 

I'm hoping this season will bring more happiness as it starts to get warmer and things pick up around my house a bit. It's been tough, these past couple of weeks, so I'm ready to move on and start a new chapter. Sorry about my later posting! 

Photos courtesy of Ellaby Rohde.