Pixie Cut Month 5!

   Month five! Gosh, it's almost been half a year! And to think that I was thinking my hair would never grow out :) Well, wait until you see this. I have beautiful, long, Rapunzel hair (to me, at least!). It even goes in a ponytail... kind of. Anyway, here's the picture!

   It's a bob!!!! Finally! It took long enough, didn't it? Well, with a lot of bobby pins and vitamins and headbands, I made it past the worst part. My bangs are getting pretty long, but I'm kind of scared to go to the hairdresser to chop them off... besides, I like them this way! From here, it's just letting it all grow out. Phew! I guess that month six might be the end of my journey, since I should be comfortably in bob territory by then. One last update, and then I'll do a big recap! Keep faith, ye with short hair wishing to have long hair! It will get there! Just keep reminding yourself that it'll get better and stay away from those scissors!

Pixie Cut Month Six will be the last installment of this series, so I won't have an excuse not to post then lol. More reviews will be coming after that, and maybe even a video or two and a daily look tutorial!

   Have an awesome day, readers! :)

Fancy: Besame Signature Compact Review!

   I've found a new makeup item with a case worthy of a queen: Besame Signature Compact! This is a small, refillable powder compact in a fancy, and quite heavy gold casing. The compact itself is really sturdy, which gives it the impression of being quite secure. I've taken mine for several long, bumpy trips and the powder hasn't shattered yet (phew!). It's quite secure, even if the compact isn't so large.

(isn't that a beautiful compact?)

   This is shade 01, Porcelain, which is a shade for very fair skin tones. I think that the other shades of powder are all generally cool toned, and they don't really have a large shade selection. They do have a lilac correcting shade, but I'm not sure how well that would. This compact retails for $42.00, and refills are $15.00 each. 

   This powder is very full coverage, so if you have flawless skin you could probably wear this as a powder foundation. If not blended properly, it does have a tendency to become kind of cakey, sadly. I find that if I wear it over a medium to full coverage foundation it will get cakey over the day. This powder runs on the very light side, so it'll be good for pale skinned girl (aka me in the winter). Since the compact is quite small, a larger powder/kabuki brush might not fit in the pan.

   Overall, this is a great, full coverage powder to wear without a heavy foundation or over moisturizer. The only thing that bothered me was the small size of the pan and how expensive it is for such a small sized compact. Other than that, it was a lovely powder with a nice, silky finish! I liked it! :)

Pixie Cut Month Four!

   Today's my last day at home before I leave for vacation (three whole weeks without my laptop... eek!!), so I figured I should get something up. Better than nothing, right? And since I've got a continuing segment, I decided to go with my Growing out A Pixie Cut!!! Here's the picture for month four:

   It's so close to a bob that it's practically there! I just need a tiny little bit more length... so close, yet so far! I don't usually wear it over my ears, tucking it behind works better, but I might start to wear it like you see in the picture. It's at that somewhat awkward stage where it's halfway between bob and pixie cut, which can be hard to style sometimes. Head scarves, headbands, braids, and clips are all my best friends right now, especially for keeping my bangs out of my eyes! They're getting pretty long :)

   Happy hair-growing! To all those growing out their pixie cut: don't lose faith! Your hair will grow! To help mine grow faster, I take a vitamin called Biotin, which helps your body use proteins. It actually has made a difference in how quickly my hair grows, which is so super duper awesome. :)

Busy, busy, busy!!!

   I'm so very sorry for the lack of posts this summer! I haven't been able to get any pictures up because I left my camera at home (silly me!) and I've been so busy/tired all day, every day! Between skating, life, and packing I don't have very much time. I finish skating in two weeks, and after that I'll be home for five days, when I should be able to get some reviews up, hopefully. After that I'm gone for another three weeks on vacation with my family, and then I'm back for school! Hopefully, I should be able to post more often then.

   Hope that you're having a lovely summer, though!

Pixie Cut Month Three!

   Okay, here's the third of this installment. Let's get this show on the road, here's the picture!

   As you can see, not much change from month two. However, my bangs have grown longer (long enough that if I comb them straight down, they'll completely cover my eyes) and the side parts completely cover my ears now. I think I'm approaching the awkward Beiber stage... if I'm not already there! To style this, I usually just put a cute headband in and use a bobby pin to keep my bangs out of my face. Although you can't see it, I recently got a cut in the back, so the hair at my neck is currently just past the bottom of my ears. It's about one length around my head, so I can start growing it out all at once now instead of just in chunks. *gulp!* I'll have another update soon, sometime in August. I missed a couple of months (so sorry about that! Life got in the way), but I'll try to update monthly from now on. Promise!

Until then, keep being awesome, my fellow blog readers! :)

Pixie Cut Month Two!

   Sorry it's been so long between posts! I've just had time to settle in and shake off the jet lag... and then exams started! My free time will be far and few in between from now on, so posts will probably come only on weekends. But enough talk about exams and school and field trips, it's time for...
   Growing out a pixie cut, month two! Here's the lovely picture (don't mind my funny face haha):

   As you can see, there's now length in the front and in the back!!!! The back has definitely grown the most, and the side parts and now long enough to easily cover my ears. You can't see the side with my part, but that's gotten a lot longer. Don't mind the little cowlick I've got going on :P I always seem to get those! Month 3 should be coming soon!

Have a wonderful day!

PS. Sorry it took so long to get this up!

Awesome New Music!

   Hey everybody... there are a couple of songs by an indie band that I just discovered that I want to share with you... Groenland! You may not have heard of them, since they just released their first album- The Chase. They have a very unique, yet soothing sound with hauntingly lovely vocals by the talented Sabrina Halde. The band is made up of six members, all playing various instruments and contributing to the band's unique sounds.
   Here are some songs by them!

Enjoy!

School field trip!

   Hi everybody! In just less than two weeks, I'm going on a week-and-a-half field trip all the way across Canada to the Maritimes :))))) My class will be gone for the entire time, and I doubt we'll be able to bring anything with internet connection (our school is really strict about that stuff)! So, between June 10th and 19th, there won't be any posts. :( But..... I'll have a bunch of new reviews and a haircut update when I'm back! Also, I just ordered a whole bunch of things from E.L.F, so I'll hopefully have a haul and review on that up when I get back! But you know E.L.F... their shipping seems to take forever to get to Canada! The week after I get back from Maritimes might be a little tense, too, since it's exam week! I'll be done school, don't worry! I'm excited for it, too. :)

Growing out a pixie cut: Month 1

   Lately I've been seeing a lot of these around the internet (maybe because I've been looking for them?). People documenting their stages of growing out their pixie cut! I can totally understand that, because believe me, it's not easy. I got my pixie cut just less than a year ago now, and I'm more than ready to grow it out. Being a figure skater, long hair was part of my life for ages. Although I cut it all off last August, I'm more than ready now to get it back! So here's to my new monthly posts: Growing out my pixie cut! Here's a picture of me at month one: my starting point.

   As you can see, it isn't the shortest pixie cut in the world. I definitely had it shorter back when I was skating just to try and keep it out of my face, but since the season is over (for me, anyway!), it's sort of been sitting on top of my head, not doing much. I got the back trimmed a couple of weeks ago just to get rid of the mullet that I had going on, but other than that it's all pretty much normal length. My hair is pretty thick, so it tends to have more volume, too. The pieces by my ears are just long enough to tuck behind my ears, and I'm getting pretty close to my jawline. 

   Update in a month! I'll probably be at the awkward stage soon... haha :) That should be interesting!

My Skin Care Routine!

   Hi everybody! I've been seeing a lot on the internet about how people get clear skin and believe me, I've tried pretty much everything out there! I know that a lot of people out there (including me!) that have seemingly tried EVERYTHING to get their skin good but nothing seems to work :( So I'm going to tell you what I do to keep my skin clear and how I take care of it on a day-to-day basis!
   I've got pretty bad eczema, which means my skin is really sensitive and super prone to redness. I also have slightly acne prone skin, and I used to get monthly, sometimes weekly, cystic acne breakouts. I also had a lot of smaller blackheads and little bumps in my T-zone that I just couldn't seem to get rid of. Eventually, though, I wandered into a LUSH store because I simply couldn't resist. I started trying out their face washes, then their moisturizers, and then everything else! This isn't going to be just a post about LUSH, though, but it'll show you how I got my skin clear and how I keep it clear.

IN THE MORNING:

   In the morning, I start out with washing my face. For face wash in the morning, I use LUSH's Angels on Bare Skin. It's a wonderful, gentle cleanser and exfoliate that I love and is great on my skin. It doesn't make my skin react, and although it's a bit pricey I would definitely recommend it for those with sensitive skin.
   I follow the cleanse-tone-moisturizer routine every morning. For a toner, I also use LUSH products. Depending on how my skin is (if I've got any breakouts), I'll use either Tea Tree Water or Breath of Fresh Air. Both of these are great products and make your skin feel really fresh and clean. I definitely recommend finding a toner that works for you, as it makes taking care of your skin so much easier!
   Now that summer's here, I've started using a sunscreen underneath my moisturizer. I use Aveeno sunscreen made specifically for the face in an SPF 60. A little bit too much? I feel like I can never get too much SPF. My skin has two settings- vampire and tomato! I'm trying to avoid that, though, so I'm using sunscreen on a daily basis. For me, this is an absolute must! Also, make sure to let your sunscreen soak in thoroughly  If you need to, use an oil blotting sheet before using your moisturizer (I use Olay's Daily Moisturizer for Normal Skin) to tone down the shininess and oily feeling that you might get.

   Throughout the day, I carry makeup remover wipes and oil blotting sheets for little touch ups if I need them. I also have a cute little bag where I keep my touch up makeup, which has come in really handy at times!

IN THE EVENING:

   I use a makeup remover first. I'm always switching eye makeup removers, lol. I guess that's the one thing I can't decide on. After I've taken off my mascara, and eyeshadow/liner if I was wearing it that day, I use either LUSH's 9 to 5 or Cetaphil cleanser for normal skin. 9 to 5 does a great job of taking off makeup and is really gentle and moisturizing. Not to mention, it smells absolutely delicious. I also really like Cetaphil in the summer to make my skin feel nice and lovely and fresh, and it works really well at keeping breakouts away and is very gentle. Once a week, I do an exfoliating day where I use Dermalogica's Clean Start Ready, Set, Scrub mask. This is a great mask to make your skin feel soft and smooth, and although it recommends using it three to five times a week I never seem to have the time! To tackle my nose, I use Biore's pore strips after I've taken a shower and my pores are open. You won't believe all the gunk that's in your pores!
   I use the same toner I used in the morning, and then I use a moisturizer. If I need to, I'll use an acne treatment. Dermalogica Clean Start Hit the Spot is a great spot treatment that I use in the morning, too, if I need to. If I've got a pretty bad breakout, though, I'll put a minty toothpaste over it! It dries the skin around the area out, letting your breakout heal faster. It might sound silly, but it really works!
   For a moisturizer, I use either LUSH's Celestial or Imperialis moisturizer. These both smell amazing, make my skin very smooth and soft, and they don't make my skin react. Celestial, the heavier moisturizer, is the one that I use in the winter. I use Imperialis in the summer, when my skin is naturally oilier.

   I hope that this has helped anybody out that may be having trouble with their skin or needs a bit of guidance on what to do to help their skin out! But don't just take my word for it- do your research and see what works best for you! Trust me, taking care of your skin will really benefit you in the long run!

Too Faced La Creme Review!

   So I'm here with my first ever review... Too Faced La Creme Colour Drenched Lip Cream! It's a cult favorite product adored by beauty lovers and tomboys alike, so of course I had to buy it. I started off with the shade Naked Dolly, which is a lovely nude shade:

   Not only is it a lovely shade, it has a formula that is TO DIE FOR. I brought this shade because my YSL Rogue Volupte in a very similar shade was gorgeous but had no lasting time. Seriously, it lasted for five minutes and then it was gone. I needed something nice that actually had some lasting powerful and a similar, creamy that the YSL did. There was a lot on the table there that I wanted, and Too Faced fulfilled all of that and more! Not only is this formula as hydrating as a balm, it has a wonderful, opaque colour with impressive lasting power. It lasts for about four hours on my lips, provided I don't eat or drink anything, and it doesn't dry out my lips at all in that time. Needless to say, I was completely in love. So next time I went to Sephora, I demanded more! My next buy was Marshmallow Bunny:

It's a brighter pink that what you see in the picture: think cotton candy! It has a lovely colour payoff that can be layered from medium to completely opaque. The creamy formula shows up absolutely amazingly on lips and is just as moisturizing as the formula I fell in love with. I absolutely love both of these lipsticks and hope to own more in the future!
Great job, Too Faced!!!!

New Piercings!

Hi all! I just thought that I would post this for those that are thinking of getting an ear piercing. Even more specifically, for those that are thinking of getting a cartilage piercing. The other day (being yesterday) I got my helix and forward helix pierced. I was thinking of getting an industrial... but it was not meant to be. *Sigh* In any case, here's a picture!

I already have my lobe pierced, as you can see. It's day two with the new piercings, and I decided to tell you guys what it's like. So I went in to get my ear pierced at Hemp 2000 in Cranbrook. What a wonderful place! No, seriously, everybody there was really friendly even though my mom was a little bit freaked out at the idea of me getting my ear pierced like this. But eventually, she agreed to let me go through with the process. Here's how it went...

So first off the piercer, Dan, cleaned the area. Then he positioned the rings to see if I liked where they were. And then came the actual piercing, which is what I was a bit nervous for. I didn't really know how much it would hurt, so here's my first hand account:

When he did the first piercing, I felt a small sort of pinch and a huge rush of heat, which was actually the blood rushing to my ear. It didn't hurt so much as it felt really, really weird. Then he put the first hoop in and clamped it together and voila! One done, one to go! The second one felt pretty much the same. After the area was sprayed down with some water and I took an ibuprofen and I was great :) my ear felt really hot for a little while and it was red, but the redness went away pretty quickly.

Now, the tough part with these piercings is that if anything touches them it hurts. That includes t-shirts, fingers, or face clothes. It's important to be super careful to not let anything touch them so they can heal properly. Also, don't you dare think of sleeping on them! Ouch!

Bleeding with them is pretty minimal. I woke up this morning (day 2) with a little bit of blood near the helix piercing, but other than that I've had no trouble with them. How awesome is that?

So for anybody wanting to get a cartilage piercing, here's my advice to you: think it through. These take a lot longer to heal than regular piercings (minimum three months) and will leave scarring behind. If you're sure that you want to get one, be ready for lots of upkeep and start developing a way to get shirts over your head so that they don't touch your ear (that's the tricky part!)

Have fun and see you later!

I was bored...

Here's a photo edit I did on a great, free online photo editing site: www.ipiccy.com
Visit it if you want to edit your photos quickly, and for free! The picture I edited is one of two stock images you can play around with on the main page of the site.

Follow Your Dream...?

   We're all told to follow our dreams from a young age, right? But what if our dreams don't exactly match our parents' dreams? Recently, I've been filling my head with information about makeup, contouring, and makeup colour theory, and when I told my parents I want to become a makeup artist, what reply did I get in turn?
   It's a phase.
   I know I want to be a makeup artist, yes. I do makeup for my friends all the time, and when I come to school, my own makeup is done immaculately. I can give you tips on what makeup would work best for you based on colour, skin tone, and undertone, and I know a lot about colouring and how to correctly apply makeup. But both of my parents are well educated people, and for them, this didn't exactly click. When I told them what I wanted to be, I was sort of expecting a reaction like that. Unfortunately for me, this was about half a year ago. They're still waiting for me to grow out of this phase, and that hasn't happened yet.
   It might sound a bit prissy to some people, but becoming a high profile makeup artist isn't an easy job. It requires lots of work and dedication, and although I'm not speaking from person experience, I've talked to people who work in the beauty industry and they enforced this opinion. Any interviews I've watched with famous makeup artists shows me that they are hard working, modest people who are just like the rest of us. I think it's sort of a staple to look good, and it bugs me a little bit when I see something that could be improved on a person. For me, becoming a makeup artist isn't about fame or glory, it's about making people feel more confident about themselves and help themselves realize that they're beautiful both inside and out. How you look plays a big role in how confident you are, and I think that even if you are the most beautiful person in the world, there will be a super talented makeup artist that can help improve your look.
   So despite the negative feedback I've gotten from those around me, I'm thinking that I'd still like to work on becoming a makeup artist, even if it's just working at a counter while I'm trying to get another degree, or going to a year of makeup artistry school after I graduate from high school. So even though it may be difficult at times, I encourage all people out there to follow what they want, not what people tell them to do! It'll make you a lot happier in the long run, I promise!

A Little Bit About Me

   Hello everybody! Welcome to my blog, Life of an Averageness. Why did I name it that? Well, I have a lot of things in my head I want people to hear them. Plus, I don't think of myself as anybody special, I just think I'm an average. Therefore: Life of an Averageness. There's going to be a lot of posts about things going on in my daily life here, whether it's about what I do personally or things going on in my social circles.
   Who am I? Well, my name is Anna, and I'm a 14 year old chicha living in beautiful British Columbia. I love to figure skate, read and write books, and I adore makeup and fashion. The two go hand in hand- you can't have one without the other. I may wear a uniform in school, but that certainly doesn't stop me from expressing myself! I like to think of myself as a creative individual, although it might come off as ignorant and rude to some people :(
   My favorite colours are pink and silver, and my favorite food is definitely a sundae. My brands are most definitely LUSH, Too Faced, Paco Rabanne, and Garage. Sorry if me sounds like a stuck up, rich little girl. I pay for most of my cosmetics and clothes myself, but my mom will buy me some more expensive things if I persuade her that it's a good investment.
   So, I think that's everything about me! May the odds be ever in my (and your) favour, and let the posting begin!