How I Deal With Haters, Trolls and Everything In Between.

Let's get real, not everyone you encounter is going to like you. No matter how nice, sweet, caring and big-hearted you are; you're going to run into people who just straight up hate you and you might not even know them. Maybe they're jealous, believe ridiculous lies or whatever their issue is with you, don't give them your energy to feed off of to create more "drama."

There's people who hate me for absolutely no reason and have been nothing but nice to them and they still find a way to try and bring me down by spreading false information down and trying to tell me that I'm pretty much nothing and a horrible person. Where they get that from? Who fucking knows but here's my six steps in not letting them get to me, to help you minimize the hatred. 

1.) The Blocking Spree:

This is probably the most effective way for eliminating negative energy out of my life, from my personal experience. When I found out people were mocking me, making me feel like complete shit, saying horrible things, posting things that they think I wouldn't see about me, etc. I blocked every person who contributed to those posts on every social media site, why? Because they will take something that I post, twist my words, make fun of me and make a laughing stock out of me and they don't need to see what I'm doing in my life. I don't need negativity in my life to move forward in my career. I don't need to feel like I'm not good enough, pretty enough, or even "tatted up" enough to do what makes me happy and confident, which is modeling.

2.) The "Ignoring it" Phase

Trust me, this is one of the things I really struggle with but I've seen it work in my personal life as well and that's ignoring the complete trash talk. Sometimes, I feel like I have to justify myself to prove to everyone that I'm not this "fake bitch who doesn't know what real life is" and make a scene of it. But, to me that shows that I'm lowering myself and not taking the high road if I make a public scene. The one thing that I will make a scene of is if people talking about my parents, my adoption and to talking about how I was adopted because no one wanted me or wanted to love me, which is messed up and that's the one thing that I feel needs to be addressed when an issue of that nature comes into play. Back to the ignoring part though, if you don't give them the time of day, they'll eventually move on and find someone else to make their lives a living hell because they have NO life. By ignoring them, they become confused, irritated and desperate to get your attention or attention from others so they can feed off of it. Bottom line is, don't feed the viscous and make them weak by not responding. (Just my opinion.)

3.) Laugh it off

Now, I've seen some ridiculous things about me that were very hurtful at first and now looking back, I can't help but laugh. If you're currently going through "cyber bullying" just as I did, I know that it can really hurt and you're probably saying to yourself "How the fuck is being mocked funny?" well it isn't going to be currently as it's happening, but when you get the opportunity to prove your "haters" wrong; nothing is more funny than seeing what you have accomplished and seeing your haters continue to find victims because they have nothing going for them and who obviously have nothing better to do. I laugh at them because they're jealous most of the time, mad because they're too scared to follow their dreams and hate people who have some slight success in what the person that they're mocking's dream/career. After my shoot and interview with Style344, when it went live, I knew I had just shut up the people who claim to say "I don't do anything and force people to shoot with me" and I couldn't help but laugh, but I honestly really like to prove people wrong in my actions and steps that I take to get closer to what I envision myself as in the near or far future.

4.) You Do YOU, Don't Be Afraid To Be Who You Are and Go For Your Goals.

It's as simple as that, just live your life the way you want and follow your dreams. Never give up on what you want in life, don't let people tell you, you can't do something, because you CAN. Anything you put your mind too, you can accomplish and always remember that. Forget what others say, LIVE YOUR LIFE.

5.) Don't Second Guess Who You Are As A Person

Don't ever second guess yourself just because of a few people who don't know who you are as a person or know your heart. Now, this is something that I've had to learn the hard way. During the time that I was getting bullied on a regular basis, I second guessed who I am as a person. I thought that maybe I was everything that those people were saying when in reality, nothing that they say are true facts. I had to have to some reassurance from my family, friends and even coworkers to just remind me that I am a good person and I've done so many positive things in my life and that outweighs the mistakes I've made. Second guessing yourself will only bring you down more and there's nothing worse than believing the negative things that are said when you know in your heart those negative statements or rumors aren't true. You need to stand up for what you believe, want, and know exactly who you are without people trying to trick you into thinking you're a piece of dog crap because you don't deserve that level of negativity, no one really does unless they're really horrible person like a rapist or murderer or anything along those sides of pure evil.

6.) Stay True to Yourself

Staying true to who you are is important. This is kind of a branch off of step number five, but I thought I'd touch on it a little more. Needless to say, you need to stay true to yourself and not change who you are, especially if you and you're loved ones know that you're absolutely 100%, without a doubt a good person. You don't need to change for the favor of your haters because they're still probably going to hate you, find something else they don't like about you or call you fake and that's just the way life is. Changing your beliefs, style, career and what you want to chase after isn't going to benefit you or bring you happiness, at all. To change who you've grown to be can definitely make you depressed, especially when it's for other people and not yourself. Personally, I think by changing for others turns you into someone you're not, at all and doesn't show the genuine person that you probably are. To be influenced by complete bullies, is extremely unhealthy, whether you're a kid, teenager or even an adult. Striving to be someone you're not is just going to wear you out and eventually you're not going to want to keep up with what you think people want you to be because you're not putting your heart and energy into YOU but for the sake of others. By not putting all of your energy into yourself to make you happy, you're probably going to end up feeling fatigued, sad and trapped. Changing yourself because you don't want to be hated is preventing you from expressing who you are as an individual and holding you back from what you really want in your life. Remember, there's only one unique you. It's hard to do sometimes, but you need to embrace yourself, do what makes you happy in life and stand behind everything you have to offer the world. 

By following these steps (that are in no particular order) I've seen a dramatic difference in my life. Eliminating the negativity has made me strong, I've grown thick skin, it has given me my happiness back and I no longer have clinically diagnosed depression.  

I hope you guys liked this kinda short and sweet post! Don't forget to follow me on Social Media!

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Instagram: katielafleurr

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Much Love! A new YouTube video will be out this week hopefully!

XOXO,

Katie 

Going With YOUR Gut.

Family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, etc. will always tell you to do something because THEY think that's what's best for you. But, what if you don't think it's right? Do you do it or do you not?

Coming from experience, here's my advice. It sounds so cheesy but, go with your gut. If you're not 100% for sure if it's the right thing to do and second/third/fourth/fifth guess yourself and YOU are not passionate about it, then don't do it. Weigh it out, something else will come around where you want to put your heart, soul and time into the specific thing. Opportunities come and go but don't take every opportunity if it doesn't feel "right." Don't continue to do something when you're not having it because that's waiting your time. Look at the people who make a ton of money but they're not happy and pretty much hate their lives. Prevent that from happening and nip it in the bud. You shouldn't feel bad for not doing something because you're trying to be influenced by the people around you. 

The way I live my life now is very different from the way I lived in high school and even after high school. People told me to go to college, get my degree and then get a job by a hope and a prayer. My heart wasn't into going to college, I got a job and I've found things that I'm passionate about. I'm passionate about my job, I'm passionate about modeling, I love this blog and I'm passionate about YouTube even if I only have two subscribers. But you know what? That's okay, it doesn't discourage me because I'm confident in what I'm doing. I want to change lives, I love fashion and I love showing the world about who I am because I want to be in inspiration and a role model like "bubzbeauty" and Michelle Phan. If I can just change one life in a positive way, that's all I care about. I want to show people that whatever you want, you can achieve. It might take awhile but that's okay, as long as you love what you're doing. Go for it! 

Stop letting people try to influence you, their intentions might not be in the right place and just want you out of the picture so they can move ahead and that is messed up. Basically, just do what you love and stick with it if your heart and soul is in it 100%. Don't listen to others, listen to your gut and heart. 

Sorry I've been a little MIA but, my laptop has bit the dust and I'm just trying to save up for a new one! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to my YouTube channel. All info will be down below.

Instagram: itskatielafleur 

Twitter: kallmekatiee 

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/callmekatiee 

YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/user/itskatielafleur 

Much love!

XOXO 

SPRINTEC REVIEW and Birth Control thoughts :)

I'm sure most of you ladies have heard or are on birth control for various and different reasons, right? Well here is my review of Sprintec after almost 2.5 years of using it!

To be honest, I did not initially want to be on birth control because I thought it was only for girls and women who were sexually active which is probably most young girls' thoughts when their doctor recommends being on birth control. It's perfectly normal to think that; as most girls my age (19-21) thought that too when they were first introduced at around the age of 16. 

A little back story on me and my experiences on birth control, I started it probably around the age of 16 because I was having severe migraines, headaches, body aches, etc. and my physician thought I might of had a hormone imbalance, so I was first put on BeYaz and to be very blunt, I hated it. For about 3-4 months on being on the B.C BeYaz, I literally was having periods that would be two weeks long, I'd stop for a week and then continue with a long and heavy period, let's just say, I've definitely seen brighter days. I mean really, what girl wants to be on her period for two weeks? I can barely stand 5 days! So, due to that incident my doctor had raised the dosage and it didn't help at all, even giving it 3 months to take any kind of effect on my body. I got so fed up with it, I just stopped taking it all together and said "I'm done, I'm not sexually active, I think my body needs a break." Mind you I was just turning 17 and didn't have the "need" for birth control. After a couple months, my period began to be normal and regular, but I noticed my skin was breaking out a ton and my flow was definitely heavier which I would take over having a two week long period with a week long break any day. I just kind of continued to live my life and not make a big deal about it, until the day I became "sexually active" (such a responsible term haha) with someone I truly care about. So, my doctor put me on Sprintec with a hope and a prayer that it wouldn't do the same thing to my body as BeYaz did.

Two and a half years later, I can say that Sprintec has really helped my life when TOM comes around. My periods are lighter, they come at the exact same time on the exact same day every month and it only lasts on average about 5 days which is awesome. I've noticed that my skin has really cleared up over the years partly because of the Sprintec and partly because I have a skin routine that works for me. The only thing I've really noticed is that about three days before my period starts, I break out a little bit in my chin area which is due to hormones and maybe like one little white head on my forehead where I can just use my Clean and Clear Spot Treatment over night and literally kills those alien invasions on my face!

Overall I'd have to give Sprintec a 5 out of 5 simply because it works best for my body!

Thoughts on Birth Control:

Frankly, I am definitely not against birth control AT ALL. I think it's quite a controversial topic but some women go on birth control simply because they want lighter periods. You don't need to be sexually active to be on birth control and if someone asks you why you're taking it, it's really none of their business especially if it makes you feel uncomfortable. Being on the pill because you are sexually active doesn't mean you're a slut or a whore or anything like that, to me that's being responsible especially if you don't want kids right now, but sometimes it might "fail" so just make sure you are using a condom if you really do not want to get pregnant at this time of your life. Just make good choices, ya know what I mean? People around where I live seem to be really quick to judge girls who are on birth control, they feel as if "it's stopping God from creating life" and things like that. Just always keep in mind that it really is not their place to deem you something you're not like let's say a slut. Maybe you have medical conditions and the pills help with what you're going through like a hormone balance. I don't think women/girls should be ashamed of being on Birth Control, like I always say. "You do you." ;)

Most Common Question:

Is Birth Control right for me?

Honestly, if you are struggling with hormonal headaches, acne, heavy flows and irregular cycles I think you should really talk to your doctor about what Birth Control is best for you, especially if you're sexually active. Ask your doctor about different types of birth control and maybe expand on seeing if an IUD is even right for you if you don't want to take a pill every single day at the exact same time!

I hope this post helped give some insight on what you think is best for your body and that this girl on girl chat gave you some things to think about or things to bring up with your doctor for either the present or the future! As always I love you guys!

XOXO,

Katie

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Hair, Makeup and Outfit of the Night for the Opening Night of the Second 300 ❤️

Get Ready With Me To See That Special Someone And For The Opening Night of The Second 300! ❤️

Hair:

Let's talk about the hair first, since it's the easiest! To achieve my hair today, I washed my hair with the Clear Strong Length Shampoo, rinsed immediately to condition my hair with Clear's Intense Hydration Conditioner since I do have bleached hair and let it set in my hair until I was done with my shower routine and then completely rinsed it out with COOL water, leaving my hair silky, smooth and smelling great! After, I towel dried my hair for about ten minutes, let it down and then putting my CHI Silk Infusion on the ends of my hair and spraying all of my hair with my It's a 10 Spray! Letting all the products set in after doing my makeup, I blow dried my hair UPSIDE DOWN to get some extra volume. Here is my end result!

I love having texture to my hair so I don't brush it out too much and tease the crown of my head and front fringe so my hair doesn't fall completely flat! 

I don't take a ton of time on my hair, just because I'm lazy, but I do believe in putting great products in your hair to keep it healthy! 

Let's Talk Makeup, My Favorite Part of this look:

Today, my makeup was based around flawless looking skin, easy eye makeup and a bold lip!  

Flawless Looking Skin:

Now, today my skin was NOT in the best of shape, it's had it's better days let's put it that way, I have a small breakout along the lower right side of my cheek due to that awful time of the month! My main focus was to feel confident about my skin and not worry about the breakout as a focal point on my face because that ain't cute! To achieve better looking skin, I started off with my Clean and Clear Daily Moisturizer (it's not my favorite but it does the job,) I prepped my skin with my Garnier BB Skin Renew Cream in the color light/medium since I did have some redness and a breakout, it evened out my skin tone and covered up a little bit of the breakout, I then went in with my Holy Grail Foundation, MAC's Studio Fix Foundation in NW15 using one full pump on the back of my hand, then dotting the product all over my face and blending it with my Sephora Prestige Luxe Stippling Brush using dabbing motions to avoid sheering out the product and then going in with a tad bit of the foundation on my CLEAN finger and patting it over my breakout. After, I set my foundation in place with my current favorite setting powder, the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent, I get oily on my nose and chin so I absolutely have to set my foundation. In general I love having a matte face because it photographs well and I don't like being an oil monster! When my whole face is set, I go in and countour the hollows of my cheeks, temples and jaw line and then my face looks flawless! 

Eyebrows and Eyes:

Besides having flawless looking skin, doing my eyebrows has to come in second to really transforming my face! For today, I kept my brows looking natural and filling them in with my Anastasia Brow Duo in Brunette and using the lighter side to fill in the body of the brow then using the darker side to fill the tails of my brows in and defining the bottom of the brows for a cleaner edge, then setting it with my Anastasia Brow Gel in Clear!

The eyes tonight, I kept very simple, I don't think guys like a dark intense smokey eye for just hanging out and going to a movie!

It's honestly so easy to achieve this look it hurts! All I did was use my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder on my eyelids to prevent getting oily and doing a basic winged eyeliner in black using my Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in Black on my top lid making sure the wing, lined up perfectly with my bottom lash line! After the gel liner was done, I switched to my trusty old Avon Waterproof Glimmer Stick in Blackest Black connecting the wing to my lash line, stopping halfway because black can really close my eyes off especially having almond shaped eyelids! After, I set all the black liner with a black eyeshadow from Cover Girl on a crappy ELF Eyeliner Brush just to have a little more precision versus a pencil shaped smudger! The eyeshadow also intensified and mattified the black liner for both the top and bottom liner, which is what I love! When all the blackness was all done and over with I really needed to brighten up the inner half of my eye because it was looking a little lifeless, I must say. So, I used a yellow based nude Avon Glimmer Stick on the inner part of my bottom lash line and on my inner tear duct as a base for where I wanted to my Victoria's Sevret white with gold shimmer in it so it wouldn't budge and it automatically brought some light into my eyes!

For my eyelashes, I didn't to anything crazy, I just curled them and put two coats of my Benefit's They're Real Mascara in Black on my top lashes and one coat of The Falsies Big Eyes in Blackest Black lower lash side for my bottom lashes and that's all! 

Lips: 

I absolutely LOVE a bold lip, but sometimes it can get a little tricky! To achieve the perfect dark lip, I started off by putting some very hydrating lip balm on as soon as I started my makeup so my lips would be nice and moisturized and prepped! After doing my whole face of makeup and hair, I always do my lips! After I knew I wouldn't be drinking anything or eating and felt like my lips were moisturized enough, I lined my lips with a Cover Girl lip liner in natural and then began to do my lips that took the longest out of this look because precision is key to a dark lip! For my dark lip, I chose my favorite dark plum color which is Mary Kay's True Dimensions Lipstick in Mystic Plum and I love it because it's dark, edgy and compliments my skin tone! Anyways, I always start off with using a brush when I'm working with a dark lip, it ensures precise lines and an even application, the brush I use is a lip brush I got in a random Victoria's Secret Brush Kit for Christmas a couple years ago, it's easy to work with and the brush tip is little and narrow which is perfect for me since I do have smaller lips! I first line my lips with my brush the desired color, go back in with the same brush to fill it in evenly and then use the tube for application to build up my desired opaqueness and show the true color! After, I'm at my desires look, I take a square of toilet paper split it in half if it's two plied, set it over my lips and use my Rimmel Stay Matte powder with my powder brush and dab it over my lips to ensure a longer wear! :) 

Beauty Pointer: From what I've heard, everything matte is totally on trend this Spring season! :)

Here's The Final Look ❤️ 

My Outfit I Wore For The Night:

Brandy Melville's FANCY AS FUCK Crop Tee

Victoria's Secret Basic Black Leggings

Gilly Hicks Burgundy Hoodie

Vans Leopard/Black Sk8Hi Wedges

Love you guys!

XOXO

Random Wednesday

You're probably what Random Wednesday is and it is what it's named! I decided to have a series throughout my blog, called Random Wednesday simply because I'm probably the most random, A.D.D and strangest person you'll ever meet! I always have SO MUCH things that are always on my mind and I really just need to talk about it, let it out and go about my business.

What's been bugging me a lot lately is that, I've been really down and hard on myself. The thing about my personality is when I don't get something right or achieve what I want when I want, frustrates me to the max. I always want to be the best and sometimes I really just can't. For instance, I've been trying to find a reputable modeling agency for a few days now in Colorado and I just feel like I can't find one or that I'm not pretty enough, tall enough, talented enough etc. I admit I do get insecure about myself and myself keeps me from branching out sometimes. I really want to find the RIGHT modeling agency and want to be a Vans model to be in a campaign as soon as possible and that's exactly my problem. I have very little patience, stubborn and hard headed, that's my personality and is something I need to work on, but when I want to have modeling as a career it's hard.

Something that a lot of people don't know is that I do have depression and anxiety and for the last month or so I've been REALLY down. A little back story as to why I've been sad is that I thought I had this great life, living in Denver, thinking I had people who had my back and then literally having it taken all away from me, forcing me to go back and live with my parents. It's hard swollowing your pride and going back home, it's embarrassing to say the least. I feel like as soon as I feel as if I'm on top of the world, it turns upside down and I know it's life. I don't want this to be a pity part for Katie, but if you're sad, down and depressed you absolutely have to express it.

Since I'm on the topic of depression, I want people to get something out of this post and reach out to people who have it. I have a lot of tips to help you all out so I'll make a list for y'all and hopefully it will really help you in your personal life! 

Admit It To Yourself That You Struggle With Depression- Don't be in denial, as soon as you can sit back, say it and know in your heart you're depressed, the sooner you can get help.

Talk About It With Someone- In order to help yourself, you can't bottle it in. Personally, when I know I'm really going through a phase of depression, I go to my primary care doctor because I trust her, I've been her patient since I was about six years old, she knows me and she has my best interest. Even though I haven't been to an actual therapist, she's kind of like my therapist. After, I talk to her and seek help from her, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulder. To be honest, I recommend if you're depressed, seek your primary care doctor and talk about your symptoms and what's making you upset and your doctor will help you whether it's through medication, a therapist or both. 

If you don't want to go to your doctor, a therapist or be put on medication, just talk to someone you trust and feel comfortable around. You need to talk about your feelings, as much as you might not enjoy it, you'll feel better after. Don't bottle up your emotions, letting them out feels good, take it from someone who likes to hold a lot of things in!

Keep Yourself Busy- Keeping yourself busy is something that helps me not think about what's going on in my life and keeps me from thinking about the negative thoughts I have. Having a job, modeling, blogging, hanging out with friends and family help keep me positive and happy, I suggest if you're suffering from depression, try something you're interested in, stay busy with a job, etc.

YOU Are The One Who Ultimately Chooses Whether To Help Yourself Or Not- It might sound a little harsh, but it's true. You're the one who makes the decision as to whether you want to get out of your dark tunnel or not. You have to be the one who wants the CHANGE in your life. Others can only do so much for you, they don't determine your happiness, you do. I've seen people struggle with depression, have therapists, are on medication, the whole shebang but don't seem to change. It is a hard thing to go through, I know. But, you need to want to help yourself and want to change yourself. Determine whether you want to change and be happy or want to stick to your same routine and not change your ways. 

STAY STRONG- From my heart to yours, you're not alone. You might feel alone and worthless but truly you're not. If you feel as if you need to take your life, please seek medical attention or call a suicide hotline. Here is the National Suicide Hotline Phone Number, 

1-800-273-8255

Your life is precious, you are beautiful, you have potential, you are worth it, you are not alone and if you just want someone to talk too, you can email me at 

callmekatiee.business@gmail.com

So, I guess that's it for my Random Wednesday post! I'll talk to you all tomorrow!

XOXO

Fashion Inspiration and Style 💋

Outfit Modeled: Creme Lace Dress from Vans, Leopard KIRRA cardigan from Pacsun, Black/Silver Tights from Forever 21, Black Glitter Belt from Forever 21, Bunny Hat used as a scarf is from Megan Lunsford's Wardrobe and Leopard/Black Sk8Hi Wedges from Vans

Photo Credit: Divineskye Photography 

Photographer: Megan Lunsford

Outfit Shown: Elephant Tanktop from Brandy Melville, Military Inspired coat from Abercrombie&Fitch, White Super Skinny Jeans from Hollister and a Brown Braided Leather Belt from Abercrombie and Fitch

 

Outfit Shown: White Dress from Hollister and Navy Authentic Lo Pros from Vans

Photo Credit: Divineskye Photography

Photographer: Megan Lunsford

Finding Inspiration: 

For me personally, finding fashion inspiration isn't hard at all. I look to what others are wearing everywhere, nature, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Teen Vogue Magazines, Bloggers and my own Vans store that I work at.

In my world, I'm exposed to all things fashion. Working for Vans, I get to see the look books for each season before a collection is launched and I'm inspired by all of it to take the looks I love and incorporate it into what I wear on a daily basis. Now, I'm the type of person who will buy a shirt, cut it up into a crop tanktop and distress it. 

I know for some people, looking for fashion inspiration isn't the easiest to find. I suggest if you're having a hard time or not really sure about fashion just walk around the mall, look at their mannequins and what they're styled in and decide whether it's something you like or dislike! It's okay to not know anything about fashion but if you're looking to be more stylish, you can also go to a friend who might be into fashion and try some of her clothes on to get an idea of what you like and are comfortable in! 

Personal Style:

I love the whole "Rock n' Roll," grungy, dark, edgy look probably 95% of the time. I love my blacks what can I say?! Though, my wardrobe is very dark, I like to add jewelry for just a pop to make an outfit interesting. I love pairing gold statement necklaces with solid black pieces to add some color and trend to an outfit. 

Outfit Shown: Dark Rinse Super Skinny Jeans from Hollister, Dark Brown Leather Belt from American Eagle, Black V-Neck from Forever 21, Black Cotton Blazer from Macy's, Gold and Black Tribal Inspired Necklace from Forever 21 and the Black and Gold Braided Headband is from Forever 21

See how the gold makes it more interesting?! 

I have another side to my wardrobe, it's not all black, edgy and hardcore, it's really actually the EXACT OPPOSITE! I'm not gonna lie, I love me some Abercrombie&Fitch and Hollister. I love the beachy laid back girly style and their clothes always fit me perfectly since I am quite little to say the least! I'm not gonna lie, I love all of their dresses, pants, t-shirts, fragrance and everything because it is very feminine and that's what I love about those brands.

Outfit: Dark Rince Super Skinny Jeans from Hollister, Navy T-Shirt from Abercrombie, Brown Leather Belt from American Eagle and I don't know where this Brown Faux Leather Jacket is from :P

Fashion Idol: 

Let's talk about her outfit? Can we say perfect?! 

Hanna Beth is literally like my fashion idol, her look is dark, grungy, laid back, edgy and totally Rock n' Roll but she can also be very boho, classic and girly, that's what I love about her! I've looked to her as a role model as well as fashion idol for about 7 years and she has always stayed true to her personal style. She takes things that she loves and shows who she is as a person through her wardrobe and that's something I try to achieve! 

Advice: Your personal style doesn't have to be one specific type, mixing and matching is fun and adds uniqueness to you! Style, is showing who you are through your clothes, so make what inspires you, your own! Don't copy everything you see, just because you feel like you have to be wearing what's on the mannequins to be "cool." Just be you and wear what you love! 

XOXO 

Let's Talk Tuesday: Life After Gymnastics

My first day of gymnastics back in 1999!

DISCLAIMER: This is in no way shape or form seeking sympathy. I literally hate when people feel sorry for me, this is intended to tell my story and hopefully be able to show people that they're not alone, be relatable and give some advice to help! This blog is to help others, not seek attention :)

Back Story: (No pun intended) As an elite gymnast, you put a ton of stress on your body and don't stop when you're exhausted, that's the reality of the sport. I started gymnastics when I was a little over the age of four and that's what I breathed. I didn't care about school, music, making friends or anything. I cared about being the best gymnast in the state of Colorado and saw my future as a professional gymnast and going to the Olympics. I didn't fully "retire" from gymnastics until I was almost sixteen because I really thought I could make it on the national team without being too old without hitting puberty and getting my chance, then suddenly everything changed after a knee injury. For approximately the first six years of gymnastics, I was on a team with an instructor who didn't have the proper equipment like a higher end gym had. We practiced with about a half of an inch thick mats that were very stiff that we're places over the concrete floor, no rebound floor, no built in trampolines, and no foam pit. Basically, we had limited equipment that was next to nothing. We had some thicker mats that were placed after the vault and one to land on for round off back handsprings, just in case of the chance that we did happen to eat shit, it wouldn't hurt as bad. But, none the less, no matter what, if you fell your body would hit extremely hard and all of your weight would be absorbed into about a two inch thick, somewhat squishy mat and trust me, it wasn't the most pleasant thing to feel. I guess for me, not having the luxury of a state of the art gym equipment it built up my pain tolerance. Then, when I got a call from the best gym in the state that called my mom asking if I'd like to train at their gym because they saw potential in me, as soon as I saw their gym, falling didn't scare me one bit. But, through those seven years at a next to nothing "gym" practicing three times a week for four hours, it was slowly tearing apart my body. If I knew what I was going to experience what I have been now, I would of transferred to a state of the art gym as soon as I reached level 2. 

Life After Gymnastics: Though, I was still a very active person after retiring from the sport, my body finally hit puberty when I was at the age of 16 and that's when my entire life changed. I began to have knee problems from not having the right equipment for six years and having my knee dislocated that was the reason I ended my career with gymnastics. My cardiledge in my knees over the years has worn away and is painful but became so minor after I began to get the headache that turned my world upside down.

Headaches and Temporary Neck Parslysis: It was in the middle of my Junior year of High School when my life completely changed. I came home from school one day, as usual and began to get a headache. I didn't think anything of it until it gradually got worse and worse until I took some Tylenol and went to sleep. I woke up very early in the morning with an excruciating headache, couldn't move my neck, freaking the Hell out and at this point I was crying uncontroably and the pain literally wouldn't ease up, until my mom decided to give me a pain pill so I could get some sleep and relief. When I woke up again that next day, my head was still hurting, I couldn't turn on the lights, felt weak, didn't want to move or eat and laid in bed and slept. A day later, I finally told my parents to take me to the doctor immediately, I was put on migraine medication, birth control and heavy pain medication. The migraine medication failed and had an allergic reaction to almost all of them and the doctors the. thought I was having migraines due to my hormones, but that was ruled out from blood work. During that time, we had a tumor scare where my parathyroid glands were from the results of my blood tests for calcium and my parathyroid levels and then when I retested, it came back normal. Thankfully, I didn't need to get them removed! 

MRI and CT Scan Results/Neurologist: After about two and a half weeks of extremely painful headaches, I finally got an appointment from one of the best neurologists in the country, Dr. Viceck Baluja. I say he's the best because he listened, was compassionate, didn't talk to me like I was crazy, knew I was in a lot of pain and did everything he could to get my life back together and came to visit me when I was rushed into the hospital after he got off of his shift at a doctors office 20 minutes away to examine me, tell the other neurologists my history and to talk to me to keep me company for a bit. My first visit with Dr. Baluja, he examined my body from head to toe and ordered MRIs and CT Scans for my brain, cervical spine and lumbar spine and when the test results came back, it finally proved that I wasn't faking anything and that there was really something wrong. My MRI scan of my cervical spine (the neck), showed that my neck had grew wrong and is pretty uncommon. Instead of my neck having a slight "C" curve to it, it grew straight up and down like an "I" which made my Altas C1 rub up against my skull that causes friction and pinching off the nerve which makes me experience intense headaches and migraines. He also discovered through my lumbar spine MRI that my L3 disc was shriveled up and have an answer to the discomfort that I had right there. Another discovery that he found was that my legs were uneven, my hips grew unparalleled to each other and that I had a mild case of scoliosis. Then, that's when a ton of treatments and medication began. 

Treatments and Results: Let's just say, I've had a ton of treatments, some of them are way worse than others but I'm going to go through them chronologically!

1.) My first treatment I was given was going to physical therapy, to help regain the functions in my neck and muscle. It was probably the worst experience I've had for a treatment, simply because they used a method called "Deep Dry Needling" without me knowing what they were actually going to do. Deep Dry Needling is a form of acupuncture, but one of the most painful things you can do. The procedure is very basic, they take thicker needles that can be 5-7 centimeters long and are inserted in your trigger points that are found when your muscle spasms from the touch. Once the needles are in the specialist begins to tap on top of the needle and that's when the pain gets intense. I've never experienced so much pain from needles, it brought me to tears as much as I wanted to be tough and strong, but I couldn't. After about the fifth needle, I called it off because I couldn't stand the pain and walked out. Needless to say, I was traumatized and never came back again. There was no difference and didn't help one bit, if anything it made it worse!

2.) The second treatment I had were Cortisone Injections. This wasn't something I said, "oh go ahead, let's do it!" kind of deal. In fact, it was the exact opposite. When the option was given to me, I immediately said, thanks but no thanks since I was traumatized from the Deep Dry Needling. I had to think long and hard with my family to see if I really needed it or completely cross it off the list. About two weeks later, I decided that it could maybe possibly get me back to normal and that I could go on about my life. Cortisone Injections are safe in my opinion and did make a slight difference. For this procedure, I was totally put to sleep and out cold so I didn't have to feel a thing because I am very small and the needles were very large from what I was told. Dr. Baluja did this procedure and did six injections throughout my neck. When I woke up, my neck was totally stiff, was in pain and felt like my head wasn't attached too my body. But, there were some results from the injections and the Cortisone did take down the inflammation in my neck after about a week. I was still having severe headaches but my neck didn't seem as bad as it was! 

3.) After I was completely healed from the Corrisone shots, I was sent too an amazing Chripractor and Massage Therapist, so I could have some temporary relief which was great! Having a Chiropractor who is incredibly nice, one of the best in the state and has your best interest instead of your money, is very hard to find these days. My Chiropractor, Dr. Anderson is someone I fully recommend if you're in Colorado needing a chiropractor, you'll love her! We have a family friend, who has gone to school for Massage Therapy and about 5 minutes away from my house, so it wasn't a pain in the butt to get a massage once a week and let me tell you, massages are the best! With combination of going to the chiropractor and getting a massage my body felt way more relaxed and that's what I needed. 

4.) After about a year of seeing Dr. Baluja, he decided to leave the clinic and moved for a bigger opportunity and more education which definitely left me kind of just hanging there not knowing what to do. A couple months later, I was referred to a new neurologist who is also a very reputable Neurologist throughout the country and that's when we decided to start doing Botox Treatments. Botox you ask? Haha, yes Botox. Botox isn't only for enhancing your facial features and preventing wrinkles, in fact it's used to blocks chemical changes on nerve endings! The Botox is injected into my neck, shoulders, temples and between my eyebrows! I really recommend Botox if you have chronic migraines, it definitely helped my pain, took down the inflammation and helped me get my life under control! 

5.) Now, here's when my life really changed. I was sent to a pain specialist and I was put on a treatment that would be incredibly invasive, painful and emotionally draining but would really help my life and change it for the better. This treatment was Lidocaine Injections and reshaping my entire shoulder and neck structure by breaking apart the scar tissue and shaping the muscles by a certain massage techniques and instruments. Every Thursday for a little over two months, I would go in, get ten lidocaine injections injected into me throughout certain parts of my body where they were going to work on for that day and then go into another room where a doctor would start breaking away all of the scar tissue. Currently, I am the youngest patient they've seen at this facility and one of the worst cases they've seen with the amount of scar tissue from gymnastics that was formed. The lidocaine injections were literally nothing compared to the reshaping of my upper body and after each session the entire section worked on would be completely bruised and stiff. After the treatments on the next day, I'd have to go back into the office, follow up and then get an electric pulse and ultrasound massage to help with the bruising and pain. This treatment has really changed my life, I can now work, go out and not feel as much pain as I once did. 

Picture taken after my first treatment of Lidocaine Injections and breaking down the scar tissue on my shoulder blades in 2013

School: Now, you're probably wondering what was going on with school right? I was missing a ton of school during the last two years of Hogh School and was really struggling with keeping my grades up and being on track with everything. I'm not gonna lie, I was a good student, I did my work, got good grades, had perfect attendance during my Sophomore and my beginning of Junior year and was pretty smart like my peers. 98% of my class were college bound, took Honors and AP classes and in general pretty bright and intelligent people as much as I dislike a lot of them, they're pretty smart. When I started this journey, I definitely fell behind and was put on a 504 Plan that allowed me to work at my own pace and gave me some leeway if I needed more time to complete an assignment and the teachers had to accept my assignments if they were late. During this time, people were talking about me, saying I was faking it and really hurt me. One thing that I will never forget was when I was told by some of my Public Speaking classmates that the teacher was talking complete shit about me IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE CLASS when I was gone and in the hospital for my Cortisone Injection procedure. She literally had the nerve to get up in front of the class and say something along the lines of "Well Katie isn't here of course and she's just faking it because she doesn't want to be at school." That, literally crossed the line and both my Mom and Dad got involved, spoke to the counselor and principal and made a deal where if something else was said by this woman, her job would be ended right then and there. Nobody should have people talking behind their backs when they're legitamently sick and going through a lot at a young age. If any one of you are struggling with health problems and teachers are talking badly about you, get your parents involved and get them fired. No one needs to put up with that crap! 

Currently: Right now, my life is somewhat back to the way it used to be after the lidocaine treatments. I am definitely a happier person and I'm not as depressed. I do still get severe headaches and neck pain but it's something that I think I'm always going to have to deal with. Back in December, I got into a very bad car accident, completely totaled my car and smacked my head against the window and am now experiencing more neck pain with a possible herniated disc from the way it bulges out in my neck, but it can all be fixed! 

Advice For Everyone Who Struggles With Pain Physically and Emotionally: If any of you are struggling with severe pain, you need to see a doctor. I know specialists and treatments can be very very expensive, but you need to invest in your health if you want to better your life. You need to make sure, you're feeding your body properly, getting some exercise, following up with your doctors and getting checked from head to toe regularly to prevent things that could be fatal. One trick that was taught to me by Dr. Baluja is called Biofeedback where you begin to relax, deeply breathing and focusing on a specific image, (I personally imagine like a blue sun) and going into a meditation where I let go of the negative emotions. This trick definitely helps and I recommend it everyone whether you're in pain, stressed out or none of the above. It helps you find inner peace and helps you forget about your worries and pain. Thinking positively is something you need to do, at the end of the day focus on one or two things that made a positive impact on you, instead of wallowing in all of the things you're upset about. For the first couple of years of the headaches, I was so depressed, lost a few friends, was going through a break up and felt like nothing was going right. I decided to pick myself up, brush off and surround myself with people who love me and supported me, so I recommend doing the same! It's okay to be a little sad at times, but don't let it take over your life. I believe that if you're depressed, you have the decision to either make it worse or turn it around and become happy! Nothing happens over night, it's all going to take time to heal. 

Advice For Gymnasts: 

Make sure to go to a GOOD gym with rebound floors, trampolines, proper mats and equipment! Don't settle for anything less unless you want to go through a ton of painful problems when you get older! If someone says you can't do something, prove them wrong! :) 

If any of you need someone to talk too, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KatieKurbstomp94

Or

www.facebook.com/callmeekatiee

Twitter:

www.twitter.com/kallmekatiee

Instagram:

www.instagram.com/callmeekatiee

Don't forget to add, like and follow me! Love you all! I have a review that'll be up tomorrow on an eye cream! ❤️

XOXO

Rock What You Love and Work it!

Outfit: Vans High Low Hemmed Skirt in Heather (now unavailable in retail Vans stores) Brandy Melville "Fancy as Fuck" Crop T-Shirt, Brandy Melville "Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe" Beanie (from www.brandymelville.com) and Vans Authentic Lo Pros Black/Black (cropped out, but are available online and in retail Vans stores) 

Brandy Melville's "Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe" tank (from www.brandymelville.com) 

Brandy Melville's "Fancy as Fuck" Crop T-Shirt and "Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe" Beanie (all from www.brandymelville.com)

I'm not gonna lie, some of my wardrobe can be very controversial as to what is "acceptable" and what is not. I have a beanie and tanktop from Brandy Melville that says "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" and a crop t-shirt from Brandy Melville that says "Fancy as Fuck" and quite honestly I am in love with all of those pieces in my wardrobe. 

I really don't care what parents say or what looks I get when I wear certain things. If you're a parent and telling your younger child to never wear a certain shirt, good for you for doing your job as a parent. The thing is, is that I'm not a parent, I am an adult. I make my own decisions, I love fashion, I love expressing myself and though I like to set good examples for younger girls, I need to be me and not conform into a person that I'm not, simply because others disagree with something as basic as a T-shirt. It's part of me, it's expressing myself. "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" by Kendrick Lamar is literally one of my favorite songs and Brandy Melville happens to be one of my all time favorite brands, so why wouldn't I wear something that I love because it's not "appropriate" to a conservative crowd?

I believe if you really love an article of clothing or really anything, rock it! It takes confidence to express yourself. At first you might feel a little uncomfortable with all the dirty looks you're getting from parents but seriously, who cares what they think. If you feel beautiful, powerful and confident in what you're wearing, then WEAR IT.

BUT, here's the catch...(there's always a catch,) 😉 If you're in High School you do have to follow the dress code, the dress code rules are set in place so what you're wearing doesn't become a distraction, which in my opinion is fair. School is not a fashion show, you're there to learn, not to walk a runway. So, for you younger ladies in Middle School and High School you all need to abide by the rules, unless you want to wear an ugly bright orange shirt that looks like you're going to jail for the whole school to see and mock you. (That's how it was when I was in High School.) 

For the ladies who have jobs and need to be business professional, sorry to say, but you have to follow your work places rules too, I abide by the dress code at Vans and I'm okay with that and it's nothing to protest against. Plus for me, I love everything I own from Vans because let's get real, it's totally my style. 

If I'm out and about, hanging out with friends, going to dinner, shopping, running errands or at a place where there is not a certain dress code, I whip out my favorite clothes and wear them and so should you! If you spend money on clothes that you love, wear them and not waste your money! I don't have one thing that I love that I don't wear, I believe in wearing what I own and getting my use out of them. Seriously, just love what you own, rock what you're wearing and feel good about yourself, whether you feel powerful, pretty, innocent or even a "Bad Bitch" then wear it, have no regrets and be confident because you're one of a kind!

Tip: If you want to be a little more discrete about your shirt, wear a cardigan over it! When I'm out running errands and want to look a little more presentable and put together, I throw on a solid cream cardigan from Abercrombie and Fitch to tone down the boldness of the shirt!

Don't forget to be smart about where you're wearing certain things, but don't forget to WORK IT HONEY 😉❤️

XOXO

Let's Talk Tuesday! Girl Power Tag :)

Welcome to Let's Talk Tuesdays where I answer questions and do tags that are requested ❤️

What does Girl Power mean to you?

Girl Power to me, means being empowered as a woman and going for what you want! 

What is the best advice you can give to girls who want to be powerful?

My advice to all the ladies out there is to go for your dreams, not letting anyone hold you back but also being kind to everyone around you. Being kind is so powerful and can get you so far in life.

If you could have any super power, what would it be and how would you use it?

Haha, if I could have any kind of power it would be able to make the world a peaceful place...but I'd also like the ability to eat as much as I want and not gain any weight ;)

Show us your best girl power (picture) pose.

Photo Credit: Divineskye Photography

Being confident, genuinely happy and smiling is my best pose to show the world :D

What beauty product makes you feel powerful?

Ohhh, that's a hard one! A deep plum or red lipstick makes me feel powerful and, bold and confident! My favorite lipstick at the moment is Mary Kay's True Dimensions Lipstick in Mystic Plum. 

Why is it important to have power girls as role models?

I think as a girl it's important to have a role model of the same sex because when you see your role model achieve something you as well want to achieve it gives an extra boost of confidence and have the mentality of "Well if she can do it, I can do it!" Sometimes when we feel discouraged about ourselves and compare to others but to know if someone else can do it, that boost of confidence can really help you grab on to that one thing you're striving for.

What young up and comer do you think is powerful and why?

Every young lady is a up and comer! It's powerful because as women we can show everyone that we can do things we set our mind too! Back in the day, the men "brought home the bread" and thw women just stayed at home, cooked, cleaned and took care of the children. To evolve as women is the single most powerful thing of all! 

I hope you all enjoy Let's Talk Tuesdays!

XOXO

Smack down Monday! Benefit's They're Real?! Mascara vs. Maybelline's The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara Review!

Top Picture: My Eyelashes with Benefit's They're Real Mascara

Bottom Picture: My Eyelashes with Maybelline's The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara (it doesn't even look like I have mascara on!) :(

Hello Loves! ❤️ 

Welcome to my new series "Smack Down Mondays" where I compare a higher end product to a drugstore product and see which one holds up better! 

The Back Story: 

Benefit's They're Real Mascara is one of my Holy Grail products for sure and have been using it for over a year now! I have seen a lot of raving over Maybelline's The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara and was being compared to the Benefit mascara, so I wanted to see if it was worth all the hype and a good cheaper dupe for Benefit's They're Real?! Mascara since it is a higher end product and sometimes you don't want to use your expensive mascara every single day! 

Let's dive into the Smack Down of these two products!👋

First Impressions: I'm not going to lie, I am a HUGE sucker for packaging, I love for a product to feel luxurious, good in my hands and also durable! With Benefit's They're Real Mascara in Black (Non-Waterproof Formula), that's exactly how I feel when I pick it up, it has a nice weight from the tube and overall I think it's really just pretty! I like that it comes in a box with the statistics of the overall difference it makes on lashes, the matte black back drop is sleek and the pop of orange and white writing makes it appealing to look at and is definitely an attention grabber! With Maybelline's The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara in Blackest Black (Waterproof Formula,) it is different! I like the purple and black color theme that also carries onto the mascara tube! I mean I'm a sucker for anything purple! But, the weight of the mascara feels kind of "cheap" compared to the Benefit mascara, it is a drugstore product so I feel like you get what you pay for sometimes! 

Product Comparison: I honestly do not like The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara, the product weighs heavy on my eyelashes, uncurls my lashes and tends to clump together with two coats and with one coat, it's not noticeable at all. With the formula, I find that it's kind of sticky and sticks to my bottom lashes and I find myself throughout the day tugging on my lashes just to get the mascara off because it drives me nuts! To me, this mascara is just kind of okay, it doesn't do a lot for me. That being said, I really like the smaller applicator side because it really makes my bottom lashes look like I have a little something going on down there! I think if you are blessed with naturally long, thick and curly lashes, this product could really enhance your beautiful lashes! With my Benefit's They're Real?! Mascara, the formula really works for my lashes since they're thinner lashes, not very long and grow straight out! When I curl them, the product isn't heavy and doesn't uncurl my lashes. The formula is a little on the wetter, moussey consistency which is probably why it performs and executes the way I want my lashes to look. I go for the super black, long, thick and curly lash look because I wasn't blessed with those traits! 

Final Conclusion: Now, I'm not hating on Maybelline in any way, I think they have some really awesome products and other great mascaras, just this particular product did not benefit me in anyway, it didn't perform the way I wanted it too, but maybe I had too high of hopes for this mascara! Overall, I do not like The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara. With my Benefit's They're Real Mascara, I really believe that it's totally worth the splurge instead of wasting $6-7 on a drugstore mascara that will end up being thrown away.

Ratings:

Maybelline's The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara

4.5⭐️ out of 10⭐️

(Ten being the best mascara I've ever used) 

Benefit's They're Real Mascara

9.5⭐️ out of 10⭐️

I hope you all like this series I'm starting! Tell me what you all want me to smack down next Monday!

XOXO

How To Get My Signature Eye look

This is my all time go to eye look for when I have let's say a date, an event or anytime that I want to just feel pretty! It's all about flawless skin and sexy eyes! It doesn't take too long to do either! All you need is a tinted moisturizer, your favorite medium-full coverage foundation, a bronzer for contouring, a face highlighter, a setting powder, eye primer, eyebrow powder, black gel eyeliner, a black retractable black eyeliner, a champagne colored eyeshadow, an eye shadow that is closest to your skin color and black mascara! Now, I prefer to use brushes and the brushes that I'm absolutely loving and use everyday are the SEPHORA COLLECTION Prestige Luxe Brush Set and use all of these to achieve my look! 

Okay, now that you know what you need, let's jump into it! 

Step one: Make sure you're working on a clean canvas! 

Your skin needs to be squeaky clean and moisturized! Before I start, I always make sure my skin is exfoliated with the St. Ives Apricot Scrub, toned with the Neutrogena Anti- Acne Stress toner to prevent my breakouts and follow up with my Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream in light/medium to even out my skin tone since I do have some scarring from when I had acne when I was younger.

Step two: Flawless Looking Skin Time! 

This is my favorite part! Making my skin look absolutely flawless gives me that extra boost like a good bra! I go in with ONE pump of my MAC Studio Fix in NW15 on the back of my hand, dot the foundation all over my face to ensure an even application, dip my Sephora Stippling Brush from the Prestige Luxe Set in what's left on the back of my hand and start from the center of my face blending out with a stippling motion until it's completely blended down to my neck!

Step Three: Contouring and Highlighting!

Since I do have higher cheekbones I like to enhance it with contouring, giving me that really sunken in hollows of my cheeks! I don't do a ton of contouring since I want the focus point to be my eyes. All I do is dip my Sephora Angled Brush into my Marbalized Bronzer in Peach Bronze from Avon and apply it to the hollows of my cheeks aligned with where my pupil is, dragging it back to my ears, making sure it's blended very well! I also contour my jaw bone and under my chin to have a very defined face! Now, using my MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Porcelain Pink with the Sephora Buffing Brush patting it right on top of my cheeks. This brush picks up just the amount of product and gives me precise precision of where I want my highlighter placed. 

Steps four-ten: It's all about the eyes right?!

Alright it's time for the most time consuming part of this look! We gotta prime those eyes so you don't look like a raccoon and get greasy so use your favorite eye primer! I use Urban Decay's Primer Potion in original! Now since, your eyes are primed it's time to work some magic on your eyebrows! The Anastasia Brow Kit in Brunette is my favorite eyebrow powder and gel I've ever used! For my brows, I like to keep them fairly bold when I have a dramatic eye and fill them in with an old ELF Eyeliner Brush, brush them out with a spoolie and set them in place with the Anastasia Brow Gel in clear! 

Now we're ready to move onto my signature cateye look! I use Maybelline's Eye Shadow in Champagne patting it all over my lid with Sephora's Flat Shader Brush, blending it out a little bit with my finger and placing MACs Brule with any blending brush I have that's clean into my crease to tone the shimmer down, I don't like looking like a disco ball ;)

The hardest part is the eyeliner and that's what it's time for. I start with my Sephora Angled Eyeliner Brush with a tiny amount of my Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in black, marking where I want it to end on my top lid, making sure that both eyes are even! Once I'm happy with each eye, I pick up more product and with highest point of the brush I place it where the very end of my tick mark is and start to drag the brush into my inner tear duct stopping about half way, pick up more product, turn my brush the opposite way starting in the inner part of my eye connecting it to my established line, then touching up where I feel is needed. When I'm satisfied, I go in with a regular retractable black eyeliner on my lower lash line connecting it with the winged liner on top! Then going in with a smudger pencil brush and smudging it out to give me a smokier look! When all the black eyeliner is done, it's time to come back in highlighting the inner tear duct with the Maybelline Eyeshadow in Champagne and this is what ties the whole look together! After I take a step back, look at myself making sure it's all even, it's time to curl and coat my eyelashes two times with Benefit Cosmetic's They're Real Mascara in Black making my eyelashes look perfect! 

Step eleven: Don't let your hardwork slide off your face!

Sliding makeup isn't cute for anyone so let's set it all in place with powder! I use Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder in Translucent to keep me from getting oily and my foundation from transferring! 

Step twelve: Add a little bit of color back into you!

This is optional, but I love pink lips so I put some color back into my face with NYXs Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige to add a little bit of girlyness into the darker eye look!

Now you're all done loves! Tell me what kind of an event you'd wear this look too!

XOXO