What I'm Loving for Fall!

PHOTO CREDIT: NICK SOLONINKA 

The Casual/Go To Outfit: I'm LOVING leather this year as you'll see in these different looks, but dressing down leather in a Varsity Jacket style is definitely my kind of thing. I love my neutrals but adding a pop of color makes the outfit!

Red Leather Jacket: OBEY Propaganda

Black Leather Front Paneled Pants: H&M 

Red and Black Online Exclusive Zip-Up Sk8 Hi Slims: Vans  

PHOTO CREDIT: NICK SOLONINKA

Let's Talk Makeup: Again, I gotta have my neutrals but for Fall, I really like to darken up my makeup in a Vampy way. For this particular shoot, I did do a little bit of a smokey eye, but not too dramatic because I wanted my eyes and lashes to really stand out. I'm not gonna lie, I went heavy on the foundation, concealer and contour just because I did want the "porcelain skin" look. I wanted my skin to look flawless so the rest of my makeup had a nice canvas to work with. 

Here's the Products I Used To Achieve This Look: Before I put ANYTHING on my face, I made sure to exfoliate with my St. Ives Apricot Scrub while I was in the shower followed by doing the same skincare routine after I get out of the shower which is, use my Proactive Face Toner, moisturize my face with the Avon Firming Moisturizer and also layered my Proactive face lotion over the Avon moisturizer just because my skin was looking a little dry that day.

Okay, now let's really get down to the makeup game!

So, after I had a clean canvas to work with I used my Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer, which honestly I'm not quite a fan of but I needed something to fill in my pores and have something for my foundation and concealer to stick onto without caking up. (I have yet to find a primer that is life changing.)

Foundation Time: I've used the same foundation for years now which is the Mac Studio Fix Fluid Foundation that I swear by. For all over my face I used NW13 because one, I am quite pale and I've found that the Mac Studio Fix Fluid Foundation does tend to oxidize a little bit on my skin so currently NW13 is my perfect match! I swear by this foundation because it literally covers all my face demons but can also be sheared out if you desire a less full coverage foundation. Luckily for this shoot, I only needed one pump for my whole face and stippled it on with my Sephora Duo Fiber Stippling Brush from the Luxe Brush Set that I've had for a couple of years and gave me a nice full coverage, airbrushed look that evened out my skin tone since I do have some hyper pigmentation from when I was a teenager. 

Contour and Highlighting Part One by Using Liquid and Cream Products: On a daily basis I don't contour quite as heavy as I did for this shoot. I wanted my face to be very chiseled out with sunken in and defined hollows of my cheeks to stay with the Vampy Edgy look. To countour, I used my Neutrogena Shine Control Liquid Makeup that's a good few shades darker than my actual skin color and the shade that I used was in Natural Beige and applied it on the hollows of my cheeks but stopped where it lined up vertical to the pupil of my eye.  I also applied it along my jaw line to define it and on my temples to warm up my complexion. Tip: Don't know what the hollows of your cheeks are? Make a fishy face and where your cheeks are sucked in, those are the hollows of your cheeks. It's that straight line from your temples to your lips!

After applying the foundation that I was using to contour, I blended it all out with a dense flat top Kabuki brush by Sephora so I could control where the product was being displaced and that gave me that nice straight line under my cheek bones without getting it all over the place. 

Highlighting: Highlighting isn't really my strong point in makeup, but I did really need to hide those darn eye bags so, I used my Avon Ideal Flawless Concealer in the color Fair to brighten up my tired eyes using the infamous Kim Kardashian upside down triangle technique to highlight. This concealer is great for under the eyes but needs to be set as soon as it's blended out because it does crease quickly, which I'm not a fan of. (I set it with my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder with a fluffy blending eyeshadow brush from Sephora.) I also hit the concealer in between my eyebrows and the middle of the forehead in an upside triangle yet again and blended it out. Now here comes the reason why I'm not a huge fan of this product, I applied this concealer down the bridge of my nose, blended it out and then when I got up close and personal to the mirror, I realized it caked up, accentuated my pores; making them look freaking huge, made my nose look dry and patchy and that's not cute. So, I wiped the makeup on my nose, reapplied the foundation on my nose and left it alone. 

Contouring, Highlighting and Setting My Face With Powder: This all seems like it's a lot but during shoots I need my foundation and every cream product to be locked into place so it's not sweating off or sliding off from being an oily monster. So, to set my whole entire face I used my trusty old Rimmel Stay Matte Powder which is definitely a cult favorite in the beauty community because it's cheap, you get a lot of product, it's finely milled, smooth and literally takes all the shine away and makes your foundation and concealer look flawless throughout the day! After setting my whole face, I go in with my Avon Mineralized Baked Bronzer, that got discontinued where I put the darker foundation was placed to warm up the look a little more. Since my face was so incredibly matte, I needed to put some more dimension back into my face, I used my Mac Mineralized Skinfinish in Lightscapade right on top of the highest points of my cheekbones that really accentuated my cheek bone structure. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NICK SOLININKA

The Eyes: I wanted my eyes to be the focal point of this look along with the lips. But, to not be so overdone since I was rocking dark and bold lips. I kept the eyes neutral but in a sultry way and making the lashes be the statement of the eyes. I used an Avon Palette that I've had for ages because I can create so many looks with just this palette. So, I applied the dark brown in my crease as the transition color before I applied anything else. I then put a matte cream color all over the lid, hit my outer V with black and sat there blending to create a smokey effect and then to put more dimension into the eyes I used a dark burgundy color to intensify the very outer edge of my eye. It's pretty easy, I must say! Alright, liner time. I used my Maybelline Eye Studio a Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black to create a dramatic cateye and lined my lower lash line to make the look darker 

Mascara, my lashes best friend. Before, I touched my eyelashes, I curled them because my lashes are super straight. When I was done curling my lashes, I went in and used generous amounts of my Smokey Extravagant Mascara by Makeup Forever in Black to fatten up my lashes to prep them for falsies! But for my lower lashes I hit them with Benefit's "They're Real?!" Mascara also in Black.

The Brow Game: My brow game needed to be on point since I had a ton going on with my eyes. To fill them in I just used my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duo in Brunette and set them in place with the Anastasia Clear Brow Gel.

I'm almost done, I swear! So, because I did fatten up my lashes, I wanted more volume and length so I applied the Ardell Fashion Lashes 113 in of course Black because I wanted DRAMA. 

The Lips: The lips complete this look and is super on trend! I used MAC's Lip Pencil in Nightmoth and MAC's Cyber Satin Finish Lipstick! AND WE'RE DONE :)

PHOTO CREDIT: NICK SOLONINKA 

Outfit: Forever 21 Meshed Sleeved/Neckline Bodycon Dress (Unavailable)

OBEY Propaganda Quilted A Symmetrical Leather Jacket with Gold Accents

Gianni Bini Kyley Sandals (4 inch heel.)

PHOTO CREDIT: NICK SOLONINKA 

Red Leather Jacket: OBEY Propaganda

Black Leather Front Paneled Pants: H&M 

Gianni Bini Kyley Sandals (4 inch heel.)

PHOTO CREDIT: NICK SOLONINKA 

Outfit: Forever 21 Meshed Sleeved/Neckline Bodycon Dress (Unavailable)

OBEY Propaganda Quilted A Symmetrical Leather Jacket with Gold Accents

Gianni Bini Kyley Sandals (4 inch heel.)

Don't forget to follow me on Social Media!

Instagram: katielafleurr

Twitter: kallmekatiee 

YouTube: ItsKatieLaFleur

Facebook: Katie Marie McBride

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!

YouTube: ItsKatieLaFleur

Instagram: katielafleurr

Twitter: kallmekatiee

Like Me on my Facebook Fanpage: www.facebook.com/callmeekatiee

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 

Weight

PHOTO CREDIT; GKR PHOTOGRAPHY

Weight, the most dreaded topic especially for girls. 

What I've noticed recently is "plus size" girls harping on girls like me by saying dudes go after them more because they're more desirable. But, when it comes down to it, it's personal preference whether a guy wants to be with a plus size girl or wants to be with a little girl. I don't think in the dating game it's a competition to see how many guys come up to you buying you drinks. 

Being as little as I am, (5'3 at 93lbs) is actually embarrassing. Under my circumstances though, I really can't put on weight and I don't believe in eating super unhealthy just to gain weight.

In my dating scene, my weight has never been an issue to any particular guy I've been with. I've never been told to gain or lose weight because quite frankly, I'm not here to impress anyone. I'm here to do me and if someone likes me physically and emotionally then great, of not? That's awesome too.

I think society and the way beauty is perceived is very messed up and confusing but why try to fit in? The way I see it, is that you should sustain a healthy weight for your personal body type and shape. You don't need unhealthy food to gain weight just like you don't need to starve yourself to lose weight because it is very unhealthy. Stop looking at the numbers and maybe take a look inside someone's soul, that goes for EVERYONE. Your weight, hip size, chest size is just a number, do what makes you feel confident as well as healthy. Girls, stop comparing yourself to other girls. All of us have confidence issues sometimes and telling girls that they're not desirable to men because they're not "plus size" hurts people whether you know it or not. Just because someone is plus size or skinny, doesn't mean one is more beautiful than the other. Beauty is truly on the inside, yes you can be physically beautiful as well but your heart and intentions is what guys are scoping you out for if they're interested. 

Plus size girls, skinny girls, and everything in between; Do you think you might get the male attention more by the way you dress or by acting promiscuous? If so, stop and think if you're attracting the right kind of guys. 

Like I said, everyone has their own preferences, not every guy or girl wants the same exact traits in someone because everyone has complete different ideas as to what they find attractive or not. 

Girl to Girl Talk:

Stop bringing up weight to compare yourself and boast yourself. Sometimes, things like that are very offensive and hurts other people's feelings. Just think that maybe because guys are all over you, other guys are all over someone else who is the exact opposite. Stop making yourself feel better by putting others down. 

XOXO,

Katie

Success

Lately, I've heard a lot about success used as being beyond financially stable and to be honest I can see where people can see that as success. Maybe it is for them in their own perspective and that's the way they measure or compare themselves whether "they're more successful" than either me or someone else. To me, success is setting goals for yourself, accomplishing them, setting even more goals for the future, not worrying about anyone but yourself and not comparing what you make to someone else.

Let's say you have a musician(s) who touch hearts and change lives with their music, yet they're completely broke and you take a business owner who has nothing but conned and cheated people out of money that they don't have and that basically steal money from people who are struggling financially, yet he measures his stacks of money to the musician. Now, who do you think is more "successful?" 

To me, it's not about the money. In order for me to feel successful is helping and changing either one life or thousands of lives. I want everyone to think long and hard about whether success is being financially stable or setting goals for yourself, help changing the world and having your heart feel complete. Tell me what success is ultimately about, money or being genuinely happy. I'm not saying money can be a part of success but stomping on others just for a check is called greed and is that success? 

This is a very short post! I am working on a Summer Lookbook stay posted!

XOXO

Don't forget to follow me on Social Media!

Instagram: the_katiee

Facebook: like and search my Fan Page by searching Katie McBride

Twitter: kallmekatiee 

Email: katiemcbride.business@gmail.com

Let's Talk Tuesday :)

So, I've been slacking hardcore on my blog, I know. But, lately I've been having some personal issues that have really brought me down and until a few days ago, I've learned just to brush things off and ignore the rumors that are nowhere near truth because my family, close friends and I know the complete truth. 

BUT, on a lighter note I've done some vamping on my Fan Page and Instagram yet again :) out with the old and in with new is what I like to say, so for now you can find my fan page by searching "Katie McBride" and my profile picture is this picture :) please don't mistake my personal account by my fan page!

Now, let's talk Instagram. My new user name is katie.kolorado and I'll be going into depth as to why everything is changing in my next post! Anyways, I'll talk to you all tomorrow!

XOXO

Instagram update! :)

So, I decided to change my Instagram account username because my life is changing and though CALLMEKATIEE is kinda like my trademark, I'm living by out with the old, in with the new. So the big announcement, you can follow me on Instagram at the_katiee

There are so many "callmekatie's" on Instagram as well, I want something different and new :) 

XOXO

Changes and Updates

Hey you guys! I know it's been a really long time since my last post and I'm super sorry! A lot has been happening these last few weeks and a ton of changes to my life and I hope you all still support what I'm doing!

I am still modeling, still in love with makeup, still work for Vans and still plan on blogging on CALLMEKATIEE but something new in my life, is that I have an opportunity of a lifetime to be an apprentice and business partner with an amazing tattoo artist and I'm not turning it down. A lot of things are still in the works that we won't be releasing information about till we are totally ready.

My New Direction:

My new direction in life has definitely gone from a boring, doing the same thing everyday to adventurous, exciting, acceptance and happiness, something that I haven't had in a very long time. I have people who support me 100% and are like a second family to me who have welcomed me into their lives and I couldn't be happier. Though I will be very busy, I'll actually be starting a YouTube channel that won't be CALLMEKATIEE but will be called KatieImperial where I'll be vlogging everyday so people can take a look into my life and see how hard myself and business partners work to make our dreams come true. 

I hope you guys still remain my viewers and friends with this new direction!

New Business Email:

katieimperial.official@gmail.com

XOXO

Katie 

Favorite Pictures From My Shoot With DivineSkye Photography

Here are just a few of my favorites from my photo shoot! 

DivineSkye Photography (Megan Lunsford) is one of my all time favorite people to shoot with, we get some amazing shots. None of these pictures would have been possible without DivineSkye Photography!

What I'm wearing:

Vans Creme Lace Dress

KIRRA Studded Leopard Cardigan from Pacsun

Forever 21 glitter tights

Vans Leopard Sk8 Hi Wedges

Check out my whole collection at:

http://divineskyephotography.pixieset.com/katie2014/

Check out the lovely Megan Lunsford's blog at:

http://megan-lunsford.squarespace.com

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile! Love you all and I hope you enjoy this short and sweet post for Random Wednesday! 

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

Confidence and Courage

Photo credit: DivineSkye Photography by Megan Lunsford (left)

Outfit: Dress from Macy's (left) 

Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe Beanie from Brandy Melville, Leather Jacket by Obey from Zumiez (right)

Confidence, now let's get real, EVERYONE struggles with being insecure about themselves at one point in their lives AT LEAST. Let me take you back all the way to Elementary School, Middle School and part of High School. From the first day of Kindergarten I had a lot of self esteem issues because well one, I was the odd one out, I grew up in a town where the Asian population is probably about 1% of the entire population. I was the only little Asian girl in my entire class, I didn't look like the rest, I had one of those really bad 90's hair cuts with the short bangs and quite honestly I did not fit in. I was also the youngest out of my classmates by a year and my teacher had told me that, she didn't believe I could excel at the age of four and had no hope for me which made me feel like I wasn't even smart enough or good enough to be among my peers.So, let's jump to first grade after I proved that darn kindergarten teacher wrong, I had started gymnastics! It was the first time I ever felt a sense of confidence in myself because it was something I was good at and all throughout Elementary School and Middle School that was my escape to feel accepted and confident. I mean, I had a few friends but like I said I was really the odd one out. In Middle School, I was that really awkward kid, in band and what not. I wasn't happy with what I saw in the mirror, had braces, teenage acne and I just was not a good looking kid. I looked at all my friends and peers, they were developed pretty, had a ton of friends and then there was me being really awkward. I was honestly not happy with the way I looked one bit and my awkwardness carried on through about my late Junior year. I personally believe it's because I was a gymnast and my body wasn't able to develop till I retired from a knee injury. So, Senior year of High School is when I discovered makeup to enhance what I already had and not cake my face up as I did in previous years. I found my "nitch" that year and started loving who I was. 

A few months later after I graduated, I was hired at Vans and let's just say, Vans honestly changed my world and it took me about a year to fully understand that I was hired for the person on the inside and that's what made me find confidence in myself. Makeup, I believe is a tool to help women feel beautiful don't get me wrong, but knowing you are a good person,with good intentions and dreams is what I think makes someone  start to become confident in themselves and then leads someone beginning to love themselves for who they truly are and embrace their imperfections. It takes courage for one to go out in the world and say "Hey, I'm me, I'm imperfect, I make a shit ton of mistakes, but I learn from them. I'm a good person and persevere through every shitty thing that gets thrown at me and I think I'm a beautiful person, so take me for who I am or don't and if you don't my middle finger truly goes out to you."

The way I look at life now that I'm a little older, is just the things I just quoted above. I know I'm not perfect and I'm okay with it. I'm confident within myself and love the person I see in the mirror, even if I do have a mega breakout on my face, because that's only temporary. I'm beautiful for who I am, not because designer everything makes me way prettier than I really am or because I know how to put on makeup. I'm pretty because I own what I have and make it my own and WORK IT. ;)  Accepting myself is what makes me a confident and a courageous woman. 

All you girls or guys do not need to look at others and go "oh look at what they have, I wish I was them, why can't I have their life." and blah blah blah. You all are all beautiful because of who you are as an individual. I challenge all of you to look in the mirror, pick out one thing about yourself that you like and look at what you have. Do you have a family that loves you, friends, someone who understands you, a house to live in or maybe a significant other? Pick at least two of those things and be thankful for them because the person you might always compare yourself might not have any of those special things that you have. 

I hope you guys really like this heart to heart post! Tell me what you guys love about yourselves and something you're thankful for!

XOXO

Cozy days and Cuddles with Cookie :)

Meet my Poodle Cookie!!

I believe you should all get to know me on a very personal level, I think y'all should know that I'm just a normal person just sharing my interests with the world. I want you guys to also see just the normal, weird, goofy, always taking selfies Katie because let's get real, that's just who I am! Every night, I plan on writing a post that breaks down my day, what I'm working on, what's on my mind and all of those kind of things, with a very not so formal way of typing and talking to all of you the way I'd talk in "real life." haha or even the way I would text some one! :P <---- (That's my favorite face to use!) But honestly, I woke up this morning, took this picture, started up my blog and really thought about what I wanted in life. I seriously thought I wouldn't have an audience at all and this would kind of be like my Facebook and within an hour I was over like 200 views. I am so so so thankful for all of you who take the time and read what I have to say and view my blog! It means so much to me and I really hope this whole thing turns out the way I hope it does! I know it's not going to be easy in any way but it's totally worth it. I'm going to pursue my dreams and so should everyone else :) Goodnight everyone! Talk to all y'all tomorrow!

XOXO

All About Me.

(Outfit: Vans baseball tee and Victoria's Secret leggings. Makeup products used: Mac Studio Fix in NW15, Maybelline's Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black, MAC eye shadow in Tissue Weight, Anastasia Brow Duo in Brunette, Benefit Cosmetic's They're Real Mascara in Black and Mary Kay's True Dimensions in Mystic Plum)

Well, let's start off with a formal introduction, shall we? My name full name is Kaitlin Marie McBride, but you can call me Katie. I was born on September 11, 1994, which makes me nineteen. I was born in Denver, Colorado and adopted into a family September 20, 1994 in Colorado Springs, Colorado and shortly after moved up into the mountains 15 minutes outside of Woodland Park, Colorado. I can say I've had a pretty "normal" life I guess. Growing up, my interests were gymnastics, gymnastics and gymnastics and was my world for about eleven years. It ended quickly from a knee injury and I didn't know what to do with myself. When I was around five years old, I learned how to read music, but never really thought of it until gymnastics ended and I discovered that it was something I could excel in besides academics. From 6th grade all the way through high school, I made it known that music was something that was a big part of me performing in symphonic band, wind ensemble, jazz band 1&2, a Christian band called Higher Ground and my favorite...marching band. Through the years I've learned to play piano, clarinet, tenor saxophone, guitar and bass guitar which is something I've become to appreciate. During school, I was never the "popular" or "cool" kid, quite frankly I was incredibly awkward and didn't fit in whatsoever. I found my passions for what I wanted to do in life after graduating high school and being hired from one of the most iconic brands, Vans. I've felt behind in life compared to my peers and that my interests weren't "right" and wasn't anything I could make a career out of until I discovered Bubzbeauty on YouTube. I wasn't interested in being in college and working a 9am-5pm for the rest of my life and still am not interested. What I love is working for Vans, fashion, beauty, make-up, music, modeling and showing the world I'm not like everyone else and still be "successful" in life without the things society makes out to be "the things you have to do in order to be successful."