You know how some people have a sort of go-to face routine?

You know what I'm talking about: That one girl who always looks impeccably well put together, complete with lightly winged eyeliner and perfectly tousled hair?

*cough* Taylor Swift. *cough*

And I thought, oh my God, look at that... Perfectly tousled hair.

Lately, coming into Spring, I've been wondering what my go-to would be. I don't think I've ever really had one before. I kind of just alternate between different looks for a few months at a time. Liquid eyeliner for a few months, contoured cheeks for a few... And then there are the absolutely no makeup phases. I think it's great to experiment—and I'm glad that I do—but I don't really have that one classic look in my arsenal to fall back on, and I think it's time I remedy that.

So, after mulling it over, and letting the freshness of Spring inspire me, I've come up with four things that I think would be must-haves in my ideal "go-to" look.

1. Dewy Skin


First, and foremost, is dewy skin. I feel like whatever you do to your skin is arguably the most important part of a beauty routine, because it sets the foundation (ha ha, foundation, get it?? ....I'll see myself out) for every other part. I've never really been into the matte look, so dewy skin has always been a favorite of mine, especially in the warmer months of the year.

2. Bold Brows


I like my brows thick, and I like them dark. But, it wasn't always that way.

Like many other women, I was the girl who over-tweezed while I was growing up because I thought my brows needed to look thin and arched like all of the other girls around me, and the women I saw in magazines.

Just luckily, mine grew back after I stopped tweezing them (whew!) and since my tweezer-happy days, I've learned a lot about how much diversity there is in brows—that they didn't all have to look one particular way—and that I should embrace mine for what they were. And so, I've learned to play them up by filling them in. Definitely one of my favorite features now.

3. Perfect Pout


I wasn't always a lipstick girl, but it was mostly an insecurity thing, my avoidance of it. I just didn't think I could pull it off, and it was attention-grabbing in a way that freaked me out. Then, I woke up one day and said "carpe diem" and now I own ten lip products in varying colors, with a nearly constant longing for more. Oops.

Aaaanyway, I really think that a nice lip color, bold or not, can really freshen up your whole face.

One thing that I've liked consistently for a couple years now is a gradient lip. It's such a soft, low-maintenance way to add color, even on days when you don't feel like rocking something intense, and something about it feels really fresh, and somehow youthful. Maybe it's the fact that it looks like you just drank fruit punch.

4. Tousled Tresses



I've recently realized just how much my hair affects my overall look and confidence, and it really has more to do with how it feels on me, than how it actually looks. I like how long hair looks, especially on other people, but recently, I've found myself  aboard the short hair train. I just feel more myself with it that way right now, if that even makes sense. Short hair is just so fun and breezy. What's better than that?

So, what about you? What's your "go-to" beauty look? I'd love it if you'd share them with me!

xo A

It was, once upon a time, dubbed my favorite season. I'm more of an Autumn gal now, but Spring is such a beautiful, dreamy time, in a completely different way than Autumn. It's fresh and new and there are flowers everywhere. You can feel the warmth creeping back in after a cold winter, but you still have the lingering cool breezes.

A small list of some of my favorite things about Spring time:

• cool, breezy days
• blooming flowers
• the sound of lawns being mowed for the first time in months
• when it gets warm enough that rain isn't so frigid anymore
• seeing people out & about, soaking up the first sunny day in weeks
• finally getting to wear shorts & dresses again

What’s your favorite part of Spring?? I’d love to hear it!

So, I’ve never had a Shamrock Shake from McDonald’s.

*horrified gasps*

I know, I know.... I don’t know how I’ve managed it, but it’s just never happened.

I have, however, been unable to miss all of the hype surrounding them. I hear they’re delicious, and the pretty green color is all-too appealing.


And so, in honor of St. Patrick’s day, I made a green smoothie. A little healthier, I’m sure, than a shake from McDonald’s. 

Literally the easiest thing to make, and preeetty tasty.

Green mint smoothie —

• 1-2 frozen bananas
• Almond milk (I used the hint of honey variety!)
• 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract
• A small handful of raw spinach leaves
• Optional: whipped cream + gold sprinkles

1. Whirl the bananas up in a blender until they’re getting creamy, adding milk as needed until you reach your desired consistency.

2. Once the consistency is about how you want it, add in the mint extract + the spinach leaves, and blend again until the spinach is ground into fine pieces.

3. Pour into a cup + add a little whipped cream on top for fun, and some gold sprinkles for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow!

I probably couldn't count on two hands the amount of times I have endeavored to start posting content regularly on the internet. Astronomical, really...

So, here I am, hopefully for real this time. I've kind of finally decided to throw myself into this as unashamedly as possible. It's not much, but it's something.

I want to be happy. It's as simple, and as complicated, as that. So I'm going to start doing the things that I think will make me happy. And that starts here.

(Also, the title of this post may or may not have been a High School Musical reference... Make of that what you will.)