A Day at the MFA

Hi everyone!

        My mom, sister, and  I have been attempting to be tourists in our own city this summer! There are so many things to do and see in and around the Boston area and New England in general. It is a place filled with so much history and culture. So many things have happened here and it is still an area so bustling and full of life. Although Boston can be an expensive city (it is listed in the top 10 of many travel websites as being one of the most expensive in the U.S.) there are a good amount of cheap or even free things to do though so don't worry! Many museums are free at certain times on specific days. There is also a program called Free Fridays which lists when many venues in the city and other parts of Massachusetts have no cost admission.

Here is a link to the site: 
 http://highlandstreet.org/programs/free-fun-fridays

       My mom, sister and I went to the MFA (Museum of Fine Arts)  this past Friday. It is one of my all time
favorite museums. I love that is has such a diverse collection and I love wandering through the exhibit halls and coming across new pieces and paintings. They have things from ancient Egypt and China, pieces from Europe dating back to the Middle Ages, Rembrandt masterpieces, paintings by Monet, contemporary art, and everything in between. They also always have really great feature exhibits such as the recent #techstyle one I was very excited about seeing.

       This exhibit was all about the relationship between fashion and technology. There were some really great concepts behind the pieces and showed a lot of ingenuity. There were 3D printed shoes, a Ralph Lauren purse with a built in charger for electronic devices, a few garments showing off their laser cut details. A jacket with solar panels, a dress from a Victor & Rolf collection that had a frame and could be hung up on the wall as a legitimate piece of art when not being worn, as well as countless other fascinating pieces utilizing technology in new ways.

The dress on the right is the Victor & Rolf one I mentioned

This designer made pieces that could fold up flat. The square on the left unfolds into a dress like the one on the right

This dress was made out of plastic and based off of a slow motion picture of water

There were 1000s of LED lights sewn into this dress which can light up different colors and make different shapes and patterns

       We also visited other galleries. Here are a few pieces I thought were cool, I didn't get to take too many pictures but I thought I'd show you some that I did get to take.

     We spent a good number of hours explore and there's so much more we didn't even get to see. I'm sure I'll be back again. I highly recommend visiting this museum if you have the chance. It is also very easy to get to and has its own stop on the Green Line.

Thanks for reading!
-Emily

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My Favorite Mascaras

         Today I decided to share my current favorite mascaras with you! And it turns out they are both from the same brand. That didn't happen on purpose, I guess I just really like Maybelline mascaras.

         One of the first mascaras I ever owned was a Maybelline Great Lash and I still love it! I have it in Very Black. I find that this mascara really helps to lengthen my lashes and also does a good job separating them. I do not usually like to go for a clumpy look. 
      The wand of this mascara is pretty small and straight. Since it is so small you can get pretty close to your eye and bash of your lashes without having to worry.  I also like my lashes to look "natural". As I have dark brown hair my eyelashes are already dark so if I apply mascara it may not always look like I am wearing it. It may seem like my lashes are already that long. I do always curl my lashes before putting mascara on. My eyelashes are pretty long but sometimes just stick straight out rather than up. Using an eyelash curler solves this "problem" though. I don't wear mascara everyday but if I were to do my "everyday look" than this is the mascara I would be using.
      I really recommend Great Lash if you are looking for a new mascara to try or if you are just starting out with makeup!

        My other favorite is Maybelline's Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara. Now you may be thinking "Emily, the word falsies, as in false eyelashes is in this mascara's name, and didn't you just say you liked your lashes "natural", didn't you just contradict yourself?" and to that I would reply "Yes and no"! Yes, it has the word Falsies in it and this mascara was designed to give you the effect that false lashes does, as in a lot of volume and length. It does a great job of doing so without being overkill. Yes, I like my lashes looking more natural than fake but, (here comes the "no" part)  but no I didn't contradict myself because my lashes can still look "natural" when I wear this. 
        When I apply this mascara  (or any for that matter) I do not glob it on and make it really obvious that I am wearing it. I want to point out though that there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that though and I don't purposely try to make it seem like my lashes are just that gorgeous without mascara,  I just simply do not like that clumpy and thick, thick lashes look on myself. 
       I love how volumizing this mascara is and that it holds a curl really well. It helps make my lashes curl up nicely. I think that the size and shape of the wand are key  factors in how it makes the lashes so voluminous. The wand is curved and also has bristles at the tip. This makes it easy to apply the mascara to each lash and get pretty close to the base of most of the lashes. And I like using the tip to apply the mascara to my outer lashes especially.  
     It is a mascara you can definitely build it up to make it really look like you are wearing false lashes or to intensify your look. I recommend this mascara as well, especially if you are going for a bolder look and really want volume!

Thanks for reading!

-Emily

Do you have any favorite mascaras? Let me know in the comments section!

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My New Year's Resolutions

Hi guys, I can't believe that 2015 is already over, it's crazy how fast the year went by. 

Today I wanted to share my new year's resolutions with you all so without further ado here they are

In 2016 I want to:

• Exercise More: this a goal that I have been working on for the past while and I think I am making some progress but not nearly as much as I want to be making

• Eat Healthier: this is another goal that I have already started working on and I have made some changes in my diet. I have a huge sweet tooth so it is a struggle sometimes but I have been eating more fruits and vegetables and have stopped eating certain foods

• Read More Often: I want to read more often, when I was younger I read almost everyday but since part way through high school I have been reading a lot less, not because I don't want to but because of a lack of time. I read what I have to for my classes but I haven't read a regular novel for my own enjoyment in a long time.

• Be more confident: I would love to gain more confidence and have more self esteem since the levels of those are not where I would want them to be

• Be a better me: (and a better person in general) I want to get healthier and happier in the new year and help other people do the same. Helping to spread good vibes and positivity with other people would be great!

Thank you for reading, what are some of your new years resolutions? Leave them in the comments below!

-Emily

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October Favorites

October is over! To me it seems like the month just flew by. Now every one is gearing up for the holidays!

There were a few things that I couldn't get enough of this October and I thought I'd share them with you guys. 

 

October Favorites 2015 by emsessentials

First up is the Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Concealer & Corrector. This concealer gives pretty good coverage and is definitely buildable. It has a doe foot applicator and I apply it with my clean fingers. It does not break me out. It is supposed to last a long time and I find that it does. Another benefit is that it is supposed to help clear you skin after you have used it for a while. I haven't used it long enough yet but I think that it has potential! Even if it doesn't end up doing that it is still a great concealer and I will continue to buy it. There is also a foundation from the same line.

 

The next product that I have been loving is the Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette in Comfort Zone. These are very neutral and earthy colors, great for doing natural eye looks. You can use it to do more dramatic looks as well though. The pigmentation is pretty good and the shadows do not crease even without wearing primer. I was very impressed by the quality. 

Another thing I got a lot of use out of was my eyelash curler. Although I use it all the time and it wasn't an item I just recently "fell in love with" I did recently just start only curling my lashes and not always wearing mascara. Curling lashes makes such a difference and for me the curl lasts pretty long with/without mascara. Sometimes it's nice to not put it on since it can be time consuming and then a bit annoying to remove at night. I  do love mascara though! And I am a college student so I don't get too much sleep and curling my lashes makes me look so much more awake even without mascara and sometimes my eyes water a lot in the mornings and I don't want to have to worry about my mascara running.

I also really like metallic nail polish during the fall, especially golds, rose gold tones, greens, and other jewel tones such as purple.




I have been drinking a lot of tea lately. It really helped me get over a cold and there are a lot of benefits of drinking tea. There are also so many varieties so I think there is at least one flavor out there for everyone. Tea is a great beverage for the fall and winter and just symbolizes those seasons to me. My personal favorite teas are black tea, raspberry tea, and Christmas tea and as for brands I really enjoy Lipton, Twinning's of London, and Bigelow.

 
 
 
 
The last thing I thought I'd mention is a snack food. It is Popcorners! Theses are so delicious and my favorite is the kettle corn flavor, other flavors include white cheddar, butter, caramel, and sea salt. If you don't know what Popcorners are, they are basically popcorn in the form of triangle chips. There are a bit of a healthier alternative to chips and are amazing!

What were some of your October favorites? Let me know in the comments below!
Thank you for reading!
-Emily

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Fall Activities

Hi everyone, long time no see. School has been keeping me busy and I'm sure that is the same case for some of you as well!

I think that fall is such a great season. The leaves change amazing colors and the air is crisp and clean. This time of year it is so nice to be outside, it is a bit chillier out so it is perfect for wearing boots and sweaters. As well as it being the prime time for drinking tea, which I have recently umm, how should I say this... become more obsessed with. I drink it everyday now and definitely prefer it over coffee. I do like lattes and mochas though don't get me wrong, and being the common white girls that we are we know that fall also means certain Starbucks drinks too *wink, wink PSl*

In case you need any ideas for what to do to take advantage of this beautiful season I came up with a list of some ideas! I tried to break them down into categories as best as I could but some of them could fit into more then one since they overlap. I am also aware that I made up some words for the categories!

Outdoorsy:

• Apple Picking
• Pumpkin Picking

Make a whole day trip out of either of the two above and take advantage of the other things offered there like hayrides and the amazing apple cider and donuts I'm sure they make. Some orchards and farms even hard animals you can look at. Baby goats are very cute and the apple orchard my family goes to also has llamas and a donkey)

• Go for a hike, a great way to get exercise and enjoy nature and the beauty of the trees and weather
• Go canoeing or kayaking

• Go camping
• Take a drive through the country
• Maybe this means you go out of your way on the drive to a restaurant or something in order to see the foliage. Or just go for a drive for the purpose of seeing the trees

Crafty:

• Look up fall or Halloween Pinterest crafts and DIYs
• Decorate your room or house for fall using decorations you already have or items you just DIYed
• Decorate your room or house (inside and/or outside for Halloween)
• You can decorate the pumpkin you picked by painting it or by other means (there are a lot of cute painted pumpkins on tumblr)

Foodsy: 

• Bake some yummy pumpkin stuff (again you can use Pinterest for inspiration)
• Pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin bread
• For me what comes to mind for fall baked goods are things like banana bread, poppy seed bread, oatmeal cookies, things with crasins (possibly muffins), apple pie, apple donuts, goodies with cinnamon....now I'm getting hungry, I will definitely need to make some of these soon!

Halloweeny:

• Go to a haunted house
• Have a party
• Make themed treats

Shoppy & City:

• Outlet Shopping
• Really nice to do in the fall since you would be walking outside from store to store
• Go shopping in the city (same concept as for outlet shopping, plus the city is extra cute and tumblr-y in the fall)
• Go for brunch in the city
• Go to the park in the city or public garden to enjoy the day
• Attend a festival or craft fair or seasonal parade if there are any

Last But Not Least, V.I.R. (Very Important Random):

• Volunteer: do something nice for other people, maybe help at a food pantry or soup kitchen

 

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