Touching Up Your Makeup

I will begin by saying that apart from blotting, I don't actually touch up my makeup at school. Yes, I do check to see if I have mascara smudging under my eyes, but I don't go out of my way to reapply anything. The reason is that I don't have that much time at school between classes, and makeup isn't really my number one priority when I am at school. However, if I do want to touch up my makeup before I go out somewhere, this is what I do.

TIPS

• In the bathroom, use a toilet seat cover to blot (also, if you find it embarrassing to blot in public, just use the toilet seat cover while in the stall, no one will see). The material is as absorbent as blotting sheets so it works perfectly!
• Other than concealer, steer clear from adding more liquid makeup to your face, it can get cakey very quickly. Instead, blend in your existing foundation to bring life back to it.
• Make sure that you gently wipe away any mascara or eyeliner smudged under your eyes.
• Use a light hand with powder, only in the areas where you need it (T-zone for me).
• If your blush has faded throughout the day, add some more to bring back that healthy flush to your face. If you don't have blush on hand, just use your lipstick as a cream blush.
• Reapply your lip color on clean lips so that it doesn't look blotchy and uneven. Use your finger to blend it in for a more natural look.
• If your don't want to add more lipstick, put on some lip balm and blend it in for a smooth and polished finish.

Photo Wall Using Fairy Lights

I'm sure that you have seen several pictures of fairy lights (string lights) used as room decorations and they always look pretty and elegant. Prior to hanging these lights, I had no photographs in my room at all and I was faced with a really empty wall behind my bed. By combining these two elements--using Pinterest for inspiration, I was able to fulfill both of my desires. 

What You'll Need

• Another Person to Help
• Wall With Outlet
• 2 Boxes of Clear String Lights (Mini Bulbs)
• Command Strips Damage-Free Hanging Clips & Strips (I used 6)
• Hand Sanitizer
• Ruler
• Clothespins or Paper Clips
• Pencil

1. Draw It First

Before you stick any of the hanging clips on the wall, make sure you draw out the pattern or design you want to hang the lights on the wall. This will take a lot of trial and error. I wanted to fill up my entire wall with my lights, so the final design I settled on was a horizontal draping of the lights. Also, make sure that your lights are long enough to reach an outlet! My outlet is right behind my bed near my nightstand so it works out well.

2. Measure It Out

I measured out one and a half feet in and half a foot down from the ceiling to place the top two corner clips. You can mark this with a pencil. These top two clips are probably the most important because they set the basic framework for the rest of your arrangement. Continue to mark out where you want the rest of the clips to be placed (I had three on the right and two on the left). 

3. Place The Clips

These Command clips are great because they can be easily taken off and moved. The actual sticker strips can only be used once, but the clips can be reused. Before you use the clips, you should wipe down your wall with some alcohol--I just used a drop of hand sanitizer--to remove any residue before sticking on the clips. Follow the instructions on the box to properly use the clips and strips. 

4. Step Back

You might not be happy with how you first hang the lights (as you can see above it took me several attempts to get it just right), but once you do get it right, it's like a fairy sprinkled fairy dust everywhere haha.

5. Hang Your Photos

baby me <3

Once your lights look just right, you can decide on what photos you want to display. In total, I used 18 photos, an assortment of old photos of when I was a baby, and some newer ones that I printed out on photo paper off Facebook. I didn't have any clothespins on hand, so I just used some large paper clips to secure the pictures on the lights. It's also great that you can you always add more photos, switch them out, or clip on anything else you want to remember (ticket stubs, notes, etc.).

6. Finishing Touches

For the purpose of function and accessibility, I added another clip right next to my outlet so that I wouldn't always have to reach for the end of the string to plug it in. This makes it really easy to plug and unplug the lights because you know the end won't suddenly fling back and mess up the rest of your arrangement. 

I can't even begin to describe to you how much I love my wall now. Every time I turn on the lights and look at the pictures, I get this fuzzy feeling inside that makes me really happy and thankful for all the wonderful things in my life :)