Beauty in Boots

Born in Abu Dhabi, raised in Houston, living in College Station

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Aaaaaand I'm off!

Here we go again. Back to a world of all-nighters, frozen meals, and wearing the same clothes for days in a row. I had a great time at home, but at the same time I am ready to get back to College Station. I'm excited to see my FLO and new friends again. I guess I feel like I've outgrown where I grew up. The city and people are changing, and so am I!

It's all an exciting and scary time. I will be taking a bigger work load than last semester, but I ready and I can handle it. If you can see above, I"m bringing back quite a lot. It almost feels like I'm bring back more than I brought to college all together..what can I say!

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Parabo!

I wanted to do a quick review of this company called Parabo. I saw an add for them on Instagram and they gave me a coupon code to get my first 25 pictures free. I thought it would be a perfect gift for my friend's birthday and all I had to do was pay for shipping. I chose 25 of my favorit pictures from Instagram or any on my computer and Parabo put them on a sort of card stock. I recieved the pictures and they came in this zip lock with a cute pattern card stock backing. The pictures came out great! I wasn't too sure how the quality would look because I got them off the internet, but it was no problem! There website also has a bunch of different options for your pictures. Because mine was the free trial, I guess you could say, I could only get the 25 card stock pictures. They have many other options like a accoridan style and books you can put together.This idea is so personal and thoughful without having to put too much work or money into it. I am definitley going to be purchasing more off this website for my bestfriends/sister/parents!

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LUSH Haul..or pick up

After my many months in college, I am sad to say that I now am the owner of a dad bod. Yes, you heard me. A dad bod. I am not pround, but I am working on it.

Yesterday I was sitting on the couch minding my own business and my sister and mom proceed to make fun of the bra I'm wearing. It's just youre average nude strapless bra. Only problem is, it doesn't fit properly. A problem many women experience. An estimated 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size, an abomination, I know. I probably own like two good bras at a time and they just aren't cuttin it anymore. Sorry bra, but my boobs have outgrown you. We are too much for you now. We are bigger than you. We simply just need something more. Okay enough, so I went out to the mall and picked up some new bras. At Victoria Secret that hada 2 for $45 deal going on. Now would I call that a deal? No, because in a matter of months my boobs will no longer fit in these bras, but whatever! You're probably wonder why the titley of this is "Lush Haul" and I'm talkin' about boobs over here. Well you see after I bought my bras, I headed over to LUSH and told myself I would spend $20..As we all know, that never happens.

I walk in an explain to the woman what's wrong with my face, because let's just face it, there's a lot right now. She gives me a sample of Grease Lightening. With just this one sample they lured me in and it was gameover. I ended up buying a small pot of Mask of Magnaminty and the Full of Grace Serum bar. I've used them both and so far I love them! The mask is just like it says, MINTY! And the serum is very light and smells ah-mazing. My skin is in really bad condition right now and I'm using a combination of products like Neostrata, lush cosmetics, First Aid Beauty, and Philosphy's Purity cleanser all along with my Clarisonic. I'm not sure if its my diet and a combination of the weather, but I've gradually began to eat better andso we'll see if all this works

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See what I'm saying...I wasn't lying. Hm, hm, hm yum!

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Downtown Date

Y'all have heard it before, but Kasey and I went to look at ANOTHER venue today. It's called The Gallery, in Houston. It was much different than the one in Brookshire, and was a no-go for here. Because it was a bust, we decided to finish the outing by having lunch at Dish Society. As a New Year's resolution I've vowed to eat healthy, and it's beginning now haha! Kasey chose the place because she has been here previously wiht a friend and I was super excited because I love doing this sort of stuff and Houston has so many good spots to eat!

We walked in anf of course, it being in Houston we hit the lunch crowd. The place had an industrial feel to it, but still inviting. We both ordered the quinoa stuffed avocado and I added chicken to mine..ohmygosh. SO GOOD. The thing about it too was that there was really nothing to it. It was quinoa inside an avocado..that's it. Well of course there were spices and a bit of vinagerette, but nothing complex. Anyways, we finished up lunch and talked all things wedding. Posting a picture of the food shortly!

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OOTD!

Kasey and I drove to Brookshire to look at one of her venues and on the way out we decided to take advantage of the San Felipe rest stop...I know a rest stop/historical marker. We both looked extra cute that day and I really wanted to try out an outfit of the day post! So here it is..I'll start from head to toe and even include my make-up, so I guess it's more of a "Look of the Day"

Outfit

I. Ray Ban sunglasses-GREEN CLASSIC G-15, AVIATOR CLASSIC- $150

Kasey gave me these for graduation and they are my go to sunglasses. They look good with any outfit and I also have them in blue. I chose to go with the dark to add an edgyness to my look..lol. I'm really liking black recent

II. ZARA geometrical sweater/poncho-$40

I just got this poncho sweater from the new Zara at our mall and I'm obsessed with it. Zara to me, is like a higher end Forever 21 without being too much higher of a price. Everything in that store is so chic and I love it! It was super warm...even though it's like 70 degrees here, but worth it.

III. Forever 21 feaux leather pants-$?

I got these pants around my sophmore year of high school..these were my heavier days and oh look they fit again(barely). These pants are super cute and super tight. You can't see becuase of my boots, but around my ankles there are zippers and the seams are very defined, which reall adds to the whole sleek, edgy look I'm going for.

IV. Forever 21 knee high boots-$40

Again, another item from Forever 21..what can I say. I wear these boots allllll the time and the quality is not that bad for Forever. These sueded boots, which is really in right now, look good with jeans, leggings, and even short dress and skirts. And the gold embellishments on the heel are to die for. I always feel like a bad ass in these.

V. Zulilly silver tennis bracelet

My mom got my sister and I these bracelets for Christmas. She has been raving about Zulilly for months, but has never actually bought anything. She finally ordered these for us, I'm not sure how much they were because the were a gift, but I absolutely love it! At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about silver. I really prefer gold, because I think it looks better with my skin tone, but it's really growing on me and it just adds a lot of class.

Makeup

Face: Benefit the Porefessional Bobby Brown Skin Foundation- Warm Natural 4.5 mixed with NARS Sheer Glow-Stromboli Givenchy Teint Couture-2 Dentelle Beige NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer-Light 2 Vanilla MAC Mineralizing SkinFinish-Global Glow Anastasia Contour Kit Becca Mineral Blush-Flower Child Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector-Opal Tarte Amazonian Clay Skin Finishing Power

Brows: Anastasia Brow wiz- medium brown Urban Decay the Brow Box-Honey Pot Anastasia Brow Gel

Eyes: Too Faced Shadow Insurance Tartlett in Bloom Palette-Smarty Pants,Sweetheart, Rebel, Leader Tarte Amazonian Clay dual eyeliner- Brown Dior Lash Plumping Serum Maybelline Lash Sensational- Black Pearl

Lips: Bite Line and Define Lip Primer Too Faced Lip Liner-Perfect Nude NYX Extra Creamy Lipstick- 615A Minimalism Buxom Full-on Lip Polish- Dolly

Finish: Urban Decay All-nighter Spray

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And so it begins..

Today is the first of many...the first of many festivities until December. You want to know why? BECAUSE MY SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED! Today me, the Maid of Honor, and my sister, the Bride, are going to look at her first venue for the wedding. Kasey set up an appointment at Pecan Springs in Katy. The website says "Rustic Elegant Event Venue" and if you know my sister, she wants the exact opposite, so we'll see how this goes. Her one request(she had more than one) was to not have a pinterest/DIY wedding so RIP to burlap and mason jars and let the games begin!

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Hiking Trip

Im back! Did you miss me? Probably not. For the past week I have been testing my limits in the wilderness which is Big Bend National Park. Since I was about ten my Dad and I have been coming here to get away from the hustle and bustle of Houston. For those who don't know, Big Bend is a national park located in West Texas along the Mexican border. When I say along the Mexican border, I mean it. I literally bought a walking stick and a rock from someone across the river one time..shhh, don't tell.

So when I was younger and going social media wasn't around and I didn't even have a cell phone. Now that I do I wanted to have cute pictures to post, but let me tell you..it is hard as hell to look cute in the wilderness for seven days. My Dad and I walked on average 10 miles a day, do you know what that's like? Luckily it is really dry out there, or else my hair could have greased a creaky door with all the oil on it. So for seven days I had to get creative. Keep in mind it is January, January in the desert and mountains. The below freezing kind of January. For all you who don't live in Texas, yes, it does get cold. My outfits consisted of leggings, pull-overs from Sam's, french braids, and boots. Sometimes you have to sacrifice being warm in order to look cute..yes this is considered "cute" out there haha!

We hiked mostly in the desert due to the fact that it is so cold in the mountains during this time. It was a really good feeling to be out in the open, fresh air away from my construction filled city. Out here there were no worries for me..at last. I am on holiday break, my job for now, is finished. All I was obligated to do was relax and think. On our mile hikes through the rocky washes, dusty trails, and steep mountains I was able to think. I thought a lot about who I was, who I am, and who I want to be. Since starting college I haven't had time to think about things like this because I simply don't have time, or maybe because I don't want to make time. Either was it was a good feeling to be able to be out there doing something I enjoy without a care in the world. Throughout the school year I couldn't even enjoy a meal out fully, because I knew I had more to do. But out here, there was nothing. All I had to do was relax.

If you have never been to Big Bend National Park I highly recommend it or any park for that fact! I always sleep in a tent, because after all, that's how you get the full experience. If you are not into getting the full experience, don't fret, there are lodges and cabins for you to stay in. The park to me is what you make it. You can have the best time of your life or the worst. Regardless, the park has so much to offer. There are several trails located within the basin (center of the mountains) and in the desert for beginner hikers and advanced. I won't go into details of which ones I did, but I will tell you I'm whooped. Every time I visit I am exposed to new things like wild life and testing my mentail and physical abilites.

I can't believe I'm saying some of this stuff because I sound like a real loser, but after you visit this kind of stuff is super exciting an something you really don't get to see. I've come to appreciate this place more and more over time. I was luck enough to see tons of wildlife this trip! Something that I didn't realize that I miss out on so much is seeing stars..freaking stars people. They are up there every night and we don't even know it sometimes. Living in big cities the lights are just to bright, but when you are away from it all, you can see them along with the Milky Way and it's just amazing. The last day of our trip my Dad and I hiked a 13 mile round trip into the mountains. Being so tired after, we ate dinner that night in a town near by called Terlingua. It was a mining district turned ghost town filled with many interesting people. This probably was my favorite part of the whole trip. If you saw this place you would wonder what kind of person would want to live ina town like this. Then you see the kind of person that does, and it explains why the town is the way it is. We ate at a "famous" restaurant around there called the Starlight Theatre Restaurant & Saloon. This place is so quirky and has so much character I didn't want to leave! And to top it off the people are so nice and friendly. So friendly you can go to the little store next door, buy a beer, and drink it on the porch with the locals.

If you can't tell by the small description I have given above, I love Big Bend National Park and all it has brought to my life. I have learned so much and visiting always sort of brings me back down to earth and reminds me of who I am. I know it sounds cliche, but go visit and you'll find out.

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December Favorites!

I thought every month I would post some of the favorite things I've been using throughout the month. This month I have all beauty items due to excessive amount of Sephora gift cards I recieved, but I do intend on posting more than just that.

Murad Oil Control Mattifier $39.50 Okay..I freaking love this stuff! I have combination skin, but also living in Houston contributes to the mass amount of moisture in my skin. And not the "Oh wow, her skin is supple and dewy." but the "She could fry an egg with the amount of oil on her skin." So this cream/moisturizer is perfect! I have experimented with it just plain on my skin and with foundation ontop and have noticed a huge difference. My makeup looks flawless with this underneath. So huge shoutout to my big sister Kasey for the hookup this Christmas. I would say if you have dry skin this would not be the product for you. I can see this making me dry when I go back to school, because the air isn't as humid.

Boscia Lumnizing Mask $38 I am big on samples. I almost always get a sample of something before buying it because with the brands that I buy..well they aren't cheap and I refused to waste money on something so expensive if I don't love it. My skin has been so bad recently, so I'm super into skin care at the moment. It mostly my nose. It's just one giant break out 24/7. I got this mask as a way to clean out more pores and remove blackheads. Think back to elementary when you would but Elmer's liquid glue all over your hand, wait for it to dry, and peel it off? This is the same concept. I put a thick layer (works best this way) across my nose, wait 15-20 min and peel! There is something super satisfying about peeling this off and looking what gunk was stuck in there..ew. But yes, definitley a must. It come in a small tube for $38, but you don't use as much as you would think. I use it about once a week to clean out the dirt from the week.

Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum $28.50 Prime, prime, prime. I literally prime everything. Face, eye lids, eyelashes, lips..everything. This is an eyelash primer and I swear by it. Before I was using the Per-Fekt Lash Gel, but the lady at Sephora recommended this one to me and they were the same price and I love it! I just put it on before applying my Maybelline Lash Sensational ($8.45). I have found that if I wait too long and allow it to dry it is hard to put on and gets kinda flaky. So if you do use it be sure to apply mascara right away and it acts as a kind of lube.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish- Global Glow $32 I receieved this from my lovely friend Taylor for Christmas. I think I'm hard to shop for when it comes to makeup because my collection is pretty much stocked. This is the one thing I don't have..ha! I haven't used a bronzer since probably the eighth grade, but I was excited to have one again. It says mineralize skinfinsh, I took that as bronzer. When I use this I first put on my foundation and then put this in the places I would contour normally. It gives me this cali-sunkissed look and I looooove it. After I put this in the hollows of my cheeks, around my forhead, jawline, and nose, I got back in those same places with my Anastasia Contour Kit. It's like the perfect recipe for a bronzy look and I'm super proud that I concoted it haha!

Fresh Sugar Nourishing Lip Balm $30 Everything about this lip blam is amazing! First off the name, Fresh, it really is fresh! It has: -Sugar: A natural humectant known to prevent moisture loss. -Wild Mango Butter: Helps protect and soften dry lips. -Sea Fennel Extract: Helps to smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth and define the lip area. -Hyaluronic Filling Spheres: Help to enhance volume. Its really light which is my favorite part of it. I cleanse my face at night and apply some of this to my lips and voila! In the morning my lips are hydrated and ready for my lipstick! I think if you really want your lipstick to look smooth and your lips to look healthy, a balm is must have. Also, on days I don't wear as much makeup I will line my lips with the Too Faced lip liner($17) in Spiced and then rub a little bit of this on my lips.

NYX Minimalism 615A lipstick $3.99 This is my go to lipstick the moment. I looked on the Utla website and I can't find this on there, but I got it not too long ago. This lipstick was super cheap and I just love the color. Its a mauve/pinkie/brown which I feel like is super in at the moment. It has a more glossy than matte finish and is really hyrdating. When using this, I'll do my foundation and full face and then clean the foundation off my lips with a q-tip, prime my lips with the Buxom lip foundation($20), and line my lips with Mac's Soar lip liner, and then coat my lips with this lipstick. It is the perfect pairing!

Givenchy Teint Couture Embellishing Concealer-Dentelle Beige $35 I bought this after I had seen a few youtubers using the liquid version of this. I loved the way it made their under eyes so much brighter and relly wanted to go for that look. I struggle with under eye bags (thanks Dad) and anything that will make that area brighter is on my nice list. I went to Sephora and told the woman what I wanted. Long story short, she talked me into getting the stick instead of the pen. I was skeptical at first, but I really like it and definitely see a difference. After I apply my foundation I will put this onto my bags and blend with a small brush or my beauty blend from MAC. I then will follow up by applying a NARS concealer. Even without the NARS concealer I feel like this product is worth the money and see a huge difference! The only thing about this stick is that it comes in three colors, so unfortunately if you don't match one of those you're out of luck.

So this is all I have for December. I will definitely have more for January, because I am already loving so much and it is only the the third!

MK

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Grubbing in Galveston

Last week my Mom and I decided to make a trip to Galveston. From where I live, it's about a thirty minute drive and much more exciting. I wanted to practicet taking pictures on my new camera and my Mom graciously offered to join me.

We arrived in Galveston around noon and the weather could not have been more perfect! The night before we experienced a lot of rain and a cold front came through, so the next day was super sunny and clear. Being on break for so long, I forgot what it was like to hav to pay to park somehwere..(sigh) something I DO NOT miss about college life. Alas, we parked and quickly found a Starbucks. I never thought I would say this, but I'm finding it harder and harder to function without coffee. I'm really trying not to become one of those people so today I ordered a hot Green Tea Latte with Coconut Milk, no sweetener, and too honeys. I know it's specific, but if you like green tea like I do, you'll loooooove this! After the drinks we needed food. We went to this small cafe along the Strand called Yaga's. It has a sort of like a Greek/Reggae/Bob Marley feel to it. I ordered the Greek Salad and added Chicken and my Mom got some kind of spinach salad with chicken and walnuts. This probably wasn't the best place to eat on the Strand in my oppinion, but it was close and we were to hungry to fiddle around on the Yelp app. The service was slow,especially for how empty is was. I used to be a server, so I know how long these things should take. We both got salads, so maybe something else from there would've been better, but then again, how do you mess up a salad? With full bellys, we went out in search of scenes to photograph.

When I got my camera my Dad told me there were three important things, aperature, shutter speed, and ISO. He encouraged me to start on Manual Mode and take pictures of everything and anything. Although, I know right now I'm just getting the hang of this and it doesn't matter what I take the picture of, I still wanted subject matter. We walked up and down the sidewalks and I came across the Powell Arch. An architect named Boone Powell constructed this an it was for the 1986 Mardis Gras Celebration and 150th anniversary of Texas' Independence. I loved this because it was just so colorful and the structure was so intricate. What I liked most about the idea of taking my pictures in Galveston was that it has so much character. I would never been able to get pictures like these in my suburban neighborhood. I was able to capture this beautiful white church called the Sacred Heart. It is a Catholic church and was established in 1884. I did some research on it and after the 1900 hurricane it had to be reconstructed, because all but two stained glass windows and the Crucifix remained after. This church was absolutely amazing and I would've loved to go inside or attend a service, but unfortunately it was closed at the time. I just feel like not many buildings have this look these days as we progress into this 'modern' society. It's just always really refreshing to see stuff like this and not too far away from your hometown. I took a couple more picture of the church and surrounding houses that are not shown, but these were a few of my favorites. I'm super pleased with the way they turned out considering this was the first time I've taken pictures!

MK

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This is a picture of my tattoo I got back in Septmember. It means forgiveness in Arabic. This word is really important to me, because of a series of events that have happened in my life. I chose Arabic, because i was born in Abu Dhabi. I just wanted something with some meaning while being able to tie it back to something significant.

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There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love. -Bryant H. McGill

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About Me

Hi there,

For anyone who is reading, this will not be your average Tumblr blog. In fact, it will most likely be your poorly-written-she-doesn’t-know-what -she’s-doing kind of blog. I am new to Tumblr, hence the “Newcomer” in my description box, so don’t be leaving any mean comments(if that’s even something you can do).

The purpose of this blog is for me. I want to share my thoughts and activities, even if nobody is reading. I have felt lost, lonely, and uninspired. You could say I am in a rut, but who knows? For me, I’m just really wanting to get back into something. I started college this Fall and I feel like I’ve lost many parts of myself.

Here I am now trying to find them/rebuild new parts. I don’t know if many of you can relate, but this is such a weird time in my life. You’re moving away from home, leaving your friends, learning how to take care of yourself, all while trying to keep your’re grades up. For me at least, the school part isn’t so hard. Luckily I went to pretty difficult school, so not much has changed. I have found that the school part just requires a lot of time and reading, but the rest is where it gets hard for me. Growing up my Mom did a lot for me. Cooked, cleaned, laundry, the whole nine yards. Around my Sophmore/Junior year of high school my parents loosened the reigns and I was sorta on my own. They didn’t pay much attention to me, so I was left to do a lot myself. I resented them for this for a long time, but looking back while, I realize it was unintentional, I’m glad parts of it happened. Anyway, college is hard.

So I’m going to wrap this up. I’m going to Galveston on Monday to try out my new camera I got for Christmas. It’s a Nikon D3300 and I’m super excited. It’s something new for me, because I’ve always had my picture taken and now I get to be on the other end. I know absolutely nothing about cameras, but I’ve been doing my research on aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, so I’m on the right track. I can’t promise anything good, but then again this blog is for me and it’s more of a bonus if others enjoy it as well…

MK