Wow wow wOW it’s been forever and a day since I’ve posted here and I noticed I gained some new followers during my hiatus so, hello new friends!
School kept me extremely busy this past semester (gotta keep my straight A status!) and I didn’t have much time to do anything but schoolwork so here’s a lil update for you guys!
I decided in May to apply on a whim for seasonal Photo Pass at WDW. Unfortunately, training for that role is very in-depth and requires a much longer availability than I was able to offer. So after searching and scrambling, I was offered a role as seasonal or slide operator at the water parks (nOPE) icon attractions at DHS, so I went with the latter!
Attractions was not my first role and Studios was probably the last park I wanted to work at next to DAK (I had a horrible experience picking up a merch shift at DHS) but I’m excited to try out a new role and I’m hoping for Great Movie Ride or Star Tours! I am, however, really bummed I lost my merch proficiencies meaning I can no longer pick up merch shifts in addition to attractions. Maybe I’ll see if I can pull a few strings and pick up some shifts at my old location!
Anyway, I’ll be driving down the end of next week and I have my casting appointment June 22nd and Traditions the 30th (aka more Mickey ears that I have absolutely zero space for haha). This was a super fast process and I can’t believe I’ll only be home for another week or so but I truly can’t wait to be part of the Disney family again, though!
If anyone has questions about going seasonal or what the process is like, as always, feel free to shoot me a message! :)
I know a TON of you have applied for fall 2015 and are unfortunately waiting to hear back with some news, which is why I'm making this post right now. As always, if you have any questions, my inbox is always open for you (anon or not)!
I applied for my program on February 6, 2014, the day applications came out. I was one of the fortunate ones to receive a WBI, and have my phone interview five days later.
After you have your phone interview, there is literally NOTHING you can do at this point and if you're like me ans suffer from anxiety, it can be rough waiting and not knowing what's going on.
The three weeks leading up to my pending e-mail were torture. It's hard to keep sane during the waiting period but it's also important to prepare for the best and the worst case scenario. During this time, I prepared for my acceptance or rejection e-mail.
I prepared for acceptance by filling out roommate surveys, talking to people on the Facebook group and trying to make friends, and doing things like looking into flights and making lists of what I need to do before my arrival (if it arrived at all). This helped me stay optimistic. I tried to not get too into it though, otherwise I would have set myself up for disappointment if I received the dreaded NLIC e-mail. I also spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos on the DCP, blogging, and talking to you guys! You all played a huge part in keeping me sane before I got my pending e-mail (and after I got it too).
I prepared for rejection by realizing the DCP isn't going anywhere and I could always apply again. I also prepared by figuring out a plan for school and thinking about what my next move would be if Disney wasn't in the cards that year. At one point, I did feel that my life would be over if I didn't get in and for me, it would have been tragic due to the situation I was in at that point in my life. I really tried not to think too much about getting rejected and even though the whole waiting thing sucked big time, I just tried to stay optimistic.
The pending process is actually 800x worse than the normal waiting process. If you were an unlucky soul like me and got the pending e-mail, it can be super discouraging. Take note that if you applied for competitive roles (like me), then you will more than likely be pended. To this day I think I was being highly considered for Photopass since that's basically what my whole interview was about and since it is competitive, they have to look over EVERYONE before making a final decision. I got my acceptance for merchandise 10 days after my pending notice so overall it was about a 37 day process from applying to acceptance.
Those 37 days were filled with anxiety but it was all worth it in the end. I don't know if this helped a little, but I hope I provided a bit of re-assurance to those waiting and/or pending their acceptance or rejection e-mail. Disney isn't going anywhere so please try not to be too discouraged if it doesn't happen right away. Just keep swimming and see what the next round of applications has in store for you :)
I wish you all the best of luck and hope you get to experience the journey of a lifetime!
I started writing this tip back in August when I first moved to Orlando and obviously I didn't manage my time very well because this blog suffered (sorry)! These are some things I did (or at least tried to do) to make the most of my time in Disney!
Do something before work. I mostly worked nights, which was a curse and a blessing. My shifts started anywhere from 3:00pm-5:30pm and ended from 11:30pm-1:00 am depending on the day, what has to be done, and EMH (or extra tragic hours). Finding the motivation to go out to the parks before work is super difficult but it can be done. For example, I went to Hollywood Studios to ride Tower of Terror with a friend then went to work right after. I've also gone to Universal beforehand, the Christmas Parade filming, etc. Now I wouldn’t recommend going crazy and wearing yourself out but hey I can’t tell you how to live your life.
Try to go out after work with your co-workers. What sucked about working nights is I really wasn't able to go to the parks after work after but I was able to hang out with my amazing co-workers, though! We picked a night every week and would hit up a lot of the local diners/chain restaurants that were open 24 hours or at least until 2am. I definitely recommend going out after work with your co-workers because it's a great time to bond with them and you still get to pretend you have a consistent social life (kidding....kind of). We literally went out at least once a week and it was always a good time.
Save your days off for fun activities! Most of you will get two days off. Mine were Wednesday and Thursday mostly, or Thursday and Friday. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR DAYS OFF. Go explore the parks, bond with your roommates/co-workers, try out new places to eat, etc. I recommend saving your days off to have fun and use the days you have work to do chores and whatnot. If you work at night, do all of your grocery shopping, cleaning, and laundry before work that way your days off will be cleared for having fun. If you work mornings, try and find the energy to do things after work! The days I was off before 7 were the days I went grocery shopping and straightened up a bit before I went to bed.
Don't sleep until 3pm every day. Back to working nights. If you work at night, DON'T BE A BUM THE ENTIRE DAY. Me and my roommates who also worked nights fell victim to this a lot and it's a waste of time. Some days you should rest but try and get at least something done before work! Target trips were a regular pre-work activity for me.
Develop some sort of routine and stick to it. You’ll be so much happier once you start to develop a routine because you will end up having time to do the things you want to do and not feel stuck in the whole ‘dread going to work and waste a day sitting around when I could be doing important stuff’ routine because you’ll end up wasting your days off! Save your days off for relaxing by the pool or going on an adventure and use the days you have to work as the days to get stuff done.
PLAN AHEAD. Odds are your roommates and friends outside of work will have different schedules than you. Pick a day to hang out at least two weeks in advance and request to have it off! It was so hard for my roommates and I to find a day where all 5 of us happened to have off. If you're as close with your roommates as I was with mine, then you will understand how important it is to have a roommate day where you can all just have fun together. Even if you can't have the whole day off, trading shifts so you have a night or morning off together is better than nothing (we did this a lot)!
This blog has suffered throughout my program and I apologize for not keeping up with it and it's something I regret not doing. I feel like it was only a few weeks ago since I've last updated but I have decided that I will be blogging more when I get home talking about my program and reflecting on everything.
With that being said, if any spring CP's or future applicants have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message and I'll answer your questions and/or make posts based on the questions I receive.
I hope those of you currently participating in the program have a wonderful few weeks left here (unless you're extending then you still have plenty of time!) and I hope to talk to all of you again super soon!
I've been here for over one month already and I can't believe how quickly my time here has passed. My work weeks fly by and it feels like every day is Thursday (my designated day off).
I love my job. Working nights have been a huge change because I'm usually in bed by midnight when I'm home but here I'm just getting off work at that time. My sleep schedule is all sorts of crazy right now but hopefully my body will get used to it. I'm not looking forward to closing on Saturday and opening on Sunday though...yikes. But coming home at night is awesome because my roommates and I just decided to completely move into the living room (not my photo oops).
So over the past week or so a lot has happened and it's very bittersweet. Last time I checked in with you guys there were six of us living in our apartment but unfortunately that number has dwindled down to five. We were having issues with a roommate and at the housing meeting it was decided that the issues we were having could not be resolved and it was in the best interest of everyone if we went our separate ways.
Yesterday we spent the day in Celebration and had the sweetest roommate date! I couldn't get over how perfect that little town is. We all dreamed about what it would be like to live there and all go in on a multi-million dollar home so we can live here forever.
After our little outing we went to EPCOT and after visiting Mexico multiple times, we got matching bracelets with our apartment number on them :) This is something we've wanted to do for a long time but never found time to do so. I'm happy we finally got them because we are all so close and even though we lost a member of our 14306 crew, the rest of us are extremely close and we wanted something special to symbolize our friendship.
Things happen and I'm just trying to make the best of my time here and weed out any negativity surrounding me. I'm hoping the 4 months I have left will be even better than the first month. Here's to hoping!
I celebrated my 22nd (ew) birthday on Tuesday and had the best time...kind of. I got to sleep in until about 7:30 which was a nice change from waking up at 5am for traditions and my other training classes. This was my first official day of training where I got my costume and whatnot. My trainer basically showed me and two of my co-workers around EPCOT including backstage which is SUPER confusing because it's so huge. I literally thought backstage was like a door into a room but noooope. It's huge.
Anyway after about 8 1/2 hours of training I came home dying because it was so hot and with my luck I couldn't get the damn door open but I heard my roommates giggling so when I finally opened the door they surprised me with the cutest lil party ever.
They decorated the dining room, made me the best chocolate chip cookie dough cake, and got me cute balloons, Kit-Kats, and the Haunted Mansion blanket I've been eying for like a year. It was the sweetest thing, especially since we've only known each other for a little over a week.
We got dressed up all cute and headed over to Hollywood Studios to ride Tower of Terror because it's creepy and it's my favorite. We all had our Minnie ears and looked all fancy and whatnot and all the super cute CM's were wishing me a happy birthday and it was so much fun. By the time we got done eating we dashed to Tower and were able to ride it once before close. Obviously we did a princess pose. The photo is bad quality but I wasn't paying $20 for a print so we just took a picture of it at the counter so yay for that.
By this time it was about 10 so we darted over to the Magic Kingdom so I can ride my all time favorite ride, the Haunted Mansion. We took two separate cars and thankfully the group of roomies I was with made it to Mansion with literally 5 minutes to spare.
After we rode Mansion we all met up and got our first official roommate photo in front of the castle. It was a super tiring day but it was one of my favorite birthdays. One bit of advice I have for new CP's is even if you've been working for 9 hours (like I did that day) make sure to try and have fun too because even if your day was long and kind of sucky, you can still make up for it by being a guest and having fun just like the other guests!!
First few days: Check-In & Casting (and what to bring)!
I really don't know how people keep up with blogs/vlogs during the program because the days just fly by. I've been here almost a week but the days just feel like blurs!
Monday I went to Vista for check-in at 9am and it was a decently long process. I met a few of my roommates in line and we chatted a bit but we got separated because they go alphabetically A-L and M-Z and of course my last name has to start with an M and that line also happened to move the slowest.... After waiting about 30 minutes we went into the building where I found out my work location and.....*drumroll*......I got merchandise in Future World at EPCOT. It wasn't what I wanted but hey it's whatever. (However, this morning I went on the hub and saw I'm working at the Camera Center so I'm really excited now since photopass was my #1 role and I at least get to work in that environment)! After that I moved into another line where they scanned my DORMS boarding pass and I moved onto get my photo taken for my ID as well as my apartment key. After that I moved into another long line where I got my itinerary and had a small group meeting going over the Disney look and talking with us about casting and what we need to bring for that. After filling out another i-9 form we went and had another small group meeting talking about other things I can't remember then we got a free tote bag filled with a first aid kit, laundry starter kits, etc. We were free to go after that so I drove 5 minutes to Patterson and got settled into my apartment!
WHAT TO BRING TO CHECK IN:
DORMS boarding pass
Photo ID (license and social security card or passport)
Vehicle information (I didn't need this but I was told to bring it)
Food, water
A folder to put everything in
I had casting the next day (some have it the day of check in like half of my roommates did) and this too takes about 2 hours to complete. On the bus they do some trivia where I won a super cool not-so-limited-edition pin (as seen above). You have to verify your i-9 information and then you go off and get fingerprinted. They also talk to you about the hub, your main gates, etc. The next area is where I met with two more cast members in an office where I got my training schedule, verified that the information on my forms was correct, and was told what type of shoes I needed for my location. Sorry if this part was short, I'm not sure what I can and can't say since most of it is backstage! But they do let you take photos of some cool things like the gold statues and the infamous doorknobs.
WHAT TO BRING TO CASTING:
Photo ID (license and social security card or passport)
Program guide (they give this to you at check-in)
i-9 form from check in
A folder
Housing ID (you need this to get on the bus)
Your itinerary they give you at check in
Food and/or water
Later on that night I had my housing meeting with two of my other roommates. The housing meeting takes place at The Commons and they basically talk to you about the living situation here and what the rules and stuff are. I believe they also give you information on how to obtain a parking sticker if you brought your car. It's about an hour and a half long and it's not too interesting but they do give you a lot of information!
WHAT TO BRING TO THE HOUSING MEETING:
Program guide
Housing ID
Photo ID
A pen to take notes
Basically for fun I've just been bonding with my roommates. We go shopping pretty much every day (we like food ok). We've also gone to Beaches & Cream (only to find out you need reservations like 8 years in advance for a kitchen sink), T-Rex, the ESPN restaurant, Magic Kingdom, etc. I think a few of us are hitting up Studios later and I'm stoked to ride Tower of Terror at night because it's my favorite! Make sure you take FULL advantage of the first few days off because you really won't see your roommates a ton anymore, which is sad if you have rad roommates like I do.
My next post will be about traditions and training so stay tuned if you're curious!
I'm going to try and keep this short since I have a big post coming up soon but I'm all settled in my new apartment! I'm working on a post talking about check-in and casting which like I said should be up super soon. I've been crazy busy unpacking, shopping for necessities, and bonding with my roommates (who I adore). I feel like I've known my roommates for ages and we all get along SUPER well, which is great. Today I think we're going resort hopping as well as Beaches & Cream to split the infamous kitchen sink! I'm super tired already so I can only imagine how things are going to be once we all start working. I have traditions on Friday morning, orientation Saturday, Tuesday (my birthday holla), and Wednesday. I'm not sure when I start training but I'll find out soon enough!
This was such a scatter-brained post but whatever.
You will get an email giving you the link to the DORMS site, your roommate ID which is NOT the same as your candidate ID you used to fill out the new-hire paperwork, as well as other information. READ THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY. It explains everything you need to know about the system. They also send you another email with your password (I never got this email so fun fact click forgot password on the DORMS site and they'll send it to you).
Now here's where your DORMS experience will differ. If you already know who you want to room with, choose one person who will link everyone. You will need to have all of your roommates ROOMMATE ID's to link all of you together. My roommate actually did this portion so I'm not sure how she had to do everything but I do know you get to choose the order of your apartment preferences. Note: you are not guaranteed to get your first choice so try to be a bit open minded! You're also not guaranteed to get your roommates but I've only heard of that situation occurring only once or twice.
I'm not exactly sure how it works when you go random because I decided not to. You will, however, see an option asking if you're adventurous enough to go random (clearly I wasn't).
Since I was linked, I received an email asking me if I wanted to accept my roommate's request and I obviously said yes. When you log in to DORMS again, they will have you fill out basic information like your name, address, etc. as well as an emergency contact's information. They will also ask you to check yes or no for some things like if you want to live in apartment that prohibits alcohol (if you are under 21 you MUST check yes). They also ask if you're living onsite (in one of the 4 apartments listed above) or offsite and I believe if you choose the latter you need to provide them with that information as well.
If you are bringing a vehicle, they will ask you all of your vehicle information such as your plate number, make and model, license number, etc. so make sure you have all that information on hand. You also have to agree to the individual terms and conditions for having your car. NOTE: YOU MUST BE LISTED AS AN INSURED DRIVER ON YOUR INSURANCE POLICY IN ORDER TO BRING YOUR CAR WITH YOU.
You will also have to read through the housing rules and such and sign and submit those forms. If you have a Mac and had difficulty submitting your new-hire documents with certain browsers, I had no trouble using Chrome so you should be good to go if Safari isn't your main browser.
After this you get redirected to a final page with a bar code, which you need to print and you will bring it to check-in with you. The other documents with rules and such will also print automatically so all in all it's like 10 pages getting printed.
After this you should be all set! Now all you have to do is patiently wait another two weeks or so until check in!
People in the group have been freaking out over money so I decided to post this tip next!
I get saving money at home can be difficult at times, never mind living in Disney World for 5 months (and 15 minutes from the Wizarding World) where I’m going to want to buy everything in site. I’ve been working on a system and some tips for how I plan to save money during the program. Keep in mind, these are some things I plan on doing and you don’t have to do these things, this is just what I think will work for me.
Set a goal for yourself. I plan on paying myself things I needed to get for the program such as my flight, fee to ship my car, etc. as well as pay for a semester of college (I go to a community college and a semester’s tuition is literally next to nothing). Even if I don’t save up enough to pay back every cent, at least I know I tried and can still pay back a good portion of that.
Put half of your paycheck into savings. Most CP’s say they end up with roughly $150 in their pocket after taxes and rent. Take what you need for food then take half of what's left, put it away, and don’t touch it unless you HAVE to.
PICK UP SHIFTS. I’ve been doing so much research on saving money and this is something I definitely plan on doing. I’m in merchandise so I’m in a good position to pick up shifts when I need them. If you’re not sure what shifts you can pick up with your role, I’d research that or ask alumni. The more shifts you pick up, the more money you can make (I’d also look into the restrictions with hitting OT). If you’re don’t have plans on a day off or whatever, may as well work if you need the money, right?
Plan out things you definitely want to buy in advance and possibly try to save up before your program. Personally, I know I want a Universal season pass, to attend at least one of each holiday party, swim with dolphins, and have enough money for some souvenirs. Planning out things you want in advance can help you manage your money better since you’re setting more goals for yourself. Also, some of these things qualify for Florida resident discounts. Check up on that, too!
Ask local restaurants, bars, etc. if they offer cast member discounts! I know some places do this and it can be helpful when it comes to deciding where you want to go out to eat! If you save a few dollars here and there, it can really add up.
Bring your own meals to work and COOK. Instead of buying meals every day, you can just pack a meal. Packing your own food can also help you eat healthier. If you pack healthy food, you won’t eat junk since it’s not readily available and you’d have to waste money on it. Cooking meals at home can also save money. Even if you’re living off of mac and cheese and cereal (which I don’t necessarily recommend), it’s still cheaper than going out every night.
Treat yoself. I know this is a little contradicting because we’re supposed to be saving money but hey, you get a cast member discount for some things so don’t deprive yourself. Even if you just buy yourself an ice cream once a week, it’s okay. Odds are of you keep telling yourself “no”, you’re going to binge and just buy a bunch of stuff you don’t need at once (at least I do this then return 80% of it later…shhh….)
Live in a cheaper housing complex. Vista is by far the cheapest and the more roommates you have, the cheaper it will be. Sure you might only save a few dollars a week but even if you save $4/week for 5 months, that’s $180!
Take the bus to work some days even if you have your car. According to MapQuest, my car can use about $5 in gas every day to and from work. $5 x 5 days/week x roughly 20 weeks is $500 and this doesn’t even include driving to other places! Carpooling with friends or taking the bus might save you a couple hundred dollars throughout your program!
That’s all I have so far but if I think of anything else, I’ll add to this later. I do think even doing a few of these things can help a LOT so it might be something to take into consideration :)
This is roughly everything I plan on packing/buying for the program! I'm just doing the fall semester so if you're doing fall advantage or spring/spring advantage, you can change some things and plan accordingly! Again, this is just some of the stuff I plan on bringing/buying (I added some things other people might use) and it might seem like a lot but it's just stuff I use on a regular basis. It's also geared more towards girls since I am a girl but guys can use some of this too I guess! I can also make an apartment packing list since the stuff for the apartment listed below is just the stuff I'm bringing and my roommates plan on bringing more!
CLOTHES
Tank tops
T-shirts/short sleeve tops
Long sleeve tops
Cardigans/sweaters
Zip ups/hoodies
Leather jacket
Shorts
Leggings
Jeans
Business attire
Dresses
Dapper day dress
Halloween costume(?)
Bras
Sports bras
Bandeaus/bralettes
Socks
Underwear
Bathing suits
Beach cover-up
Bathrobe
Lounge clothes/pajamas
Converse
Sandals
Flip flops
Flats/business casual
Slippers
Accessories (scarves, jewelry, etc.)
Purses
Beach bag
Sunglasses
BEDROOM
Pillows
Blankets
Lamps
Storage bins
Accessory rack/closet organizer
Over the door hooks
Hamper/laundry bag/laundry basket
Hangers
Smaller storage bins for accessories/products
Caddy
Alarm clock
Extension cords/multiple outlet cord things
Fan
Garbage can
BATHROOM
Shower curtain
Bath mat
Toothbrush holder
Storage bins/baskets for under the sink(?)
Towels
Washcloths
Hand towels
Beach towels
Loofah
Shower organizer
Toilet brush
Garbage can
Hair straightener/curling iron
Hair dryer
TOILETRIES/MISC
Brush/comb
Hair ties/bobby pins/clips/head bands
Hair color (?)
Hairspray
Moisturizer
Toner
Face wash
Masks
Body lotion
Hand sanitizer
Mousse
Gel
Glasses/contacts
Contact solution
Toothbrush (in a zip-lock)
Deodorant
Nail clippers/file
Nail polish
Pain reliever/medications
TRAVEL SIZED OF THE FOLLOWING:
-1 shampoo
-1 conditioner
-1 soap/shower gel
-Q-tips
-Face wash (?)
-Mouthwash
-Floss
-Pads/tampons/panty-liners
-Loofah
-Band-aids
KITCHEN
Mugs
Hand towels
Magnets
Lunchbox
Ice packs
Travel mug
Reusable shopping bags
ELECTRONICS
Laptop
Phone
Laptop charger
Phone charger
Camera(s)
Camera charger(s)
Lenses
Instax
Film
Tripod
APARTMENT STUFF
Keurig
Printer
Christmas tree
Movies
Garbage can
Dish rack
CARRY ON/TRAVEL BAG
2-3 tops
1-2 shorts
1 pajamas
Bathing suit
2-3 underwear
2 bras
Toiletry bag
CARRY ON BACKPACK:
-Laptop
-Laptop charger
-Phone
-Phone charger
-Camera
-Spare battery
-Make-up bag
-Headphones
-Snack
-Wallet
-Gum
-Dramamine/pain reliever
-Sunglasses/glasses
THINGS I CAN BUY IN FLORIDA
Shampoo
Conditioner
Body wash
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Razors
Pads/tampons/panty-liners
Toilet paper
Hair products (depending how much I have left before I go)
Hey! I've been writing quite a few tips and such and a few are almost ready to be published. I plan on vlogging throughout my program too so I'm debating whether or not I should post ALL of these tips or if I should save some for vlogs. I might even repeat and post a tip now then vlog about it later if I really want to. Who knows....it depends on how much time I really have beforehand and during the program.
I think my packing list will be posted next and I hope all of you fall CP's (and aspiring CP's) can benefit from it! I want to make sure I have everything so it might take a few more days to complete.
Sorry this post is so jumbled, I have a lot to do today but I just wanted to stop in and say hi and I hope you're all having a good summer so far and that I can't wait to hang out with all of you in a month or so!
I decided to design my bucket list because I'm lame. I tried not to be ridiculous and choose to do things I know I wouldn't be able to (ex. tour Cinderella's suite) or at least choose too many things that would be difficult to do. This is obviously still a work in progress and I will definitely add more if I think of some! These are the things I really want to do and I didn't want to put things down just for the sake of putting them down or feeling tied down to a list the whole time.
Okay now you might be asking, Rae, it's 100 degrees and humid as hell in Florida so WHY WOULD YOU WEAR MAKEUP TO WORK AT A THEME PARK?! Good question. Personally, I like wearing makeup no matter what the weather is and I know some others do as well. This is pretty much what I wear while vacationing in WDW so I'd imagine it should work as a CM as well. It might seem like a lot but it’s really just a little bit of each, nothing crazy!
First off, MOISTURIZE. I know it sounds weird since it's a billion degrees but do it. Just do it. I recommend Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer for sensitive skin ($10). It's super light which is perfect for the heat.
You may also want to apply a tinted moisturizer with an SPF or a BB cream. I personally never used those products but you can if you want to save time! Just remember, they offer a LOT less coverage. I’ve heard great things about Garnier’s BB Cream ($11).
Okay after moisturizing, apply sunscreen. If you went the BB cream/TM route, then apply sunscreen BEFORE you apply those. Sunscreen is so so so important I can't even stress it, especially if you burn easily like me. I like Coppertone Sport ($8), which I’ve used for years and it works really well.
Next I apply concealer. I have scary dark under eye circles and since I'm not working at the Haunted Mansion or Tower of Terror, I'm going to want to cover them up. I love Hard Candy's Glamoflague Concealer ($6). Seriously, this stuff is amazing. If I could only use one beauty product for the rest of my life it would be this (one tube lasts me 2 years).
Then I do a LIGHT dusting of Bare Minerals Matte Foundation ($27). I prefer matte so my face won’t shine like a disco ball in the heat, ya know? This also has SPF 15 but not enough to skip the sunscreen (are we noticing a pattern here).
Next I work my way to the eye area. I always fill in my brows no matter what (more-so to make them match since they're 4eva uneven). I used E.L.F.'s Brow Powder ($3) or Avon’s Ultra Luxury Brow Liner ($5).
I also set them using my E.L.F. Clear Mascara/Eyebrow Duo ($1 holla).
Eyeshadow time! Here is where you shouldn't go crazy. Take any neutral eyeshadow such as Naked Basics ($28) or Sonia Kashuk’s Neutral Palette ($14) and apply it to your lid. I would NOT go crazy with this step. I recommend using the lightest color all over your lid if you're pale like me then a soft brown in the crease. Bam. That's it.
Next I take Maybelline's One-By-One Mascara ($6) (make sure it's waterproof!) and I apply a light coat on my upper and lower lashes. Nothing fancy.
Now you can skip this step if you want but I always line my upper/inner lashline and close my eyes tightly and it blends into the lower waterline perfectly and won't smear since there's not a lot there to begin with. I like Revlon Color Stay ($5).
Now you can apply blush and all that if you want but $100 says you're going to get hot and your cheeks will get rosy anyway. I just recommend applying a tinted lip balm (with an SPF) of course. I like the ones by Burt's Bees ($3.50) but I've heard good things about Maybelline's Baby Lips ($3.50) which has SPF 20. Regardless of the brand, just make sure it looks natural.
Finally, if you want your makeup to stay in place, you can use a finishing spray. I personally don't use this but then again my skin isn't SUPER oily. I know Urban Decay’s All Nighter Spray ($14-$30) works well!
BONUS TIP: If you find during your break your skin is getting oily, use some blotting papers and/or bring a pressed powder to touch up. E.L.F. has these products for $1 each.
Hope you enjoyed! I might upload a video tutorial in the near future so keep on the lookout for that! If you have any other ideas for future posts let me know!
The biggest weight has literally been lifted off of my shoulders and I can't even explain how content I feel.
I've been struggling here a lot and I actually had a breakdown today thinking that if I didn't get accepted, I wouldn't know what to do. It's been a while since I've felt so low and alone but less than a few hours later I got the email. It was actually in my promotions tab and I went on my phone and looked at the email there and covered the screen slowly moving it away hoping to see some good news and I immediately started shaking. I haven't been this excited since September when one of my favorite bands from my high school years asked if they could buy a design from me for a t-shirt.
I've already met so many amazing people through Tumblr and Facebook and I can't wait to meet all of you. I mean it, I want to meet ALL of you :)
Congratulations (for the 800th time) to every one of you who got accepted and if you haven't heard back or got pended, keep your chin up. I know it's hard, believe me, but I'm sending all of my positive vibes to you right now.
For the first time in months years, I actually feel happy and confident about my future. I hope it becomes a regular feeling.
Merchandise fall 2014! I haven't picked my arrival dates yet but I do need roommates (I think, I'm not sure what's going on with that yet) but AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Just got pended. I'm hoping it's just because all of the roles I applied for are more competitive than others (I expressed a ton of interest in photopass which I hear is one of the most competitive). Now I wish I picked less competitive roles but it's too late now. Go figure, I found a roommate last night and this happens -_-
Has anyone been accepted after getting pended?? Kind of losing hope here...
