Current Beauty routine: Fresh Faced and Glowy Skin

Lately I have been obsessed with the minimal makeup look ( I suppose this could warrant its own video once I get everything sorted out). This includes fresh glowy skin, feathery lashes, glossy lips, and bushy brows.

My skin has always been decently clear, but also very problematic. I don't get cystic/ hormonal acne, but my nose, forehead, and chin are very prone to congestion. My skin is also very fair and scars SO easily so even if I have no active break outs, there will be some scarring and discoloration. I've been trying the "three little wonders" from Ole Henrikson and am noticing results, but I want to keep using them a little longer before I can call them holy grail.
I am not sure what is going on, whether it be allergies or too much salt but my eyes have been so puffy lately. My eyes are prone to puffiness since there is not crease to prevent them from puffing up and my face is just prone to bloating in general. I have been trying many eye creams to combat the puffiness and the only one that I have found that works wonders is the Kiehls midnight recovery eye (the concentrate it amazing as well). Unfortunately I have ran out of the little sample I was using and I want to use up my Clinique eye cream before I repurchase it. The clinique eye cream works okay, but I am not noticing overnight results like I did the the Kiehls.
Speaking of Kiehls, something that is holy grail status is the midnight recovery concentrate. This is a night time face oil that I use after my serum. I kid you not when I wake up the next day my face is glowing and the redness has been dramatically reduced. I want to invest in some more Kiehls products but I have so much skincare I want to use up before I will allow myself to do so.

As for face makeup, I have been so into Korean BB creams and cushions. I love them because it's a light coverage and high SPF 50 in one so it's one less step for me in the mornings. I used the Faceshop oil-control CC cushion the last month but I have recently been loving the Missha bb cream (both in the lightest shade). They cover everything I need them to, and I know that they won't break me out while protecting my skin from the sun.

For school I would be done at this step and later add some tinted lip balm in the car on the way to school or during class. If I am not going to school I do a few swipes of mascara, some brow mascara and some lip oil or lip gloss. I have been using the Loreal lash paradise, and I will say it I do still love the supersizer, but it does work very well. My favorite brow item has been this eyebrow mascara by Maybelline. It is the perfect color for my eyebrows and makes them look fuller than they are. I do have to be careful since my eyebrows are so sparse that I don't make a mess when I put it on, but it shouldn't be a problem if you do not have non-existent eyebrows.

As for lips, they have been SO dry recently so I have been wearing a lot of lip balms and nourishing lip oils. I have been trying out the Rimmel and Milani lip oils. I do feel like the Rimmel lip oil cakes up on my lips throughout the day but I enjoy the colors they come in. However, my lips are very prone to this since they are on the fuller side. The classic aquaphor lip balm has saved my life and I like to apply this at night before I go to bed. During the day I have been into the Dior lip glow in lilac. It is sheer but gives your lips a hint of pink (since the purple tone mixes with the naturally red tone of my lips).

Current Wishlist:

Here is a peek at a few of the items that have been filling my wish list (although I may have already purchased two items). There are more pieces that I am wanting to add to my closet for the upcoming season, so I will be doing a second part soon.

1. Missguided Shearling Jacket: This past winter, I realized that I had no go-to casual jackets. I have a bunch of blazers, cropped leather jackets, and beautiful faux fur/ puffer jackets but nothing that I could just slap on with a pair of leggings and booties and be out the door. I wanted something slightly longer and oversized so when I found this one at Misguided, I bought it immediately. I was able to get it at 40% off with the student discount code but Misguided does frequent sales. The size I got was a US 2 or a UK 6 and I could have gone with a US 0 to be honest so if you are between sizes, I would size down.
petite version at asos // in brown // $90 // US 0 // UK 6

2. White Missguided Mom Jeans
When I saw these jeans, I flipped out at their amazing-ness. I have been wanting a pair of super high waisted white mom/vintage style jeans that are tapered at the ankle and slim fit throughout the leg but very tight and fitted around the waist. I looked at the Levi's wedgie fit jeans but could not manage to track them down in white. I had never been into this loose-jean trend that has been around lately with the ripped boyfriend and super flare jeans. For me, I love skinny jeans, and I think that the skinnier the denim the better. Lately, I have been so into the slim-fit trouser pants that are high waisted and tapered/slim fit down the leg. Naturally this led me to the mom-jean, something that gives me all the model-off-duty vibes. I think mom jeans are so flattering with a simple, tight tee and some block-heeled shoes. I was considering the Levi's C&T in white, but I was afraid that they would not be high waisted enough for me. When I saw that these Missguided mom jeans had PINK STITCHING, my mouth dropped. These aren't the best fit around the waist, as they could be tighter but I think that they are a good length and a good fit around the legs. The denim has no stretch, something that I am not used to, but I think that this comes naturally with all mom jeans. I got a size US 0 or UK 4 and I normally wear a 23/24 in jeans. I would size down if you are in-between sizes.
Missguided "riot" jeans // $40 // US 0 // UK 4

3. Hermes Belt
These have been so trendy lately and I have been seeing them on many people (although I question how many of those are authentic). I have been wanting a nice belt lately whether it be Hermes or Gucci. Who knows if I will actually shell out the money to get this item, or  if Hermes even makes this color combination of the pink leather with a silver buckle. To be honest, this piece is more wishful thinking than something that I foresee in my near future.
Hermes // Gucci // Kids Gucci Belt 

4. Pink Slide Loafers
Ever since Gucci introduced the slide-loafer, I have been wanting to get my hands on a pair of pink leather ones at a decent price. I think these will be perfect in the summer with a casual pair of white shirts and a pink blouse. This pair happens to be by Jeffrey Campbell and I like how they are a version of the slide loafer without being an blatant copy of the Gucci design.
Jeffrey Campbell Apfel

5. Leather trousers // Coated leggings
I wear the death out of my lululemon wonder under leggings but lately I have wanted something dressier but also just as comfortable. I love the look of leather pants but never really looked into it because I think that they can be done really well or really cheap-looking. The leather pants that I tend to think look the nicest are real leather and retail for hundreds of dollars. My go to bottoms in the winter is always black, whether it be denim or leggings tucked into black booties. I wanted something that would give me an added texture without being too out there and I thought that leather trousers would be perfect. I wanted something that didn't look like a leotard/ catsuit fabric and I definitely wanted to make sure the faux leather was textured and not super shiny to keep them classy yet edgy. H&M had an amazing pair that were unfortunately too short so I had to return them and these by Beyond Yoga are very popular among celebrities and models. I have seen many model-off-duty looks featuring these coated, glossy leggings dressed up and down.
H&M // Beyond Yoga

6. Givenchy Antigona
This bag has been on my mind since it first became very popular many years ago. I have wanted the light pink "sugar" grained leather with silver hard ware. I have been using my LV alma BB in rose ballerina for a while and it's just a little bit small for every day. I realized that I have a gap in my bag collection as I have many mini bags and large totes, but nothing medium sized for everyday. I am still unsure if I want the medium or small size and whether or not I want to hold out to purchase it when I go to Europe in the summer as I will be able to save several hundred dollars.
Size Small // Size Medium 
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Video: Kate Spade, Princess Polly, Asos Haul

So, I was reading through my previous blog posts, and boy and has my style changed. I still like things that are pink and girly, but my fashion taste has really evolved. Over the past year, I have begun to really follow the fashion world in terms of trends on the runway from haute couture designers such as Chanel, Dior (my two absolute favorites),YSL and more. Obviously, there is no way I will be wearing ready-to-wear clothes, so I like to curate my closet of affordable yet unique pieces that I know I will continue to get use out of because they bring me joy and happiness when I wear them. Hopefully this haul will give you a glimpse of my sense of style.I would say this video is very representative of my current style. I picked up some pieces that I completely fell in love with including some fun small leather goods, a pair of metallic pink trousers, and some gorgeous rompers that will be perfect for the upcoming graduation-party season. Not to mention the BEST pair of booties ever. Seriously, you need these boots in your life.
Very similar booties: http://www.6pm.com/p/steve-madden-peaches-black-leather/product/8816210/color/72?gclid=Cj0KEQiAxeTFBRCGmIq_7rGt_r8BEiQANdPqUoz_7j8tvUit3zZMuQOwAUfKMRpqXp-KP3Wi2MuJpVoaAkxk8P8HAQ&zhlfid=139&kpid=40201433&ef_id=WLmt7AAAAa9RFBjm:20170303175452:s
Also even more similar booties: https://www.amazon.com/Aldo-GRECA-Womens-Boot/dp/B017X1BI68/ref=pd_sim_309_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B018GW10O8&pd_rd_r=M501AFMRY4FGE44B3VK6&pd_rd_w=slBMO&pd_rd_wg=LIOYk&refRID=M501AFMRY4FGE44B3VK6&th=1

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Life Update// Modeling, College, ShopHL

It's been quite a while since I posted on here. So much has happened in the past year and a half that I am unsure where to even begin. Currently, I am approaching the beginning of my last quarter as a high school student, patiently (well, maybe not so much) awaiting the arrival of admissions decisions from many of my dream colleges. The entire college process has really swept me off my feet as it took a lot of self examination and effort. In the end I have come to the conclusion that I put my best foot forward and that I can feel good knowing that whatever happens next college-wise will happen for a good reason. I applied to over twelve colleges, all of them requiring at least two long essays so the amount of essays I wrote, subtly bragging on myself while still trying to sound intelligent but fully me was very overwhelming. So far, I have only heard back from the University of Texas at Austin, as I was an auto-admit. I was super ecstatic to get into the Business Honors Program in the Mccombs School of Business because it will give the feeling of a small school within a large school. Part of me still wants to get out of the state I grew up in, so I am still keeping my options open until I hear from my schools in New York City, LA, and other Ivy Leagues.
Another huge portion of my life has been opening my etsy shop. I have always been into planning and all things organization and when I first got my kikki K planner, I scoured the internet for accessories that fit my very specific taste. Needless to say, I couldn't find anything so I took matters into my own hands. A year and a half later I have a full blown business selling planner dividers, stickers, and other planner accessories. I could not be more thankful to everybody who has supported me. If you'd like to check it out here is the link:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/shophl?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Lastly, I am so blessed to be able to say that I signed with one of the top modeling agencies in my area almost two years ago. Since then I have done a lot of print and runway work for many local and national companies in the area. It has taught me a lot being a model, such as appreciating my uniqueness, how to deal with others, and how a brand runs behind the scenes. Although time consuming, considering I am still a full time student, it has been something that I have truly enjoyed and learned so much from.

Here is a very brief wrap up of my life lately, I look forward to sharing more in the future.

A Letter to Junior Year...

Junior Year,
The time has come in which I must face your wrath. After hearing countless stories about you, your torture and your tiring fight, I am terrified. I am terrified that you will conquer me. But, I'm even more petrified that you'll take me and swallow me whole, to the point where I lose what little of myself I have left. What would it mean to win? Or do I merely want to survive? I ponder this idea daily, it makes my stomach churn and chases me in circles at night. Will I survive by merely trudging through in a haze of memorization and sleepless nights? That's not what I want to do. I want to win. I want to learn the curriculum and apply it to my daily life. I want to be able to analyze every bit of information and be interested enough to remember it beyond the unit that it is taught. I want to grow to love learning, not dread it to make the best grade. But academics aside, I truly just to find myself, and be the best person I can be. I want to find my voice in my community, shedding light on bad social norms or bridging the gap between two different groups. I want to be passionate, and put all my effort and interests into everything I do. So junior year, in five days, we'll see what's in store. I promise I will fight every match, just please don't knock myself out of me.

With Love, HL