WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

I just want to preface this by saying... I had no clue it had been almost 8 months since I have been on here until I logged on the other day and saw the date of my last post! 

So much has happened since that post that I figured I would give you all a quick little wrap up on my life happenings!

When I left off back in February I had just become the Editor-In-Chief of Clutch Magazine "FSU's Premiere Fashion Magazine". Well little did I know but that position would come to take up my entire spring semester and leave me with practically no time to do anything else! Don't get me wrong I love my job and am still the Editor-In-Chief today but the time commitment was definitely not something I was expecting and left me with little time to log-on to here and talk to you all! 

You can actually check out our Spring Issue by clicking HERE. 

Once school ended in May I had a month off before I headed to New York City for my internship with Ross Dress for Less. I left on May 29th and was in New York until August 8th! Truthfully my time in New York deserves an entire post of its own because I came to realize that maybe New York wasn't for me even though I had been dreaming about it since I was at least 14! I'll include some of my favorite photos below from New York incase you don't follow me on my Instagram: xfashionistagirlx.

Once I got back home on the 8th I had less than 24 hours to unpack and repack for my 21st birthday in LAS VEGAS! I got to spend a week at the Venetian with two of my best friends and still to this day I could not have asked for a better way to celebrate being 21! 

We got back to Orlando at 7am Friday morning and then I packed my car and headed straight to Tallahassee for sorority recruitment! Recruitment lasted a week and we brought back the most amazing pledge class ever and I couldn't be more excited to call them my new sisters! I'll include a link to our bid-day video below for anyone that has an interest in watching that! 

Nope, I'm not done yet... you can see why I haven't been able to sit down and find the time to type this out for you all now can't you!

My senior year of college started on August 24th, which was a whirlwind of emotions. Tallahassee has become my home away from home and the thought that I have less than 8 months before I walk across the stage at graduation is still not something I have been able to fully grasp! 

Like I said before I am still the Editor-In-Chief of Clutch and working to complete my last issue as Editor-In-Chief which is set to be realized in Mid-November. I can't believe how fast time has flown by and I thank you to my readers that still reach out from time to time... or to my new readers that message me asking anything from dorm advice to sorority advice (these are personally my favorite emails to get because I get to talk about some of my favorite experiences from college and share them with girls that are just starting their journey!) 

I look forward to getting back into the swing of things and posting on here more regularly!

xo,

Lauren Nicole

JANUARY EMPTIES

I am so proud of myself for using up so many products this month! I am slowly eating away at the excessive amounts of beauty products under my counter! But before I throw away this months trash I figured I would share with you all and tell you which products I loved, hated, and would repurchase! So lets get started...

Batiste Dry Shampoo: This is a staple product in my hair routine! I will repurchase this product over and over again! I'm waiting to use up the rest of my Pssssttt Dry Shampoo before repurchasing this one but don't worry I will be back to this product in no time!

It's a 10 Miracle Leave in Spray: Another staple product in my everyday hair routine! No matter how much conditioner I use I seem to always have tangled hair when I get out of the shower! However, this product detangles that mess in less than 10 seconds with just a few sprays! I am working on finishing up a Biolage spray similar to this product but I can't wait till I am done so I can go back out and purchase my beloved It's a 10!

Skintimate SkinTherapy Lotionized: Nothing special about this product... it did its job and that is all I can ask for!

Hypoallergenic Cosmetic Rounds: These are super cheap from Publix so what is there to complain about!

Blonde Care Weightless Conditioner: I liked this conditioner but I wasn't crazy about it!

Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitizer: This stuff smelled great and I loved using it before applying my makeup so I knew my hands were germ free!

Chanel Correcteur Perfection Concealer: This stuff worked amazing but it isn't worth its hefty price tag! I'll be sticking to cheaper concealers from now on!

YSL Babydoll Mascara: Hands down one of my favorite mascara's I have ever used! Now if I could just use up the other 10 mascara's I have so I could go out and repurchase this one!

Clairisonic Sensitive Head Brush: I love my clairisonic but my skin is on the more sensitive side so this works great! I apologize that it looks so dirty in the picture! At least it did its job!

L'Oreal Ideal Clean Towelettes: These were sent to me from L'Oreal when I was apart of Rent The Runway's On Campus program. I was not a fan of these and would use a cleanser after using these wipes to remove the oily layer left on my skin! Even though they did remove my makeup I couldn't get over the feeling they left on my skin so I will not be repurchasing them!

Candle: My Aunt got me this candle for my Paris inspired bedroom and I should have just used it for decoration because it burned so unevenly that I only got 2-3 uses out of it before I had to throw it away!

Hope you all enjoyed this type of blog post! I will be doing monthly updates on the products I am going through as I work towards my goal of living a simplified lifestyle!

LIVING A SIMPLE LIFE

Simple Living: encompasses a number of different voluntary practices to simplify one's lifestyle. These may include reducing one's possessions or increasing self-sufficiency, for example.

In 2015 I want to simplify my life in all aspects! I began this idea of simple living back in 2014, yet it wasn't until this winter break that I really took the first step to make a change! If you would like to see my first post about wanting to live a simpler life click HERE. I recommend reading that post to understand exactly how I intend to achieve a simpler lifestyle since I go further in depth in that blog post!

When it comes to possessions I want to only keep the necessities and purge anything that I no longer use or have purpose for. I have already began this process in my room at my parents house and I feel so much better about myself after going through all the nooks and crannies of my bedroom. I donated  two full bins of products to my mom's office full of Bath and Body Works lotions, sprays, body washes, etc. It was actually embarrassing seeing how many things I had stashed away in my bedroom and bathroom. My mom said "If you never bought another lotion in your life you would have still had more than a life time supply" so knowing that someone else will use find purpose for things that have been sitting under my sink for years makes me feel extremely refreshed! 

I also took four bags of clothing to Goodwill that I had at my parents house! For those of you that don't know I live in Tallahassee 75% of the time and only at my parents during the winter and summer! However, knowing that I would be spending this summer in New York I decided it was finally time to get rid of the majority of the clothing that I had been holding onto and storing at there house. Am I the only one that has a hard time getting rid of clothing... I feel like I'm always sitting there going "Well I might wear this one more time?" 

I am currently spending my Saturday at my apartment in Tallahassee going through all my belongings up here and getting rid of anything that I no longer see fit! 
I will be doing updates throughout the year on how my journey of a simpler lifestyle is going!

 Will you join me in my journey to live a simplified life?

TOP 14 OF 2014

With 2014 coming to a close I wanted to share with you all my Top 14 Products of 2014! This year I have found my holy grail products and I know they will continue to be used well into 2015! 

1.) Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion: This is my absolute favorite moisturizer for everyday use both morning and night!

2.) Naked 3: I own all of the Naked palettes but it is something about the rose gold hues of this palette that has kept me reaching for it time and time again. 

3.) Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation: I rediscovered this product this year and it makes me wonder why I ever stopped using it in the first place! Aside from its pricey sales tag, it truly provides the most flawless finish on your skin. Even my mom uses and raves about this foundation!

4.) Tarte's Lights Cameras Lashes: I usually opt for drugstore mascara's but after using this one I think I am going to be stuck on it for life! This mascara makes my eyelashes super long and never clumps!

5.) Batiste Dry Shampoo: What more do I need to say than this product is a life saver for college students! After a long all night studying for a test I will spray this throughout my hair, for fresh hair that looks like its straight out of the shower.

6.) Bioderma: I discovered this product while studying abroad this summer! I've never had a product take of all my makeup so easily! 

7.) Real Techniques Brushes: I have Sigma and MAC Cosmetics brushes and I still find myself reaching for my Real Techniques brushes more! If you ever find yourself in a Ulta pick yourself up one and I promise you won't be disappointed!

8.) Conair Curling Wand: Ever since cutting my hair short at the beginning of 2014, this product has given me the most effortless looking beach waves in 15 minutes or less!

9.) Murad Clarifying Cleanser: I've suffered from hormonal acne since going through puberty but this cleanser keeps my face clear throughout the year! If I could only have one product this would be it! Having clear and healthy skin is one of my main priorities!

10.) MAC's Lipstick in Rebel: I love vampy lips and this one is nothing less than perfect!

11.) MAC's Bronzer in Refined Golden: I am very pale by nature and actually avoid prolonged exposure in the sun because of my fear of developing wrinkles later in life. However, this bronzer keeps my skin glowing all year long!

12.) It's a 10: This might be the best hair product I have ever tried! From it's ability to detangle my bleached blonde hair, to providing my hair with a heat protectant from hot tools, this product does it all! It's so good you'll just have to buy it to experience it for  yourself!

13.) Clarisonic Mia: I absolutely love to use this product to start my day! I use it with the "Gentle" exfoliating head and I can't say enough positive things about it!

14.) Hope in a Jar Night: Occasionally I suffer from dry patches on my chin and around my nose during the winter months! With a little dab of this my skin is completely rehydrated by morning!

What were your favorite products of 2014? Leave me a comment below!