First Tattoo

Today I did something I've wanted to do for a very long time. I got a tattoo! Through the years what I wanted to get has changed, but I've always known I wanted art on my skin. Since I just turned 18, my best friend Rebecca paid for me to get my first one. We decided that we wanted to get matching ones because we have been through so much together. The design I got was very small and tame compared to most tattoos, but it does have a lot of meaning for me.

It is just a small arrow (probably about 3-4 inches long) with the Greek word for "love" (αγάπη) above the arrow, and the Greek word "wisdom" (σοφία) below it.

My full name is Shannon, which is Irish for Wise River. Originally it was for the Irish Goddess Sionna, which means "possessor of wisdom." Not only that, but I also love Greek mythology, and the goddess I always loved best was Athena. Athena just so happens to be the Greek goddess of wisdom, which I found out after learning my name meaning. So it was a happy coincidence! While Rebecca's name doesn't mean love, she does have a terrible need to give and receive love. Because of that, as well as the fact that she is gorgeous, she most identifies with the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

The actual event itself really only took about 20 minutes. Which is crazy to think about since I'm going to have this until the day I die (unless my arm gets cut off, fingers crossed it doesn't). People always used to tell me, "Oh man that's going to hurt so bad!!" and "You're going to regret that later!" but honestly, neither are true. I'm very happy with how it turned out, and it didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would. It was kind of like getting bit by an ant or something.

If you are thinking about getting a tattoo, and not sure if you should, here's your sign! If you want it to have meaning, then sit down and really think about the design you want and sort out all the kinks (like color, placement, size). Or, maybe you just want one that looks cool and you're feeling impulsive.

I went to Under The Needle in Seattle and I was pretty pleased with the experience. If you are like me, and have led a somewhat sheltered life, it can be a little intimidating when you first walk in. But the people there were all very nice and willing to work with me to get my tattoo exactly how I wanted it. So don't be afraid to take as long as you need to work with the artist until you feel like the design is perfect. Their address is 2118 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121. They do accept walk-ins, and take cash or card.

No7 Dual Action Tinted Moisturiser

I am starting to realize that I shop at Target A LOT, haha! Not surprisingly, I bought this product at Target too! I also went to Chipotle and had an amazing burrito, despite the weird couple next to me getting in a fight because he never listens (he forgot to get extra guacamole). I'm getting off topic! ok! So, this tinted moisturiser has been very good for me, because I do tend to keep my makeup more natural and soft looking. It won't be perfect for everyone, but for the look I'm going for it is! It is very sheer, but has pretty good coverage. I also don't need a lot of it for it to look nice, so it'll last me ages. It does have SPF 15, which I don't really care one way or the other about, but I thought I'd mention it in case you guys care about that in your makeup. Since my skin is a bit sensitive, I have to be careful about what I use on it. This tinted moisturiser hasn't left my skin feeling irritated or made it break out,  which makes sense since it is Hypo-allergenic. The only thing I would say is, is that if you do have skin that is quite blemished or you need something that will even out your skin tone, maybe go with something more heavy duty as it is very sheer.

I rate this product: Love It!

September Favorites

Hello everyone!! I know I'm a day late, but I hadn't actually decided to do monthly favorites until just now. I think it'll be fun to be able to look back on this month and see what kind of things I got to enjoy. So let's get started!

ENTERTAINMENT

This was actually a bit of a hard choice because there are so many amazing vloggers out there (Zoella, Tyler Oakley, & Grace Helbig to name a few) that I absolutely love, but I did end up choosing Tanya Burr. She has such an amazing personality and style that I never get bored of watching her videos. She is just so real and likable! I was really impressed with not only the quality of her videos but the content as well. If you're looking for a fashion guru or just need a pick-me-up, I definitely suggest checking out her channel on YouTube.

FOOD/DRINK

I know everybody has different tastes when it comes to foods and drinks, but I have really enjoyed this tea a lot and I feel like it's not too strong or like a special flavor so a lot of people could enjoy it. It's called Jasmine Green Tea by Teatulia and it comes with 30 round tea bags. The tea bags (which are stringless/tagless) and the container are compostable which is wonderfully Eco friendly. It's got a very smooth taste and makes me feel happy and content, which is always good when I'm stressing over things.

MAKEUP

I did talk about this in another post, but I loved it so much I had to add it to this list! I just find that it goes on really well, and it lasts for ages. When I'm running to my classes, catching a bus, or just flat out busy, I don't have time to make sure my eyeliner is in place. With this liquid eyeliner by kleancolor I never even think about the state of my eyes because it's so long lasting. To learn more about this product click here.

BOOK

I was originally drawn to this book because the title was quite funny. It's called If Ignorance is Bliss, why Aren't There More Happy People?: Smart Quotes for Dumb Times by John Mitchinson and John Lloy. When I got it, I thought it would be in the format of a normal book, but it is just pages and pages of quotes from famous people (past and present) and it's organized by topic. I absolutely love it and have been laughing my head off at the choices they picked. I feel this would be a great book to have set out on a coffee table for visitors to flip through, and I may have to buy my own copy soon. One of my (many) favorite quotes that I've found so far is, "Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti." which was apparently said by the beautiful Sophia Loren. So if that beauty icon says spaghetti's ok, then who am I to argue?

e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder

I feel a bit torn on this product. While I have quite liked it, I feel that there is probably a better option out there. My face does tend to get that oily look on it (especially when wearing makeup), and so I thought I’d give e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder a try. All in all, it’s been pretty good. You can find it at your local store or online at http://www.eyeslipsface.com/ for around $6.00. I will probably keep using it until I run out but after that I will probably look for something else. Don’t get me wrong, it gets the job done. It’s just not got that wow factor. The color I got was sheer, or white really, and maybe I just need a better color but you can tell that I've just powdered my face no matter how much I blend. So all in all I've been left feeling "eh." I'm pretty sure I could just use baby powder and get the same result.

I rate this product: Leave It

Eyeliner Precision (403)

Since I have quite squinty eyes, for most of my life I have shied away from putting eyeliner on my top lid because no matter what I did it would just end up smearing. This was very frustrating to me, especially since winged eyeliner has become so popular. I decided to get my makeup done professionally when I had a little extra money, and the ladies didn’t speak very much English. I tried to tell them not to bother with eyeliner but they just tsked and shooed away my words. They carefully applied liquid eyeliner and then instructed me to keep my eyes closed for 5 minutes. I just about fell asleep! Which would have been very awkward considering I not only walk and talk in my sleep, but I was in the middle of a very crowded mall.  Five minutes later I opened my eyes, blinked a few times, and lo and behold NO SMEARING!! It was a miracle (maybe a superficial and materialistic one but still) and I was thrilled. The eyeliner they used was Eyeliner Precision (403) by Kleancolor which costs about $2.99. I bought it at a store called Daiso, but you can also get it at http://www.kleancolor.com/index.html. Not only did I immediately buy one, but I have used it every time I wear makeup. I absolutely love it! It has taken a little bit to train my clumsy hands to apply it properly, but other than that it’s great. It comes off easily, and a bit oddly. You can of course use makeup remover but it also can be peeled off which was very surprising to me.

I rate this product: Love It!

Soothing Aloe Vera Deodorant Stick

 Once again this post is all about sensitive skin, and body odor. That’s right people! We are talking about arm pits. God bless those poor people who think they don’t need it. Or maybe God bless those people’s friends for sticking around so long? Anyway, I am not one of those people and I am VERY aware that I need it. Since my mom is extremely into health and organic products, I occasionally try to take a page from her book and try it out. So this month I am trying Soothing Aloe Vera Deodorant Stick. This particular one can be found on http://www.jason-personalcare.com/ but you can also find it in your local store. It costs about $6.39, which is a little more than I’d like to spend on deodorant but I guess it’s worth it for the health benefits. They also have many other safe, natural products that I'm sure are amazing but that I have not tried. This particular deodorant has been pretty good. Since I do have sensitive skin, it’s especially important for me to be careful what I put on my skin in places where I shave. True to its name, it has been soothing! Normally from deodorants I get raw irritated skin, but this has been amazing. However, I will say that it doesn’t seem to last as long as other deodorants I’ve tried and so I do not like that. I think when I run out of this I will try another scent of the same brand so stay tuned!

I rate this product: Love It!

Expert Anti-Blemish 2 in 1 Scrub and Mask

Hello everybody! For my first post, I'll write about something I love! I have such a hard time finding good skin care products because I have had sensitive skin from the time I was born. Everything I’ve tried has either been too harsh, too oily, or just plain useless. A few weeks ago I went to Target in search of the perfect face wash and finally found it!! Since I’m no expert in face washes and not really in the position to just buy tons of different ones and try them all, I had to take the word of the nicest make up salesman I have ever met! If you’re ever at the Target in federal way, ask for Robert. He’ll help you find the perfect product. He suggested this product to me and I couldn’t be happier! It’s called Expert Anti-Blemish 2 in 1 Scrub and Mask. When I bought it, it was $5.99 and worth every penny! I use it every time I shower, since I’m way too messy to try and was my face over the sink. My skin feels amazing and has cleared up almost completely!

I rate this product: Love It!