20 Questions to Ask Yourself at The End of The Year

Hello Friends!  Christmas has passed and we're back on our regular posting schedule (thank God).  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that you got all the things you asked for.  Speaking of asking things, I wanted to answer the 20 questions that you should ask yourself at the end of the year. This tag sort of serves as a end of the year "self-reflection" and it is always important to look back on what you did and what you can do better or differently.  So let's get started!

1. What is one representative thing you did this year?
- For a while I've wanted to share my music and my opinion more with the world and this year I started this blog and uploading more frequently on YouTube.  I'm really proud of how much this blog has grown in the past six months.

2. What date from 2015 will you remember and why?
- I will always remember July 11th, because that is the day I saw One Direction for the first time.  It's not a big deal if you don't really understand how much of an impact One Direction has had on my life, but to me, it was the most incredible day of my life.

3. What did you learn from your biggest accomplishment in 2015?
- First, I feel as though it is important for you to know what my biggest accomplishment is, that it is getting into my dream college after many trials and tribulations, and from that I learned that hard work really does pay off.  I worked my butt off all four years of high school because I knew from day one where I wanted to go to college, and it paid off because look at where I am today!

4. What did you learn from your biggest failure?
- I learned that although you can have good times and a lifetime of memories with certain people, it isn't worth the pain and heartache they put you through in between the good times.

5. Compared to last year, are you: happier or sadder?
- I'm definitely happier.  I learned a lot about myself this year and because of that I feel like I'm coming out of 2015 happier than I did in 2014.

6. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- I wish I'd gone to more concerts!  Also exercise more lol.

7. What do you wish you'd done less of?
- Worry.  2015 was a big year for me in regards to my anxiety and I feel like I let it take a lot out of me, so I definitely wish I'd done less worrying.

8. What did you want and get?
- I wanted to go to the college I'm currently attending!  Looks like I got it. :)

9. What did you want and not get?
- I really wanted to go to Disneyland, but I didn't get to go.  It's okay though.

10. What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
- Meeting One Direction :/.  But in all honesty, there were things this year that could've been different, but looking back at it, I wouldn't change anything.

11. Did you make new friends?
- I did!  I've made some really amazing new friends and I'm so happy that I did!

12. Did you break old relationships?
- Yes, but not until recently.  It wasn't my choice but rather, it was an obligation.  I needed to do it for myself.

13. Did a new acquaintance impact your life in a specific way? How?
- I don't think I have one.  I've met a lot of new, amazing people this year, but I don't think I've met one who has specifically impacted my life.

14. What was the book that impacted you most?  What did you learn from it?
- I really only read one book this year and it was Pygmalion.  I had to read it for my senior year AP Literature class but it honestly taught me that someone can help you become a better version of yourself, but you can't necessarily help that person improve.

15. What website impacted you most?
- I've spent majority of 2015 on YouTube and honestly, watching YouTubers like Zoë Sugg and Anna Saccone really inspired me to do more on the Internet.

16. What investment are you most happy with?
- I'm only 18 so the biggest investment I've really made this year was probably my iPhone 6s.  I love that thing.

17. What's one thing on your purchasing wishlist for 2016?
- I really honestly just want a new purse, but I want to be able to pay for it myself, so the mall won't be seeing me for a while.

18. What is one things you wish to have more of, at the end of 2016?
- Self-confidence and motivation.

19. What is one change you want to make next year?
- To be healthier, but also to stop putting myself first when I do so selfishly.

20. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.
- People change on their own terms.  Someone you've known forever can be a different person tomorrow solely based on that fact that they chose to be, but it's okay.  You can learn to grow with their change or to break away and find someone who can replace the missing puzzle piece.

I hope you enjoyed my sort of self-reflection.  I feel like it's really important to look back at your year and think about the things that happened and what you could do differently for the coming year.  If you want to answer all or just one of these questions, tell me your answer(s) in the comments, send me a message, or tweet me using #thecaitlynlee!  I'd love to hear from you!

What was 2015 like for you?  Thanks for reading!

Love, Cat <3

12 Days of Catmas: Day Twelve - Merry Christmas and A Thank You

Hello Friends and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!  Welcome to Day TWELVE of the 12 Days of Catmas!  I've been looking forward to this day since December 25, 2014 and IT'S FINALLY HERE! What did you get for Christmas????  I'm sad I have to go back to non-Christmasy layout :(

Today is the last day of the 12 Days of Catmas and I'm sad it's over, but also relieved because what a commitment this was to post every single day, but I pulled through!  For the final post of the 12 Days of Catmas, I just wanted to say a brief THANK YOU to you for not only being a reader, but a friend. When I started this blog, I didn't expect much to come of it, but I'm really happy with how things have turned out. Thank you so much for being a part of my little community.  I hope that I was able to bring you good content and that you enjoyed what I put out.

I'm so happy to have been able to share a part of my life on this blog and I hope you've taken something away from here.  You're all beautiful people.  Thank you so much for being a part of what I've worked so hard to built.

I hope you enjoyed the 12 Days of Catmas!  I enjoyed writing for you!

Thank you so much for reading and I'm looking forward to sharing more in 2016! (And I'm also excited to go back to my regular posting schedule because posting every day really took a lot of time lol)

Have a Magical, Merry Christmas Beauties!

Love, Cat <3

Missed a day of the 12 Days of Catmas? Read Them Here!
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Day Ten
Day Eleven

12 Days of Catmas: Day Eleven - Christmas Wishes

(Before this post starts, I want to apologize for it going up super late.  I'm dumb and I set the posting time for 11:30PM instead of 11:30AM.  Everyone makes mistakes... Apologies friends!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE Friends and welcome to Day ELEVEN of the 12 Days of Catmas!  Tomorrow is Christmas and I'M SO EXCITED.  Today I wanted to share my Christmas wishes for this year.  It's not just physical gifts I'm wishing for, but for other things as well, so I wanted to share those things with you!

First, I wish for a Niall Horan cutout because who wouldn't want a cardboard cutout of their boyfriend in the middle of their room???  Tbh I really asked my parents for this for Christmas.  It was numero uno on my Christmas list so *pray* that I get it.

Next I wish for good grades.  My first semester of college was a lot different than what I expected.  I honestly don't know what to expect of my grades put I'm hoping that I passed.

I'm also wishing for Luke to break up with Arizona Iced Tea so he can be mine again.  It's not something serious but you know....

I'm wishing that all my family and friends have good health and a good holiday.  Yes, I do care about people who aren't One Direction related.

I'm also hoping that I have a good second semester of college.  Like I said, my first semester was not what I expected, but now that I've been through it once, I hope that I can grow and really pull through with the grades I want for next semester.

And lastly, I'm wishing for our world to find peace.  I mentioned in my Holly Jolly Christmas Tag post that I feel as thought 2015 was I huge year for sadness and I really just want the world to find hope and happiness again.  There is nothing more incredible that how advanced and intelligent our society has grown and become.  My biggest wish for Christmas is for our world to become a place where no one feels excluded or judged or discriminated against.  We're so close yet so far.

I hope you enjoyed my Christmas wishes for 2015!  Let me know what your wishes are in the comments, send me a message or tweet me using #thecaitlynlee and #12DaysofCatmas!  I can't wait to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!  TOMORROW!!!!

Love, Cat <3

12 Days of Catmas: Day Ten - Hopes for 2016!

Hello Friends and welcome to Day TEN of the 12 Days of Catmas!  We're two days away from Christmas and I'M SO EXCITED.  Today I'm going to talk about a few things that I'm excited for in 2016!

2015 is coming to a close and I'm really sad because 2015 was actually an incredible year for me because not only was it my high school grad year, but also because it was the first time I got to see One Direction, and lots of other things, but those will be included in my 2015 wrap up post.  But as 2016 nears, I'm starting to think about what I want to do in 2016 and things like that, so I thought I'd share a few of things things!

1. MORE CONCERTS.
- I went to a lot of concerts in 2015 so I'm hoping to be able to go to more in 2016.  I've only got one lined up so far, but I'm looking forward to all the other concerts there are.  I really wanna see Will Singe!!!!!!

2. Finishing my first year of college.
- I'm honestly just looking forward to summer.  That's it.

3. Going on vacation.
- I haven't been on a proper vacation in so long so I'm hoping my parents read this and take us on vacation.  CMON MOM AND DAD.

4. Learning how to drive.
- Because I don't know how to drive yet so hopefully I can get on that...

AND LASTLY...
5. CHRISTMAS 2016!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- I freaking love Christmas, okay?  I can't wait until next Christmas when I can decorate again and buy presents and get presents and wrap presents.  I'm just really excited for Christmas next year.

Sorry this post was really sucky but I hope you enjoyed it.  2 more days until Christmas!

Thanks for reading and see you tomorrow!

Love, Cat <3

12 Days Of Catmas: Day Nine - My Christmas Playlist

Hello Friends and welcome to Day NINE of the 12 Days of Catmas!  As Christmas is only days away, I thought that I would share my Christmas Playlist with you all today!  My playlist is located on the lefthand side and all you have to do is simply click PLAY.  I hope you enjoy the array of Christmas songs I've put together!

Thanks for reading!  See you tomorrow for more!

Love, Cat <3

12 Days of Catmas: Day Eight - Mani Mondays

Hello Friends and welcome to day EIGHT of the 12 Days of Catmas!  I haven't done a Mani Mondays post in a long time so today I'm here to share what my nails currently look like!  So I currently have fake nails because I was over my naturally squoval nails and wanted something different.

I found these Kiss Full Cover False Nails in Active Oval.  They're really cool because you can file and reshape them however you like so I reshaped them to kind of an almond shape and I LOVE IT.

As for polish, I always start with OPI's Nail Envy as a base coat.

And for the color, I used Maybelline Color Show in Mink Lust.  It's part of the Blushed Nudes collection and I think it's so gorgeous.  It's super affordable and every color in the collection is really pretty.  The polish is a pretty nude mauve and the photo doesn't do it justice.

I've pretty much mastered the glitter gradient nail and I've been through lots of bottles of glitter nail polish.  I really love polishes with different sized glitters because it's easier to create the gradient, so for this nail look I used this glitter polish from Forever 21 in silver.  It's super affordable but you can use any glitter polish you want.  

To achieve the gradient, just start focus all the glitter where you want your gradient to start and then drag down.  It's really easy.  There are tons of videos on YouTube on how to do it.  But once I've perfected the gradient, I top off my nails with Out the Door topcoat.  I am still in love with this topcoat because it's a more affordable dupe for Seche Vite which I also love.  Give it a try if you can find it!

Here's one last look at my nails....

I hope you guy enjoyed this Mani Monday!  If you try this nail look send me a picture or tweet me using #thecaitlynlee and #12DaysofCatmas!  I'd love to here from you!

Thanks for reading!  See you tomorrow!  We're almost to the end of the 12 Days of Catmas!  Only 4 days left :(

Love, Cat <3

12 Days of Catmas: Day Seven - A Christmas Song

Hello Friends and welcome to the 12 Days of Catmas, Day SEVEN!  I don't have anything special for you today because tbh I couldn't think of anything special for today...  BUT I still have something! Here is a three year old cover I did of "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby!  I hope you enjoy it!  It's honestly one of my favorite covers I've done.  Reaching waaaay back into the archives for this one lol.

As always, that's so much for reading/watching!  See you tomorrow!

Love, Cat <3

12 Days of Catmas: Day Six - Lorac Unzipped Gold

Hello Friends and welcome to Day SIX of the 12 Days of Catmas!  Just yesterday I begged my parents to take me to Ulta so I could get my hands on the new Tarte Tartelette 2 In Bloom palette but of course it was sold out, so of course I had to find something new because I was far too eager.  The Lorac Unzipped palette is one of my absolute favorite palettes and when I heard that Lorac came out with a new version of it, I had to have it.  So when I couldn't find the Tarte palette, I fast walked to the Lorac section and lo and behold, the Lorac Unzipped GOLD palette was sitting beautifully upon the shelf.  I bought it so now I'm here to do an overview and my first impression of the palette!

So here is the palette...

The packaging and the palette itself looks pretty much just like the original Lorac Unzipped palette. The only differences is that the palette has more of a satin finish and has the word "GOLD" embossed on it.  The zipper part is also slightly larger than the original.  It's boxed basically exactly the same as the original palette and it comes with a mini of the Lorac Behind the Scenes eyeshadow primer. That's basically the packaging.  I still love how the palette is really slim and durable.  It has an okay sized mirror too.  It was $42 which for an unemployed college student is a little on the pricey end of the spectrum, it's definitely worth it.  

The Colors: 

The palette comes with 10 large shadows and every single shadow is GORGEOUS.  From top left to bottom right: Undressed, Uninhibited, Unpredictable, Undeniable, Unedited, Unlocked, Unlimited, Unleashed, Unwind, and Unafraid.  

Undressed: Matte

Uninhibited: Shimmer

Unpredictable: Shimmer

Undeniable: Matte

Unedited: Matte

Unlocked: Shimmer

Unlimited: Shimmer

Unleashed: Shimmer

Unwind: Matte

Unafraid: Matte

Swatching them was so nice because the shadows are super soft an buttery.  Here are all the colors swatched on my arm WITHOUT primer.  The mattes were a little harder to swatch, like a lot of matte shadows are but they were still so pretty.  

All ten colors are different from those in the original Unzipped palette.  Like I said before, they were super easy to swatch because they were so soft and buttery.  I was going to share up close photos of each of the colors but my photos turned out bad so... :/ sorry.

I love all of the colors but I specifically looooove Uninhibited because I love shimmery champagne colors, as well as Unleashed because IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL.  The photos don't do it justice.  I definitely see myself using this palette often.  I haven't done a look with it yet but I'm really excited to see what I can do.  I can already tell that the palette is super versatile and will be able to create tons of different looks!  

I hope you guys enjoyed this little overview/first impression of the Lorac Unzipped GOLD palette. Sorry it's not super extensive, but I hope to be able to share more about it once I really get to use it for different looks.  

Thanks for reading!  See you tomorrow!

Love, Cat <3 

12 Days of Catmas: Day Five - What I'm Grateful for in 2015

Hello Friends and welcome to day FIVE of the 12 Days of Catmas!  Today I'm going to be talking about a few things that I'm grateful for in 2015.  This list won't be extensive because I do want to talk about it more in my 2015 wrap up post that will come later this month, but I want to just mention a few things that I'm really happy to be able to have done or things that happened to me this year!

In no particular order...

1. To finally have been able to see One Direction!
- If this isn't your first time reading one of my blogposts, you're probably already aware that I have a deep love for One Direction.  I've loved 1D since freshman year of high school, aka for the past five years of my life, and this year I was finally able to see them live.  I've begged my parents to take me to see them every single time they've come here but I've never been successfully but this year was something else.  The day I saw them was honestly one of the happiest days of my life and I wouldn't trade that opportunity for anything else.  Unless of course you're offering meeting them over that day then hell yeah I'd trade.

2. Getting into my dream college!
- Without going into complete detail, because you can read my posts about college here, here, here, and here; I'm so grateful to have been accepted into and attend my dream college.  I worked my butt off for the past four years in high school and getting into this school was the icing on the cake.  It really proved that my hard work paid off and I couldn't be happier.

3. For my health!
- For basically all of December 2014 -  January 2015 I was really really sick but since then I've not gotten sick and I'm so happy for that.  Being sick is the worst thing ever and I'm just really grateful that I've been pretty healthy for the majority of the year.

4. For my parents!
- One of the best decisions I've ever made was going to a college close to home and because I'm close to home, I can come home more often.  I'm grateful that my parents are willing to pick me up and take me home and take me back to school every weekend.  They're really good at being parents.

5. Lastly, for all the amazing opportunities I've had this year!
- 2015 was an incredible year.  I've had the chance to go to a lot of concerts, meet lots of new people, and try a lot of new things.  I'm so grateful to have been able to start this blog and share what goes on in my mind with you all.  There was just so many amazing things that happened this year and I couldn't be more grateful for everything.

So there is my little list of the things I'm grateful for from 2015.  I'll include more when I write my 2015 wrap up that will be posted more towards the end of December but I hope you enjoyed this! Let me know what you're grateful for in 2015 in the comments, send me a message, or tweet me using #thecaitlynlee and #12DaysofCatmas! I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow!

Love, Cat <3

12 Days of Catmas: Day Four - My Favorite Holiday Lip Colors

Hello Friends!  It's Day FOUR of the 12 Days of Catmas and today I bring to you my favorite lip products during the holidays!  The following is a list of seven of my favorite products and why!  It's a solid mix of high end and drugstore products so I hope you enjoy! *I also actually took the photos this time and remembered why I never do... BECAUSE IT TAKES FOREVER*

- Too Faced Melted Liquified Lipstick in Melted Fig

This lip color is a cult favorite and it is one of my absolute favorite lipsticks that I own.  It's described as a "rosy orchid" color on Sephora's website and I think that's pretty accurate.  It has a brush tip that can be kind of difficult to use but once you get enough product on it, it's pretty smooth.

- Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Rapture

I'm pretty sure I've raved about this lipstick before but if I haven't said it already, IT'S AMAZING.  I love the color - I also have the matching blush - and it's pretty much my lipstick of choice whenever I go somewhere.  Sephora describes it as a "dusty rose" but I think it's more of a mauve.  The color is similar to Melted Fig so if you're debating between the two, go for your preferred texture and application style.

- NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

Red lips were never really my thing until I found this lipstick.  I got it in the little birthday gift thing from Sephora and immediately fell in love.  It's a "scarlet red" and it definitely fit's it's name.  I wore this for Fourth of July this year but it's also a really gorgeous true red for Christmas.

- Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Wine with Everything

I bought this lipstick about two years ago (I know I've had it longer than it's shelf life but oh well) and never really touched it.  I wasn't comfortable with non nude or pink colors but after rediscovering this year, I love it.  It's a orange-y red, which totally doesn't fit with it's name, I know, but it's really pretty if you have a toned down eye look and just some winged liner.

- NYX Butter Lipstick in Licorice

I LOVE this lipstick.  It's a gorgeous dark plum color and it's super buttery, hence the name of the collection, and really easy to apply.  As it is a buttery kind of formula, it isn't long lasting or anything, but it's a great lipstick to wear if you don't plan on eating or drinking. It's also a dupe for Revlon's Black Cherry which I know is difficult to find since I had the hardest time ever finding it.

- Sephora Collection Rouge Lipstick in Crush

This lipstick was my first ever dark plum-y lipstick and since I've not been able to stay away from them.  Sephora described this color as a "deep reddish plum" but I've discovered that it looks different on everyone.  It looks more of a magenta plum on me while it looked darker and deeper on one of my friends.  Either way it's an amazing color but my only complaint is that it has this weird smell that reminds me of the cheap lipstick that used to come in the makeup sets I had when I was 8. Once I got over that oddity, it became of my go-to lipsticks.

- NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen

Of all the lipsticks that I have, I've never struggled so much to find one as much as I did for this one. Of course it was extremely popular when it first came out which is why I could not find it for over a month, but once I had it in my hands, this lip color and I are best friends forever.  It's basically NYX Licorice in a cream lip color form and I love it.  I wore it to prom, Thanksgiving dinner, and honestly, I'll probably be wearing it to Christmas dinner this year too.  NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams and I have such a good relationship.  It's lasting power isn't amazing but it does the job if you're careful.  If you're a dark lip color lover and you don't have this in your collection, grab your wallet because YOU NEED THIS.

Here are the colors swatched on my arm:

And that is all my favorite lip colors for around the holidays.  If you get a chance to try all of these you should because they are all absolutely incredible.  Let me know what your favorite holiday lip colors are in the comments below or tweet me using #thecaitlynlee and #12DaysofCatmas! I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow!

Love, Cat

12 Days of Catmas: Day Three - The Holly Jolly Christmas Tag

Hello Friends!  It's Day THREE of the 12 Days of Catmas and today I'm here with the Holly Jolly Christmas Tag!  I already did one Christmas tag earlier this month, but this one is different!  Also get ready for a third Christmas tag but it will be a video next time! Let's get started!

1. Favorite Christmas Movie?
- I love Elf and Home Alone, two cult favorites, but my ABSOLUTE favorite Christmas movie is How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the one with Jim Carrey.

2. Are you on the Naughty list or the Nice list?
- I'm praying that I'm on the Nice list but if this were an actual thing I'd probably be getting coal for Christmas.  Let's not lie to ourselves.

3. Show us an embarrassing Christmas photo.
- Funny thing... I don't think I have an embarrassing Christmas photos.

4. Have you ever had a White Christmas?
- I don't think so.  I've had a lot of warm, sandy Christmases in Hawaii though.

5. Do you start your Christmas shopping on Black Friday or wait until the last minute?
- I always start on Black Friday but end up also getting things last minute for the people I forgot about.  Whoops.

6. If you could be in any Christmas movie, what would it be?
- I'd definitely want to be in Home Alone because Kevin McAllister is a boss.

7. Name all of Santa's reindeer.
- Rudolph, Prancer, Dancer, Vixen, Blitzen, Donner... That's all I can remember... (I forgot Dasher, Comet, and Cupid in case you can't remember those either and it's killing you)

8. When does your family put up your Christmas tree and who decorates it?
- We put it up whenever we get around to it, much to my dismay.  I'd like to start decorating November 1 if I could. And we all decorate it together.

9. Is your Christmas tree real or fake?
- Our tree is fake :/  My mom bought this fancy fake tree that looks really real but it doesn't have the smell so I hate it.  Sorry mom.

10. Peeking at gifts or being surprised?
- Let's be honest here, I always peek.  I'm never surprised.

11. Show us your ugly Christmas sweater if you have one.
- I don't have one :/

12. If you could be under the mistletoe with anyone, who would it be?
- Niall Horan

13. Does your family have a special holiday recipe you like to help make?
- Nope.  We're super non-traditional people.

14. Are you a pro-present wrapper or do you fail miserably?
- I'm so pro at wrapping presents - almost as pro as I am at opening presents.  It's just the weird shaped things that I have difficulty wrapping, but don't we all?

15. Have you ever gone Christmas caroling?
- No and tbh it's not something I've ever wanted to do.

16. What tops your tree?
- This super ugly angel that my mom has.  I told her we're getting a new tree topper this year.  No questions asked.

17. Do you make New Years Resolutions? Do you stick to them?
- During school they used to make us do it but I think New Years Resolutions are stupid and no, I never stick to them because they're stupid.  It shouldn't have to be a new year for you to want to make a change or improve yourself.  It could be June and you can start hitting the gym.

18. You have been granted one Christmas wish... what will it be?
- I've been thinking about this for a while because my immediate thought it for Niall Horan to fall in love with me and marry me and we live happily ever after, but my actual wish is for peace in the world.  2015 was a huge year for sadness and I just hope that 2016 brings happiness again.  There is too much evil in the world right now and I wish that it would all just settle and that we could all live peacefully and not in fear of losing our loved ones or even our own lives.

Soooo yeah... I hope you enjoyed the Holly Jolly Christmas tag!  Leave your answers to this tag in the comments below or send me a message!  You can also tweet me using #thecaitlynlee and #12DaysofCatmas!

Thanks so much for reading!  See you tomorrow!

Love, Cat <3

12 Days of Catmas: Day Two - A Gift Guide for the Ladies in Your Life

Hello Friends and welcome to Day TWO of the 12 Days of Catmas!  As I mentioned yesterday, I will be posting every day from now until the magical December 25th, so here I am today with some gift ideas for the ladies in your lives!  It's December 15th, aka only 10 more days until Christmas but it's never to late to grab some gifts for your loved ones and if you're a college student like me, the last minute is the only time you have to get your gifts.  SO here is a list of gift suggestions, all different prices, for you and you're bank account!

DISCLAIMER: This list of suggestions is based on the things for someone like me, so like ages ranging from 16 to probably like 30.  Idk what you should get your grandma because I don't even know what to get my grandma.  Okay let's go...

If you're special lady is like me, she probably loves makeup, as any girl would, so here are some suggestions for gifts you can give to her!

The Urban Decay Naked palettes!  I love all these palettes and own every single one because I have an addiction.  They're all at a higher price point, $54 each, but whoever you're buying for should be worth it :)

Naked 1 / Naked 2 / Naked 3 / Naked Smoky

And if you're wallet is resisting the $54 palette, you have the option of the Naked Basics palettes which are a little nicer priced, $29 each.  I don't have any of these palettes because I don't think they're necessary for me, but I know they're really really good as all Urban Decay products are.  

Naked 1 Basics / Naked 2 Basics

Lastly, if you're wallet is giving you a really hard time about the price, check these palettes out as well.  Sephora Collection has really good quality makeup.  These two palettes won't break the bank and the packaging is super cute.  I bought one of these for someone this Christmas too!

Wishes Come True / Wonderful Dreams

If the ladies in your life aren't into makeup, there are tons of other options out there for you.  Skincare and body care sets are always a safe way out of your gift debacle.  If you're looking for something to give a teenager, as a teen I always appreciated Bath & Body Works or Victoria's Secret gift sets.  

Bath & Body Works / Victoria's Secret

But if you're looking for a gift for someone who's a little more mature, you can go for a Philosophy gift set or a Benefit skincare kit.  

Philosophy / Benefit

Is your gift-receiver not into body or skincare? Never fear, there is something out there for you to give them!  Lots of stores have tons of really cute pajama sets! And if all else fails, bake some cookies and slap a gift card on those bad boys.  Girls love cookies and money tbh. 

I hope this gift guild was kind of helpful if you were feeling helpless.  Again, food and money never fail.  

Thanks for reading!  See you tomorrow!

Love, Cat <3

12 Days of Catmas: Day One - DIY Photo Tree

Hello Friends and welcome to Day 1 of the 12 Days of Catmas!

Starting today and until the magical day of December 25, I will be posting every single day!  The posts will range from extreme Christmas related things to completely not Christmas related things. Please anticipate that these posts may be long or kind of short but I hope you will still enjoy hearing from me everyday!

DAY 1:

If you read my Christmas Dorm Decor post, you probably saw that I arranged my photos into a Christmas tree shape and I mentioned how I've never seen anything done like that before, so today I thought I would share a little info about how I did it as well as a little template for you to follow should you decide to do it too!  And in case you have no idea what I'm talking about, this is what I did:

Like I mentioned before, I've never seen something like this done on Pinterest of anything, I've only see people arrange fairy lights in a tree shape, or they use garland.  So because I couldn't find anything, there was no template or anything for me to follow, meaning I had to think hard (which really isn't that hard, I'm just lazy).  I just started arranging the photos on the wall and let it happen and I think it turned out really nice.  So step by step, here is what I did!

But first, SUPPLIES!  

• 27 (ish) photos (I used 8 portrait style, 15 landscape style, and 4 photo booth strips)
• Poster putty - or you can use tape that won't damage the wall

Optionally:

• Decorations for around the photos i.e. a star for the top
• The following template

I made this template for you to follow if you'd like as well.  I would've liked to have a template to follow, but it's up to you!  And of course yours does not have to be exactly like mine.  Feel free to not follow the template and do you're own thing!

Step 1:

You don't have to do this, but I personally like to lay out my photos on the floor first and arrange them so I know exactly what it will look like in the end.  It just makes it easier so if you mess up, you can fix it without having to peel and restick it onto the wall.  After I lay it out, I like to take a photo of it just in case I forget what it's supposed to look like.

Step 2:

Start placing your photos onto the wall!  I like to start at the top so I know that I won't run out of space at the top.  Make sure you leave a space at the top if you're going to put a star!

Step 3:

Decorate it!  Put garland or lights around the tree, put ornaments between the photos.  This part is completely up to you're creative minds.  I kept mine simple only because I forgot to add extra stuff lol.

Step 4:

Admire you're hard work.  It's not a difficult job to do, but it can be quite time consuming.  It took me a good hour to do the entire tree.  It'll probably take you more or less depending on how badly you're trying to get it done.  

And that's it!  It's really easy to do and it'll look even better when you make it your own.  If you make your own photo Christmas tree, tweet me a photo using #thecaitlynlee and #12DaysofCatmas!  I'd love to see it!  

As always, thank you so much for reading and Have a Merry Christmas!  See you again tomorrow :)

Love, Cat <3

Monthly Obsessions: November 2015

Hello Friends! Happy Friday and HAPPY DECEMBER! December is finally here which means November had to come to an end, but in the month of November, I've come across many old and new products and things that I love!  So here I am, with my second official Monthly Obsessions post!

I don't have too many things to share this month because I've been using a lot of what I already have, but like I mentioned earlier, I've rediscovered a lot of old products that I've already loved and have found a few newer products that I'm fallen in love with.  So let's get started!

BEAUTY

My first obsession for the month of November is Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita.  I first heard of it when my friend from high school bought it and raved about it.  I wasn't keen on the price and passed it up every time I was in Sephora, but as I've become more and more enamored with brown nude lip colors, I knew I had to try it.  Even better, Sephora came out with a Lolita/Lolita II mini duo set and it was the same price for the set as it is for one of the full size.  Of course I had to buy the set so I could try both.  I didn't really like them at first because I wasn't sure if the colors suited me but as I've worked with them more, I've found that Lolita matches me more than Lolita II. The formula is unlike any lipstick that I have but I really like it.  You can virtually eat anything and it won't budge, which is what I love because I hate having to reapply lipstick.  Also this isn't my photo but it's a great photo so creds to whosever it is lol.

My next obsession is a rediscovery.  It is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed.  I've had this blush for YEARS and I'm pretty sure it was the first high end blush I bought.  I used to love it so much but completely forgot about it when I found newer blushes.  I recently fell in love with it again when I was looking for a matte, natural blush for the fall/winter times.  It's literally so perfect and it's really hard to over do it with this blush.  This blush is also a dupe for Nars Doceur and there are also other drugstore dupes for the Tarte blush but I don't think anything can live up to this blush.  

Another rediscovered obsession is the NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny.  This was my first ever bronzer and I bought it because other YouTubers were RAVING about it.  I of course am a sucker so I spent the $3 on it and fell in love.  Since, I've found other bronzers that I love more, but this bronzer is perfect for the fall/winter months.  It's lighter and has just enough orange without making me look like an oompa loompa.  It's really worth the $3 price tag and yes, there are other better bronzers out there, but if you're looking for something that won't break the bank, buy this!!  It's also a drugstore dupe for Benefit Cosmetics Hoola bronzer and MAC cosmetics Give Me Sun.

The last beauty item in my obsessions is this St. Ives Green Tea Scrub.  I've always had trouble with blackheads and this exfoliator has really helped.  I noticed the difference after just one use.  It also smells really really good.  The little exfoliating beads are not as rough as the other St. Ives exfoliators.  It's also very affordable so definitely try it if you're looking for a good blackhead clearing face wash.

OTHER THINGS

About mid-November, I ordered a black denim jacket from Forever 21 and it's literally all I've been wearing.  It's nice and lightweight.  I've been looking for a good black denim jacket for a while and I was thoroughly impressed.  Unfortunately, they don't have it online anymore but there are links to similar jackets. (The jacket pictured is from Topshop). 

Similar/Similar/Similar

I actually took this photo lol.  I bought this necklace from Forever 21 to go with a dress that I was wearing to a tea.  There was only one left and OF COURSE they don't have it online.  I literally have NOT been able to find it, but like the jacket, there are tons of similar necklaces out there, so here are some links!

Similar/Similar

My last monthly obsession is soy yogurt!  Is that weird....?  I first tried it from my school's cafeteria and I was skeptical at first because I love yogurt, but this yogurt changed my life.  The brand in the photo is what I eat basically every day and it's called O'Soy, but I think it should be called 'Soygurt'. Anyways... try it out if you love yogurt too.  I think it's an acquired taste thing, because my friend hates it but I love it, but give it a try and let me know what you think.

And that is all my obsessions!  Sorry it wasn't a lot but like I mentioned in the intro, I didn't find a lot of things this month.  What things were you loving for the month of November?? Let me know in the comments or send me a message!  

As always, thank you for reading!

Love, Cat <3

The Christmas Tag!

Hello Friends and Merry Christmas!  On this lovely Monday, I'm here to share with you all, The Christmas Tag!  You all know how much I love Christmas, as I've said it too many times in previous posts, so that it why for the month of December, I'm trying to make all my posts Christmas related because WHY NOT? So without further ado, LET'S DO THIS THANG.

WAIT.  Before you continue reading, please hit play on my Christmas playlist on the left!  It'll make this experience 100% better, I promise.

Okay let's really do this thing now.

1. What is your favorite holiday movie?
- Ooohhhh it's a tie between Elf, Home Alone, and the live action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

2. What is your favorite Christmas color?
- GOLD. Just because I really don't like green or red lol

3. Do you like to stay in you PJs or dress up for Christmas?
- I like to open presents in my pajamas and if I'm going to a party or dinner or something I like to get dressed up.

4. If you could only buy one person a present this year, who would it be?
- Oh this is a hard question... I'd probably buy a present for my cat because I like animals more than I like people.

5. Do you open your presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
- I always try to open them before Christmas Day however I am usually unsuccessful and end up opening them on Christmas morning.

6. Have you ever built a gingerbread house?
- I have!  It's not that fun, so if you haven't ever done it, it's nothing special and gingerbread doesn't taste that good.

7. What do you like to do on your Christmas break?
- Nothing.  Honestly it's just so nice to have a break from school so I like to take time just to do nothing and worry about nothing.

8. Any Christmas wishes?
- Niall Horan

9. Favorite Christmas smell?
- CHRISTMAS TREES.  THOSE THINGS SMELL DAMN GOOD.

10. Favorite Christmas meal or treat?
- Every year, my aunt gives us this Christmas bread and it's so good!!!

11. Which holiday do you celebrate?
- Shouldn't this question have come first? If you didn't already notice, I celebrate Christmas lol.

12. What are you doing for the holidays this year?
- I don't think I'm doing anything.  We were supposed to go on a little vacation but my brother didn't want to... So I think we're just doing Christmas brunch.

13. What's your favorite holiday drink?
- I looooooove eggnog but I also love caramel brulee lattes from Starbucks.

14. Candy canes or gingerbread men?
- Candy canes because gingerbread really isn't that good.

15. What's your favorite Christmas song?
- Oh this is a hard question too.  THERE'S SO MANY.  But to narrow it down, I love Michael Buble's version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by *NYSNC, and A Love Letter Christmas by R.Kelly.

16. What's the weirdest gift you've ever received?
- I honestly don't know.  I don't think I've received any weird gifts, but there's always a first for everything lol

17. Have you ever made a snowman?
- I have, but it didn't turn out that great.  It doesn't snow in San Francisco so snowmen are a rarity here.

18. What's your favorite winter fragrance?
- I don't have a winter fragrance that I like.

19. What is at the top of your Christmas list?
- To be honest, my Christmas list is really strange and it's like 60% One Direction related, but the number one thing on my list is a cardboard cutout of Niall HAHAHAH.

20. What is most important to you about the holidays?
- Sadly for me, it isn't about seeing family or spreading cheer and all the other traditional, cliche answers, but it's just decorations.  Christmas decorations are really important to me.

And that is it!  I hope you guys enjoyed and I'M SO EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS! 17 DAYS LEFT!

As always, thank you so much for reading!  Leave me a comment or send me a message about what your favorite part about Christmas is, or if you don't celebrate Christmas, let me know what holiday you celebrate and what you're favorite part is!

Love, Cat <3