Before and Afters from RFA's Senior Ball

I had a great time playing makeup on these beautiful
ladies this weekend for their senior ball! I hope
everyone had a wonderful time!

 

Stay Sweet!

Making cupcakes is another hobby that I really enjoy.

I recently made the chocolate baseball cupcakes pictured

above for my little cousins' baseball fundraiser. The fact 

that I actually enjoy baking surprises me because it takes

a lot of patience-- which is not one of my specialties. My 

favorite part of making cupcakes is decorating them! 

There are so many things you can do--decorating 

them all separately, or placing them in a fun 

arrangement. Cupcakes are fun and always a hit at 

parties and get togethers. Who doesn't love sweets?!

When it comes to decorating, I get a lot of inspiration and cute 

ideas from Pinterest! I could spend hours and hours on

 Pinterest! I also uses apps like "Yummly" and"Allrecipes" 

for yummy recipes.

Buttercream is one of my favorite frostings to use when 

I make cupcakes. It can be difficult to make-- R.I.P to the 

3 hand mixers I have lost to this recipe. (If you have a Kitchen Aid 

mixer, this is the time to bust it out) It's a very popular request 

when I bake for parties! Keep reading for the recipe!! :)

Buttercream Frosting:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup of butter (room temperature) 

1 1/2 teaspoons

5 cups confectionary sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1. Beat butter & shortening together with an 

electric mixer, until smooth. 

2. Add vanilla and continue to beat.

3. Beat in 1 cup of confectionary sugar at a time. (it will make

a mess of your black shirt, I promise) 

4. Add milk. I always add a little bit at a time, sometimes

even between each cup of sugar. You want the frosting to be 

thick.

Tip: If you do not use the frosting right away, cover the

 bowl of frosting with a damp paper towel or cloth until 

ready for use!

This recipe will frost over 2 dozen cupcakes!

This recipe comes from "Allrecipes".

I highly recommend this app! They have so many great 

recipes! Always read the reviews for tips and good outcomes!

Baking tip: Regular measuring cups and liquid measuring cups are not exactly

the same! That is why there are two different ones! Try to always measure liquids

in liquid measuring cups. You wouldn't think this would make 

a difference, but sometimes it does! Also, precise measuring is 

an important aspect when it comes to baking! Also, when it tells you to use 

room temperature butter, just do it! It will make all the difference.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Now get off the computer 

and go bake some cupcakes!!

Stay Sweet!

Alexa :) 

Lipstickin' It

One of my newer obsessions is definitely lipstick! I feel like glosses have been more popular in the past few years but lipsticks are finally making their comeback! I never liked them when I first got into makeup because I didn't like how they felt on my lips and I just felt weird wearing it.

I think part of the reason I didn't like wearing lipsticks was because I always thought that people would think that I was trying too hard, which is so silly. I love lipstick now, especially a dark, bold red. I feel like when you have some on it just completes your whole outfit! 

You will definitely find shades that you love and then some that look just ridiculous! Also, they don't always have to be expensive or name brand. Drugstores or even Walmart have good lipsticks! I don't own as many as I want to yet but I am currently working on that ;). The following are some of my all time favorites! 

❤ Cabernet by Hikari (dark, bold red)

❤ Golden Pink by Tarte 

❤ Sweet Pink by NYX

❤ Naked2 by Urban Decay (first nude lipstick, love it!)

❤ Fuchsia Fever by Maybelline 

❤ Bombshell by LA Girl (this is a lip glaze, they are sort of messy but the colors they offer are so fun)

Play around with some lipstick and see what you think! You might actually like them, you never know! And if you find one that you like but you aren't sure about how it looks, ask your mom, she'll tell you how it is. Also, anyone (other girls) who throws you a look when you're wearing a bold color, just smile, cause I'm sure you're rockin' it! :) 

xoxo❤ 

Typical New Years Resolutions Post

I'm sure that you're going to see lots of posts like this, especially because tomorrow is New Years Eve. I just wanted to share some of my goals or resolutions for not only the upcoming year but for my upcoming semester at college.

1. I was happy with my grades for the first semester, however they could of been better. I feel like the first semester of college is sort of like a test run. You figure out what you can handle, improve your time management skills and get used to living on your own. Next semester, now that I know what to expect, I would love to get a 3.5. 

2.  I really hope that this semester I will decide on a major. I have been researching different majors and careers this semester and my advisor has been very helpful. I am trying to find a major that I can tie together with my love for Cosmetology. 

3. I plan on getting a part time job in a salon this year. I really enjoy Cosmetology and I want to explore it a bit more. Having a job will not only give me some pocket money that I so desperately need but I will also gain some more experience in the field that I love. Also, I have been looking around for some makeup classes to take out in Rochester. 

4. Get fit. And yes, everyone says that they are going to get fit or lose weight for the new year and no more than 50% actually do it. I really want to try to eat better and exercise more. It is really hard to eat right at college because they are so many different choices right in front of you. Even if it looks somewhat healthy, it's probably not. And having Wegmans two minutes down the street from you with a bulk candy section the size of my room doesn't help anyone. Anyways, I am going to try! 

This is the first time that I have actually made a real list of my goals and resolutions for the new year. Having it all down in front of me makes me feel like I will actually take these things more serious! I encourage everyone to make a list of things that you would like to accomplish this year, or even by the end of the month. Lists help me keep my life more organized, especially when it comes to school work and due dates! When I complete a task, I cannot wait to feel the satisfaction of crossing it off my list! 

Enjoy the New Year! 

xoxo ❤❤❤ 

Ever feel like your hair is stuck at one length?

Your hair is finally getting long and for some reason we get this idea in our heads that it will look really cute short. You go and get it cut and then go home and cry about how short it is. A couple weeks later we post a TBT selfie on Instagram of how long our hair was and how much we miss it.  

The hair on your head grows 1/4 inch per month. It feels like it takes forever and ever for your hair to become long again. There are so many myths out there of all the ways that we can make our hair longer, faster. The secret to long hair is keeping it healthy!

Here are some healthy hair tips! 

❥ Do not, I repeat DO NOT rip through your hair with a brush while it's wet! When wet, the outermost part of the hair strand, the cuticle, is swollen from being wet and ripping through it with a brush will damage your hair. After your nice warm shower, use a wide toothed comb or pick to comb out your hair! You'll notice it even dries faster when you comb it out!

Wide-Toothed Comb

❥ Do not bleach/lighten your hair a lot. Bleach or lightener will also damage your hair. This one is hard because I absolutely love lightening my hair and putting in some highlights so this one, if you're like me, you just have to deal with a little bit of damage or breakage.

❥ Keep heat to a minimum. Constant straightening or curling can also be a factor in hair breakage.

❥ Be gentle when towel drying your hair.

❥ When you notice that your hair is dead at the ends or they start to split, schedule a trim. Yes, pulling your split ends apart in the middle of history class is more entertaining than which is actually going on but doing this splits the hair and damages the whole strand. A good trim will get rid of dead ends and make your hair healthier so it will grow!

❥ Scalp massages will stimulate your scalp, help your hair to grow and it will also keep your hair and your scalp healthy! And who wouldn't want a nice scalp massage? They're the best!

❥ Take Biotin. Biotin is a vitamin for your hair, skin and nails. I recently stopped taking it because I ran out and never bought more but it really works! 

❥ Unless you have very fine, straight hair, there is no need to wash your hair every day. Washing your hair every day or twice a day will get rid of the natural oils on your scalp that maintain the health of your scalp. But of course when your hair starts to look greasy then yes, it's time to wash it. 

❥ Don't wear your hair slicked back in really tight pony tails or buns all of the time because this strains your hair and will definitely cause breakage! Also, having your hair pulled back too tight will give you a headache and no one wants that! 

❥ Using products like leave-in conditioners and argan oils will help your hair look and feel healthy. Especially if you lighten your hair these will help with the dryness. 

❥ Pay attention to the hair ties you buy. Those new rubbery ones that they recently came out stay in your hair great but they also cause hair breakage. 

I hope these tips will help you keep your hair healthy! In the mean time while your waiting for your hair to grow, follow my blog! See you soon! xoxo ❤❤❤