La Petite Artist

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! My favorite part of the holidays is spending time with family and loved ones. I love laughing together, giving thoughtful gifts, sharing memories of Christmases past, and making new memories. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Friday, December 20, 2013

The Art of Letter Writing

Letter writing is unfortunately a dying art form. I save every card and hand written letter that I receive. In the age of instant communication, I value the time and thought that goes into a letter so much more. I had two pen pals when I was in middle school and reading their letters brings back so many memories of the things I loved in the 1990s, like Sanrio, gel pens, and boy bands. I also exchanged letters with a dear dear friend of mine who passed away about a year about. Reading her encouraging words and seeing her handwriting makes me feel still connected to her.

I also value the art of writing thank you letters after receiving a gift or writing a letter just to make someone smile. I'm not sure how many people in my generation still write letters, but I absolutely encourage you to. Writing a letter seems more meaningful and the words seem to have more depth than a text message or email.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

The Art of Traveling: Top Ten Travel Tips

It seems like a lot of people are traveling this time of year, myself included. I absolutely love traveling, visiting new places, and meeting new people. When you travel and pack smart your trip is much more enjoyable. Whether you are traveling home for winter break, taking a mini holiday, or visiting family and love ones I hope you find some of my travel tips helpful!

Tip Number 10.

Carefully plan out your outfits. Do not just pack multiple tops and bottoms, this will lead to over packing. Instead carefully plan what you want to wear for each day, taking into account the types of activities and events you will attend. It find it extremely helpful to lay out the outfits on the bed and photograph them (sometimes I even included shoes and accessories). This way you will not forget anything and you will know exactly what to wear by flipping through the photos on your phone or ipad.

Tip Number 9.

If traveling by plane, the very first thing you should do when you sit down in your seat is take a anti-bacterial hand wipe and wipe down the armrests and tray table. This will save you from the millions of little germs from the hundreds of people sitting in that seat before you. Do you think the flight attendants actually have time to thoroughly clean each and every seat? I don't think so. And don't worry about looking like an OCD germaphobic person, because any one who gives you weird looks will probably catch some horrible sickness from NOT wiping down their tray. Or you can do what I usually do when the person sitting next to me stares at me wiping down my seat, I offer them a wipe.

Tip Number 8.

In order to take your favorite perfume with you while traveling use a perfume atomizer. I had no idea this even existed until I saw the Hollywood Fashion Secrets Perfume Atomizer* it in line at Old Navy*. I was literally thinking of creative ways of how to transfer my perfume into a smaller travel size container, but this was exactly what I needed to make my travels easier and better smelling! Here is the link for more information: Perfume Atomizer

Tip Number 7.

In order to prevent any necklaces or bracelets from getting tangled while you travel, you can separate them using the fold-top sandwich baggies.

Tip Number 6.

Carry a photocopy of your ID (passport, student ID, or driver license) in a separate location from your actual ID or scan and email a copy to yourself. In case your bag with your ID gets stolen while traveling having a photocopy of your identification will be helpful in securing your travel home.

Tip Number 5.

Tie a bright colored piece of fabric or ribbon onto the handles of your suitcase. This will help you distinguish your generic looking black suitcase from all the other generic looking black suitcases.

Tip Number 4.

Wherever you are going and no matter the mode of transportation you are using to get there, always pack snacks. It is also a good idea to pack snacks with some protein, like nuts or protein bars, for sustainable energy.

Tip Number 3.

Rolling up your clothing can help everything fit better in your suitcase and it also helps prevent wrinkles.

Tip Number 2.

Do some quick research on the area that you are visiting. It is crucial to know local customs, the expected weather, and any current events. Also, when traveling to a foreign country always know how to say "please", "thank you", "yes", "no", and "help" in every language you will encounter.... This can literally be a life saver.

Tip Number 1.

Take pictures. Don't worry about looking like a tourist, even if you are visiting your hometown. It just takes a few moments to snap a quick photo, but the memories will last a lifetime.


Fitzgerald is wishing you safe and happy travels!

*I am not affiliated with this company.

Everything mentioned are my honest thoughts and opinions.

*** I am not affiliated with this company. Everything mentioned are my honest thoughts and opinions! - See more at: http://lapetitesocialworker.blogspot.com/search/label/Reviews#sthash.HRDlIAIq.dpuf

*** I am not affiliated with this company. Everything mentioned are my honest thoughts and opinions!

- See more at: http://lapetitesocialworker.blogspot.com/search/label/Reviews#sthash.HRDlIAIq.dpuf

*** I am not affiliated with this company. Everything mentioned are my honest thoughts and opinions! - See more at: http://lapetitesocialworker.blogspot.com/search/label/Reviews#sthash.HRDlIAIq.dpuf

Friday, December 13, 2013

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Sunday, November 3, 2013

IPSY October 2013 Glam Bag Review

I really liked October's IPSY Glam Bag. The theme of this bag is "The Art of Beauty". One's face is a canvas and make up is the paint and brushes are the artist's tools.

This was the first bag I received in a while where I liked every product. However, I did not really understand the saying on this month's make-up bag. These are the products that were included in my glam bag:

1. Zoya green nail polish

I love that the nail polish is free of harsh chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, and camphor. These are harsh chemicals that cannot be good to use or breath in. For example, dibutyl phthlate is used in making flexible plastics and toluene is a toxic substance that is often found in paint thinners and breathing it in causes harm to the cardiovascular and neurological system.

2. Nourish Organic- Coconut & Argan Body Lotion

The body lotion feels great, but it does have a strong smell. I think it smells more like argan than coconut.

3. Bare Escentuals- Buxom Lips

I have never been a big fan of lip gloss since it is often very sticky, but I do like the Buxom Lips gloss. It gives a nice shine and a touch of color. The gloss is supposed feel tingly and to plump up the lips. I definitely notice the tingly feeling, but the plumping is not as obvious.

4. La Fresh Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes

These wipes smelled great, like pineapple! Yum! And I love that they are 99.25% natural. They did a great job removing my makeup. I would definitely repurchase these and they would be perfect for traveling.

5. Big Sexy Hair- Blow Dry Volumizing Gel

My hair is naturally pretty voluminous, but I did notice that this gel provided extra volume when I applied it, especially around the roots.

While make-up can make one feel beautiful and more confident it is also important to value what is on the inside: The art of being compassionate, brave, a good listener, generous, among many others.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

A Beautiful Inspiration

Audrey Hepburn has always been an inspiration for me. Today I thought I would share Audrey Hepburn's favorite poem by Sam Levenson:

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.

Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

IPSY August 2013 Glam Bag Review

So I signed up to received the IPSY glam bags each month. August was my second month receiving a glam bag and I decided to do a quick, fun, and honest review about the products I received. I love make-up and always thought of it as a form of art. In this case, your face is the canvas!

The theme for this month was Glamour Academy, which I thought was an excellent choice for the back-to-school month.

Here are the items I received in my August 2013 IPSY bag:

Below is my review of each individual product:

Michael Todd: True Organics

Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub

I like this product because of the fact that it is made with 70% organic ingredients and it is also vegan friendly. The product made my skin feel great, but I felt like it didn't do a great job exfoliating. It is a very very gentle exfoliating scrub. I was surprised with the color, it is a dark grey, but that makes sense considering that one of the main ingredients is jojoba charcoal. Overall, I would rate this product a 4/5.

Noya Vanilla Lip Balm

This product is a full size lip balm and it smells absolutely delicious. I absolutely love the feel of it on my lips. It is made with 100% all natural and kosher ingredients. I really love that the ingredient list is so short ( that is always a good sign, a true sign for natural products). The ingredients include, coconut oil, beeswax, organic extra virgin olive oil, natural vanilla flavor, and organic stevia rebaudiana (aka sweetleaf). This has become one of my main lip balms and I use it everyday. I would rank this product a 5/5.

Pacifica Alight Multi-mineral BB Cream

Shade Matching Technology

At first I wasn't at all impressed with this product, but after giving it a second try it does make for a nice base. However there is no coverage at all and I didn't feel like the product had "shade matching technology". The product comes out a dark brown/orange and it didn't exactly match to my much paler skin color. It claims to be an all in one weightless formula that matches your skin tone while perfecting, hydrating, and diminishing the appearance of pores and fine lines. Out of all those I feel like it really only did a good job hydrating. I would rank this product a 3/5.

Pixi Lash Booster Mascara

I really did not like this mascara because it did not really provide and volume or definition to my eyelashes. The only thing good about this mascara was that it didn't clump when I put it on, but maybe this is because it was almost like I wasn't putting on any mascara at all. If I am going to put in the effort to wear mascara, I want it to see natural, but noticeable effects. Therefore, I give this product a 1/5.

NYX Mosaic Powder

Shade: 08 Spice

I really liked this blush powder. It is great for creating a contour on your cheek bones and the color seems to stay on all day. At first I was worried the color would be too dark for me, but with a bit of blending and light application I really like this product. I give this product at 5/5.

FAVORITE Product for this month: Noya Vanilla Lip Balm. I would actually repurchase this item.

LEAST Favorite Product for this month: Pixi Lash Booster (not so boosting) Mascara

Thanks for reading my review! Stay tuned for a review of IPSY AUGUST 2013 Glam Bag! And feel free to comment below to let me know your thoughts!

*** This post and La Petite Artist are not sponsored in any way by the products discussed. Everything mentioned are my honest thoughts and opinions!