Monday, August 29, 2016

College Beauty Must-Haves

Beauty is something that changes as we grow older. I've realized in college how different 'beauty' is approached. For example, in high school, I wore makeup everyday but in college, I wear very minimal makeup or none at all to class. I've also noticed that girls make more of an effort to try exotic looks when it's a night out on the town. Whatever your routine is, there are definitely some must-haves for the college gal who's trying to get a degree while still looking pretty. 

1. Dry Shampoo: I used to never be a fan of dry shampoo. Who in the heck would go three + days without washing their hair?! Not I. Now that my days vary, I don't always have time to wash my hair every night or I'm too lazy, ha. Dry shampoo has been a life saver so far for my roots. A quick spray before class and bam, hair that isn't greasy. I highly recommend this one and this one!

2. Setting Spray: I can't believe I went all throughout my years of high school without using this stuff. Setting spray sets your makeup and allows it to stay in place for a long time. It's perfect for a night out! You can get the pricer option, like Urban Decay or the less expensive option.

3. Highlighter: Guys, can we take a moment to realize how amazing this stuff is?! I recently got on the trend and I won't be abandoning this product from my routine anytime soon. A highlight, is what it sounds like: it highlights whatever part of your face you wanted highlighted. You can swipe the product on with a brush or your finger. I recommend applying it on the area above your cheek. It makes you look as if you have a glow!
These are amazing options: one / two / three / four

4. Hair Treatment: PSA, dorm showers SUCK.  The water pressure is awful and it's hard to find showers that have the pressure just how you want it. Along with getting ready for events, your hair takes a toll on the amount of heat that's used. I recommend doing a treatment once a week, whichever kind works best for you. I personally use this one because my hair always smells amazing and is so smooth after! I really notice a difference the next day because my hair maintains the softness and shine. 

5. Sleep: You've probably heard a million times how important beauty sleep is but I cannot express it enough, especially when you get to college. There will be many nights where you're studying until 2 a.m. or coming home from a night out with friends. Right now, my study schedule hasn't been too crazy so I've been able to take naps everyday. I think I'm still recovering for the 4:30 a.m. sorority recruitment wake-up calls, ha. It's hard to be productive when you can barely keep your eyes open so take that 30 minute quick nap. You won't regret it. Plus, you'll feel more energized and refreshed. :)

I hope you all enjoy these quick tips! Have a good Monday!

Carly

Monday, August 22, 2016

College Life


Hello, hello friends! 

I am officially blogging from my sweet, little college town of Athens, Georgia. I moved in August 7th for sorority recruitment and classes began August 11th. Drop/Add week, commonly known as 'Syllabus Week' is officially over and everyone is getting into the groove of things with their classes. 

I've only been in school for 11 days but it seems a lot longer than that. Many things have changed in my two weeks here. As I mentioned earlier, I participated in Formal Sorority Recruitment. It consisted of 4:30 am wake up calls, going to 18 houses to meet active members and then going through the rest of the rounds leading up to Bid Day. The whole process was about a week long. However, I withdrew from sorority recruitment the morning of Preferential (Pref) Rounds. The entire process is life-changing and I plan to do a few posts about Greek Life and rush in general if you all are interested. 

Now, onto college life..

The good:
- SO. MUCH. FREEDOM. 
High school never consisted of this much freedom. I have breaks in between my classes and I only have 2-3 classes a day. It gives me enough time to catch up on sleep, run errands, and do homework. No one is there to tell you to go to class or do your laundry. butttt, you should go to class!!!

- Meeting new people
Everybody is the 'new kid' in college. New school, new town, even a new state. I've been fortunate enough to meet great people so far, through my Gamma Chi group and on my hall. My hall mates are the bomb and we've already had great times together!

- Better food
My cafeteria food was awful in high school. At UGA, there are multiple dining halls that offer different things. One dining hall serves Hibachi while the other serves healthy shakes and so on. It is hard to eat healthy unless you are disciplined. 

The bad:
- Illness
My doctor recently told me that you'll never be more sick in your life than in college. #joy. Many girls who participated in recruitment have been experiencing the same cold and freshman who are getting acclimated to the dorms. You always have to wash your hands and be mindful of those around you who are sick. 

- The buses
UGA is a very large and hilly campus. Many buses run through campus but figuring out which route to take can be challenging! UGA has an app that has the bus routes but it's still easy to hop on the wrong bus. 

- The heat
It's hot as hell here in Athens and the South in general! Fall is in a month and we could not be more ready for it. Plus, Fall = FOOTBALL. I walk everywhere on campus so #sweaty.  Is anyone else dying in this heat right now?!

- Textbooks
I highly highly recommend that you rent your textbooks if you can. You will save a ton of money. Plus, you can still highlight in them as long as you don't destroy them. Do not pay full-price for a core class textbook. And if you have to, prepare to have your heart break. 

What other posts would y'all like to see?! Feel free to submit them at my Tumblr or shoot me an email at carlymixon11@gmail.com :)

Happy Monday!

Carly 

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Opportunities & Reflections


As my summer is coming to a quick end, I couldn't be more excited to begin a new chapter in my life: college. 
The summer before college is a 'weird' transition time. You truly begin to learn how to be an adult. Purchasing things for my dorm was one of the most stressful yet exciting experiences that I've had this summer. I'm telling you, deciding what you need to live on your own is a weird thing. I've had to purchase things that I use to never think about when I walked into Target like medicine, cleaning supplies, a lint roller, (haha) and the list goes on. 

Another part of the 'weird' feeling of transition is that your friends will not handle the idea of moving on the same way you will. 
Most of my friends are very anxious about the start of college, or the next chapter in their lives. While I am nervous about facets of college like sorority recruitment, how to study, finding my classes, etc., I'm also pretty dang excited for the opportunities I'm about to have and the people I will meet. My roommate is already a close friend of mine and I've met some great people through Orientation. Honestly, when you work really, really hard in high school, not only are you working towards getting into your dream college, you're working towards opportunities that will develop your career and allow you to become your best self. How could I not be excited about that?!

Along the lines of opportunities, I was recently chosen to be on the editorial team for Spire & Co. If you all aren't familiar with Spire & Co, it's an amazing website that inspires and supports young, ambitious women in all endeavors of their lives. I had to submit a piece in order to be considered for the job and ironically, the one I submitted was a piece I wrote two years ago after a breakup. Thanks for the job, ex boyfriend?? haha. 
I was always reluctant to share my writings with people because what I write is very personal to me. Putting yourself out there, in any way, is terrifying. Writing has always been a passion of mine. I also wanted to be apart of another facet of the fashion industry, which is why most of my articles will be featured in the Style & Beauty section. Look for my name in a couple of weeks :)

Best, 

Carly