Starbucks Refreshers Very Berry Hibiscus

When I initially tried the Starbucks Refreshers, I was in an actual Starbucks, and was slightly disappointed when I found out that they had made my drink from a powder. I have seen/heard enough good things about them to decide it was worth a second try.

I didn't go to Target intentionally seeking them out, but as I wandered through the aisles the packaging caught my eye, so I decided to read it. That's when I noticed that these actually contain caffeine, and the whole purpose behind the drink was to "refresh" you during the afternoon when you need a little pick-me-up. I was sold!

 I brought them home last night and decided I would give them a try this afternoon since I'm usually completely exhausted after work. The caffeine wasn't enough for me to feel a little buzz like I usually get from coffee, but just enough to make me feel slightly energized and not needing a nap.

These are sweetened with Stevia, which is apparent in the flavor, but it wasn't anything a little fresh squeezed lemon couldn't fix ;)... and actually made it taste similar to their Passion Tea Lemonade! I will continue to use up this box, but at this point, I don't think I would repurchase these for a whopping $7.00 a box at Target. If you are purchasing these from Starbucks, I would suggest buying the powders and making them yourself, because with a box of 6, it breaks down to a little more than a dollar a drink, which is a steal compared to the in-store price.

Boba (Pearl Tea) at Home

Having a Pearl Tea house so close to my home may seem like a blessing, but when I realized that I have spent over fifty dollars there in the past month, I knew I needed to cut back. If you love boba as much as I do, you quickly realize cutting back isn't really an option. So now I have embarked on what seems to be a never ending journey to preparing the perfect boba at home. I have tried many brands from my local Asian markets, without success. I either have trouble with the flavor or the texture, but generally it is both. . . at once. I have even tried sneakily asking questions at the Pearl Tea house I visit, without sounding like I am trying to start my own business based off of what they are telling me. I would love to hear any suggestions of where to purchase the best quality pearls, and also how to prepare them. For those who don't know the answer; have you ever tried boba before? If so, what is 

your favorite drink, and have you ever attempted to make your own at home?

Tiff

Summer Beauty To-Do List

What is on your Summer To-Do List? With all the time you have off from school, (for those of you who don't work full-time or take Summer school) the weather can make it extremely tempting to lounge by the pool and sun bathe all day. Instead, fight the urge and take some time to escape from the heat outside and do some organizing! One of my goals this Summer is to organize my house, starting with my beauty room. As you can see here, I have organized my vanity. I just filmed a video on it and it should be posted to my youtube channel soon: http://www.youtube.com/user/tiffanyespinosa Check it out if you are interested in learning some neat inexpensive organizational tips and getting some inspiration for your own vanity! 

Tiff

Critical Life Mantra: Quantity Over Quality

Since Christmas was coming up, my boyfriend wanted me to pick out an extravagant gift for myself. As a woman, I was naturally inclined to choose shoes. 

I truly see no point in buying a versatile quality pair of shoes if you wear it once a year "for special occasions" but continue to wear the lower quality items that rip and tear easily on a daily basis. 

When I was in high school I would literally want as much as my parents were willing to buy me, despite quality. Now that I have a more matured fashion sense, I look back at my high school state of mind (and fashion sense) and I shudder. 

Over time, I have developed a sense of style that is uniquely different from those in my town, or at least a few months ahead of everyone else (que drumroll). I have limited funds and resources here in Fresno, so I make due with what I can, while still attempting to set myself apart from the bandwagon. 

Since I began purchasing my own clothes I developed a "Wardrobe Mantra" that my teenage Tiffany would slap myself for professing:

Quality Over Quantity

I feel as an adult, this is one of the most important concepts in life to grasp, as a whole: 

Less true friends over more fake friends.

A healthy salad over two bags of hot Cheetos. You get the hint.

In our day and age we are all about more, more, MORE. But not only do we want more, we want more of the best, no matter how redundant or unnecessary each item is in our life. You know, the whole, "I want the iPhone, Macbook, and iPad, iPod..." Guilty as charged. 

When all we really need to do is assess our lives, our taste, and our needs to figure which item would work best for us. Sure it takes some time and thought, but in the end, you feel free. 

This simple mantra can help you overcome clutter, the feeling of being overwhelmed, never being satisfied, always wanting or "needing" more, dependence on material things, feeling the need to "keep up with Jones'", neglected lipstick and clothing, buyers remorse, and worst of all:

Seeing a closet full of clothes and not knowing what the hell to wear.

Let this be the beginning of a revolution. Just kidding. This will be the beginning of a series of posts that will teach you how to change your way of thinking. I will be highlighting life lessons, certain articles of clothing (great for men as well) and womanly things that will help you abolish all of the unnecessary in  your life.

Don't be afraid to comment :)

Edgy Bedroom Decor

I love the dark goth decor, but for some reason the place it seems practical for me is in the bedroom! I want my room to feel dark without making it seem like I'm performing seances in there, and lately things seem to be getting more and more satanic in main stream fashion. Sure, pentagrams and Ouija boards are edgy, but that is not the type of edge I am going for. So here are some items that I have found to keep your room more on the glam side of the spectrum. I will call it Graveyard Chic lol

Get the skull candle here Get the Octopus Pillow here Get the Skull here

Best Bright Mac Eyeshadows

If you would rather watch this, or like to see the colors on camera check out my Best Bright Mac Eye Shadows video 





With the heat rushing upon us, we can't help but feel that our left over makeup from the winter is just a bit too drab for the bright sunny days of Summer. Well, I have a solution for you to brighten up your look with just a few simple colors! You can purchase one, or all, but no matter what, you will be sure to love the brightness and light that these colors will bring to your eyes and bronzed summer skin. If these colors are too bold for you to wear all over the lid, you can start by jsut applying then to the lower lash line for a fun little pop of color as well.

Sushiflower: An intense, yet wearable satin pink.This pink can easily be blended in with any of these other colors, or wore alone to give an ultra feminine look. Another awesome aspect of this color is that it can double as blush, just remember to use an extremely light hand in order to avoid clown cheeks!

Rule: A Matte warm roasted orange color, which can easily be transitioned into your fall and winter color collection as well. Orange is the Pantone color of the year, and looks amazing on all skin tones, so I would highly recommend this color.

Goldenrod: A Satin sunny golden yellow color. It has a very smooth texture applies like butter. When I saw this color I instantly pictured Beyonce's makeup in the Telephone music video. This yellow color will really bring out the warmth in hazel and brown eyes. Also, the new makeup trend for the summer seems to be using a bright yellow just like this as an inner corner highlight, which could be a fun look to try out. I also think that this would look stunning when blended with a metalic gold shadow.

Lucky Green: A beautiful veluxe pearl color, that when swatched, is ten times more amazing. This color would work especially well for brown eyes. I noticed that when I wore this it really brought the warmness out in my brown eyes. This color can be worn alone on the lid for a bright effect, or can be blended with brown or darker greens to keep it more neutral and wearable for everyday.

Humid: A frosty forest green, which can be used for a colored green smokey eye, or all over the lid alone. I also think this color is very versatile because it would also be able to transition into your fall and winter color collection. It really made the color of my brown eyes stand out, and I also have a tutorial on a look with this shadow: Click here to see this look: Mac Humid Tutorial

Aquadisiac: A Lustre eyeshadow. This is a beautiful teal color that is reminiscent of the warm tropical waters. It is very pigmented so a little bit can go a very long way. The application is smooth, and it has very small subtle pieces of sparkle in it. This is one of the colors that would look amazing just used under the eye for a pop of color.

Steamy: An amazing Frost. I love this eyeshadow, and out of all of the mac eyeshadows this is the first one that caught my eye, it has a subtle sexy undestated blue tone that shines green. It literally looks like fish scales with its multidimentional shine. This color has some brightness to it, but isn't too intense for everyday wear. This color would look amazing on any eye color and is very versatile and could easliy transition into fall and winter colors as well.

Creme de Violet: An amazing violet frost color. I really like this purple color because it is a warm toned purple and had the finest gold shimmer in it. This is a very eye catching color and would look amazing on those who have dark eyes and hair. This is also another color that can be used just under the eye

My First Blog Post: An Introduction to My Blog

As the majority of those who will be the first to view my blog already know; I make videos on YouTube. I originally started making my YouTube videos for two reasons:

1. To help people
2. Out of boredom

I have come further than I would have ever imagined, and am quickly approaching 10,000 subscribers. For me, this is a blessing, and one day I would hope to be among the most popular gurus, but we all know that it is going to take some time.

Being and English major, I've always naturally felt inclined to start a blog, and now that I have a small following, I figured this would be the time to start. My intentions in starting this blog are to appeal those who enjoy reading blogs and to put my English major to good use. Partially, because I have a feeling that this maybe all it is good for (sarcasm. . . not really, though). But mainly, and most importantly, to present my information and express my way of living and interests in a different form.

I hope that you all would support me in this journey, as I am new to the whole experience. Through reading my blogs, I feel that you will all get to know me much better, and I am thankful for having the oppourtunity to share my knowledge with you about fashion, health, fitness, mental clarity, cosmetics, and the daily antics that come along with my life.

Well, now that I have my formal introduction out of the way: WELCOME TO MY BLOG EVERYONE!!!! :)! I am really excited to start this, but need YOUR help! So, if you could all be so kind as to comment down below and give me some ideas of what kind of posts you would like to see in the near future, that would be greatly appreciated!

Love you guys,

Tiff