How to: Light Writing

       My biggest passion in life is photography! So, I am incredibly excited to be able to share this awesome tutorial with you guys! My friends and I took this picture on the Fourth of July when we were able to get a hold of sparklers. Isn't this just amazing?? You can always use flashlights if you cannot get sparklers. I am so happy with how it turned out, and I wanted to teach you all how I achieved the writing! (I'm not very good at explaining things like this, so hopefully you all will be able to understand. Haha!)

      It is important that you take this photo in a dark place and set your camera on a tripod or steady surface. You will need a camera with which you can adjust the f stop and ISO settings. To my knowledge, you cannot adjust these settings precisely with a point and shoot. So, you will need to get a hold of an slr camera. Make sure your camera is set to Manual or Aperture Priority (A for Nikons, AV for Canons). For this photo, I used a Canon Rebel XSI with a 55mm lens. If you cannot seem to figure out how to change your settings correctly by my explanations, you can always just google "How to change the f stop on a (insert camera type here)". That should bring up a guide for you!

       Near the shutter release is a dial that can change the f stop. An f stop is the opening that brings light into your lens. It was almost pitch black outside, and I set my f stop to 5.0. Next, we have to adjust the ISO settings. Your ISO indicates the light sensitivity of the camera’s imaging sensor. The higher the ISO number, the more quickly the camera reacts to light. There should be a button clearly labeled ISO. Change the setting to 400. I had my friends and I stand perfectly still and only move the arm that was writing, because any movement will be blurry. We began writing before the picture was actually taken just to make sure there were no unnecessary lines/movement.

       Keep in mind that you may have to change these settings to fit your surroundings! This is just what worked for me. It may take a few tries to get this just right. Hopefully, though, this post has given you enough knowledge to be able to adjust these settings on your own. If you have any further questions, feel free to comment down below. I will try to answer them as best as I can!

Nail Tutorial: A Pop of Floral

     I don't think obsessed can come close to my feelings about this nail look! Ah!! It's SO cute! The other day, I could not decide between french tips or a floral pattern. I thought to myself. "Why not both?" And I came up with this!! It's so easy to do once you get the hang of it. For those of you who cannot paint french tips free handed (I'm still trying to master it myself), Here's a great video from one of my favorite Youtube beauty gurus to teach you how it's done. As for the rose pattern: I painted a base coat with Loreal "Club Prive", the base of the roses with Loreal "Charmed, I'm Sure" using a dotting tool (you could also use a bobby pin), the detailing of the roses with Loreal "Tangerine Crush" using a small paint brush, and the leaves with Loreal "Safari Chic" also using a small paint brush. If you haven't noticed, I am utterly in love with Loreal nail polishs. I find them to be just as good of a quality as Essie or OPI. However, instead of spending around eight dollars per bottle, I spend five dollars. I cannot get over how adorable this pattern is. I'm definitely going to be wearing

this all summer!

How to: No Heat Beach Waves

       I had mentioned in a previous post that a trend which seems to come back every summer is natural beach waves. However, it seems that every tutorial I have come across on how to achieve this look requires some sort of heat element. I, myself, don't use heat on my hair during summer. So, I was struggling with finding a way to achieve the same look without damaging my hair. I have discovered a few tips and products I use everyday in order to get these soft beach waves that I'd like to share with you all!

1. I rinse my hair after washing and conditioning it with cold water to increase the shine.

2. While it is still damp I use a sea salt spray. My favorite is Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray. However, if you can't afford it, Mix one tsp. sea salt with eight oz. of water to make your own.

3. Lastly, I use a towel to scrunch my hair. This will absorb any extra water and scrunch the hair better than using your hands.

4. If your hair does not have any texture on it's own, you could use a light hold hairspray to keep the waves intact without getting that gross crunchy texture.

And that's it! So easy, right? This is perfect for summer. I am definitely going to be rocking this look everyday!

Ten Beauty Products to Get You Through the Summer

Mascara: Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express
     This mascara is one of my all time favorites! I love my lashes to be long and voluminous. This product does that so well. Here's why I love it so much for the summer: it does not smudge. I can wear this mascara all day, and it will not budge. I'm not one for waterproof mascara simply because it's so difficult to remove. However, the waterproof version easier to take off than most of the waterproof mascaras I have tried.

Blush/Bronzer: Nars Laguna and Orgasm
     This combo is one of the best selling makeup products for a reason. Together, they give an amazing bronze, glowy look to the skin (which is perfect for summer time). I've yet to try a blush/bronzer combo that I love more than this one!

Primer: Makeup Forever HD Primer
     With summer comes two of makeups worst enemies: heat and sweat. This is why it's so important to prime your face before applying your foundation, concealer, etc. Although this product is quite pricey, you get your money's worth. You only need about a peas worth to cover your entire face. Thus, it will last you quite a long time.

Foundation: Covergirl Natureluxe
     The natural look is a trend that comes back every summer. I love this foundation for that reason! It's just enough coverage to allow for a natural look that still hides any small imperfections.

Hair Treatment: Hyrdrating Macadamia Oil Intesive Moisture Mask

     After many winter months full of heat styling, my hair needs to be nourished. After one use of this product, my hair was twice as shiny and soft! This is one of my favorite treatments to use in order to combat those hot, damaging summer days.

Hair Product: Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray
       Another trend that seems to makes its debute every summer is soft beachy waves. I myself, as many other beauty addicts, set aside the heat stylers and let their natural locks loose. A sea salt spray emphasizes any waves you have as well as de frizzing them. This particular product is an investment, but it lives up to the price! However, you can make your own sea salt spray with one tsp. sea salt and eight oz. distilled water.

Eyeshadow: Maybelline Eyestudio Color Tattoo in Too Cool
     It's time to put away the dark shadows and go for a bright eye look. I love, love, love, to put this eyeshadow in the inner corner of my eye! Combining this shadow with a white eyeliner on the lower lash line really opens up and brightens the eye. And Because it's a cream shadow it stays put all day.

Lotion: Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion

     Summer is the season to break out the daisy dukes and tanktops. Along with those, comes soft and smooth skin. There are many lotions that work great. However, I find that when I use this product my skin is just as moisturized when I put my pajamas on as when I first applied the lotion in the morning. That's just what I want in a lotion!

Nail Polish: China Glaze's Pool Party

     This polish is a bright neon pink that is the same color on your nails as it is in the bottle. Some nail polishs can be quite dissapointing in that manner. When I buy a neon nail color, I want neon. This color is neon and then some! It's definitely my go to color and I get compliments everytime I have it on.

Lipstick: Maybelline Fifth Avenue Fucshia

     My favorite trend for the summer is bright colors, and I love to bring that trend to my lipsticks! Fuschia is a color I generally save for the summer because it is so bright. What I enjoy most about this color is that it looks incredible on every skin tone! I love this lipstick in particular because it's a triple threat: smooth, moisturizing, and pigmented!

DIY: Body Scrubs

         I am absolutely in love with these body scrubs! My friend, Alyssa, made them for me as a birthday present, and I had to share the recipe with you all. Most of the ingredients, you can find in your kitchen or at the local market. They're very simple to make and are the perfect gift for a girl who loves to pamper herself. She bought mason jars and hot glued a lace fabric around them. They're tied with bows and tags with the name of the scrub on the front and a list of ingredients on the back. They will last for about six months. (If you're crazy enough to not use them up before then!) Here's how to make them:

Sugar Body Scrub:

     1 cup fine white sugar

     1/3 cup (approx) sunflower oil

     30 drops vanilla essential oil

     In a glass or ceramic bowl, add essential oil to sugar and stir thoroughly. Add sunflower oil gradually, stirring continuously. Stop when the scrub reaches the consistence of moist sand.

Coffee Body Scrub:

     1 cup ground coffee
     1 Tbsp salt
     1/3 cup (approx) sunflower oil
     1 tsp ground cinnamon
     1/4 cup fine white sugar
     20 drops sweet orange essential oil

     Mix coffee, salt, sugar, and essential oil in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add sunflower oil slowly, stirring continuously, until mixture reaches the consistency of moist sand.

Summer trend: Dainty Rings

         Summer is almost here! I am so excited for the warm weather and all the trends that come along with it! One of my favorites is stacking, specifically bracelets and rings. I purhased these rings from Target. Forever 21 and etsy are also great places to shop while looking for the perfect set. I'm not one for mixing my metals, so I love to spice things up by mixing patterns. I strongly recommend this. Now, I just hope to find the perfect infinity ring.

And by the way, the nail polish I am wearing in this photo is Club Prive by L'oreal.

Changes in Hello Sunshine!

      I have some sad but exciting news! Alyssa is going to be studying abroad this next semester!! I am so happy for her because she has been looking forward to this for so long. Here is the sad part, she won't be able to update for the next few months. :( However, she will be sending me a few guests posts to share with you guys throughout her journey. Let's all wish her safe travels and good luck!

      As for me, I apologize for the absence. School has become quite stressful and busy. On the brightside, I just have dead week and finals before I am finished for the summer! I may not post much (if anything) these next few weeks. I have to focus on doing well on my exams! I will be back on track with many ideas after, though. If you have any suggestions for posts let me know!

      And for those of you in college who are nearing the end, stay strong! I know it's tough, but you'll be able to breath a sigh of relief once you are over and relish in your accomplishments! Thank you for being patient with me! Talk to you all soon!