Category Archives: Review

Event Recap: @Bloguettes Branding Workshop!

Posted in Collaborations, Event Recap, Review, Travel by
Bloguettes PHX Branding Workshop!

Bloguettes PHX Branding Workshop! I did not intentionally crop anyone out of this picture, that’s just how it was taken 😦 Sorry!

About a week ago I attended a Branding Workshop held by the Bloguettes. The Bloguettes are a savvy, talented, educated group of ladies that tour the country with 2 day educational workshops. These workshops are centered around helping bloggers, business owners, and creative minds of all avenues broaden their online presence by heightening their Photoshop, Social Media, and Branding skills, among other things.

This particular Workshop was held at their beautiful studio in Phoenix, Arizona. It was so clean, light, and airy, with a touch of fashionable whimsy. Check their Instagram: @bloguettes or mine: @missal_leigh for pictures of their studio, the event, and the lovely bag full of goodies from the many sponsors who supported the Workshop.

The Workshop comes with a take home guide book with quick tips in case you forget any of the highlights of the discussions or Photoshop tutorials. I took 14 pages of notes on a small notepad & I wish I had taken more! The take home book is very helpful & the Bloguettes have been great about answering any follow up questions I’ve emailed them with, but I wish I had taken notes on everything in my own words – but that’s just the kind of “learner” I am. I’m sure some people didn’t take any notes & are relying only on the take home book just as successfully – to each their own!
Each day is broken up into Photoshop tutorials and lectures on Branding, Blogging, Social Media, Business, & Photography. We would cover a portion of the lecture, then learn something in Photoshop, go back to lecture, etc, etc. Switching things up kept the Workshop moving smoothly and kept the atmosphere from becoming too school-like.
The Branding, Blogging, and Business lectures were a tiiiiny bit redundant for me because I have my B.A. in Communication Studies, I’ve ran my own blog for quite some time, and I’m already making money through Affiliates. However, my B.A didn’t teach me everything, I’m obviously not a hugely successful blogger, and I’m not making that much money – so I definitely picked up some helpful tips and tricks. The overall messages were things I was aware of, for example, “Keep everything Consistent” or the idea that you have to match your voice to the types of Affiliates you want to work with – you can’t be cussing and wearing a Dominatrix outfit in all your posts, then wonder why a brand like American Eagle Outfitters won’t work with you – but hearing it come from the Bloguettes gave me more confidence to really believe in the things I had been thinking all along. It was nice to have confirmation that my head is in the right place, now I need to match my actions to it!
The Social Media and Photography lectures were extremely helpful. I learned so many things about the different Social Medias – did you know there are best days & times to post on Pinterest/Instagram, etc?! I can’t give away all the secrets, but I found these lectures taught me the most. I really have no Photography or photo editing skills so the Photography lecture coupled with the Photoshop tutorials was incredible! Yes, I know you can look on YouTube for PS tutorials, but I still had no basic knowledge so it all seemed like gibberish. Also, I thought PS was just for making women look more conventionally beautiful in advertisements, I had no idea how many other really cool things you can create! I’ve been trying to figure out how to make some prints with my favorite quotes on them, but I didn’t know how I was going to go about it – hello Photoshop! I’ve been downloading different fonts like crazy!

One suggestion I would make to improve the Workshop would be to re-assign seating on Day 2. Day 1 we found our seats based on where our name tag was. The next day was free seating & we all sat with the same group – which was lovely! BUT, for Networking purposes it might have been wiser to force our hand a bit and make us sit with different people. The concept is a little juvenile, but sometimes people don’t think about things like that or just need to be forced out of their comfort zone.

The bottom line: At this point, I’m a little overwhelmed. I need to sort through all my notes and figure out the exact direction I want my blog to go. I don’t necessarily care about making a living through blogging, although that would obviously be a nice bonus. My main goal is to use this blog as a way to present my skills in a way that will be pleasing to a potential employer in Public Relations, Event Planning, Social Media Management, and related fields. My thoughts right now are to invest in a Sony QX 100 and purchase Photoshop to help my blog LOOK more professional. I will also be making a more conscious effort to brand my blog with specific fonts and color choices. In the past I have picked those things at random because I didn’t think people were paying attention, but through the Bloguettes I’ve learned that even those seemingly small choices create your brand and represent your voice. I also need to focus on creating a Media Kit to send to other bloggers or companies. I have a lot more confidence in my blog after working with the Bloguettes because now I know the steps to take that will create a more consistent, cohesive image, which will ultimately appeal to those I want to collaborate with.

Are you interested in being part of the Bloguettes next Branding Workshop? Check their Calendar to see if they’re coming to an area near you! I traveled to Phoenix from NorCal for the Event because I was in the area visiting friends & family. I would recommend going to a Branding Workshop in a location you feel comfortable traveling to often specifically because of the networking opportunities. I met a lot of great new friends…but we’re in different states so it’s going to be somewhat challenging for us to collaborate because of the distance, so that’s something to keep in mind. Also, please be aware, this is definitely something I consider an investment purchase – it’s pretty pricey. However, they offer a student discount, so be sure to inquire about that! Also, I’ve seen them offer a “Free Seat” Giveaway on their Instagram – so follow them and keep tabs of the giveaway in your area.

To get a better idea of the types of creative minds that bonded during the 2 Day Branding Workshop, here is info on some of the lovely ladies I had the pleasure of getting to know, please check out their stores/blogs/Social Media etc – show them some love!

Belle from “Dara & Belle” – Fashion/Lifestyle Blog
Instagram: @daraandbelle
Facebook

Frances Vintage – Modern Boutique with Vintage Charm, open 7 days a week in the heart of midtown Phoenix
Shop the Store!
Blog

Kylie Rowe – Assistant Director @OzmenCenter | External Vice President @NevadaGSA | Team Member @TEDxUofNevada | #BiggestLittleCity Real Estate Investor | MBA Student @BizUNR | Hat Expert
Looking to launch a lifestyle blog & start a hat company!
Twitter:  @KyRoBiz
Instagram:  @kylie_rowe

Sage Hardy from “Farm Fresh Fancy” – AZ lifestyle blogger sharing everyday moments, fresh ideas, and simple, pretty things from the little farm we call home
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram: @sagehardy

Marisol Avila from “All The Prettys”
Facebook
Instagram: @alltheprettys

Maggie McGrath – Founder of Pineapple Triangle – We create a local give-back market in which attendees get to shop an array of local artists while giving back to the community at the same time.  Our Markets are called “AZ Share That You Care”.
Facebook
Instagram: @pineappletriangle

Marina Cay from “PoshFoxx” – Online clothing store launching this Spring/Summer featuring a mix of Swimwear and Street Clothing with a distinct style.
Marina is a current business student at Arizona State University, graduating this May. She hopes to attend FIDM in Los Angeles this Fall to study Apparel Industry Management. She designs Fashion Illustrations, Graphic Designs, and loves all mediums of art.
Instagram: @marinaxfarro (Personal) @poshfoxx (Business)

Erica Kartak, Creator of Luv in the Bubble, a fashion and lifestyle blog. I believe in splurging on jewelry and handbags and hunting for a sale on everything else. Balancing a love of cheeseburgers with healthy eating and activity keeps me sane.
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Instagram: @ericakartak

So there you have it! My thoughts, plus some great new entrepreneurs to look into! Will you be signing up for the next Bloguettes Branding Workshop? Have you ever taken a Workshop like this before? Please let me know in the comments below! Make sure to follow me here & on my Social Media to stay up to date with everything I’ve got going on. Thanks for reading!

Contouring

Event Recap: Be Social PR & DASH Boutique presents JNB Trunk Show

Posted in Accessories, Beauty, Clothing, Collaborations, Event Recap, New Products, Review, Shopping by

Hello lovelies!
About a month ago I was invited by Be Social PR to attend the launch of JNB Jacqueline Nicole Brown Jewelry at the Kardashian’s DASH boutique in Los Angeles. I’ve covered events before for TNT Tauna, but never for my own blog, so I was excited, yet nervous, to attend this event on my own and represent myself and this blog.

The event was simple and classic. Aloe infused cocktails were provided by Harlowe and FlashTag brought their photo booth for fun, on the spot, print photos. You could definitely tell the store was curated by the Kardashian brand.

As an unemployed college student pretty much everything was out of my price range, but I enjoyed looking at the beautiful designer clothing and JNB Jewelry – a mix of Hollywood glamour and bohemian chic. I loved the California State necklaces and anything with the geode type pendants, called “Druzy Stones”. I’ve been seeing a lot of that style recently.

I did break down and buy a Voluspa Candle. It was more than I would usually pay for a candle – $12, but the packaging was so beautiful I knew I could find use for it after the candle burned out. I’m a sucker for packaging. Having no previous experience with this brand, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this candle had a long lasting and potent fragrance while being burned. I had it burning basically 24/7 after purchasing it, so I already need another. I’m definitely a fan!

On top of attending this event, I was also lucky enough to be a JNB Dash Bash winner and win a JNB midi ring! I never win anything, I was beyond thrilled! You can see the ring below in my gallery of pictures of the event.

All in all, it was a great night! Please check out all my pictures. Thanks so much to Be Social PR for inviting me and to all the amazing sponsors for showing off their goodies!

I’d love to get to know more PR companies and brands looking for promotion, if you would be interested in having me write a recap of your next event, please contact me at MissAl.Leigh@gmail.com

Sephora.com, Inc.

Book Review! Fame by Daniel Kehlmann

Posted in Book Review, Books, Review, Sunday Book Club by

Fame

Read this post to see how many different times I write “I was confused” or some version of that…psst…about 14…

After reading the description on the back of the book, I was puzzled as to why I had put this on my book list because I was really not that intrigued by its description. Despite that, I decided to give this story a chance because at one time I obviously thought it was worth while. I WAS WRONG! Perhaps that’s too harsh/hasty…I will explain.
*Side note: When I read the back of the book again while writing this review, I was really interested in the plot presented, I have no idea why I was against it when I first read it. 

Plot:
Fame is translated from it’s original German, it’s considered “Central European literature”. There’s 9 stories that weave together, all starting with some random guy whose new cell phone has been programmed with a phone number that already belongs to someone – a famous movie star. His actions in regards to the calls set in motion a butterfly effect that touch the interweaving stories.

TL:DR Version: Confusing as all hell. Meant for readers a billion times more intelligent than myself. I recommend this only because I want someone to explain to me what this book is about. Rating: D (would’ve gone with F, but I feel I’m partially to blame for lack of understanding.)

Full Review
Initial Thoughts:
Ooh technology working against people to create mayhem and chaos! Sounds great, right?! It would be if I could follow the stories!! I like to think I’m smarter than your average bear and interested in concepts/reading materials that cover a wide variety of subjects. I read and enjoy Shakespeare, J.K. Rowling, Chelsea Handler, etc, and magazines from Glamour to The Hollywood Reporter (a trade magazine for the entertainment industry) to Newsweek…that’s probably enough name dropping, you hopefully get the point. Despite all this tooting my own horn and claims of mental superiority, I could NOT follow this book. A majority of my notes (yes, I take notes while reading a book I’m going to review), are me complaining that I have NO idea what’s going on. I can hardly provide spoilers for this novel because I don’t know how to explain the story. I feel bad reviewing Fame because I feel like in the hands of someone more capable this book would’ve been understandable, and they could give you a full review. However, due to my lack of clarity, I can’t really talk about this book – except to tell you how confused I was by it.

Characters:
The only character who really made an impression on me was the main character who sets everything in motion, Ebling. He is the biggest POS. Maybe my dislike for him is what made me so unreceptive to the rest of the story. Early in the story as we’re just getting to know him, he starts calling back people that have called for the celebrity. He ends up talking to a man on a suicidal rant, and doesn’t exactly encourage, but certainly doesn’t discourage this character from committing suicide. So on page 15 – I’m already not a fan.

Overall:
By page 28, I was in a fog. My exact note is “This all better make sense soon. I’m intrigued by how this all relates (maybe I’m missing something?) but I’m not necessarily enjoying the journey – hurry up!”. This book is only 175 pages. If I’m on page 28 and wishing for the book to end…it’s not a good sign. Again on page 65, another note about how deeply confused I am & wishing for the book to end. On page 79, my final note, I talk about one of the specific stories and how confused I am. I cannot begin to explain the specific story to you because as I’m sure you’ve noted…I might have been the tiniest bit lost. Maybe this is what people mean when they say “lost in translation”, maybe there’s some German aspect here that I don’t understand because I’m not familiar with their culture. I poured through this book quickly, desperately wanting to find something to enjoy about it, but my mind was stretched too thin trying to comprehend the material. I implore you, please! Read this book! Then come back here and tell me what the hell it was about.

Rating: D (I would give it an F but there’s some user error here, so the author’s not totally to blame for my inability to comprehend.)

Have you read Fame? What were your thoughts on the book or my review? Please leave a comment below, I’d love to know if I’m alone in these thoughts or not…

Evergreen Beauty Deals

Yelp Review: Pinkie’s Nail Salon in Layfayette

Posted in Review by

Hey all,
Just wanted to direct you all to a review I just posted on Yelp for Pinkie’s Nail Salon in Lafayette, California. Please read it, lemme know what you think! Have you been there before, if so, what did you think? Read it here. 

Book Review! Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Posted in Book Review, Books, Review, Sunday Book Club by

Oh my goodness – this book! Amazing! This novel was recommended to me by a family friend so it’s not a book that came from my book list unfortunately, I really need to start working on that, but still a great read none the less. My only gripe was with some of the story line choices at the end, but I’ll get to that eventually.

Plot:
This story follows a family through their matriarch’s battle with fitting in and how through a series of wild events she ends up missing. The family has to come together to figure out what happened to her and how to bring the family back together.

Initial Thoughts/Characters:
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? is classified as a “Missing Person/Mother & Daughter” story. I was somewhat skeptical because the daughter in the story, Bee, is barely a teenager and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to relate to the “plight” of today’s teenager. Wow, was I wrong! Bee is smart, sassy, and very mature for her age. She’s a lot more outspoken than I was at her age, but I definitely can identify with the way she stands up for herself and the relationship she has with her mom. Some of the altercations she gets into I can see myself getting into now as an adult, so at first I was a little thrown off that a child was getting into them, but in the context of the story it works.
I also adore Bernadette. For better or worse I see quite a lot of myself in this character. She means well but is eccentric and that leads to anti-social tendencies, not because she isn’t friendly or kind, but simply because she doesn’t wanna put up with other people’s shit. Like myself, she’s known for wearing her sunglasses at all times and drives a car that Bee refers to as “The Princess & the Pea” because it’s such a bumpy ride – much like how my car is named “Little Indy” after the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.

Overall:
These characters were extremely well crafted. You can tell Maria Semple put a lot of time and effort into creating her story. Each character is complex and 3 dimensional. The dialogue flows easily like a conversation between people you’d see every day.
This story kept me highly engaged. I couldn’t put it down. While some parts were slower than others, others literally had me yelling out loud, “Holy shit! I can’t believe this is happening!” However, then the story got really fantastical. I was slightly disappointed because the start of the story seemed so real and I felt such a connection to it but once it started to wrap up everything became so far from reality. At that point it started to feel like a typical fiction story where everything wraps up perfectly and it’s the happiest of endings for the main characters, not really reality.
Despite my distaste for the wrap up of this novel, the journey to get there was beyond exciting. I would highly recommend “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?”.

Favorite Quotes:
“The smallest [boat] has 150 passengers, which translates into me being trapped with 149 other people who will uniquely annoy the hell out of me with their rudeness, waste, idiotic questions, incessant yammering, creepy food requests, boring small talk, etc. Or worse, they might turn their curiosity toward me, and expect pleasantry in return. I’m getting a panic attack just thinking about it. A little social anxiety never hurt anyone, am I right?” – Bernadette (pg. 10)

“There isn’t assigned seating at the dining room, and they have tables for four. That means the three of us can sit down and if we pile the extra chair with our gloves and hats, nobody can sit with us!” – Bernadette (pg. 42)

“Maybe that’s what religion is, hurling yourself off a cliff and trusting that something bigger will take care of you and carry you to the right place. I don’t know if it’s possible to feel everything all at once, so much that you think you’re going to burst…I felt so full of love for everything. But at the same time, I felt so hung out to dry there, like nobody could ever understand. I felt so alone in this world, and so loved at the same time.” – Bee (pg. 199)

Have you read this novel? Based on this review, do you have any interest in picking this up? Please let me know in the comments!

Mani Monday – Nailuv Update!

Posted in Mani Monday, New Products, Review by

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Last week I did a gel nail mini review of an at home gel nail system called Nailuv. They claim the nails will last 2 weeks, so I skipped a Mani Monday this week so see if these babies would continue holding up. What do you think?!

I’m really pleased with the results of the quality at this point. My nails feel strong and there’s no chipping. I have noticed the color changing a bit from nude to grey and now they kind of just look dirty :/ that might be just this particular color and honestly it doesn’t bother me that much lol. I’m weird. Also I feel like the tips are showing some wear, but not on top. It’s strange but it looks like the middle layer is fading o something. Again, that’s not really something that bothers me. I will probably take this color off soon though just because I want to play with other colors from this set. Yes, I will be jumping right back into another Nailuv gel set! I enjoyed using the system and my nails have held up wonderfully, in my opinion.

I’ll post about the removal process and how that goes! Any thoughts on at home gel nail sets like this one…have you seen other brands hold up better? Let me know in the comments and as always please feel free to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @missal_leigh

LATE POST! CONCERT REVIEW! – @Yellowcard @HOBAnaheim, House of Blues in Anaheim 10/6/13!

Posted in Music, Review by

Again, I’m ashamed of the length of time it has taken to get this post up. New Year’s resolution number one: be a better blogger! That’s been my resolution for about the last 3 years though, so we’ll see how it goes this year.

Anyways, Yellowcard. Yellowcard and I have a rather interesting history. I started liking them when Ocean Avenue came out in 2003. Just like every other teen at the time, I was obsessed with the song “Ocean Avenue”. While I enjoyed the other songs and really connected to the lyrics, I didn’t know why. I hadn’t experienced anything like what the songs were talking about, there was just something about them. As I got older and experienced more things, I found myself going back to Yellowcard and seeing deeper connections to songs I’d always loved. My relationship never really grew past Ocean Avenue. I own Lights and Sounds, but I never bothered to find any of their older music or buy new music beyond Lights and Sounds. Despite this, Yellowcard always had a special place in my heart and I always considered them one of my favorite bands.

Yellowcard was another concert on my bucket list, much like Fall Out Boy. The events that unfolded were unbelievable! My friend and I didn’t arrive that early because we’d been told by other YC fans that people don’t really line up beforehand – wrong. There were two fairly long lines already in progress. One of them was the “Pass the Line” line, people bought $20 of merch from the HOB store to get in before the regular ticketed people. We ran to the store to look around but the stuff was kind of expensive and we had nowhere to put anything. As we were walking around an employee came over & gave us a discount, now we only had to spend $10 to get in the VIP line. Yay! We were still looking around when a few minutes later he came over and just GAVE US the VIP passes! We were speechless! We ran to get in line and had barely been there for 30 seconds when the same guy found us and brought us into the venue, letting us cut the ENTIRE line! I know without him there’s no way we would’ve been in the front row. I’m so thankful and amazed at his kindness. I sincerely hope I’m not getting him in trouble, he should get a raise! Unfortunately I don’t remember his name, but I know his name tag said he was from Orange, CA  🙂

My friend Jeri & me with our "Pass the Line" voucher, generously gifted to us!

My friend Jeri & me with our “Pass the Line” voucher, generously gifted to us!

*Note: The show ran about an hour late, with no explanation. I was really not happy about that. I understand things happen, but at least come out and tell the crowd an ETA.

Opening act:
Honestly I don’t even remember the guys name, but he was an odd duck. It was some guy who used to be in the band Thursday (I think) trying to launch a solo career, or something. I was not impressed. The only song I enjoyed was one he sang that was originally performed by his band. I’m pretty sure dude was drunk the entire set, he did a lot of cursing and mumbling and just…being weird.

Main event:
Yellowcard more than made up for the weird opening act and the lateness. They were fantastic. Full of energy, clearly passionate, and they just seemed really grateful, thankful, and happy that after 10+ years in the music industry there was a full crowd of people singing along to every word of their songs. I mentioned in the Maroon 5/Kelly Clarkson post that I really appreciate when artists are clearly passionate about their work. To add on to that, I also really appreciate when artists are really grateful for their fans. The guys of YC could NOT stop thanking the audience for being there. It was really sweet and heart warming. It made me glad to have spent my hard earned money on tickets to their show. Everyone in the band is super talented. I’ve always loved YC because of the inclusion of the violin. I also think the material they write about is really interesting. From songs about 9/11 to the movie Big Fish…a lot of topics get covered beyond the traditional ones.

The set up of the show was totally cool for those who aren’t opposed to surprises. It started out with an acoustic set of Ocean Avenue which they played straight through, just like the album. I enjoyed 99% of the acoustic versions of the songs, but was wishing I could hear the songs as I first fell in love with them. The band obviously knew people were wishing this because they made several jokes about how being acoustic meant they couldn’t really “rock out” and then….they took a break and came back out and played a TON more songs from Ocean Avenue AND their other albums – all with electric instruments. IT WAS SO COOL! I basically got two concerts in one night and all my little teenage dreams were fulfilled. That was my favorite part of the night. I was happy they thought ahead to what the audience would want. I was very pleased at how focused they seemed on keeping the crowd happy.

Speaking of the crowd, they were pretty pleasant at this show. No pushing/shoving/crowding, and I was in the front row right alongside the fence. HOB has a no crowd surfing policy that of course people were breaking. That kind of upset me because the rule was obviously put in place for a good reason & you don’t HAVE to crowd surf to have a good time. There was no need for people to do that. I felt bad for the bouncers who were working that event because the crowd surfers were giving them sass and just being difficult.

On a non music related note, the guys in YC are really hot. Really. I never noticed this before, probably because I was 12-13 when Ocean Avenue came out and they were already in their 20’s and I probably thought that was really old. Ugh, my young self would think I’M old now 😦 Tragic. Moving on, their hotness is only enhanced by their personalities, which I really connected with when they talked to the audience and joked around with each other on stage. Obviously as a fan girl, I have a special place in my heart for lead singer/guitarists like Ryan Key, but violinist/back up singer Sean Mackin is definitely giving him a run for his money. Also, I got to meet LP, the drummer, after the show 😀 SUPER STOKED!
117Final thoughts:
Although I’m sure it doesn’t need to be said again – this show was fantastic! Way better than Fall Out Boy and only a hair shy of what I experienced at Maroon 5/Kelly Clarkson – but that was my fault, because I didn’t know ALL the YC music so I was kind of out of the loop for some songs. If you ever get the chance to see Yellowcard, GO! Go to their show & bring me with you! These guys were so high energy, full of life, passionate, and inspiring. I hope I can see them again! Here’s some video and a slideshow of pictures, enjoy!

“Ocean Avenue – Acoustic”

“Only One”

“Here I Am Alive” One of my absolute favorites!!!!

“Ocean Avenue” with electric instruments

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LATE POST! CONCERT REVIEW! Maroon 5 & Kelly Clarkson concert @ the Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View 10/2/13

Posted in Music, Review by

I’m finallllly getting around to writing this post! Sorrry 😦 Since there’s been a million recaps around the internet at this point, I’ll try to keep my blabbing short and just put up my pictures and videos. Also please forgive the state of some of the videos. I usually film with a video camera, but this was the first night I had my iPhone, so I was really excited to use it. Unfortunately I wasn’t aware that the camera doesn’t rotate when you turn the phone, so some of the video is upside down/on its side. Sorry 😦

Opening Act: I arrived to the show late so I can’t comment on the opening act

Kelly Clarkson:
Since I was late I can’t comment on all of Kelly Clarkson’s part of the show. However, I’ve seen her in concert before when she was touring with Clay Aiken a million years ago, so I know I adore her live performances. She’s very talented and seems sweet and kind. I have delusions of being her best friend some day 🙂
Her performance was amazingly strong. She’s so upbeat, full of energy, and sounds amazing live – no lip synching here! She puts on an amazing show, videos playing behind her, great crowd interaction, great interaction with her band/back up singers, and a few costume changes.
On an unrelated note, my mom said that Kelly looked pregnant and as we now know, Kelly has announced that she is indeed pregnant…my mom is a smarty pants.

“Breakaway”

“People Like Us”
Sorry for the awkwardness of this video, I almost didn’t post it, but I thought the staging was SO well done, that it had to be seen.

“Since U Been Gone”
I died of happiness, this is my jam, this is everyone’s jam! Clearly…

Maroon 5
This was the night I fell in love with Adam Levine. I never understood why everyone was so obsessed with him, but now I see. He is SO talented! I fell in love with his obvious passion and dedication to his craft. No one is that present and awesome on stage without putting in hours and hours of hard work, heart, and soul. I crush on musicians way too easily because I find passion, dedication, and commitment really attractive.
Anyways, their entire performance was incredible, just like Kelly. I liked how some of their set pieces/videos tied into the theme of what Kelly did. I also thought they did a great job of incorporating songs that featured other artists like, “Payphone”, without having that artist actually appear at the concert. They were so high energy, everyone was dancing and singing along – and that’s the best part of a concert. There you are, singing your lungs out, near tears because this song means so much to you and you glance over and the people around you are doing the same thing. It helps remind me that we’re all on this crazy ride together. That’s why music has always been so important to me. If I ever have a bad day, I turn on certain songs and I know the songwriter/artist has felt this way too, and they got through it & so will I. I think that’s what music does, it just reminds us that we’re not alone. I just got super side tracked, but here’s some video!

“One More Night” – show opener

“Love Somebody” – one of my favorite songs!

“Stereo Hearts”

“Moves Like Jagger” – Adam Levine is the sassiest. Also, if you’re interested in seeing the opening act, she comes back for this song. I would’ve preferred Kelly, but oh well.

“Payphone”

Final notes
Amazing, amazing, amazing show. Best show of 2013. Out of Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard (recap coming soon), and this show – I would see Kelly Clarkson & Maroon 5 again in a heartbeat! Their performances really showed off how talented these performers are and they all did an amazing job at connecting with the audience. I appreciated that they seemed to really be enjoying themselves, their enthusiasm was pouring off the stage and everyone in that amphitheater was influenced by it. I left the show high on life, feeling inspired to find passion like theirs in my own life. Cheesy, but true. That’s real artistry.

Picture Slideshow of the entire event – about 40 pictures…

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Mani Monday!

Posted in Mani Monday, New Products, Review by

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This week and possibly next week (depending on how well this polish holds up) is brought to you by Nailuv 12 piece Professional at Home Gel Nail System in the color Rum Cola. Here’s the kit in the box.

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I received this kit as a Christmas gift so I’m not sure where it’s from, probably Ulta. I’ve never used anything like this before and it was really fun to use! Yes time consuming, but enjoyable. I think with more practice I could cut down the time. More practice is definitely necessary lol! I can feel parts of my cuticle that I glued to my nails because I wasn’t careful enough with where I put the polish. Although simple, there are quite a few steps involved in this process and I can do a full review or tutorial if requested. I will warn you, be careful of lint/string/thread etc hanging around. It will get stuck in the hardened polish! I’m not sure what the consistency of the polish was like after the first curing session Bc I was too afraid to mess with it, but once the whole process was done these babies were dry and hard as rocks. I love it! I felt totally comfortable using my hands right away. Also, I definitely felt professional using the LED light. This color seemed to pool at the tips but again, with more practice I’ll learn what thickness to spread the polish. Random fact: this stuff smells great! I thought it would smell very heavy with that alcohol/nail polish smell, but it definitely doesn’t 🙂

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Thoughts? Have you ever used at home gel nail systems or anything like this? Let me know your thoughts on all this! Feel free to follow me on Instagram and Twitter @missal_leigh

Mani Monday!

Posted in Mani Monday, New Products, Review by

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Today’s Mani Monday is brought to you by O.P.I in the color “Rising Star”. This is from the Burlesque Collection. Does anyone remember that movie with Christina Aguilera & Cher? I never saw it but I wanted to.

This is the first time I’ve used this color.
As usual with O.P.I. products, I’m not in love with the square brush, but the pigmentation is great. I didn’t use a base coat :/ but two coats of polish and top coat worked just fine.
The quality of this polish is great. One coat was enough to create a base with very little streaks. You could’ve left it alone if you wanted a very sheer shimmery look. The second coat was perfect for filling in spaces and creating a super shiny shimmery look. I feel like my nails look like brand new pennies lol.
For some holiday fun and to add a little color contrast, I glued on some nail gems from the dollar store. We’ll see how long those last lol.

All in all, great color & I’m pleased with the turn out, but I already passed it onto my mom. I’m not a huge sparkle/shimmer person and this color is overloaded! I can tell it looks nice on my nails & I’ve gotten a lot of compliments, but it just doesn’t feel like me. I know, I’m weird.
Does that ever happen to anyone else – a beauty product that just doesn’t feel quite right with your personality? Am I alone in this weirdness? Lol let me know in the comments!

As always, thanks for reading! Please follow me here & on Instagram & Twitter @missal_leigh