Pearls & Curls

Happy Monday everyone! I know I have slacked with my content last week, so I'm going to try my best to not slack anymore. March has flown by! I can't believe tomorrow is the first day of April, but before April 1st rolls around, I have to share my March favorites with you all!

1. UT Cowboy Boots
There's very few places you can catch me wearing cowboy boots. The main place I would wear my babies would be at a UT football game, but since I'm no longer in school and football season is over, I haven't had much need to pull these out until this month.

March is the month of the Houston Rodeo. Since I went twice, I was able to break out my cowboy boots! Words cannot describe how much I love those boots. They were worth every penny!

Rocking my boots at TX vs. OU my senior year with my sorority sister

2. Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette
I have been using this thing constantly this month. I'm pretty sure this has been the only palette I've used in March.
The thing that I love most about the palette is that I can come up with multiple looks. I don't feel intimidated by the colors. Every color combo I have tried on my eyes has come out nice. With my Naked palette, I tend to stick with the same two eyeshadow looks. Maybe that's partly my fault, but nonetheless, I've loved using my Chocolate Bar this month.

3. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Caramel Cool
Although I got this in the middle of the month, I have been using this enough for it to be in my favorites. I only own one other Color Tattoo in Barely Branded, but I'm dying to buy more when I have money to spare.
From swatches online, I thought it would come out more vibrant, but because I'm darker in skin tone, it comes off more neutral. Regardless, it has been the perfect pairing with my Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette.

I will say that I cannot wear this alone or without a primer because it will crease like crazy on me, but as a base after my primer, it works like a charm.

4. E.L.F. Eyeshadow Brush
I received this brush in a Disney Villains Halloween Set back in October, but it took until this month to actually try it out. I am in love with this brush.

I am obsessed with it because you can easily pack eyeshadow onto your lid with it. The brush hairs are thin and compact. The other eyeshadow brush I own is much thicker and a lot fluffier. You can't pack the shadow on as effortlessly and I feel like you loose a lot of product in the brush. This brush is only a dollar. ONE DOLLAR. Need I say more?
5. Hard Candy Fox in a Box Blush in Skinny Dipping
This is a product I used to love back in the day and forgot all about it. I wore this blush a few times this month and I even received complements on it!

It's perfect to bust out for the spring and summer because it has a orange and bronze color. When you swirl them together it gives your cheeks a bright glow. It's gorgeous darling!
6. Music
I'll be honest, I only knew a few songs by The Band Perry before I went to the rodeo to see them in concert. When I saw them perform, I fell in love with them. They were amazing!

So the next day after the concert, I felt obligated to download their CD, Pioneer. My favorite songs of the album are listed below.


Team by Lorde is my favorite song as of now. I love listening to it when I'm driving. It makes me feel so carefree! Whenever it comes on, I BLAST IT!

Hey Girl by Billy Currington is another song I have been loving for the past couple of months. Although Billy Currington makes me think of my ex-boyfriend because he was the one to introduce me to his music, I can't help myself from loving this song. I also blast this song whenever it comes on.

So that's it for my favorites for this month. What are some of the things you have loved this March?

Love and desserts,

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I know mine was. I went on a date to the Rodeo! We rode a roller coaster, went on the ferris wheel and got to see The Band Perry in concert!

But enough blabbering about my weekend because it's time to talk makeup! I've recently added a bunch of Sephora by OPI nail polishes to my collection courtesy of my aunt and she got them all for a STEAL!

Sephora by OPI nail polishes have been discontinued, but you can still find them at Big Lots. I don't remember where I heard this from, but when I did find out I casually mentioned it to my aunt, who then bought me quite a few bottles.

From L to R: Happy Earth Day To Me, Already Famous, Neutral Beauty, Charge It!, Give Peach a Chance, IM Beauty, White Blasted, It's Totally Karma, G-listen, To Your Heart

I think if you have a Big Lots near you, you should definitely try to pick up some bottles ASAP! I know they used to sell for about eight dollars at Sephora, but now they're at Big Lots as low as one dollar. You simply cannot beat that! Sometimes you can't even pick up Sinful Colors nail polishes that cheap.

My Sephora by OPI nail polish collection has grown significantly and I'm excited to try out all of the colors I received.

Part of me wants to go to Big Lots for myself to see what I can find, but I know I must resist the temptation. I have quickly filled up my nail rack and I refuse to buy another one any time soon!
Do you have any Sephora by OPI nail polishes in your collection?

Love and desserts,

In honor of it being Thursday, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and reminisce on my spring break and other March festivities I experienced last year.

This time last year I was enjoying my first spring break in Panama City Beach with my some of my sorority sisters. Originally I had no plans of going out of town, but when one of my sisters decided to drop out of the trip, I thought it was the perfect sign for me to take over her spot.

I had never experienced going on a trip for spring break and it was my last year in college. I had worked my butt off, so I felt I was deserving of a little vacation on the beach.

Gorgeous PCB

 My spring break in PCB was crazy, but it was so much fun! It consisted of 13 hours of driving with my sisters, a free Luke Bryan concert, sand in my toes, becoming best friends with guys on the opposite end of our condo, seeing an old childhood friend and lots of partying.

It's a weekend I'll never forget and I wish I could go back in time to enjoy it all over again.

After hours of driving, we made it to Florida

Luke Bryan concert

Our new guy friends we made in PCB

Also during spring break is SXSW in Austin. If you plan correctly and research ahead of time, you can find a lot of amazing free events.

Last year, I went for 2 days. The first day consisted of my sorority sister and I walking back and forth along 6th street trying to find things to do. The second day was a little more exciting because another one of my sisters and I were on a mission to see Justin Timberlake.

Although we didn't get into his concert, we were able to sit outside the venue, get free shirts and listen to him perform.

Lastly. if you know a lot about UT, you know about Round-Up. It was one of my favorite events to attend at school. Basically Panhellenic sororities and frats would host these huge events. From crawfish boils, to highlighter parties and everything in between. Many of the parties would have rappers come and all of it was FREE!
One of my favorite parts about Round-Up would be dressing up in neon colors with my sorority sisters. Areas around campus where the parties were at looked like a complete neon fest. It was a big way for you to advertise your organization, so people could remember you when recruitment came back around in the fall. I loved me some Round-Up!
Fast forward to this year. No PCB, SXSW or Round-Up. Although I do miss college at times, I realize I'm at a different place in my life. This spring break was different, but I enjoyed it just as much as last year.

Highlights were that my best friend came home from D.C., I got to celebrate one of my childhood friends' 24th birthday and I went to the rodeo to see Keith Urban with my girls. These past few weeks have been ones that I have truly enjoyed.

Best friend back in Houston!

How did you spend your Spring Break?

Love and desserts,

Happy Monday everyone! Last Wednesday I went to Walgreens and picked up a few things that I wanted to share with y'all. I went in expecting to spend only 10 dollars, but you know how it is when you get into the beauty section of a drugstore...

Everything I purchased

When I saw that my Walgreens had the Maybelline Dare To Go Nude display up, I nearly lost my cool. There was so many things I wanted to buy from this display alone, but I refrained.

I only picked up the Color Tattoo in Caramel Cool. I had seen many swatches online and figured it was the most unique color out of the bunch, so I knew I had to snag it. I've used to twice so far under my Too Faced Chocolate Bar and I love it!
I had did a little research before I went to Walgreens and found out that all Rimmel Cosmetics were 50 percent off. YES, 50 percent off! This was something I just couldn't pass up, so I decided to try out the Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss #103.

It's the perfect neutral pink for my pigmented lips. I've worn this twice and I have been loving it! I especially love the watermelon smell! I regret not picking up more Rimmel products while there was such a good sale going on.

Swatches from L to R: Wet n Wild Rose Champagne Glow, Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss in #103 and Maybelline Color Tattoo in Caramel Cool

I'm really excited about my recent purchases and I can't wait to go back to the drugstore!

What are some beauty products at the drugstore that you want?

Love and desserts,

1. China Glaze Purple Panic
I think this polish is so pretty. When I saw one of my friends wearing this color a couple of years ago, I immediately swooned over her nails. It looked so good on her! I have yet to pick it up, but I'm hoping to own it soon.

2. MAC Eyeshadow in Stars N Rockets
This is an eyeshadow I heard a lot about via Youtube years back. At first I had no desire to buy it. I'm the kind of girl who rarely buys single shadows, especially if they're not a neutral color.

For some reason, I put this on my makeup wishlist a few months ago and I'm dying to get my hands on it now. With the color of the year being Radiant Orchid, I think this would be a perfect addition to my collection.

3. Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C. Bag
Unfortunately, this bag is sold out, but I can see why. It's gorgeous! I've always thought the Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C.'s were too adorable, but this color is pure perfection.

I love me a good crossbody and I love how it makes a statement because of the bright color. It's bold and perfect to sport for spring.

4. Michael Kors Mid-Size Golden/Pink Stainless Steel Runway Three-Hand Watch 
I started noticing the trend of colored face watches about a month ago and I'm obsessed. A neutral colored watch with a pop of color on the face adds a little spice for the spring and summer.

I personally think Radiant Orchid looks beautiful paired with gold. This watch is a bit of an investment to incorporate the color of the year into your wardrobe, but I think it's worth it!

5. Revlon Lipstick in Wild Orchid
This is another makeup related item I am dying to get my hands on. I'll admit I'm a creature of habit. I love my neutral shadows and my nude lips. I hardly ever wear bright colors on my lips, but I really do want to branch out more and try new things.

Wild Orchid is a great color for the spring and it's an affordable product to purchase if you want to keep up with the trend. I think it's time to test the waters and add some color on my lips!

6. Lilly Pulitzer Elsa Top in Va Voom Purple
Well, it's no secret that I love Lilly, so when I saw that they had an Elsa Top in the color of the year I freaked out. I would love to have an Elsa in my wardrobe. It's so versatile!

It's an expensive Radiant Orchid purchase, but there's so much you could do with a top like this. Wear it under a blazer for a professional look, pair it with some white jeans for day look or rock it with a black bandage skirt for a sexy night out on the town. Your options are limitless!

These are the Radiant Orchid items I've been drooling over. What are some of yours?

Love and desserts,

Overall I'm pretty pleased with this polish and its performance and I'm looking forward to trying out more of the Forever 21 polishes.

What color polish are you wearing this week?

Love and desserts,

Along with putting up my nail polish rack a while back, my aunt also spruced up my walls by hanging my wire dress hooks I got a few years ago when I had first moved into my apartment.

My wall of scarves

I love these little hooks because not only are they adorable, they also work for storing all of my scarves. It's a great way to add a little decor on a bare wall.

I've seen scarf hangers that have holes to pull the scarves through, but I simply don't have the room for something like that in my closet. My closet is tiny and jammed packed with clothes. (Times like this I miss my walk-in closet.) Although you don't wear scarves year round, especially in Texas, I like that it adds some color on my white walls.

Nifty, but I doubt this would work for infinity type scarves

The hooks keep my scarves all organized and it helps me see what I have. If I end up buying more scarves, because who can honestly have too many scarves, I can always buy more of the cute hooks to add to the wall.

Scarves are so pretty, so why not show them off?

How do you store your scarves?

I'll be the first one to say I'm not always great at simply being happy and content with everything that I am blessed to have. At times I get down on myself about the little things, but I'm human. Today is just a little reminder to myself to look at the bigger picture and to realize there is so much to be happy about.

In honor of National I Want You to be Happy Day, I thought it would be appropriate to spend this Monday writing about 10 things that make me happy.





Dark chocolate is my absolute favorite type of chocolate. Most people I know aren't really fond of it, but I love the somewhat bitter taste. I don't get to eat dark chocolate too often, but when I do it's always a good day.







My obsession with makeup all started when I began watching beauty videos on Youtube my freshman year of college. I had no idea watching one tutorial would eventually turn me into a borderline makeup hoarder.

A lot of people I know don't really understand my fascination with makeup, but anything related to beauty brings me to a place of happiness. The way to my heart is through makeup! All day, everyday.






My love for blogging started my junior year of college. As an assignment for one of my PR writing classes, we were asked to make a blog about a topic of our choice. Beauty was a given for me. Once the assignment was over, I wanted to continue writing.

Although I slacked with writing content last year, blogging truly puts me in my happy place. It's my way of being a part of the beauty community on the web since I am not brave enough to do Youtube.

Ironically, her name is Ashley as well!

Nothing's better than a strong carbonated Coke. They make life so much better. I know soda isn't good for me, but Coke is my guilty pleasure. This may sound crazy, but I love the way Coke burns my throat.

I'm the girl who can taste the difference between Coke and Pepsi and will always choose Coke. Not Diet Coke or Coke Zero. My delicious, unhealthy Coke in a red can.










Anything related to Lilly makes me happy and I immediately smile. I'm pretty sure it's because of the bright colors and prints. With all the bright colors, how can you not be happy?

If it was up to me, I'd have a closet full of Lilly and nothing else!

What brings happiness to your life?

Love and desserts,