Dorm DIY: Mini Memo Board

As you may know, I will be heading off to college in just a few short weeks. This means that very soon I will be calling a tiny, white, cinderblock room my new home. To make this transition a little easier, I have been thinking of some DIY decorations that will give my dorm a more "homie" feel. I decided that a memo board filled with pictures of family and friends would be the perfect way to create that cozy space. Making this board was so simple and budget-friendly, it is the perfect addition to any dorm room! :) 

Supplies:

Foam Board (I used a 6x6)

Fabric of your choice (I chose my school colors) 

Push Pins

Ribbon

Total Cost: Less than $5.00

Step 1: Cut your fabric to be slightly larger than your board and wrap the fabric around the corners of the board (like you would wrap a present). 

Step 2: Secure the corners with pins

Step 3: Cut ribbon that is long enough to go around the front of your board and secure them in the back with pins

I admit, this is not the prettiest back view... but the front is all you will see in the end!! :)

Step 4: Get crafty! I added some bows on the corners for a little extra touch. 

Step 5: Slide mini pictures of friends and family behind the ribbons!

And we are done! So simple and practical! Hope you found this tutorial helpful and I would love to see pictures of your mini memo boards  :) 

Thanks for reading! 

Toodles! Jess 

My Makeup Essentials Part 2

All right the next two Makeup Essentials are eyeliner and eye shadow. No look is complete without them so I’m here to tell you about these awesome products to help you look your very best.

-       MAC Paint Pot in Blackground $20

Paint Pots are a really cool product. They come in many different colors and are super versatile. It’s technically cream based eye shadow but I use mine strictly as an eyeliner and it works great! I have a little angled brush (I got mine from Beauty Brands but I have also seen them at places like Target or Sephora) that I just swipe through it and then I simply paint it on to my lash line. 

Heres the brush I use. It's really great for a nice, clean line on my upper lid. 

It goes on incredibly easily and stays all day long. How many eyeliners do you know that hold out the entire day?! Plus, I’ve had mine for a few years now and still have more than half left! You really don’t need much. I know you are supposed to throw makeup out after a certain amount of time but I have yet to have any problem with this product. (It sort of makes me question makeup expiration dates! Stay tuned for my future blog, Makeup Expiration Dates: Fact or Fiction.) In conclusion, it is by far best eyeliner I’ve ever owned and I plan to buy it in some other colors to try it out as an eye shadow. (I’ve got my eye on Let’s Skate or Bare Study)

Buy me here: MAC Paint Pot

Or at MAC stores, Macy’s, and other participating suppliers.

-       Make Up Forever Mascara $12-24

Next on the list, Mascara. Mascara is probably the most important product to have in your makeup bag. You can have perfect eye shadow and eyeliner but it will never look complete without those thick lush lashes. Plus mascara can be a lifesaver. If you are really in a hurry, throwing on a little mascara wakes up your eyes so no one knows that you pressed the snooze button three or four times. (Like I do every day) Pro-tip: wiggle the wand a little bit back and forth near your lash line and it looks like you’re wearing eyeliner!

Currently, I have been using the Make Up For Ever mascara from Sephora. I actually got this one in my birthday gift from Sephora, having no idea how much I would truly learn to love it. I swear it makes my eye lashes look at least double, maybe triple, their actual size. This is partially due to the brush. The brush is thick and round on the sides and then a little thinner on the end to promote volume and flare on the sides. The color is a nice, pure black and it never clumps. It makes my eyes look much bigger and like I said earlier, it wakes my whole face up!

Look at this big beautiful brush! How can you not get great volume with that?!

It seems to last quite awhile as well. I just have the mini size as that’s what came in my birthday gift and it seems like I have barely made a dent in it. I’ve been using it for 3 or 4 months now.  Plus if you’re not sure you want to commit, you can get it in mini size just like mine. Its only $12 as opposed to $24 so if you aren’t sure you believe me, I would encourage you to at least go out and grab the mini. It’s a little pricey but I know that I will be buying myself a full size bottle once my little one runs out!

Buy me here: Smoky Extravagant Mascara

Or visit a Sephora location.

Stay tuned for the last installment of My Makeup Essentials coming soon.

xoxo Morgan