maegan mariee: 2017

When contacts become too much hassle, I turn to my glasses.

My trusty frames have never let me down. And while I have ordered newer ones in the past, I always come back to these babies. There is only one problem; while my frames don't change, my prescription does.

It may not seem like such a big deal. I can just go out and get the lenses changed out, right? Oh yeah, sure. But let's consider the fact that my insurance definitely doesn't cover it and just getting a quote for the service at LensCrafters was over $300! Yikes!

So naturally, I took on the task of locating a website that would do this service for me, at a much more reasonable price. I asked the company that I bought my frames from, but sadly, that's not something they offer. My next step was the golden mark. Thankfully, I didn't have to look too long!

Lensabl offered everything that I was looking for. You select the type of prescription you have, what lenses you'd like, (I got the blue light lenses to ease my eye strain), and then you plug in your prescription. You can upload a picture of it, or send it right to them. And that's it! You pay and they'll send out a prepaid box to your house, where you lovingly place your precious frames and send it back out. And then it's just a waiting game.

All together, I think it took two weeks total for me to get the box, ship my glasses out, and then get them in the lab and reshipped to me. Inside, my glasses were packaged up in a beautiful glass case with some handy eye glass cleaner and cloth. Everything you could want from a service and more!

I've been wearing and testing the glasses for two weeks now, and I have zero complaints. My old outdated, scratched up lenses were a thing of the past! I can now see more clearly and my eye strain has lessened practically overnight. The exact thing I had wanted was exactly what I got! If you're looking to keep your frames but get new lenses, Lensabl is the way to go!

Try them out at their wesbite, here, where you can watch videos and get your questions answered!

♥

*This post is not sponsored! All opinions are my own, as always.*

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"But the really scary thing is not turning and turning in the widening gyre; it's turning and turning in the tightening gyre."

Hello, my dear, dear friends. It's been such a long time since I've been able to sit down and write out a book post. To be honest, I've been in kind of a book funk the last month and a half. It's super awful, but it happens. I can't say that this book swooped in and rescued me, but John Green did give me some kind of life back with his newest release.

I was immediately intrigued with the plot of this book. Any book that delves into mental illness/anxiety is something that I want to read. And all the better if it's directed at teens. However, I found that I got lost within the side plot, wondering why it was even there.

Green does a wonderful job with the anxiety side of things. How he describes Aza's spiraling thoughts, her habits, her constant worries was something akin to perfection. Throughout the book I found myself relating in some parts and also finding it hard to swallow that there are people out there that feel the way Aza does. And there is nothing you can really do, aside from being there for them when they need you.

"You seem locked inside your mind, and I can't know what's going on in there, and it scares me."
"I'm fine. Really."
"But you're not."
"Mom, tell me what to say. Seriously. Just... tell me what words to say to make you calm down about it."
"I don't want to calm down. I want you to stop being in pain."
"Well, that's not how it works, okay?"

The subplot of the missing billionaire seems to only serve one purpose; and that is to bring Aza to Davis, her old childhood friend. When they reunite, there is really nothing that says they had ever stopped talking. They seem to pick up quite easily, actually. And this is kind of where I found myself huffing and puffing. If you've read John Green before, then you know that when he puts two teens together, they suddenly start speaking in philosophical quotes and falling in love under the stars while searching for meteors and the meaning of life.

And that's not to say that teens don't speak like that sometimes and are less intelligent. There are teens out there that are incredibly smart, but these two talk like no one I've ever heard before. They did have some discussions with certain lines that really stuck with me. When talking about adults and how they believe so strongly in one thing, example God, that it's the right thing. The correct thing. And the response was "The parasite believes itself to be the host." In context, it's a very strong line.

If you went into this thinking that turtles were going to be a main symbol/part of the book, you were wrong. I was wrong. And I'm pretty disappointed with it. There is a small mention of one turtle in the beginning and then they aren't mentioned again until practically the end of the book. In a discussion about a woman who is 'challenging' her professor claiming that the earth is a flat plane resting on the back of a giant turtle.

"Well, but if that's so, what is the giant turtle standing upon?"
"It is standing upon the shell of another giant turtle."
"Well, then what is that turtle standing upon?"
"Sir, you don't understand. It's turtles all the way down."

In the end, I found this to be a book with a good eye opening example of anxiety and how one person deals with it. Everything else is just turtles.

♥

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Is there an album that just brings back all the memories?

I was recently going through all of my CD's in storage, trying to make some room, and we all know I ended up just going through everything because of nostalgia. Music is the best form of media to remember old times. Songs can just stick with you. So here are my top ten!

1 | A Day To Remember; What Separates Me From You - This is my college days anthem. I fell completely in love with this album and continue to listen to it on repeat to this day. There is just something so rejuvenating about being able to scream about something but then finish it off with some singing. You know, the normal kind. Favorite Song; All I Want.

2 | Britney Spears; Britney - The Queen of Pop broke out of her conservative, innocent shell with this self-titled album and so did I. At the ripe old age of eleven I was so ready to grow up and do whatever the hell I wanted. In moderation, of course. Favorite Song; Anticipating.

3 | N'Sync; No Strings Attached - Who didn't love the good old puppets of the 2000's? To be honest, this was the album where I discovered N'Sync and I still don't know, or own, any album before this one. I'm a believer in not needing to know every artist's song that they've ever made to be a fan. Favorite Song; It's Gonna Be Me

4 | Matt Nathanson; Some Mad Hope - I think like most Matt Nathanson fans, I discovered him with his song Come On Get Higher, from this album. But I instantly fell in love with Matt and his songs. He's become a big part of my life, with this album being my favorite. I listen to this and his new releases all the time. I have my 'Matt Nathanson Moments', my mother and I have a special connection with him as an artist, and I even got my husband to love him as well. Favorite Song; Sooner Surrender.

5 | Christina Aguilera; Christina Aguilera - Self titles albums look so weird here. 1998/1999 was the time of pop queens and kings, and I was a fan of both the top queens of the day. While I haven't followed Christina around like I have with Britney, her first album will always have a special place in my heart. It helped that she did Reflection for Mulan, because that was another connection. Her voice is like no other and this is an album where you could bounce around the room without abandon. Favorite Song; I Turn To You.

6 | JoJo; JoJo - JoJo was the biggest thing in 2004 with her debut album. She was all my friends and I talked about, listened to, danced too. She was IT. Every song on this album brings back so many memories of putting on pretend concerts, dancing in the back of my step-father's truck bed, using it as a stage and singing to other love lorn girls who were still figuring out who they were. This was the anthem. Favorite Song; Fairy Tales.

7 | Boys Like Girls; Boys Like Girls - Have you noticed a lot of these are the artist's debuts? When it comes to debuts, you can't really beat BLG. This was kind of a new thing for me when this came out, a new style, and I really fell for them hard. I recently took my best friend to see their 10th Anniversary show, where they celebrated this album. And it was still as good. Favorite Song; Five Minutes To Midnight.

8 | Avril Lavigne; Let Go - Avril was everything when this came out. Complicated was everyone's favorite song and they would sing Sk8er Boi on the bus in the mornings. I can't really remember when this album fell out of popularity, because I still hear it all the time. Favorite Song; Anything But Ordinary.

9 | Paramore; Riot! - This. Is. Everything. I can't even begin to tell you all the 'concerts' I put on in my room, pretending to be the fire haired singer, bouncing on stage with incredible energy. The lyrics were something I could relate to at the time and if anyone says that they didn't own this, listened to it, liked it, they are LYING. Favorite Song; Crushcrushcrush.

10 | Maroon 5; Songs About Jane - The album that put them on the map. The album that, I believe, is so under rated, is so overlooked when compared to their newest songs. Their debut has some BEAUTIFUL songs. The instrumentals are gorgeous and relaxing, and if you have the 10th Anniversary Edition, you can listen to the demos. And those are just as perfect. Favorite Song; Sunday Morning.

BONUS! The first CD I ever owned;
Britney Spears; ...baby one more time - Who didn't own this album? Everyone I knew, all my friends, friends parents, even some boys, had this album. It is the definition and the pinnacle of music in the 90's and it's going to outlive us all. Favorite Song; Soda Pop.

The first CD I bought on my own;
Creed; Weathered - I don't know if I should be proud about this or ashamed, but this was the first album I bought all on my own. I haven't listened to it in years, but I also can't bring myself to get rid of it. I still have mixed feelings. Favorite Song; One Last Breath.

What are some of your throwback albums?
♥

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So, everyone here has probably looked into a cheaper alternative for the hottest trend currently out, right? Why pay full price when you could get it a little cheaper from our old friend, Ebay?

Of course, there are dangers to this method; the fakes. You are never guaranteed an authentic anything from the site, unless you really do your research. Today, I'm going to show you two palettes I got from the site, of two popular brands.

These two palettes are two that I've had my eye on, but have resisted from purchasing for one reason or another. Whether it be price or the actual brand. And now I have them. Or rather, now I have the fake copies of them.

The first is a very popular palette by Kylie Jenner. Now, the reason I stepped away from buying the real deal from her website is because it's very expensive and I can't say that I'm a huge fan of hers. But the colors in this burgundy palette were right up my alley. So I looked for an alternative on Ebay, and I found one. I've watched the videos of how to tell a real from a fake, but really, the only thing you need to know is that the real palette will have so much more pigmentation in the colors than any fake will have. And you need to wet your brush a bit and do a couple of layers with any color from this palette to get some good color.

But for the price that I paid for it, I think it works very well. I'm very happy with it and I love all the colors. It has some decent fallout when it comes to the glittered shadows, but that's nothing a little setting powder and a brush can't take away. Remember when you're buying dupes of makeup brands, to look at the ingredients on the back. I've seen some of this dupes including GLUE of all things in them, which is obviously not something you want to put on your lips. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

The Nubian palette was another that I've been staring down for a while now. I love the natural tones that are included in this, and, not to mention the fact that it pays homage to Nefertiti. I was absolutely obsessed with Egypt back in the day and I still love reading about everything old school Egypt, so this is the perfect palette for me. The color payout is about the same, but I feel like this one is a little bit better in that area. I didn't look up anything on how to tell a fake from a real version on this one, but to be honest, I'm not that concerned. I'm very happy with it.

If you're interested in looking for good dupes like these, take a look on Ebay! You can always buy the originals from the companies websites, which I do recommend, but this is a good way to go if you're looking to save some money.

♥

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Over the last month or so, I've collected a small number of beauty bits that I really feel the need to share. I've been doing a lot of rearranging in my life. Sorting things, doing clear outs, all that jazz. And that included giving my make up and skin care collection a good old overhaul.

Usually what this means is that I've found some of my old things to love and picked up some new additions to replace the spaces left over.

A favorite that I like to keep on my desk when I'm doing whatever. This has the lovely and very feminine scent of Zoella Beauty's core range and leaves your hands feeling soft and clean. I typically buy most of my hand sanitizers from Bath and Body Works, so having a larger bottle is something I've really enjoyed.

Now this is probably the product I'm most excited about. This is rehab cream for your stressed out skin. Pacifica is a brand that I really love and have been exploring for the last year. They're vegan and cruelty free, which means they're available for everyone to try. This is great for all skin types and it's so so great. I use this once a week at night and in the morning my skin feels brand new. It's a bit pricey, but it's so worth it.

Another gem I found while roaming the aisles of my local store. Don't write off this brand because this clarifying shampoo has been a life saver! I've tried a more expensive one that just didn't do what it said it was going to do. This bottle cost under a dollar and has done everything and more for my hair. If you need something to really get all the product and gunk out of your hair, definitely reach for this one!

I received this little bottle in one of my Birchbox's a while back and never really gave it much thought. It sat on my shelf until just recently and I can't believe I never gave it a go before now! If you've been here before, you'll know that I have thin, fine hair. So finding volume can be a challenge. Using this after a shower has been a treat because my hair dries like it's naturally thick. I have so much volume with this and I love it!

I'm a fan of Maybelline's Lash Sensational, so when I saw this, I thought it was going to be amazing. A curved wand for EXTRA curvy-ness? Yes, that's everything I want in a mascara! I'll admit, the first time I've used this wasn't pleasant. It was super clumpy and just didn't feel right. Giving it a few more tries, it seems to have worked out. It is waterproof, which I'm not really a fan of, but this has given my lashes some extra dimension and I can't really complain about that.

Another one of my testing projects. I wasn't sure if I was going to like going all natural when it came to my armpits. I tend to go for the spray, so this was a different experience for me. This goes on clear and it a gel like stick. It's aluminum free and does hold up pretty well, though it took a few days for my body to get used to it. I had to reapply a few times the first week, but now I don't need too. Depending on how much you sweat, etc, I would give this a go.

My most recent purchase, I decided to splurge and get MAC's Honeylove lipstick. The color is right up my alley. It's a gorgeous nude with a very slight hint of pink. I've been using it almost daily! If you're a fan of MAC lipsticks, definitely try this one. I think it would look great with any skin tone.

Zoella Beauty Hand on Heart Cleanser
Pacifica Coconut Probiotic Water Rehab Cream
Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo
Davines Replumping Hair Filler
Maybelline Lash Sensational Curvitude
Tom's of Maine Wild Lavender Deodorant
MAC Honeylove

♥

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maegan mariee

It's time for some blogging goals!

...nope.

When it comes to reading, I don't think there is anything better then having something tangible in your hands.

When contacts become too much hassle, I turn to my glasses.

"But the really scary thing is not turning and turning in the widening gyre; it's turning and turning in the tightening gyre."

Hello Lovelies!

Is there an album that just brings back all the memories?

If there was ever a face scrub made for autumn, this would be it.

I think at this point, it's safe to say that we're no stranger to dandruff on this blog.

What is the point of having a face brush?

I am a lover of tea.

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