Hey guys! I felt like doing a different post today because sometimes switching things up can be fun! Plus, I love sharing advice with all of you. Since the weather is getting way nicer, there's going to be a lot more to do: shopping, going on vacation, going out to eat, etc. And with that being said, I think it's very important to learn how to budget your money. 

Now you're probably thinking, "Natalie, you're 16 years old. How do you know how to budget your money?" Well, to be honest I don't. Being the teenager I am, I have learned a lot about how to make sure your using and saving your money right. I don't know that much about credit or bills but, I think my advice will be very helpful for all of you young bloggers and readers! This is just my advice with my current experience dealing with all things money. 

I am still in school and I will be going to college soon. I don't have a job and I only get to really work (or babysit) during my summer break. I know what it feels like to have no money and you're like "why can't I have like a full time job right now so I can go out and do or buy all these things?!" Saving my money has always been a struggle. I get it all! So here's a bit of advice:

Make Goals For Yourself

If you are really saving up for something you want, I like to set mini goals for myself. If I want a new pair of shoes but, can't afford to just drop a whole $60 then and there, I will set a mini goal every time I get a chance to make some money. I'll set aside some money later that way I can save up for those shoes while still having some money for things I will actually need. 

Think About What You Really Need

Now do you really need those $60 shoes? I guess it depends. When I go into a store and I find an item, I like to ask myself this simple question: Do I need it? If the answer is yes, ask yourself if it's worth spending $60 on and if you are able to really afford those shoes. If the answer is no, maybe you could wait until you grow out of the ones you have. 

Don't Worry About Others

So these shoes were worn by a famous celeb or a lot of people at school have them, does that mean you need them too? Will a piece of clothing or some trendy item like a selfie stick or a Swegway make you cooler? Who knows. Yeah sometimes every now and then I see some shirt or bracelet on someone that I think is cute and end up buying it later but, I feel like that's way different because I am buying this item for myself and not for others to think I look cool wearing it. Think about the item and it making you happy and not just getting accepted by your friends at school. 

Appreciate The Things You Have

Living in the midst of commercialism, the media, and a cycle of new technology, there's a lot of influence and pressure to buy the newest and prettiest things. The Apple Iphone for example. Everybody wants to keep upgrading and getting the new best thing. I understand that people have phone plans that allow them to get new phones but, is it really practical to get an entirely new phone every couple months? It's crazy. I am teaching myself to be more appreciative of the things I have and being grateful for all the things my parents do for me. A lot of people don't realize how much they have and how much they don't need. 

Prepare For The Future

Like I said before, I will be going to college in the next year or so and that is really crazy! So with that comes a whole lot of time working my butt off in order to pay off all of those big loans I have to take out during college. That means saving money now so I am not in humongous debt later. This also works for smaller future goals too. Make goals for yourself and think about what you will be doing in the future. 

Obviously I am not an expert on budgeting and my money experiences will eventually change. I feel though that having this mindset on how to save and be smart with how you spend will really effect and help your future and just your well-being in general. Money for a lot of people is really important and I try not to let it take over my life and be the very first thing I have to worry about. I hope this was a very helpful post and you guys know that this is just from my personal experience and thoughts about how to use money.

Xoxo, Nat 

Hello my lovelies! I hope the beginning of Spring is serving you all well. Where I live, it's up in the 60s! It's so nice out and because it's so nice out, we tend to dress a bit lighter and Spring dresses become one of our main outfit choices during this time of year. It also means doing our hair all nice and pretty for things like Easter, graduation, and dances if you have them! Today I have a review on one of my favorite beauty tools I own which is the NuMe Silhouette Flat Iron. 

More recently I have been obsessed with straightening my hair. It's sleek and modern. I have been loving this long-bob for quite a while and straight hair looks so great on me right now! This flat iron has been my go-to for this type of look and I can't really compare any other straightener to this one. This flat iron is not cheap at all. But! Many bloggers and beauty gurus on Youtube can be affiliates of this company so be on the look out for promo codes! This is priced originally at $99. I found this through Ingrid Nilsen on one of her beauty favorites videos and I bought it for only $15 bucks! One of the best quality hair tools for the price of a flat iron you would find at the drugstore. Unfortunately, I do not have a promo code for NuMe but, if I did I would of course give it to you guys!

I believe this flat iron comes in a couple different colors but, I only saw black and hot pink as one of the options right now. They have many different flat irons and curling tools on their site so be sure to check them out! I really want to check out their curling wands because I have also heard some great things about them.

The rounded plates on the iron are great for creating beachy waves too! This iron is very portable because it isn't very big or bulky. It also came with a dust/travel bag to make sure it transports safely. The cord is also very long so if you're trying to like reach an outlet in the wall, you'll be able to stretch the iron all the way across! So handy and helpful when trying to rush and not worry about where to plug the tool in.

One thing that I am so impressed with was how fast the iron heats up. I counted to like 15 and it was already steaming! My old flat iron took like 5 minutes to heat up. I really like the nob feature on this iron; however, I don't like how you can't tell what number it's on besides 290 and 450. Maybe I like 350 degrees? How do I know if it's on that setting? You don't. I also noticed that there was no way to close the flat iron besides tying the cord around it (which is probably not safe). I was looking for a latch or something and there wasn't anything to close it with. Those were the only flaws I had noticed but, the quality and everything else makes up for it all (and the insane price). 

If you are looking for an awesome quality flat iron or any other hair tool in general, I really suggest looking on NuMe's site. They have many products and the flat iron especially creates the straightest and smoothest long-lasting look. I would recommend looking for promo codes on social media because they have amazing deals on a lot of their tools, probably over 60% off if you're as lucky as I was. 

Xoxo, Nat

Hey everyone! I know it might be a bit late but, here are my favorite February products! Sometimes I don't do monthly favorites because I get new products near the end of the month and I can't do a review on them until I try them! Fortunately, I have some awesome products to share with you all today.

I have really been loving the color rose, light beige, and white colors on my nails lately. I think it looks so pretty on the nails and it looks great for spring! I love this Essie shade called Tuck It In My Tux (scandalous name right?) and I absolutely love this L'oreal one called Frieda's Nude! It's a perfect rose-gold color.

I recently did a review on this Smoked Palette by Urban Decay and I love it so much. I can't stress enough how great the color pay off and formula is of these shadows. They are all very pretty colors for everyone! I love using the color Mushroom as a base and I would use Backdoor as a crease color. 

This L'oreal lip stain in Rose On and On is one of my favorite lip stains in my makeup collection! It lasts for so long and they are super pigmented.

I also did a post on these Jordana Lip Balm Stains and I also love the color payoff and they smell so nice! They have a really nice selection of colors and they are super hydrating too.

I will also be doing another review on the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer and it is one of my absolute favorite foundations to use of all time. It has a light to medium coverage and it does a great job of covering up imperfections without feeling like a layer of cake on your face!

I love this eyeliner that had came with the Smoked Palette and it's beyond amazing! It's really smooth and easy to create any type of look with. It's great for cat-eyes too.

I hope you guys liked my February favorites and tell me what your favorite beauty product you've been loving recently! I'd love to hear and try out new things!

Xoxo, Nat