My favorite way to travel is definitely by road. You get to stop at interesting places, see the scenery, be able to stop whenever you want (seriously my favorite part of it). It also has a way of turning into a bonding moment if you are with a group of friends or your family. 

I remember when I was a kid my mom would take us (my sister and I) on trips to the hill country in Texas or to visit family in Florida. The trips would be amazing. We would map it out and see where we would stop. We would always stop at the border rest stops and stretch and take pictures at the state border signs. Florida was our favorite because we would hit it in the morning and drink orange juice. 

The in-state road trips were awesome as well. Full of places we have never been. Little towns filled with antique stores and cute diners. 

As I got older I appreciated all the trips we took. My favorite adult road trip was when we were moving a family friend to Florida, there were two cars and a group of us along for the ride. We hit a Hooters right before it was to close and they served up very nicely. Or the trip I took with an ex, from Texas to Colorado (by way of New Mexico) to Indiana (by way of Nebraska, Missouri, & Illinois) to Ohio to Louisiana (by way of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, & Mississippi). It took two weeks and meeting a lot of his family, but it was a great trip. Though I will say that Eastern Colorado smells like death. 

I even loved the trip when I drove from Las Vegas to LA, where I almost died with a car full of my friends when some crazy lady tried to run us off the road. 

I plan on taking more road trips in my life, I am actually planning a road trip to Kentucky next May for the Derby. Will definitely stop in New Orleans on the way back.

If you love to road trip, what has been your favorite trip so far? Post your answer on my Facebook page (fb.com/BeautyliciousBlog)!

Stay beautiful lovelies

Michele

Everyone has a list of movies they will watch over and over again until the end of time. If you don’t then I am going to need you to watch more movies. No I am not kidding you; watch a movie! 

1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Okay I would watch this on repeat in high school. I remember all the parts to the movie and even sing the theme song sometimes. Of course it is my top John Hughes movie out of all his movies. I can’t help but want to be a rebel every time I watch it. 

2. Easy A: A pretty recent addition to my list; well within the last two years. I first watched this movie with my friend Sam, while I was living in Germany. I will say this, Emma Stone rocks in this movie. Plus it is totally quotable! 

3. The Labyrinth: So some people that Jennifer Connelly looks super weird in this movie. Or that David Bowie looks like a raging queen. I on the other hand love the story, the scenes, and yes even David Bowie in those crazy outfits. The only part I don’t like is when she meets those crazy head popping off characters. Totally weirds me out.

4. Dead Poet’s Society: One of my favorite Robin Williams’ movie (two others: Good Will Hunting & Good Morning Vietnam). I met him once in Kuwait and he was a total sweetheart. The movie is sad, but it has a good message. 

5. Pulp Fiction: There’s a daddy tomato, mommy tomato, and a baby tomato and they all snort heroin and dance with John Travolta. Seriously awesome just saying. 

6. Clerks 2: The first Clerks. was okay. Pretty slow moving, but Clerks 2 is completely hilarious.

7. Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2: Another wonderful QT movie. I love the flow and how the story is stitched together. The narration is typical QT. Of course it is another QT/Uma movie. 

8. Walk the Line: One of my favorite Bio-Pic movies. The way they told the story of Cash and Carter is great. The songs that they picked for the movie were also a great selection. I love the album.

9. Tron Legacy: Okay most would say this is a horrible sequel, but can watch this movie over and over again. I think its the music and the graphics mixed perfectly together.

10. Dogma: Religion through comedy. Another Kevin Smith movie to warm your soul and make you wonder what kind of person would laugh at these jokes. Oh wait I would! I have one sick sense of humor. 

There are of course a ton more, but again these are the movies I can watch over and over again.

Stay beautiful lovelies

Michele

Unlike April, May was not the month for me to read a lot of books. Even though I purchased plenty of books to devour, I am sadly not reporting a high number like I estimated at the beginning of the month.

I read a total of three books, which were serials so the individual “books” were put together:

The Fetish Box Serial by Nicole Camden

His to Command Serial by Opal Carew

The Arrangement Serial by H.M. Ward

If you want to read what I think about these books, read my post about the appeal of trashy, sexy romance novellas.

I did start How to Love Wine: A Memoir and Manifesto by Eric Asimov and Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl from the Beautiful Creatures series. I have yet to finish either one of these books but they are on my list.

I did recently download the Devil Wears Prada and Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. If you have not seen the movie I suggest you watch it, but since I love to watch and read my books I had to download these books to see how they match up. I cannot wait.

I plan to dive into the list I posted last month for May, but with work picking up I don’t know if I can tackle such a list. I might have to cut it in half.

I have also recently purchased about four learn how to draw books, so I can expand my wonderful skills. I am currently learning how to shade spheres. Let’s see if I can make it in the artistic world.

If you lovelies have any recommendations for books please tell me. I love getting into new series and interesting books.

Stay beautiful lovelies

Michele

Last week I posted on how much stuff is necessary to pack. This week though lets get into the financial mindset of a trip. 

Some things you should think about:

1. Will you need tickets?

a. Where are you going?

b. What time of year are you going?

c. If you are not flying, how many times are you going to stop for fuel?

2. How many bags are you taking? (Reference previous Tuesday post)

3. Will you need a car?

4. Are you staying in a hotel or with family/friends?

5. Is there an exchange rate?

6. Will you get souvenirs?

7. Will you eat out?

a. If you are road tripping, how much food will you pack for snacks? Are you taking a cooler?

Let’s break it down by question:

1. Will you need tickets? If you are going overseas then that is a yes. Depending on your destination of choice tickets will be cheap or crazy expensive. While I was living in Germany a ticket to London cost me $200. Could I have gotten it cheaper? Yes, but that also meant I had to over pay for checked baggage and crappy seats. I easily forked out the dough for a nice seat and at least one free check bag. 

The time of year also determines how much you will have to pay. For those seasonal trips (spring break, Christmas, and others) you will probably shell out more money due to the high volume of people moving at that time. Also remember that the end of the school year spurs cross-country and overseas adventures. Buy these tickets in advanced. It helps you out in the long run because you are not getting tickets at the last minute and paying a lot. It also seals the deal on getting a good seat.

If you are driving to your destination make sure you have enough money or a gas card to cover your expenses. Remember fuel prices are different from location to location, even in the same state. You might pay $3.50/gal in your city, but bigger cities or even fuel stations in the middle of no where could easily make you regret driving.

2. I again refer you to my post from last week. If you are flying, check with your airline on how much a bag cost to be checked. Remember your size and weight limitations as well. 

3. If you are driving to your location skip this part. If you are flying, will you need a rental? If you are going overseas, do you have your international driver’s license? Will you need insurance? Does your insurance company give discounts when renting a car? What does the public transportation system look like? Are there restrictions in the city you are driving in? These are all questions you should ask and research before you make the leap to renting a car. For instance, if you are staying in London you really don’t need a car. There is the Underground, taxis (which are super expensive), buses, and your two feet. Germany is not bad either, but I suggest you rent a car; I know I liked driving while I was there.

4. Getting a hotel can be hit or miss sometimes. I would suggest looking at the reviews for the hotels in the area and find out where they are located by. If you are staying with family or friends then it shouldn’t be a problem, but remember the golden rule when visiting: don’t be a pest and help when you can. This could go a long way when it comes to repeat visits.

5. If you are going to another country, remember there is always an exchange rate. How much does your dollar get for the local currency? Research this and set aside extra money if you are using a card. Also if you are going to get money out or exchanging cash once you touch ground, get it at the bank instead of the airport (they have handling fees). I also advise you to exchange with your home back prior to your trip.

6. If you are like me then you must get souvenirs. Remember to make room in your bags or in your carry on. Also set aside souvenirs money so you can buy these items. If your family would like any souvenirs set aside extra space and money (or try to mail them home prior to the end of the trip).

7. Eating out can be an experience if you are overseas. Most restaurants are required to post their menus on the outside of their establishments; take a look at what they have to offer before entering. Also remember to try new things while in a country you will probably not visit for a long while. Avoid chains you can find in America, if you are from there (though I will admit my first trip to London my friend and I tracked down the only Chipotle that side of the pond). 

If you are road-tripping to your destination, I suggest taking a cooler with lunch meats, drinks, bread, and snacks. It saves money for gas and plus you can stop anywhere and eat your lunch. If you get sick of sandwiches you can always stop over at a restaurant and eat there. Choice is yours. 

I hope my tips helped you guys out and remember this is the vacation season, take advantage of it. If you would like more trip taking tips, remember to comment on my Facebook page!

Stay beautiful lovelies

Michele 

With all the new albums and movies to come out, you would think I would have more than one album on my list. Well you would be wrong. I only have one…

The Great Gatsby (Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film) Deluxe Edition

It is constantly on repeat. I love the fact that modern music was added to a “period” piece. Though a lot of people don’t like the fact that Jay-Z produced it and added his own twist; I think it shows how Baz loves mixing in different ways of thinking into movies that should be based in one way. Take a look at Romeo & Juliet. They SPOKE in iambic pentameter, but it was set in a sort of South American/Modern Italian setting.

Jay-Z just took the ideas that Baz was shooting and set interesting music to it. The remakes of Black to Black by Andre 3000 and Beyonce (Originally done by Amy Winehouse) was brilliant. It took me two times to actually listening to the lyrics to realize that it was a Male v Female version of the song. Of course the jazzy remake of Crazy in Love by Emeli Sande (Originally done by Beyonce) was also brilliant. The original was okay, but adding the jazz like tempo and instruments really did it for me.

The original songs produced for this album/movie were great as well. I love, love, love Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey. It gives a haunting feel to the whole album as does Over the Love (Of You) by Florence + The Machine. The remixed version of the song wasn’t necessary, but I can deal with it.

Of course if you want the party feel of the 20s why not listen to Bang Bang by will.i.am, A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) by Fergie, Q-Tip, and GoonRock (which I believe is the rest of the Black Eyed Peas…am I wrong?), and Where the Wind Blows by Coco O. These three songs are great for working out, dancing in your room, or getting a party playlist together. It sets the mood and makes everyone happy, well at least me.

There are so many songs on this album that I love, but these are my super favorites.

Stay beautiful lovelies

Michele

With the release of the Kindle, the iPad, and every other tablet device there has been talks of what is better among the book reading community. Honestly I like both, but for the sake of arguing I will put up my reason for both in the categories of personal consumption and school needs.

Paper version: I remember the good ol’ days when I would sit down in bed or on the couch and crack open a book. The smell alone of a book brings back memories. Taking on big books like the Lord of the Rings trilogy used to excite me; seriously after the first book I was done, it was a total blow to my ego. It was like an accomplished something when I finished a book that was way too big. Collecting a book series was like winning a prize, I have completed several books series and feel like I can read them any time. The down fall of collecting so many books is packing them up and hauling every where I move to. Also carrying books with me just to read is a pain in the butt and take up too much space.

Digital version: Oh the compact ways of the tablet. The transportability of being able to take my library anywhere. I love my Kindle and the Kindle app. I love having a book at the tip of my fingers. The problem is not having an actual book in my hand. To feel the pages between my fingers. To smell the scent. 

Stay beautiful lovelies

Michele

It is the age old question; how much stuff should I pack for vacation? With school out for all colleges and almost out for all high schools it is time for road trips, overseas adventures, or a lovely cruise. With those trips comes the packing for those trips. I am going to give you some helpful tips from some of my trips that I have taken.

Tip #1: Pack according to trip length. I know this should be a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many times I have over packed or under packed for a trip. For example my first trip to London. I packed a small rolling luggage bag and a huge carry on for a four day trip. You are probably thinking that sounds reasonable. Well it wasn’t, I actually over packed clothes and make-up and ended up not using a lot of it. For the clothes portion, pack two outfits per a day in town and one set per travel day. So a four day trip, that is including travel in there, should include at the most six outfits. For longer trips remember this as well and pack a bigger suitcase; souvenirs are a big thing on those longer trips. For road trips I advise the same thing, but remember that your travel clothes should be comfortable. I sometimes even wear sweatpants or cute sleep shorts and a tank top when it comes down to multi-day road trips.

Tip #2: Pack comfortable shoes. I am not saying to leave the heels at home, I am just implying that on most trips there is a lot of walking (or at least on my trips there are). I always bring cute flats that will match anything and one to two pairs of heels in the just in case moment I have to go out to a nice dinner or social event. Also remember those wonderfully comfortable boots you have will have to come off during security, make sure your shoes can be taken on and off quickly so you don’t hold up the line or miss your flight.

Tip #3: Don’t over pack on the beauty supplies. Okay everyone I am going to need you to calm down. I have learned over several trips that sometimes packing that big thing of shampoo and conditioner is not always peachy for those flights that involve lay overs. Why you may ask? Those baggage handlers can be total dicks and just throw your bag every which way. My advice, buy your shampoo/conditioner/hairspray/etc at your destination. Especially if you are flying. Perfume is great and all, but bring something in a plastic bottle that is easy to spray and just bring one. Make-up is the tricky one; if you are like me you like to experiment with your make-up. My advice, bring your favorite palette, your favorite concealer/foundation/bb cream, a few brushes, a decent mascara, and one to two lipsticks. You can include eyeliner and the whole shebang, but really that takes away from all the space you have.

Tip #4: Don’t pack all your accessories. It is the same with the clothes. Bring one to two accessories per a day. If anything you can match it pre-vacation so you know what goes with what.

Tip #5: Bring a decent carry on. This is where you can put your computer, camera, and any souvenirs you get along the way. I have a huge bag I bring with me so I can have my nice Nikon I got as a birthday present a few years ago. This is also where you can put your conversion plugs for any overseas adventures. If anything you can find an electronic store or shop via the terminal once you hit ground.

Tip #6: Have fun. Remember to take lots of pictures and just enjoy yourself. You might not be able to make it back to that awesome spot for quite sometime. 

I hope this helped everyone and just remember that it is a trip, not supposed to be a headache. Also remember the exchange rate for some places and don’t buy your money/exchange at the terminal; they have handling fees.

Stay beautiful lovelies,

Michele

I have a secret. You know want to know what it is? 

I AM A TOTAL GLEEK!

I am no kidding you. I have all four seasons (I am trying to download the rest of the fourth season on iTunes) on my hard drive/computer. I have downloaded several of the Glee albums onto my iTunes. I was even inspired by the Glee “Rocky Horror” episode to dress like Magenta for Halloween one year. Yes I am for sure obsessed with Glee.

I started off not knowing what Glee was. It started when I was in Iraq and I had to catch up. I started mid-season one and have downloaded every season since then. This fourth season has dealt with a lot of different issues that I don’t want to get into because I don’t know who hasn’t seen it.

On my off times recently I have begun to have a Glee marathon and have watched in awe on how these guys have grown through the years.

Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel) has grown so much. I adore him completely. His story arch has made my heart melt. And do I even need to mention Darren Criss (Blaine Anderson)? I loved Darren as Harry (yes I am a Starkid at heart) and now every time I see him on TV I just can’t help but be happy. He has an amazing voice. 

Dianna Agron (Quinn Fabray) is a great person. She is truly inspiring. I follow her website; You, Me, and Charlie, which is just a blog about all sorts of ideas and music. It is great you guys should check it out.

Lea Michele (Rachel Berry)is gorgeous. Seriously though. I adore her and she is an awesome singer and performer. Her rendition of Don’t Rain on My Parade still gives me chills.

Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez)…she rocks my socks. Besides having an awesome character that has grown from just co-staring to having an awesome arch. I am blown away. Seriously awesomeness.

There have been a lot of songs from over the seasons that I have loved. A lot of songs make me cry (yes I cry because of a TV show get over it) and some have made me super happy. Of course there are some songs that I am shocked they even sang, but hey I am not the producer of the show so I don’t get to judge. But seriously Beiber? 

I am shocked though by the number of great dancers in the group. Of course when I dig deeper I find out that they have been in movies I have seen dealing with dancing; Harry Shum Jr (Mike Chang) was in Step Up 2 and Step Up 3D, and Heather Morris (Brittany S. Pierce) was a dancer for Beyonce. But some of the people you don’t expect like Jacob Artist (Jake Puckerman). The boy can bust a damn move.

The special guests have been great as well. Though some of them shouldn’t sing, there have been some great special guests from all over the Hollywood and Broadway scene. It makes me kind of happy.

So enough of me Gleeking out on you guys.

Stay beautiful lovelies

Michele

Hello my name is Michele and I am addicted to online shopping. I don’t know when then addiction started; maybe my second deployment when I was buying clothes off of modcloth.com and urbanoutfitters.com. I just kept buying clothes and other things, but still saving money. I felt like I could buy anything.

This deployment is no different.

I have a serious Amazon itch. I have been buying books, clothes, and some other oddities (I have wanted to take up drawing so I can sketch out my next tattoo). I even found a pair of red bottom CL’s that are only 450 dollars. Yeah it is even that bad that I would consider it. 

I have a technique when I shop online, especially on clothing stores. I fill my cart to the brink or until I reach 1,000 dollars. I then go through said cart and delete things I really don’t want or don’t need. I sometimes buy the clothes and sometimes I don’t and just let my shopping cart sit there. It is super sad.

I honestly like shopping this way because I don’t have to go into the dressing room and embarrass myself. This also can bite me in the butt (like if stuff runs smaller then the size given).

I find the strangest things online as well. Like things I wouldn’t even consider in person, I think ‘Hey this is neat.’ I wish I could smack myself sometimes. 

My bookmarks are even sorted by different shopping sites; I have a folder marked ‘beauty shopping sites’ and ‘clothing shopping sites.’ Yeah I get pretty serious.

Does anyone else have this kind of addiction? If so, how do you quell it? Or can you?

Stay beautiful lovelies

Michele

I bought this body wash because one I needed a new body wash and wanted something that was moisturizing. The label gave me hope that I would combat this horrible dryness.

The details from drugstore.com:

With Vitamin E

- Moisturizes after 4 showers to fight dryness due to aging

- Each bottle contains more than a jar of Olay® moisturizers

- Soap-free formula rinses clean, leaving no residue

Reveal younger-looking skin in just one use with Olay Age Defying Body Wash.  It conditions dry skin all day, moisturizing it to fight the dryness associated with skin aging.

Ingredients:

Water, Petrolatum, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Trideceth 3, Fragrance, Citric Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Acrylonitrile/Methacrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Mineral Oil, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, PEG 90M, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Isopentane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Panthenol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

Don’t think the write up from the company fool you. Supposedly four showers and it moisturizes the skin; yeah the hell right. Not even after eight washes did my skin moisturize. I used this body wash for a month and a half hoping I would get better skin, but boy was I wrong. I was sadly disappointed. I don’t recommend this product and will never use it again, especially since I threw it away with half the bottle filled. I might stay away from Olay products in general after this little try-out.

I give this product: 0 out 5 stars

I hope this helps you guys out (I know it was completely negative) and if you know an Olay product I might like, please tell me.

Stay beautiful lovelies

Michele