I'm NOT DEAD...just slowly crawling along

I'm not dead...just slowly crawling along this road we call life. I've been very stressed and busy lately. Sometimes I feel like I take on more than I can handle, but when I step back to evaluate all that I've accomplished so far in life, I realize that it's really not that much. So I wonder, is it just me? Do I have a problem with multitasking and trying to juggle so many different things at once? Why is it that so many other people can succeed when they are involved in so many more things than me? In my case, I have schoolwork, combined with extracurriculars, combined with relationship issues. I don't even have a job yet. What will I do when I enter the "real world"? I think ever since I was young, I've always had problems with concentrating for prolonged periods of time. That's just how my brain works. If I took half the time doing the useless things that I love to do, like researching new cosmetic lines and planning what to buy from online retailers, and used to study/work on assignments, I would be SO much more productive. I am extremely distracted and worn out lately. I feel jaded. I think am tired of constant stress and the work piling upon work. The sad part is that even I admit that I am not taking a particularly heavy course load this semester. I think I have might a problem. Maybe the first step to dealing with it is to admit it.

Quick Update

I know I haven't been blogging lately, but I really promise not to abandon this blog! I'm super busy with schoolwork lately (MIDTERMS!!) and I've also been suffering from huge writer's block. In fact, I'm feeling a little worried that my writing skills are going to go down the drain if I don't start up writing again. On the bright side, I've just been lurking around other blogs and adding lots of really great ones to my reading list! A lot of beauty bloggers are doing giveaways for hitting a certain number of followers and some are just doing it because they are super nice!! Here are three that I am pretty excited about:

Tina-Bobeena's Giveaway

Itsura's Giveaway

Katie Ngo's Giveaway

Good luck to everyone!!

European Beauty Collection

I am a big fan of the European Beauty Collection that was first introduced to Walgreens sometime in -- correct me if I'm wrong here -- 2006. It was essentially a collection of quality skin care products from seven top European brands, but alas, it is no longer being sold in the US. Their official website can be found here: www.europeanbeautycollection.com. Years ago, I remember passing right by these because of the high prices, which ranged somewhere from $20 to $50. Being the bargain hunger that I am, I simply could not fathom paying twice (or three times) the amount I would normally pay for drugstore skin care just to get a product I have never even heard about. Then last summer, I spotted a bunch of these products on clearance at my local Walgreens. The Red Water Hydra De-makeup Emulsion went from $20 to $10; the Red Water Face Mask with Rice Proteins went from $22 to $15. The next day, I went back and got the Red Water Face Foaming Cleanser with Green Tea for only $5! These products did wonders for my dry and dull skin, and needless to say, I fell in love with the Red Water brand immediately. It is to my regret that I had never opted to check out the other brands until it was too late -- the European Beauty Collection is now completely gone in all the Walgreens I’ve checked.

Then last month, I decided to email their customer service asking where I could find Red Water, since my beloved cleansers were starting to run out. I got a reply from an extremely nice lady, who informed me that the last of the US stock is now being sold on their eBay store, which can be found here: http://stores.ebay.com/European-Beauty-Collection. All the prices are slashed, so you’ll be getting a great deal! The only Red Water products left (as of now) are body care products and the Hydra De-makeup Emulsion, sold in sets of 3. I was disappointed that they no longer have any more of the Face Foaming Cleanser, but I ordered a set of the Hydra De-makeup Emulsion along with 4 more items from different brands. I was able to combine the shipping costs and only paid $12 for 5 items (if the set counts as 1 item). My sister, who bought everything for me as a birthday present, paid through Paypal on January 15th, and my order arrived a week later on the 21st. The shipping was much faster than I had anticipated, and I was so excited to open it!! Prior to sending out my package, the lady had mentioned that she added some “extra goodies” to my package, but I had assumed that she meant some small samples. I definitely did NOT think that she meant full-sized products!

Keep in mind that I SHOULD have gotten only 7 items in total. THIS is what I received:
There are 13 items in that box! THIS IS AMAZING!!! The best birthday ever!!!

My order:
- set of 3 Red Water Hydra De-makeup Emulsions
- 1 Oli Foaming Cleanser
- 1 Oli Hydrating Mask
- 1 Skin Code Extra Gentle Skin Refiner
- 1 ARTDECO Luxury Pearl Revitalizing Cream

The extras (all full sized!):
- 1 Skin Code Extra Gentle Skin Refiner
- 1 Oli Body Lotion
- 1 Oli Eye Contour Cream
- 1 Oli Toner
- 1 Oli Hydrating Mask
- 1 small satchel with a mini Oli Body Lotion, Oli Hand Lotion, and Oli Anti-Aging Cream

Reviews are coming up!!! This has been the best birthday ever!!

NOTE: I highly recommend their eBay store (http://stores.ebay.com/European-Beauty-Collection) because they have WONDERFUL customer service and their shipping is FAST. The products are all discounted too!! I suggest first checking to see which items are still available, and then looking at the official European Beauty Collection website to read the product descriptions before you place your order. Happy shopping!!

First Post!

After long and careful deliberation, I have finally decided to start my own blog! I wasn't sure if I would have the time to make frequent updates, but I will definitely try to blog everyday.

A little bit about me:
- I am a huge product junkie and makeup addict. I think I've been this way since middle school, after a friend gave me my first lipgloss for Christmas!
- I am currently attending college in CA.
- I still don't know what to do with my life yet, and I wish I could say that this is because I'm just trying to relax and enjoy life or explore my options, but the reality is that I am a huge worrywart and I think about the big scary future all the time!
- I'm pretty much a lazy person who loves to sleep in and curl up with a book. Definitely not a morning person.
- I'm very computer illiterate, so forgive me for the boring-looking layout. I promise that this is something I will be improving later on.
- I love cats, especially Hello Kitty!

As of now, this blog is probably going to consist mainly of makeup reviews and maybe some haul pictures, but we'll see where things take me. I might even start making this a more personal blog, but who knows? Stay tuned for more!

~ RitaGrl