Blog | Page 14 of 17 | Alexandra Adams

October 19, 2015 — No Comments

Meet the Blogger

Starting a blog is hard, you guys. I'm writing as if people are reading this–and if you are (thank you!), you probably don't know very much about me. I thought I'd introduce myself a little bit and share what's going on behind the scenes of this blog.

I'm Alex, which you probably already know based off the URL. I'm 22 years old and I graduated this past May from VCU with a BFA in graphic design (that's me at my graduation in the photo above with my two siblings). I'm currently in the job hunting/application process for a full-time designer position (if you know of any design jobs, let me know!) while managing my sole proprietorship, X•Height•Ment, and freelance work, as well as this blog. I'm also living with my parents while searching for an opportunity to move–check out my mom's blog here. I have two great golden retrievers, Summer and Brooklyn, so you'll probably see them mentioned too.

I love creating and trying new things, so you'll probably see a lot of experiments on this blog–not all successful, as you can see from this post. Other things I love include puppies, Instagram, the color pink, and glitter. All that being said, talking about myself and what I do is difficult for me, so I found this online survey and filled it out for y'all. It felt a bit like filling out a MySpace bulletin survey (I'm not the only one who remembers those, right???), but I thought it might help you get to know me a bit better.

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LAYER ONE: THE OUTSIDE

Name: Alexandra Adams
Eye color: Blue
Hair style/color: Long, blonde, and fairly wavy.
Height: 5' 3 1/2" (and yes, that half inch matters!)
Clothing style: Classic but a little trendy
Best physical feature: My hair. I actually won best hair in high school and again for my sorority–does that mean I get to say I have "award-winning hair" now?

LAYER TWO: THE INSIDE

Your fears: Not living up to expectations, disappointing people I love and respect.
Your guilty pleasure: Bad television. I love it so much.
Ambitions for the future: Having a successful design career, that X•Height•Ment will find success. I'm leaving my definition of success pretty open for now, but I'm sure a more defined view will come into play soon.

LAYER THREE: THOUGHTS

Your first thoughts waking up: "Brooklyn, stop." She sleeps in my bed, and always wakes up first. Then I check the time and go back to sleep.
What you think about most: Finding a job, my plans for the future
What you think about before bed: My plans for the next day, whatever's going on on social media

LAYER FOUR: WHAT’S BETTER?

Single or group dates: Single dates
To be loved or respected: Love should include respect, so I'm leaning toward love, but in a professional or just everyday environment, I probably care about respect more.
Beauty or brains: Brains. If I said anything else, my mother would kill me. That being said, I do love my beauty products!
Dogs or cats: Dogs, of course.

LAYER FIVE: DO YOU.

Lie: I do my best not to!
Believe in yourself: Most of the time.
Believe in love: Yes.
Want someone: In general, yes. Anyone in particular, no.

LAYER SIX: EVER?

Been on stage: Yes. I was all about choir and musicals in high school, so I've performed quite a bit.
Done drugs: Nope.
Changed who you were to fit in: Hasn't everyone? To be fair, I'm generally pretty true to myself. I know who I am, and I've gotten a lot better at choosing to surround myself with similar people, and not people who want to change me.

LAYER SEVEN: FAVORITES

Favorite color: Pink!
Favorite animal: Well I have golden retrievers, so obviously they make the list, but as far as wild animals go, I also really like elephants and giraffes.
Favorite movie: I'm terrible; I never have a favorite movie. Disney princess movies have good memories attached to them, and there have been a few throughout the years that I've really enjoyed, but recently I saw Inside Out and genuinely loved it so much. It was so brilliantly done, very clever.
Favorite show: Currently, How To Get Away With Murder. Definitely one of the few shows that has genuinely shocked me and made me gasp out loud.
Favorite book: The Harry Potter series, hands down. I grew up with that series, going to midnight releases (of both the books and the movies) and dressing up, and I don't think any other book will ever have the same impact on my life that Harry Potter did. I even took some of my high school senior photos with the series!

LAYER EIGHT: AGE

Day your next birthday will be: December 29 (coming up!)
How old will you be: 23
Does age matter: I had a brief bout of anxiousness when I turned 20, thinking I needed to have my life figured out, but I've since moved past that and I hope I won't be bothered by my age again. My mom is really good about celebrating birthdays and not caring about age, so I hope to emulate her in that regard.

in my natural habitat...

I hope this helps y'all get a better picture of me as I continue blogging. What else do you guys want to know?

Published by Alexandra Adams in Lifestyle

October 16, 2015 — No Comments

The List App

I've had my Twitter account for over six years. When I first joined it, I thought it was genius. It was all the best parts of status updates without any of the spammy posts from Facebook (little did I know how much more spammy Facebook would get). I still love Twitter.

Then Instagram came along, and that was even better. Nicely curated, beautiful photos and a fun community? Sign me up. Twice. I still love Instagram too, don't get me wrong.

But this week, a new social media platform launched: The List App. B.J. Novak (of The Office fame) and Dev Flaherty co-created this app, which has already been in beta for about a year.

And you guys? I think I may have found my perfect social media platform.

I love lists. They're the best. Users can make lists about their current obsessions, favorite things, daily updates, or honestly, anything else. You can like, relist, comment on, and save lists made by others, and suggest lists you'd like to see from specific users. If someone has a great idea for a list that you want to make too, just hold down the title of the list and the app will open a new one for you, the title already filled out and the original author credited in the caption.

I am so fully on board with this idea. I've already created several lists (follow me @alexandra) and have a dozen more in my drafts folder, and I've only had the app for about 24 hours. I can't wait to see what other lists people come up with as this platform continues to grow. Please feel free to send me suggestions for new lists you'd like to see me post as well!

Check out my lists so far, as well as some of my favorite lists by other people, below.

My Lists:

Other Good Lists:

FRANKLY, MY DEAR... —@LISTSOFNOTE
FOR I SHALL BE YOUR BIG SISTER —@mindy (Honestly, every list by Mindy Kaling is incredible. Seriously, just read her whole profile.)
"LOL" DECODER —@alex
LIST OF DOGS, EACH WITH 1 MORE LETTER IN THEIR NAME THAN THE PREVIOUS —@stephen
HIDDEN MESSAGES IN COMPANY LOGOS —@mentalfloss
CHEERIOS THAT AREN'T REALLY CHEERIOS —@JimmyFallon
A COMPREHENSIVE CATALOGUE OF RAIN IN TAYLOR SWIFT SONGS —@sally

"Human beings are innately inclined towards structuring information; it’s one of our primary means of understanding. Lists are simple, powerful; the gold standard of sorting and sharing information for thousands of years."
(from the FAQ page)

Published by Alexandra Adams in New, Technology

October 15, 2015 — 2 Comments

What to Read: October 2015

I’ve been reading some books recently that are all over the genre spectrum. Here are five very different books, one of which is sure to inspire you to pick it up. I’ve linked them all to purchase on Amazon, but if you can, support your local bookstore and pick them up there instead!

Modern Romance | Aziz Ansari
This book is hilarious. Aziz Ansari is known for discussing his navigation of the dating scene in his stand-up, and this book really takes it to the next level. It’s definitely not your typical comedian-wrote-a-book read. The book is filled of extensive research and data (Ansari worked closely with a social scientist), but it never loses his voice or humor. As a 22-year-old fully immersed in this exact dating scene, it’s a fascinating but lightweight read.

Never Have I Ever: My Life (So Far) Without A Date | Katie Heaney
The frustration of having a crush on a cute stranger has never been captured so perfectly. Heaney’s descriptions of her friends, herself, and her ill-fated crushes are intelligent and relatable. This memoir is surprisingly insightful and just tremendously fun to read.

Anna and the French Kiss | Stephanie Perkins
I have to confess, I love cheesy romance novels, and this has all the potential to be just that–except there’s a pleasantly surprising amount of substance to this one. This young adult novel focuses on Anna, an American spending her senior year of high school abroad in Paris, where she meets the perfect guy–who, of course, is already taken. The characters are smart, likeable, and most of all, believable. But the best part is that it’s the first of a trilogy, focused around the same school and the different characters within it, and Anna and St. Clair get to make cameo appearances in the subsequent novels as well.

How Dogs Love Us | Gregory Berns
If you love dogs, you will love this book. Gregory Berns is a neuroscientist who had the idea that in order to figure out what his dog was thinking–a question all dog owners can relate to–he had to scan the dog’s brain with an MRI machine. He and his team face all kinds of technical, legal, and behavioral obstacles in their quest, but find some amazing results.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) | Mindy Kaling
One of the best comedic books in my opinion (and one of the best titles), Mindy Kaling’s collection of essays covers everything from what makes the perfect best friend to what is the perfect amount of fame. Kaling’s voice is so honest and conversational and just so great, I want her to be my best friend. And her new book Why Not Me? just came out a few weeks ago, so if you read this and want more Mindy (and you definitely will), it’s a great follow-up.

What are you reading these days? Let me know what I should pick up next!

Published by Alexandra Adams in Books, Lifestyle

October 12, 2015 — No Comments

Beauty Haul: October 2015

I hadn't purchased any makeup in a while, and I've had quite the list of products I wanted to try and things I was running out of, so I took a trip to Sephora and Ulta and got some exciting new things!

FOR YOUR FACE

First things first: primers. I got two travel sizes of Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primers, one colorless and one color correcting. The color correcting formula really helps balance out the redness on my skin, and both help my foundation stay on extraordinarily well. A little goes a long way, and it really helps smooth out and soften your skin without getting oily.

Next up: foundations. I got two new ones, NARS Sheer Glow in Montblanc and Sephora 10HR Wear Perfection in Light Delicate Beige.

The NARS foundation blends so beautifully and is really buildable, so the coverage is really up to you. The only thing I regret is that it doesn't have a pump, it's just an open top. You can purchase one to add onto it and I opted out of it at the time, but I might go back and get one just because I think it'll help me use less product and make it last a little longer.

The Sephora foundation is great for my skin; it doesn't stick to any dry patches and definitely lasts all day. I will say though that the skin ID system Sephora uses matched me with a much darker and yellower foundation than I could ever wear. I'm super pink and usually use the lightest color foundation available, so we had to test quite a few to finally get to a color that matched my skin. But once we did, it worked out well, so it was all worth it in the end. I will say though to not be afraid of telling the employees what you know about your skin! You know your face better than anyone, and it can definitely help you find your perfect match faster.

And lastly, highlighter. I got Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo, and I love it. I have very fair skin, and this adds the perfect glow to my cheekbones without being overly glittery. It looks really natural and reflects light so well. A little goes a long way, so don't be too heavy-handed with it, but it works well on the cheeks as well as on your brow bone and the inner corners of your eyes.

FOR YOUR EYES

I only got one new eye product, Too Faced Shadow Insurance Candlelight Primer. I meant to get the Champagne color but ended up with Candlelight. Too Faced's Shadow Insurance line is incredible; it's like a magnet for your eye shadow and never, ever creases or emphasizes any lines. The Candlelight color is a shimmery gold, and honestly works well alone as a base shadow. Talk about a great lazy day product. That being said, if you just want to use it as a primer, it's easily covered up by whatever eye shadow you want to put on over top of it. Highly recommend! When this runs out, I'm eager to try the Champagne color–it has a little more pink in it, which is great for me.

FOR YOUR LIPS

I got three new lip products this trip–which honestly is me showing restraint. I love love love trying out new lip colors, and I always want to try all the colors available. But for this haul, I got the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lovesick, Sephora Luster Matte Long-Wear Lip Color in Petal, and Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Blackberry Sorbet.

Clearly, I'm on a liquid lipstick kick, and I love these colors. I have several Sephora lip products, and they've exceeded a lot of my expectations in terms of having great staying power and pigmentation, and not transferring onto everything my lips touch. The Petal color is the perfect pinky-nude for my lips, and the Blackberry Sorbet is a great dark fall berry color. Love them both!

The Kat Von D liquid lipstick was a little disappointing, if only because it's been so incredibly hyped up recently. I found it to be more drying than other matte lipsticks I've tried, and the color didn't last as long as I wish it had. The color and pigmentation is gorgeous, however, so I do love it–I just have to make sure to keep an eye on it to make sure it stays on all day. This color did make me feel a bit like Kylie Jenner at the beginning of the day, which I kind of liked–take that for what you will!

FOR ALL OVER

Last but not least, I got some brushes. I'm still super hesitant when it comes to the nicer, more expensive brushes, because I'm not an expert on my favorite kinds of brushes or the best ones to get. (If you have any must-have recommendations, please let me know!) I tend to stick to the Real Techniques brush line because they're inexpensive but still of great quality. They never shed and they're dense enough to hold and distribute product without absorbing it into the brush. This time around, I got the Core Collection Brush Set, an Angled Foundation Brush, and a Setting Brush. They've proven valuable additions to my makeup routine and are all great for a variety of purposes, which I love.

Let me know what new things I should try or what products to get next time! What are some of your new faves or all-time holy grail products?

Published by Alexandra Adams in Fashion, Hauls, Lifestyle, Makeup

October 8, 2015 — No Comments

Design Trends: Candy Minimalism

This post is the beginning of a new series I'd like to start writing about design trends and movements. Candy minimalism has exploded in the art and design world since Matt Crump began posting his sweet creations on Instagram. He has since created a features account, @candyminimal, where he reposts the standouts of the hundreds of #candyminimal style photos published daily.

Obviously, key elements of this trend are the colors and saturation as well as minimalism (hence the name). To achieve this kind of look in your own photos, try out these tips:

Look up. Cropping out the busy streets or the façades of boring buildings give you more negative sky space and room to play with color.
Play with the composition. Really consider the shapes formed by the negative spaces and what's left in the image to create a truly compelling snapshot.
Choose your colors carefully. Evaluate the subject matter of your photo and think about the colors that would compliment the content well.
Details matter. While the focus is minimalist, interesting textures found in architectural structures or plants can add depth to your compositions.
Edit your photos! There are tons of apps that are helpful in editing your own #candyminimal photos. Check out Diptic, PicTapGo, AfterLight, VSCOcam, Touch Retouch, ArtStudio, Tangent, Mextures, and of course, Instagram.