Sock Bun 101

If you guys follow me on Twitter, you probably already know that I am absolutely loving the sock bun right now. It's quick, easy, and creates a completely flawless bun with almost no effort. Trust me, once you try it you will just fall in love like I did.

The problem is, most of the information out there about sock buns is super complicated and confusing, so they can seem a bit intimidating at first. So I've decided to throw together a simple tutorial to cover all the basics of the sock bun. I'll be going over where to buy a sock bun, the easiest way I've found to put it in, and different ways to style it once you've gotten the hang of everything. Plus, a few other random tricks I've picked up along the way!

How-To: Build the Perfect Stack of Arm Candy!

Up until about a year ago, I was super reluctant to wear almost any kind of jewelry. I just felt like I didn't know how to put everything together and make it look good, so I stood by and admired pretty sparkly things wishing I was able to effortlessly pull them off. But to all the girls who are just as intimidated by bracelet stacks as I was- don't worry, there is hope! 

In fact, I've found that once you get the hang of it, building a perfect stack of arm candy actually is pretty effortless. Read on to learn all my tips and tricks!

Answers To Your FAQ's!

I've been getting tons of questions coming in lately, so I figured I would just put my responses all together in a handy FAQ post. If you have any more questions for me, feel free to ask them in the comments below! ♥

Where did the name sparkle & mine come from? What does it mean?
I've wanted to start a blog for years now, and I remember probably 2 or 3 years ago I was just thinking what I would want to name my blog if I ever made one. I honestly can't remember exactly how or why, but sparkle & mine popped into my head and it just kind of stuck with me. I think it may have been because it sounded catchy? Plus, it's random and involves sparkles...so it does kind of fit perfectly!

Where did you get your blog design from?
The Cutest Blog On the Block! They seriously have the cutest stuff for every single form of social media you could think of. Go visit them!

Do you work in the beauty or fashion industry?
Nope, but I hope to one day! Right now I'm a sophomore in college majoring in Public Relations. I'm definitely not an expert on anything I discuss on this blog, I just talk about what I know and love and that happens to be fashion and beauty!

Do you have any advice for an aspiring blogger?
The biggest thing I would say is...go for it! If you have a passion for something and you want to share it with the world, there is no better way to do it than blogging. It's definitely a lot of hard work, but if you love what you're blogging about then it's the best kind of work there is!

Do you have a Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/YouTube?
Facebook- Yep! https://www.facebook.com/sparkleandmine. I don't accept friend requests on my personal account from anyone I don't know...sorry!
Twitter- Yep! https://twitter.com/sparkleandmine
Pinterest- Yep! https://pinterest.com/sparkleandmine
YouTube- Nope! Vlogging is definitely something I've considered, but as of right now I just don't have the time or equipment to start.

Budget Beauty: (More!) Drugstore Dupes

So I have been getting comments, tweets, messages, emails, and everything else imaginable all with the same request: you guys want more drugstore dupes!

In case you missed it the first time around, drugstore dupes are basically just a cheaper and more easily accessible (hello Walmart!) version of high-end cosmetics. I have tested out all of these products and found that they are nearly identical in every way but the price tag!