The Lazy Girl's Handbook

Lip Care ...Routine?

2012-02-20T10:30:00.000-06:00

Being a self proclaimed lip junkie, it should be no surprise that I would have a plethora of lip care goods floating about. I hate the feeling of chapped lips & I'm usually on the look out for something good to curb dryness during the winter months especially. I would usually find myself always purchasing new lip products every time I'm at the store because I was never satisfied by the products I had on hand. But, recently I found myself settling into these lip care goodies quite nicely. I haven't had to battle a bout of chapped lips at all this winter, that's even considering the horrific cold I faced right around christmas time (I always get chapped lips when I'm sick). I credit the items in this photo for that. I'm sharing this because I've been using all of these on a regular basis & haven't had any issues with chapped lips whatsoever. I'm hoping it might help someone who's lips are suffering from the dry winter weather.

Every night before I go to bed, I put on a layer of the Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment. The two of us didn't like each other in the beginning very well, but have since come to an understanding. This comes out with a white tinge, so I only use it at night. I'll top it with a layer of the Nivea A Kiss of Intense Moisture treatment. This has a thicker consistency & allows the Blistex to soak into the lips a little longer all while adding some moisture. I actually starting using these in combo with the intention of just trying to use them both up, but then discovered the miracle they perform. When I wake up in the morning, my lips feel amazing.
Carmex is like crack for me. I'm serious. You'll find a tube or tub of carmex pretty much in every nook & cranny of my house. There's one in my car, there's one in my purse, there's one with my makeup (alright, 3), there's one next to my bed...the list goes on. Carmex is my filler. When I wake up in the middle of the night & need a little something on my lips, BAM! Carmex! When I'm driving & I feel the urge to add some shine to my lips, BAM! Carmex! You get the idea. When my lips are even slightly irritated, I always feel a little tingle when I put on my Carmex. It lets me know that it's working when it does that. People say that Carmex has addictive ingredients in it & I'm not sure if it's true, but I do know that I am addicted to it...flat out addicted.
Rosebud salve is close to the same level as Carmex. I have the original & the strawberry. I put this on before I put my makeup on to catch anything that may fall on my lips & help prepare my lips for whatever lip products I'll wear that day. This manages to usual make it's way under all of my color lip products with the exception of lipstick.
The Caudalie Lip Conditioner gets the honors of being worn under lip stick. The thinest layer of this under lipsticks, especially matte lipsticks, gives you that extra conditioning you need without jeopardizing the wear time of the lip stick itself. I recently discovered that the Vaseline Lip Therapy Original does a similar job. It's not as great at the Caudalie Lip Conditioner, but it's close for a fraction of the cost. I literally have to hold myself back from using the Caudalie Lip Conditioner, I love it that much. Since it is on the pricier side, I can't afford to buy a tube of this every single month. Every once in a while they will go on special where you can get two for a highly discounted price...you better believe that I'm always on top of those specials! I love this so much that when I get down to the end of the tube, I scrape out the rest of it into a sample container & continue to use that up as well.
Of course I swear by exfoliating your lips. I especially like to do this before I wear a bright/bold lip color. Don't over do it with exfoliating & try to not do it more than once a week. I have the Fresh Sugar lip scrub, which is good, but the price of it alone is enough to keep me from purchasing it (it was a gift). You can make your own lips scrub at home, which I'll be trying once this runs out (this is the recipe I plan on trying out), or you can just rub your lips with your tooth brush.

All of these products stay on a continuous rotation for me & I use all of them almost every day. For real. A few months back I reviewed the Maybelline baby lips & while I do like that okay still, I feel like all of the above products are better quality. I retract what I said about that possibly being a staple lip product for myself.

Guest Post: How to style your hair to look fashionable

2012-02-14T10:30:00.000-06:00

Image from The Sartorialist

Staying on point from yesterday's post, here is the guest post I promised from the stylepilot team. Again a big thanks to them for the work they put into this & please pass this & their site along to all of the men in your life. Without further adieu...

A great haircut is a starting point for men to look and feel good

Know what’s on trend

The key to having a great “barnet” is knowing what the current hairstyle trends are and how they can fit in with your own individual fashion. 2012 will be a year for experimenting and fully exploring all possibilities when it comes to men’s hairstyling. Sharp, refined cuts which embody masculinity are going to be key hairstyles for men throughout the year. A tendency to lean towards a more natural look means that sculpted, carefully straightened hair on men isn’t as popular as it once was. Take the time to look through the books at your stylist before getting in the chair. Ideally take a picture with you of your ideal cut. Do your research so you know what to ask for and your stylist knows what you’re talking about. After all, if they don’t know what you want the chances of you liking it are slim!

Chop Chop

While you’ve no doubt chosen a great style and know roughly what you’re going to ask the stylist to do, make sure you put your own interpretation into it so you get a truly unique cut and style which is individual to you. Without this there’s a real danger of you looking generic, and that is NEVER a good look when it comes to a haircut.

A stylist loves it when a client shows up brimming with passion and willing to talk in detail about what it is they want. Tell your stylist why you like the style and how it reflects your personality. This will help you and your stylist connect and be more on the level. Your stylist will be more emotionally invested in ensuring you have a great cut and are likely to do an even better job of it.

Be sure to ask the stylist anything if you’re unsure at the end. We’ve all at some point had the feeling of never being able to style hair like the stylist did after it was cut. Ask them the secret of great everyday styling. They didn’t get your hair looking amazing by accident!

After Care

Know the look you’re after on a daily basis and your stylist will offer fantastic suggestions on which products you should be using. Knowing the right products to sculpt and maintain your hairstyle is key to carrying off a fashionable, current look at all times. Ensure you maintain a good range of hair products at home so you can keep your hair looking healthy at all times.

Stylepilot.com is the first personal style engine for men – Style Pilot aims to help men navigate and master men’s fashion. It’s an automated stylist that gives men personalised recommendations based on their physique and preferences. Style Pilot searches through 1000s of online men’s brands and retailers to find the best matches.

Hair Care Routine

2012-02-13T12:30:00.000-06:00

I finally sat down & filmed my haircare routine. This is what I'm using at the moment. I'll probably film another one when summer time comes around as I do change it up a teeny tiny bit. Several of these products are new additions that I've used to replace some of my old loves. I'm planning on doing some reviews on some of the products.

View the video here. Or push the play button to view it on the yahoo webplayer on this page!

Products Mentioned:
Aveda Shampure
L'Oreal EverPure Conditioner
Coconut oil
Joico K-Pak Reconstructor
MOP Leave in Conditioner
Redken Extreme Anti-snap
Redken Satinwear 02 Ultimate Blow Dry Lotion
Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Penetrating Oil
Jonh Freida Luxurious Volume Extra Hold Hairspray
MOP Lemon Grass Lift
Aveda Brilliant Emollient Finishing Gloss
Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo
Hardcore Flat Iron Brush
Conair Teasing Brush
Wide tooth comb from Sally's
Sonia Kashuk Brush
Bumble & Bumble Undressing Cream (not pictured)
Bed Head Blow Dryer

Let's Hear it for the Boys!

2012-02-13T10:30:00.000-06:00

Image from STREETFSN

Today we're dancing to the beat of a different drummer...Today, is a post for the guys. Yes, you heard right..for the guys. And not in a "what to wear for my boyfriend" kind of post for the guys, but genuinely a post for guys to read & take something away from it for themselves & their style. For all of the ladies out there reading this, please pass this information on to all of the men in your life.

In the digital world, there are what feels like billions of style websites/blogs out there. Let's be honest though, most of them are geared toward women. That's just not fair. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love those style sites, but to assume that men don't need that same kind of inspiration or guidance is not fair. Men too have a style that sets them apart & says something about who they are. Whether anyone realizes it or not, we all do. So what am I getting at with all of this? Stylepilot, that's where I'm getting at with it.

Stylepilot is a UK based men's style site. Guys can log on, create their own account that lets them take a style personality quiz & then a team of personal stylists generate suggestions for them. Kind of like stylemint except more testosterone driven. I love that this is there & I wish more things like this existed for men. The fashion/beauty industry is not only for women.

A few weeks ago the stylepilot team contacted me to ask if they could guest post on my blog & once I checked out the site, I nearly jumped out of my skin with excitement. Now, I'm pretty plain jane when it comes to my own personal style. I like to keep it pretty classic, so therefore I don't do much posting about my clothes. The majority of my blog is hair & makeup. So the team has come up with a great post for men about hair. Duh! I love hair, whether it's mine or someone else's & I especially adore a guy who has a good head of hair. Their guest post will be up on the blog soon, but in the mean time all of the men need to go visit this site & all of the women need to make the men in their lives visit it.

STYLEPILOT

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Valentine's by Gypsy

2012-02-12T15:58:00.000-06:00

source

Before I get started on this post I'd just like to say that it is SNOWING where I'm at. I know that it's still winter & all, but what you don't know is that the weather is downright bipolar in Texas during the winter. It fluctuates between winter & spring from the months of January thru March. It supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow...make up your mind mother nature! Now that I'm done with that rant, on to much more important things. Undies!

I've raved about Gypsy before in the past. I love them. In case you've never seen any of my past raves, Gypsy is a hand made lingerie company based out of Hawaii. It's very simple, yet elegant. Comfortable, yet sexy. Basically, it's everything I look for in under garments. For valentine's day, Gypsy is running a special on these undies in the photo above. They are limited edition for valentine's only. So hop on over the Gypsy store & purchase yours today. I know I already did!

Valentine's Necessities

2012-02-12T10:30:00.000-06:00

Valentine's is RIGHT around the corner...like RIGHT THERE! I won't be celebrating this year & I must admit that I'm rather thankful for that, but for those of you that are, I put together my date night necessities list. For some reason when most women think of valentine's day they immediately think of red lips, red nails & glamourous makeup. I prefer a much more simple route when it comes to a date night, I mean if there's going to be any sort of smooching involved I don't want any smearing. Of course, if you aren't planning on any smooching glam it up! So here are my hits for a simple yet sexy date night.

It's no secret that this is my all time favorite lip conditioner. A light coat of this will keep your lips moisturized & kissable.

NARS Lip Laquer in Chelsea Girls | This will add a tinge of color to your lips while enhancing your natural lip color. It's not overly sticky & the color is not abrupt, meaning no smearing when a make out session ensues.

Dewy, healthy skin is key. The NARS Copacabana Illuminator is a great natural highlighter. You could also use MAC's Strobe Cream.

Milani Liquif'eye Liner | whether you choose black or brown is your choice, but this is a great eyeliner that is soft & lasts.

Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner in Birthday Suit | This makes for a simple & naturally glowy eye.

If you prefer a smokier option or if you'd like to add definition to the above eye option, my pick is the Chanel Illusions d'Ombre in Ebloui.

Don't over power him with a heavy handed perfume, instead opt for a hair mist like the Narciso Rodriguez for Her Hair Mist. If you're insistant on wearing a full throttle perfume, Stella by Stella McCartney is my favorite & always gets amazing compliments from the opossite sex.

Cream blush is another way to keep the dewy healthy look. My pick is MAC's Cremeblend blush in Ladyblush. A cheaper alternative is NYX's Blush Stick in Tea Rose.

While you're getting ready, scrub your body with Bath & Body Works Jasmine Vanilla Sugar Scrub. Not only will it leave your skin super shiny, it'll also leave a lingering smell that is so devine. Right out of the tub it is strong, but after you've showered it wears so nicely on the skin.

Stay away from the red nail polish & opt for something more simple. I love Essie's Topless & Barefoot.

If you're on a budget & can't get your hands on the Caudalie Lip Conditioner, the Vaseline Lip Therapy Original is a great alternative & comes in the most adorable tiny package.

For the lashes, I look no where other than L'Oreal Voluminous Original Waterproof Mascara. This is the perfect mascara in my mind. Gives volume, holds curl & lengthens.

All of these images can be found on my pinterest beauty page with their original sources.

DIY Eyeshadow Palette & Back to MAC

2012-02-11T10:30:00.000-06:00

This may just LOOK like a watercolor pencils tin, but it is so much more! I have been completely sick and tired of rummaging through all of my individual eyeshadows & noticed that I don't use them as much purely because I hate dealing with them. I've wanted an eyeshadow palette for a while now & was looking at purchasing a z-palette, but was not looking forward to the price tag on it. Around this same time I ran across this video from the ever fabulous Kathy. I just couldn't handle all of the single eyeshadows anymore & I snapped.

This is the final product. The majority of the shadows are MAC with a few Rimmel one's thrown in. De-potting them was a piece of cake. There's several tutorials on youtube if you'd like to know how to do it yourself.

I purchased some magnetic tape from wal-mart (it can be found just about anywhere) & put it on the bottoms of the pans to keep them in place. For the singles, I just took the labels off of the bottom of their cases & put them on the bottoms of their pans. Anything that was in some sort of palette or non-MAC, I made a small label & tapped it to the bottom. This will do until I can get my hands on an actual z-palette, who knows I may like this so much that I won't get a z-palette.

I was able to empty quite a bit of MAC containers. I even pressed an old MAC pigment so I could have an even 12 MAC containers to take in for back to MAC. Let me know if you'd like to know how to press pigments or busted up eyeshadows, it's pretty simple.

I got TWO FREE lipsticks from MAC for that. It was great. Only problem is that I went in with my heart set on getting 'Creme in your Coffee' & 'Pillow Talk' & they had neither in stock. So I had to fly by the seat of my pants to pick two other colors. I didn't really have any others I wanted, but I found two that are lovely & I'm happy to add to my collection.

Hot Tahiti was the first one I picked up. The website describes it as a soft reddish-coral. I'm not sure if I agree with that necessarily, but it's a gorgeous color that I've heard absolutely nothing about in the blogosphere & a glaze finish which I never even knew existed until today.

The second one I chose is Cosmo which is described as a pink coco. I think this is a pretty accurate description. It's an amplified creme which I like quit a bit & it's a rather complimentary nude color for my rather pigmented natural lips.

L: Cosmo, R: Hot Tahiti

I'm a little bummed that they didn't have 'Creme in your Coffee' & 'Pillow Talk' in stock & found out that 'Pillow Talk' limited edition & I might not be able to get it at all. I'll just have to add 'Creme in your Coffee' to my shopping list, even though it screws with my beauty 2012 hit list already. More on that later. Harmph!

Bobby Pins 101

2012-02-10T10:30:00.000-06:00

I store my bobby pins in a simple & cheap white soap dish. These are just the one's I'm using at the moment. I have a separate package of unused one's in a drawer.

Having long hair, bobby pins are seriously one of my best friends. Rubber bands can damage your hair. I do still use rubber bands, but sparingly. Most of the time when my hair is up which is quite often, I am using bobby pins. They're a lot less damaging & more secure. Don't be fooled though, they can still cause damage to your hair if you're not careful. Every once in a while I do what I like to call a bobby pin clean up. I gather all of the bobby pins that are scattered about my house (I have a dish by my bed & bathroom sink that act as bobby pin catchers for when I'm too lazy to take them to their rightful spot, I also keep a stash of them in my purse & sometimes I leave them in the shower too). I go through them completely & get rid of the ones that are no good anymore & clean out any hair that may be stuck to them. Now, what constitues a bad bobby pin?

If any have slipped form & now look like an 'x' like the above photo, toss them. These can catch on your hair & cause some serious damage. Sometime this shape happens to perfectly good pins...pop it back into place & if it does so easily it's probably alright. IF you have to fight it at all or if it still looks a little wonky, it's no good.

If you can see a significant amount of space at the opening of the bobby pin it's no good. This won't stay in your hair easily. You want both sides of the opening to be as close together as possible to insure a tight grip to your hair, therefore less bobby pin usage.

If your pin is missing one or both of the round plastic balls on the ends throw it out. Not only is it not good for your hair (it can cause tearing), it can also be down right painful for your head.

This picture isn't the best, but it was the best I could get. If one or both of the plastic balls looks like it's about to peel off, toss it. The ball will eventually fall off & put you in the above predicament, but in the mean time, that peeling plastic will catch on your hair & cause tearing.

Don't worry too much about any that the paint is rubbing off of as long as none of the above is happening. Since the pins are silver underneath the black sometime I like the one's with the paint rubbed off to contrast with how dark my hair is. If you like that idea, you can also just buy silver or gold bobby pins or spray paint some if you don't want to wait for the paint to rub off of the one's you own.

I hope this helps anyone who uses bobby pins on a regular basis. I buy them constantly because they are cheap & I go through them like a wildfire. I don't think many people think about the damage that things like bobby pins or rubber bands can do to our hair. We're so consumed with heat damage & product damage, which is important, but this should also be in your mind if you're actively trying to achieve healthy hair.

*Sorry about the image quality. My camera is on it's last leg, so I've been using the camera on my phone for a while now. The picture quality on it is actually much better than my actual camera at the moment, imagine that. Things are in the works, so I should (HOPEFULLY) be getting a new camera soon.

REVIEW: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

2012-02-09T10:30:00.000-06:00

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 001 Transparent

While it's no secret that I have a deep rooted love for the Laura Mercier Loose Translucent powder, but as that tends to be on the pricey side I'm try to conserve it as best I can & decided to try to find a good drugstore face powder. I looked & I looked for something, but just couldn't make up my mind. So many had the Bismuth Dioxide ingredient I was trying to avoid. I ran across this & remembered it from my teen years. At first I paid no attention to it other than my nostalgic memory, but then I became rather desperate & noticed that this powder kept creeping up in some beauty blogs here & there. I don't remember not liking it, so I thought what the hell & decided to give it a go once again.

I'm pleased that I did. Now, it's not the best powder in the whole wide world, but for the price it is a GREAT powder. I get oily on my nose & then I'm pretty much dry in most other areas. I don't notice any cakeiness or flakes in my dry areas & it lasts quite a while in my oily areas. Once it does start to fade in those areas, it does so beautifully & doesn't make me look like a goopy oil slick. This will for sure have a spot in my collection for a long time. Even if I do find other powders in the future, I think that this has cemented itself as my favorite drugstore powder. I give this a 4 out of 5.

REVIEW: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

2012-02-07T10:30:00.000-06:00

I've never been a big fan of cream eye shadows or eyeshadow primers. I don't own nor have I tried the MAC paint pots...I know, shock shock horror horror! I don't see the point in spending the money on them if it's a color I won't wear by itself & none of the paint pot colors have appealed to me. When I first caught wind of the Color Tattoo's, I didn't pay too much attention until I heard that their color selection was pretty great. When I actually saw what the color range was, I immediately had my heart set on two colors; Tough as Taupe and Bad to the Bronze. They also happen to be two of the most hyped colors from the line. Let me just say, these were a bitch to track down.

First up, tough as taupe. This color embodies everything I was looking for in an eyeshadow this past fall, but then failed to find. Now that it's winter, I've found it in cream form. The color is called taupe, but it's so cool toned I think it verges on the grey side.

Then there's bad to the bronze. I'm usually not a huge fan of shimmer, but this has managed to make it's way onto my eyes for the past week straight. It's the best for a simple, quick & long lasting wash on the lids. These claim to not crease on the eyes & many say that they really don't, but I've noticed tiny bits of creasing after worn for a long period of time. Nothing bad though & in the grand scheme of all of the eye products I've used, these are the least creasing. Everything creases on me.I give these a 5 out of 5. Granted I probably won't purchase any of the other colors that are out, but I'm in love with both of these.

REVIEW: NYC Smooch Proof LipStain 16 Hour

2012-02-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

Remember, I'm a lip junkie. I especially like the idea of stains, but for the most part end up being somewhat disappointed in them. I mean the concept of them is amazing, but they never usually end up living up to the hype. That is until NYC came out with these Smooch Proof 16 Hour Lip Stains. I had heard about these on youtube from denizandmakeup. I mean if she approves them, then they must be good. Here's the thing, they're pretty damn good, but still not that perfect stain I've been searching for....but close. I was shocked that this was a NYC product. NYC was the brand I first used when I was much younger & first experimenting with makeup. My parents weren't going to be spending a pretty penny on makeup a 13 year old girl was just barely learning how to use it. Man oh man though, there are some gems within this brand.

When I went to the store to get a lip stain, I picked up the color 494 Smooch Proof, but also liked the color 495 Endless Spice..I decided to only get smooch proof in case it ended up being a flop I wouldn't waste my money on two of them & Smooch Proof was the one Deniz had. Let me just say, it lasted quite a while. I'm not sure if it was 16 hours, but it was a while. The swatch on my hand lasted at least 24 hours...through showers & had washing & finally died out when I attacked it with my Bioderma...although it put up a good fight there too. It didn't last on my lips near as long. I mean, I'm in shock if anything lasts longer than an hour on my lips. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but lip products fade off of my lips quicker than they do most other people. Maybe it's the big lips or maybe I just mess with my lips a lot. Basically since I was so impressed with Smooch Proof, I went back & got Endless Spice.

I actually love the color of Endless Spice better than Smooch Proof...like MUCH better, but it doesn't last as long on me. ARGH! I'm not sure if the lasting power on them is dependent upon the color or not. I do have my eye on a few other colors so if I manage to pick up more of them, I will update on the lasting ability of them all. Since they retail for $4.99, it won't break the bank to pick up more. These are definitely worth every penny though. They're not my perfect stain that I'm in search for, but I honestly don't think that it exists. I will say that I do prefer these over the Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain. The applicator is better & they don't go on splotchy. The only thing I like about the Revlon one that the NYC one lacks is that they have a balm on the end of them. As a matter of fact, I use the balm from my Revlon lip stain with my NYC lip stain. Ha! These get a 4 1/2 out of 5 from me. I love this product, even if I do wish that Endless Spice lasted longer.

REVIEW: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush

2012-02-05T10:30:00.000-06:00

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in 50 Plum Wine

I've recently developed a fascination with blush. That's odd because if you would've asked me a few years or even a few months back what my thoughts on blush were I'd say that I had none purely because I never used it, let alone knew how to use it. I somehow gradually fell into it, I don't even know how, but I'm glad that I did. I think that cream blush may be my favorite formulation. One that I recently discovered was the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush. Supposedly these will be taking the place of the Dream Mousse blush...I don't even know what that is though because I'm new to blush! All of the reviews I has read on this blush were inconsistent. Some loved it, others hated it & the rest felt pretty meh about it. I had hear that the color pay off was poor, so when choosing a color I stuck to the darker spectrum thinking that if it was true I wouldn't be wasting my money & that if it wasn't true I could just use a light hand.

I chose the color plum wine. Since I went into this with low color pay off expectations, it wasn't as terrible as I was expecting. They are rather sheer, but I am very happy with this purchase. The texture is absolutely amazing. It is actually BOUNCY. I'm a real stickler about my products looking pristine, so I didn't get too adventurous with playing with the texture. I wanted to keep the dome shape as long as I could, so sue me!

swatched

When I initially swatched this on my finger it looked like it was pretty dark, but once it was sheered out, it left a beautiful healthy glow. It is technically a cream blush, but it has a powder like finish that keeps it from feeling oily or wet at all. This is a great cream blush option for anyone with oily skin.

Sheered out

The one negative I found with this product for me is that the wear time is low. It'll last you maybe a few hours at most. That doesn't keep me from liking it though. I have my eye on the hot tamale color as well. Overall, I do like this product, but I feel like it is not the best cream blush out there. I'd give it a 3 1/2 out of 5.

Coming Soon

2012-02-04T14:26:00.000-06:00

I'm promising you an updated hair care routine, just not yet. Many of my hair care things all ran out on me at the same time about two weeks ago. Since there were some new things that I had been hearing about & wanted to try out on my hair, I decided that now would be the best time to do a little change in my hair care routine. Right now I'm in the process of testing out some new products & once I get to a point where I notice that I'm using the same things on a regular basis, I'll do an updated hair care routine. I'm also planning on reviewing any knock out products individually. I'm also thinking of doing a long hair care tools & tips post, but like I said I want to do that once I've settled my hair care routine down a little bit. I get lots of questions about my hair & hair in general (mainly on youtube), so I thought I'd let everyone know that it's in the works. Just give me some time, because I want to give everything a good test run before I start ranting/raving. Be on the look out though! I've already got some pretty stellar things that I think are worth the hype...

How's that for a cliff hanger?!

Makeup Necessities

2012-02-03T10:30:00.000-06:00

NYX Eyebrow Marker
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder
ELF Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Mascara
L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in Black & Black Brown
Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment
Carmex
Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roll On Concealer
Brown Pencil eyeliner
Black Pencil eyeliner (NP)
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer
MAC Strobe Cream (NP)
MAC Studio Moisture Tint (NP)
Caudalie Lip Conditioner (NP)

I posted a little while back about the products my face can't live without. When I saw the post up, I realized that it was just horrifically too much. So I thought to myself, 'Self, if the house was burning down, what ESSENTIALS would you swoop into a makeup bag before you ran out of the house?' This is what I came up with. These are the things that I use on an everyday basis & make up the base of my makeup. I do realize that there are 2 types of brow fillers in this list, but they are both great for different reasons. You'll notice that I like my mascara & pencil liners to be in both black & brown, that's because I like to have the option of either a soft look or a more dramatic look. I do have liquid & gel eyeliners, but pencil is what I use on a more constant basis. I've posted about the Garnier Roll on & the Maybelline concealer before. In the past I considered them competitive products, but within the past couple of months I've discovered that they work best together for me. I use the roll on as a corrector & the Maybelline as the main concealer. Since they are both targeted for people with dark circles, they leave the eyes feeling super refreshed. I didn't put the strobe cream in the photo because I just have a sample of it at the moment & thought it was kind of pointless to take a photo of the sample container. It is my favorite thing to use as a highlighter though...it's so natural. I also did not put the Caudalie Lip Conditioner in the photo because I used it down so much that scraped the last bit of it out of the tube & put it in a sample pot to use up that last bit before repurchasing. The MAC tinted moisturizer I forgot on accident. I only really wear tinted moisturizer in the summer, so it's kind of out of sight out of mind. I mean if the fire happened in the winter time, there's a chance this might get left behind... I CANNOT find a better concealer than the Laura Mercier, so I will buy it again & again. Even if it means I have to save up money to do so. Same with the NARS sheer glow, although I'm hoping to find something in the drugstore that can help me space out how often I'll need to drop some serious cash on it. As for the lip products, everyone know's that Carmex is my crack, but the Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment was not so lucky in the beginning. We had a rough start as I hated it at first. I persevered though purely because I wanted to use it up since I had spent the money on it...then one day I realized how much I love it as a before bed lip treatment. I have not had any cracked lips this winter & chapped lips have been few & far between. Give it a chance & use it for a few weeks before you pass judgment on it.

So, there you have it. These are the products I would grab as I'm running out of my hypothetically burning house. Knock on wood!

A Haul...

2012-01-28T10:30:00.000-06:00

Let me just say before people freak out & assume that I purchased all of this at one time...some of the items in this haul are from before christmas, I just forgot to haul them & some items were gifts from my sister. The hair things, nail products & body wash are recent purchases.

Many of my hair products started to run out all at once & I thought it might be a good time to try out some new things. There will probably be a updated hair care post coming soon-ish. My nails have been splitting horribly lately & just been super dry, so the hand & nail stuff is to battle that.

Anything marked with an * was a gift from my sister. I watch my nephew for her quite a bit & she'll give me gifts for it every now & then.

L'Oreal Ever Pure Moisture Conditioner
L'Oreal Ever Pure Moisture Shampoo
MOP Leave in Conditioner
Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil
Sonia Kashuk Boar Bristle & Nylon Brush
Archipelago Lavender Body Wash
Aveda Hand Relief
Bath & Body Works Sensual Jasmine & Vanilla Sugar Scrub * (This has a REALLY strong smell, but after you've washed it off it leaves a lovely smell on your skin & it's also super moisturized. This hasn't replaced my Caudalie scrub as my favorite though.)
Victoria's Secret Love to Flirt Ultra Moisturizing Hand & Body Cream *
Victoria's Secret Love to Flirt Fragrance Mist *
bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 in The Epiphany *
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe
Wet n Wild Color Icon in Walking on Eggshells
Wet n Wild Color Icon in Silent Treatment
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Dark Brown/Brown
NYX Eyebrow Marker in Deep (purchased this before No. 15 & while I love it as a product, the color is just a tad bit too red for me. No. 15's color is perfect)
Maybelline Master Precise in Black (The easiest liquid eyeliner to use. I like it better than the L'Oreal Super Linear that everyone raves about. I'll be trying out the gel eyeliner soon too.)
Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine
NYC Smooch Proof Lip Stain in Smooch Proof
NYC Smooch Proof Lip Stain in Endless Spice
Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 12
Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 14 (Review for both can be found here)
Trim 7 way Buffer
Orly Nailtrition
Sally Hansen Gel Cuticle Remover

Reviews on some of these products will be coming up, while other's will probably be featured in nail & hair care posts.

NARS WARDROBE

2012-01-25T10:30:00.000-06:00

Everyone's know's about NARS. The brand is just great. I've just recently begun my love affair with them. I can blame it on the Sheer Glow Foundation, Dolce Vita Blush & the Scandal Lipgloss. They are all three must haves for me. My love for those products has induced me to look into more NARS products. I don't want to have my entire collection made up on NARS, but I'd like to have some great staples that I know will last & be good quality. I've purchased from the NARS website before & the experience was so great. Of course when I made the purchase, I had to create an online account with them. Through this, I discovered wardrobe. It's NARS way for you to keep up with your favorite products for easy access & repurchasing. I thought I'd share with you what's in my wardrobe currently. Let me warn you, I have an obsession with their blushes & absolutely any product in the color Dolce Vita.

L-R: Sheer Glow in Deauville, foundation pump (out of stock), Penny Lane cream blush, Dolce Vita lipstick, Cruella velvet matte lip pencil, 413 Bleecker lip gloss, Scandal lip gloss, Dolce Vita blush, eyeshadow primer, Cactus Flower cream blush & Copocabana illuminator.

HOW TO: KEEP YOUR HEADBANDS IN PLACE

2012-01-24T10:30:00.000-06:00

Currently lots of things are under construction in my life. My kitchen floor was ripped out today for a re-model & the blog is going through some minor changes. Nothing big, just little tweaks here & there to make it more streamline & easy to navigate. I've been playing around with the coding & what not, so if you notice anything odd, it's just me trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing & it will eventually get fixed. Also, my camera I had been using finally crapped out on me (it basically chooses when it wants to work & lately it doesn't want to work much). Video's are being filmed on my Mac computer & picture's are being taken with my Evo until I can get a replacement camera. I'm hoping to get a new camera in February. Keep your finger's crossed & let me know if you have any great suggestions for someone with a tight budget, but a desire for high quality. I'm thinking about the Canon SX40, but it may be a tad bit out of my budget range. ANYWAYS...in the meantime of getting things figured out, I'll be slow posting for a bit. Here's a tutorial I filmed on how to keep your headbands in place. Seems simple enough, but I manage to get lots of questions about it & people always ask me how I get mine to stay in place. Hope you like it. Also, if you want to see details of my hair cut, there is a video on youtube about it. I decided not to put it on here since it was requested by a youtube follower, but it's there if anyone wants to see it.

MY FACE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT...

2012-01-22T10:30:00.000-06:00

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Origins Organics Purifying Tonic
Bioderma Crealine H2O
Aveda Hand Relief (okay, I cheated on this...my hands can't live without this)
YuBe Moisturizing Skin Cream (I use this on my lips when they're extra dry)
Smith's Rosebud Salve (I also really love the strawberry)
Blistex Medicate Lip Ointment
Carmex
Caudalie Lip Conditioner
Clinique Superbalm
Buxom Lip Balm in Portofino
L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Nourishing Nude
Lancome Juicy Tube in Beach Plum
Lipstick Queen Medieval
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in London
MAC Lipstick in See Sheer
Revlon Lipstick in Mauve it Over
Revlon Lipstick in Fabulous Fig
NYX Lipstick in Snow White
Rimmel 1000 Kisses in Spice
Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in No. 12
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Dark Brown (their eyebrow marker is also great)
L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in Black Brown
Rimmel Special Eyes Liner in Panama
Maybelline Master Precise Liner in Black
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-2
Stella by Stella McCartney Perfume (also not for my face...so sue me!)
MAC Strobe Cream Sample (I use it for a highlighter, so this sucker has lasted forever)
*Not Pictured MAC Romp Eyeshadow (I didn't think to put eyeshadows on the list since I hardly ever hit pan on them. This is the only shadow that I've managed to hit pan on & I love it. I just discovered it's been discontinued...ugh)

So, today I sat down & decided to dig through my makeup collection & pick the things that I couldn't live without. This was harder than expected. In comparison to many that run beauty type blogs, my collection is on the tiny side. I like it that way though. I can say that I truly do use everything that I own & make it a point to really put quite a bit of thought into a product before I purchase it. I feel like my collection is well thought out & versatile. I have the staples to create pretty much any look that I want. I like that. I do want to add more to the collection, but I want to do it in a controlled & thought out manner. In an attempt to not over do it this year on beauty purchases, I am putting myself on a beauty ban, so to speak, for 2012. I'm not banning myself from buying beauty products at all...that would be crazy & completely unrealistic! I'm just limiting myself. I'm planning on making a concise list of products I'm allowing myself to buy & a limited monthly budget of what I'm allowing myself to spend on those unforeseen beauty purchases (a product that I'm not aware of launching, but would like to add to my collection type of thing). I'm also trying to figure out the items that I feel like I need to have in my collection, therefore things that I might need to re-purchase throughout the year. I'm putting this on the blog for a few reasons. Firstly, these are my holy grail products & I just wanted to share them. Secondly, this entire project of mine posted on the blog is a good way to hold me completely accountable for my purchases. I don't exactly have a ginormous income coming in, so I have to be sure that I'm planning out how I spend my money & save it very well. I'm sure that I won't have a huge income for quite some time. I mean I still have to get through grad school & those first few/several years of clawing my way to the top or at least a comfortable spot on the ladder of success. Therefore, financial planning is necessary. It's not something I'm great at, but it's something I'm trying to get better at...hence this project I'm starting.

I'll have to think up a snappy name for is because calling it "this project" is just NOT going to cut it!

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A REVIEW OF SORTS

2012-01-21T10:30:00.000-06:00

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick

This is the last lip product I purchased on my birthday spree. I had heard about this what feels like ages ago from one of the numerous British Beauty blogger's I follow (I follow more British beauty blogger's than any other country & I don't know why, I'm American & many of the products they mention I cannot get my hands on at least for a while if at all). Point is, I knew about these since before they were even released in the states...so when they made their stateside debut, I nearly fainted. I had never really seen any of the colors & I'm not much of a fan of Rimmel lipsticks*. BUT when I found out this line was releasing here, I knew that I had to buy at least one. So off I trotted to the store to sit & ponder in front of the Rimmel display. I wanted a neutral just in case they didn't live up to the hype in my head I'd still be able to use it up, but there was this lovely vibrant shade that just called out to me. So I left the store with two & a thought in my mind to turn around & get a third. They were on special, so I didn't spend a fortune on them...plus it's Rimmel, not Guerlain. I'll be honest, I haven't had many opportunities to wear these around much especially since my lips have been extra dry during this massive allergy attack I'm battling, so I can't give a proper review as to how long they wear. The formula from what I have experienced though is great. They're creamy & moisturizing. They give more of a satin finish rather than a glossy or matte.

Color No. 14

The shades are numbered...not named. The neutral I picked up was No. 14. Neutral with brown or caramel undertones tend to suit me better than neutrals with pink undertones, so this one is perfection & is possibly my go to nude lipstick. It looks nice under L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Nourishing Nude. This was the sensible color choice.

Color No. 12

No. 14 was the color that screamed out at me. This color was love at first sight. A while back, I fell in love with the orange/red lip that was made infamous by J. Crew (the makeup on their models in their catalogs is my dream come true). I heard that MAC's Lady Danger was a close match to that color, but there were a few things that kept me from purchasing it. That color is a pro color meaning you can only get it at a pro store or online...there's no pro store near me. I don't like the idea of purchasing a color you've never been able to test, especially a somewhat pricey color from the internet. So I held off. I went to a MAC counter thinking they might be able to help me out. They suggested Morange. I got it & while I do like having that lipstick in my collection, it just didn't do the J. Crew lip for me. In comes No. 12. This color is exactly what I was looking for at a fraction of the price. It is a bright corally, orangey red. It's not overly over powering, but definitely packs a punch. Kate Moss...you sure do know what you're doing.

J. Crew Lip's on a very lucky J. Crew model | source

Top: No. 14 Bottom: No. 12

Like I said, I haven't had much of a chance to give them a full test drive to see if they're long lasting, but the color pigmentation of them & the formula is enough to make me go back & buy color No. 01... a lovely classic red. The packaging on these is my favorite from a drugstore thus far (with the exception of the L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm's), they're lovely matte black & the lid clicks securely into place.

*I was a fan of them when I first got into makeup in my teens, but I've since grown apart from Rimmel's lipsticks. Many of their colors in their range here in the states has too much sparkle for my liking & often the displays in my stores have always been messed with & the lipsticks tampered with.

REVIEW: REVLON COLOR BURST LIP BUTTERS

2012-01-20T10:30:00.000-06:00

Revlon Lip Butter

Another one of my lip purchases during my birthday shopping spree was the Revlon Lip Butter's. There was so much written about them & lots of hype behind them. One of my favorite bloggers/youtuber's (sandra) said they weren't really worth the hype, so that just cemented it in my head that I needed to get one & see for myself.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in No. 001 Pink Truffle

It honestly took me a couple of tries to get my hands on this. The first few times I went, the display was picked over with hardly anything left. I gave it a little time for the hype to die down on them & finally found a display with a larger selection. While there is a rather large color range, there's not many that I would deem wearable enough for me to purchase. So after umming & awwing over which color I would actually wear on a regular basis, I finally settled on Pink Truffle. I want to stress that I do like this product, but I feel like there are other items on the market that I like better for me personally. I can see why people like them, but I'm not too sure that they're as great as everyone makes them out to be. I am very happy that I have this in my collection & I think there may be one other color from the collection that I will eventually purchase, but I don't think that I could go out & purchase the entire collection.

Swatch of Pink Truffle

In the big spectrum of hybrid lip balm's/lipsticks that are being released by several different brands, I think that the revlon lip butters are closer to lipstick's than they are to lip balms. The pigmentation on them is great. There is some hydration to them, but they're not as hydrating as the name leads on to me. I was expecting more hydration from them. Pink Truffle is a great color & it's very wearable for day to day. When I'm looking at something like a tinted lip balm or these hybrids I want a color that is super easy to wear, because they're what I tend to turn to when I wear makeup for work or when I want to look like I'm wearing no makeup. To see swatches of the whole color range go here. I have my eye on Fig Jam & Sugar Plum, but we'll see if I actually get them. Overall, this product does get a thumbs up from me, just not an over enthusiastic thumbs up.

REVIEW: L'OREAL COLOUR RICHE BALM

2012-01-19T10:30:00.000-06:00

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm's

My birthday present to myself at the start of this month was to allow myself to over indulge in beauty purchases for the month of January. I allow myself to do this every year. My birthday is RIGHT after christmas & I hate asking for gifts for my birthday since it's so close to such a big present giving holiday. So instead of asking for other's to buy me things, I just allow myself to indulge in buying myself things & just enjoy the company of my loved one's. I feel like it works out better for all. I get what I want, no one has to spend money on me & I have a happy birthday with all those I love. Anyways, this year I was trying to be responsible, so I limited myself to mainly drugstore things & still tried to be conservative with my purchases. It should be absolutely no surprise that me being the lip junkie that I am, that 90% of my purchases were lip related. I've decided to review them all here within the next few days. Today I'll start with the Colour Riche Balm's by L'Oreal since they were my first lip purchase on my birthday shopping spree & they are quite possibly my favorite.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in No. 818 Nourishing Nude

There hasn't been much about these on the blog world from what I've seen & the one blog review I've read on them was actually pretty negative. The majority of what you find about these when you search on youtube for them is comparison's with the Revlon Lip Butter's. I have the lip butter's & while I do like the one that I own quite a bit, this one still tops them for me. I MAY do a comparison post on them, but I'm not sure just yet.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in No. 219 Plush Plum

The L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm's are this perfect mix between a lipstick, balm & gloss. Now let me just say right off the bat that they're not super pigmented, but I really like that about them. They wear comfortably like a balm, give you slight color like a lipstick & then leaves your lips with a nice sheen like a gloss, but without the sticky feeling. If you want something super pigmented, get a lip stick, not one of these. The idea is that they're a hybrid, not a full throttle lipstick. They keep my lips hydrated in the dry winter month's & tend to be the one product that I reach for again & again every single day. I only own these two color's, but I'm thrilled with them both.

L-R: Nourishing Nude & Plush Plum

Nourishing Nude has probably received the most wear since it was the first one I purchased & it's extremely versatile. I'll wear it alone, or with Rimmel's Spice lip liner underneath or with another lipstick underneath it. While Nourishing Nude has received the most attention, Plush Plum may be my favorite color due to it's close resemblance to perhaps my favorite lip product on earth...Lancome's Juicy Tube in Beach Plum. It's such a lovely color & gives my lips that perfect flush that is close to my natural lip color. If you like the Korres Lip Butter's there is a good chance that you will like these. The packaging on these is divine. For a drugstore product, it feels almost like you're opening a YSL lipstick...obviously you're not, but the way the packaging clicks & the gold...YUM! Overall, I give them a big enthusiastic thumbs up!

DIY TOP KNOT

2012-01-17T10:30:00.000-06:00

I recently discovered a new technique with my hair that made me wonder why no one had ever thought of it before. Maybe someone has, but they never shared it with me, so I'm going to just say no one has thought of it... When I wear my hair up in a top knot I try to avoid using rubber bands because they can tear your hair. To compensate for the lack of rubber band support, I started using massive amounts of bobby pins. I didn't have problems with tearing anymore, BUT my hair fell more quickly & the extensive numbers of pins would make my head hurt. That's when I accidentally discovered this technique...I tie my hair in a knot on top of my head, wrap the excess hair around it & pinned it into place. I now use approximately 3 or 4 bobby pins whereas before I was using something like 10 or 15. Not to mention thus far I've noticed my hair stays up longer than it did before.

I filmed this before I cut my hair, but I can still do this with my hair. Anyone with long hair should at least give it a try. Hope this helps you out!

I posted a couple of salon question videos that were requested of me on my youtube page by a fellow youtube user. Since it was a youtube user that requested it & they're both pretty lengthy, I chose to not put them on here. BUT if it sounds like something you'd be interested in, feel free to check them out.

LONG HAIR CARE TAG

2012-01-12T10:30:00.001-06:00

I've received a few questions about my hair, what I use on it & how I cut it, etc. I decided to do the Long Hair Care TAG that's been floating around to help answer those questions initially. I'll be getting my hair cut soon, so I'll update on that after it's done. I'm not sure if I'll do it they way that I normally do (pictured below) or if I'll do something new. We will see! Below are pictures of what my hair looks like right after I've had it cut...to help illustrate my terrible description of how it's done. Hope this helps anyone who had questions & if you think of anything at all, let me know! I'd be more than happy to help!

Bit of a birds eye view of the bangs.

The blunt cut across the back

SMALL ULTA HAUL

2012-01-12T10:30:00.000-06:00

For the month of January I have put myself on a high end ban. Meaning, I'm only allowing myself to buy beauty stuff from the drugstore. Since my birthday just passed, I gave myself a TINY shopping spree on the drugstore side of Ulta today. I found some pretty great things too. The internet has been a buzz over the Revlon lip butters & I had been umming & awwing over if I wanted to purchase them. Truth is, I'm a lip junkie, so I knew it was inevitable that I'd purchase at least one, but I didn't know which color. I'm not really loving their color selection that much. I finally settled on the Pink Truffle color & I'm so happy I did. I haven't been able to wear it too much yet to tell if it's worth the hype, but I'll be keeping you posted on that. During the past few weeks of my Revlon Lip Butter dilema, I stubbled upon the L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm's. I purchased one in Nourishing Nude (not pictured) & immediately fell in love with every single aspect of the product. So I decided to get another color since I really love the color selection this line offers. After talking myself out of purchasing the entire line (including a back up of the Nude color), I settled on Plush Plum. I love plum colors & this one reminds me of my beloved Lancome Juicy Tube in Beach Plum somewhat. Anything that can remind me of beach plum gets an A+ in my book. At the recommendation of Cammiloveskiwi (her blog), I also picked up the Wet n Wild eye palette in Comfort Zone. I mean, 8 eye shadows for $5 is a bargain, then throw in that they're actually pretty good quality & that's an even bigger bargain. This morning I also discovered that I did not own a nude lip liner (that's blasphemy for a lip junkie) so I picked up Rimmel's 1000 Kisses lip pencil in Spice. To end my little splurge, I treated myself to Essie's Topless & Barefoot. I'm a sucker for a good nude polish & anything that Vivianna Does Makeup (her blog) recommends. Swatches below of all products except for the polish.

I've been working on a few things lately. Sorry for the absence, put perhaps my biggest down fall as a blogger is I have no schedule for posting. I post when I feel like it & when I have something to post about. But hey, this is all fun for me. I have a Long Hair Care TAG coming up soon to help answer some questions I get about my hair. I have at least one hair tutorial in the works & I'm getting my hair done tomorrow, so I'll be doing a post about that. Since this year is going to be all about lots of saving money for me, I'll be making out a list of the products I'm allowed to buy throughout the next few months. I figured that's better than putting a completely unrealistic ban on myself that everyone knows I won't be able to follow. Once I get that list & the rules compiled I'll share it here to hold myself accountable for it. I'll also do full reviews on both the Revlon & L'Oreal lip products (maybe even a product compare?!?!) & I'll do a nail of the day with the Essie Polish.

L-R: L'Oreal Plush Plum, Revlon Pink Truffle & Rimmel Spice

Swatches of Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette

REVIEW: NARS SHEER GLOW FOUNDATION

2012-01-10T10:30:00.000-06:00

About a month ago I finally took the plunge & ordered the NARS Sheer Glow foundation. It's been talked about all over the place & I was needing a bit more coverage. I had gone to a Sephora store to get a tester of it & the shade they matched me in was wrong. Not wanting to waste it, I used up the tester anyways. I fell in love with it & was so sad that there wasn't a color at the store that matched my skin tone. But then I heard that the Sephora stores actually didn't carry the full color line...this put me on the HUNT to see if I'd be able to find my perfect shade. The color swatches on websites can give you an idea of what your shade would be, but let's face it...they're not 100% trustworthy. Then I found the Foundation Matrix (it looks different now from when I first used it, but it still works effectively). I knew what my undertones were & what my MAC color match is & through that I was able to take an educated guess that my shade was either Gobi or Deauville...leaning toward Deauville (for reference I'm between a MAC NC15 & NC20...if you're a NC15, probably go for Gobi). So, I took a leap of faith & ordered it from the NARS website.

I LOVE this foundation. I'm not sure if I'd say that it has holy grail status written on it, but I will say that it's a strong contender for my holy grail foundation. I don't like to feel like I'm wearing makeup, but I needed more coverage than what my tinted moisturizers were giving me. This is very light weight & sits nicely on my skin. For reference, I have combination skin (my t-zone is oily & my cheeks tend to be on the normal to dry side). It feels similar to the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua on the skin, but I don't have the separation problems with this that I had with Vitalumiere*. In my oily areas, it doesn't wear as long as it does on the rest of my face, but it still will last me an entire work day & not show oily signs until later in the day. The finish of this looks like your natural skin. Don't let the name fool you, there's no apparent shimmer in this & it will work on people with combination/oily skin (full on oily skin types maybe not so much).

Ordering from the NARS website was a great experience. They had a free two day delivery promo going on as well as a free mini illuminator** offer. Tip for all of you sheer glow lovers out there that your one grip about the product is the fact that it has no pump, you can get a pump for it from the NARS site that can be reused over & over. The service from the site was quick & efficient. I was very happy that I chose to order from the NARS site rather than the Sephora site since Sephora & I have not been getting along very well for the past year when it comes to deliveries***. I won't go on much more as there are millions of reviews out there. If you've been curious about the NARS Sheer Glow fondation, I urge you to try it out. The only thing I can flaw it on is it's price tag.

*I want to love this foundation so much, so I'm still researching different ways to apply it to see if the separation is an operator error rather than a product flaw. I'll do a full review on it later once I've worked with it more.
**The illuminator & I have not been able to get on well as of yet, but I'm still playing with it trying to find a way to use it up. Suggestions welcome.
***It took them two weeks to get a package to me that I had paid for 3 day delivery...this has happened the last few times I have ordered from them. The last time it happened though, they did give me a refund on my shipping. I'll give them another try one day.

COLD WEATHER WOES: DRY SKIN

2011-12-28T10:30:00.000-06:00

L-R: Johnson's Body Care Melt Away Stress Lotion, Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Creme & Johnson's Baby Creamy Oil

I've found that when it comes to dry skin all over the body the best products for me are found within a drugstore. I love the Johnson's line for both baby & body care. They're gentle & effective, not to mention cheap! The melt away stress lotion smells divine & so relaxing. It does moisturize well, but I prefer the other 2 products when my skin feels severely dry. The Creamy Oil that Johnson's does I found because of my nephew. I watch him a lot & he also suffers from dry skin. My sister has been using this creamy oil on him & I used it once while watching him & fell in love with it. I immediately went out & bought my own. The Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Creme was not a love at first sight product for me, but has since become a necessity for me. I put a tiny amount on my hands while in the store & immediately wrote it off as a no go for me since hands felt oily. So I put it back on the shelf & walked off. But a few minutes later I noticed how nice my hands felt & remembered I had only puts this one my hands minutes before. I was still a little skeptical of it, but thought what the heck. It was extremely cheap & you got massive amounts of products & I've tried other Queen Helene products in the past that I've liked, so I picked it up. I have not been disappointed. When my legs feel extra dry, I rub some of this on & sleep in my American Apparel Winter Leggings (another winter MUST HAVE). I wake up to refreshed & completely moisturized legs...not oily & no damage to my leggings. I didn't think to mention body scrubs, but there is one that I LOVE...The Caudalie Merlot Friction Scrub. It smells of mint, yum! I'll be trying out the Bath & Bodyworks Aromatherapy Sensual Jasmine Vanilla Sugar Scrub soon (it was a christmas present), so I'll report on that once I've decided how I feel about it.

COLD WEATHER WOES: DRY LIPS

2011-12-27T10:30:00.000-06:00

L-R: Rosebud Salve, Strawberry Rosebud Salve, Nivea A Kiss of Intense Moisture, Carmex, Caudalie Lip Conditioner, Fresh Sugar Lip Polish & more Carmex

It should not be a surprise to anyone that I am a lip junkie. Hell, I've even done a post about it. Above are my favorite lip treatments. I have 2 very clear lip addictions illustrated in the photo above...Rosebud & Carmex. Both of them are like crack to me. While I do love the original Rosebud salve quite a bit, the strawberry one has a nice smell & the formula seems thicker to me. Carmex is carmex. I always have at least one tube on me at all times. I like that it stings a bit when you put it on cracked lips. But both of those brand addictions aside, perhaps my all time favorite lip product is the Caudalie Lip Conditioner. This stuff is amazing. It has a nice thick consistency that lasts & lasts. It's my favorite to put under lip sticks, especially matte formulas that tend to be a bit drying. I use this up until it hits the bottom, then I even dig out the excess & use that up too. I cannot say enough good things about it.The Nivea Kiss of Intense Moisture is the closest drugstore product I've found to the Caudalie one. It's not as thick & doesn't last as long either, but it's still pretty good. Last, but certainly not least, is the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish. I am a big advocate for using a lip scrub. I really love this formula, but I hate the price of it. It has lasted me a long while, but it's price alone makes me want to find a cheaper alternative, not matter how great the formula is.

L-R: Korres Quince Lip Butter, Burt's Bee's Tinted Lip Balm in Tiger Lily, Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Balm in Portofino, MAC Lip Gelee in Moistly* & Kiehl's Lip Gloss in Berry 1851

Every once in a while when I've got dry lips, I like something that can pull double duty...like give me moisture & a bit of color. On those days when I'm lazy & don't want to fuss with a lip treatment then lip color or on days when I'm in a rush. Those days come more often than I'd like to admit. First up is the Korres Lip Butters (I have Quince & Wild Rose). These are so great. I also want the Plum & Pomegrante variations. My only gripe is that once you get further down into the tub they can be a bit hard to get the product out of & the lid on my wild rose one broke after being dropped once...ONCE. This make me want to try the glaze formula's of them that come in a tube. Burt's Bees does a mighty fine tinted lip balm. Possibly my favorite tinted lip balm, I only wish they had more color variety. The Buxom Portofino lip balm is my favorite color. It's also supposed to be a lip plumping formaula which we all know I DO NOT need, but no fears it doesn't do a whole lot in the plumping department. I only felt that tingly you get from plumping products the first few times I used this & it was no agressive tingle. Probably the saddest item on my list or even in my entire collection of lip products (that's saying something since it's an extensive collection) is the MAC Lip Gelee in Moistly. This would be my all time favorite lip product if it wasn't for the fact that not only has the color been discontinued, but so has the formula. This was all around perfection. The color is amazing, the shine you get from it & the formula. It's a gloss that isn't sticky...which is a miracle for a MAC lip product or any lip gloss period. The Kiehl's lip gloss in Berry 1851 was an attempt at finding a replacement for the MAC Lip Gelee...it hasn't replaced it, but it's still a good product that comes close nonetheless.

*=This product &/or color has been discontinued.

Cold Weather Woes: Hand Creams

2011-12-26T17:14:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I managed to get sick. It was something like the cold/flu, but managed to take me forever to get rid of due to working my normal hours & watching my 2 year old nephew when I was not working. Let's be honest, I'm still trying to get over the last little bit of being sick. There are 2 things that ALWAYS happen to me when the weather changes...I get sick & my skin gets dry. I'll exclude my face from this since it tends to lean on the oilier side & recent discoveries have led me to believe that my skin type may be much more complicated than originally thought to be...more on that another time. Right now I'm talking about hands, lips & body. Here are some of the things that I am using currently that I've found to help out in one way or another. There are other products that I like as well as these, but I don't have them on hand & feel like it's only responsible if I just tell you about the things that I really am using at the moment.

L-R: Le Couvent Des Minimes*, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, Yu Be Moisturizing Skin Cream & Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Hand Cream

The four hand creams pictured above are my favorite hand creams. Not saying that all four will also be your favorites, but the work for me & I highly recommend all of them. They each have their pro's & con's. The Le Couvent Des Minimes Formula No. 102 is the first one I reach for when the very first signs of fall/autumn arrive. It smells of milk & honey to me...like fall in a hand cream. It's a super thick cream that a little goes a long way. It's lasted me ages & while you used to be able to get it in bath & bodyworks in the states I THINK it may be discontinued. The Neutrogena Norwegiam Formula & the Yu Be creams are similar in texture to me. While they're both creams, the have a somewhat thick gel-like consistency to them. If you're not used to the texture they both might throw you off at first. I urge you to continue use with them though. The Yu Be cream is on the pricey side at $16 USD for 1.25 oz. & does have a bit of an organic smell to it, which may throw you off of it even further, but it is quite possibly one of the best, if not the best, moisturizer I've ever used. I've been meaning to try out more from this brand, but I haven't been able to get around to it yet...note to self. Last up is the Eucerin formula. This is my mother's favorite hand cream & she just recently turned me onto it, & I'd have to agree that it is quite good. This one's texture is probably the most crowd pleasing. It's not thick, it's much like your typical hand lotion, yet does the same job as the heavy duty thick hand creams. I can't rank them, so please don't ask me to.

*= This product has been discontinued. The brand & a similar product is available in Europe & online via here

DIY Scalloped Fleece Warming Blanket

2011-12-11T10:30:00.000-06:00

It's been getting pretty cold in the southwest lately...& I mean more cold than normal. To keep myself warm, I had been sleeping with an Ikea Fleece Blanket between my sheet & comforter. Only problem is that that blanket could MAYBE fit a twin size bed if it was lucky & my bed is a queen size. I still felt like I had to sleep huddled in a little ball. I decided I needed a fleece blanket that could cover the same area as my comforter, the only problem is is that those are hard to come by & tend to be pricey. So I did what any sensible creative cheap ass would've done...made it myself & stylishly.

It's really simple & straight forward. All you need is a large piece of fleece (note: If you're trying to make one for a bed larger than a twin you will most likely have to sew two pieces together, in which case a sewing machine would be mighty handy), scissors, a marker & a Scallops Ruler (you can also make a template yourself from cardboard).

Measure the size of your comforter & figure out how much excess you'd like to hang out from underneath your comforter.
Go to the fabric store & get your fleece cut to size. For larger beds you will probably need 2 pieces of fleece in the same length to sew together.
If you need to sew 2 pieces together, pin them together. When you begin stitching on the sewing machine, be sure to back stitch about an inch or so into it. Once you've sewn the length of the blanket, back stitch about an inch again, turn the blanket around with the needle down & sew down the length again to give yourself a durable seam. Be sure to back stitch again once you've sewn the length the 2nd time & cut the thread. It's best to keep the blanket folded in half with your seam out for the remainder of the project. It ensures that both sides will match & goes by more quickly. With your seam out also ensures that any marker mistakes will be hidden once the blanket is on the bed.
If you decide that you want the head of the blanket to be a straight edge (I highly recommend this), cut your straight edge with either a pair of scissors or a rotary cutter & cutting mat.
(on a flat, wide & stable surface) With the blanket still folded, be sure both layers are wrinkle free & use your scallop stencil & a marker to begin your pattern at the foot of the blanket. When cutting the scallops, it is easiest to use straight pins at each point of the pattern to ensure that both sides match. I recommend cutting as you go.
You'll repeat step 5 for the sides, this time starting from the straight edge with your blanket still folded. Since fleece does not fray, you don't have to worry about finishing the edges.
Put the blanket on your bed between the flat sheet & comforter. You'll be able to see the tips of your scalloped edges peek out from beneath it. Chic & cozy!

I'm aware that my instructions would work much better if I had visuals with them, but I was so focused on the finished product I didn't think to document it. In truth, this is a pretty easy project & you should be able to get the gist of it & make it up as you go if necessary. If you've got anymore detailed questions about the project, don't hesitate to contact me. I'd be happy to help!

How to: Spruce Up Your Cardigan

2011-12-10T10:30:00.000-06:00

When I did this I wasn't actually trying to make this cardigan fancier or anything, I was just trying to make it usable again. Below is one of my all time favorite cardigans & it became handicap when EVERY SINGLE ONE of it's buttons either fell off or were busted in half.

Check out those busted buttons. ALL of them were like that & 1 was completely missing.

Most clothing companies do give you spare buttons for garments like this when you purchase, but I didn't happen to have 5 of these same buttons on hand. I'm not one to throw things like clothing out (I mean, I still have a shirt that I wore when I was 11 & I still very much wear it to this day & I'm 25 now.), so I decided I would fix it. My initial thought was to just get some plain buttons similar to these for it. When I went on the hunt for these plain buttons I changed my mind & decided to get some metal buttons with the rational thinking that they are far less likely to bust up like the one's above. I didn't want shiny gaudy buttons so I settled on these.

Metal, durable, timeless & buy one get one free!

THEN I got the genius idea to sew the buttons on with a bright thread rather than the same old drab brown to give it a little extra umph. I chose red because it's my favorite color & pretty classic yet bold in my opinion.

Here's the finished product.

I believe that everyone should have a basic knowledge of hand sewing (machine sewing too if possible) for little things like this. If you shop wisely & take care of your clothes (i.e. replacing buttons) they can last you a lifetime. (Sometimes I think this should be called the Cheap girl's handbook instead of the lazy...meh.) If you happen to not know how to hand sew a button, but would like to learn, this link is pretty helpful.

Review: Essie's Good to Go! Top coat

2011-12-09T10:30:00.000-06:00

Essie's Good to Go! Top coat

I'm always on the look out for something that will make my nail polish dry quickly because my patience is so minimal when it comes to drying time that I usually mess up my nails pretty quickly. I've tried the quick fry spray from OPI & while it was okay, it wasn't anything spectacular & on the pricey end for how quickly you went through it. I've been eyeballing the quick dry top coat that Nails, Inc. has, but just haven't gotten around to ordering it. So you can imagine my delight when I stumble upon this fast drying top coat from essie. Let me just say, it dries pretty damn fast. This smokes the fast drying spray from OPI & it leaves your nails SHINY. This retails for about $10 USD & thus far seems to be worth the money. I have only had one instance where I wasn't too sure about it. I had a bad chipping problem with a polish I've never had a problem with before, but I can't say for sure that it was the top coat that caused it since it hasn't happened with any other colors I've used with this top coat. I would like to give the Nails, Inc. one a try still & it's on my list along with that brands famous base coat.

Review: Origins Organics Purifying Tonic

2011-12-08T10:30:00.000-06:00

Origins Organics Purifying Tonic

I mentioned this product in a haul a few weeks back & said I'd do a review on it once I had had a chance to figure out if I liked it & if it was working for me. I'm about half way done with it & thought it was time I told you what I thought. Drumroll please.....it's a keeper...for now anyways. I do feel like it is working for me & I love the way it smells. It is an antibacterial & antimicrobial. It won't dry your skin out or make it overly oily. I was pretty timid of it at first because toner's have always been nothing but bad news for me in the past. This surprisingly has been pretty good for me. This is a toner definitely worth giving a shot. I think that it'll be a re-purchase for me in the future.

Gift for him #1

2011-12-07T10:30:00.000-06:00

source

Have you heard of MCMC?! If not, go to their website NOW & familiarize yourself with them. It's all hand made & it's all awesome. While you should really look over their entire site...I want to put the spot light on one of my favorite items in this shop & it's not even for me. Dude No. 1 is the all natural beard oil for the special guy in your life whether it be your boyfriend, husband, brother, father or random lumber jack you happen to know. I love the entire concept of this. It's so masculine & humorous all while being incredibly classy. So here's a gift idea for the special bearded gent in your life. Not gonna lie, I have my eye on the solid perfume lockets.

Until December 19th, you can get 20% off + free shipping on your purchase when you enter the code: "HOLIDAY11"

NOTD: Zoya Stacy

2011-12-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

Butter London Nail Foundation base coat, 2 coats Zoya Stacy & 1 coat of Essie's good to go top coat.

Sorry for the worst nail painting job I have EVER done in my LIFE! You get the idea though.

Review: Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion 30 day Smoothing Kit

2011-12-05T10:30:00.000-06:00

That title is a mouthful.

So I filmed a quick review on my experience with this product & now I intend on writing the review out in a much more detailed fashion. If you just want the quick take on it, watch the video. If you want a more in depth over view watch the video, THEN read the review. I mean, I won't judge you if you read the review, then watch the video.

First off, let's talk about what Keratin is. Keratin is something that is found naturally in your hair. Once you've done things to your hair like coloring & heat styling, your natural keratin depletes & your hair begins to loose its lustre & overall health. If you want a more scientific & in depth definition of keratin, click here. So, what exactly does a keratin treatment do?

Keratin treatments were invented with the intention of repairing the keratin in your hair to make it smoother, shinier & overall easier to handle. These treatments are commonly referred to as Brazilian Hair Straightening. Up until recently you could only get these treatments done at salons & for a pretty penny as well. One of the biggest controversies &/or concerns with these treatments is that many of them contain Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is very toxic to humans & should not be inhaled even on the smallest scale, click here for a clearer definition. If you by chance do choose to do a keratin treatment at a salon, be sure to be clear with your stylist as to if it contains formaldehyde of not. Not all salon treatments contain this ingredient, but it is very common. If you do a treatment that does have it, you & your stylist both have to wear masks throughout the entire process. Talk about discomfort!

Now lets talk about this product that Suave Professionals has come up with.

Source

Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion 30 Day Smoothing Kit (date & price is according to the drugstore.com website)

Release Date: December 9, 2011
Retail Price: $12.99
Time it takes to complete the process: Approximately 1 hour.
Level of difficulty: Mid-range. If you're unsure, get someone to help you out.

Take the time to very thoroughly read the instructions BEFORE you start this process. It's not really all that difficult, but is rather detail intensive. The first step of this process does smell, so be sure to do it in a well ventilated area. Don't worry, the smell of the first step while it may linger in your home for a tiny bit, will not linger on your hair. You may experience the smell returning during the first 2 washes after you've completed the kit. Again, it will not linger on your hair once it is dry. VERY CAREFULLY read the caution tips to the left of the instructions before starting the process to be sure that your hair qualifies to use the product, that you're not allergic to anything within the product & that you cover all of your bases so you do not damage clothing or towels. This is a 3 step process. You will need a way to keep time, whether it is a clock or timer.

My hair is naturally pretty straight & healthy, so I was a bit skeptical as to how much it would really affect it. It actually did do some pretty great things for my hair though. My hair is smoother, shinier & I have less problems with fly aways. It supposed to cut down how often you wash your hair, but since I washed my hair approximately once a week before doing this process, it didn't change that for me. (I know that sounds gross, but I'll do a more in depth post about the benefits of minimal hair washing & the proper way to do it. Please don't judge me until then.)

What I loved most about this product is the third step. It's the Heat Defense Leave-in Conditioner. This will also be sold separately from the kit in a full size form & I WILL be buying it. It is just so great. While this line from Suave doesn't claim to be sulfate free, it does state that it is a low sulfate formula. As always I do recommend using as little sulfates as possible on your hair. Overall, I would recommend this product & do intend on using it again in the future. I give it a 4 out of 5 star rating. I think that if I could see the results on someone with curly or wavy hair that would determine if I'd be able to give it that 5th star or not.

I have not tried any salon keratin treatments or similar products to this on the market, so I cannot compare it to any other's that are out there.

Similar Products on the market:
Keratin Perfect 30 day kit $95
Organix Brazilian Keratin Treatment 30 day kit $13.99

FTC Disclaimer: This product was provided for me by the Suave Professionals team & is sponsored by them. This how ever does not sway my opinion on the product & this review is 100% honest. I would never recommend a product that I would not use myself.

Mail Call

2011-12-04T10:30:00.000-06:00

L-R: Cavallini 2012 Easel Calendar, Savon de Marseille Palm Cube, Bioderma Crealine H2O, car insurance thingy, Moleskin 2012 large red weekly planner

Look at how pretty that soap is. Unless you read french, you won't be able to decipher the Bioderma bottle...I gave up a long time ago.

I received several packages in the mail today & thought I'd share. In truth it's nothing amazingly fun really, I mean I was excited because I'm weird.

First up! I am obsessed with calendar's & planning/organizing things. I'd like to say I'm a neat freak, but anyone who really knows me knows that that's a bit of an exaggeration. Since the end of the year is sneaking up on us in a stealth like fashion, I need to be prepared & went ahead & purchased my desk calendar & planner for 2012. Yes, I have a desk calendar, my ical, the calendar on my phone, the weekly calendar above my desk AND a moleskin weekly planner. They are all necessary, so don't even try to tell me I have too many calendar's. Both of these were purchased from the European Paper Company (one of my all time favorite shops for paper goods! makes me squeal with delight!).

The item I am perhaps MOST excited about from this mail call is the Savon de Marseille Palm Cube. I'm sure that I have seen these & heard of these before, but I always shrugged them off thinking that the only way I was EVER going to be able to get my hands on one was on a trip to France & we all know that won't be happening anytime soon. I mean, I'd love to be able to go to France & stock up on handmade soaps, just don't have the funds for it at the moment. Alas, I had put it out of my mind. That is, of course, until I read this post on Vivianna's blog Vivianna Does Makeup about brush cleaning. Well, it was a string of comments about how great this bar soap is for cleaning brushes & that it lasts ages. I have been using baby shampoo to clean my brushes, which isn't bad, but I had been looking to try something new mainly out of pure boredom. Let me note that baby shampoo is a great way to clean brushes. BUT with all of the hype some of the commenter's were giving this soap, I just had to do a quick little search on it. What do you know, I found it! This is the Savon de Marseille Palm Cube in the 600g version. It is MASSIVE. Being the lazy American that I am, I didn't bother trying to figure out the conversion to figure out how big it would be. This one has no artificial scent added to it, but since it is made from palm & copra oils, it still smells rather devine in my opinion. I also love the rustic look of it with the words branded into it. I'm scared that it'll take me forever to start using it purely because I don't want to mess it up. Regardless, once I do start using it, I'm sure it will last me ages. I searched for it on amazon & found it that way.

Of course, I had to stock up on my Bioderma. I've spoken about this before & I'm so in love with this that I know it is a staple in my skincare that is here to stay. It's no wonder it's a cult product. I also searched for this on amazon. There are some rather reliable sources on there that ship within the states. This is something that is kind of hard to get your hands on as well.

Finally, the least interesting thing on the list that I will try to waste very little words on. A little car adapter things from my insurance company to monitor my driving for discounts. Meh. Nothing fun there.

FOTD: Autumn Lip + Bare Face

2011-11-21T17:24:00.001-06:00

Face:
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC20
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-2
MAC Cremeblend Blush in Lady Blush
Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder

Eyes:
MAC Honesty e/s
MAC White Wheat e/s (LE)
Rimmel Special Eyes Liner in Panama
Rimmel Brow Pencil in Black Brown
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Black Brown
E.L.F. Brow Set

Lips:
Revlon Matte Lipstick in Fabulous Fig

Sorry for the mess in the background, but I am doing laundry.

Mini Haul: Ulta

2011-11-17T10:30:00.000-06:00

Makeup: Nars Sheer Glow foundation in Fiji (not a great color match on me, just trying to use up a sample), Laura Mercier Secret Camoflague in SC-2, Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder, MAC Retrospeck e/s, MAC cream blush in Lady Blush, Rimmel eye brow pencil in Black Brown, Rimmel eye liner in Panama, L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in Black Brown, NYX Soft Matt Lip Cream in London. It doesn't look fantastic here because it's been on for about 6 hours with no touch ups other than the lips.

There's a couple of reasons why I took the haul pictures with my web cam...1.) I've been having issues lately transferring photos from my camera to my computer & 2.) I'm feeling a tad bit lazy lately. On to better things though. These are all things I purchased recently from Ulta. Nothing fancy, but a few little gems are there. First up is Revlon matte lipstick in fabulous fig. I recently showed this in my lipstick collection post & I cannot tell you how much I love it. I think I might even be willing to say that it is my current favorite lipstick (actually it's probably a tight race with MAC's see sheer). It's perfect for the fall. Due to there being a NYX sale, I picked up 3 lip items: the jumbo lip pencil in Plush Red (deep red or hot red also look promising) & the soft matte lip cream in Amsterdam (Red) & London (nude). I haven't been able to truly test out the reds yet, but the soft matte lip cream in London is DIVINE! The color is so amazing, although the texture does take some getting used to. In the tube the color may seem a little daunting, but it's so great. It's a perfect match for me. I'm wanting to try out Monte Carlo & Milan now too. Both were sold out when I was in store. I was also in need of a peel off mask (the st. ives peel off hydroxy mask I had been using was discontinued, boo!), so I picked up the Queen Helene Grape Seed Extract Peel Off Masque. Haven't used it yet, so I don't have a verdict on it other than it smells nice. Then I picked up a Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer. I'm trying to not buy so much high end things as my budget is getting tighter & tighter, but I think concealer is one of those things that I'll continue to buy high end since I have yet to find anything drugstore that can compare with either MAC or Laura Mercier. If you have suggestions, please leave them below.

swatches L-R: Revlon matte lipstick in Fabulous Fig, NYX jumbo lip pencil in plush red, NYX soft matte lip cream in London & Amsterdam.

Review: Maybelline Baby Lips

2011-11-15T10:30:00.000-06:00

I'll admit that being a designer makes me pretty vulnerable when it comes to packaging & advertising. Let's just say that I've spent many a miserable night because I purchase a bottle of wine due to a pretty label..AHEM! Moving on! Something about the Maybelline Baby Lips advertisement & packaging drew me in. They're not too pricey ringing in at approximately $3-4 USD. I mean for a simple lip balm you can find cheaper of course, but these won't break your bank. I purchased the one in Grape Vine first thinking that it was a tinted lip balm. I was not expecting it to smell like grape kool-aid, but it did & I did not like that. It isn't really all that tinted either although it does give a very vague hint of color. That I did like & I also liked the way it made my lips feel & look...not to mention it does have some pretty great staying power. Not being too keen on the smell, but liking everything else, I decided to purchase the plain "Quenched" one. I was not disappointed. I will admit that the smell of the grape one is slowly growing on me..enough to finish the tube, but not enough to repurchase I think. I do think the Quenched one will be repurchase & dare I say a staple product in my makeup kit. While this is good, Carmex is still my crack & there are others that I like for a more luxurious feel (while also at a luxuriously high price). For price & what it does, this is a winner & has my stamp of approval. As my budget has been getting tighter & tighter lately I have been venturing into trying out more drugstore items than I normally would & thus far I have found some GREAT things. I'll do a post on my favorite cheap buys.

Maybelline Baby Lips in Quenched

Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape Vine

I tried linking to the products on line, but I'm having internet & blogger issues. I'll add the links at a later date.

Lip Collection: Lipsticks & Lip Pencils

2011-11-14T10:30:00.000-06:00

L to R: MAC Morange, Impassioned, Lady Bug,Viva Glam ? (it has rubbed off), See Sheer **, Revlon Fabulous Fig**, Black Cherry**, Lipstick Queen Medieval & Benefit Lady's Choice

I'd like to note from the start that these photo's were taken in artificial light so the colors are not 100% true, but pretty close. I've stated before that I'm a bit of a lip junkie...I wasn't lying. For starter's this is just my lipsticks & lip pencils. I purchased my first lipstick at the age of 17 (seems like ages ago) from MAC & still own it. It's not pictured, since it has somewhat bitten the dust. It melted in its packaging & I had to de-pot it into another container & can only put it on with a lip brush (which is a happy coincidence since I think it looks better that way & would never had known that if it hadn't melted!), it's MAC's Viva Glam IV in case you were wondering. You can obviously tell that I LOVE the Lipstick Queen Medieval...swoon!

Top to Bottom: Revlon Just Bitten in Beloved.Adoration, NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil in 712 Plush Red**, Makeup Forever Lip pencil in N. 24 *, Rimmel Lip Pencil in Indian Pink, Mac Lip Pencil in Brick & Cherry

Top L-R: Morange, Impassioned, Lady Bug, Viva Glam ?, See Sheer
Middle L-R: Fabulous Fig, Black Cherry, Medieval, Lady's Choice, 712 Plush Red
Bottom L-R: Lancome Nala * (not pictured above), Brick, Cherry, N. 24, Indian Pink, Beloved/Adoration

Lipstick is something that I've been getting into more & more recently. While MAC is a GREAT brand for lipstick, Revlon is just as good & I think that they're matte formula is actually better than MAC's. I don't have as huge of a collection as some do, but I think that mine is pretty versatile & that I can always layer to make new shades for myself...that's called being thrifty! I'm sure that my collection will grow as time goes on, but I'm pretty sure it'll stay close to this size for a while.

All of the MAC items were purchased at a MAC counter. Revlon, NYX & Rimmel items were purchased at drugstore's. Benefit lipstick was a perk reward with Sephora. Lipstick Queen item was purchased at a local boutique, but it can be found at Anthropolgie as well.

*= These items have been discontinued. I think/hope the MUFE Aqua Proof water proof lip liner in Matte Dark Raspberry would be a good dupe for the original MUFE liner. Maybe try the Lancome L'ABSOLU NU lipstick in 148 Coral Ribbon if you like Nala.

**= New to my collection. I'm in love with all of them.

Haul: Over the past month or so

2011-11-10T10:30:00.000-06:00

Johnson's Body Care Melt Away Stress Lavender & Chamomile Lotion: I love Johnson's Baby Creamy Oil, so when I found this I thought I'd love it & boy was I right. I put this on just before I go to bed & it is just so relaxing. I swear it helps me sleep better, but that may just be me.
Aussie Heat Protecting Shine Spray: I got this for Halloween when I was going to do a faux bob for my Amelia Earhart costume...I actually did not get to do it though since I got sick. I think I'm going to still do a faux bob tutorial though, so it wasn't a waste of money.
Neutrogena Norwegian Hand Cream: I get SUPER dry skin in the winter & I'm trying to prepare early this year. I've heard nothing but great things about this. Thus far I do like it, I'm just not too crazy about the texture.
Duo dark eyelash adhesive: Also for Halloween to add a touch of drama...false lashes actually don't do much for me, since my real lashes are usually the same length as the false one's. I got the individual one's to just add more fullness to the outer corner's.
Rimmel WOW mascara in 003 extreme black: Always on the hunt for a new mascara. I love my Diorshow, but it costs a fortune & has been transfering on me lately. Looking for a replacement. This one is okay. It's a simple black mascara & for the price I have no complaints..meh.
Physician's Formula Magic Mosaic in Light Bronze: Also a halloween purchase. Amelia Earhart had some pretty great cheek bones & I sadly do not. I was going to try my hand at contouring...well I actually have tried my hand at it now & discovered that I am not a huge fan of it or bronzer really. It's too much hassel for me...not saying I won't use it from time to time, but we're talking maybe once or twice a year.
Ardell Dura Lash individual false eyelashes: See #4
Rimmel Special Eyes Eyeliner in 111 Panama: Needed a new brown eyeliner.
L'Oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense: For #4 & #7. I've been playing with it though.

Origins Organics Purifying Tonic: So I'm sure everyone knows my skin sob story. Good news is it has been getting better, but I've still haven't been able to get rid of the bumps on my cheeks. They're deep down & the cleanser's I've been using, while good, just are not cutting it. I've only been using this for a few days, so the jury is still out. Thus far I like it...the smell is amazing. I'll post an in depth review once I've decided how I feel about it.
MAC See Sheer Lipstick: found this suggestion through a youtuber. I am IN LOVE & this may possibly be my favorite MAC lipstick yet. The color is great & it feels somewhat moisturizing.

NOT PICTURED:

L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in Black Brown: Thus far, this seems like a good replacement to Diorshow & at a fraction of the price. I accidentally picked up black brown when I meant to get black though. I do love the black brown, but I'll have to test out the black to be sure I like the color pay off before I can declare it a favorite for sure. I also want to try the Prestige My Blackest Lashes as I hear it's quite amazing before I announce my Diorshow replacement (not that I'll stop purchasing Diorshow though).
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser: This has replaced all of my other cleanser's with the exception of Bioderma, in an effort to get that last bit of skin cleared out. It's a soap free cleanser, so there is no foaming. It's super gentle & doesn't make your skin worse or better. So thus far my skin care is this, Bioderma (which I LOVE) & the Origins Purifying Tonic. No more, no less. I'll post an updated skin care routine once I figure this out.
Clear Eyes Redness Relief: My eyes have felt sore lately & I hate when the look red & feel dry. So I got this to help out.

2011-11-08T10:41:00.000-06:00

Things have been rather silent lately on the handbook & I just wanted to give you all a quick little update. The past week and a half have been rather crazy. My computer broke down on me at a point when I was very busy with a few free lance projects, it was my nephews 2nd birthday & to top it all off, I got sick.

I just got my computer back yesterday & I'm keeping a close eye on it, because there's a slim chance I may need to take it back into the shop. I hope not. Needless to say, I am VERY far behind on several things, not just the blog. So, everyone please bear with me & hopefully I'll be able to get back to posting somewhat regularly soon. I do have a some posts that were planned before my computer crapped out on me, I just need to put them together.

Happy Birthday Moose!

2011-10-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

Drinking tea on the patio with Auntie is a favorite of his.

Cheesy smile & Mexican food

Even in the ER this kid is a champ

Grocery shopping with Mimi & auntie is not a favorite of his, but he can be tamed with tea.

First friday art trails with mommy & auntie

chocolate & smiles with auntie

This is my Moose. His name is Noah Laine & today he turns 2 years old. Yes, this kid is lucky enough to have Halloween as his birthday. He is the light of my life & the only man that has succeeded in capturing 100% of my heart other than my two daddies. Noah is my little sister's son & she's a single mom & also happens to be my best friend. My mom & I are helping her raise him & we love every single second with him. This past year he gave us a couple of scares because turns out he is part of a small percentage of children that when their fever spikes quickly it can give him a seizure. That sent us on a couple of visits to the ER because we didn't know what it was & seeing a baby have a seizure is a VERY scary thing. Some of you may have seen pictures of him on here, on my twitter or facebook. Even though he's only 2 now, he's a pretty cool human being. I spend lots of time with him since my sister & I alternate our work schedule so one of us can always watch him. He loves music, he likes to dance, he's becoming a tea connoisseur (I mean it, he loves earl grey & Irish breakfast tea...it's a little bazaar), he loves to help with everything & watch you cook. He likes to cuddle up & watch movies & eat popcorn. He's a bit scared of storms & especially likes to cuddle when there is one. He's my cardio & weight training almost every day. He makes me laugh & makes me smile when I'm having a bad day. I love this kid with all of my heart & just wanted to say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOOSE FROM DEEDEE!!

Braid Series: The Rope Braid

2011-10-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

close up of the Rope Braid

Image from the day I filmed the tutorial

The Braid Series

2011-10-29T15:12:00.000-05:00

I hear so many say that they wished they knew how to braid or that they would do a certain style if they knew how to braid. That's always seemed to be a somewhat shocking statement to me. I guess since I've had long hair most of my life braiding has always been such a staple to my hair that it never occurred to me that it may not be to others or that they may not have ever learned how to braid. So, this is my attempt at helping. I will be starting a braid series where I will demonstrate how to do the most commonly seen & the easiest of braids out there: the 3 strand braid, the rope braid, the fishtail & the french braid (all pictured above). I wear all of these (with the exception of the french braid) very often & they're an easy way to make it look like I put some thought & effort into my hair when in reality all I was trying to do was get it out of my face. Although I don't really wear the french braid much, I'm including it because there are several other things I do with my hair that require knowing how to french braid. So I'll do that tutorial as a reference because I do feel that everyone should at least know how to. Look out for these tutorials coming soon!

NOTD: Butter London Yummy Mummy

2011-10-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

No surprise that it's a Butter London color. This is one of my favorite fall colors. It's not really a nude color, it's not really grey....it's just plain awesome! Today's lovely shade is Butter London's Yummy Mummy. It compliment's OPI's You Don't Know Jacques! Very well. Yummy Mummy is on my finger's & You Don't Know Jacques! is on my toes.

FOTD 10.20.2011

2011-10-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

Face:
MAC Select Cover-up in NW20
Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Setting Powder
Rimmel Blush in Peach (discontinued)

Lips:
Benefit Full Finish Lipstick in Lady's Choice
Lancome Juicy Tube in Midsummer's Dream (discontinued)

Eye's:
MAC e/s in: Retrospeck, White Wheat (LE), Inventive (LE), Caviar Dreams (LE)
Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in 004 Black Brown
Sania Kashuk Eyeliner in Iced Coffee 024
DiorShow Mascara in 090 Black
all LE's are limited edition's & discontinued I think.

Clothes:
Plum Tanktop Mossimo
Denim Pearl Snap Gap
Cocktail Ring F21

Nails: Butter London Yummy Mummy

Halloween

2011-10-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

I wasn't planning on going to any halloween parties outside of my nephews second birthday party (halloween is the day of his birth the lucky duck!), but after revealing that to some friends...it was decided that I would IN FACT be going to a Halloween party. That left me with trying to figure out a last minute costume on a TIGHT budget. When I consider Halloween costumes, I do it differently than most girls. Most want something that's showy & sexy...I want something comfortable & warm. Thus, I've decided to be Amelia Earhart. I'll be as historically accurate as possible, but considering that I'm on a budget I'll probably not be too successful at that. As long as the point comes across though. The goal is that I buy as little as possible & whatever I buy is only things that I will re-use in the future. So I won't reveal any more particular's than that because, let's face it, I'm still not too sure of many of them myself. BUT, I will try to document them to the best of my abilities & maybe do a costume feature or tutorial...We'll see.

**The images above are one's that I've pulled from a simple google search as reference in my costume venture. I actually do not have the sources for any of them as I was not anticipating doing this post. If you happen to know the sources, please let me know & I will correct them.

DIY: Gibson Roll

2011-10-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

The Gibson Roll is a pretty iconic hairstyle & also seems pretty daunting if you've never tackled it before. Never fear, it's easier than it seems. Here's my tutorial on the style. I'll warn that since my hair is dark it may be a little hard to tell exactly what I am doing. I hope it translates well.

DIY: Hair Turband

2011-10-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

Makeup:
MAC Select Cover-up in NW20
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-2
MAC Strobe Cream
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Black Brown
MAC Morange Lipstick

As I've stated before, I love vintage silk scarves. I never really knew what to do with them, but alas I have figured out a stylish way to wear them. The small one's I twist into bracelets [seen here] & the large one's I tie into Turband's. Now I thought of filming my own tutorial on this, but there's a few out there already that are so good I just decided to share those with you instead. If it isn't broke...don't fix it.

source

First up is LEAF's, video on tying a turband in 3 different ways. Done by the lovely & ever stylish Geri Hirsch.

source

Then there's Keiko Lynn's tutorial. Full tutorial here.

Back to Basics Skincare

2011-10-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Finally, I'm telling my horrific skin story from this summer. I've given away bits & pieces of it here & there. Like I've stated (& even illustrated!) I've never had perfect skin, but I've also never had crazy break-out skin either...that is of course until I made a somewhat ridiculously brain dead mistake this summer. It was the end of June, start of July...around that time & I decided to switch my entire face routine...ALL OF A SUDDEN. I mean EVERYTHING: Foundation, face wash, toner, moisturizer...all sorts of stuff. I don't know what came over me. I went on the hunt for a new face wash. I did a trial kit with one brand, which lasted for 2 weeks, then when I went to purchase the full sizes of that...there was no one at that counter, so my brain dead self went to a completely different counter & purchased a full size skin care routine with products & a brand I had never tried before. At the same time, I up & purchased a new foundation to boot. Needless to say, my skin went berserk! Please, no one tell me why...I'm completely aware of the stupid mistake I made & I learned a valuable lesson from it. I promise. SO...what did I do? I stopped everything new I had purchased & went back to a face wash that I had used in the past & loved...Korres White Tea Facial Fluid Gel Cleanser. I also added a Micellar cleansing water. I started out using the Caudalie one, but I have since switched to Bioderma (you can read about that here). Once a week I use a Biore pore strip for my nose.

Organic Honey & 100% natural fine ground mediterranean sea salt

Somewhere between once a week & every other day I use a Sea Salt & Honey Face mask that I make myself (for more information on why, go here).

While all of the above was great & managed to work some serious wonders on my skin, I was noticing that my cheeks were drying out. The cleansing water I use does have some moisturizing properties to it, but not enough for my cheeks. I didn't want to throw a moisturizer into the mix because the rest of my skin is pretty oily. So I opted to add a cleanser. I didn't switch cleanser's, I just added a cleanser. About a month ago I had started doing a double cleanse at night's, so now I use one cleanser for the first cleanse & the other cleanser for the second cleanse. I decided to stick with a brand I know works for me & chose to add the Korres Milk Proteins 3 in 1 Cleansing Toning & eye-makeup Removing Emulsion (that's a mouthful). I have only been using this addition for close to 2 weeks now & thus far I do love it. It has helped to balance out the moisture, but only time will tell if it's a keeper.

I have a few products that I've used in the past that worked & I liked that I want to add back into my routine, but I'm not letting myself just yet. I want to wait until I've used everything I listed above together for at least 2 weeks & I don't have any added irritation before I do that. Once I get my skin back to normal & get a full routine back on track, I'll post about that.

**For information on my skin & skin type, go here.

DIY: Messy French Style Braided Bun

2011-10-22T13:09:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite ways to wear my hair. I was watching my nephew when I filmed this, so he's bouncing around in the background. No worries, he was very closely watched the whole time & I edited out all of the me chasing him around & what not.

Cheap Favorites

2011-10-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

1. Baby Shampoo: Any kind, any brand. I use this to do deep brush cleanings. It's gentle enough for the bristles & your skin.

2. Baby Wipes: I use these for so many things. I use them to do spot cleaning on my brushes between cleanses, to clean my makeup, to wipe the excess makeup off my hands from swatching & application...I truly can't count how many different ways I use these.

3. Johnson's Baby Creamy Oil: This is super gentle & a great skin moisturizer.

4. Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap Pure Castille Soap: Another multi-functional product. I use it to clean out sample pots, sometimes to clean makeup brushes & even sometimes to clean my face. That's rare though since this does tend to be somewhat drying for my face.

5. Cotton Products: Q tips, cotton balls, cotton ovals, cotton squares. You name it, I've probably got it. Great for taking makeup off, putting makeup on...

6. Essie FEED ME Nail Treatment: A great hydrator for dry nails.

7. Hand Sanitizer: I like to sanitize my hands before putting makeup on, or taking it off. I'll also keep the wipes around to clean my phone screen with them.

8. Neosporin: Had a TERRIBLE breakout over the summer & one spot in particular that was just so painful & bloody. Neosporin was the only thing that would get rid of it. Not benzoly peroxide, not salicylic acid...neosporin. I checked acne.org & it is safe for skin on your face. I don't think it necessarily got rid of the pimple itself, but it made it less painful, prevented a horrendous scar & probably kept anything else from popping up.

9. Sonia Kashuk Oil Blotting Sheets: They're really plain jane oil sheets, but don't have any powdery residue. They simply take the shine away from your face without taking away makeup or adding anything else to your face.

10. Bobby Pins: With long hair, these are my best friends. I have a bagillion of them. Some large, some small, all equally awesome & life saving.

11. Carmex: Probably one of my holy grails. While I have several lip products I love, this is amazing for getting rid of severely chapped lips. I'll put this on with my favorite lip liner for a simple lip look that's not high maintenance. Yes, I keep a jar of it in my vanity area & a tube in my purse...so sue me.

Samples

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Samples. Everyone loves free samples, but other than being free, these little ditties are very handy. I wanted to give a few reasons why you should get samples & LOVE them.

The obvious one: they're FREE.
It's a good way to test out products without making the big plunge by purchasing them. You really don't want to buy a $50 foundation only to later find out that it'll break you out & you can't return it.
Have you had the packaging to a product you loved break? The product itself is fine, but you no longer have a lid to it (or something of the sort). De-pot it or de-package it & put it in an empty (clean & sterile ladies) sample pot. I've used this for 2 lip balms, a deluxe sample of a hair product I loved & a deluxe sample of an eye cream. No wasting here.
When I put on my foundation/tinted moisturizer, I squeeze it out on the back of my hand. Sometimes I squeeze out too much. In that case, I put the excess in an empty sample pot.
They're also great for travel if you don't want to take a full size product, disperse what you need in a sample pot, label it & throw it in your bag.

I hope all of that made sense. Most cosmetic counter's are rather generous with samples. Sephora is also a great place for samples & I like their sample pots best for using later. Once you've emptied the sample product, just cleanse the pot with soap (Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap is my favorite) & sterilize with either an alcohol wipe or soak in alcohol.

My Skin

2011-10-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

This is my face. I've said before that I think that skin care is a pretty big deal & I wasn't lying. This past summer, my face went through some serious issues & I wanted to share that here on the blog & things I've been doing to help my skin. I didn't want the post to be hellaciously long, but I did want it to be informative. Thus, I decided to tell you about my skin before I went into an actual skin care regime. So below I made two informational graphics for you all.

I have combination skin. My t-zone is oily & pretty annoying. My cheeks tend to be on the dry side & everywhere else is usually pretty normal.

I've always had issues with breakouts, but my problem areas were usually between my eyes, on my chin & occasionally on/around my nose. I wouldn't say that I've had severe acne issues at all, if anything MAYBE mild acne, but saying that might even be overkill. Since this summer though, I've started getting breakouts on my cheeks & forehead. Places I've bever had issues with before. I also have rather bad dark circles & some issues with bags under my eyes. These are due to allergies, genetics & my insomnia.

I have discovered that my skin reacts best with natural products. The more natural, the more my skin likes it. My skin could be considered somewhat sensitive. I react easily to skin care products, but have noticed that it's not as bad with makeup products. So I can change my face wash & I'll break out, but if I change my foundation, I'll rarely break out (only bad reaction to foundation to date is mineral makeup...I hate it, it was terrible).

I'm not sure if anyone will actually be able to take anything away from this post, but I do think that it'll be important to have this information out there so when I talk skin care it'll be easier to understand the choices I've made for my skin & if any of it will be able to help you.

**I am not a dermatologist or skin specialist of any kind. Anything I post about skin care is from my own personal experience, research & due to my specific skin. I do hope that I can help others with questions they may have about their skin or certain products.

Missoni For Target

2011-10-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

source

Missoni for Target has been HUGE since it launched. I had my eye on those scarves, but by the time I made it to my target...they were no where to be found. I pushed it aside & thought I'd never get anything from the line. I love Missoni. Everything they do is amazing, but let's be honest...out of everything that was left at my local Target, I couldn't find anything that was practical for me. That is of course until I stumbled upon these beauties (^). This is called a 3 piece platter or puzzle platter. I went to Target looking for something completely different (Twinning's Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea if you must know) & walked away with these instead. I know that they're meant for food, but I thought they'd be functional for so many other things instead, of course I can always use them for food in the future. So here's what I did with them.

This one is on my makeup table, displaying some frequently used products & such.

This one's on my bedside table as a catch all for things like bobby pins, matches, remotes, etc.

This one holds cotton pads on my bathroom sink.

So, thank you Missoni for allowing me to display & organize my junk in a more fashionable fashion. Oh & thank you local Target for having 2 of these in stock...if there were more I'm not sure I would've purchased them.

Cleansing Water Overview

2011-10-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Bioderma Crealine H20 & Caudalie Cleansing Water

Cleansing waters. Have you heard of them? I just recently heard of them at the start of the summer. I was originally planning on doing 2 separate reviews on each product, but instead I opted for an overview of cleansing water's as a whole & the 2 I've tried. I decided to try these out after I had heard about them because they're super gentle cleanser's & at the time my skin had just gone crazy & I was breaking out. Supposedly, these are so gentle that virtually no one has any kind of bad reaction to them. My skin is slightly sensitive & what I would describe as moody. Long story short...I LOVE THIS!

Both of these are Micellar solutions. Which is something highly scientific that I'm not sure I understand. I'll put the link to the wikipedia article about it so you can check it out for yourself here.

I started out using the Caudalie cleansing water because it is much more easily available in the states. Both are French brands, but Caudalie has developed into a more international brand while Bioderma seems to be exclusive to France. Not saying you can't get Bioderma in the states (obviously ^), it is just MUCH harder to track down. Bioderma is a cult product for makeup artists because of how gentle it is & the amount of models they work on, they can't predict what type of skin each model will have. Makes sense. If you watch any of the professional makeup artists videos on youtube, you'll hear most of them say that they stock up on as much of it as they possibly can every time they're in France. I did not go to France to get this bottle. I opted for the much more accessible Amazon.

Now here's the comparison: they're both incredibly similar, although I would have to say that the Bioderma is my preference at this point in time (I haven't been using it long, so I can't say 100% for sure, but I'm about 95% positive it will remain my favorite). Bioderma seems to give you a deeper clean. Also, price wise the Bioderma was a better option. Caudalie retails at $26 USD (not including shipping & handling or tax) for 200mL while I was able to purchase my Bioderma from Amazon for $36.49 USD (this includes shipping & handling) for 500mL. That's more that double the amount you get in the Caudalie one for less than $10 more. With both products I've had no bad reaction & they're incredible.

How to use them: everyone has different ways they use cleansing water's, but the most universal way is as a makeup remover. I'm sure you could probably use it as your cleanser period, but I don't. I use it more as an eye makeup remover & toner. After I've done my cleanse at night, I'll sweep this on all over my face, neck & behind my ears to get any excess junk off or residue any other products may have left behind. To get my eye makeup off, I'll soak a cotton pad with it & hold over my eye for a little while & gentle swipe off my eye makeup, no rubbing required. Just hold it down for a little bit & it'll get it all off. Vigorous rubbing can cause you to damage the skin around your eye & lead to possible earlier signs of aging...eww!

Final verdict: These are worth every penny. For now, I'll be sticking with the Bioderma as long as I can find it on Amazon. If for some reason I can't though, I have no problem going back to the Caudalie one. Oh, & if by chance I ever do make it to France, I'll be stocking up on it while I'm there. If you work for Bioderma & you're reading this...PLEASE MAKE THIS PRODUCT AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF FRANCE!

NOTE: Bioderma has recently changed the name of this product. It is now called Bioderma Sensibio H2O.

The Amazon seller I purchased from: Dermthings (they currently do not have any of the cleansing water at the moment, but this seller was FABULOUS. I got this order quicker than I've been receiving my Sephora order's the past 6 months)

Other Amazon seller's you can just search for Bioderma Crealine H2O or Bioderma Sensibio H2O as well.

Bioderma website no purchasing options available.

If you manage to find another site that stocks this for the U.S. please let me know!

The Caudalie Cleansing Water can be found at any Sephora that sells Caudalie or any store that sells Caudalie. It's also easy to find online.

Spirit in Flight by Gypsy

2011-10-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

*All photo's in this post are the property of Daeja Fallas & courtesy of Gypsy*

I've posted items by Gypsy on this blog before (here) & I'll continue to post every time a new collection is launched. There is absolutely NOTHING I can say badly about this brand. I am in love with it in so many ways. It is actually a wonder to me why I don't own a single item from this brand, but I think it's because I'm on a tight budget. I will try to rectify this situation as soon as I possibly can.

This brand embodies pretty much everything I expect from lingerie. Practical, comfortable, unique, yet completely sexy in a subtle way. Not to mention the styling of the photo shoots is so beautiful. Each piece is 100% handmade by the designer herself in Hawaii. How lush.

FIND GYPSY

website | blog | shop

DIY: Twin Maiden Braids

2011-10-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

I decided to do a tutorial on this because although it's pretty easy to do, it's pretty difficult to explain & tends to be one of those "Ooooohh, that's easier than I thought it was going to be" hair do's. It's pretty much like the milk maid braids/heidi braids/princess Leia braids...whatever you'd like to call them except double. It's easy & comfortable. For people with long &/or thick hair, it distributes weight evenly meaning less headaches for you! Hope you like it!

DIY: Twisted Scarf Bracelet

2011-10-14T21:25:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things at thrift or vintage stores is square handkerchief's/scarves. The only problem is, that I didn't know what to do with them once I purchased them. I figured it out. I twist them up & wrap them around my wrist to make a statement bracelet that's not big & gaudy, but comfortable. I do twist it up a certain way to keep the tag from sticking out of it & the corner's from sticking out in random places.

I made a video for this one on my old digital camera (thought it'd be the easiest way to show you how it's done), so the quality is pretty bad. I'm hoping to get a new camera, but for now any video tutorials will either be done with this camera or the camera on my imac, which I actually prefer. Hope this was useful & inspiring!

NOTD: OPI You Don't Know Jacques!

2011-10-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

1 coat Essie Feed Me treatment, 1 coat Butter London Nail Foundation, 2 coats OPI You Don't Know Jacques!, 1 coat L'Oreal Paris Top Coat

I discovered this color at the end of last summer. I know that it is an OPI cult product & rightfully so. I love dark nails for the fall (in the fall I either have nude/neutral nails, dark nails or red nails), this is perfect. It's the "I'm kind of craving black nail polish, but not" color for me. I live in a warm climate area of the country, so fall here at the moment feels a bit like most other area's summer. Today our high was 84 degree's F & low of 63 degree's F. That's with a cold front mind you. So I'm still lounging around in summer wardrobe, this is a good transitional shade for me. Not to mention, this is a lovely shade period. Doesn't matter what time of the year it is. OPI also has pretty good formulation. I don't have problems with chipping for a while & it goes on smoothly. It's a no brainer as to why people rave about this all over the internet.

Review: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles

2011-10-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've said before that I'm always on the lookout for products to help me with my dark circles & puffiness. I loved the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller & still do, but I think I may have just found my holy grail eye concealer.

I found out about this product from the MakeupByTiffanyD youtube channel. Lately, I find everything on youtube. Anyways, when she was describing the product it reminded me of the Garnier roller ball that I've been loving with one exception...she claimed it didn't crease. Hmmm...that is my one big complaint about my Garnier roller ball. I mean I love it so much that I was willing to deal with it, but when she said that I just had to give it a shot. Worse case scenario I'd be at the same point & best case I'd find something life changing...well eye changing at least. Oh & I have. This, my loves, is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles. I'm going to try to not do too much comparison with the other product as I'd like to do a separate post for that & just high light the product here.

This is a slightly creamy texture & the puffy applicator helps to distribute the product with little mess & without tugging on the delicate skin. This comes in a variety of shades (mine is light 120) & also has a neutralizer & brightener included within the line. I'm curious about those. Ok, so I know I may tease about getting older, but the fact remains that I'm not that old really at a whopping 25 years old. So why, you may ask, am I using an age rewind concealer? Well, let me tell you. I may be young, but I am getting to an age where I need to be considering anti-aging things now. I also have a good amount of puffiness in my eye area so I tend to get bags under my eyes, thus causing my concealer (no matter how amazing) to crease. I hate that. This product is made to settle into fine lines & wrinkles without creasing or at least with minimal creasing. It's formulated with Giji Berry + Haloxy which give a refreshing treatment to the eye causing puffiness to go down. Below are pictures of the application & after I've had it on for a bit. Thus far I have found that while it's not a completely creaseless concealer for me, it's pretty damn close as it does take quite a while before creases appear & even then they're not that bad. I have heard other's rave about this product though & said that for them there was no creasing. I would recommend it to someone looking for a good concealer for the under eye area.

APPLICATION

bare skin

dabbed on with applicator

blended in with finger tips

AND...

this is the product 4 HOURS LATER!

OOTD...Blue Fall

2011-10-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Tutorial of this coming soon.

Twin Maiden Braids...Tutorial also coming soon.

I'm not one to do outfit posts & I can't tell you for sure if this will become a regular thing or not, but today I was inspired. Mainly since the other day I made what may possibly be THE purchase of the fall for me. That blue skirt. It's perfection, so comfortable & incredibly versatile. As I didn't have any major plans next to a few small errands & a tea outside with my adorable nephew, I kept it simple. No fancy accessories & super simple makeup (that's also because I was feeling a bit lazy to be truthful).

Skirt: Forever 21

Tank Top: Express (ages ago)

Bandeau: Aerie

Sweater: Thrifted

Belt: Forever 21
Bracelet: vintage twisted scarf (tutorial coming soon)

Shoes: (not pictured) Steve Madden

FACE:

(Nothing fancy AT ALL)

MAC Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15 in Light

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles in 20 Light

MAC Select Cover Up in NW20

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in 004 Black Brown

Sonia Kashuk Brow Gel

Diorshow Waterproof Mascara in 090 (black)

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Balm in Portofino

Nails: OPI You Don't Know Jacques!

Review: Garnier Skin Renew Anti Dark Circle Roller

2011-10-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

One of my big beauty concerns when it comes to makeup is my dark circles. Part of it is due to the fact that I tend to not get much sleep another part of it is due to allergies & a large part of it is due to genetics. I know I'll never be able to get them to go away, so I'm always on the hunt for things that will help me to conceal them & deal with them. Enter Garnier Skin Renew Anti Dark Circle Roller. I first learned about this product from the A Model Recommends Youtube channel. My eyes always feel tired, even if I get enough sleep. They're always puffy. I was intrigued by the idea of this product & thought I'd give it a shot since it isn't too pricey (retails at about $13 in the states). It's an eye care & concealer all in one. It contains caffeine, lemon essence & mineral pigments.

It does what it claims to do. The metal roller ball fells so refreshing on your eye as you roll the product on & doesn't tug at the skin at all. It's sheer, so it blends pretty easily. I hear that outside of the states (the UK for sure) it comes in a few shades, whereas here it's just one shade, so if you don't match that one shade you're out of luck. There's a version without concealer in it, but I haven't tried that one so I can't tell you much about it.

There are some cons to the product. As you can tell from the 2 images above, it's a bit of a watery consistency. That's not too bad if you're good with blending & easy on product distribution. But even so, it can get a bit messy. As stated before, there is no shade variety, so if you don't match it, you can't use it. Luckily, I match it okay. All in all though, I think the pros heavily out weigh the cons. It is refreshing & it does conceal. Below I'm posting application pictures to show you how it covers. Be warned you'll be seeing my eye sans makeup. Up to this point I have been using this product for over a month.

APPLICATION

No Makeup on under eye

Rolled on, not blended

Blended with finger tips.

Butter London Overview

2011-10-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

Butter London Nail Foundation | Sorry about the fuzziness of the photo. Thought it was crisper on camera.

I've expressed my love for the brand Butter London several times before. There's a good reason other than the fact that I'm nail obsessed. I found the brand over a year ago through...Rachel Zoe...maybe?? I don't remember exactly. I have been on the hunt for I don't know how long for that perfect nude color. Not too sheer, not too opaque. I was also looking for a good base coat for my nails as well. Thus, the Butter London Nail Foundation. It was love at first use. Sometimes I wear this baby by itself as it's own polish rather than just a base coat, but as a base coat...it's heaven. It prevents staining & it has a satin finish which allows other polishes to glide on smoothly. This was my gateway drug to the Butter London line. I then purchased numerous polishes...& I mean numerous.

L to R: Yummy Mummy, The Full Monty, Come to Bed Red, Artful Dodger, Queen Vic, Macbeth, Jaffa

As you can see I've acquired a good portion on the collection & most of them will be re-purchases for me as well. The color selection is smaller than some of the bigger named brands such as OPI & Essie, but still incredibly unique. The fact that the collection is smaller seems to highlight the colors better for me. I can stand in front of the OPI or Essie sections of my beauty store & hum & hah for a good while & end up not walking away with anything because I just couldn't decide between the 5 similar shades. Butter London is a whole different story. There's not many colors in the collection that are too similar therefore I have to restrain myself from walking away with 5 completely different colors. I obviously love the line period, but I do have a few negatives. Firstly, price. The nail foundation will set you back $18...I think it's a rather good investment, but I am on the look out for a product that will do the job for a cheaper price. If it were just a tab bit cheaper, I'd be loyal to the end. The actual polishes themselves will set you back a whopping $14 a piece...gasp! Secondly, while the packaging is lovely & chic, I feel like I'm not getting much product for the price & you're not really. OPI polishes retail at about $9.50 for 15mL, while Butter London's retail for $14 for 11mL. I've limited myself to only buying Butter London polishes ONLY if I can not find a dupe for that color within another brand or equal quality such as OPI or Essie. I'm Eager to try out the Nails Inc. London line that has just launched in the states with Sephora. It seems to be somewhat similar to Butter London with the same price tag as OPI. I would also love it if the Model's Own line would launch in the states...they do ship internationally, but it costs an arm & leg...neither of which I can spare at the moment. I do have a friend in London for the semester, maybe I'll ask her to bring some back for me...IDEA! The Brits are obviously on to something with nail care...not to mention beauty in general!

NOTD: Come to Bed Red

2011-10-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

1 coat of Essie Millionails, 1 coat of Butter London Nail Foundation & 2 coats of Butter London's Come to Bed Red

Anyone who has even remotely followed this blog is acquainted with a few things...1. I am a nail snob & must have my nails in good condition at all times & 2. I'm obsessed with the nail line Butter London. A probably much less known fact is that my favorite color is red. So this is a match made in Dani's nail heaven. I present to you all Butter London's Come to Bed Red. The most perfect classy shade of red you can imagine. This color has cemented itself as a permanent share holder in my polish collection. I will never be without a bottle of this near by...in my house I mean, not on my persons at all time. This is a staple year round, but it definitely gets a lot of miles on it's tires in the fall & winter. Apologies for the quality of the photo it was taken in bad lighting, so I did the best I could & tried to get the color to show up as true as possible.

[as always, if you're curious about a product mentioned, click on the name of it & you'll be directed to more information &/or purchasing options]

Hair Care: The Basics

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

I get several questions about my hair & to be fair, I prefer working with my hair to working with my skin. It's healthier & much less temperamental. More on my skin later, today I'm talking hair. So one of the questions I get asked the most is how do you keep your hair looking healthy? It all starts with the bare basics of hair care & how you treat your hair. What you wash it with, how you wash it & the product you put in it.

My #1 rule is that I do NOT color my hair. I used to go in for glazing (a semi-permanent color that slowly washes out) at the very end of summer to get any brassy tones my hair may have acquired over the summer due to the sun, but I don't even do that any more. I discovered the Aveda Black Malva shampoo & conditioner that does the same thing with out the damages. I know lots of people like to color their hair & I don't look down on anyone who does. Heck, my sister colors her hair at least once a month & still manages to have insanely GORGEOUS hair!

Rule #2 is I usually wash my hair only once a week. I know that sounds gross, but according to several hair pros out there, the longer your hair is, the less you need to wash it. The theory is that the natural oils your hair produces are really good for it & the longer your hair is the longer is takes the oils to distribute throughout your hair. Since I've been doing this, I've seen a HUGE difference. When you wash your hair you are taking oil away from it. If you wash it constantly you are stripping away it's natural oils that are good for it. It depends on the time of year & what I'm doing as to how closely I follow this rule. In the winter when it's drier sometimes I can even manage to go a little longer than a week between washings. In the summer time when I sweat more from either running or just simply the heat I'll wash probably every 5 days or so. I'll use dry shampoo on days that my hair looks a little oily or to freshen it up between washings. My mother recently converted to this rule & believes it really does work.

Current Hair Care Products

Don't skimp on products. Drug store shampoo's tend to not be good for your hair & will strip it's oils badly. Conditioner's you have a little lee-way. I try to keep a good conditioner on hand, but if my budget is tight, I will skimp a bit.

Always use a heat protectant & try to use products that are as natural as possible. I love the Aveda line & MOP line of products.

The shampure, the lemongrass lift & the sealed ends are all permanent products in my hair care routine. Normally, I use the Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Conditioner & I'd like to try out a few more heat protectants (although I do love this one, I'd like it in spray form) & I'm curious about Argan/Moroccan oil, but completely satisfied with the gloss I am using. I also will throw in the Black Malva line occasionally like I stated before. After I shower, I put the above listed products in my hair & either let it air dry or blow dry on a medium to low setting with my head flipped upside down for a bit. I don't let it dry all of the way, I just help it along if I'm in a rush to get someplace.

Let me know if this helps, what your favorite products are &/or if you have any hair treatments you swear by.

I'm planning on doing more in depth hair care such as styling products, techniques & treatments. Along with more DIY's.

Curious about some of these products? Click on the names of them & it will take you to a link with more information & purchasing.

Beauty School Confidential

2011-10-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

So I really want to post a skin care routine/review & some makeup things, but I'm making myself hold off for the time being. My skin is a mess & therefore my routine's are in flux a bit. (I'll tell the whole story another time.) They're starting to come together slowly, but as with anything that has to do with your skin, patience is a virtue. So while my skin is stabilizing & my routine's are falling into place, I'll avoid posting pictures of my skin & my fluctuating routine. In the meantime though, I thought I'd leave you some links to some lovely ladies that have helped me with my skin & makeup issues.

Sometimes I wonder if I actually missed my calling & should've gone to beauty school instead of art school, but then I remember that I'm probably too lazy to keep up with my appearance like a real makeup artist 24/7. Instead, most of the tips & tricks I've learned have been from professionals I've encountered & other enthusiasts along the way.

A Model Recommends [website] [youtube channel] United Kingdom | Makeup & Skincare

source

This is run by the lovely UK model Ruth Crilly.

Lisa Eldridge [website] [youtube channel] United Kingdom | Skincare & Makeup

source

Tanya Burr [website] [youtube channel] United Kingdom | Makeup

source

Other's I Highly Recommend:

Foxy Locks [website] [youtube channel] United Kingdom | Hair & Makeup

Sprinkle of Glitter [website] [youtube channel] United Kingdom | Makeup

SWalkerMakeup [website] [youtube channel] United Kingdom | Makeup

ThePersianBabe [website] [youtube channel] United Kingdom | Makeup & Fashion

Vivianna Does Makeup [website] [youtube channel] United Kingdom | Makeup & Fashion

Andrea's Choice [website] [youtube channel] United States | Skincare, Makeup & DIY's

The Beauty Department [website] [youtube channel] United States | Skincare, Makeup & Hair

Kandee Johnson [website] [youtube channel] United States | Makeup

Makeup by Mel [youtube channel] United States | Makeup

ttsandra [website] [youtube channel] Canada | Makeup & Skincare

lookunderhere [website] [youtube channel] Canada | Fashion & DIY's

LuxyHair [website] [youtube channel] Canada | Hair

I went ahead & put all of the youtube favorites, not just skincare & makeup. I also included a video. The 2 hair guru's tend to use extension's in their tutorial's since the both own their own hair extension line's, but I'd like to note I do not use hair extensions & still use their tutorials.

And that my friends is how you go to beauty school with youtube & blog's!

Back at it!

2011-09-30T13:40:00.000-05:00

Hey lovelies! It's been a long time & I must admit, I've missed this. By long time, I mean I haven't posted since... July?! I needed a break from the blog & honestly I didn't know where I was going with it or if I even wanted to continue, so I temporarily deleted it until I could decide for sure what I wanted to do with it. I kept my tumblr up & running thinking that it would curb my posting desire. (If you follow my tumblr, you'll know that it's mainly an inspirational exhibit of images, videos & music) I took a break from here & ended up kind of taking a break from twitter as well. The social media world was just something I wasn't sure about for a few months. I didn't know where my place was in it all & I didn't know where I wanted my place to be even.

During my break, I realized why I was having issues with this blog. It was unorganized & muddled as far as content goes. There was music, design, images, beauty, hair, fashion, randomness about my life... So here is what I've decided: this blog will purely be beauty, hair & fashion. I went through all of my previous posts & cleaned them up. I deleted anything that did not pertain to these topics. I also kept the sunday playlists because I'm not sure what I want to do with those yet. I really enjoy making those posts & they do seem to be popular. So, I will keep them up, but will not be posting any for the time being. If I get requests for them I will probably start them up again. You can find some music I like & visual inspiration I love on my tumblr & pinterest accounts. <-- Links are to your left. I will be starting up a design writing blog soon which will be linked through my tumblr. My design portfolio is also linked to my tumblr. So tumblr will purely be visual inspiration, design & some music. Pinterest is a mix of everything. THIS is just beauty, hair & fashion (maybe music again one day). Alright, did I confuse the hell out of anyone else other than myself?

On that note, I should say I am in no way a beauty professional or fashion stylist. I did not go to cosmetology school for anything. Anything that you see on here is either things I figured out on my own, I learned from a professional or just things that I personally like. So without further adieu...

Welcome to the NEW lazy girl's handbook!!!

NOTD: Moon Over Mumbai

2011-07-05T12:17:00.000-05:00

excuse the messy nail edges, I had just finished painting them & forgot to clean up my edges. I'll be taking care of that promptly. Oh, & this is a 3 coat application.

Anyone who has ever seen any posts I have done pertaining to nails knows that I am a FIEND for neutral/nude nail polishes. Last summer one of my favorite colors to wear was the Going Nude, Eh? that OPI created for Sephora. Who am I kidding, I still wear that color religiously! But, THIS summer one of my absolute favorites is OPI's Moon Over Mumbai. The website describes it as a "romantic shade of soft, moonlit grey." To me it looks like it may have a slight lavender tinge. I love the color because it keeps you guessing as to what it really is. In some lighting it looks milky, in other's it looks grey or lavender. I tried to take a variety of pictures of the polish on so you could get an idea of the different ways it can look.

Since it's summer & it's hot & dry...at least in my neck of the woods (they put a fire ban on us & wouldn't allow fireworks at all for fourth of July...bummer)...I've been having issues with dry & cracking nails. I've been trying out two different nail treatments, both from Essie. The Essie Feed Me treatment is an intense hydration treatment. The second is the Essie Millionails, which is the first step in a three step nail strengthening treatment. You actually cannot get this through the Essie website, the only place I've found it is at Ulta. I prefer the Feed Me treatment as does make my nails feel REALLY hydrated, but it hasn't been a great base coat thus far, causing my polishes to bubble up. The Millionails is a great base coat & has added strength to my nails, but the hydration hasn't changed much. So I use both products. When I don't have a polish on, I put a coat of the Feed Me on daily. When I decide I want color on my nails, I use the millionails as my base coat. Sorry, didn't mean to do a full review on these things, just wanted to say that the Moon Over Mumbai is a great summer nail color.

Today I Heart: Sea by Gypsy

2011-06-29T12:07:00.001-05:00

All Images copyright Daeja Fallas & courtesy of Gypsy.

So it's been a while since I've posted a "Today I Heart" Post. When I got the email about the first addition to the new Gypsy swim collection, it made my heart pitter-patter to the point that I just couldn't resist the urge to post it. I'm really picky about swim wear. I want something that's cute, but not overly cute & the most important aspect of a swim suit to me is being able to move & function in it. Which is why I tend to go for one pieces or the surfing brands of bikini's such as Roxy. Don't let that full you though, I'm no surfer. The Gypsy line is handmade in Hawaii by the designer herself. This beach wear is subtle, simple & elegant all at once. The designer also offers a variety of undies that are oh so cute! Go here to check out Gypsy's website & here to view her shop.

OH, and you best believe that I'll be saving my pennies to get this swim suit!

How to: The Dalmatian Mani

2011-06-07T15:21:00.000-05:00

Rimmel's Black Satin & Essie's Marshmallow. Ring from Aldo. Leg's paper white.

I found inspiration for this manicure in the most recent Glamour magazine. Yes, I get Glamour...I have an achilles heel for the how-to do anything better guides they have each issue. It's the chocolate cake for my inner girly fatty. Anyways, it's straight forward & simple. Paint one finger a light color & all of the other fingers a dark color. I used Black & White. F.Y.I, I tried it the reverse way & it looked funny to me, so I stuck with it like this. Of course, Glamour being a fashion magazine, they recommended using some nail polish brands that seemed like they would cost ump-teen dollars. I just used Rimmel & Essie.

Image found here, but I think it's originally from here

Here's another example of different colored nails. Yes, I'll be trying this one out one day soon-ish. Probably different colors though.

Wardrobe Inspiration

2011-04-30T10:31:00.000-05:00

source

Here's some wardrobe inspiration I've been looking at lately. I feel like my wardrobe is going through a bit of a re-vamp...a re-vamp on a budget, let me clarify. Enjoy the photo's & please share any wardrobe inspiration you've got!

Today I heart...Brvtvs

2011-04-27T08:47:00.007-05:00

Brvtvs owner & designer Caroline Ventura

Detail of the Caesar Necklace | 155

Detail of Calpurnia Bracelet | 110

Detail of Claudia Bracelet | 110

Detail of Senate Bracelets | 38

Brvtvs (pronounced Brutus) is a jewelry line that I stumbled upon by reading one of every one's favorite blog's, A Cup of Jo. Every singe piece in this line epitomizes how I feel about jewelry. I tend to be pretty minimal. I like simple & classic lines. I like to have some statement jewelry pieces, but truthfully I don't tend to wear them a whole lot because I feel too "done up." Usually when it comes to the jewelry department, I like it simple yet wow inducing. Like this line. EVERY LITTLE THING I POSTED ON HERE (& even everything I didn't post that's in her shop)...I WANT IT ALL!! I could wear this jewelry all of the time. Everyday of every week, of every month. That's how much I love it. I'm swooning over it all & really hope that one day I can add some of this to my collection soon. Since my budget is super tight at the moment I might only be able to squeeze a senate bracelet in...sad, but I'll take it!

This line mixes beautiful minimalism, great craftsmanship & Roman history all into one. It's definitely feels like it was custom built for me, although I know it really wasn't...I like to think it was in my head.

Visit the site & please indulge...actually, indulge a little extra for me.

**All images courtesy of the Brvtvs site.

Big Mistake...I Fell in Love...

2011-04-21T18:50:00.001-05:00

With a pair of sunglasses...

source

I didn't mean to. It happened on accident. I stopped by sunglass hut to ask about getting my pair of Rayban aviator's I bought several years ago adjusted....then I spotted these. On a whim, I asked if I could try them on. I did...AND THEY'RE A DREAM!!!! Fit like a glove, perfect size, everything! Then I saw they were PRADA & then the price tag...my heart fell to my feet. I'm on a tight budget right now & it's only getting tighter, soooo I really need to avoid these. It'll be rough & you better believe that I'll constantly be trying to find a way to budget for these, but NO, I CAN'T! I'm really trying to convince myself of this huh? I thought I'd share these beauties with everyone that way if there is someone out there fortunate enough to get them for themselves...knock yourself out! And perhaps you could send me a pair while you're at it....I TEASE!!!

Oh, and if you are by chance seriously interested in them, you can purchase them here

Today I heart...Garance Dore

2011-04-20T16:16:00.005-05:00

Garance Dore | Photo by Scott Schuman via Garance Dore

**All of the above images (with the exception of the top image) is the property of Garance Dore.**

This is the work of Garance Dore. Not only is this woman stunningly beautiful, but she's also an amazingly talented photographer AND illustrator. Illustration has never been my strong suit, but seeing Garance's illustration work makes me wish I could make images the way she does. Also, I love her hand writing. I have a thing for hand writing...& her's is enviable to say the least. If you don't know who Garance is, you should. She's a growing influence in the fashion world as a street photographer. Her blog is on my must read list. She has such an amazingly quirky way of writing that's relatable & vibrant all at once. She's such an influence as a photographer, an illustrator, in fashion & as a woman. Definitely check her & her work out when you get a chance. It is worth it!

How-to: The "Get Yo' Life Together" Manicure

2011-04-18T11:36:00.073-05:00

Lately things have been...rough to say the least. No worries, things are working themselves out slowly & new plans are coming into action. Whenever things get rough though, I give myself a manicure. Sounds strange I know, but trust me it helps. It gives me a little time to zone out & do a little thinking if I need to or not think at all.

Things that are not pictured that you may like to add to this (I chose to add them, but they're not necessary):

a hand scrub
vitamin E oil
neosporin
a hand moisturizer

Start off by rubbing nail polish remover over your nails to either get old nail polish off or any grime build up. If you feel the need to trim nails down & shape, now would be the time. I find that short is usually best during trying times...you're less likely to chip a nail & when you're already having a bad day the last thing you need is a chipped nail...TRUST ME. It's brought me to tears before. Then with the cuticle pusher/nail cleaner, push back cuticles & remove any excess grim that may be in the corners of nails or underneath them (optional: my cuticles need a little extra TLC, so I dabbed Vitamin E oil on before doing this). Then put the fortifying treatment over both nails & cuticles. With a nail brush gently scrubbed the nails, cuticles & underneath of the nails. Once the treatment has been absorbed, massage on a hand scrub & rinse (this step is also optional, but highly recommended to 1. get the oily residue off the nails to ensure the polish stays & 2. it feels flipping amazing). With cuticle nippers, trim off any excess cuticles or peeling skin around the area (Tip: if you have any skin surrounding the nail bed that is peeling pretty bad &/or bleeding, dab on a tiny bit of neosporin & reapply as necessary). Paint on a coat of the Growth polish which will act as your base coat. Then paint on two coats of the barely peach nail polish followed by a top coat. Once nails are completely dry, dab on some vitamin E oil on the cuticles & some hand moisturizer.

I chose a light color for my "Get Yo' Life Together" manicure because maintenance is lower on lighter colors & I'm highly anal about my nail polish chipping for some reason. I think I may have mentioned that a time or two. Other polish options I love: Butter London's Cream Tea, Hoorah Henri, Nail Foundation (dries matte) | Sephora by O.P.I. Going Nude, Eh? (not as transparent) | Illamasqua Bacterium, Load or Nail Base Coat.

Do you have anything you do that helps you relax, focus or escape when things get rough?

A hair how to & first attempt

2011-03-16T15:40:00.000-05:00

I'm trying a new way of posting a how-to...in video form. This is a first for me & seeing how I hate being in the spotlight of anything, it's a little awkward too, I won't lie. This is my first attempt at this, so please bare with me. I decided to try this out with the Side French Braid hair inspiration I posted a while back. Mainly because even if the video fails miserably, it's a pretty fool proof hair do. Also, this time around it turned out much better than I was expecting & it did last time. Towards the end I look like I'm struggling hard core, well...because I AM struggling. I'm wrapping the rubber band with hair like the tutorial I posted several months ago here. Normally it's not difficult at all, but my hair decided other wise that day since it knew I was recording it. Never goes as planned. Give me your input on the video format & if you know of anything I can use to get those cool filters on it to make the video look different let me know! I'm new to imovie.

Long Hair Inspiration: Maiden Braids AND Three Twisted Buns

2011-03-08T13:05:00.000-06:00

Maiden Braids | source

Three Twisted Buns | source

I'm ALWAYS on the look out for new things to do with my hair & I'm always playing with it trying to figure out new things to do with my hair. I love having my hair long, but I know just as well as anyone else with long hair how boring a pony tail or bun can get after the third or fourth time. Since it is starting to get much windier now in my neck of the woods, I pretty much have to keep my hair pulled back in some sort of fashion & I get bored with it sometimes. That is why I do posts like the Long Hair Inspiration. Here's two hair styles that I found recently through two of my absolute favorite daily reads, A Cup of Jo & A Beautiful Mess. The top two images are of Maiden Braids that I found over at A Beautiful Mess & the bottom two images are of Three Twisted Buns that I found over at A Cup of Jo. I tried out the maiden braids yesterday & LOVED it! It was super easy & had people trying to figure out what I did to my hair all day. I forgot to take a picture of my attempt, oops! I have not, however, gotten a chance to try out the three twisted buns yet. I will be giving them a go soon though.

Maiden Braids Tutorial

Three Twisted Buns Tutorial

Long Hair Inspiration: The Loose Side Ponytail

2011-03-01T13:41:00.000-06:00

It's a little hard to see in the photo's exactly what I did, but I LOVED my hair like this & kept asking myself why I hadn't thought of it before. I just pulled all of my hair to one side, put in a rubberband in a low spot & wrapped it with hair (like I almost always do). It was super simple & looked rather chic I think.

Happy March 1st.!!!

The Lazy Girl's Guide to Long Hair: The Tools

2011-02-25T14:20:00.000-06:00

One of the keys to maintaining long hair, or any length of hair for that matter, & it not seem boring is the tools you have. A well stocked arsenal will keep your imagination moving with things to do with your hair. What you need in your arsenal will vary depending on the types of things you like to do with your hair & it's length. My arsenal is for long hair & someone who typically likes to play with putting it up & stuff. I posted pictures because, to be honest, I'm not 100% positive of all of the technical terms for everything & I'm sure you will have no idea what I mean when I say 'clippy thingy.'

I keep 3 varieties of rubber bands in stock: Large one's, small one's & itty bitty elastic one's. I go through massive amounts of bobby pins & since my hair is extra long I use roller pins in my hair as well (that's the extra large bobby pins). I have various clips & sliding pins that I keep around for when my bangs grow out. I also keep a variety of elastic headbands on hand.

I've never invested a big amount of money into a hair brush or comb because it freaks me out to think about spending more that $5 on either. Maybe one day I'll convert, but until then Goody & Conair brushes & combs suffice. A large brush, a teasing brush, a wide tooth comb (I have 2, one that stays in my shower to comb my hair when conditioner is in it), & a dual ended comb/pick. I've had that one for ages & use it for teasing. It's wider than most teasing combs & will cause less damage.

These clips are always good for things like washing your face or just sectioning off hair for blow drying etc.

Products to keep on hand:

a good shampoo | get your stylist to recommend one that's good for your hair type. Also good to spend the extra buck on this.
a heat protectant | use before applying any heat to your hair.
dry shampoo | good for touch ups on your hair between washings.
volumizing or texturizing spray | helps add volume & texture for up dos or everyday wear.

I also like a shine serum that I put on after I wash & a split end mender. Neither are necessary though.