Budget friendly "SPANX"

Every girl needs to own a pair of Spanx.  It's that extra boost to look ultra fabulous in any thing you wear.  It creates smooth lines and gives you that extra bit of confidence because you know you look like perfection even though you may have _________ (skipped the gym that week/feel alittle bloated/bought a size a tiny bit too small/ex boyfriend will be at the event/ex boyfriend "new" stick skinny girlfriend will be at the party).  Whatever your reason to need to look extra hot in your outfit, Spanx can help. 

Kim Kardashian layers hers to look fabulous on the red carpet, why not me? 

Spanx is definitely an investment.  We all can't afford $75 for a pair.  But don't worry ladies, Sarah Blakely (creator of Spanx) has designed a budget friendly line of shapewear available at Target! 

Assets by Sarah Blakely are a budget-conscience girl's best friend. 

Wear you outfit without worrying about the dreaded panty line, muffin top, or sucking in!  Good luck ladies!!!

One Ziplock Rule

I am in favor of keeping the friendly blue skies safe and protecting us from another tradegy like 9/11....but why does my makeup have to suffer!  WHYYYYYYYYYYY?????????

I can NOT possibly fit all my makeup and skincare products into ONE tiny quart size ziplock bag.  It's like mission impossible.  Even just packing the basic necessities was a challenge.  I had to reduce my skincare products to just the BASICS.  Moisturizer, sunscreen and eye cream.  I didn't even pack my nighttime regime products.  What is a girl to do?!?!?

My solution....

I have like a gazillion brand new contact lense cases.  So the idea popped into my head.  Why can't I use them to store my creams instead of my contacts?  Problem solved!!!

I filled a few of them up with my makeup and skincare products instead of trying to cram my regular size jars and bottles in this tiny restrictive ziplock bag.  Voila!  It works perfectly!!!  It is large enough to hold a few days worth of moisturizer, night cream, eye cream, liquid foundation, and serum!!!  It's enough to get me thru the weekend without having to sacrifice my skin. 

Now I have several contact cases filled with my beloved skincare products with room to spare in my ziplock.  No need to panic about not having all my products and I avoid having to check in my bags at the airport!!  Double score. 


Enjoy your holiday weekend!!! 


B

Mrs. O

I love the classic style of Jackie O and Michelle Obama.  Super chic and preppy style. 

And I totally admire the fact that the First Lady repeats outfits and mix & matches affordable pieces with expensive designer wear.  Bravo.  She just seems like a normal down 2 earth person, someone that I could be friends with. 

Mrs. O, you rock!

New heels.....

This may be tmi, but I have super rough heels from wearing sandals all the time.  I've tried everything to get rid of them.  Pumice stones, foot files, endless number of creams, oils, saran wrap, vaseline jelly, etc.  You get the picture! 

Finally, I found something that works.  And it works immediately.  One application at night and voila!  Smooth heels again!  I have to thank my Aunt Jenny for recommending it. 

You can find Organique Foot Cream By Himalaya @ Whole Foods.  It's $10.  Worth every penny. 

FREE STUFF from Origins on Earth Day

You know I love makeup but free makeup is the best!

Origins giving away free full size facial cleanser when you bring in ANY brand skincare container.

Recycle !!!!! Its good for the Earth and your skin.

Fyi...must complete form on their website and bring it into the store to get your freebies.

http://www.origins.com/cms/special_offers/in_store_trade_in_20110422.tmpl

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F U C K tmobile!!

Omg! Seriously tmob!

My phone is barely 8 weeks old and the battery is apparently defective. Tmobile is gracious enough to recognize the product is defective and would gladly send me a replacement.....but guess who gets screwed with the shipping charges?!?!?!? ME!!!!!

Why the hell do I have to pay for shipping when the phone is clearly under warranty and the battery is wack? Fuck them and their shitty customer service.

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Nordstroms Makeup Event

What a fun day at Nordstrom's Beauty Event with my friend Kristina!! 

Super fun day filled with all things makeup and freebies. 

I had my face made up at Bobbi Brown counter and I LOVE how my smokey eye turned out. 
Here is a picture of my makeup.  (Please excuse my oily complexion.  It's been a few hours since I left Nordstrom's.) 

What I had done:
The "Bobbi Brown" smokey eye is dramatic enough for daytime wear without looking like a street walker.  Loved the colors used. 

             On my eyes:  Galaxy cream shadow (lash line to crease), Caviar shadow (used to smudge out liner), and Black Ink gel liner.  Party Extreme mascara in Black. 

And if that wasn't enough.  The day gets even better!!!

I also picked up a few freebies courtesy of Clarisonic.  The Clarisonic Rep gave me a free travel bag and two replacements heads just because I told them I blogged about my love for my Mia!  Thank you Clarisonic!   And of course Don is excited because that saved his wallet $50.  hahaha  Good day. 

And the cherry on top.....my Ebay purchase arrived from South Korea. 

My first BB cream just arrived from South Korea!!!  I ordered mine off of Ebay from rubyruby76.  (BEWARE....there are a lot of fake BB creams out there, so please check ratings and feedback if you are going to order it from Ebay)

What is BB cream?  IDK, but I had to have it.  It is a cult fav among Korean celebrities and I just had to try it. 

It claims to be a tinted moisturizer that helps with evening out your skin tone, brightens and minimizes blemishes.  And added bonus, it has SPF.  Check out the product details at http://www.skin79usa.com/index.php/skin-care/bb-cream/skin79-super-plus-bb-cream-triple-functions.html. 

I'll update on my experience with the BB cream in a few weeks.  (Super excited to try it!!!)
To be continued.....


Bev

Is the grass greener on the other side?

Looking around, I some times feel as though things would be better if I did this or that, or if I changed something major. My mind drifts off in daydream, thinking about what ifs.

But then, snap! Reality hits like a freight train.

I should appreciate the goodness I have and stop with the daydreaming. Because sometimes things appear better (ie BEER goggles on), but in reality when the luster wears off, you're stuck with something way shittier.

And I hate grass, so who cares if it's greener on the other side. Lol

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Say HELLO to my little friend.....

Say hello to my little friend.....the BeautyBlender. 

What does this little hot pink egged shaped thing do?? 

It's a sponge!  And it's my go-to "tool" for applying foundation (powder + liquid). 
It applies the thinnest coating of your foundation but still gives you great coverage with an airbrushed finish. 

I love love love it! 

And if you're looking for a pocketbook-friendly alternative, I would recommend the Sonia Kushak one from Target.  Two main differences, is the shape and the texture of the sponge....and of course the price.  =) 
The BeautyBlender is softer in texture but the SK one works just as well and gives you the same results. 

And just in case you're wondering what foundations I use...here is a list in the order of how much I love it. 

1. Makeup Forever HD - 125
2. Revlon ColorStay (oily/combo) - 300 Golden Beige
3. Bare Mineral
4. MAC Select - NC 30
5. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - Sand  **This is not a foundation but has great coverage and not too heavy. 

B

My Digital Perm

I've had my digital body wave perm for 2 months now.

I love it even more now.

The curls are more relaxed now and I've finally figured out kinda how to style curly hair.

It's definitely the easiest hair I've ever had. Wash it, a little bit of mousse, scrunch, and Go!!! So simple.

Bonus...if I want to curl it with a curling iron, my curls last for days! And if I'm tired of the curls, my hair is still straighten-able (is that even a word? LOL) Recommended flat iron, GHD 1" flat iron.

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Project 10 Pan

So, I admit, I'm a total makeup hoarder/junkie/maniac/lover/admirer/sucker. All of it.

I found this "challenge" on youtube well over a year ago. It's an absolutely brilliant concept but that would mean the end to my joy/adrenaline rush when buying makeup.

The "challenge" is to use up 10 products that you already own in your makeup collection. Until you have hit pan (ie the bottom of the container), you can't buy a new one to replace it. Good concept huh?

Brilliant way to rediscover your love for that awesome lipstick you bought that somehow rolled to the back of your drawer into the bermuda triangle of makeup only to be forgotten. And double brilliant way to clean out your makeup collection to make room for more!!! Lol

So....I'm going to challenge myself to finish 10 makeup products before I but anything. But!!!! This does not include mascara or makeup remover. Why? Because mascara is a product that actually expires fairly quickly and I'm not trying to get a stye doing this challenge. LOL ! And I buy cheap mascara, so it ok. :)

Wish me luck!!!!

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happy birthday eureka!!!

Who doesn't love a good Donkey Punch!!??  LOL.  That's how we started our night of celebration. 

First stop, the Nodding Donkey to attend an all lawyer's mixer and the drink of choice, "The Donkey Punch".  Jill and I both swore that the Donkey Punch was more like a Donkey Nudge because you could barely taste any alcohol.  However, 2 drinks + 30 mins later, we realized that it packs a delayed "punch" and we were slightly tipsy but having the best time. 

Second stop, Patrizio's for an all girls dinner for my friend Eureka's birthday.  The food was delicious (I had the crab claw dinner which seemed to be never ending because it took me the entire dinner to finish), but the company was even better! I haven't laughed so much in a long time.  We always seem to have such a fun time together just talking about nothing and gossiping about people who get on our last nerves!   Can't wait for another reason to have a GNO!

Birthday Girl!

Laurel, Beverly, Eureka, & Jill



Music to my ears

Current song I'm loving: Adele - Rolling in the Deep


One of the things I wish I could do....sing. This voice was not made for singing. LOL. It's barely made for talking.

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I'm in denial.....

Have you ever tried something new with the false intent of really giving it a real chance? Like you tell yourself you will be fair and unbias, but in the back of your mind you have already presumed you'll dislike it.

That's soo me!

First, my holy grail - never fails me - full lashes - gorgeous mascara of choice was Dior Show. I used it for several years loyally, never considering another. Then one day it dawned on me that it was way too expensive for a mascara. So, then I started looking for a suitable, cheaper alternative.

Voila, I find my ultimate "cheap" version of my beloved Dior Show....Cover Girl Lash Blast. It does every thing my Show does for 1/3 of the price. Hallelujah!!!!

Ok, fast forward a few years. So I'm at Ulta getting my mascara supply, and all of a sudden I noticed the sales girl freakishly long gorgeous lashes. Naturally, I had to know what mascara she used to get those daddy long legged eyelashes!! She tells me its Maybelline Falsies. Blah, I can't stand anything Maybelline. But I was still very intrigued.

Yada yada yada, to make a long story short...I didn't want to love it, but I DO!!!!

I'm a loyal person when it comes to mascara. I've been playing tug-a-war with myself for weeks now, and as much as I want to suppress my love for the Falsies, I just can't!!

I heart Maybelline Falsies. (waterproof, of course)

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F.Y. I. Waterproof mascara is a freaking b*tch to remove. Try either Neutragena eye makeup remover (blue bottle) or MAC Cleanse Off Oil. Both work great. The Cleanse Off Oil does double duty as eye makeup remover and face wash.

New Favs for February

This is my first blog!!!  With a little nudging from my Hubby and friend Jill. 

So I decided since I cant make YouTube videos (because personally, my voice is not made for broadcasting!!), next best thing is a blog!!! 


I am soooooooooooo ridiculously obsessed + in love with all things makeup.  I wanted to share a few of my February favs that I'm currently loving. 

1.  Clarisonic Mia Face brush - I give this 5 stars!!!  This is the best thing since slice bread.  REALLY!!! I've been using it since around Christmas time, and I can totally see a difference in the texture and glow of my skin.  I use it daily 1x in the shower with a regular facewash from the drugstore.  And ta-da, one minute later my skin is clean and smooth like butter!!!  Definitely a little bit on the pricey side, but well worth the $$$.  I got mine during the Sephora friends & family sale (20% off + free shipping).  I even made my friend Jill buy it and she loves it too!!! 

2. The SUPER DUPER elusive and gorgeous NAKED palette from Urban Decay.  Another 5 star winner!!!  How is it possible that not only am I in love with the eyeshadows....but I'm in love with the packaging too!  Love at first sight.  Colors are neutral and easy for every day makeup looks and super pigmented.  It's a must have if you can find it.  I got mine from Ulta @ Northpark Mall earlier this week.  I bought 5 of them in one week for myself and friends.  Hurry before they're out again.  I've been waiting since Thanksgiving for it to be re-stocked. 

3. Face mask - No particular brand to recommend, but these are the face masks that look like the Jason (serial killer movie character) mask.  You apply this scary but soothing face mask on....leave it on for 15-20 mins, remove, and your skin feels like silk.  I've been using a brand from some Korean makeup line but I have seen some at my local grocery store.

4. Sigma Makeup brushes - These brushes are awesome for the $.  Most bang for your buck and super nice customer service.  I've had to return a few because the hairs were defective and the customer service couldnt be nicer or more prompt.  Got my exchanges in the same week I mailed them back.  Excellent quality brushes and very affordable compared to MAC.  I still love MAC brushes though. :)

5.  I dont have a fav 5 product!!!  But the list seems off/awkward without a #5 spot....so, TBD.

Update:  ***LIGHT BULB*** Omg, how could I forget about my beloved Instant Matte by Boots!!!  I only reach for it every day. It's a tiny little bottle of magic that packs a strong punch against your oily face.  It's only $5.99 at Target.  I love it.  Better than any other high priced oil/mattifier that I have ever tried before.  This is how I use it:  1. Wash my face.  2.  Apply face serum. 3. Followed by sunscreen (also another fav product...Neutragena Ultra Sheer Liquid) 4. Moisturizer and 5. Finally, 4 tiny drops of Instant Matte.  Of course after all those layers of creams, I apply my daily makeup face.  My face is matte all day and it's just lovely. 


I hope this helps anyone who is thinking about buying/trying the above mentioned products. 

B