Pair either with some fun accessories like this red handbag from Target (29.99) http://www.target.com/p/merona-vinyl-satchel-red/-/A-14117383 and you've got some serious patriotic style!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Style Sundays-Olympic Fever
I don't know about everyone else, but I have been LOVING the Olympics this year. From swimming (um hello abs!) to gymnastics to the track, everything has just been so enjoyable to watch and I'm feeling the fever. I thought I'd share some cute red, white and blue outfit options to support the Good'Ol USA! I like pairing a blue and white staple with red accessories so here are some of my picks to put together the perfect patriotic outfit.
This dress from Mod Cloth is very classic and chic. I like it paired with a cute pair of red heels or flats for a more casual look. It is $294.99 http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/pleaty-please-dress
This is another option from modcloth that is a little more affordable at $44.99. I love the lace and button detail on this and believe you can again pair it with a cute red necklace, red shoes and perhaps a red clutch for a cute red, white and blue effect. http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/town-festival-dress
Pair either with some fun accessories like this red handbag from Target (29.99) http://www.target.com/p/merona-vinyl-satchel-red/-/A-14117383 and you've got some serious patriotic style!
Pair either with some fun accessories like this red handbag from Target (29.99) http://www.target.com/p/merona-vinyl-satchel-red/-/A-14117383 and you've got some serious patriotic style!
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Subscription Saturdays-POPSUGAR Must Have Bag
Sorry it has been a while since my last blog post. I arrived on a subscription Saturday with no recent Subscription in my mailbox to review :(. Also, I was out of town last weekend so I figured I would take a little week break until a review was possible. Lo and behold, one of the newest kids on the block arrived in my mail this past week. The POPSUGAR Must have bag is the newest subscription to hit the markets. https://musthave.popsugar.com/ It went out with a bang quickly selling out their first month's July's bag. However, as most subscription services have, it quickly hit a snag when people began receiving their bags and realizing the contents were not quite as advertised.
POPSUGAR originally indicated that the bag would contain hand picked items from the editors of must have products totaling in value of at least $150. The cost is $35 a month which is a little high so they certainly should deliver as promised. As mentioned, once the bags went out and had been sold out, the amount was dropped to $100 and stands at that value now. Also, a lot of the products were duplicates (bars in different flavors, two colors of the same lipstick, two colors of the same brand of nail polish. A lot of people love these subscriptiosn for the variety of brands you get to try so that was a also a bit of a disappointment. The $150 original market price was a snafu on their part...overambitious marketing?? Not sure, it got people in the door but may have put people off on an ongoing basis. However, they seem to have a very dedicated customer service department and they seem to want to improve. As I always give subscriptions 3 bad months before I make a cut, I'll give them another try. MyGlam certainly redeemed themselves so I am certain POPSUGAR can as well and I am rooting for them to succeed as I like the idea of this bag. So onto the items. The theme this month is July Summer beauty
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1.POPSUGAR Hot Pink and Canvas Beach Bag. This is actually a high quality tote bag. It is a thicker material, has a zipper closure and seems to be well made. It just seemed like a bit of a throw away marketing product in my opinion. I'm not big on products or bags that have a brand as the focus and thus won't get a lot of use in this bag. It would make a good beach bag though if you needed one as mentioned it is higher quality and decently heavy duty. It is made for POPSUGAR by Especial(http://shop.earthwisebags.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=EW286R) and is made of 100% Cotton so is Earth friendly in that department. Though interesting to me is they use organic "green friendly" cotton brand for the bag yet each product included was individually wrapped in tissue paper which in my opinion, is pretty wasteful. I did enjoy opening each product as it was if unwrapping a gift but Earth friendly it is not.
Retail Value of Bag :$24.99
2. Body Drench Pomegranate Crush Lotion-8oz. This seems like a good enough bottle of lotion, smells good, goes on smooth. I go through lotion pretty quickly though so would have appreciated a larger size but that is just me. The product is currently on Amazon for $7
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080MU9O2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0080MU9O2&linkCode=as2&tag=popsho-20
3.Body Drench Raspberry Gelée Body Scrub 6 oz. A love a nice exfoliating scrub and the smell on this is nice. It seems to work well in the shower and this was a nice product to get in the bag. I do love the full size product as with so many of these subscriptions, products are usually simply sample sized, yet they also are a fraction of the cost thus justifying the smaller size. It is also sold on Amazon for $6 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080MTQ3W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0080MTQ3W&linkCode=as2&tag=popsho-20
4.Ilia Lip Conditioner and Lipstick in Bang Bang and in my Room. The bright "Bang Bang" red color of this lipstick originally intimidated me but it actually is a very nice color and does make my lips feel quite soft. The "In my room" color is a very natural pink and I really love it. I do also enjoy the conditioning aspect of this lipstick. This product is eco friendly and organic so you can feel comfortable with the ingredients you are using on your lips.. These are $24 each ($48 total retail value) http://iliabeauty.com/collections/lipstick/products/voila
5. Kind Nut and Spices bars in Cashew and Ginger Spice and Madagascar Vanilla Almond. The bars are all natural which I really like about them. They are made up of mostly nuts which are filling and quite good for you. I tried the Cashew and Ginger Spice one and enjoyed the flavor. I try when buying products to look at the ingredients and be sure that I can pronounce and recognize all of these and with these bars, I certainly can. I know you can find them at whole foods as I've seen them there and they are sold here .http://www.kindsnacks.com/kind-store/buy-kind-bars#!/bars The bars retail at $1.49 and can be bought in bulk. Total Retail: $2.98
6. RGB Nail Polish in Doll and Mint. It's funny as I never had much of a nail polish collection until I joined these subscriptions services, slowly but surely, I now have a great variety of colors and these are the perfect addition. I love the mint and you can never go wrong with a nude for an everyday all natural look (especially for me as the professional world often doesn't allow too much craziness in nail color. These products are also free of harmful chemicals (no formaldehyde) so we continue with an all natural theme with these products. http://otteny.com/catalog/lifestyle/nail-polish-in-doll.html?source=shopstyle&brand=RGB Retail value is $16 each so $32 total
Total Retail Value of Bag: $120.98
So it wasn't a ton lower than $150 but it you take out the value of the bag which I know some bloggers have as it is more of a marketing product, you are looking at under $100. So give it a try for yourself if you'd like. The August theme is "Entertainment".
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1.POPSUGAR Hot Pink and Canvas Beach Bag. This is actually a high quality tote bag. It is a thicker material, has a zipper closure and seems to be well made. It just seemed like a bit of a throw away marketing product in my opinion. I'm not big on products or bags that have a brand as the focus and thus won't get a lot of use in this bag. It would make a good beach bag though if you needed one as mentioned it is higher quality and decently heavy duty. It is made for POPSUGAR by Especial(http://shop.earthwisebags.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=EW286R) and is made of 100% Cotton so is Earth friendly in that department. Though interesting to me is they use organic "green friendly" cotton brand for the bag yet each product included was individually wrapped in tissue paper which in my opinion, is pretty wasteful. I did enjoy opening each product as it was if unwrapping a gift but Earth friendly it is not.
Retail Value of Bag :$24.99
2. Body Drench Pomegranate Crush Lotion-8oz. This seems like a good enough bottle of lotion, smells good, goes on smooth. I go through lotion pretty quickly though so would have appreciated a larger size but that is just me. The product is currently on Amazon for $7
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080MU9O2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0080MU9O2&linkCode=as2&tag=popsho-20
3.Body Drench Raspberry Gelée Body Scrub 6 oz. A love a nice exfoliating scrub and the smell on this is nice. It seems to work well in the shower and this was a nice product to get in the bag. I do love the full size product as with so many of these subscriptions, products are usually simply sample sized, yet they also are a fraction of the cost thus justifying the smaller size. It is also sold on Amazon for $6 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080MTQ3W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0080MTQ3W&linkCode=as2&tag=popsho-20
4.Ilia Lip Conditioner and Lipstick in Bang Bang and in my Room. The bright "Bang Bang" red color of this lipstick originally intimidated me but it actually is a very nice color and does make my lips feel quite soft. The "In my room" color is a very natural pink and I really love it. I do also enjoy the conditioning aspect of this lipstick. This product is eco friendly and organic so you can feel comfortable with the ingredients you are using on your lips.. These are $24 each ($48 total retail value) http://iliabeauty.com/collections/lipstick/products/voila
5. Kind Nut and Spices bars in Cashew and Ginger Spice and Madagascar Vanilla Almond. The bars are all natural which I really like about them. They are made up of mostly nuts which are filling and quite good for you. I tried the Cashew and Ginger Spice one and enjoyed the flavor. I try when buying products to look at the ingredients and be sure that I can pronounce and recognize all of these and with these bars, I certainly can. I know you can find them at whole foods as I've seen them there and they are sold here .http://www.kindsnacks.com/kind-store/buy-kind-bars#!/bars The bars retail at $1.49 and can be bought in bulk. Total Retail: $2.98
6. RGB Nail Polish in Doll and Mint. It's funny as I never had much of a nail polish collection until I joined these subscriptions services, slowly but surely, I now have a great variety of colors and these are the perfect addition. I love the mint and you can never go wrong with a nude for an everyday all natural look (especially for me as the professional world often doesn't allow too much craziness in nail color. These products are also free of harmful chemicals (no formaldehyde) so we continue with an all natural theme with these products. http://otteny.com/catalog/lifestyle/nail-polish-in-doll.html?source=shopstyle&brand=RGB Retail value is $16 each so $32 total
Total Retail Value of Bag: $120.98
So it wasn't a ton lower than $150 but it you take out the value of the bag which I know some bloggers have as it is more of a marketing product, you are looking at under $100. So give it a try for yourself if you'd like. The August theme is "Entertainment".
Monday, July 30, 2012
Friday Favorites-honoring Aurora heros
On my Wednesday post, I mentioned my Friday favorties would be links to whatever good could be found in the horrific Aurora tragedy and the acts of pure humna kindness. Please find these links below
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/25/opinion/bennett-aurora-three/index.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/stories-of-heroism-during_n_1690688.html
http://www.denverpost.com/heroes/ci_21175225/movie-goer-ran-into-theater-9-rescued-teenage?source=pkg
http://www.denverpost.com/heroes/ci_21173749/son-and-father-help-mom-and-stranger-safety?source=pkg
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/22/us/colorado-shooting-survivors/index.html
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21149877/aspiring-musician-petra-anderson-survives-pellet-shot-through?source=rss
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/25/opinion/bennett-aurora-three/index.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/stories-of-heroism-during_n_1690688.html
http://www.denverpost.com/heroes/ci_21175225/movie-goer-ran-into-theater-9-rescued-teenage?source=pkg
http://www.denverpost.com/heroes/ci_21173749/son-and-father-help-mom-and-stranger-safety?source=pkg
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/22/us/colorado-shooting-survivors/index.html
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21149877/aspiring-musician-petra-anderson-survives-pellet-shot-through?source=rss
Fitness and Food for Thought Thursdays-WERQ!
So I'm normally pretty boring when it comes to my workout routines and I've stuck to what I've always known: running, weights, and a little elliptical and spining thrown in for variety. Let's just say I am not the most coordinated of ladies so thus why my workouts have aligned accordingly.
I admittedly did try a little Zumba for a while which was fun even though I looked like a disaster. However, my favorite part of Zumba was always when the instructor would throw in a few popular songs to mix it up. I always got more into the dances when I recognized the music and let go of my insecurities a little more thus likely getting a better workout.
So imagine my excitement when the Spring class schedule at my gym was released and had a new class being introduced called WERQ! WERQ could be compared to Zumba, but its not. Zumba takes Latin and salsa dancing influences and teaches them in easy steps while WERQ takes moves from popular songs on the radio and repeats them in a easy to learn and follow format.
The first class was a hit and now it is my favorite class at the gym. I typically just have fun and hardly even watch the clock yet I'm often quite tired at the end as well. My friends often make fun of me as when songs that I've done dances to in WERQ come on the radio, I'll start breaking out my dance moves. And the range of songs they do is fun: from Carly Rae Jepson's Call Me Maybe to Kelly Clarkson's Stronger to Nikki Minaj and Starships. And trust me, the moves are easy. I am far and beyond the least coordinated person in the world and I've been able to pick it up pretty easily.
It really is a great and fun workout and I recommend checking out the gym by you to see if they have it. Here is some information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXO91bv0iCk
https://www.facebook.com/werqout
I admittedly did try a little Zumba for a while which was fun even though I looked like a disaster. However, my favorite part of Zumba was always when the instructor would throw in a few popular songs to mix it up. I always got more into the dances when I recognized the music and let go of my insecurities a little more thus likely getting a better workout.
So imagine my excitement when the Spring class schedule at my gym was released and had a new class being introduced called WERQ! WERQ could be compared to Zumba, but its not. Zumba takes Latin and salsa dancing influences and teaches them in easy steps while WERQ takes moves from popular songs on the radio and repeats them in a easy to learn and follow format.
The first class was a hit and now it is my favorite class at the gym. I typically just have fun and hardly even watch the clock yet I'm often quite tired at the end as well. My friends often make fun of me as when songs that I've done dances to in WERQ come on the radio, I'll start breaking out my dance moves. And the range of songs they do is fun: from Carly Rae Jepson's Call Me Maybe to Kelly Clarkson's Stronger to Nikki Minaj and Starships. And trust me, the moves are easy. I am far and beyond the least coordinated person in the world and I've been able to pick it up pretty easily.
It really is a great and fun workout and I recommend checking out the gym by you to see if they have it. Here is some information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXO91bv0iCk
https://www.facebook.com/werqout
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wild Wednesday-Heros and Miracles
In the aftermath of the awful tragedy in Aurora, the focus has shifted away from the coward who did this and onto the heroes and miracles that came out of this horrible event. None of us know what we will do when faced with terror and how we will react. While it is truly hard to find a positive note in what happened, I am warmed to see the media focus has turned more to the amazing and heartening stories of survival and bravery.
I read recently that family members of the victims and residents of Aurora do not wish the name of the shooter to be mentioned but for the lives of those taken from us far too soon to be remembered and honored. The media while has still given some attention to the evil individual has in some degree complied and focuses on some truly amazing stories of bravery and honor.
I've read about 3 men who died protecting the lives of their girlfriends. Jon Blunk, Alex Teves, and Matt McQuinn all had to make swift decisions in the face of danger. These man died in bravery and should be remembered for these honorable acts. While I am sure each of their girlfriends are eternally grateful, I am sure they would trade anything to have these men back. Hopefully in their grieving, they will feel comfort knowing these men will forever be remembered for acting with courage in a moment of absolute fear.
There was another story I read where a man who was at the theatre with his son and his son's girlfriend who he had met just one other time. He barely knew this girl but when the shooting started and she was hit and injured badly, he stayed behind to help her and cover her from getting hit again when the shooter started heading towards them. There was the woman who's husband is still in a coma who gave birth to their child a few days following the event. There was the girl who basically saved her best friend's life when she stayed and plugged a wound. There is the girl who was shot in the head and had a bullet in her brain that miraculously traveled through a birth defect channel and thus cause no damage.There was the individual who was shot and still helped a fellow victim out of the theatre. The stories are countless, people who stayed behind to help other, people who faced danger and had courage and risked their lives in the hope to save others. These stories are what this tragedy should be remembered for.
A story like this while breed out of evil shows how good still conquers all. Ironically the individual who carried these acts out fashioned himself to be a villain like the Joker in "The Dark Knight". In that movie, the Joker ultimately believed that when dealt in a moment of desperation, human beings would be selfish and would value their own lives over others. In a pivotal moment towards the end of the film *Spoiler Alert*, residents on a ferry out of town and crooks on another ferry both rigged with explosive devices are given a decision to blow the other one up and save themselves. The Joker felt that both would immediately act and blow the other one up to save their own lives. When both made the decision to let the other live , he was confused and baffled. In this moment off tragedy, the human spirit and good prevailed. We ultimately do care for one another and will be courageous to help others when faced with a difficult choice.
So don't forget how awful this event was but also please remember the stories of bravery and love that came out of it. There is good in this world and while evil may briefly succeed, ultimately it will only showcase further how much good there truly is in this world. This Friday for my "favorites" I'll link to some of these stories so you can read for yourselves.
I read recently that family members of the victims and residents of Aurora do not wish the name of the shooter to be mentioned but for the lives of those taken from us far too soon to be remembered and honored. The media while has still given some attention to the evil individual has in some degree complied and focuses on some truly amazing stories of bravery and honor.
I've read about 3 men who died protecting the lives of their girlfriends. Jon Blunk, Alex Teves, and Matt McQuinn all had to make swift decisions in the face of danger. These man died in bravery and should be remembered for these honorable acts. While I am sure each of their girlfriends are eternally grateful, I am sure they would trade anything to have these men back. Hopefully in their grieving, they will feel comfort knowing these men will forever be remembered for acting with courage in a moment of absolute fear.
There was another story I read where a man who was at the theatre with his son and his son's girlfriend who he had met just one other time. He barely knew this girl but when the shooting started and she was hit and injured badly, he stayed behind to help her and cover her from getting hit again when the shooter started heading towards them. There was the woman who's husband is still in a coma who gave birth to their child a few days following the event. There was the girl who basically saved her best friend's life when she stayed and plugged a wound. There is the girl who was shot in the head and had a bullet in her brain that miraculously traveled through a birth defect channel and thus cause no damage.There was the individual who was shot and still helped a fellow victim out of the theatre. The stories are countless, people who stayed behind to help other, people who faced danger and had courage and risked their lives in the hope to save others. These stories are what this tragedy should be remembered for.
A story like this while breed out of evil shows how good still conquers all. Ironically the individual who carried these acts out fashioned himself to be a villain like the Joker in "The Dark Knight". In that movie, the Joker ultimately believed that when dealt in a moment of desperation, human beings would be selfish and would value their own lives over others. In a pivotal moment towards the end of the film *Spoiler Alert*, residents on a ferry out of town and crooks on another ferry both rigged with explosive devices are given a decision to blow the other one up and save themselves. The Joker felt that both would immediately act and blow the other one up to save their own lives. When both made the decision to let the other live , he was confused and baffled. In this moment off tragedy, the human spirit and good prevailed. We ultimately do care for one another and will be courageous to help others when faced with a difficult choice.
So don't forget how awful this event was but also please remember the stories of bravery and love that came out of it. There is good in this world and while evil may briefly succeed, ultimately it will only showcase further how much good there truly is in this world. This Friday for my "favorites" I'll link to some of these stories so you can read for yourselves.
Tacky Tuesday: do you really need to do your makeup there??
I have spotted an unusual and in my opinion, tacky trend as of late. I live in Chicago and therefore take the "El" or public transportation to work every morning. Now this is not a relaxing event. Getting a seat is a rare and celebrated event often meaning you are likely to have a good day to follow. There are lots of people crowded on this commute most standing...let's just say there is no personal space involved in this experience.
So imagine my confusion and a little bit of disgust when twice in the past week I've seen girls doing their makeup in the middle of the commute. While I suppose this is a very difficult task and these women perhaps should be praised for their skill and not scolded, I just can't. This is just simply a pet peeve of mine. And for the record, I am not talking touching up a little lipstick or anything. These girls I've spotted have had the whole makeup bag out and I've even spotted an eyelash curler...now seriously?
I suppose this is a safer alternative to those who drive and do their makeup in the car but still?? Clearly if you are doing your makeup on a crowded, moving train with someone's butt in your face, you are doing a 1/2 ass job in the first place. If you are going to do a 1/2 ass job on your makeup, just quickly do it in 5 minutes before leaving for the day.
Trust me, everyone doesn't want to see your routine and how you put concealer under your eyes and then powder and that you blend using circular movements with your fingers. If you want to give a makeup demo to a willing audience instead of those who are stuck watching you, put it on your YouTube channel!
Does this bother anyone else or am I alone in this Tacky Tuesday rant?
So imagine my confusion and a little bit of disgust when twice in the past week I've seen girls doing their makeup in the middle of the commute. While I suppose this is a very difficult task and these women perhaps should be praised for their skill and not scolded, I just can't. This is just simply a pet peeve of mine. And for the record, I am not talking touching up a little lipstick or anything. These girls I've spotted have had the whole makeup bag out and I've even spotted an eyelash curler...now seriously?
I suppose this is a safer alternative to those who drive and do their makeup in the car but still?? Clearly if you are doing your makeup on a crowded, moving train with someone's butt in your face, you are doing a 1/2 ass job in the first place. If you are going to do a 1/2 ass job on your makeup, just quickly do it in 5 minutes before leaving for the day.
Trust me, everyone doesn't want to see your routine and how you put concealer under your eyes and then powder and that you blend using circular movements with your fingers. If you want to give a makeup demo to a willing audience instead of those who are stuck watching you, put it on your YouTube channel!
Does this bother anyone else or am I alone in this Tacky Tuesday rant?
Monday, July 23, 2012
Makeup and Beauty Mondays-Allure Fall Beauty Box
So attention ladies, tomorrow you can get your hands on an AWESOME deal from Allure. If you get Allure magazine, you may have quickly glanced at the advertisement announcing their fall beauty box but let me tell you, this really is a WONDERFUL deal. I did this for summer and absolutely got more than my money's worth and still have plenty of products lefts over that still have plenty of uses left. These products are mostly FULL SIZE gals, FULL SIZE...and the cost: $39.99. How do you decide if it is worth it? Add up what you typically would buy(body wash, face wash, moisturizer, etc.) when you needed more, how much you would typically spend and if it is equal or less than $39.99, I say go for it. It goes on sale at 12pm EST and usually sells out within the day so do not delay if you are interested. Below is listed what's in the box and the retail value. I do believe shipping is $10 so make sure you take that into account.2. Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Dolly ( plum, shimmery color) .15 fl oz ($10.00 on sale at Sephora) http://www.sephora.com/buxom-lips-P174213
3. Biomega Firm and Fabulous Hairspray 10oz ($23.99)http://www.stuff4beauty.com/catalog.php?category=Aquage%20Biomega%20Firm%20Fabulous%20Hairspray
4. Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser 6.7 fl oz($7.49)
http://www.drugstore.com/biore-blemish-fighting-ice-cleanser/qxp388178?catid=182284&aid=328279&aparam=biore_bs_bn
5. Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Night Cream 1.8 oz ($18)
http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/face-care-intense-hydration/intense-hydration-night-cream.html
6. ColoreScience Primer Skin Brightening SPF 20 1fl oz ($45.00)
http://www.dermstore.com/product_Skin+Brightening+Primer+SPF+20+-+Line+Tamer_4889.htm
7. Dr. Lewinn by Kinerase Wrinkle Repair Daily Lotion SPF 30 1.7 fl oz($28.99)
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/dr.-lewinn-by-kinerase-wrinkle-repair-daily-lotion/ID=prod6057065-product
8. Eclos Plant-Based Beauty Anti-Aging Starter Kit ($19.99)
http://www.target.com/p/eclos-6-piece-starter-kit/-/A-13416544?ref=tgt_adv_XSB10001&AFID=shopzilla_df&LNM=|13416544&CPNG=health%20beauty&ci_src=10043468&ci_sku=13416544&szredirectid=13431025354491425930610050301008005
9. GKHair Serum 1.69 fl oz ($25)
http://www.folica.com/hair-care/hair-oils-and-serums/global-keratin-serum
10. Glytone Exfoliation Body Wash 6.7 fl oz ($28.00)
http://www.dermstore.com/product_exfoliating+body+wash_472.htm?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_term=glytone+exfoliating+body+wash&utm_campaign=100043
11.Jergens Daily Moisture Dry Skin Moisturizer 21 fl oz ($5.59)
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=156033&catid=158229&aid=338534aparam=bs_fp_dm_fp_os_dsm
12. John Frieda Clear Shine Luminous Glaze 6.5 fl oz ($7.19)
http://www.drugstore.com/john-frieda-clear-shine-luminous-glaze-for-all-hair-shades/qxp270532#
13. John Frieda FrizzEase Dream Curls Curl Perfecting Spray 6.7 fl oz ($5.99)
http://www.drugstore.com/john-frieda-frizz-ease-style-dream-curls-curl-perfecting-spray/qxp85642?fromsrch=Frizz+Ease+Dream+Curls%C2%AE+Curl%E2%80%91Perfecting+Spray
14. John Frieda Full Repair Perfect Ends Deep Infusion 1.7 fl oz ($7.99)
http://www.drugstore.com/john-frieda-full-repair-perfect-ends-deep-infusion/qxp329709?fromsrch=Full+Repair+Perfect+Ends+Deep+Infusion
15. Lipton Tea and Honey Iced Green Tea Mango Pineapple 6 packets ($2.59)
http://www.drugstore.com/search/search_results.asp?Ntk=All&srchtree=5&Ntt=lipton+green+tea+honey&aid=337456&aparam=lipton_green_tea_honey&scinit1=lipton_green_tea_honey
16. Miss Professional Nail Sation Nail Lacquer Rock-a-Guy Blue ($5.00) http://store.misspn.com/home/index/9835.0
17. NYC Sparkle Eye Dust in 14 Karat Rose ($3.50)http://newyorkcolor.com/products/eyes/eyeshadow/sparkle-eye-dust
18. NYX Stick Blush in Orchid ($6.00)
http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/p-146-stick-blush.aspx
19. Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture and Volume Spray ($25.00)
http://www.skinstore.com/p-18259-oscar-blandi-pronto-texture-and-volume-spray.aspx
20. Redken Smooth Lock Stay Sleek 150 ml ($29.00)
http://www.hairhousewarehouse.com.au/hair-care/leave-in-conditioners/redken/smooth-lock-leave-in-cream/884486072412/
Total Retail $315.30 Get it here http://allureaccess.com/#fall-beauty-box
Style Sunday-Sporty Gal
So I'll be honest, back in the 90s when the Spice girls were all the rage, I always associated myself and my style more with Baby Spice than Sporty Spice. However, as I've gotten older, I now see you would never have just one Spice Girls styles but a little bit of each ones. Of course nowadays, I hope NO ONE had their style as I'm pretty sure my fashion sense tells me bright blue patent leather platform boots are not in! But the idea is different times in our lives call for different styles, sporty, cute and innocent, a little sexy and sultry, posh and classic, and sometimes a little wild.
I, like many girls next door, am a bit of a sports fan. I enjoy watching a nice baseball game in the summer, catching a college football game in the fall, and catching some hockey and basketball in the winter. Now don't get me wrong, I believe everyone should continue to have style when they attend sporting games but I am very anti "sexing"it up for a sporting game. Don't be the girl in stiletto heels among beer drinking, jersey wearing,hot dog eating me; don't get me wrong, you'll get attention but mainly because you stick out like a sore thumb. A guy will definitely be thinking you are the high maintenance girl who will be yapping in his ear and checking your cell phone wishing you were anywhere but there. But yea, save the skin tight clothes and the dresses and stilettos for the club, not the stadium.
On the other is the over the top look. First of all, I think you want to keep it to one team themed clothing item. You want to support your team but you want to look to stylish at the same time. My other sport fashion no-no is jerseys. I'm sorry girls, this may be an unpopular view but I think even the prettiest girls do not look good in any type of jersey. They are not flattering to the figure and do you really want to match your boyfriend or that dude who had to too much to drink two rows in front of you?? So no to the team jersey...
So what to wear? Well it of course depends on the event and the the weather. For baseball games, I think a very cute look is a sundress with your teams baseball hat. It allows you to embrace the team you are cheering and still keep your girly side. Plus, I know a lot of guys who find it very sexy when girls wear a baseball hat. You can also not go wrong with a cute pair of shorts and a distressed and girl cut team t-shirt. And no matter what, always wear sandals or flip flops. I just don't think heels or wedges belong at a sports park..again probably not a popular view but how I feel.
College Football is really easy because the preppy, campus look is a classic one that will definitely work for this event. A pair of skinny jeans, flat knee high riding boots, a team t-shirt and a chunky sweater or cardigan will work perfectly. Add some team flair with a cute pair of gloves or mittens, a scarf or again a baseball hat. Or simply wear the colors of the team. I'm also a big fan of the ponytail with the a ribbon. I haven't worn this look since my college days but going back to a college campus for a football game is the perfect excuse for this. NFL games follow the same concept though you may want to downplay the preppy factor and go for maybe a fleece instead of a chunky preppy sweater and of course..layering if its cold. Try and find a team knit hat to show your support.If you are simply going to a bar to cheer on your team, again the team t-shirt and jeans will always work.
Now hockey and basketball games are a little trickier. You can probably get away with being a little dressier as often times games during the week are a big post-work event and you'll often see more people dressed in suits and business attire coming straight from work. I more often will wear the team colors if I am coming straight from work but if I am coming on a weekend, I like to dress it down again with jeans and a cute sweater. Here is the balance in this situation, if you are dressed up, it should be in in business attire as you have just come from work otherwise, a sweater and jeans is always a good bet. Again, I think a baseball hat can work well here as you can wear a casual, cute outfit and support the team at the same time.
So see you can look cute and sporty at the same time whether you are a fan or are just pretending. Just remember where you are and what you are there for...oh and one more rule I almost forgot...if you do wear a sports teams flair, do not wear PINK! I hate that you can take any teams logo, slap it on pink fabric and call it a girls shirt. The only time you can do this is when the team is supporting Breast Cancer during Mother's Day or October. At all other times, if you are a fan, embrace the colors whether its brown and orange or bright yellow and red. Your team is your team so go support them..besides, color blocking is in right now :)
I, like many girls next door, am a bit of a sports fan. I enjoy watching a nice baseball game in the summer, catching a college football game in the fall, and catching some hockey and basketball in the winter. Now don't get me wrong, I believe everyone should continue to have style when they attend sporting games but I am very anti "sexing"it up for a sporting game. Don't be the girl in stiletto heels among beer drinking, jersey wearing,hot dog eating me; don't get me wrong, you'll get attention but mainly because you stick out like a sore thumb. A guy will definitely be thinking you are the high maintenance girl who will be yapping in his ear and checking your cell phone wishing you were anywhere but there. But yea, save the skin tight clothes and the dresses and stilettos for the club, not the stadium.
On the other is the over the top look. First of all, I think you want to keep it to one team themed clothing item. You want to support your team but you want to look to stylish at the same time. My other sport fashion no-no is jerseys. I'm sorry girls, this may be an unpopular view but I think even the prettiest girls do not look good in any type of jersey. They are not flattering to the figure and do you really want to match your boyfriend or that dude who had to too much to drink two rows in front of you?? So no to the team jersey...
So what to wear? Well it of course depends on the event and the the weather. For baseball games, I think a very cute look is a sundress with your teams baseball hat. It allows you to embrace the team you are cheering and still keep your girly side. Plus, I know a lot of guys who find it very sexy when girls wear a baseball hat. You can also not go wrong with a cute pair of shorts and a distressed and girl cut team t-shirt. And no matter what, always wear sandals or flip flops. I just don't think heels or wedges belong at a sports park..again probably not a popular view but how I feel.
College Football is really easy because the preppy, campus look is a classic one that will definitely work for this event. A pair of skinny jeans, flat knee high riding boots, a team t-shirt and a chunky sweater or cardigan will work perfectly. Add some team flair with a cute pair of gloves or mittens, a scarf or again a baseball hat. Or simply wear the colors of the team. I'm also a big fan of the ponytail with the a ribbon. I haven't worn this look since my college days but going back to a college campus for a football game is the perfect excuse for this. NFL games follow the same concept though you may want to downplay the preppy factor and go for maybe a fleece instead of a chunky preppy sweater and of course..layering if its cold. Try and find a team knit hat to show your support.If you are simply going to a bar to cheer on your team, again the team t-shirt and jeans will always work.
Now hockey and basketball games are a little trickier. You can probably get away with being a little dressier as often times games during the week are a big post-work event and you'll often see more people dressed in suits and business attire coming straight from work. I more often will wear the team colors if I am coming straight from work but if I am coming on a weekend, I like to dress it down again with jeans and a cute sweater. Here is the balance in this situation, if you are dressed up, it should be in in business attire as you have just come from work otherwise, a sweater and jeans is always a good bet. Again, I think a baseball hat can work well here as you can wear a casual, cute outfit and support the team at the same time.
So see you can look cute and sporty at the same time whether you are a fan or are just pretending. Just remember where you are and what you are there for...oh and one more rule I almost forgot...if you do wear a sports teams flair, do not wear PINK! I hate that you can take any teams logo, slap it on pink fabric and call it a girls shirt. The only time you can do this is when the team is supporting Breast Cancer during Mother's Day or October. At all other times, if you are a fan, embrace the colors whether its brown and orange or bright yellow and red. Your team is your team so go support them..besides, color blocking is in right now :)
Subscription Saturday-July Beauty Army Review
If you follow my YouTube channel, you know I am a big beauty subscription junkie. I've discovered a few new ones here and there and have my favorites but there are some disappointments. Beauty Army seems to be one of those unfortunately. Beauty Army is $12 a month and originally appealed to me because you get to pick six samples out of nine options that they pick for you based on your beauty profile. If you do not like any of your options, you can skip. Here is the link to check it out:
https://beautyarmy.com/
So my main complaint with Beauty Army has been the size of the samples and the selections I've been given. My first month, I was provided with not much to choose from other than lots of perfume samples and little one use packets. My second month had some men's products and some duplicate samples from the prior month. So based on those selections, I wasn't too impressed. The first month also took a really long time to ship. I made my selections on the 4th and my box didn't arrive until nearly the 21st. However, I should note that they very recently revamped the site and are looking to improve some things so I'm looking ahead to August to see how things will go.
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So this is a picture of the July Box. In this box was the following:
1. LA Fresh Oil Free Face Cleanser-1 wipe
2. fiafini divine hydration moisturizer .17 oz
3. Vita K Professional for Spider Veins-3 oz
4. cellCeuticals biomedical skin treatment-SPF 55+-.33 fl oz
5. Macadamia Natural Oil-Healing Oil Treatment for Hair-1 fl oz
6. Kellett Moisturizing Gel-.1 fl
1. LA Fresh Oil Free Face Cleanser-1 wipe A set of 75 is 24.99 so one wipe is 33 cents. I have not yet tried this but I do like the ease of facial wipes for washing your face. I just wish maybe they provided more than 1 wipe to try so I could really know if I like the product.
http://lafreshgroup.com/best-sellers/eco-beauty-oil-free-face-cleanser-home-away-set.html
2. Fiafini Divine Hydration Moisturizer .17 oz: A full size is 1.7 oz and costs 38.50 so this packet is worth $3.85. I again haven't tried it nor heard about this brand before but it is Vegan and has been featured in Cosmo. However, again, very hard to get a grasp on a product, especially a moisturizer if you can only get one use out of a foil packet.
http://www.fiafini.com/our-products/divine-hydration-moisturizer
3. Vita K Professional for Spider Veins-3 oz. I guess this is where they make up for the packets as I was given a full size and it is worth $14.99. Do I have a huge spider vein problem?No not really fortunately but I wanted a larger size women's product and this seemed like a good selection. I've tried this once and it is quite thick but goes on smooth. I don't know the effect it has on spider veins but I would assume it temporarily diminishes their appearances.
http://www.freemanbeauty.com/product/spider-veins-treatment-vita-k
4.cellCeuticals biomedical skin treatment-SPF 55+-.33 fl oz I've heard some good things about cellCeuticals so I am excited to try this out. It has a good SPF and I should get a few uses out of it. The full size is 2fl oz. and the cost for the full size is $45 so the sample is worth $7.43.
http://www.dermstore.com/product_PhotoDefense+Anti-PhotoAging+Daily+Skin+Protector+SPF+55%2B+++PA%2B%2B%2B_35208.htm
5. Macadamia Natural Oil-Healing Oil Treatment for Hair-1 fl oz Again I have not yet tried this one (the problem with doing so may sample groups is sometimes you have a lot of samples waiting in the wings so it can take a while to try) but I've heard nothing but rave reviews on this some even saying it is better than Morocco Oil so I think this well be great for my thick hair. This version actually goes for $13.50 on Ulta so this is a pretty good selection now that I see more
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2223358&productId=xlsImpprod2530247&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat1050001%20cat10002
6.Kellett Moisturizing Gel-.1 fl Again, this is a very small one use sample that, especially with skincare, will be hard to know how effective the product will be. This is a balance between anti-aging and anti acne which is good for women in their mid 20s to 30s who need a fine line between the two. The full size is actually quite expensive as it costs $95 for 1.7 fl oz of the product. Therefore, the .1 fl oz product is $5.59. On an expensive product like this, I wouldn't expect the sample to be very large.
http://www.kellettskincare.com/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=1043
So the total retail of the products received is $45.69 which is actually much more than I expected. I'll definitely give them more of a chance in August and actually am a little bit more impressed now that I know the retail of the products was actually more than I thought for the $12 paid. Perhaps if my August selections are better and I can get some immediate use out of some of the products, it will be more of one of my favorites.
Let me know if you have any questions on Beauty army and I'll do my best to answer.
https://beautyarmy.com/
So my main complaint with Beauty Army has been the size of the samples and the selections I've been given. My first month, I was provided with not much to choose from other than lots of perfume samples and little one use packets. My second month had some men's products and some duplicate samples from the prior month. So based on those selections, I wasn't too impressed. The first month also took a really long time to ship. I made my selections on the 4th and my box didn't arrive until nearly the 21st. However, I should note that they very recently revamped the site and are looking to improve some things so I'm looking ahead to August to see how things will go.
1. LA Fresh Oil Free Face Cleanser-1 wipe
2. fiafini divine hydration moisturizer .17 oz
3. Vita K Professional for Spider Veins-3 oz
4. cellCeuticals biomedical skin treatment-SPF 55+-.33 fl oz
5. Macadamia Natural Oil-Healing Oil Treatment for Hair-1 fl oz
6. Kellett Moisturizing Gel-.1 fl
1. LA Fresh Oil Free Face Cleanser-1 wipe A set of 75 is 24.99 so one wipe is 33 cents. I have not yet tried this but I do like the ease of facial wipes for washing your face. I just wish maybe they provided more than 1 wipe to try so I could really know if I like the product.
http://lafreshgroup.com/best-sellers/eco-beauty-oil-free-face-cleanser-home-away-set.html
2. Fiafini Divine Hydration Moisturizer .17 oz: A full size is 1.7 oz and costs 38.50 so this packet is worth $3.85. I again haven't tried it nor heard about this brand before but it is Vegan and has been featured in Cosmo. However, again, very hard to get a grasp on a product, especially a moisturizer if you can only get one use out of a foil packet.
http://www.fiafini.com/our-products/divine-hydration-moisturizer
3. Vita K Professional for Spider Veins-3 oz. I guess this is where they make up for the packets as I was given a full size and it is worth $14.99. Do I have a huge spider vein problem?No not really fortunately but I wanted a larger size women's product and this seemed like a good selection. I've tried this once and it is quite thick but goes on smooth. I don't know the effect it has on spider veins but I would assume it temporarily diminishes their appearances.
http://www.freemanbeauty.com/product/spider-veins-treatment-vita-k
4.cellCeuticals biomedical skin treatment-SPF 55+-.33 fl oz I've heard some good things about cellCeuticals so I am excited to try this out. It has a good SPF and I should get a few uses out of it. The full size is 2fl oz. and the cost for the full size is $45 so the sample is worth $7.43.
http://www.dermstore.com/product_PhotoDefense+Anti-PhotoAging+Daily+Skin+Protector+SPF+55%2B+++PA%2B%2B%2B_35208.htm
5. Macadamia Natural Oil-Healing Oil Treatment for Hair-1 fl oz Again I have not yet tried this one (the problem with doing so may sample groups is sometimes you have a lot of samples waiting in the wings so it can take a while to try) but I've heard nothing but rave reviews on this some even saying it is better than Morocco Oil so I think this well be great for my thick hair. This version actually goes for $13.50 on Ulta so this is a pretty good selection now that I see more
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2223358&productId=xlsImpprod2530247&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat1050001%20cat10002
6.Kellett Moisturizing Gel-.1 fl Again, this is a very small one use sample that, especially with skincare, will be hard to know how effective the product will be. This is a balance between anti-aging and anti acne which is good for women in their mid 20s to 30s who need a fine line between the two. The full size is actually quite expensive as it costs $95 for 1.7 fl oz of the product. Therefore, the .1 fl oz product is $5.59. On an expensive product like this, I wouldn't expect the sample to be very large.
http://www.kellettskincare.com/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=1043
So the total retail of the products received is $45.69 which is actually much more than I expected. I'll definitely give them more of a chance in August and actually am a little bit more impressed now that I know the retail of the products was actually more than I thought for the $12 paid. Perhaps if my August selections are better and I can get some immediate use out of some of the products, it will be more of one of my favorites.
Let me know if you have any questions on Beauty army and I'll do my best to answer.
I haven't forgotten
Hello everyone,
I promise I have not forgotten about my Saturday and Sunday posts, they will be coming today along with my Monday Makeup and Beauty post!
Subscription Saturday will cover July's Beauty Army
Style Sunday will discuss dressing for sporting events and keeping a sense of style
and today's post I'll tell you about the Allure Fall Beauty box and how to get your hands on one!
I promise I have not forgotten about my Saturday and Sunday posts, they will be coming today along with my Monday Makeup and Beauty post!
Subscription Saturday will cover July's Beauty Army
Style Sunday will discuss dressing for sporting events and keeping a sense of style
and today's post I'll tell you about the Allure Fall Beauty box and how to get your hands on one!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Friday Favorites
I hope everyone is having a Happy Friday and is going to go do something fun for the weekend!
So I wanted to share as I hope to do every Friday some of my current favorite things.
For today, due to the horrific tragedy in Aurora, Colorado, I want to concentrate on bringing and doing good in this world to offset the evil. Below are some links to help in various ways:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/
http://www.volunteermatch.org/
http://www.stopbullying.gov/
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/25-ways-to-make-a-difference-in-the-world-every-day/
www.crowdrises.com/Helpaurora
www.givingfirst.org
Happy thoughts and love to all!
So I wanted to share as I hope to do every Friday some of my current favorite things.
For today, due to the horrific tragedy in Aurora, Colorado, I want to concentrate on bringing and doing good in this world to offset the evil. Below are some links to help in various ways:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/
http://www.volunteermatch.org/
http://www.stopbullying.gov/
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/25-ways-to-make-a-difference-in-the-world-every-day/
www.crowdrises.com/Helpaurora
www.givingfirst.org
Happy thoughts and love to all!
Fitness and Food for Thought Thursday-Myfitnesspal
Hi guys!
Sorry this post is a day late. I had a work event last night and didn't get a chance to post. First and foremosst, my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their familes in Aurora, Colorado and the horrific tragedy last night. Absolutely disgusting that someone could do that!
So my Thursday topics have to do with food and fitness. I've never had too much of an issue with weight (fortunately) but I've gone up and down a bit as well. I ran in Highschool so was quite thin and then in college managed to gain 20 pounds (yuck) but the maximum I was ever at was 140 so some was a natural weight gain over time (I'm 5'4 ). I then lost 10 pounds in the year or 2 after college and maintained for a while and lost another 5 pounds while training for the marathon 3 years back. Last winter, I gained again and was back up to my max. I don't need to nor do I want to be a skinny minny but I did want to get better control over everything.
It was around Christmas last year that I got my new iphone and was playing around with apps that I discovered MyFitnessPal http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ There are lots of apps out there for weight control but I had never used one before. Like many people, for the New Year, I made a resolution to drop the extra poundage. I started religiously entering in my exercise habits, my food and before I knew it, was down to the same weight I had been while marathon training (and this was without running an average of 40 miles a week!) I was thrilled!
MyFitnessPal has you enter in your current weight, what your goal is, how quickly you want to lose (or if you just want to maintain) and calculates a daily allotment of calories for you. All you have to do is stay within that limit and you will most likely lose. Workouts are negatives which means you get to eat even more--whoo hoo! I've never been one for diets and love that I can see how I can indulge without gaining. I also remember the morning I did an hour of weights and an hour of cardio and had an extra 900 calories to enjoy...that is a workout completely worth it for the anti-dieter.
There are some tricks to keeping up with it.
1. I recommend entering everything in for the day in the morning..plan out your meals for the day and even enter in your workouts. Its easy to edit but you likely won't forget to login this way and you are also more likely to workout if you can see what else you can enjoy by doing so.
2. Don't feel like you have to find the exact information. I think sometimes I go for what I think will be a higher calorie count then what I'm actually eating just to cushion myself. You can take time to load recipes as well but sometimes I'll just add in the ingredients and either stay under my calorie goal for the day just in case.
3. give yourself one cheat day. I'm pretty religious to my food and exercise habits during the week so often times, my calories for the day are below what I am allowed so I have some extra to play with. Therefore, when the weekend rolls around, sometimes on Saturday night when I know I'm going out, I don't stress about logging everything in for the day and just enjoy. Even if I go over for the day, the prior negative balances and the overall effect aren't that bad.
I've been maintaining now and It really has been a cool tool and I'm so glad to have found it. I've course I can't promise it will work for everyone but from my personal experience, it comes highly recommended!
Sorry this post is a day late. I had a work event last night and didn't get a chance to post. First and foremosst, my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their familes in Aurora, Colorado and the horrific tragedy last night. Absolutely disgusting that someone could do that!
So my Thursday topics have to do with food and fitness. I've never had too much of an issue with weight (fortunately) but I've gone up and down a bit as well. I ran in Highschool so was quite thin and then in college managed to gain 20 pounds (yuck) but the maximum I was ever at was 140 so some was a natural weight gain over time (I'm 5'4 ). I then lost 10 pounds in the year or 2 after college and maintained for a while and lost another 5 pounds while training for the marathon 3 years back. Last winter, I gained again and was back up to my max. I don't need to nor do I want to be a skinny minny but I did want to get better control over everything.
It was around Christmas last year that I got my new iphone and was playing around with apps that I discovered MyFitnessPal http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ There are lots of apps out there for weight control but I had never used one before. Like many people, for the New Year, I made a resolution to drop the extra poundage. I started religiously entering in my exercise habits, my food and before I knew it, was down to the same weight I had been while marathon training (and this was without running an average of 40 miles a week!) I was thrilled!
MyFitnessPal has you enter in your current weight, what your goal is, how quickly you want to lose (or if you just want to maintain) and calculates a daily allotment of calories for you. All you have to do is stay within that limit and you will most likely lose. Workouts are negatives which means you get to eat even more--whoo hoo! I've never been one for diets and love that I can see how I can indulge without gaining. I also remember the morning I did an hour of weights and an hour of cardio and had an extra 900 calories to enjoy...that is a workout completely worth it for the anti-dieter.
There are some tricks to keeping up with it.
1. I recommend entering everything in for the day in the morning..plan out your meals for the day and even enter in your workouts. Its easy to edit but you likely won't forget to login this way and you are also more likely to workout if you can see what else you can enjoy by doing so.
2. Don't feel like you have to find the exact information. I think sometimes I go for what I think will be a higher calorie count then what I'm actually eating just to cushion myself. You can take time to load recipes as well but sometimes I'll just add in the ingredients and either stay under my calorie goal for the day just in case.
3. give yourself one cheat day. I'm pretty religious to my food and exercise habits during the week so often times, my calories for the day are below what I am allowed so I have some extra to play with. Therefore, when the weekend rolls around, sometimes on Saturday night when I know I'm going out, I don't stress about logging everything in for the day and just enjoy. Even if I go over for the day, the prior negative balances and the overall effect aren't that bad.
I've been maintaining now and It really has been a cool tool and I'm so glad to have found it. I've course I can't promise it will work for everyone but from my personal experience, it comes highly recommended!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Wild Wednesday-Indulge in Happiness
I must say that life can get pretty hectic and we often forget to take little moments for ourselves. I find this to be such an important thing to remember to do in order to, well if anything, stay sane. I think we all need to do something every now and then for our own happiness...no matter what that is.
For me? Cupcake Wednesdays...huh? Well let me explain. Food trucks are quite popular here in Chicago. Every Wednesdays, my favorite makes a stop one block from my office at 3pm. So no matter what is going on in the day, I always make an effort to get away from the desk and take a walk to get a sweet treat from "Laura the cupcake girl" Oh and her cupcakes are AMAZING. If you are in Chicago, I highly recommend checking her out. Her website for those that are interested is www.cupcakesforcourage.com.
She has such unique flavors that are so delicious. Today I had a strawberry banana that was basically a banana cake infused with strawberries and topped with cream cheese frosting...oh so good! I've been trying to upload a picture of the yumminess but my upload keeps failing,..maybe I'll try again later. She was also on cupcakes wars and even made it the finals.
so Cupcake Wednesdays are how I make it through my workweek and add just a little extra joy to my day. What about you? do you not have a happiness break? Make sure you find one today.
And off topic, in "breaking news", anyone who belongs to "Look Bag", I just got an email that they are no longer offering their bag....bummer!
For me? Cupcake Wednesdays...huh? Well let me explain. Food trucks are quite popular here in Chicago. Every Wednesdays, my favorite makes a stop one block from my office at 3pm. So no matter what is going on in the day, I always make an effort to get away from the desk and take a walk to get a sweet treat from "Laura the cupcake girl" Oh and her cupcakes are AMAZING. If you are in Chicago, I highly recommend checking her out. Her website for those that are interested is www.cupcakesforcourage.com.
She has such unique flavors that are so delicious. Today I had a strawberry banana that was basically a banana cake infused with strawberries and topped with cream cheese frosting...oh so good! I've been trying to upload a picture of the yumminess but my upload keeps failing,..maybe I'll try again later. She was also on cupcakes wars and even made it the finals.
so Cupcake Wednesdays are how I make it through my workweek and add just a little extra joy to my day. What about you? do you not have a happiness break? Make sure you find one today.
And off topic, in "breaking news", anyone who belongs to "Look Bag", I just got an email that they are no longer offering their bag....bummer!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Tacky Tuesday-Real Housewives Behavior
Now this blog can't just be all about fashion, beauty and style etc. There are so many of those out there and I am a strong believer that beauty goes much deeper than the clothes you wear, makeup and beauty products you put on your skin, and the way you do your hair. You have to live your life with style and substance to truly beautiful person inside and out. And that is more where I see this blog going: lifestyle and beauty because you need a great balance of both to have it all!
With that intro said, I welcome you to the first edition of "Tacky Tuesdays". Tacky Tuesdays will also include styles and makeup etc. that I find quite horrendous but let's be honest...tackiness comes in many forms!
So who is tacky this week? Sorry housewives of anything...you get the title this week! Now don't get me wrong, I love that guilty pleasure just as much as the next girl and I watch them all. But I think it is very important to stress, just cause you watch it doesn't mean you should live it! Man these women are proof that money will never buy happiness.... what in the world ever made these women so angry?? They seem to take so much pride in ripping each other apart and it isn't always in a passive aggressive manner, these women are not afraid to raise their voices and b*tch each other out. This is Trash...not CLASS. There is an even worse show out there now called Mob Wives....well its been out for a few seasons now but oh wow do these women meet the definition of classless acts. The Chicago one (and as a Chicagoan, this show is not a good representation of the people in our city!) just astounds me. This past week these women actually began physically beating one another all while screaming insults, curses and beyond. These "ladies" do not put women in a very good light on national television. Pure Tackiness!
Now maybe I'm a goodie goodie two shoes but I don't believe in screaming or yelling at people in my life, especially other women who are my friends. If you upset me, I'll act cordial but I will not pick a fight or go out of my way to tear you down. Talking about one another behind each others backs is almost just as bad...especially if this women is considered a good friend of yours. We women have come a very long but behavior like this just sets us back. If we can not love and respect one another, how can we expect the men in our lives to do the same?
Please ladies, don't be a Tacky Tuesday Sass and don't resort to Real Housewives behavior. I get that people will upset you or hurt you but hurting them back helps no one. Surround yourself only with people who will make you feel positive about yourself and make your life better. Frienemies are not trendy, they are just tacky since they cause you to act like you are auditioning for the next season of RH. Just always treat others with respect or try to remember to do so in your everyday life. In fact, imagine you are in a show and the things you are saying are going to be seen my your mother and grandmother...would they be proud of how you are acting. Then imagine the one you are talking about is going to hear every negative thing you say about them and imagine it was reversed...would you be okay with that.
Ladies, its tough enough in this world, let's all try to play nice. For now, lets leave the tacky behavior for the professionals. And honestly, as much as I do enjoy the Real Housewives shows, sometimes the drama, and the pettiness and the downright cruelty that these women possess turns me off. No one likes a mean girl...so be the girl next door and greet everyone with a smile! You look much prettier when you do!
With that intro said, I welcome you to the first edition of "Tacky Tuesdays". Tacky Tuesdays will also include styles and makeup etc. that I find quite horrendous but let's be honest...tackiness comes in many forms!
So who is tacky this week? Sorry housewives of anything...you get the title this week! Now don't get me wrong, I love that guilty pleasure just as much as the next girl and I watch them all. But I think it is very important to stress, just cause you watch it doesn't mean you should live it! Man these women are proof that money will never buy happiness.... what in the world ever made these women so angry?? They seem to take so much pride in ripping each other apart and it isn't always in a passive aggressive manner, these women are not afraid to raise their voices and b*tch each other out. This is Trash...not CLASS. There is an even worse show out there now called Mob Wives....well its been out for a few seasons now but oh wow do these women meet the definition of classless acts. The Chicago one (and as a Chicagoan, this show is not a good representation of the people in our city!) just astounds me. This past week these women actually began physically beating one another all while screaming insults, curses and beyond. These "ladies" do not put women in a very good light on national television. Pure Tackiness!
Now maybe I'm a goodie goodie two shoes but I don't believe in screaming or yelling at people in my life, especially other women who are my friends. If you upset me, I'll act cordial but I will not pick a fight or go out of my way to tear you down. Talking about one another behind each others backs is almost just as bad...especially if this women is considered a good friend of yours. We women have come a very long but behavior like this just sets us back. If we can not love and respect one another, how can we expect the men in our lives to do the same?
Please ladies, don't be a Tacky Tuesday Sass and don't resort to Real Housewives behavior. I get that people will upset you or hurt you but hurting them back helps no one. Surround yourself only with people who will make you feel positive about yourself and make your life better. Frienemies are not trendy, they are just tacky since they cause you to act like you are auditioning for the next season of RH. Just always treat others with respect or try to remember to do so in your everyday life. In fact, imagine you are in a show and the things you are saying are going to be seen my your mother and grandmother...would they be proud of how you are acting. Then imagine the one you are talking about is going to hear every negative thing you say about them and imagine it was reversed...would you be okay with that.
Ladies, its tough enough in this world, let's all try to play nice. For now, lets leave the tacky behavior for the professionals. And honestly, as much as I do enjoy the Real Housewives shows, sometimes the drama, and the pettiness and the downright cruelty that these women possess turns me off. No one likes a mean girl...so be the girl next door and greet everyone with a smile! You look much prettier when you do!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Makeup Mondays--Makeup when its 90+ degrees out
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The solution? Keep it simple, put the foundation away for the summer and find lightweight formulas that absorb easily. My routine is rather simple. I start off by mixing a bronzing solution into my daily moisturizer (I like Murad absolute bronzing boost SPF 15 $38). This gives the skin a healthy glow and improves the tone of the skin without using a heavy cream, concealer or foundation. I then use a tinted primer (again Murad, skin perfecting Primer Acne and Shine Control, $35). I then use a light mineral based powder to reduce shine (try Stila Set and Correct ($34) or Mineralogie Invisibly Matte Powder ($38). If your skin type can take a bronzer and you would like a little more color, brush a light bronzer over where the sun naturally hits. Then use a basic blush to give cheeks a tint of pink. (I like physicians formula Happy Booster™ Glow & Mood Boosting Blush $11.95. Next use a simple stain on your lips and cover with a sheer gloss. Use a goldish or light color on your eyelids and keep simple with mascara.
And my (not so secret) finishing tip? Skindinavia Finishing Spray ($19.00) This stuff has shocked me! It really helps set your makeup and keep it from melting, smudging etc. So when the mercury climbs and you worry about looking as fresh and fantastic as you always do...just remember...keep it simple!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Style Sundays-Sundress for Easy Summer Fashion
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It is a running joke with my friends that once May hits, my jeans go into hibernation and you always see me in a dress. My closet looks like this picture but multiply that by about 10. My outfit selection is quite simple, I have all my dresses lined up and each summer day I just go along and wear the next one in the lineup....I must admit I am a sundress addict!There is a reason though, no matter how you feel, how little sleep you had the night before, the sundress is the fastest and easiest way to look pulled together and adorable. I know there are lots of other various styles out there that I've tried to adopt or work into my wardrobe, but no matter what, I always go back to the tried and trued style of the summer/sundress. There are just so many different styles: maxi, slip, tube dress etc. that the possibilities are endless. And you can totally change the look: dress it down with flip flops and a ponytail or glam it up with wedges and jewelry and your hair done. You can rock the look to concerts, brunch, dinner out with the girls....doesn't matter...you'll always look cute. Not too mention they are so freakin comfortable(for the most part). I update new styles each summer and clean out some of the outdated ones before the season but no matter what I do, the collection seems to take up the majority of my closet....and I go through a bit of a mourning period when fall hits and then..OH WAIT...add a sweater and a cute pair of boots...and you can wear them just a little bit longer.
Summer dresses really my favorite summer style and I hope it is a fashion that sticks around for a long time (it is a pretty timeless and classic trend so I have faith it will stick around). My only problem is I only get to wear my favs a few times each summer....maybe I need to move somewhere with perma warm weather?
How do you rock the summer dress, is it your go to staple when the weather heats up like mine? What's your favorite style! Feel free to share!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Subscription Saturdays-MyGlam
If you watch my YouTube videos, you know one of my favorite new beauty obsessions are monthly subscription programs. There are a bunch of them out there and they usually cost somewhere between $10-$15. Each month, they put together a mailing of 4-6 deluxe and full size beauty and makeup products. Some are better than other and some have off months then come back with a bang. I've found these programs are really a great way and explore different brands and products than you are typically used to. Brands are likely to participate in these programs to introduce their products or market their products to a new customer base. And what better way to get someone to buy your product than to have them use it?
Before I joined these services, I was buying the same night creams, same face washes,same eye creams, same moisturizers every 3-4 weeks. Now I have an endless supply of great brands and haven't had to buy a new one since I began. I've loved trying out the variety of products and almost get excited when I run out of something to open up a new one. The makeup that has been included has been awesome too and has really expanded my collection (my makeup bag is majorly overflowing nowadays and the variety if products is amazing). So to sum, highly recommend the monthly subscription programs. In this weekly entry, I'll review and explain a different one and the recent products I received.
My Glam is this weeks subscription program. My Glam was co-founded my Michelle Phan who founded her brand through YouTube Makeup video demos.There are various other stylists from You Tube and all of their channels are linked right here
Promise: http://www.youtube.com/user/dope2111
Michelle: http://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan
Andrea: http://www.youtube.com/user/AndreasChoice
Jessica: http://www.youtube.com/user/MissJessicaHarlow
Bethany: http://www.youtube.com/user/Macbarbie07
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I'll be 100% honest, I've never really followed any of their YouTube channels and have only recently checked them out after joining MyGlam and creating a YouTube channel myself. But they have a ton of fans and it was a great way to build a subscriber base and get the company up and running. I believe the first month of the service was December. As any new company does, I know in following months they struggled a bit and there was some disappointment in the bags. I personally joined in May and was a bit disappointed in the first bag. It contained two makeup brushes, a studio gear color in a brownish color, a philosophy perfume sample, and nail stick ons. I personally like to work off of a three strikes your out theory so was going to give them another chance. They vastly rebounded in June and I received a Nyx lipstick in a far more usable color, a philosophy moisturizer, living proof frizz control cream, and marabella permanent eye pen. This was an improvement as several products were quite cool (2 full size makeup products!!!). This month blew it away. Above is a picture of what we received (oh I forgot to mention each month they have a theme and send a makeup bag in the concept of the theme.This months theme was a day at the beach (I believe). I've included a description and thoughts on each product below
1. Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Polish by Bare Escentuals
I couldn't read the color on this but it came in a rosey, bronze color that has a lot of shimmer. It makes the lips tingle a little bit so I believe it has a plumper in it as well. A great product and checking out the Bare Escentuals site, we received a full size which is typically $18.00 so pretty cool
http://www.bareescentuals.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-BareEscentuals-Site/default/Product-Show?pid=MasterBuxom&start=2&cgid=BX_LIPS
2. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Lotion 1.0 fl oz.
This is obviously a sample size but Kiehl's is a very respected brand and their lotion seems pretty smooth and not too thick. Absorbs really quickly.Kiehl's is typically found at Nordstrom's and has been around for a very long time (1851 they say). A 2.5fl oz size is $18.00 so by ratio, this size is worth $7.20.
http://www.kiehls.com/Ultra-Facial-Moisturizer/351,default,pd.html?start=3&cgid=face-moisturizers
3. Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes 10 Travel Towelettes
This formula has aloe vera and can remove makeup and cleanse in one step. It also won an award in 2011 from Allure for Best of Beauty, I personally have never used these but they are great if you are on the go and need to wash your face easily. Or for travel to reduce the amount of liquids you take with you. The normal size is 30 towelettes and costs $5.99 so by ratio this is worth $2.00
http://www.yestocarrots.com/product/facial-towelettes?product_id=1023
4. Nu-Me Hydro Punch Hydrating Conditioner-.67 fl oz.This is a brand I've never heard of and the size is around the same as you would get at a hotel which means you may get 2-3 uses out of it (more like 2 for me as I have very long hair). I am sure it is a great conditioner and will do wonders for my hair and maybe the few uses may push me to buy the product but still it isn't a huge addition to the bag. Though you really can't complain with all that was included this month. The full size product is $24.99 and is 8.45 fl oz so by ratio this is $2.00
http://www.numeproducts.com/shop/hair-care/hydro-punch/hydrating-conditioner
5. Circus byAndrea's Choice in White-full size: I'm not one for white nailpolishes (note this is an opaque white, almost like a white out effect. However, I read recently the all white look on nails is making a comeback so it could be interesting to try out. I'm not the best at doing my nails and usually let a manicurist do as it will come out way better and without smudging (which I manage to do every time!) but I'm trying to work on my skills. I know you can also use the white to do an at home French manicure as well as some of the cool designs that are popular right now. I likely could never handle fancy designs but could try a french (and hopefully not screw up too bad!). This is another brand (maybe new??) that I've never heard of...I just checked out the site and they are brand new..not even available for purchase until Fall! So they likely did a partnership with MyGlam to promote the new brand...which is a very smart idea. Anyways, the website is here
http://www.circusbyandrea.com/pages/shop
So not including the polish, the total worth of this bag is around $29. Clearly you are getting your money's worth with this subscription and I highly recommend you check it out. They may have a waiting list right now (I was very briefly on it as well) but it doesn't take long to get off of it.
https://www.myglam.com/
You do take a style quiz so they can have an idea (or I assume) of what products and colors to send you. For the most part, they have always sent the same products to members but this month there was a little variety (some people received a stain instead of a lip gloss and there was also a different moisturizer based on your skin type I believe.
All and all, my glam has no further strikes and is definitely becoming my favorite. I'll be going through other services in other weeks and look forward to sharing my thoughts, reviews.
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments below!
Friday, July 13, 2012
More info on what's to come...
Thanks so much for checking out my blog. I do not claim to be an expert on anything just a real girl in the real world offering my two cents on everything I believe will help a girl out!
So here is what to expect from this blog:
I intend to put up at least a short post daily. Each day will have a theme as described below:
1. Monday-Beauty and Makeup Mondays: I'll offer my tips and thoughts on various makeup, skin and hair products that I've currently been using in my routine
2. Tuesday-Tacky Tuesdays: A bit of a fun one...I'll offer some thoughts on tacky fashions, trends and even behavior..I'll try not to offend...I'm not too mean :)
3.Wednesday- Wild Wednesday: Wednesday is hump day so that means you get a special treat. It will be a random sampling of something fun, lifestyle advice, love life woes, etc....you will never know what you'll get!
4. Thursday- Food for Thought Thursday: This will focus in on health topics, fitness, food, recipes, etc
5. Friday-Favorite Fridays: The end of the week so time for fun and listing my new favorites. I went a little into this with some of my current favorite websites listed above but this section will be expanded to include really anything, websites, fashions, apps, etc.
6. Saturday-Subscription Saturday: If you've seen my YouTube posts, you know I'm a big beauty product subscriber. I'll offer a review of a recent box in these posts
7.Sunday-Style Sunday:Fashion Baby! I'm pretty simple in my tastes but I think everyone has their own style so in these posts I'll share my current fashion favorites.
Excited to see how this takes shape and welcome any input that you may have.
Hope you have fun reading this as I hope to have fun writing it! :)
So here is what to expect from this blog:
I intend to put up at least a short post daily. Each day will have a theme as described below:
1. Monday-Beauty and Makeup Mondays: I'll offer my tips and thoughts on various makeup, skin and hair products that I've currently been using in my routine
2. Tuesday-Tacky Tuesdays: A bit of a fun one...I'll offer some thoughts on tacky fashions, trends and even behavior..I'll try not to offend...I'm not too mean :)
3.Wednesday- Wild Wednesday: Wednesday is hump day so that means you get a special treat. It will be a random sampling of something fun, lifestyle advice, love life woes, etc....you will never know what you'll get!
4. Thursday- Food for Thought Thursday: This will focus in on health topics, fitness, food, recipes, etc
5. Friday-Favorite Fridays: The end of the week so time for fun and listing my new favorites. I went a little into this with some of my current favorite websites listed above but this section will be expanded to include really anything, websites, fashions, apps, etc.
6. Saturday-Subscription Saturday: If you've seen my YouTube posts, you know I'm a big beauty product subscriber. I'll offer a review of a recent box in these posts
7.Sunday-Style Sunday:Fashion Baby! I'm pretty simple in my tastes but I think everyone has their own style so in these posts I'll share my current fashion favorites.
Excited to see how this takes shape and welcome any input that you may have.
Hope you have fun reading this as I hope to have fun writing it! :)
Welcome!
Welcome!
After doing a few reviews of various beauty subscription programs on YouTube, I decided it was time to start a beauty/fashion/lifestyle/health blog for the everyday girl. I'm your typical 20 something girl trying to have it all: friends, love, style, success, family and a heck of a lot of fun! I hope to entertain and provide advice all at the same time while always (well trying) to keep it classy! I like to think of myself as more of a girl next door type so everything will be from that perspective. I hope you enjoy and let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to see or know. And whether your style is like mine or you have your own...remember whatever it is, rock it as know one else can like you :)
Until I post, here are a few of my current favorite shopping sites that I recommend you check out, I'm always trying to find new ones as well and will share on Fridays as my "Friday Favorites"
www.modcloth.com
www.littleblackbag.com
www.lulus.com
After doing a few reviews of various beauty subscription programs on YouTube, I decided it was time to start a beauty/fashion/lifestyle/health blog for the everyday girl. I'm your typical 20 something girl trying to have it all: friends, love, style, success, family and a heck of a lot of fun! I hope to entertain and provide advice all at the same time while always (well trying) to keep it classy! I like to think of myself as more of a girl next door type so everything will be from that perspective. I hope you enjoy and let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to see or know. And whether your style is like mine or you have your own...remember whatever it is, rock it as know one else can like you :)
Until I post, here are a few of my current favorite shopping sites that I recommend you check out, I'm always trying to find new ones as well and will share on Fridays as my "Friday Favorites"
www.modcloth.com
www.littleblackbag.com
www.lulus.com
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