Thursday, January 31, 2013

January: What I Learned

January has been quite some month for me. I was told that I have Hashimoto's, I'm pre-diabetic, and all of this is going to cost a butt load because I don't have health insurance. Then you add school, work, and the blog to it all, it's just crazy. I do love my crazy life though. I'm in my last year of college, my last year at my current job, and my first year working on my blog that I absolutely love. To top this off, here are the five things I learned this month!


2013 is going to be a crazy year, but it's my year, I can feel it! 


Makeup Storage: How I Store Mine

When you're limited on space, storing your makeup can prove to be a difficult task. Although I have a decent sized office, it's also where I workout. Because of that, I don't want extra furniture taking up space. My desk and shelf already do enough of that. My dresser is actually in my closet, which is good because I put all of my makeup and hair tools on top of it. 

If you're looking for an easy affordable way to store your makeup, that is easily accessible and doesn't require much space, this is for you! 

I got these photo storage cases from Hobby Lobby. I love them! I got each case for about $25, with a 40% off coupon! That may seem like a lot, but for the amount of makeup I have, it's a great deal. Each have 16 smaller compartments inside where I separate my makeup by category. 

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In the box on the left, I store all of single eyeshadows, liners, mascaras, lashes, and half of my face products. The box on the right contains all of my lipsticks, lipgloss, lip balms, and the second half of my face products! 

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For all of my palettes and brushes/tools, I use this little 3 container storage set from Target. I got it during the "back to school: college" time. It's the perfect size for all of my palettes and I love that I can basically disassemble it and take with me only what I need. 

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The bottom container holds 2 Z Palettes, and both of my Urban Decay Naked palettes. 

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The second container holds a mini Z palette, 3 mark. palettes, 2 Avon palettes, 1 Sephora smoky eye palette, and 2 tinted moisturizers from mark. that wouldn't fit in my bigger cases. 

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The top container holds all of my brushes and tools! Minus the ones I keep in my everyday bag of course. 

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How do you store your makeup? 

What do you think of the way I store mine? 

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by any of the companies and brands in this post. 

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Review: Exuviance Foundation and Concealer

I've always had the hardest time finding a full coverage foundation and concealer that 1: matches my skin color and 2: doesn't look cakey. I got a sample of the Exuviance CoverBlend Concealing Treatment with one of my purchases from Ulta. I decided to give it a try and absolutely loved it! 

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Exuviance Skin Caring Foundation: $34 (Blush Beige)
Exuviance CoverBlend Concealing Treatment: $38 (Classic Beige)

Now I know that this seems a bit pricey for foundation and concealer, but trust me, it's worth it! It's serious full coverage and long lasting! And a little bit definitely goes a long way! When I purchased my foundation and concealer, I was lucky enough to get a 20% off holiday discount and free shipping! I've had both of the products for about two months now, and still have over 3/4 of each left, and I use them almost everyday! Another amazing perk? It's great for sensitive skin! This is one of the only foundations and concealers that don't make me itch or irritate my skin! Love them! 

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by Exuviance or Ulta. 

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

How To Wear: Animal Print

Now I know what you're thinking, animal print.. really? Yes! It's true that animal print can be very intimidating sometimes, but there is absolutely nothing to be scared of! If you're new to the animal print world, start with a simple shirt and build your animal print stash from there! Here are three easy, non-intimidating, ways to style animal print!

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For more details on this look, click here!

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Want this look for yourself? Click here!

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Click here for more information on this look!

How do you wear animal print?

Which look is your favorite? 

Side note: I'm not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by Polyvore. I just really really really like the website. 

Monday, January 28, 2013

Health Update: 2 Weeks

It's been two weeks now that I've drastically changed my eating habits in attempt to get my thyroid back in order. I've been limited to only fruit, poultry, and avocados. I tried my first avocado the other day and I loved it! I was so excited! It's been an emotionally taxing two weeks. There's been many tears, questions and hunger induced fights. 

I know it's been tough on B too. He's the one who has to deal with my emotional roller coaster. Obviously he can't stop eating what he normally does just because I can't have it. He works hard, he needs his fuel. But to watch him eat some of my favorite food while I eat some grapes is tough. There have been nights that he doesn't want to eat dinner with me because he does't want to upset me. Which is a nice gesture, but the fact that he didn't want to eat with me upset me too. But I think he understands. I mean he's being a serious trooper. He's been so supportive. 

I only have two more weeks left before I can start eating vegetables again! Except for mushrooms and garlic, I have to wait 2.5 more months for those. I've never been so excited for veggies in my entire life. I've been looking up recipes and pinning recipes on pinterest for vegetarian/vegan meals. Also in two weeks, I get most of my grains and dairy back. This kind of scares me because I don't want my body to get freaked out and gain back all the weight I've lost. The whole plan is to ease my way back into dairy and grains by only having them a few times a week for the first month or two. 

Updates: In the past two weeks my energy levels have drastically increased, I've lost 12.8 pounds, I've started eating things I would have never thought to try, and my anxiety about certain aspects of my life has decreased. I've also come up with some great recipes and found some amazing workouts! 

Recipes:
Basic Fruit Salad

Pineapple Chicken with Quinoa

Baked Apples 

Workouts:
Yoga for Beginners  
Kickboxing

Tip:
Alternate Your Workouts

To check out these recipes, workouts, and tips, scroll through my blog archive for that and other great posts! 

Have you been working on improving your health? 

Splurge and Save

Here in Florida, it's pretty common to find us wearing shorts and sweaters. It balances us out. The way most of the winters are here, you need either a sweater or pants, but rarely both. Of course we have really "cold" days where we look like eskimos, but this is for the most part. Why do I love this style? Because I stay just warm enough and just cool enough all at the same time! 

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Would you splurge or save?

Splurge: Sweater - $151 Shorts - $277 Sandals - $253
Save: Sweater - $13 Shorts - $35 Sandals - $50

What kind of weather are you experiencing right now?

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by and of the brands shown above. 

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Get Fit Recipes: Baked Apples

I love apples. I love apple pie even more. But alas, I cannot have apple pie. I've been wanting to come up with a recipe that allows me to enjoy my apples in a way that would remind me of pie, but obviously wouldn't be pie. I wanted to keep it simple, but still hold plenty of flavor. This recipe is delicious and perfect for yourself or for two! It's also been boyfriend approved! 

Ingredients:
2 Royal Gala apples 
4 tsp of cinnamon (to be split)
Light Agave Nectar

Quick notes: You can use any apple of your choosing. Just pick your favorite apple and go with it! My favorite apples are the Envy apples. But Publix didn't have any yesterday, so I went with the gala apples. Also, I prefer the taste of the light agave nectar to the darker ones, but this again is up to you, which ever one you like better!

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350
1. After removing the stems from the two apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Place in a glass baking dish. (or what ever you have on hand!)
2. Sprinkle 1 tsp of cinnamon on each apple half.
3. Drizzle the agave nectar over each apple.
4. Let bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until apples are slightly golden on the top.
5. Let cool for 5-8 minutes and enjoy!


What's your favorite healthy dessert?

Have you tried baked apples before?

Pinterest Favorites

One of my favorites things about Pinterest is that you can find a pin about almost everything! Pinterest serves as a huge platform for inspiration to every aspect of your life. Following that, here are my favorites pins of the week!

Dream Destination: Perigord, France

Dream Home: Theater Room 

Future Closet: Tiffany Blue Fossil Watch

Wedding Ideas: Puzzle Piece Guest Book

Beauty: Curly Waterfall Braid

So Funny: Sleeping Issues... 
(All the time!!)

Wisdom: Coco Chanel 

Decor and Such: Chalkboard Medicine Cabinet

Random Things I Love: Happy Otter! 

 Food: Champagne Float

Health and Fitness: Kiwi Strawberry Smoothie

Interesting Life Tools: How To Make a Pompom Bow

To follow me on Pinterest, click here!

Which pin is your favorite?

Do you have a pinterest? If so, leave your link in a comment below!

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by Pinterest. I just really really really like the website. 

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Saturday Sets

We all know that I love animal print. Between that and sequins, it could really be an every day thing. There are so many great animal print moments in the fashion world these days! At no point do you need to go overboard by being decked out head-to-toe in animal print. Just add an animal print pair of shoes, a blouse, or handbag to your outfit and you've got it! When I need an extra boost of confidence, I like to channel my inner animal and rock the print! This week, all of my favorite sets from Polyvore include, what else, animal print! Here are my top five favorites! (No particular order, I love them all the same!)


Fashion Classics - Red + Leopard Print by milladeyn


My Ensemble is Art! by the-house-of-kasin


Leopard Colour by christa72


Time is... by gstrogg


It is all in the stars by franzine

Click on the set creators name to see what other amazing sets these guys have made!

Which set is your favorite?

Do you have a Polyvore? If so, leave me a comment with your page link!

To follow me on Polyvore, click here!

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by Polyvore. I just really like the website. 

Friday, January 25, 2013

Get Fit Workout: Kickboxing

As I mentioned in my "Get Fit Tip: Alternate Your Workouts" post, kickboxing is one of my favorite workouts! I love to do a good round of this when I'm stressed. Kickboxing is such a good cardio workout and is great for toning your muscles too! Although my favorite kickboxing workout is Kickboxing for Dummies, (more info in the post above) I found this great beginners workout on Youtube! This low impact workout out by FitnessBlender is a great way to test the waters of kickboxing! They also have a great printable routine link to the video as well!



This video is less than 10 minutes, so it's perfect for a quick workout in the morning or at night! If you go to the FitnessBlender website, there are many more workouts, exercises, and articles that are all very helpful to creating a workout routine! Working out and exercising, regardless of what type you do, does wonders for the body. Remember to never over exert yourself. Always work at a pace that your comfortable with, but try to push yourself in a way that will only make you stronger, not hurt.

Do you do kickboxing? What's your favorite kickboxing workout?

What other workout routines do you do?

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by any of the companies or brands mentioned above. 

Things I Love: JustFab Shoes

JustFab.com is an absolutely amazing website with the most perfect shoes! There are some months, between school, work, the website, and life, I don't have time to pick up essential shoes. JustFab offers a wide range of shoes for only $39.95 a month. Considering that most of these shoes are worth at least $80, that's not too bad. The sizing has been the same for me with all of the shoes that I've gotten. I'm measured a 7.5 and I keep purchasing 8's. I'm sure the 7.5 would fit, but I have wide feet so I give myself that extra .5 size for comfort. I love all of their shoes, but I'm mostly obsessed with the boots. Here are my four favorite boots from JustFab:

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All of these gorgeous boots are $39.95 at justfab.com!
Nigora, Lichelle, Suzy, and Alicia

Which pair is your favorite?

Do you use JustFab?

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by JustFab. 

Thursday, January 24, 2013

My Mark. Trend Insider Prize Bundle

When you're a mark. representative, you get all sorts of perks and bonuses! This particular bonus happened to be a prize bundle from the trend insider! A bunch of other reps were entered and I was lucky enough to win. I've so very thankful to mark. for all of these wonderful goodies and I wanted to share them with you! I hope no one takes this as bragging, I just want everyone to know what wonderful opportunities you could have if you join mark. as well! 

To show you all of these prizes, I'll break it down by category!

Makeup: Glimmer Shine Lip Glosses 
Nude, Berry, and Pink 

Fragrance: Jewel Shine 

Jewelry: Good Vintage Earrings and Moonlighting Necklace


Handbags: Hot to Handle Bag

Which product is your favorite? 

Follow me on Instagram to see more pictures of each item! 

To purchase any of these items for yourself or anyone else, click on the mark. tab in the navigation bar! 

Want more information on becoming a mark. rep? Email me! (contact me tab)

Side note: I am affiliated with mark. being that I am an independent sales representative of the company. 


Beauty Tip: How I Curl My Hair

I love when my hair is curly! I have long, straight hair. Which don't get me wrong, I love my hair. But being able to mix it up is always fun! Here are the products and tools that I use to curl my hair!

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On dry hair that I've parted in two sections, directly down the middle, I run a dime sized amount of the Redken Smooth Lock Heat Glide through each side. After, I comb through my hair with a wide tooth comb to help evenly distribute the serum. 

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The tool that I use depends on the time I have. Both leave me with voluminous curls, so you could choose either. I normally go for my Hot Tools 1" Curling Iron, instead of the Hot Tools Hairsetters, because I feel like I have more control. Because I'm overly picky about my hair, I clip up the side that I'm not focusing on. I section off a smaller piece of the hair, usually 1" to match the iron, and curl away from my face. I repeat until all of my hair has been curled, doing any touch-ups along the way. 

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Once all the curls are done, I set them with the mark. Locks In Place Buildable Hairspray. I love this hairspray because it doesn't leave my hair feeling crunchy, but it definitely locks my curls in place. After I've set my curls and let them cool for about 5 minutes, I run through them with my wide tooth comb for more volume and texture. 

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This picture was taken at a ballroom competition that I went to for work! There was a break and I was bored, so I started sending funny faces to B. It kept me entertained. 

How do you curl your hair?

Do you like big, voluminous curls? Or soft, romantic ones?

Would you want to see a video tutorial on how I curl my hair?

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by any of the brands mentioned or shown. I am affiliated with mark. being that I am an independent sales representative for the company. 

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Magazine of the Month: Allure

I've always been a huge fan of Allure. I remember when I was about 7 or 8 years old and I was going on my first plane trip alone. I was going to meet my grandma in Arizona for the first time! I had forgotten my book bag full of activities to keep me occupied on the way over there! I was devastated. Well, as devastated as a small child could be. My dad took me to one of those little stores in the airport that has magazines and what not, and told me to pick out a few things. The first thing I picked up was Allure. 

The shiny cover, the copious amounts of makeup, and the beautiful people that graced each and every page. I needed it. I read and re-read the magazine over and over again during my 9 hour trip! (Had a long delay in Texas...) My grandma didn't have any televisions. So every night, I would read my Allure again. I'm pretty sure this is when my love of beauty and makeup happened. A lot of people have told me that I have an obsession with makeup. Maybe I do. But tell me, what's so wrong with wanting to find the best and most beautiful products out there? 

With my extensive back story being said, my favorite magazine of January 2013 was Allure. 

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Drew Barrymore looks absolutely stunning on the cover!  

Besides Drew, the one thing that really grabbed my attention was the letter from the editor, Linda Wells. She talked about makeovers, which seems fitting for the new year, but it was more than that. Allure was doing makeovers for "disadvantaged young men and women." A makeover can be life changing. And what Allure did for these people was absolutely wonderful. (I teared up a little bit...)

Other bits that I loved: 
1. Blush bags: The 3.1 Phillip Lim was my favorite!
2. How to Look Good When You Feel Bad: Perfect article for anyone feeling sick! (or hungover...)
3. Gluten-Free: Very informative article! A good read for anyone looking to go gluten free, or like me and have to go gluten free. 
4. Drew Barrymore: I love her. I died over this entire article. 

Have you read January's edition of Allure?

What was your favorite article or beauty/fashion tip?

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by Allure.  

Review: Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 Palettes

My two absolute favorites palettes are the Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 Palettes. Both are available at Sephora, Ulta, and the Urban Decay site for $50 each. They both come with 12 eyeshadows, with only one, half-baked, repeating between the two and a shadow brush. There are more shimmer shadows than matte shadows, but I'm a huge fan of shimmer shadows, so that works for me. The quality is amazing for both! The shadows are very pigmented and look amazing! Naked is definitely warmer than Naked 2. You don't NEED both palettes, unless you're like me and will find some way to justify having both, which is perfectly fine. Naked comes with a sample size Primer Potion, which I have become extremely obsessed with! Naked 2 comes with a sample size Lip Junkie plumping gloss which is the perfect size for travel. 

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Naked Colors: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Dark Horse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, and Gunmetal (Toasted and Dark Horse are my favorites!)

Naked 2 Colors: Foxy, Half Baked (repeat), Booty Call, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, and Blackout (Suspect and Pistol are my favorites!)

Swatches for Naked:
(Colors are in the same order as in the palette)
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Swatches for Naked 2:
(Colors are in the same order as in the palette)
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You can purchase both of these palettes at any of the following sites:
Sephora, UltaUrban Decay , or Amazon


Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by Urban Decay, Sephora or Ulta. I am affiliated with Amazon being that I am a part of the Amazon Affiliates program. 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

How To Wear: Stripes

I love stripes! They range across a wide variety of styles from causal to nautical to edgy. Stripes are extremely versatile, which makes them easy to wear! From the thickness of the stripes to the direction and color, stripes are definitely something to keep in your wardrobe! 

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Want to know how you can get this look? Click here!

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Click here for more details about this look!

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To get all the details about this look, click here!

Which look do you like best?

What's your favorite way to wear stripes?

Side note: I'm not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by Polyvore. I just really really really like the website. 



Monday, January 21, 2013

Get Fit Tip: Alternate Your Workouts

One of the best tips I've ever gotten in regards to keeping my motivation to workout is to alternate your workouts! When you go to the gym ever day or workout to the same DVD, doing the same tedious workout, it gets boring. When something gets boring, you stop doing it. You want exercising to be fun! Because I don't have a gym membership, I workout in my office. I have four different workout DVDs that I like to rotate through to keep me excited about exercising! 

When I'm feeling stressed, this workout has proven to be the best for me, kickboxing! Kickboxing is by far one of the best stress busters I've come across. During the workout, I envision what is stressing me out, and it becomes my target for the remainder of the workout. I have Fat-Burning Kickboxing Workout for Dummies. It is crazy good! The DVD has a warm up, three workouts, and a cool down. It also has a step-by-step tutorial on how to correctly execute the moves in each workout!

If I'm not in the mood for a hard cardio workout, I like to do pilates! To me, pilates is a cross between weight lifting and yoga. You're continually strengthening your body, but with your own weight, and you're stretching out your muscles. Once the workout is over, I feel like a powerhouse! I feel empowered knowing that I don't need anything but my own body to strengthen myself! The pilates DVD that I'm currently loving right now is Element: Pilates Weight Loss for Beginners. 

When I know I need to get my butt in gear and do a hard workout, I pop in Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. OMGoodness this thing is hard! I feel like I'm in bootcamp every time I do this workout! She's no joke. Although it's definitely a great workout, you have to be prepared for the craziness of this. I suggest watching the DVD before you try it, just so you know what to expect. 

My last workout that has, lately, been my go-to routine is Rodney Yee's Yoga for Beginners. This DVD has two separate routines, which concentrate on separate needs. I like to do the energizing routine in the morning to get me stretched and ready for the day! If I've had a long day or my body is sore, i like to do the rejuvenating routine. It's perfect before bedtime. It helps me find my center and feel peaceful before resting. I also like to do quick yoga routine that target certain muscles groups like more, which I talked about last Friday

All of these DVDs can be purchased on Amazon for a great price! I checked around my local stores, and Amazon just couldn't be beat! 


Side note: I am affiliated with Amazon, being that I am a part of the Amazon Associates program.

Splurge and Save

Umm over $3,00 for a dress?? No thanks. I'll take the simpler, less budget crushing dress. Although the shoes are comparable in price, this just shows you that you can still save a little bit of money! There's only a $20 difference, but those $20 can go a long way! Now with the dress, I understand that the splurge dress is probably hand crafted with the finest materials that took a year to make. But why? In my opinion, it looks like they threw on some confetti and called it a day. The save dress is way more versatile and $3,193 cheaper. 

Fun fact: The splurge dress with sell in a hot second in the ballroom world. Having been to a few competitions, as a retailer, I've seen plenty of dresses like this that cost just as much if not more. 

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Would you splurge or save?

Splurge: Dress - $3,299 Pumps - $110
Save: Dress - $36 Pumps - $89

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by any of the brands shown above. 

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Pinterest Favorites

To continue with my Pinterest obsession, here are my favorite pins from this past week! 

Dream Destination: Lake Louise, Canada

Dream Home: Cozy Reading Nook

Future Closet: Chantilly Maxi Dress

Wedding Ideas: Choose a seat, not a side!

Beauty: Glitter Shadow Extreme

So Funny: Safe under the blanket!

Wisdom: Know Your Values. 

Decor and Such: Wine Rack as a Towel Holder

Random Things I Love: Simba and Timon

Food: Hotdog Shaped Hamburgers

Health and Fitness: Bad v. Good Food Terms 

Interesting Life Tools: Target Markdown Schedule

To follow me on Pinterest, click here!

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by Pinterest. I just really really really like the website. 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Saturday Sets

This week, my favorite sets are all about the color blue! We all know that teal and coral are my favorite colors, but I'm really loving blue right now! Whether it's blue denim, blue sweaters, shoes or accessories, I love blue! My favorites thing about these sets is that they incorporate different shades of blue! So this week, these are my favorite sets using blue items! 
(No particular order, I love them all the same!)


Keep your head up by inna123


Casual by mtoomey


Untitled #229 by sophiesophs


Casual Chic by somatramoroi


mood716 by du123

Click the set creators name to see what other amazing sets these guys have made!

Which set is your favorite?

Do you have a Polyvore? If so, leave me a comment with your page link!

To follow me on Polyvore, click here

Side note: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid by Polyvore. I just really really really like the site. 
 
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