How doth the little crocodile

GUEST POST- Beating Cancer Through Style and Beauty

2012-02-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been gone for so long! Today I'm bringing you a guest post from Jackie Clark, who does outreach for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. I know I've been close with people who have had cancer and watching them go through each process it heartbreaking. I feel as though many times we don't realize how big a difference confidence and feeling beautiful can make in women who have cancer, who have lost their hair and maybe a lot of weight. That is exactly what this post is about, thanks Jackie!

The Confidence Factor: Beating Cancer Through Style and Beauty

By: Jackie Clark

A cancer diagnosis always comes with emotional challenges. It can cause depression, anger, anxiety and loss of self-confidence. This is especially true when the disease or its treatments dramatically affect your physical appearance. Hair loss or surgical alterations can cause enormous stress. Cancer-related anemia and fatigue can also make you look and feel tired. These things can be disheartening to the woman who prides herself on her appearance.

Negative emotions are not healthy. They have a detrimental effect on cancer and practically any other disease you can name. A huge part of winning the battle against cancer is keeping your emotions and outlook positive, and this includes feeling positive about how you look.

While many treatment-related changes in appearance are temporary and expected, life does not need to be put on hold while you wait for things to return to normal. It may seem that something as serious as dealing with cancer should make physical appearance a trivial matter, but this is not true. Appearance is a two-way reflection of well being that holds the potential to enhance recovery.

As any fashionable woman knows, the right clothes, makeup and accessories are essentials that can transform your look, and transforming your look can transform how you feel. There is no reason that you can’t feel beautiful, empowered, confident and feminine despite a cancer diagnosis. You may be tempted to let your appearance go if you are not feeling your best. Don’t give in to this. Something as simple as feeling good in your own skin causes chemical changes that have positive effects on your immune system, brain and nervous system. This gives your body a winning edge in pain management, formation of new cells and recovery from tissue damage.

Granted, it is easier to tell someone to just dress up and feel better than to actually do that with a cancer diagnosis hanging over your head. However, with every adversity comes an opportunity to dare it to stop you. Looking your best despite cancer is a call to arms. Your clothes, accessories, makeup, jewelry, perfume, creativity and your own natural beauty are your weapons.

If chemotherapy for breast cancer has taken away your hair, you can enjoy a temporary obsession with hats, scarves and gorgeous earrings. If you are too weak to walk after undergoing mesothelioma cancer treatment, sit on your couch and wear those five-inch stilettos. At least they won’t make your legs sore this way. If your skin is pale from anemia, try out the latest in bronzing makeup products. Do, buy and use whatever makes you feel beautiful. All women with cancer are beautiful, and you should showcase this– for both the world and yourself.

Thanks again to Jackie for this inspirational and informative post! I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Confessions of a Concealaholic

2011-11-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hello there :]

A couple months ago I bought the Confessions of a Concealaholic set by Benefit. I bought mine for $36 at Sephora.

In this set you get:

- 0.25 oz "That Gal" brightening face primer

- 0.11 oz Erase Paste in No. 2

- 0.03 oz Lemon Aid color correcting eyelid primer

- 0.03 oz Eye Bright (pale pink) instant eye brightener

- 0.04 oz Boi-ing industrial strength concealer in 01 Light

- 0.04 oz Boi-ing industrial strength concealer in 02 Medium

- Concealer brushes

I had really been wanting to try out some new concealers since the ones I had just weren't to my liking. Since this set comes with three concealers that I had ever tried I decided to get it. I've had time to test everything out and here are my thoughts.

The That Gal primer has a nice texture, but didn't do anything for me that the MAC Strobe Cream and Liquid don't do. It adds a bit of iridescence to the area it is applied to, but I didn't feel like it prolonged the wear of my makeup. It also doesn't give the silky finish that the Tarte Clean Slate primer gives. I won't be buying a full size of this product, but I don't hate it.

The Lemon Aid color correcting eyelid primer was a bit dry in my opinion and didn't really do much color correcting! I tried using this in various ways, but it just doesn't work for me.

The Eye Bright instant eye brightener was dry as well. Although it did perk up my eye area a bit I won't be repurchasing it because MAC Strobe Cream gives me the same effect with a better finish.

The Boi-ing concealers were also too dry for my liking. They had pretty good coverage but they weren't super easy to blend. I would recommend rubbing you finger in the products to heat it up before applying it with a brush. I really wanted these concealers to work for me, but in the end I wouldn't repurchase them. I don't feel like they perform much better than the ELF concealer I've been using forever.

Now onto my favorite product, Erase Paste. To me this little jar of concealer was worth the price of the whole set. It's a miracle worker! It covers up my dark circles wonderfully! I set it with my Laura Geller Balance & Brighten and it stays put until I shower. I love this product and will definitely be repurchasing it! It's one of those holy grail products that I wouldn't know what to do without them now that they're mine.

So to sum up, this kit is great if you're looking to try out a bunch of different products for concealing, but if you dislike dry textures and just want a great under-eye concealer just buy the Erase Paste.

I hope this was helpful to some of you!

Adore Me

2011-11-19T05:03:00.000-05:00

Hello ladies! I was recently contacted by a company called Adore Me. It's a monthly subscription service (similar to JewelMint or StyleMint) for cute undergarments! They just launched and want to get the word out on their site.

If you're anything like me bra shopping can be such a hassle and is something I usually dread! I rarely want to shell out the money for a bra at Victoria's Secret since they're usually upwards of $50 each. I usually run into my local Target and grab the cutest and most comfortable bra they have in a 36D (which generally isn't very cute or comfortable)...only to have to replace it within 2-3 months since the quality sucks, so when I was contacted by this company I was pretty excited.

How cute is this lacy bra? So pretty and feminine!

For a flat fee of $39.99 you get a matching high quality undergarment set. Shipping and exchanges are free and you won't be charged until your first purchase. I think it seems like a really good deal to get a nice bra and underwear for under the price of one bra from VS. Each month you get a personalized showroom based on your style quiz and you can pick out whatever set you like or skip the month if you don't find something that suits you. If you have ever used JewelMint or StyleMint you will be familiar with this.

I'll be able to give more details once I do a review, I hope the quality is as nice as the pictures look!

Overall I think people who like the other monthly subscription shopping services will like Adore Me.

You can check it out here.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend and getting excited for Thanksgiving (in the US that is)!

MAC Hang UP

2011-10-28T11:05:00.001-04:00

Hello there! This is how I would typically wear Hang Up lipstick by MAC (this was also taken on the day of my most recent haircut, but you'll see more of that later). Just a bit of liner, mascara, bronzer and just enough concealer. These pictures aren't the best or most flattering, but you get the idea.

Also, I would suggest wearing this when your skin is having a good day. I feel like bold lips can draw more attention to a breakout.

I don't think I've mentioned it on here before, but I started a tumblr a while back. I don't post often and I'd say it's slightly more personal than this blog, but you can check it out if you like.

I got a date with the night

2011-10-24T11:00:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! So it's getting to be the time of year that I love to wear rich, dark colors on my lips. I recently picked up a this lipstick at MAC and I've really been loving it. It's called Hang Up and it is a cremesheen finish. I paired it up with NYX Currant lip liner.

These pictures were taken the day I bought the lipstick, so I'm just wearing my usual "school" eye makeup. I wouldn't usually go so glam on the eyes when wear a vampy lip color like this.

Do you get excited for the colder seasons just because of makeup trends? I do :3

Oh and if you're wondering why my eyebrows have been looking different lately it's because I've been bleaching them. I really like the soft look it gives--but it also mean I can leave the house without filling in my brows! Unless I want to look like an alien of course... Well, I guess Halloween is coming up :]

Typical School Day

2011-10-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

This is pretty much the hair and makeup I've been doing for school lately. Winged liner (i've been using the Physician's Formula pen one), pink cheeks, and lip balm.

More often then not, my hair is thrown into a topknot.

Quick and easy :]

Old picture drop

2011-10-18T11:00:00.000-04:00

Hey guys here are a few pictures from this summer that I hadn't gotten a chance to post yet. I'm trying to get up to date and back on track :]

Here I am one random day, before a haircut.

And here I am after. This isn't the same day though, I just wear that dress a lot :]

As you can see I dyed it as well but it has already faded out completely as of now. And the wind was blowing in my face, so one of my eyes looks irritated >.<

Hopefully I'll have some reviews coming up soon and I'll definitely have more FOTD posts but they're mostly from the camera on my macbook.

Hope everyone is enjoying Autumn!

A little DIY

2011-10-05T14:13:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! I just wanted to show you a little DIY project I'm working on. I got the idea from Dismount Creative. You can see the tutorial here. It is such a cute little clutch so I had to try my hand at it.

Here is my progress so far:

Aggravated by studs!

Nap time? :3

I'll be sure to show you the finished product whenever it gets done (the studs take a while to put in!)

I might put up a few more DIY posts if I ever get around to finishing all the other stuff I've started. Does anyone else love DIY?

Today is the greatest day I've ever known

2011-09-25T16:35:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been posting, school has been keeping me busy! I am enjoying this semester though, Japanese and Spanish are probably my favorite classes. I like my Anatomy/Life drawing class, but it's 3 hours long and just takes a lot out of me...and staring at naked old people isn't exactly fun :P

Anyways, I just wanted to show you a makeup combination I've been wearing a lot lately. It's MAC Peaches blush and Freckletone lipstick.

Eyes: Clinique cream liner, Maybelline Falsies mascara (the waterproof one)
Face: Benefit Erase Paste in #2, Benefit Boiing in #1 & #2, Laura Geller Balance and Brighten in regular
Cheeks: NYX cream blushes in Natural and Orange, MAC blush in Peaches
Lips: MAC lipstick in Freckletone

I have a messy desk at the moment >.<

I hope everyone is having a lovely Autumn so far! I might do a giveaway soon to apologize for the lack of posts and give you guys a chance to try out some of the things I've been loving lately.

Oh and the title is from a song by The Smashing Pumpkins, if you were wondering.

She Burns Like the Sun

2011-08-31T11:00:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! So you've heard me talk again and again about the sunburn I got last month, well here's a picture of what it looked like after the worst of the peeling was over. I was still pink and so sore, but at this point I had gotten most of the dead skin off. And this is probably the first time you've even seen me without a spot of makeup on...so yeah, be nice!

But anyways, this is what I had to deal with for a while. It hurt too much to wear makeup (and makeup just made me look crusty anyway!) so I just slathered on moisturizer a thousand times a day and kept an icepack near at all times.

Hopefully my bare muff hasn't horribly disturbed your day!

Red Lips and Floral Dress... Again.

2011-08-29T11:00:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone! Does anyone else always pair a certain outfit with the same makeup, like every time you wear it? I do... this floral dress is the best example. If I wear this without screaming bright red lips, the outfit just feels incomplete. You've probably seen this exact look and outfit together before, but I like it so I'll show it again :]

I wear this dress a lot, probably once a week. It's so easy, just slip it on and go. I wear a lot of dresses in the summer for that reason, they're so easy and there's not so much cloth that you get overwhelmingly warm.

This lipstick is my favorite red and it's actually from Wet 'n' Wild (911D), so it's only like $1.99 or something like that. On me it practically lasts all day, depending on what I eat and drink. This is the first of their lipsticks that I have really liked. I've tried several from the same line and they were all too drying and/or chalky and I hate the packaging, but this one is just really great.

I hope everyone has a great day!

"Bronzed Goddess"

2011-08-27T12:38:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Sorry for not posting in a while, my school started back up this week and I've been really busy. I really like my classes so far, but I can tell they're going to be a ton of work. I'm going to try to schedule a few posts at a time when I get enough free time to do it.

Anyways, this is a bronze/gold look I did back when Nymphette had her July makeup challenge calendar. I this was for the "Bronzed Goddess" day, before I got that bad sunburn :P

I pretty much just used MAC products and my 88 palette.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend and if you're school just started I hope you're having fun!

More Nature

2011-08-15T14:20:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, I've been to another metropark in our area a couple times over the past few weeks. This one is called Oak Openings and it's huge. I would say it's probably the prettiest park in Toledo and you should definitely visit it if you have the chance. Here are a few pictures from my visits.

I was trying to get a picture of wild turkeys, but they ran away! :[

Still trying to photograph the turkeys!

Pretty sunset

Small meadow Tom and I stumbled upon

Another view of the meadow

This summer I've really been trying to take advantage of more of the things my area has to offer. I'm sure I still have much to discover though!

Have a great day!

Shorties

2011-08-11T00:35:00.000-04:00

My bangs are über short at the moment :]

p.s sorry I've been gone for a bit, I've been getting stuff ready for school. I start the 22nd :]

Soft Purple

2011-07-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

I'm sharing another quick look with you. This is from a wintertime (still getting through all my pictures) and I can't remember all that I used. I'm fairly certain it's mostly MAC though. I can tell there's Stars N' Rockets eyeshadow, but I'm not sure what else is on the lid.

I think I just have chapstick on my lips. My blush is from the Coastal Scents blush palette, I think, and MAC Jest for highlight as per usual.

Hope you guys like it!

Plumful

2011-07-12T13:44:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone. This look is from a while back, when the days were bitterly cold instead of sweltering.

MAC Plumful lipstick
MAC Amber Lights and Woodwinked eyeshadows
Ulta Fame Blush

I wanted to do Nymphette's FOTD Challenge Calendar, but I got sunburnt (for the first time in years) pretty badly. Hopefully I can still get a few in when my face doesn't hurt :P

FOTD with MAC Hibiscus lipstick

2011-07-07T11:00:00.004-04:00

Here's a look from a few weeks ago. A bold lip with winged liner is my go to look lately, it's just so easy. I used Wet 'n' Wild single eyeshadow in Brulee, MAC lipstick in Hibiscus, Clinique creme liner, and Ulta blush in Fame. Speaking of the Hibiscus lipstick, I think it might be my favorite purchase of the summer. The color is gorgeous, the formula is perfect and it lasts for hours.

What's your go to look this summer?

Love: Jeffrey Campbell

2011-07-05T11:00:00.001-04:00

I've decided that every week I'm going to type of a post about brands/stores/items that I love. I know many of us love to shop and I love getting inspiration from other people's style. I think this will be a nice way to display my taste in clothing, accessories, shoes, etc.

This week my focus is on Jeffrey Campbell shoes. Lately this brand has really been increasing in popularity! I love how eccentric some of the designs are and that the price point makes them attainable. Most JC's range from about $100 to $200, which compared to Chloe and Christian Louboutin is pretty good. Here are my current favorites:

Jeffrey Campbell K2

image from shopakira.com

I love these military inspired boots. They are so cool and with a 4.5" heel they would make me quite a bit taller! I would probably pair these with leggings and a slouchy, off the shoulder top.

Jeffrey Campbell Lita

image from karmaloop.com

To me these are the "classic" Jeffrey Campbell shoe. When someone mentions JC this image is what pops into my mind. I love that these heels have a hidden platform. I find that platforms make very high heels and wedges much more comfortable and easier to walk in. I really like when Litas are paired with skinny jeans and a fitted blazer. It just creates such a long, lean, flattering silhouette. My favorite color is the black, just because it goes with everything, but there are so many pretty options to choose from.

Jeffrey Campbell Backbow

image from envishoes.com

These shoes are so cute and super funky. This is my favorite color combo, although I don't think it's very practical. There's just something about the deep red paired with tan that I love. I would like it better without the animal print though. This is something I'd pair with either leggings or dark wash skinny jeans to show off the details. I'm not sure what I would wear for a top though :P

Jeffrey Campbell Tardy

image from solestruck.com

These are my absolute favorites of the moment. I love this deep red color, but I also like the black ones as well. These are super high as well, I think 5.75" including a 2" platform. These would let me see into the tall cages and tanks at the pet store! Between the red and the black I could pair these up with practically anything in my closet. If they came out with a brown shade I think I'd be all set!

Other styles I like include the pixie, one o one, erikson f, and pixie cut.

Do you like these styles/brand? What are your favorite shoes/styles this season?

FOTD and 12 Question Tag

2011-06-29T11:58:00.003-04:00

Hey guys. I'm trying to post more often which means more quick/easy posts. Hopefully I'll get some reviews up soon. I need a nice sunny day for good photographing lighting :]

Clinique cream liner in black, MAC Quiet, Please lipstick.

This is a look I did a few weeks ago. I left my hair wavy and just did quick makeup. Tom wanted to check out a "reptile rally" at a pet supplies store not far away. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but Tom really likes reptiles has a leopard gecko named Gin. It's pronounced "geen" (like green with out the "r") as in Gin Ichimaru from the anime Bleach. He's a cute little guy and he loves his mum. I'll try to get a good picture of him. Actually perhaps I'll do a post on all of our pets. I just have my Daisy Mae, but Tom has Gin, Nova (a turtle) and Joanie ( a chubby dachshund). Quite and interesting little collection.

Anyways, the "rally" was a bust as there wasn't anything interesting and Tom was convinced he knew more than the so called specialist.

12 Questions:

1. What do you order at Starbucks? I don't go there often, but when I do I get an Iced Chai
2. What's one thing in your closet that you cannot live without? Hmm... leggings.
3. What's one thing that most people probably wouldn't know about you? I'm a really big anime/manga fan. I guess I don't come off as the "type" to like those things since people are always shocked when I tell them...
4. Name one thing that you want to do before you die: Live in a foreign country. Not just visit, actually live there for an extended period of time, not be a tourist.
5. What's one food that you cannot live without? Frozen vegetables. More often than not Tom and I heat up those steam packs of mixed vegetables and make rice for lunch.
6. What quote/phrase do you live your life by? I don't really live by other people's quotes and things. I just try to be a good person by having honest intentions, not doing things to intentionally hurt people and not being afraid to stick up for and help others.
7. What's your number one most listened to song on iTunes? Sunburn by Muse
8. What kind of style would you define yourself as having? very eclectic
9. Favorite number: 8, very symmetrical... :] i wonder if anyone will get that reference.
10. Favorite books: I read a LOT so this is hard for me. I like anything David Sedaris writes. The Awakening by Kate Chopin, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, The Moral Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, The Hunger Games series, The Hobbit, The Golden Compass series. I could go on for days. Maybe I'll put up a few book reviews. As for manga I like Fruits Basket, Soul Eater, Ouran Host Club, etc.
11. Favorite shows: Another tough one. I like paranormal dramas like Medium and Ghost Whisperer. Hmm, I like True Blood, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, and Degrassi. As for anime i'll give anything a try but ones I have kept watching/ finished are Bleach, Inuyasha, Soul Eater, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fruits Basket, Ouran Host Club, Sailor Moon, Mahoromatic. I'm sure there are many more that I can't think of at the moment.
12. Guilty Pleasure: This summer it's been ice cream. It's been to hot it just sounds so good on most days.

Hopefully this post was at least slightly interesting. Let me know if you do the tag or even if you find any common interests :]

Nature

2011-06-27T11:20:00.002-04:00

Here are some "nature" photos from my area. In Ohio we have unpredictable weather and a drastic change between seasons. Sometimes I wish I lived in another state where it's 70 degrees and sunny year round, but I have to admit that Ohio can be quite pretty. These are just a few shots from last year that I figured I would share with you.

This was taken at Side Cut Metropark a few days after a storm. The flooding had gone down quite a bit, but there were still little "pools" hanging around like these.

Waves on Lake Erie. This picture is deceptive, those waves were actually kind of high. I remember this was a rather gloomy day.

This was taken on the UT campus while I was walking back to the car. This past winter was SO cold, the trek to and from classes was horrible. I had a red nose for months, but at least the snow and ice were pretty.

I hope you enjoyed this little peak into my area. Do you enjoy the weather where you live? Or are you dying to leave?

Icing Frost Yourself

2011-06-25T11:00:00.002-04:00

I haven't done a nail post in forever. However than doesn't mean I haven't been wearing and buying copious amounts of polishes. This is a polish I saw recently on Mean Girl Makeup and knew I had to have it. It is a very pretty holographic glitter. It has large hex glitter and smaller glitters as well. In my pictures i have put on 3 coats, but it still wasn't opaque. Next time I think I will use a base color and then build this up. I really like how sparkly this polish is :]

Up close!

I wish my camera could capture how pretty this polish is! Perhaps it's time for a new camera?

I hope everyone is having a lovely day!

MAC Surf Baby Haul

2011-06-24T11:56:00.002-04:00

When I saw the first promo pics for the Surf Baby collection on Temptalia I wasn't that impressed. I thought the packaging looked cheap and I didn't really think I would get anything. Then I saw it in person. Up close the packaging is actually very cute and has a slight shimmer. I ended up getting Hibiscus lipstick, Gilded White powerpoint eye pencil and Gold-Go-Lightly studio careblend pressed powder. I really just loved the shades of these products and thought they would all be something I would use often, especially in Summer.

Cute packaging!

Hibiscus is a perfect coral shade for summer. I like that it's a cremesheen because there's no shimmer and it doesn't dry out my lips. I really like this lipstick. I should probably buy a backup.

The Guilded White eye pencil isn't something that is incredibly unique but I really like the subtle gold sheen it gives and it's perfect for highlighting the inner corner of our eyes. This is the first eyeliner I've tried by MAC and I must say I'm impressed. I have a hard time finding pencil eyeliner that doesn't smudge on me (even with primer and setting it with eyeshadow) and this stuff stayed put all day! I'll be trying more of these in the future.

I don't usually wear bronzer, but as it's summer and I ended up loving the packaging of this collection I decided to get one. Gold-Go-Lightly is the perfect shade for me. It is gold/tan toned so it doesn't enhance the natural redness in my cheeks and it gives me the perfect amount of definition. It isn't too dark or to sheer. It is definitely buildable.

Swatches (from top to bottom): Gold-Go-Lightly, Hibiscus, Gilded White

I really like everything I got from this collection. I was going to get the My Paradise cheek powder, but I decided it was much too shimmery. I loved the orangey portion though. Did you get anything from this collection?

ABC's of Me tag and FOTD

2011-06-23T02:05:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! It's been a hectic past few weeks for me! I got new furniture and I've been trying to organize my bedroom and my art/makeup room. There are still a few pieces of furniture I would like to replace but I haven't found anything suitable yet. My sleep schedule has been horrible lately too. I've been staying up till 6am and waking around 2pm O.O I made myself get up early today though to get back on track and be even more productive. So tonight I'm going to do a simple post, just an FOTD and a survey I saw on a few other blogs. o

This is a makeup look I did this Winter. I think this was taken in February or March. I used some MAC shadows on the lid, Ulta blush in Fame and MAC Quiet, Please lipstick. It's very simple, I wore this look quite often during that time period.

A. Age: 20

B. Bed size: Queen, I love it. I sleep either all stretched out or curled in a ball so it's convenient :]

C. Chore you hate: washing dishes, for sure!

D. Day: hmm at the moment any day is good for me. No school or work gives me the flexibility to do what I want on most days. Lately I've been organizing like crazy.

E. Essential start to your day: brushing my teeth and putting on moisturizer.

F. Favourite colour: lavender, turquoise, and yellow

G. Gold or Silver: either. My skintone in pretty neutral so I can wear both. Lately I have been reaching for gold though.

I. Instruments: I have a keyboard and an acoustic guitar, but I can't play either of them. One of my goals for this summer is to learn.

J. Job title: student

K. Kids: I don't have any and I'm not sure if I want them in the future. Maybe.

L. Live: Toledo, Ohio. It can be oh so boring here though :[

M. Mum’s name: Carol

N. Nicknames: Meg, Weeble, Weebs, M&M, sweetheart, sugarbritches, various sweets and pastry pet names that my boyfriend calls me.

O. Overnight hospital stays: Infected chicken pox in my mouth when I was very small and getting my adenoids taken out.

P. Pet peeve: the term "pet peeve" and narrow minded people.

Q. Quote from a movie: haha anything from Scary Movie 3. I'm always spitting out lines from that movie. Hilarious.

R. Right or left handed: right

S. Siblings: Carlos and Tanya, both older than me.

T. Time you wake up: usually around noon, unless I have school.

U. Underwear: anything comfy and cute.

V. Vegetables you dislike: Hmm this is a hard one, I like most vegetables. I disliked eggplant the one time I cooked it, but perhaps it was my fault.

W. What makes you run late: picking out what to wear and putting on my makeup

X. X-Rays you’ve had: lots, most of them when I was rather young so I don't remember specifics.

Y. Yummy food you make: Palak daal, vegetarian shepherd's pie, roasted cauliflower...I like to cook.

Z. Zoo: The Toledo Zoo. It's pretty nice, you should go if you have the opportunity to.

Let me know if you decide to do the tag, I'd love to read it :]

FOTD from New Years

2011-05-26T04:36:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! I'm still trying to get caught up with pictures, so this one is all the way from New Years. I remember I modeled this after a Michelle Phan tutorial. I like how it came out, much more complicated than my normal makeup. I know I used my Coastal Scents palettes for the eyes and MAC jest for the highlight, but that's all I can remember.

The camera didn't pick up the glitter on the inner corners of my eyes :[

This picture captures the vibrancy of the colors a little better.

Since I last made a post a lot has happened! I took my final exams, found out about scholarships, started Spring cleaning, signed up for next Fall's classes, turned 20, etc.
First off, I didn't get the art scholarship that I was hoping for. At first I was really disappointed but I talked to the other people in my class and the only one who got anything was a senior. So now I feel much better about it. I did get a $1500 general scholarship through the university though. It isn't as much as I first had, but I'm still working on bringing my cumulative GPA back up. Actually this semester I got a 4.0! I am SO excited about that and very proud of myself. I never even got a 4.0 in high school! Here's a screenshot to prove it! ^.^

I'm really excited for next semester! I've been staying pretty busy lately, I've set a lot of goals for this Summer. Hopefully I will be motivated to post more regularly though. How have you guys been lately?

Simple Cat Eye look

2011-04-20T23:14:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! This is a quick EOTD from a while ago. I just did an easy winged eyeliner, neutral brown eyes, and nude-ish lips. I think I used Wet 'n' Wild eyeshadows from the Comfort Zone palette, clinique creme liner, and MAC Marquis d' lipstick (from the Wonder Woman collection) and Ulta blush in Fame.

Front view

Above View

It's quick and easy so it's a nice look for me to do when I go to class.

You can see the "wing" better in this one

Speaking of classes I'm all registered for Fall 2011. I'm taking Spanish, Japanese, Drawing III (Anatomy Drawing), Internet & and World Wide Web, and Dreamweaver Web Page Development. I'm pretty excited about most of them :]

Well that's all for today, I have an unbelievable number of papers to write and a final project for Drawing II to get done.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Braids and Purple EOTD

2011-04-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! This is just a quick makeup/hair post. This is a look from like a month ago. I did twin braids because we were doing self-portraits in gesture style at school and I thought it would look more interesting than plain hair.

For makeup I used MAC stars 'n' rockets and satellite dreams. I've also been using the waterproof Lashblast volume mascara and I like it, BUT it clumps if I'm not super careful. I'll use up this tube but I probably won't buy it again since I think I like the Lashblast fusion better.

Anyways, last Friday I entered a juried art show. It wasn't a public art show, our professors are the only ones who got to walk around and look. The prizes are all scholarships so I'm really hoping my pieces were good enough to win something. I won't find out until around the 20th though : [
If I get a scholarship and my confidence is boosted then I might post the self-portrait I slaved over on here. We'll see.

I hope everyone is having a good week!

Help me pick out a watch!

2011-04-07T11:51:00.001-04:00

Hi, everyone! I've been shopping around for watches lately and I've got it narrowed down to four options. It's just so hard to choose one! Hopefully you can help me decide!

Well, here they are:

SKAGEN Rose Gold Links with Glitz

$145

Image from Skagen website

This watch is rose gold stainless steel with crystals and a mother of pearl dial. I really think this one is pretty and rose gold is on trend right now. It was also very comfortable when I tried it on.

SKAGEN Silver Links Multifunction

$165

Image from Skagen website

This watch is sterling silver and multifunctional with a few crystals the mother of pearl dial. I really like the simplicity of this watch and the multifunction capability.

SKAGEN Charcoal Links Multifunction

$175

Image from Skagen website

This is just a darker version of the previous watch. I think it's really interesting and I haven't seen many things like it. The blue mother of pearl is so gorgeous.

MICHAEL KORS Two-tone Chronograph Watch

$225

Image from Nordstrom website

I really love this watch. It's the one I'm leaning most towards as of right now. It's a very timeless style. The gold and silver stainless steel would go with any clothing or other jewelry I would want to wear. The crystals as time markers add a bit of glitz without it being too much and I love the mother of pearl dial.

HELP! Haha! I'm having such a hard time deciding what to get. Which do you like best?

Thanks for your help<3

Short Bangs

2011-04-06T01:48:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! This post is just to further show you how short I cut my bangs. These pictures are from February (I have a lot of catch-up posting to do) so when you see my present day bangs in later posts they will look slightly different.

Currently I have pretty short bangs. I think of them as pixie bangs because they are kind of like the bangs you see when people get super short pixie haircuts, except the rest of my hair is still long. They are basically still side-swept bangs, just a much shorter version than you usually see.

Many people assume that this type of fringe is hard to manage and high maintenance. For me this is just not the case, I hardly have to do anything to them. When I had longer side swept bangs they would never fall the way I wanted them too and didn't draw attention to my eyes so I would spent loads of time ring to fix them.

With my current bangs I just clip them down after I get out of the shower (so they don't stick straight up) and let them air-dry. They have the shape I want and I don't have hair falling in my face and getting out of place all the time.

I know it's not for everyone, but I'm quite happy with my fringe for the first time!

If anyone else has had some failure/success stories with their hair recently, please share!

Tah-tah for now! :]

electric blue eye makeup

2011-02-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! I'm just going to do a quick post today. I'm slammed with art projects, studying for a couple quizzes & a midterm, and two 5 page papers. The curriculum for my program is changing next year, so I'll have to look into how it affects me. Also I'm still thinking about taking on a minor in a non-art related field. I'm considering Japanese or Spanish. We'll see :P

Anyways, back to blog business. I did this look a few weeks ago. I just felt like wearing something different to school that day.

Do you like the bigger pictures?

On the eyes:
-Clinique gel liner winged out on the top lashline
-Mac carbon eyeshadow to set top eyeliner
-NYX slim pencil liner in electric blue winged out on the waterline
-Mac electric eel eyeshadow, used to set the blue liner
-LashBlast volume on top and lower lashes

On my face:
-Mac studio sculpt foundation in NW 20
-Mac select cover up concealer in NW 20
-Ulta blush in fame
-Mac eyeshadow in jest used as a highlight

On my lips:
-Mac quiet, please lipstick

Hope you guys like this look! Also, I don't think I've mentioned it on here yet. This summer I'm going to Chicago to take a class (or perhaps multiple classes) at MakeUp First school of makeup artistry. I love makeup and I figured it would be a great thing to do on the side with school.

Purple and Gold makeup

2011-02-17T21:16:00.001-05:00

This is a look I did a few weeks ago and I actually got quite a few compliments. I find most purple eyeshadows pretty flattering on me. For this look I mixed shadows from my 88 palette and some from MAC. I think I used parfait amour and satellite dreams.

I also gave my first go at making fried rice a few weeks ago. It came out alright. The rice was a little hard, but the flavor was nice. Next time I won't toast the rice for so long!

Has anyone else tried to make anything new lately?

Youknowit.com Avatar contact lenses review

2011-02-03T16:53:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! I'm finally trying to finish reviews for all the contacts I got from youknowit! These are the Avatar contact lenses. I really like the colors in this pair of lenses, but I didn't find them very comfortable. I do, however, think they are good to use for photos and makeup contest entries. The other thing I don't particularly like about these is that they can make your pupils look uneven, which is common for colored contacts (at least in my experience).

Obviously these are not for everyday use, so I did a super quick "dead/creepy-ish" makeup look when I had them on. I may or may not do an actual Avatar makeup look when I have the time to do so.

I'm wearing Sugarpill's Love+ on my lower lash line and MAC creme d' Nude on my lips

Overall, I'd say if you're looking at wearing these for multiple hours at a time to find something more comfortable. If you're just taking a few pictures for fun or a youtube/blogger makeup entry then these are fine since they are inexpensive and not uber bothersome.

Hope this is helpful to anyone looking for weird contacts!

Christmas Lights and lazy makeup look

2011-01-23T06:04:00.000-05:00

Every winter the Toledo Zoo has something call The Lights Before Christmas. Pretty much they decorate the zoo with over one million lights. Many people come to the zoo this time of year because it is quite beautiful. I didn't get very many pictures because the crowds were rather large when we went. On that note, I'd definitely recommend going earlier in December, rather than near Christmastime because it is much more fun when there are less people.

These are just a few examples, the whole zoo is decked out and there are also animal shapes done in lights and lights that blink along to music as well. If you're ever in the area you should check it out :]

Here's a simple look I did a few weeks ago. It's just some brown eyeshadows from my 88 palette, natural blush (also from a CS palette) and chapstick. It's hardly worth posting, but I figured I'd show you what I put on when I'm feeling lazy (which is often).

I think next post I might show you a few things I've bought recently (like the new Hello Kitty perfume) or maybe my New Years Eve makeup... hmmmm

Christmas Eve makeup

2011-01-19T00:59:00.000-05:00

I know this is late, but I figured I would show you anyway :]

I spent Christmas Eve at Tom's grandma's house (on his father's side) as usual. I was going for a smokey silver eye to go with my outfit. I didn't get a full-body picture that night, but I wore an oversized grey/blue sweater belted with black leggings. Belted oversize sweaters with leggings have kind of become my "uniform" this winter. It's just to comfortable & easy and it looks put together.

I apologize for the lighting, I took these in my boyfriend's (poorly lit) bedroom right before we left. And well...it's wintertime in Ohio...it gets dark at like 5:00 :[ Colors are washed out and whatnot, but you get the idea of it, right? :]

I hope everyone is having fun and staying warm! I'm absolutely loving school this semester (so far)!

Life Update

2011-01-11T23:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

I know it's late, but I've been busy getting ready for school (which started this week). I have quite a few pictures stored up so you can look forward to seeing some makeup, a lens review with a creepy look, and some uber short fringe.

So what happened to me in 2010? Well...

-I became a college sophomore

-I turned 19

-Took out my lip ring

-Found out the my dad had skin cancer

-Found out that Dad is healthy :D

-Tom's mom started & finished chemo and started radiation (she is also doing fantastic, cancer is completely gone, radiation is just a precaution)

-Tom and I celebrated our 4th year together

-I finally quit my job

-I had a ton of fun with my friends and family

Even with the low points, some of which were really horrible, I had a pretty good year. I hope 2011 will be better!

I'll leave you with one of my many 2010 makeup looks

I used Coastal Scents 88 palette on my eyes and Mac Viva Glam IV on my lips. It's simple, but it works for going to the mall :]

Hope everyone that has school enjoys their classes and has fun!

Product Rave and skincare routine

2010-11-24T02:46:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you guys, but when I get breakouts (which is fairly rare, but when I do they are BAD!) I find it very hard to get the spots to go away in a timely fashion. The last time I had a major breakout (about two months ago) the blemishes were still there after three weeks. Three weeks! It was horrendous and I felt so self conscious. None of my usual "quick fixes" were working.

image from neutrogena.com

So while I was at Ulta I picked up the Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel. I usually don't have much confidence when it comes to spot eliminators that sound like miracle products since my homemade remedies seem to suit my skin much better. I have to say though, this stuff is AMAZING. I showered in the evening and put this on my face before bed. In the morning I noticed a dramatic difference in my skin. I still had many spots, but they were much smaller and the tiniest ones were completely gone. At about the three day mark my skin was back to being clear.

Now I put this on any areas where I notice a blemish is about to surface...and it makes it go away! I love this stuff and it really worked for me. Hopefully one of you will have good luck with this product.

Since we're on the topic of skin I think I'll tell you about my current skincare routine. For those of you that have followed for a while you might already know my skin type and love of homemade face products because I used to talk about it all the time, but for all the newbies I'll recap. I think skincare is the most important part of any beauty routine. If your skin looks beautiful then you'll look gorgeous no matter what makeup you have on. My skin gets very dry in the winter months and this year it is worse than ever! My usual scrub of olive oil, sugar and honey is not enough anymore!

image from Sephora.com

First I start out in the shower by cleansing my face with Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash. I use a little silicone cleansing pad from Sephora to make sure all the nasties are out of my pores. Then I use my homemade scrub of olive oil, honey, and sugar to do some more exfoliating and deep moisturizing. By the way I do not use a makeup remover, olive oil is quite good at removing waterproof mascara. When I get out of the shower I put on spot remover if I need to and let it set. Then I slather my neck and face with Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer. Then I take a rather large portion of Nivea cream (in the blue tin) and put it all over my face, but not my neck. This product is kind of...oily? and I don't like having a dewey neck. My skin sucks this stuff up like a sponge! It is the only moisturizer I have found that really hydrates my skin and doesn't give my dry patches in the morning. In the morning I usually put more Nivea cream on to get a nice base for my foundation.

Well...that was a rather long-winded post, sorry :P I hope it helps someone out!

I also have a new foundation routine coming up, as I've found products that let my dry skin achieve that perfect dewey look. I will take pictures on a day where I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn :]

1950s style fail

2010-11-14T20:00:00.000-05:00

I tried to do two 1950s looks right after I got my hair cut. They were hard to do considering how short my bangs are, but for a first try I guess it's alright. As for makeup it was simple red lips and black liner.

I think you can see the loops better in this one

This is the first one. I tried to do pin curls with a fluffy side pony. I wish my inspiration for these looks had some before I cut my hair, trying to get those loops to stay put with my tiny fringe was impossible! It's quite a mess, but I still kind of like it :]

This is the second look. I haven't a clue what this is actually called, but it's just rolled up bangs. This one was even harder to do with short bangs. I don't think it suits me anyway.

I'm sorry I've been gone so long, but I will have an update on my life coming up soon. I hope everyone has been doing well!

Old-ish haul :P

2010-10-08T14:46:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! Here's some stuff from a transdesign order that I haven't showed you guys :P I've since made and received another order but I didn't take any pictures T.T

A few OPIs, can you guess what they are?

The entire Orly FX collection. I got them for $5 each, but now on TD they're $10

Some China Glaze. Pool Party, Lubu Heels, and Atlantis

My first New York summers!

I hope everyone is having fun this october! I might be doing some Halloween looks if I find the time :]

I finally got a haircut!

2010-10-02T12:14:00.000-04:00

Hi guys! Well, I have been putting off getting my hair cut for weeks and I finally got it done last week. You see, the stylist I usually go to, Liz, does not work at the salon anymore and I have not been able to track her down yet. So...I put off my haircut to the last minute. I'm always so nervous going to a new stylist! When I find a good one I stick with them. Anyways I made an appointment with a salon I don't usually go to.

The girl was nice and good at cutting hair, but I don't think I'll be going back to her. She was much too tame for me and she had her own vision for my hair and didn't really listen to what I wanted. I showed her pictures of what I wanted, one of them was even of me from right after Liz had done my hair! She saw this and still pretty much just started to give me long layers and long side-swept bangs, like everyone else has. I do like that look, but not really on me. I prefer having some short layers in my long hair and shorter angled bangs. I cut about 5 inches off my length and I wanted my layers and bangs to get even shorter too, something Liz and I had been talking about the last few times I got my hair done.

Shorter. I had to tell her that seriously 50 times. Each time she would take off about a millimeter of hair... I finally just let her finish my hair. It's not that I don't like the result, I do, but I don't love it and It's not what I pictured. Sorry for all the gabbing :P here's my hair...

Bangs

Length

Oh and I've another exciting bit of news. I went to my mac counter on thursday (for the Venomous Villains collection of course) and got the last bottle of Bad Fairy. I really like it and I'll do a post when I can get some good light :P

Did you guys pick anything up from the VV collection?

China Glaze Joy with Revlon Star

2010-09-25T12:48:00.000-04:00

My nails have been naked lately, so here's a picture of a mani I did a few weeks ago. My nails have been reshaped a bit and gotten longer since then so I'll have to take pictures of my next manicure and compare them.

Hope everyone's doing well!

Vintage Finds

2010-09-10T14:33:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I went to our local "antique" mall. I used "" because lots of the stuff there is junk from the 80's and early 90's and shouldn't really be considered antique. Anywhoo I found a few things I really like, so I'll show you! :]

Aren't these stone owls cute? At $3 I couldn't resist!

I also stared recollecting Fire King dishes. I had collected some before but they all got broken one way or another. I bought two pieces. A bowl with a long handle and a bowl with two short little handle things. I like them and I'm on the lookout for more!

Well I hope you guys like seeing my nerdy antiquing :]

Have you had any great finds lately?

Black Lips and Pizza

2010-08-29T11:09:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! I've been playing around with makeup a lot lately so I thought I'd show you some silly stuff. I generally don't wear dark colors on my lips and I probably wouldn't wear either or these looks out in public, I just felt like messing around :P

First I just did some dark berry lips. It isn't anything wild, but still much darker than anything I usually wear. I'm always afraid I'll get lipstick on my teeth!

Next I used black eyeliner and some gloss. I like the idea of black lips, I just can't pull them off. In my opinion they look best on very pale or very dark people, not those in between like myself. I also think it would look better with a creamy, slightly matte (but not chalky!) finish but I couldn't get the eyeliner to look that way. Hmm perhaps I'll do black lips for Halloween.

The other day I made pizza for my family and if I must say, it was delicious. It's just regular crust, sauce and cheese, but it's topped with caramelized onions and garlic. I love onions in pretty much all variations, but I get frustrated when pizza kitchens throw raw onions on a pizza. The texture takes on this odd not quite raw, but not cooked either feeling. In some things it might be good, like in a sauce, but not on top of pizza. I cooked the onions and garlic in olive oil with some salt until they were brown and tender, then set them on the pizza during it's last 5-10 minutes of baking. It isn't the prettiest pizza, but it was yummy!

Long time, no post!

2010-08-22T01:01:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! I'm sorry it's been so long since I last posted, I really thought I would have more free time this summer! I can't believe school is starting again, it seems like sumer just began. It's hard to get back into the swing of blogging again after being away for so long, but I'm going to try to post regularly again. I have so much to blog about, I just haven't taken the pictures yet :P

Anyways, today I have for you a pretty glitter polish. I haven't much been a fan of glitters until recently and now I just can't get enough! This is 3 coats of sinful colors Nail Junkie (great name, huh? :P ) over one coat of Wet 'n' Wild Caribbean Frost. I think it really looks like the bottle, which can sometimes be hard to do when working with glitters since they look opaque in the bottle but are actually suspended in transparent jelly.

So everyone, how has your summer been? What are your plans for the upcoming months?

Another little MAC haul

2010-07-17T10:59:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! I stopped by the MAC counter again :P Here is what I purchased:

Lipsticks:

-Creme d 'Nude

-Go For It

-Viva Glam Gaga

Eyeshadow:

-Tempting

I really like everything I bought. My favorite of the lipsticks is Go For It. It looks daunting in the tube, but it goes on pretty sheer so it's very wearable especially if you pair it with a neutral gloss.

Mmm, this is what I had for lunch yesterday:

Four cheese manicotti with raspberries. It was really good! The manicotti were by a brand called Michelina's. I had never heard of it before but saw that their little frozen meals were only $1! I had to buy a few to try them out. I'm quite pleased! If you're a student working an almost nonexistent budget I would totally recommend these over ramen. :]

Is anyone else disappointed with the packaging for the Mac Venomous Villains collection? I'm hoping that the leaked pictures are fake and that the real packaging is more glammed up! :P

Ulta Haul

2010-07-10T09:57:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I hope everyone got to check out the awesome sale Ulta had this week! They had some really great deals! Here is what I picked up:

L'Oreal HiP duos (on sale for $5.59 each, originally $7.99)

-Gilded

-Electrified

Ulta Cheek color (on sale for $3, originally $6.50)

-Fame

Ulta automatic eyeliners (on sale for only $1, originally $7)

-Indigo

-Starlet

-Raisin

-Deep Brown

-Golden Eyes

Ulta automatic lip liner (on sale for $1, originally $7)

-Flesh

NYX Slim Eye Pencil (on sale for $2.51 from $2.99)

-901 black

NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil (on sale for $2.93 from $4.19)

-Pink Nude

NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil (on sale for $2.93, originally $4.19)

-French Fries

NYX Lipstick (on sale for $2.51 from $3.59)

-Tea Rose

Of what I have tried so far, I can say that I am impressed with the Ulta blush and lipliner, but not so thrilled about the NYX Jumbo lip pencil. I've also tried the eyeliner in Starlet and I think it's great!

Have you guys had any good buys lately?

Youknowit.com Jewel Brown Clear contact lenses Review

2010-06-30T15:31:00.000-04:00

hi guys! This is the third pair of contact lenses i've tried from YouKnowIt.com and so far they are my favorite! They are very subtle and cute, they just brighten up my eyes. The Jewel Brown Clear contact lenses are mostly clear so your natural eye color shines through. They have a dark rim and then brown patches that make your eyes look like jewels. They were also really comfortable and suitable for wearing in public at any time.

Here are my eyes before:

Here they are with the lenses:

I really like these! They just add a subtle pop :] What do you guys think?

Another Elf Haul/Review

2010-06-27T10:49:00.000-04:00

Well, I can't resist low prices so I ordered more stuff from Elf. I wasn't as impressed with some of the products I ordered this time around though. Here's what I got:

Elf Daily Brush Cleaner: I really like the idea of this product, but it just didn't work. I tried spraying it directly on my brushes and spraying it on a towel and then rubbing it on my brushes but it just didn't clean them very well. The scent is quite strong as well, but I don't find it entirely unpleasant.

Eyelash and Brow Wand: I just needed a spooli and got this one since it's only a dollar. It works the way any spooli does, nothing to rant or rave about really.

Natural Lash Kit: I haven't gotten a chance to try these yet, but I thin they're quite cute.

Eyebrow Stencil Kit: I'm in the process of trying to reshape my eyebrows and I bought these to help me keep them even on both sides. My eyebrows are a bit sparse to use it as a plucking guide at the moment; so I've been using it as it was intended to be used, as a stencil to fill in the brows. I rather like these and it comes with four different shapes.

Elf Eyeliner Pens in Plum and Black: I love love love the idea of this. It is so convenient. The plum shade has lived up to all my expectations and I use it more days than not. However the black shade is seriously lacking, it faded within a few hours! I had only a slight grey tint where my eyeliner had once been.

Duo Eye Shadow Cream in Black Licorice: I haven't really worn this throughout the day et, but I have played around with it a bit. I like the shades in this a I think it will make a great base for a smokey eye.

Liquid Eyeliner in Stardust and Black: I ran out of my Mark liquid liner and was hoping that these would be nice replacements. Stardust does what it is supposed to do and the glitter is very pretty. The black is horrid though. The applicator is not pointed, it's all frayed and yucky! I'm not a huge fan of the sponge tip applicators in the first place, but since the one on Stardust was pretty good I expected the same from Black. Pretty disappointed in that one :P

Tinted Moisturizer in Light Beige and Honey: At first I didn't really like these. I thought Honey would be a perfect shade for me because the studio concealer in the same shade was a great match, however this tinted moisturizer is much darker than I expected. After I first tried these I didn't think I would be using them much. Then I had a horrible breakout (seriously I have never in my life had that many spots at once) and started using Light Beige on my face. It worked really well! I got good coverage without feeling like I was wearing a ton of makeup. I'm hoping Honey will work well if/when I get a tan.

Plumping Lip Glaze in Champagne, Fuchsia Fanatic and Fire Coral: I rather like all of these. There isn't anything super special about them, but I like the scent and they don't feel sticky. There are so many colors to choose from too!

Overall I like these products, but will not be buying any of the ELF eyeliners as they seem to be low quality. Except for the plum one that is, I'll be buying that again for sure.

Hope everyone is having a fun summer!

Girlie Nails

2010-06-25T01:03:00.000-04:00

Hey guys. I'm sorry I still haven't been posting regularly. I'm having a pretty wretched summer and it seems like I've just been upset the whole time. I haven't even had time to read my all my favorite blogs. Unfortunately stress triggers me to bite my nails, so they are nubbins right now :[

Which is why I bought these darn things to begin with! lol

I figured they would help me stop biting my nails again, but these babies really suck! I literally had these on for less than five minutes and they started to come off. The adhesive doesn't work at all :[

I understand that these are marketed towards younger kids, but I still think the quality is seriously lacking. You can buy less expensive ones that work much better. I purchased these ones because they were the only ones small enough for my tiny nails :P

They are cute though. You might not be able to tell, but the tips are glittery :]

I've found new inspiration to stop biting again though. I got my first MAC nail polish and I found SH Hidden Treasure! I'm going to try to get some more reviews up tomorrow if I get some free time.

Hope everyone is doing well!

New Haircut!

2010-06-18T00:20:00.000-04:00

About two weeks ago (i think?) I went to get my hair cut. I chopped off about 6 inches and shortened my layers and bangs. I like it and it's very easy to work with :]

What do y'all think? Do you prefer having long hair or short hair? What kind of hair maintenance do you do?

P.S: Sorry to the Vapur winner! I haven't sent out your package yet :[ but I will get to you soon!

Crazy Dog T-shirt Winner!

2010-06-15T15:46:00.001-04:00

Hey guys, sorry for the delay! I've been pretty busy with things around here :P

The winner of the Crazy Dog T-Shirts giveaway is Throuthehaze!

I have sent you an e-mail and am awaiting your reply! :]

Congratulations!

Youknowit.com Mirrored Silver Contact Lenses review

2010-06-11T13:28:00.000-04:00

This is my second review of the lenses carried at Youknowit.com , you can read the first here. :]

These Mirrored Silver contact lenses are pretty cool! When I first read the name I instantly thought of The Host by Stephenie Meyer. If you've read the book than you already know that a "soul" invaded body has eyes that reflect in the light. If you haven't read the book (you really should though, it's good!) then I've just told you! :]

By the way...I'm not wearing makeup in this picture, sorry if I scare anyone! :D

The lenses made my eyes a silvery color and they really do catch the light quite nicely. Obviously these are not really for everyday wear (unless you are mighty adventurous), but they are perfect for Halloween or any other type of wild costume party. I'm going to use these lenses in a feminine werewolf costume this year, they're exactly what I was looking for.

Also, these lenses were just as comfortable as the last pair I reviewed and they have a one year life span, so they will still be good when Halloween comes around! I'm so excited for my costume! Even if these lenses aren't really your cup of tea you should check out Youknowit.com because they have a huge selection and you'll probably find something that works for you.

So what do you guys think? Would you wear these? Are you getting decked out for Halloween this year?

Tiny MAC Haul

2010-06-07T01:31:00.000-04:00

I was at the mall a couple of days ago and stopped by the MAC counter in Macy's. I only picked up two things, but they're two things I really like!

I got an eyeshadow in a shade called Trax. It's a purply-plummy color with gold shimmer. To me it's like an eyeshadow version of OPI Maine-iac Mauve. I wish I hadn't swapped that! Anyways, in my opinion it's a very wearable shade.

I also got the Lazy Day lipstick from the new To The Beach collection. I finally found a lipstick I really like! The color and formula are great. And the packaging is cute :] Anyone else lemming things from this collection?

By the way, I'm sorry I haven't done a nail post in ages! Right now I'm working with nubbins! I was stressed out a bit and bit them off. Then right when they started to get presentable again we had several tornadoes in the area and I was so worried I bit them again! (Luckily everyone I know is safe and my house sustained no damage, but not everyone in the area was so fortunate. I'll probably put photos up of the damage soon.) Anywho, when they grow out again I have some fun polishes to show you guys!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Crazydogshirts Review & Giveaway

2010-06-06T12:33:00.000-04:00

The nice people at crazydogtshirts.com gave me the chance to not only review a T-shirt of my choice, but also give one to you guys! First off is the review.

Let me just say right off the bat that I was really impressed with the quality of this shirt. Since everything on their website is really affordable I expected the shirt to be super cute, but not high quality. I thought the fabric would be comparable to the logo t-shirts they sell in the college bookstore. Goodness, I was soooo wrong. And I promise that I'm not just saying that! The shirt is ultra soft! I think this fabric makes a more flattering t-shirt than the ones I usually buy at American Apparel. It's so soft and comfortable to wear, but structured enough that you don't look like a frumpy baglady with all your rolls tumbling everywhere!

Now for the design. Come on, who doesn't love the Golden Girls. I adore that show and my boyfriend is obsessed with Betty White! I think I'm going to order one for him. If Golden Girls isn't quite your cup of tea they have a ton of other designs to choose from. For example they have a precious one with a pug on it, a gnome (how cute!), Power Rangers, and if you're a fan of True Blood they have an awesome Merlotte's tee as well. I will be buying that one when I get my boyfriend the Golden Girls shirt :]

I believe most of the shirts are unisex sizes, but there are some woman's fitted shirts as well. My shirt is a unisex size small for reference.

Alright, now for the exciting part! One of you lucky readers will get a shirt of your choice from their website. Here are the rules:

1) You must be a follower of my blog, I will check.

2) Leave a comment below including:

-How you follow

-URL of shirt you would like

-URL of a backup shirt in case your first choice is not available

-Size of shirt

-email address

-any extra entries.

Please try to keep it all in one comment.

3) This giveaway is open to US readers only

4) Contest ends June 13th

Extra Entries:

Blog about this giveaway (include link) (+5)

Become a fan of CrazyDogT-Shirts on Facebook (include your name so I can look it up) (+3)

Join the Crazy Dog T-Shirt group on Facebook (again, include your name) (+3)

Subscribe to the Crazy Dog T-Shirt Mailing list (+3)

Good luck everyone!

*disclaimer- Product was sent to me for consideration. This does not change my opinion, all reviews are 100% honest.

Giveaway Winner and Product Survey

2010-06-04T02:22:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, sorry for the delay! The winner of my Vapur Giveaway is l0verlada! Congratulations! I have sent you an email to confirm your address!

I saw this survey on Nails Etc and decided to do it. :]

Shampoo: Dove
Conditioner: Dove
Styling products: Mark by Avon salon straight products
Shower Gel: It varies, sometimes C.O. Bigelow Tea Tree Eucalyptus shower gel, sometimes the green Axe bodywash, sometimes St Ives citrus body wash.
Deodorant: Dove
Fake Tan: I haven't used fake tanning stuff in years, but when I did it was from Bath & Body Works.
Cleanser: Neutrogena
Exfoliator: homemade!
Primer: Tarte clean slate
Foundation brush: I don't use foundation, but I use an Ecotools foundation brush to blend my concealer
Concealer: Elf studio concealer in honey
Powder: I don't usually use one, but if I do it's an old one by NYC
Blusher: one by Mark and Elf All Over Color stick in Pink Lemonade
Bronzer: I don't use one
Highlighter: A huge white eyeliner pencil that isn't very pigmented. I bought it on ebay.
Eyeshadow base: Elf
Eyeshadows: I have a ton.
Eyeliner: covergirl and Wet N Wild creme liner
Curler: i think it's a revlon one
Mascara: covergirl lash blast fusion
Lipstick: I rarely wear lipstick, I can't find ones that look good on me.
Nail Colour: everything!

Youknowit.com Green Manga Contact Lenses review

2010-05-31T04:00:00.000-04:00

The people over at YouKnowIt.com were kind enough to send me six pairs of lenses to review. Over the next 6-8 weeks I'll be putting these up. This post is about the Green Manga contact lenses. If you don't already know I love watching anime and as an artist I really appreciate the creativity that goes into making it. Plus it's just so gosh darn cute, throw huge eyes on anything and I'm hooked! I'm a total wasian...I know, I know. (Hmm did I make up that term or do other people actually use that?) Anyway, the gist is that these are totally up my alley.

Pretty much these contacts make you look like a character in an anime. They give you huge pupils with a gorgeous ring of color. They just make you look cute and cuddly (I'm such a girl, right?)! I got so many compliments when I wore these. I really like these and they're really affordable! I believe they're a little over $20 USD.

I don't frequently use lenses and the last time I used them was ages ago so putting them in was the hard part for me. After I got them positioned correctly I couldn't feel them at all and taking them out was really easy. I would totally recommend these to anyone wanting to try out something a little different. And, if you aren't so bold to just wear these out like I do, then they would be great for Halloween.

-Also, the shipping was super fast. I couldn't believe how quickly these got to me.

My eyes before :

My eyes after:

What do you guys think? Would you try these out? Are you an anime lover like me? :]

*Disclaimer- Products were sent to me for consideration. I am not paid to give a certain opinion, all reviews are 100% honest.

Quick EOTD and lunch post

2010-05-30T12:34:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I'm going to try to post more regularly, I've just been really busy and tired lately. I have some more reviews and giveaways coming up. I'll post them once I make forms for them. I wish I could get google docs to work for me! Every time I make a form through google docs something messes up with the embed code. Usually it just won't allow me to copy it and sometimes the code just doesn't work. Arg! That's why I've been using FormSmarts, but they only let you put a certain number of sections in you form. How irritating! Anyone have any suggestions?

Anyways, here's a makeup look I did a few days ago. I used the L'Oreal HIP duo in Forgiving, which is one of my favorite products. I'm only showing you one eye because on the other one the colors were reversed. I liked this side best :]

Mmm I haven't posted food for a while. I don't really have a name for this dish so I'll just describe it to you. It's potatoes (obviously) covered in most of the seasonings in our pantry. There's curry powder, cumin, garlic, extra spicy Mrs. Dash, lemon pepper, turmeric, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting about. Pretty much I just wash the potatoes, but them into like pieces and throw them into a pan with a little oil and cover it. They're sort of steamed and fried. It might be weird (is it? I dunno), but my boyfriend and I find it delicious. Actually my parents like when I make this too.

How was everyone else's week?

Sweets Perfume Review

2010-05-22T12:35:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I received a few samples of Sweets Perfume to try out. They have a pretty cool deal where you get ten small vials for $9.95. I spelled these fragrances right out of the bottle and then put them on the little paper sticks and let them sit a few hours. The scents really change after some time has elapsed. Below I will list the scents I tried out, the product descriptions from the site with be in quotes and italicized, and my comments will be by them in smaller font.

Green Tea & Cucumber- "A sensual blend of cool citrus and melon with rich florals and a long lasting drydown of musk and cedarwood notes. Compare to the popular Bath and Body Works fragrance." My mum particularly liked this one. It does smell like the Bath and Body works line.

Sparkling Mandarine Tangerine- "A unique, effervescent accord enlivens a juicy fruit complex of lemon, mandarin, and tangerine spiked with hints of fresh ginger." This is another one my mum really liked, but I didn't really care for it. The citrus wasn't very apparent to me.

Citrus Seduction- "Juicy citrus notes atop a fruity floral heart make this fragrance especially delectable. Compare to the popular Victoria's Secret fragrance, Love Spell." I used to use Love Spell all the time years ago, but this doesn't smell anything like it. I didn't much care for this one, I was expecting it to be delightful and lemony but it wasn't very citrusy. My mom really liked this one though.

Flirty- "Designer fragrance inspired by Tommy Girl, the popular Tommy Hilfiger Women's fragrance." I've never tried Tommy Girl, so I don't know if this is anything like it, sorry. My mum and sister both though this one was great though.

Essence of Pomegranate- "A spicy and seductive blend of pomegranate, anise, patchouli, blackberry and cassis. Compare to the Bath and Body Works fragrance Midnight Pomegranate." I didn't like this when I first smelled it right out of the vile, but when I smell the strips after a few hours I really liked it! If you decide to buy a sample set I'd recommend giving this one a shot!

Spiced Apple- "Fresh baked apple with sprinkled cinnamon. A sweet and spicy aroma for the person who loves the scent of apples." I rather enjoyed this one as well. It's rich and smells of apples and cinnamon. Give this one a shot.

Passionfire- "Airy freshness and citrus sparkle refresh a strawberry apple blend woven into jasmine muguet floralcy. Musks sweeten the impression and marry the blend for a richer texture. Compare to the popular Victoria's Secret fragrance Pure Seduction." This one I didn't care for right out of the vile or after letting it sit. My mum and sis didn't like it either.

Green Apple- "This fragrance captures that wonderful smell of fresh green granny smith apple." I liked this one before and after. It smells nice and fresh.

New Romance- "Anytime is a great time to start a new romance. A luscious blend of tangerine and bergamot with ripe apple, peaches and berries. Rose and jasmine warm the heart which is supported by vanilla sweets musks." I didn't care for this one at all, but I could see how it would appeal to other people.

Watermelon Slices- "A real touch of summer. Smells just like the real thing!" This took me back to when I was a little girl and used to buy Smackers lip balms! This smells like candy!

Overall I think these perfumes are a good buy. If you are looking for something affordable, try out the sample set and then get a bigger version of your favorite. The customer service is great so there's another reason to try out Sweets Perfume.

E.L.F. Haul and review

2010-05-17T01:36:00.000-04:00

I recently bought quite a few products from ELF cosmetics. Who can resist products for only $1? Anyways, here's what I bought:

-Blending Eye Brush

-Duo Eye Shadow Cream in Butter Pecan

-Eyelid Primer

-Concealer in Honey (Studio line in the black tube)

-All Over Cover Stick in Honey (light)

-All Over Color Sticks in:

Pink Lemonade

Toasted

Spotlight

Persimmon

-Eye Widener

-Plumping Lip Glaze in:

Plum Pout

Peach Passion

-Shine Eraser

Now for my reviews!

Blending brush: pretty good, not amazing quality (hairs come out now and then) but I wasn't expecting anything special for $1 anyway.

Cream eyeshadow duo: I like this more than I thought I would. The colors aren't super pigmented, but they do build pretty well and are great for intensifying powder eyeshadows.

Eyelid primer: It is amazing! Even the cream shadows didn't budge when I put this on. I will definitely be repurchasing this stuff!

Concealer (studio): Another thing I love! I've never worn concealer or foundation before, but I have major under-eye circles and a creepy vein (also under my eye) that I have been longing to cover up. I have a really hard time finding things that blend with my skintone which is why I never bother buying concealer. However, for $3 I thought I would give it a try. I'm glad I did, this is the perfect shade for my skin and it blends super easily. I'm gonna buy backups.

All Over Cover Stick: I bought this to use as under-eye concealer as well. The color is nice, but it doesn't blend as easily as the studio version. I probably won't repurchase this.

All Over Color Sticks: I've been using Pink Lemonade as a cream blush and Toasted & Spotlight under my eyeshadows. The colors are not very pigmented and they don't blend very easily, but they do make for nice bases. They have a citrusy scent that I find quite pleasant. Although I do like these and will continue using them, but I don't really think I'll buy them again.

Eye Widener: Essentially this is just white eyeliner, as you probably guessed. Although I love using white eyeliner in general, I do not like this one very much. It isn't very pigmented and it's...hard! It's difficult to actually get it on, the product just doesn't want to rub off onto your eyes. I won't be buying this again. Almay used to make a twistable Bright Eyes black/white eyeliner duo in which the white was amazing, but alas they don't have it anymore. My search continues...any recommendations?

Plumping Lip Glaze: Let me start off by saying I did not buy these for their plumping qualities, just for the colors. It's a good thing too...because there is no plumping to speak of when I use these! The colors are quite nice though and they aren't sticky like many other glosses. I'll probably try more of these out next time I make an order.

Shine Eraser: These are just oil blotting sheets, a great value at 50 sheets for only $1 and they actually work. I keep these in my purse for extra hot and sweaty days. I'll be repurchasing these.

Overall I'd say the ELF products are a great buy. Despite super cheap packaging the products inside are a good quality. And...well, how can you beat $1?

P.S Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Vapur Review and Giveaway

2010-05-17T00:54:00.000-04:00

Have you heard about the global water crisis? Hopefully your answer is a big fat "YES!" and you've already started doing your part to stop it. If you haven't, well, it's time to get on the bandwagon! Bottled water has become a huge industry in the United States and around the rest of the world. Every year 38 billion water bottles go into landfills...38 billion! I can't even wrap my head around all the wasted land and resources that could be used instead of having disgusting dumps! Only 23% of water bottles used are recycled! It's ridiculous. You know what I say? Stop using disposable water bottles all together! If you aren't worried about landfills, then worry about oil! It takes 17 million barrels of it to make the water bottles in the US market each year! Oil that could fuel 1.3 million cars for a year.

The solution: buy a reusable water bottle instead of buying cases of cheap plastic ones each week. Invest in a filter and you will save hundreds of dollars! My family did this a while ago and never looked back.

The people at Vapur were generous enough to send me one of their bottles to try out...and supply one for me to send to one of you as well!

I've tried quite a few water bottles in my life. What makes this one stand out is it's portability! You can fold it right up and put it in your purse, backpack, whatever- but when full it will stand up just like a regular water bottle! It comes with a matching carabiner so you can even clip it to things- I found this very handy when exercising! Another plus- you can put it in the freezer and the dishwasher.

My final words on this product: I love it, seriously. If you're a student this is especially perfect for you. Instead of carrying heavy books and a heavy water bottle across campus you can simply fold the Vapur up in your bag and then fill it once you arrive to your building. Another thing I really like about his is that if the cap breaks you don't have to buy a whole new one, Vapur sells replacement spouts (4 for $2.95). I'm still sort of shocked that you get 4 for that price, when I first saw the listing I assumed it was for one...

Alright, like I said before there's one for you too! Here it is:

It is actually purple but my camera kept making it blue. The small picture on the bottom of the package is more accurate. So, how do you get it? Here are the rules:

1) You must be a follower of my blog, I will check.

2) You must fill out the form below in it's entirety.

3) This giveaway is open internationally.

4) Contest ends June 1st

Extra Entries:

Subscribe to the Vapur mailing list (+1)

Become a fan of Vapur on Facebook (provide name so I can look it up, please) (+1)

Blog about this giveaway (Include link) (+5)

Can't see the form? Click here.

Web Form by - Privacy

*Disclaimer- Products were sent to me for consideration. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Chainmail Charm

2010-05-14T13:17:00.000-04:00

I recently ordered my first polishes from Diamond Cosmetics (I got some stuff for you guys too, giveaways are coming soon)! And I'll tell you what, they don't disappoint! This is chainmail charm, a gorgeous holo! The formula on this was excellent, I had absolutely no problems with it. I can hardly believe that these polishes are only a little over $2 each! I'm not sure what else to say about this brand...it's just amazing and I'll definitely be ordering again. Now I'll spam you with pictures :]

You guys, I have at least four giveaways coming up for you! I'm so excited! I think I'll have the first one up within the next 2-3 days.

I've also got a bit of a funny story for you guys. I caught myself on fire today! <--that is an alarmed exclamation, not an excited one... Anyways, at the time I was pretty upset, but now I can kind of see the humor in it. I was leaning across the stove to poke at the corn I was cooking (on the back burner) and didn't realize that my boyfriend still had the front burner on from when he made mac and cheese. You can prolly guess what happened next but I'll tell you anyway. My hair caught on fire! I didn't even realize at first and then I looked down and was like "I'm on fire?" (Yes! Phrased like a question!) It was horrible and the smell, oh gosh the smell! I got ash (previously my hair) all over the floor and some even got on Daisy Mae!

My boyfriend just thought it was the funniest thing in the world once it was clear that I wasn't hurt. He especially liked the "I'm on fire?" part. Despite the heaping pile of ash there isn't any evidence that my hair got burnt. I honestly don't see where any is missing! I snipped off the burnt ends and it looks and feel fine. I don't understand how that's even possible, but I'm not gonna complain! Have any of y'all ever had an odd disaster in the kitchen before?

Color Club Wild at Heart

2010-05-09T02:38:00.000-04:00

I ordered my first color club polishes recently and I am very pleased with them! This is Wild at Heart, which I know you have probably seen before, but come on it's amazing! This is two coats with topcoat. I really love this polish, but it does chip very quickly-this was taken on the first day and you can already see a chip on my ring finger. I bet it would last longer with a thick layer of a heavy-duty topcoat though!

These are both in natural sunlight.

This is with the flash.

Alrighty, this isn't nail related, but look at how absolutely pale I've gotten! I didn't think it was possible (native american genes and all) and I'm not sure if I like it or not. Hmm. Also this picture shows how much that scrub I showed you before has gotten rid of the redness on my cheeks (i don't wear concealer or foundation).

And yeah...that's my usual makeup :[ It's pretty boring lately, just black eyeliner, white highlighter, mascara and a smidge of blusher. I'm going to start mixing things up and do reviews for you guys though! :]

My First Giveaway Winner!

2010-05-07T00:17:00.000-04:00

I spent a good chunk of this morning putting the rest of the entries into my spreadsheet and making sure everyone was a follower and whatnot (whew! it was more exhausting than I had imagined)! I did have a few people do some things that I would consider cheating (like entering 8 times...) so I was a little disappointed. Then entered the min and max into random.org. Anyways the winner is...

GFC April from Concrete and Nailpolish (#88)

April, I will be sending you an email very shortly to confirm your mailing address.

For you ladies that didn't win- Do not fret! I already have several other giveaways in the works! Some sponsored, some provided by me! Hopefully I'll have at least one of them up within the next 7-10 days. I'm so excited! I also have some great reviews coming up.

Hope everyone had a lovely Cinco de Mayo :]

Midnight Ride

2010-04-30T12:16:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the sporadic posts lately, you guys! School is out for summer next week and I've been preparing for exams and finishing up all my projects. It will be such a relief when it's all done! I'll be able to post more regularly during the summer. I'll be doing a post about my birthday and what I got soon, but today I have China Glaze Midnight Ride for you. The formula on this is great, but to be honest I'm disappointed in the color. In most lights this was just black on me, although the flash of the camera brings out the purple. I'm probably going to put it up for swap on MUA because I just want something that actually looks purple!

To spice it up I added a coat of Orly Prisma Gloss Gold. It really makes any polish beautiful, in my opinion.

Woah. Today I noticed I have 128 followers, I'm so excited! Looks like I'm going to have to start planning another giveaway already. Don't forget to enter my current giveaway though!

My First Giveaway! (closed)

2010-04-23T13:20:00.000-04:00

It's finally here you guys! My birthday is tomorrow! To celebrate I'm having my first giveaway! It starts today and will end on May 5th! This giveaway is open to international followers too!

The winner will receive:

-A cute bag from Forever21

-An EOS lip balm

-Cute rhinestones

-Massini lipgloss in Raspberry

-Massini lipgloss in Strawberry

-OPI Tiny Takeouts set

-Essie Mink Muffs

-Wet n Wild Blue Moon

-Wet n Wild Eggplant Frost

-Wet n Wild Night Prowl

-Wet n Wild Hallucinate

-Sally Hansen Pick A Sheer

-Sally Hansen Ru-by or Not to Be

-Sally Hansen Royal Opal

-Studio M Ballroom Blue

-Sinful Colors Courtney Orange

Basic Entries:

Be a follower and fill out the form! (+1)

Edit: If your username has numbers in it, please write user name with out them and then put correct username in extra entries box!

Extra Entries:

Add me to your blogroll (+1)

Blog about this giveaway (+4)

*Note: full name, mailing address, and email will only be used to contact the winner!

Can't see the form? Click here.

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My Private Jet

2010-04-22T12:02:00.001-04:00

Don't get too excited, it's the non-holo version :[ I ordered this from transdesign a while ago. I thought it was the black non-holo version, but it turned out to be the brown one. At first I was a little piffed, but now I don't really mind, it's still cute! This had a great formula and only took two coats to be opaque. I had planned on adding a layer or two of the Orly Prisma Gloss Gold the next day, but I ended up ruining my mani in 3D class! I'll have to do it some other time! Speaking of the Orly prisma glosses, I ordered the silver version and a backup of the gold!

I've been treating myself to goodies since my birthday is Saturday. I made my first order to Diamond Cosmetics (but I never got a confirmation e-mail or a reply when I messaged them...) and a few more things on transdesign.

This is something I've been making almost everyday. It's a green smoothie. There's a ton of spinach in there along with mango and pineapple to make it taste good. I'm trying to get more fruits and veggies into my system. Although fruit and veg are practically the only things I've eaten over the past few weeks I'm simply not hungry enough during the day to eat the recommended servings!

I'm going to try to have my giveaway up by tomorrow night! I'm having difficulties getting google docs to work properly... but I'm determined :] I feel that it would be easier to do it that way then have to keep track of comments.

China Glaze- Side Saddle

2010-04-16T13:10:00.000-04:00

When I first read a description of this polish I knew I just had to have it. It's has a deep purple base and is loaded with golden/bronze shimmer. It's such a gorgeous color...in the bottle. Unfortunately on the nails (mine at least) it was practically impossible to see the purple base, it just looks like a bronzy slightly burgundy/brown shimmer polish :[ Hmm...I wonder if it was because of the dreary lighting...I'll be sure to wear this on a sunny day next time!

It's still pretty, just not what I had hoped for. It is definitely one unique color though! I think the Rodeo Diva collection is one of my favorites, I love shimmers!

Here is what I had for lunch a few days ago. Romaine salad with fake "chik'n" and a homemade honey/orange/dijon vinaigrette. It was pretty good, but the vinaigrette is much better with fresh lemons. The fake "chik'n" cutlets I've been using are the best I've found! They're called Quorn Naked Chik'n Cutlets. If you've been curious about fake meats, this is the one to try! Most fake chicken products easily get the flavor, but seriously lack the texture. This one's texture is spot on! Mmmm :]

My little darlings has been such a sweetheart lately! Look at her cute little facey! She always tilts her head when she's comprehending something :]

Sunshine Award!

2010-04-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

I was recently tagged for the Sunshine award by Polish & Konad and Homemade Nails. Thank you, ladies! If you haven't followed their blogs yet, you should do so. They both have amazing designs that will definitely inspire you!

Okay, so here are the rules:

1. Post the logo within your blog or post.
2. Pass the award on to several other bloggers.
3. Link the nominees within your post.
4. Let the nominees know they have received the award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person whom you have received this award from.

I tag...

1) Concrete and Nail Polish

2) Lily Nail

3) Viva Polish!

These are great blogs! Check them out!

Claire's mood polish- Peaceful/Confident

2010-04-11T01:37:00.000-04:00

Ahh! I know I'm horrid and haven't posted in a week! :[ I've been totally caught up in school and work.

We were having mostly overcast days anyway, no good for polish pictures. I managed to get these ones out though.

It's Claire's mood polish in Peaceful/confident. It's three coats with top coat. Now first off, when I was applying this polish I was absolutely horrified. It would not apply smoothly, a streaky mess indeed! Then magically with only one thin coat of topcoat it evened out perfectly! It's a really gorgeous color and the pictures don't do it justice. I'll wear it again when it's sunny and I have time to do a hot/cold comparison.

Also, I've gotten more items for my upcoming giveaway! It now includes (along with the things mentioned in my last post):

- a cute bag from forever 21

- two massini lip glosses (yay I found more!)

- Studio M nail lacquer in ballroom blue (I bought one of these for myself as well, haven't tried it yet though)

- Sinful Colors Courtney Orange

-Wet 'n' Wild Hallucinate

- Essie Chinchilly (Meijer sells Essie and Opi now!)

- Sally Hansen Salon Pick A Sheer

I thought I bought an extra Essie Mink Muffs to put in here, but I seem to have misplaced it... it's gotta be here somewhere... pics of everything coming soon.

I'll probably add a few more things, but the box is getting pretty full!

This is what I've been eating the past few days... rice with petite peas and sugarsnap peas in my bento box. It's a pretty plain dish, but it's easy to make in a pinch.

And just cause she's precious...Daisy Mae :]

Nakie Nails!

2010-04-03T01:38:00.000-04:00

...sort of :]

Here are my nails with only topcoat on them. I haven't had proper polish on them in a few days because I've been covered in art supplies. Paint, casting material, charcoal, conte...not so great for keeping a nice mani!

Besides that I've gotten a few things for my upcoming giveaway. I've decided that it will start (instead of end) on my birthday :] I've been picking out stuff that I know I like and hopefully others like too since I couldn't come up with a theme! Anyways, here's what I've gotten so far:

- Opi tiny takeouts set

- W&W Blue Moon (honestly one of my favorite polishes ever)

- W&W Night Prowl

- W&W Eggplant Frost

- an EOS lip balm (the spherical type-they are so cool!)

- Sally Hanson Salon in Ru-by or Not to Be

- Sally Hanson Fire Opal in Royal Opal

I will be adding much more to this as I find things that I like :] I also ordered a few things on ebay so hopefully they'll get here soon!

Also, I finally found a lip gloss I like! Ahh I'm so happy! It's Massini Raspberry. It looks uber dark in the tube but when I put it on (just a teeny weeny bit though) it is the perfect "just bitten" shade! I'm gonna go back to the store tomorrow to see if I can find another to put into the giveaway.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

Pacific Blue

2010-03-29T16:46:00.000-04:00

I bought Sally Hansen Pacific Blue a few weeks ago but just put it on today. It is such a unique shade of blue! I really like it and will probably wear it with a few nautical style outfits (with some sailor themed konad, of course). The application was good overall, although I did get a few bubbles. The brush on this was nice, no problems there. Actually all the SH Extreme Wear polishes I've tried have been rather nice.

I'd recommend picking this one up for sure

Does anyone else know of any new "must haves"?

A nice surprise

2010-03-26T02:24:00.000-04:00

Oh man! I feel like I haven't had a real post in ages! This still isn't even a manicure or swatch post! I've been bogged down with school, work, and a cold that just won't go away! Yeah, yeah, I'm whining :P but hopefully this weekend//next week I'll have time to get some swatches done.

On a much better topic, a few days ago I received a package from the lovely Laura from Sawan. That girl is so sweet! Out of the blue she generously offered to send me a set of the Claire's mood polishes. Talk about a random act of kindness! She also included an adorable reusable bag, a very sweet card to me and a super cool Bloom card for me to give to someone special :]

I recently made a light box. Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to take nice pictures with it! I'm going to buy a lamp with higher wattage and see if that helps out. So in the meantime forgive me for the quality of this picture, it does not do these lovely gifts justice.

I did find time to cook a quick meal the other day. Unfortunately it was a flop. I had such high hopes for this simple recipe, but it just didn't taste very good in my opinion. The texture and warmth of the lettuce was nice, but the dressing needs some improvement. I think I might try it with this honey-dijion-lemon dressing that I make. That dressing makes anything taste yummy :]

Tagged :]

2010-03-23T23:59:00.000-04:00

The lovely Sylvia from Wizards of Bling tagged me for a Beautiful Blogger Award and a 10 things that make you happy thing-a-ma-bob :]

Anywho...here are seven facts about me. I tried to put things that weren't already in my about me.

1) I love both modern and vintage styles. I love the clean lines of modern furniture and the immaculate details of victorian architecture.

2) I work at an office supply store. I'm a sales associate/cashier. I'm confident that whenever I do quit this job, I will never work retail again (unless I become the owner of a cute store that sells pretty things)...

3) I really like tattoos and piercings. I guess that's to be expected since I love art and jewelry. I have one tiny (but lovely) tattoo and several piercings (nothing extreme though).

4) I love music and I listen to a wide variety of it. I also love to sing, I was in choir for six years (throughout jr. high & high school) but this year I don't have time! I miss it!

5) I'm a shopaholic and I love fashion...but usually I end up wearing sweats everywhere because I'm a lazy lump :]

6) I have an odd diet...or so I'm told. I don't eat any sort of meat that came from things that live on land (such as beef, pork, chicken, etc.) but I do eat seafood. Two of my favorite foods are vegetable soup and calamari.

7) If I could pick up my boyfriend, my puppy and all our stuff and transport it all to California, I'd do it in a heartbeat! Ohio weather sucks and I've been sick of this place for years.

Alrighty, now for ten things that make me happy! (not in any order)

1) Having a piece of art turn out the way I want it to.

2) My boyfriend. He can get on my nerves sometimes, but he's perfect for me.

3) My doggie, Daisy Mae. She's a precious pug and I love her to pieces. She knows she can get away with anything around me.

4) Other cute animals. I guess I'm just a typical girl when it comes to these things. I see an animal that resembles a furball and I go bonkers :]

5) Crafting and DIYing. I love making things that cost a fraction of what you would buy in a store. I also love making body and facial scrubs!

6) When people get along! It's so sad to see adults fighting like children, so when I see people work something out the right way I can't help but smile. I dunno... I guess I'm just one of those people that think peace is the way to go.

7) Delicious food! I'm even more pleased if I find out it's good for me as well!

8) Alton Brown. I love Good Eats and I think he's just hilarious.

9) Springtime. Everything smells so nice and all the plants are popping up.

10) Owls! Owl-themed anything! I love purses, clothing, jewelry with owl designs. So, so cute!

Hmm...who to tag...

I picked people that I didn't tag the last time around.

Aubree from Polish Off

Polished Fierce

POLISH and BPAL

Katrina from Lets Go Sparkling

Perry from PerryPie's Nail Polish Adventures

Meh I really don't want to have another picture-less post so here's one that's about a month old. Before I started using the olive oil scrub. I'll have to put before and after photos up sometime soon.

Butter London

2010-03-22T12:27:00.000-04:00

Hey there! Not a real post, but some exciting news. I was on Hautelook today and saw that Butter London is having a sale! I don't know if I'll be buying anything, but I had to share it with you guys. Here's your invitiation:

http://www.hautelook.com/invite/MTatham245

Hope everyone has a good day. Hopefully I'll have some swatches ready soon!

YDNJ with topcoat!

2010-03-20T01:14:00.001-04:00

When I first put on You Don't Know Jacques! I knew I wanted to try it with some topcoat. As I was looking through my polishes I came across my Orly Prisma Gloss Gold and a light bulb switched on! (figuratively, of course :] ), I mean why not see it with some holo sparkles? Mmm! I love love love this. I got so many compliments at work.

I've been so busy though! I started working again ( I took Spring Break off) and I'm just whooped already! I hardly have any time to look and comment on other blogs, let alone make frequent posts on my own! Oh well...I need to start saving up money since I have at least two trips to Canada planned and possibly trips other places as well... I'm going to make a budget. Boo. I guess that means I'll be buying fewer polishes...but i guess that's okay since my untried pile is pretty substantial.

How is everyone? :]

You Don't Know Jacques! Suede

2010-03-17T21:58:00.000-04:00

This is the first polish I've worn in a few days. I took a break while I was sick since the fumes of polish and remover were hurting my throat :P I really like these suede shades. They dry super fast and just have this luscious look to them. Oh and they're opaque in one coat!

We actually had a great sunny day today so the pictures turned out nicer than usual. I took advantage of the lovely weather and went outside to draw. I didn't get a lot done though! I was too busy soaking up the rays. My boyfriend and I went on a walk in a local nature park too. We saw the cutest dogs! They were miniature pomeranians and they just looked like tiny poof balls! I wish I would have had my camera with me! Ooo I also got some stuff from a swap the other day, I'll have to post that later though because I haven't taken pictures yet!

So how has everyone been the past few days? Hope you all had great weather and lots of fun!

Iron Butterfly

2010-03-13T03:11:00.000-05:00

Let me just get this out of the way...I LOVE this polish. Love love love love love it. Yes, I'm Tom Cruise jumping on Opera's couch about this polish. It's lovely. I know a lot of people don't like that mattes and suedes dry incredibly fast, but for me it's perfect. Finally no sheet marks (as I frequently paint my nails before bed :P) and no chips going on three days! If I had to make one complaint about this though, it would be that clean up was a bit difficult. Although that may be my fault instead of the polish. Oh and my Transdesign order came! I have a ton of new stuff to try out and some things for the give-away.

Aside from that I've been feeling absolutely disgusting the last few days. Ugh! I hate colds, my nose always get so raw! I've been putting extra olive oil on the driest parts of my nose, but the rawness just can't be helped :[

Oh and since we're on the subject of olive oil, I have to tell you something! I have no spots on my face right now! None! No acne since I started using the olive oil scrub I mentioned here. Mind you, I've never horrible acne, but my face has never been absolutely completely clear before either. There was always a spot here or a spot there-not now though! Even through this horrid cold my skin (with the exception of my raw nose) is completely moisturized and healthy! I really hope this works as well for other people as it has for me, it's such a confidence booster!

Goody Plum Drop

2010-03-10T13:43:00.000-05:00

The other day I was at Meijer and saw that the new Maybelline Express Finish polishes were on sale for only $2.19! I picked out a purple color called Goody Plum Drop. It's a really gorgeous pastel (less blue than the pictures show, btw) but the formula is a bit odd. It had stringy bits in it and seemed a bit goopy. I'll put a few drops of thinner in it later and see if it helps. Hopefully it does because this is such a nice color.

This is what I've been eating for the last few days. I haven't had much of an appetite this week, so yogurt and granola has been my go-to breakfast/lunch meal. I'm definitely getting sick. I've got a stuffy nose and achey throat. Boo. This might be my last post for the week. :[

Anyways, has anyone had problems getting on to MUA today? For some reason I can't get to the website. I don't know what's going on :P

Miracle Ingredient!

2010-03-09T01:33:00.000-05:00

I've been making my own facial scrubs for a while now, but until a few days ago I'd never found anything that would give me the moisture I need. I've heard of putting extra virgin olive oil in facial scrubs, but I was alway too afraid to try it! I was terrified that it would clog my pores and give me an awful breakout. I was so wrong! The particles in olive oil are far too large to clog pores. I decided to finally give this a try because my skin gets so dry in the winter, especially around my mouth and nothing I had tried before would get rid of it. I would apply all sorts of moisturizers and scrubs, but my skin would be dry again within 5 minutes.

I've used this scrub only a few times and I can already see a dramatic difference in my skin. When I wash my face with this at night I don't have to apply any moisturizer at all. My skin is still super hydrated in the morning. I may never use store-bought moisturizer again! This scrub did one thing that I hadn't even thought to hope for, it completely evened out my skin tone! I have perpetually red cheeks--well, had! Ah I'm so happy that I tried this. Anyways the recipe is easy. Just three parts extra virgin olive oil to two parts honey plus enough sugar to make it into a paste. I'm telling you, try this! I'll show before and after pics soon.

On to the nails. I tried to do a ruffian the other day, but I didn't like it all all. Luckily I took pictures of just the base color, so I have something to show you. It's Sally Hansen Celeb City all by itself.

I picked up a bunch of new stuff today (amazing deals at Rite-Aid and Meijer) and also made an order to transdesign. Hopefully I'll have time to swatch some stuff soon! I've also decided that my giveaway will be in celebration of my birthday! April 24th, keep an eye open for it!

P.S. - sorry for the text-heavy post :P

Woo!

2010-03-08T01:55:00.000-05:00

So I was tagged for a Best Blog Award by Perry at PerryPie's Nail Polish Adventures! She's so sweet!

The rules of the award tag are as follows:
1. To accept the award, you must post it on your blog, with the name of the person who has given you the award, and a link to their blog.
2. Pass the award on to approximately 10-15 blogs that you have recently discovered and think are great!
3. Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Okay, so I tried to make sure these lovely blogs weren't already tagged, but forgive me if you already were! (These are in no specific order)

1) Laura's Blog

2) Wizards of Bling

3) Glammed-Up

4) Polish & Konad

5) Ainnir

6) Nailswatches

7) Enamored Enamel

8) FAB UR NAILS

9) Homemade Nails

10) My Little World of Polish by Lily Nail

I could carry this list on for forever and ever so I'll just let it end here :]

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

Show Me the Way

2010-03-06T02:58:00.000-05:00

The other day I stopped by Walgreens hoping to find SinfulColors Green Ocean (no such luck :[ ) but I picked up a pretty color called Show Me The Way. It's a shimmery, mossy green that I think is quite pretty :] I'm still not a huge fan of how the Sinful polishes apply though.

Tomorrow I think I'm going to convince my boyfriend to go to the mall. I'd like to stop by Ulta to pick up a few things and perhaps see a movie while we're out that way. Oh, speaking of movies I watched 2012 today! It was pretty good, but seeing as how I'm a complete emotional sap I cried during the whole thing. It was so sad and I just kept hoping that the absolutely adorable dog wouldn't die! Gosh, I'm a sucker for cute animals with flat little faces :]

Last W&W

2010-03-04T00:17:00.000-05:00

Okay so this is the last W'n'W polish for a while! It's a pretty blue color called Bijou Blue. The application on this was easy peasy! It was pretty opaque after two coats, but you can still see some VNL.

A few days ago I made this yummy dish for dinner. It's called Rainbow Stir-fry and of course I got the recipe from the Fat Free Vegan. It was seriously delectable and not-so-surprisingly healthy. I think it's quite pretty as well :] Next time I think I'll replace the celery with something else, perhaps pea pods and water chestnuts.

I realized today why I hardly ever wear lip gloss! All the ones I've tried are so sticky feeling and when there's wind you hair gets in your gloss! Blarg, I'm bored with my usual chapsticks :[ Does anyone know of a pretty lip gloss that is long lasting AND not sticky?

Wild Card

2010-02-28T00:59:00.000-05:00

Alright, I know i've pretty much been posting W&W polishes but they were on sale for less than a dollar so I had to stock up! I can't resist a good deal! Anyways, here's another for you. It's called Wild Card and it's a rather pretty purple shade (c'mon, who doesn't love purple nails?) but once again I'm not a huge fan of the formula. It isn't super pigmented and it had a sort of goopy texture. I think I'll add some thinner to it and see if it helps because I really do enjoy the color of this one!

And this is what I've been working on. It really didn't turn out how I wanted it to and I'm pretty disappointed :[ Maybe putting it up here will serve as motivation to put more time into things.

Hmm I have a question for you guys! Has anyone tried Orly Bonder? I read about it on Nouveau Cheap (love that blog) and I'm interested in trying it. Does it make your nail polish stay tacky?