Carrie Underwood Inspired Makeup- Using DRUGSTORE products!

Hi everyone,

I'm currently waiting for my new video to load onto my computer from my camera, so I figured I would do a blog post previewing the look!

I've done a Carrie Underwood inspired makeup look, taken from her performance on American Idol last week for Idol Gives Back. I am using all drugstore products for this, except UDPP. Carrie almost ALWAYS has a cat-eye shaped smokey look when she's on TV or at events, with her lashes (fake!) helping to create that shape. Her eyeshadow shape is also quite rounded usually, instead of having a really sharp outer V like a lot of celebs do.

Hopefully this look will make Mike Fisher mistake me for Carrie in a brunette wig?

Brown/Blackish/Goldish smokey look, nude pink gloss, glowy cheeks. Really easy, ladies!

Products used:

EYES:
UDPP
Annabelle e/s Buff Naked
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black Bean
NYX e/s in Eucalyptus
NYX e/s in Iced Mocha
Annabelle e/s in Ebony
Yves Rocher liquid eyeliner (I also recommend Rimmel liquid eyeliner!)
NYC black eyeliner pencil
Covergirl Lashblast length in black
Revlon lashes in Intensifying

Lips:
Rimmel gloss in East End Snob

FACE:
Marcelle foundation in Ivory
Loreal true match concealer
NYC creme blush in Big Apple Blush
Joe Fresh cheek tint in Nude
Jane bronzer in Sahara
Coastal Scents silica powder
Annabelle eyebrow pencil in Taupe

Let me know what you think!

xoxo Chloe

Read more...

Free Birthday Club from Growing Tree Toys for kids AND adults

Growing Tree Toys offers a Free Birthday Club.  You can sign up, up to 5 children.  It includes a surprise for your child and exclusive offers for you.  It will arrive in your email 2 weeks before the birthdate.

 Growing Tree Toys Birthday Club


Growing Tree Toys offers a variety of toys for children of all ages.  They offer educational toys, baby toys, toddler toys, ride on toys, games musical toys, and much more. They even make them easy to find with their categories and even age group search.

educational toys
baby toys
toddler toys

Looking over the site some of my favorite and more unique toys:

Harley Davidson Roaring Rocker
Also a favorite of my boys on the site.  They loved looking over the toys here.

Praying Mantis Pagoda science kitMy older boys saw the butterfly habitat advertised on tv and have been bugging me for one.  Growing Tree Toys has it.  That is, until, they saw the Praying Mantis Pagoda.  Now they want this.

Snuggle Pod Lil' Peanut Baby Doll

I just thought this was the cutest thing.  I've not seen one of these before.  I may have to get one for my baby.

I could post about 100 unique and cute toys on this blog but it would just be easier for you to use one of the links I included in this post to see for yourself.

Read more...

YSL Rouge Volupté #26

This is my first Rouge Volupte lipstick and I'm loving it. I spent about 15 minutes at Sephora last week trying on all of the colors and the #26 is the only one that I really loved. This lipstick is really smooth and creamy but because of that it can look a little streaky on this lips. I can over look that minor detail because I love texture and color so much (very beautiful coral pink). It kind of smells like watermelon which is kinda nice but I'm not huge fan of that scent so it's just ok to me. Out of all the lipsticks I own this one seems to get on my teeth the most maybe because it's so creamy it slides off my lips really easy? That's another downside.

I really love the color and the packaging is to die for! It's so luxurious and beautiful looking.

Do I think it's worth the price for a lipstick ($34)? No. I actually think $34 (plus shipping $42 is quite INSANE). But, I do think it's a gorgeous color and it's a nice little treat to own. 

Rouge Volupte #26

Natural lighting

With Flash... as you can see it looks a little streaky on the bottom lip

Natural Lighting

Read more...

Chanel Vitalumiere... my newest love

I have to admit I haven't been a huge fan of Chanel foundations in the past. I've done reviews on them in the past and it was always "It looks amazing at first but after two hours it looked terrible". I have tried the Chanel Pro Lumiere and the Chanel Teint Innocence and both were just ok. I've given the Vitalumiere a chance and I stand wowed. This is by far their best foundation. They have recently reformulated it and whatever they did it is working. Well done on their part. The old formula was nice but it was so dewy that your face felt really moist all day and it would rub off on whatever your face touched. The new formulation still has the dewy factor but it's more of a matte dewy if that makes sense. It doesn't make my face feel moist all day and I'm glad but that's kind of a weird feeling.
The Vitalumiere is great for people who have dry skin and don't need a lot of coverage. The sales guy told me that this foundation is medium to full and I don't think he really had a clue what he was talking about. This is most definitely a light to medium coverage foundation. It really does cover well and gives a very flawless finish but it's lighter in coverage so you WILL need your concealer if you have any extra redness or blemishes you want to conceal.
Over all I am sooooo happy and impressed with this foundation. It lasts a good 6 hours on my face which is amazing compared to the other Chanel foundations I've tried in the past. I love the finish and the dewy glow it gives. This is the only foundation that I've ever used that I like to use a brush with rather than my fingers. I think using a foundation brush (I use the Sigma ss 190) with the Vitalumiere will make it look much more flawless then just using your fingers.
I tried the colors Beige #2 and Shell (or Cendre) but the color that works best for me is the Soft Bisque 2.5.
Well done on the new formulation, Chanel. It's about time companies start listening to their consumers and change things in a GOOD way.

$54 wherever Chanel is sold.

As you can see rubbed in it gives a very nice dewy "glowy" look. 

This is what the finish looks like... well, at least on half of my face. :) I didn't like the full picture. ha ha

Read more...

Share the love - Youtube style

I haven't been keeping up with my blog as much as I'd like to!:( My computer cord died out on me and I've been using my moms laptop until my powder cord comes in the mail. I have the worst luck with computers (cell phones, cameras, etc)!

I want to do a quick Share The Love post to share some wonderful youtubers with you that I think are amazing women. All of them are sweet, kind, beautiful and fun to watch.

www.youtube.com/lizyartur Liz is such a sweetheart. She's the kind of girl you know that if you met her in person you'd hit it off and become friends. She has a very warm personality and is so nice to everyone. She is so stunning and beautiful! She does great reviews, hauls,  tutorials, fashion, hair and fitness videos. I like her fitness videos because she always does things that really work and are not your "normal" boring sit-ups. It's fun! Check her out!

www.youtube.com/blushingpixie (AKA Yorkieluvs) when Martha posts a new video... I get excited. She has the most soothing voice and you hang on her every word because everything she talks about sounds interesting. She is so beautiful and has the most amazing skin I've ever seen. She had left youtube for a few months and everyone was having a fit... myself included. I was so sad that she left because I have found so many amazing products because of her... she's someone I really like to watch.
She does reviews, tutorials, hauls and fashion videos.

www.youtube.com/elainey0007 talk about amazing hair! Elaine's hair is to die for. She has the perfect color and cut... jealous!;)  She has really great videos and she also is SO beautiful. She is a mother and I like watching women who are mothers on youtube because sometimes they are more in the same place as I am.  She does reviews, tutorials, tags, hauls... you name it. She's worth checking out!

www.youtube.com/xPrincessJessex There is something about this girl that is so much fun to watch. I love her personality and energy. She truly gets excited about everything and I think that's adorable. She is so pretty it's unfair. She does tutorials, reviews, hauls, contests... she's very fun!

Last but not least I have to add someone that doesn't need me to share the love with them because well.... everyone already knows and loves her so much. She is the 2nd make up girl I ever watched on youtube and probably the first person I subscribed to and that is www.youtube.com/lollipop26
I had googled Enormous Lash and up popped a video of her talking about it. To me the concept of real women reviewing a product I was researching and telling the good, the bad and the ugly was the best thing since sliced bread to me. I was so excited. Laura was the first person I subbed to and for sure the person I look up to the most. I treasure her honesty and kindness. She is so beautiful and I love her fashion sense. I also get excited when she posts a new videos because whatever she talks about is gold.
I'm glad that a year and a half ago I found her videos because she's really the reason I'm apart of youtube.... I didn't even know that there was a beauty community out there like this! :)

Who are your favorite youtube girls... I always love finding new girls to watch! I hope that you check out some of the girls I listed because all of them are amazing. :)

Love,
Sarah

Read more...

10 Little Things that Lead to a Happier, Healthier You

This is something we can all use a little of.  Thinking of 10 things that can make our lives happier and healthier.  This is my personal list in no certain order:

1.  Make time for the family--My husband and I work opposite shifts.  He doesn't get to spend as much time with the kids as he'd like and we don't get to spend enough time together.  But on his days off we try to make up for it.  I make a special meal. We all sit together and eat and discuss our day.  No tv's on, no cell phone nothing. My husband also tries to make special guy time with our 3 boys.

2.  Take some "you" time--I know, as a mom, that's probably one of the hardest things to do.  My time, when all the kids are in bed and before my husband gets home from work. I usually have about an hour and a half to myself.  That's my facebook or blogging time, or my candle making time, or my reading time, whatever I feel like doing for me time.

3.  Get active with the family--Let's face it, most of us aren't as active as we should be.  I know I'm guilty. I do have a physical job outside the home which i love. I work as a therapist.  And as a therapist I see the trouble people can into by being sedintary.  I try to find a couple days a week to take all the kids out for a walk around town, kick the soccer ball around with them, take them to the playground (and be active with them....what a mom can enjoy the swings too right?) This also has a secondary benefit (See list number 1)

4.  Read your food labels--again I'm guilty.  I don't always buy the healthiest things.  I've been making an honest effort over the last 2 years though to buy healthier food.  1% milk instead of 2%, having more fruits, veggies, and juices around the house instead of twinkies, soda, etc.Once I started really reading labels I was shocked to see some of the fat content, sodium amounts, calories in some food

5.  Make healthy eating fun and exciting for kids---One of my boys' favorite treats is apples with peanut butter.  I like to crush plain cornflakes into the peanut butter to to give it a unique crunchy texture.  I started swapping their white bread for whole wheat bread and cutting their sandwiches into cute shapes You can use metal cookie cutters, ravioli cutters whatever you have that works.

6.  Talk to your kids about healthy eating habits--I started talking to my kids about healthy choices and examples of healthy choices in terms they'd understand around 4 years old.  I even made a little quiz:  what's a better snack?  oranges or a snickers bar, what's a better drink choice?  chocolate milk or soda?  and so on.  I also tried to explain why it was important to eat healthier: weight gain and the problems that can compound from that, vitamin c to help the immune system etc.

7.  When possible make it from scratch or as much as possible instead of prepackaged:  You can control what goes into your food better.  You can use egg beaters instead of eggs, you can use skim milk instead of whole milk, etc.  I know that's a toughy especially when companies make it so convenient and quick for us.

8.  Drink more water:  Water as we all know is so important for our bodies.  It helps our skin, keeps us hydrated, helps us decrease our hunger between meals, and so much more.  Milk and Orange Juice like Tropicana is great too!

9.  Don't sweat the small stuff:  Does it really matter if the dishes sit for an hour after supper if it means getting in some quality time with the family?  Who cares if your mother in law made a surprise visit and your floor wasn't vacuumed?  Don't overload yourself at work.  Sure you want to be a superstar or strive for that raise but stress takes a toll on our bodies and can increase sick days.

10.  Get some sleep:  Try to strive for a regular bedtime (for yourself too not just your kids).  Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep.  When you can't try to find time for a nap.  If you're fatigued how will you have the energy for the kids?  the family time? work?  whatever.  Renew your body.

I also have a free code for you exclusive for twittermoms.com to offer to my readers for Tropicana Juicy Reward points:

TWMOM-READR  

Tropicana Juicy Rewards website  <----use code here

“This one-time use code is valid for new accounts ONLY. Must be entered within 6 hours of creating your account. Limit one new account bonus code per new account. All accounts must be created and all codes entered by May 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.”


This blog was written for the opportunity to win an amex gift card from twittermoms.com and Trop50.  Want to write your own blog for a chance to win.  Visit:
Twittermoms.com/Tropicana 10 things to lead to a happier healthier you


“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tropicana Trop50 blogging program to be eligible to win 6 free Juicy Rewards points and a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Trop50 Little Things for Happy, Healthy Living1000 Little Things for Moms from Trop50

Read more...

Blogging Moms only, win an Apple ipad

www.bestkidsapps.com  is having an Apple Ipad giveaway meant for blogging moms only. 

Read the blog here: 

 iPhone apps for kids

I'm participating in the contest on www.bestkidsapps.com.  Use the Iphone apps for kids link above to read the blog and participate yourself if you'd like too.  

I don't have an Iphone but would LOOOOVE one.  I don't have an Ipad either for that matter but would LOOOVE one of those.  I see all the cool apps out there that would be so useful to me like: the weather channel app., cool games I could use when I'm say sitting in the car waiting for the kids practice to be done, and there's more I'm sure that I don't even know about. I love the touch screen features on both the Iphone and the Ipad. 

Being a sweepstakes addict I had to jump on this anyway. So stop on over to the blog:
iPhone apps for kids  read the rules and write your own post.

A random participating mommy blogger will be announced May 10

Read more...

Mini Drugstore Haul

Hey ladies,

I bought a few things at the drugstore today!

I bought 5 items, only one of which I was actually looking to purchase!! Haha bad Chloe!

Let's start with the NYX eyeshadows. I went to PharmaPlus (Rexall is the only drugstore chain that sells NYX in Canada I think) to get either Iced Mocha or Root Beer single eyeshadow for a drugstore Carrie Underwood tutorial I'm planning. Apparently those two shades are passable dupes for MAC's Satin Taupe. They didn't have Root Beer, so by default I got Iced Mocha... and on the same row there was a gorgeous shade called Eucalyptus, and I held them up together and.. well I'll be using both of these shades for my tutorial now :P

Iced Mocha (left), Eucalyptus (right)

Eucalyptus (left), Iced Mocha (right)

MAC Satin Taupe (left), NYX Iced Mocha (left)

So Iced Mocha isn't an exact match for Satin Taupe, but it'll definitely do the trick (these photos are with a flash, so it looks a bit different IRL). It has the same dark brown shimmery glow to it.

Next... the NYC blushable creme stick. These are new in Canada, and I don't know how long they have existed elsewhere. The one I got is in the shade "Big Apple Blush". I was impressed with the variety of colours, except that there only seemed to be 2 pinks, while the rest were bronzy or dark brown hues. Maybe it was just the selection at my drugstore?

Anyway. I have yet to try this on my cheeks, but on my hand it is very pigmented and VERY easy to blend. 

Now BonneBell's LipLUSHous plumping gloss in Vanilla Smooch. Very creamy and feels nice on the lips. You need to put a LOT on to feel the "plumping tingle" though. Smells yummy too!

And I got some Revlon eyelashes as well in 91155 Intensifying. I only got them because Revlon lashes and stuff were 30% off... and I had to remind the cashier that it was on sale!!  Always look at the checkout screen thing, ladies! Sometimes sales don't show up! 

Questions? Comments? Lemme know! 

Love you all!

xoxo Chloe

Read more...

Your Most Triumphant Outlet Shopping Story

Gap Twitter DiscountExclusive Gap Outlet and Banana Republic Factory Store Savings
As you all know, I love a good bargain, good sale, outlet shopping etc.  I driving my way down south and happened to notice an outlet mall in Hagerstown, MD.  I stopped.  They had a lot of great stores.  I enjoyed the landscaping of the outlets outside.   It was a beautiful day I remember.

I came across a Children's Place outlet.  You might know from a previous post that I love Children's Place. I go in and wouldn't you know, they had an end of season clearance going on.  I had just had my first son.  I love buying baby clothes. I came across this clearance rack with baby clothes labeled for crazy amounts like $1, $2, $3, and so on. I couldn't believe it.  I stocked up. I got several pieces including dress pants for my son, t-shirts, even a pair of snow pants.  I must have had at least 10 pieces of clothing from him.

The girl at the register starts ringing me up.  Until it was all said and done, my total, $22.  Yes my friends, that's the way I like to shop!  With a feeling of accomplishment for spending so little and providing some nice clothes for my son, I was back on my road trip.

If you'd like to participate in this go to:
Twittermoms.com and GAP Most Triumphant Outlet shopping experience blogging contest

Also, here is a coupon code for GAP to get 15% off a purchase of $75 or more:
GAP coupon code

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Gap Outlet blogging program to be eligible to get a $20 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” 

Read more...

Love this clip from Good Morning America

http://news.yahoo.com/video/business-15749628/denim-debate-cheap-vs-expensive-19304087

Save money and look good.  It kills me to see people dropping $100 and up on jeans when I see perfectly good
less expensive jeans on the store shelves and racks.  But who am I?  I'm no expert. So Good Morning America
did a great clip on designer vs. less expensive denim.

See the results for yourself. 

Read more...

Earth Brite Natural All Purpose Cleaner Review

Earth Brite Natural All-Purpose Cleaner 2-pack at HSN.com

So I'm laying in bed one night flipping channels. I flick past HSN and then click back.  They're doing the spot on Earth Brite Natural All-Purpose Cleaner.  They are showing all the things this product supposedly cleans.  You know: pots and pans, ovens, mirrors, tennis shoes, grills, PVC furniture, windows,  just lots of stuff.  I'm thinking "wow that would be great if it really worked like that."  Then there's the other thing that goes through your head "nothing ever works the way it does on tv".

Now let me just say I am not typically an HSN, QVC, infomercial shopper.   As I listened it talked about being all natural.  Clay based.  Safe to have around children.  Safe for the environment.

Yea, yea, right.  So I clicked the tv off and went to bed.  The next morning I got up and went into the kitchen.  I noticed the knobs in the kitchen were tarnished.  I tried a stainless steel cleaner and it smelled so bad.  I thought about my once white canvas shoes. I wonder if it would work on that.  I had an HSN giftcard that i received. I went to HSN's website and decided to order the Earth Brite Natural All-Purpose Cleaner 2 pack.

I got it in the mail, read over the directions and went to work.  I was thrilled to see the knobs on the cupboard in my kitchen shining again!  I tried it on my white canvas shoes..clean!  I was reading all the uses and tried almost all of them.  I was shocked at how great it cleaned the mirror in the bathroom.  Then the big test.  I tried it on one of my old pots. You know that tarnished, baked on whatever you call it on the bottom of your pan.  This did not work like I hoped.  It did clean some of that off but my pots didn't gleam like my kitchen cabinet knobs and mirrors.  Oh well can't have it all I guess.  I bought this about 5 months ago and still haven't used all of the first container.  You don't need a lot for it to work.

It also gives me piece of mind for my 10 month old, who is now getting into everything.  Even if he would get hold of this product, it's all natural and non toxic.  Also Earth friendly.

The product is currently selling on HSN for $19.95 plus shipping.  They do occasionally have sales though. Also they have their $70k giveaway right now.  Enter to win gift cards and more.  You also get a chance at a coupon code.

All in all I give the Earth Bright All-Natural Cleaner an A- the only thing it didn't work for that it claimed was to get that nasty crap off the bottom of your pots but worked wonderful for everything else. Last a long time. Safe around children.  Earth Friendly.  So I think it deserves the A-
Earth Brite All-Natural Cleaner on HSN

Read more...

Free Bump its on Facebook

Free Bumpits become a fan and fill out form

Like Bump its on facebook then click on the giveaway tab.  There will be a form to fill out for you to get a coupon for free bump its products.  You can even choose your colors.  I filled it out and it said I should expect mine in 2-4 weeks.

Read more...

I have an addiction...

I think I have a serious problem.
I can't stop buying silver hoop-y earrings. And earrings in general.
I've been wearing the SAME pair of beautiful sterling silver hoops for the past 3 years, but I just keep buying cheaper ones I barely ever wear.

So.

I need to stop buying more earrings... Or... I need to make a resolution to actually WEAR the earrings I bought.

Today, I bought 3 pairs. They were 3 for $10 at Ardene's, so I HAD to.

I bought the little ones for my much-neglected second holes, and the big ones for, well, my earring drawer. I can't help myself.

These are all the silver hoopies I have (that I can find, I'm positive there's more)

That's NINE pairs, ladies. And they all look exactly the same.

I have a disease.

Read more...

Super deal on Urban Decay Limited edition

Urban Decay Cosmetics - Face Case

I love Urban Decay Cosmetics. The products not the price. But I received this in my email today and just couldn't pass up this bargain. A limited Edition Urban Decay Face Case that includes: 3 of their best selling eyeshadows (Grifter, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, and Twice Baked) A blush in a new shade called "Hook up" and 3 lip gloss shades: Carney, Naked, and Love Junkie. It says the case is barely bigger than a cell phone and comes with an application brush and built in mirror. If anyone is familiar with Urban Decay, you know that their eye shadows alone are around $18. My assumption is these Items are not full size being that they all fit in a compact "barely bigger than a cell phone" but for $14 this is a great way to get good quality make up.

Also if you are an Urban Decay fan you know that their "limited edition" pallettes never last. (I so missed out on the Alice in Wonderland pallette I wanted so badly)
So jump on this one if, you want it.

Urban Decay limited edition face case

Read more...

More Photos: Easy Prom Makeup for Beginners

Read more...

Easy Prom Makeup for Beginners!

Hey Ladies,

A quick post about Prom! I'll be uploading the look I wore to my prom (3 years ago!!) very shortly, but I thought I'd put some photos and extra info up on my blog.

My prom was in June, and I wore a bright orange strapless dress and it was FABULOUS. I decided to have a more subtle look- and I really wasn't that capable of doing anything more dramatic!

Here are some photos of the look I'll be posting:

So, like I said, super easy, and great for beginners. It's slightly smokey, but not overly dramatic. And not very hard to do! I used mostly MAC in the video because that's what I used for prom, but I've added colour descriptions so you can use products you already have!

Products used:


Eyes:
UDPP (a good base is a MUST or else your shadow will crease like crazy! Prom can get sweaty!)
MAC Painterly PP (Nude cream base)
MAC Blanc Type (matte off-white)
MAC Naked Lunch (shimmery pinky gold)
MAC Trax (Smokey mid-tone purple with gold flecks)

MAC eyeliner in Prunella (dark plum)
NYC black eyeliner
CoverGirl LashBlast Length

Annabelle eyebrow pencil in Taupe

LIPS:
Sephora lip pencil in 114 (any nude colour)
MAC Angel lipstick (medium pink, use anything that's close to your natural lipcolour)
MAC lustreglass in Love Nectar (a nude-ish pink lipgloss that can be used for touch ups, and doesn't require a mirror for re-applying!)


FACE:
-Sephora Anti-Shine Primer (definitely use a face primer, even if it's just the Monistat chafing stuff that some girls use. Loads of photos are going to be taken, and shiny faces aren't hot!)

-Marcelle Matte foundation in Ivory (Use a fuller-coverage foundation, again for the photos! If you don't have one, just layer your regular foundation a few times to get a fuller coverage.)

- Sephora eye brightener (pinky shimmer for hiding undereye circles!)

- MAC MSF Natural in Light

-MAC cremeblend blush in So Sweet, So Easy and powder blush in Cute (layer a powder blush on top of a cream blush for more staying power!)

-MAC MSF in Perfect Topping (used as a highlight on cheekbones)

-Coastal Scents Silica Powder (used as a setting powder in the T-Zone- Don't use it all over your face though, and go over it with a skin-coloured powder.)



Thanks for reading, and if you have any specific questions about the post, don't hesitate to ask!

xox Chloe

Read more...

Help a friend get funding for her town

I have a friend who asked me to please pass this message on.  She lives in the little town of Nanty Glo, PA.  Her town was submitted to http://www.refresheverything.com/search/?q=nanty+glo  Pepsi is providing free money to people to start projects, fix up towns, etc.  Nanty Glo isn't doing too bad.  The last I checked they were number 32 in their funding category.  Unfortunately, they need to be in the top 10 to get the free money from Pepsi.

It only takes a minute.  You need to sign in to Pepsi with either your Pepsi account or Facebook account.  If you don't have either one it is free to sign up.  

Pepsi Refresheverything, Help little Nanty Glo, PA

Thanks in advance to anyone that takes a minute to do this.  Nanty Glo wants to use the money to fix up their parks and recreation area.  These are public areas that many people use, especially with the upcoming season.  You can vote once daily.

Read more...

Going Nude....

Revlon "Soft Nude" lipstick... that is. :) I picked this up about a month ago and really haven't used it a ton of times. It's a very pretty muted peach nude and the color is very soft and pretty but it's a little bit too light for me. I think because I have lighter hair now it's a little harder for me to pull of nude lips (but then again nude lips never really looked that great on me). I think the packaging on this lipstick is so cute and I love the little detail on the actual lipstick where they have "Revlon" embedded. I think that makes it look more high end than it actually is.
The texture of this lipstick is very smooth and creamy (nice!) but because of that it doesn't stay on a super long time. The application goes on a little streaky and likes to set into any dry spots which we all know isn't the look we are going for. However, I think that if you like a really nude lip you will like this. It isn't a bad lipstick and it has a few minor flaws that in my opinion can be easily over looked because of the price $7-8 dollars. This is from the Color Burst Collection of lipsticks.
Would I buy this again? No. I don't think the color compliments me at all. But, hey... it might be good on you!
Would I buy a different color from this line? Yes!

Revlon Soft Nude (070)

I love the embedding of Revlon on the lipstick. Pretty!

In natural day light

With flash

Have you tried this or one of the other lipsticks from this collection? What did you think?

Read more...

Great Freebie that your kids will love!

I've seen Lowe's advertise their Build and Grow workshops for a while. I finally decided to sign my boys up for one of them.  We went today.  Today's project was the Watch it grow planters. I wasn't really sure what to expect.  It's free but I wasn't sure what all it included. 

There was a good amount of kids their with their parents. Lowe's provides a kit, has tools for you to borrow while you're there (they had small tack hammers out for the kids to use with parental supervision).  They had two Lowe's employees in the room passing out material and helping as need.  I thought it would be a class and they would do it step by step and the children could see as they do.  Instead it was set up that the parents helped the children.  In a way, I liked it better. After the kids put together their planters, one of the employees helped the children scoop soil into their planters and another employee gave them tomato seeds to plant in them.

According to the website the children are also supposed to get aprons and goggles for free too.  They did not give them out automatically (at least at the store I went to). I asked about them and they had them available. I got an apron for each of my boys. It was kind of cute. Like a mini Lowe's employee apron. It even had a clear pocket for a name tag.

The boys enjoyed themselves and it didn't cost us a penny.  Here is their finished projects:

I will definetely do the again with my kids.  You can pre-register for the class online but you don't have to.  You can also see upcoming projects:

http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/Home.aspx
They also as an added bonus today got reusable shopping bags today for earth day.  The bag had a magnet in with all the dates until the end of the year for the build and grow workshops, a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase, and a small kids activity book.

Not bad at all for FREE!

Home Depot also has kids workshops that are the same idea. I have not tried Home Depot's yet but plan to.

Home Depot Kids Workshop

Read more...

Into the Flood by Deepfield

Into the Flood by Deepfield

Posted using ShareThis

I had the pleasure of seeing these guys in concert in Columbia, SC about 5 years ago.  It was before they put out their cd Archetypes and Repetitions. They were opening for Dark New Day and Chevelle.  I walked into this small concert venue and heard these guys playing and thought "Who is this?  I'm going to have to look up their album tomorrow".  Unfortunately at the time they did not have an album.  I got my fix by listening to their music on their myspace page.  Finally they put out an album and I bought it immediately. Anyone that's into hard rock, this cd is definetley for you.  My favorite is the Hard hitting hit "Get it".  There is also a link above to their first single off the album "Into the Flood". Another favorite?  They did a remake of En Vogue's "don't let go".  The rock version is definetley for me. 

Read more...

Through the years...

I have gotten a few requests to post some pictures of when I was a teenager. I don't have many on my computer because those were the days before digital cameras were really popular. I decited to do a "through the years" post... from 16 to 26! Don't be too scared! I have some pretty horrible fashions going on but hey they were popular in that time... can't blame me for that, right?

Age 16... oh so sweet and innocent! :) This was the only 16 year old picture I could find on my computer and the earliest to date. You can't tell by the picture but my hair was SUPER long here.. the longest it's ever been... and I'm still trying to get it back to that length.

Age 17 I got the "Posh Bob" way before Posh :)

Age 18 1st runner up at a beauty pageant AKA first loser. :)

Age 19 (Ewww remember when those HORRID chokers were popular circa 2002) Sporting the bob hair again... this was a few months before I moved to Guatemala and I though shorter hair would be easier to handle. I was wrong.

Age 20 Wearing my super bright side sweater shrug thing... those were pretty cool at the time.

Age 21 Living the dream in Guatemala

Age 22 wishing I was that skinny again... 

Age 23

Age 24... my 1st son was maybe 5 months old at this time

25... and 2 weeks until my due date! 9 months preggers with 2nd baby!

26... two more months until I'm 27! NOOOOO!

So, that's me... 

Read more...