Sephora Favorites

I recently got Sephora's 10-piece set of bestselling beauty essentials.

The set contains:
- 0.5 oz Philosophy Hope In A Jar
- 0.05 oz Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin (light shimmering champagne)
- 0.13 oz Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original (sheer nude)
- 0.5 oz Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
- 0.14 oz Sephora Collection Lipstick in The Red 04 (classic bright red)
- 1 oz Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Nude (light beige/ for fair to light skin tones)
- 1.1 oz Nars Illuminator in Orgasm (peachy pink with shimmer)
- 0.37 oz Buxom Lash Mascara in Blackest Black
- 0.01 oz Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in black
- 0.24 oz Marc Jacobs Daisy Rollerball

I was most excited about the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer because I've heard amazing things about it. When I applied it, it had a thick consistency and I'd say its similar to the Bare Escentials primer. It really helped my liquid foundation apply smoother. I don't have oily skin so it didn't make my skin oily but I've read it can cause you to break out if you're allergic so I guess we'll see about that later.

I've seen enough great reviews on the Nars Blush in Orgasm that I was hopeful about the Nars Illuminator in Orgasm. However, it's not as pigmented as I hoped it to be. I know it's an illuminator but it almost matches my skin too closely to work that way. So I decided I'd use it as a base coat to my blush in an attempt to help add some shimmer to my otherwise matte blushes. You can read another review on Musings of a Muse.

The Stila Smudge Stick eye liner in black is amazing. It glides on so liquidy smooth and creates the perfect cat eye look. It's a twist tip so there's no sharpening which is always a plus .

I really love the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in nude. I've been wanting to get a tinted moisturizer since I've heard they're great to use when you don't want to apply foundation. It goes on like a moisturizer but gives just the slightly tint so it looks like I'm wearing the thinnest layer of foundation. I liked the basic coverage that it provided over my skin.

The Buxom Lash mascara has the craziest brush. It's a synthetic brush, shaped almost like a figure eight where each end is thickier than the middle. This gave my lashes the prettiest most delicate look. It separated my lashes out and gave them a natural look without any clumping.

I'm not a huge fan of perfumes simply because I have an abnormally strong sense of smell. I can basically smell anything within a 50 yard radius. Wearing any kind of perfume is always overwhelming and when I want to wear it am forced to apply the smallest amount possible. This smells lovely, almost florally, and I applied it to the back of my neck so I could wear it without any irritation.

I wore the Sephora lip stick in The Red yesterday to work and that stuff is amazing. It's a true red color and goes on beautifully. I applied a liner first before the lipstick and it's almost noon and the color is still as fresh as when I applied it this morning at 7:30. I even ate breakfast between that time. I was really excited about receiving it because wearing red lip stick more often has become one of my goals for the new year. Here's another review on this lipstick if you're curious.

The two items I was least excited about was the Urban Decay eyeshadow in Sin and the Urban Decay eye primer. I actually own both of these products already and try not to double book myself with products. I do love both the products though because Sin is such a pretty pink color and the primer works well with my Naked palettes though I do love the bare escentials eye primer better.

Lastly, I was really sad about the Philosophy Hope in a Jar moisturizer. When I applied it, it felt very watery and not thick and smooth like a moisturizer should feel. I decided to check with my sisters first and see if they don't mind the product [worst decision ever, I am terrible {doh!} ]

As an added bonus I received this Dolce and Gabbana light blue perfume. Like I said, I'm not a huge fan of perfumes but this smells absolutely glorious and I was so happy to receive it. It just smells like fresh, clean goodness.

Weekend: New Years

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Happy New Year's Eve tomorrow. What are your plans?
We're getting together with friends.
Food. Games. Friendly banter.
The best kind of weekend.

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Some songs to check out for the New Year:
Florence + The Machine - Cosmic Love
Kelly Clarkson - Stronger
M83 - Midnight City
Mumford & Sons - The Cave
LP - Into the Wild

How to Braid

This is just a short video showing how to french braid, dutch braid, and rope braid!

Christmas Openings

When I asked AJ what he wanted for Christmas he just said "anything from Sportys" which happens to be an online store that sells everything pilot. So I trudged on over to Sportys.com and found AJ an awesome Pilot bag and iPad Flight desk. He was both surprised and pleased by his gifts though I think he was secretly hoping for the flight simulator throttle quadrant.... yeeeah. That's on my list for next year now.

AJ surprised me with a beautiful set of diamond studs. They're so cute and delicate, I've been wearing them every day since. I have a cubic pair that I wear religiously and he thought I'd appreciate some 14k ones. I was also privy to receive the most awesomely spectacular Kindle Fire. I was so excited to get this gift. I'm still waiting on a cover but am already loving this electronic baby.

Yesterday I was surprised to receive my Secret Santa gift all the way from Deutschland. Though I laughed when I saw where it came from because that's where I sent my Secret Santa gift to... so secret's out! Thanks Alyx! She gave me a beautiful floral print scarf and two delicious chocolate bars.

Cutie Gucci received a fun new stuffed animal friend for Christmas. It has a squeaker in its stomach as well as one in each foot so we wrapped it up and squeaked it so Gucci would know there was something in it for him. I was able to get it on camera and laughed so hard just watching him try so vigorously to get it open.

The Millennium Triology

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I love when an excellent book is made into an excellent movie. Thus, I should follow by saying that a book should never be judged by its movie. Nothing is ever quite as good as the book itself so when The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo came out as a movie I decided that I should read the book. I've heard it leans toward the dark and sinister side but reportedly, the movie has "become a worldwide phenomenon." [via]

Have you read any of the books or do you have any interest in doing so?

Settlers of America

Have you ever heard of Settlers of Catan? We bought the newest version, Settlers of America for Christmas and haven't stopped playing it since. I think it's one of the funnest games I've ever played and whenever anyone comes over I usually talk them into playing it. The game actually lasts quite a long time but you get so wrapped up in it, an hour will fly by without even realizing it. 

How To: Curl your hair with a curling iron

A reader asked about a tutorial for my hairstyle in the side braid tutorial with my sister as the model so this is how I got that look. I used a 1 inch Hot Tools curling iron to get my curls. I hope you find it useful!

Go Slope

Did you have a good Christmas?

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was when me and AJ went snowboarding. I'll admit, I have to really force myself to go. I say it over and over again that I am not a fan of snow ... or cold for that matter. Snowboarding just happens to be an activity that contains both. Yet the moment I set my board on the snow, stand up to my fullest, and embrace the smooth slopes that stretch out in front me I remember how much I had truly missed the wind at my ears, the cool on my face, watching the trees fly past me in a whirl of green.

My biggest thank you to my dad for all those hours spent holding my hands as I slowly went down each slope, building my confidence to stand on my own, and encouraging me to reach beyond the imagineable.

Merry Christmas Everyone

December Birchbox

I caved and joined the rankings of the Birchbox crew. By that I mean, I subscribed to the monthly Birchbox samples. I received my box a few days ago and have since reviewed all the contents.

I was most excited about the Be Fine food skin care Gentle Cleanser but when I used it the first time it came out of the bottle like water. I was so surprised that I just sat there and let the entire contents run out into the sink. There was indeed some sort of cleanser because the drain suds up but there was no way I could've washed my face with the runny fluid. It is most easily compared to when you leave the lid slightly unscrewed on your shampoo bottle and the next day your entire bottle of shampoo is full of water. I tried to rub some on my face but it was so watered down that I couldn't get it to foam up. So quite frankly I didn't even get a chance to use it.

The jouer lip gloss was what I was excited about next. It appears to be a really bright pink gloss but when I applied it, it was actually clear. To get the hot pink look I had to apply a lot of layers.

The Mythic Oil smells amazing and I used it in my hair today. It made my hair glossy and seemed to actually help it dry quicker. Maybe that was just because my hair is dry though.

The Yogini perfume sample smells really good but I actually decided to give this to my sister since she told me she loves getting perfume samples.

I haven't found a use for the show stoppers yet but I know these will be beneficial and I am a little afraid to try the Boost drink powder.

So all in all, it was fun to join Birchbox and see what I'd get in this months box and I also thought it's be good to go ahead and give it another try and see what I can get next month.

Blue Skies

Today is Friday.

Okay it's not really Friday but there's no work tomorrow so in a sense...it's Friday and I love it. I am so excited for the four day weekend. Four days to sleep in. Four days to do what I want. Four days to spend with AJ. We work opposite schedules. He's asleep when I leave for work, gone when I get home, and up all night while I'm dreaming away in my bed. Any other week, I get two full days with him and one evening. Thanks to ol' St. Nick, we get four full blissful days to spend with each other however we see fit.

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How are you spending your Christmas weekend?
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Today I was tagged by

to do a questionnaire.

I always have fun doing them so here we go:

Rules:

1.You must post these rules.

2. Each person must post 11 things

about themselves on their blog.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for 

you in their post and create 11 new questions 

for the people you tag to answer.

1. I love to organize things.

2. I hate sleeping, it feels like a waste of time.

3. I wear the same 5 rings every day.

4. I can't stand it if my hands smell like food.

5. Caramel popcorn is my favorite treat.

6. I love love love to dance.

7. My favorite place in the world is Lake Powell.

8. I've visited 22 of the 50 states.

9. I work as an executive secretary.

10. I want to learn how to dye my own hair perfectly.

11. I've been to 12 countries. 

1. What's your favorite cupcake flavor?
Chocolat and Peanut Butter frosting

2. Long or Short socks?
Long; to keep my legs warm

3. What are you plans for next year?
Travel; husband really wants to see Switzerland

4. What's in your purse right now?
chapstick, mouthwash, concealer, hairspray, bobby pins, sewing kit, eye drops, perfume, zip drive, memory card, lotion, gloves, yogurt parfait, wallet, keys, advil, cell phone, earphones

5. What's your favorite accessory?
my princess cut diamond studs

6. If you could change something about yourself, what would it be and why?
Be more humble and a better listener; those are both important things to have

7. Any piercing or tattoos?
one in each ear

8. High heels or flats?
heels for work and dates; flats everywhere else

9.What was your favorite childhood TV show?
Arthur

10. What is your greatest fear?
Becoming paralyzed or into a vegetative state

11. What was the last thing that made you laugh?
AJ texted me and said "Wow, that van barely fits in the garage. It rubs on the way in... ... Thats what she said."

1. What's the bravest thing you've ever done?

2. What's something you've always wanted to do?

3. What's your favorite hobby?

4. What's your current occupation?

5. What's your favorite quote?

6. Who is your role model?

7. What's your favorite kind of music?

8. What's your biggest pet peeve?

9. If you had $1,000 what would you buy with it?

10. What is your dream job?

11. What is one of your new year resolutions?

Memory

Emma-Frances

Mandy

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Interested in Swapping Buttons?

Email me your 200x100 button at msncook[at]yahoo !

Makeup Favorites

I always appreciate product reviews so I know which are good to get and which should be skipped.These are my favorite products of the moment. Hopefully you find it useful! 

Sigma Flat Top Synethetic Kabuki F80 - This brush is amazing. Bottom line. I love this brush for blending liquid foundation. It leaves a flawless finish and you don't end up with liquid foundation all over your fingers or in an uneven pattern on your face. All I can say is that I wish I'd bought it sooner. I'm definitely hooked.

MUG Eye Shader Brush - This my favorite brush for packing on eye shadow. It's got thick bristles that really hold the color so you don't have to keep packing and packing.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Foundation - When winter set in my skin turned a pale shade of white. So I ventured out to find a new foundation that matched my skin tone really well. I love this foundation because it's not an oil base so it glides on very smoothly and matches my skin color very well. It evenly covers and isn't easily detectable.

Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer & Treatment - I saw this product used on a makeup tutorial and when they applied it under their eyes, their eye bags and dark circles instantly vanished and I knew I had to have it. I love this concealer because it covers better than any other concealer I've tried. I have it in light and it's a little too dark for my skin color but it hides well under foundation.

NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic - I bought this product online and when I got it was a lot pinker than the picture showed. I wanted a blush that was cream based so I wasn't wearing too many powder products during these dry winter months. I really liked the pink color and it gives my complexion a soft pink glow.

Benefit High Beam - This stuff is amazing. I'd never even heard of highlighters until I watched a few makeup tutorials. This product gives you the prettiest sheen right on the top of your cheek bones and really adds that extra punch that you need to complete your makeup look.

MAC Eyeshadow in All that Glitters - This is my favorite eye shadow color because it goes on as a pinky peach. It's almost a chameleon color because it looks like a pinkish, tan, champagne color but when it's applied it goes on as the prettiest pinky peach.

L'Oreal Voluminous Naturale - I love this mascara because it really separates my lashes while still giving them some thickness. It's a synthetic brush which I'm not always the biggest fan of but this stuff really gives me the look I love for my lashes. It also washes off easily and doesn't have an overpowering smell.

Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Dime - This is my favorite pencil for coloring in my waterline. I am not a big fan of black and brown liner on my bottom lid so I like to use white and now this silver gray color. It helps make my eyes look more open and awake.

Buxom Lips in Katie - I love this stuff. If it wasn't so darn expensive I'd own one in every shade. It's perfect because it gives the perfect sheer glossy sheen and isn't sticky. It also plumps up your lips so you feel a tingly cooling sensation whenever you're wearing it.

L'Oreal Infallible in Rebel Red - I love this red gloss because its not as pigmented as a red lipstick and it allowed me to get used to the look without going full force into the deep red lip. I love the sheen glossy look that it provides and does tend to get a little sticky. The taste also reminds me of black licorice. 

MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo -  This was my first red lipstick so naturally it's my favorite. I've seen it on a number of people and blogs so I had faith it would bode well on my lips. I plan on trying out different shades of red to see what else I'd like but for now this will do. It's actually got an almost orange tint to it when I apply it so my next step is to try a more full red color.

What's your favorite go-to makeup?

Back to Your Roots

Discussion time por favor. So I have a question. As some of you may know, I went down the path of the ombre a few months back only to find disasterous results. It didn't turn out right and I was grief stricken but I still haven't gotten past my desire to experiment with the trend. So that's my question. Is it just a trend? Is it off the books already, out the door, left in the dust? I still want to sport the ombre, like really badly, but did I miss the window?

What do you think? Is it still doable?

Bath Time

 
 

He hates getting his weekly blow out.

So fresh and so clean clean.

I don't think there's anything more dreadful than bath time for the Gooch. When he was just a little puppy he would literally climb into the shower with whoever was in there because he couldn't bear being too far away from someone. Now whenever we're downstairs and he even thinks we're gonna shower he sits at the top of the stairs and watches us from under the railing. Then if he suspects we're coming up to get him he takes off running. Silly boy. It's interesting how he can go from climbing in himself to running and hiding. It's worth the struggle though. Having a silky smooth Gooch who smells so wonderfully clean is worth all the effort.

Crown Braid

Part 1:


Part 2:

Hey I hope you had a wonderful weekend! They're never long enough and I can't believe I'm already back at work.  What'd you do over the weekend?

We went up to Logan on Saturday and visited our friends the Coy's. They have a new baby boy who is the cutest thing ever. We went out to Texas Roadhouse with them and saw some old friends. Later we visited with the Olsen's and they got to officially meet AJ. Sunday we had family dinner at Johnnie's and then visited the Soares for a holiday appetizer party. We invited them over to have dinner with us tonight so obviously we've been pretty busy just out and about visiting friends and family. 

I wore this hairstyle to church on Sunday and I think about seven people came up and asked how I had done it. So lucky you, I've got the tutorial right here so you can sport it too.

Can't wait for the Christmas break! Four day weekend coming right up!

Secret Talent

I got a request from one of my readers to show how I can shake my eyes. If you have a weak stomach don't watch this. Haha, it's really not that bad.

I hope you're having a blast this weekend!

Weekend: Winter Cottage

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I am having one of those days today. I'm just ready for the holiday break to get started. Isn't this place gorgeous? Confession, I don't even know where it is and could probably do some researching but who has the time, let's just go right now. Who's with me?

It's the weekend and I am ready for an adventure and anxious to get out of town. Ha! When am I not? I am always aching for somewhere to go. Even just to cruise in the car sounds so perfect. If my dad could hear that he'd say I was definitely his daughter... must be where I get it from.

What are your plans this weekend? I hope you're going somewhere or doing something wonderful. Please tell me so I can live vicariously through you.

To Do List:

1) Change car oil
2) Rotate tires
3) Mail package
4) Return useless screen cover
5) Finish gift shopping
6) Get nails filled
7) Grocery shop
8) Visit Coy's
9) Bathe
10) Learn how to color hair
11) Buy a lamp

Holiday Wish List

When I believed in Santa Clause I truly believed he would bring you everything your heart desired. I thought he was a magical man with special powers who could make all your dreams come true. So with that in mind I created a wish list for the things my heart desires. I never really expect to receive everything on my wish list but it can be fun to dream sometimes. So here is mine, a little far fetched but fun to hope for.