Ya know I miss blogging.
I miss the creative outlet it provides and the platform it gives me to share the beauty tips/new products I come across (y'all know how much I love to blab about that stuff). I like to record things about my family, the projects I'm working on and what I'm doing in general, and I know my momma likes it too. So for her and for me I'm going to post regularly again. When I started this blog I was just a girl with a husband and a ferret. The ferret has long since passed but luckily I've still got the husband, the husband and 3 little people too. I enjoy having parts of my life recorded and want to continue to share what I can. I know posts won't come daily like they did before (remember the 3 little people??) but they will be regular, whatever that happens to be. I enjoy our interactions and invite you to follow along, it's sure to be a ride.
January 29, 2014
December 3, 2013
Georgia Jean Forsyth
First of all, how has it been over a year since I last posted. Over a YEAR. That is... ridiculous. So much has happened in that year as well, my land. I'm ashamed. Moving on.
One of the most exciting and monumental things that has happened is the birth of our third little one (why do I keep saying 'little one' - such things don't exist in the Forsyth family) miss Georgia Jean. I don't know why it is but every new mom likes to share their birth story and I am no exception, us women love to hear all the juicy (poor word choice?) details of labor and delivery. If you would like to know the particulars surrounding baby girl's entry into this world then keep reading, but just so you know I may use words like cervix and placenta.
The due date I calculated for baby #3 was October 26th. When I had my ultrasound in June the technician said I was measuring 2 days farther along so if I wanted to I could change my due date to October 24th. I didn't. What's 2 days, and what's a due date anyway? (My feelings on that could make up a whole other post.) So I stayed with the October 26th target and called it good. For weeks before her due date I kept saying things like, "I'll be surprised if I make it till then..." and "I'm sure this baby's coming early!" and other such nonsense statements I should have known would ensure my going overdue. And sure enough October 24th, which technically could have been her day, came and went, as did October 26th, 27th and 28th. The afternoon of October 29th I was not feeling well at all. I had a lot of cramping and pressure but I had had that for days, ok weeks, so I wasn't getting my hopes up too high. That evening I began to feel nauseous so I put Neil in charge of dinner and went to bed. I got up a couple hours later but still didn't feel well. I ate a little dinner and then laid on the couch for the rest of the evening. By 9 or 10 the cramping I had been feeling on and off throughout the day turned into obvious contractions but as any expectant mother knows that doesn't mean they are "real" contractions or that they will last and develop into anything. Within another hour it was clear they were in fact labor contractions and I hoped they were getting the party started. With my other 2 labors my contractions never regulated, so many minutes long and however many minutes apart. They were very sporadic and random in their strengths. I anticipated that that was just how my body operated and figured there was no point in trying to time these ones and decided I would just go to the hospital when it was obvious I needed to go to the hospital. It worked twice before! Neil and I laid down in bed around 12:30 but by 1am I couldn't lay in pain any longer and decided to get in the bath. As I got in the bath I noticed I had started bleeding which confirmed that this was the real thing. I was able to relax for about an hour and by 2am the contractions had reached an intensity that I knew I had better get on our way. When I was in labor with Rigby I got to the hospital far too late for any kind of pain relief and the thoughts of enduring another natural bush-woman labor terrified, terrified me (sorry to all you older generations reading this that had to do all your labors that way) and I thought I'd rather get to the hospital too early than too late - grab your boots! I called my best friend who lives a block away and she came over to be with the boys. (Thanks Shar!)
We got to the hospital and checked in. Because my contractions aren't regular it's hard to gage where I'm at on the labor scale so the nurse took me in a testing room and watched them for a while and then did an internal check. My cervix was dilated about 3 cm which isn't enough to book a delivery suite but she didn't want to send me home. She told me to walk the halls for 2 hours and come back at 5:30am and she would check me again. Neil and I walked the halls while I stopped to breathe through the contractions which were getting noticeably stronger. I unashamedly planned on getting an epidural and knew that I had better eat something as when I had one with Porter it made me throw up and I currently had nothing in my belly to get rid of. Strange to eat something with the intention of throwing it up, right? One of the nurses made me 2 pieces of toast and gave me a fruit cup. I would later be grateful I had planned ahead. We went back at 5:30 and when the nurse checked me I was dilated to 5 cm and she moved me to a delivery suite. I told her I wanted an epidural and within 20 minutes the dude with the drugs walked in. Everyone's best friend! I teased him about how young he looked and asked how many of these he had done. He said he appreciated a funny woman in labor (I do what I can...) and teased me back which created a really pleasant atmosphere among those in the room. Our nurses were one young girl who was extremely competent and fun and friendly and her student side kick who was extremely nervous and was later sent home with crazy shakes from anxiety. (Ha ha! I was only her second delivery.) The doctor asked Neil to hold me while he put the needle in my back but that was a bit much for Neil and as I felt his grip loosen I immediately told him to go sit down and asked the nurse to hold me instead. Neil had to breathe it out for a while before he was whole again. Thanks for the support babe! Once the epidural took I immediately started to feel numbness overcome my body. I could still feel the pressure of the contractions but not the pain. Within a few minutes my chest started to feel really heavy and I was having difficulty breathing. I told the nurse and she sat the bed up as to help me catch my breath. Apparently this was the wrong thing to do and it immediately made me light headed and everything started closing in on me. If you have ever fainted you know the feeling - your vision tunnels, your hearing gets fuzzy and you start sweating profusely - at least that's how it happened for me. I remember the nurse saying, "Michelle, stay with us! Michelle are you there?" and I was hardly able to mutter an audible "barely" when she called to bring the anaesthetist back in to help. I lay there barely in consciousness and wondered if something really bad was happening to me (oh great, I'm going to be the statistic..) when he came over and turned the epidural off. I was soon fully awake and fully nauseous and proceeded to upchuck the toast and fruit I had eaten earlier on. See, I knew I'd need that! After I was done heaving (2 episodes worth) Neil got a cold cloth and placed it on my sweaty forehead while the doctor explained to us that the freezing block had risen too high in my chest and dropped my heart rate and then my brain couldn't tell that my lungs were still breathing and started the whole shut down mode on my body. He told me to place my hand on my chest which helped my brain feel that my chest was in fact raising and lowering with breaths and started the whole system functioning properly again. Crazy. He put a drug in my IV to raise my heart rate and then when he turned the epidural back on he lowered the dose. I'm just little. He stayed and cracked jokes with us for another half an hour to make sure that I was ok and that everything was going well. I really appreciated him. And his drugs.
With the epidural in and the fainting and puking over Neil and I were able to both rest a little bit. He had slept an hour or two and I hadn't slept at all yet so closing our eyes felt really good. I didn't actually sleep but dozed for an hour or so when the nurse wanted to check my cervix. I was eventually at 8 cm and just like with Porter seemed to stay there for quite some time. They gave me some oxytocin to increase the contractions and speed up the dilation. We all chatted and laughed for quite a while and waited for me to feel the urge to push. I kept turning to Neil, saying what an incredible labor I was having a what an enjoyable experience it was. I am grateful I brought Rigby into this world but compared to the moaning and bed biting I had done with him, this was a dream. I had really been worried about labor and delivery and this was going better than I had imagined it could. Drugs may not be for everyone but I was grateful for them and the opportunity they gave me to relax, calm down and enjoy delivering my baby girl. I told the nurse I was starting to feel some pressure in my behind area and that I wasn't ready to push but it wouldn't be long. She called for the doctor to make his way to the hospital and we all teased her that she could just do it, we didn't need him. She was adamant that I may NOT start pushing until he walked in the door. Because I had an epidural I wasn't able to get up to pee but needed an empty bladder so it didn't get in the way of pushing so she stuck a catheter in quickly to drain my bladder and no sooner had she pulled it out then I was feeling the urge to push. She kept telling me to breathe through the contractions and NOT PUSH because the doctor wasn't there yet. The staff had all the tools out on the bed, the spotlight up and ready for the show, and the little tiny bed and warmer ready for my dolly - we just had to wait for the doc. The second he walked in the door I said "finally!" and told him he had barely made it. He gave me permission (thanks) to push during the next contraction and I did. It took one more contraction and her head was all the way out. Often times when you deliver the head and shoulders the rest of the body just kind of slips out but not with this baby - the doctor kind of tugged on her but she wouldn't come. I pushed through one more contraction and delivered the rest of her chubby body and she was here! She arrived at 10:14am on October 30, 2013. I hadn't heard her cry or see her take a breath yet so I said, "She needs to breathe!!" but everyone assured me that she had already breathed and she was fine. I was grateful to see her start to turn pink from the bluish shade she had been. The doctor asked Neil if he would like to cut the umbilical cord but he politely declined, as he's a bit of a queezy guy. The nurse took her to the little bed to check her over while the doctor helped me deliver the placenta and check me over. I had a clean delivery and did not require any stitching (Porter really paved the way for any future siblings, what a champ) and I was glad to hear that, it makes for a nice recovery. I was very anxious to hear the stats on this little girl. Her brothers were both big babies, with big heads (ok, ginormous heads) and I wanted to hear how she measured up. I was in complete shock when they told me she was my biggest baby yet - 9 pounds, 3 ounces and 22 inches long. Her head was smaller than Porter's but bigger than Rigby's at 36 1/2 cm. Geez girl! Once they counted all 10 fingers and 10 toes they handed her back to me and said the only thing they could find was that she had one more fat wrinkle on one leg than the other and that she was absolutely perfect - which of course I already knew.
Neil and I had a few names picked out for our baby girl before she was born. We knew for certain we were going to use the middle name Jean as that is my very special granny's name and Neil's wonderful grandma's name as well - it was a must. We couldn't decide on a first name and had a couple options. The last few weeks of my pregnancy Neil had really favored the name Georgia while I was keen on Ivy. When she was born and was such a big girl I knew she needed a good strong name and thought perhaps we'd call her Georgia. When we got settled in our room I asked Neil what he was thinking and he said he really liked the name Ivy. I laughed and said that I had been thinking Georgia - which I had thought would make him happy! He said he was trying to make me happy with Ivy but would like either. We sat for a while longer with her and went between the 2 before finally deciding on Georgia. It was the only first name that had significance. My best friend Sharlee has been called George by her family for as long as I can remember and we liked that it would pay homage to her. My maternal grandmother's name was also Georgia although she didn't go by that name, it is in fact a family name as well. We loved the way Georgia and Jean sounded together and thought it made for such a cute name. Georgia Jean it was.
We have had Georgia for over a month now and I have enjoyed every minute with her, honestly. She is really a wonderful baby and I am now enough of an experienced mother that it allows me to relax and enjoy more than I was able to with the boys. Porter and Rigby adore her and that is something that has brought me more joy than I have ever known - seeing all my babies loving eachother, especially 2 sweet and caring gentleman. One thing I hated during my pregnancy was how many times people said they hoped our little girl would be strong and tough to be able to put up with her brothers, but they are kind and gentle and loving with her, just as I knew they would be.
We are finally the Fivesyth family. :)
The day we brought Georgia home. Because of the measles outbreak in town the boys were not able to visit her in the hospital, they got to meet her the day after she was born. (We didn't have a photographer to take the obligatory first family photo, lol)
One of the most exciting and monumental things that has happened is the birth of our third little one (why do I keep saying 'little one' - such things don't exist in the Forsyth family) miss Georgia Jean. I don't know why it is but every new mom likes to share their birth story and I am no exception, us women love to hear all the juicy (poor word choice?) details of labor and delivery. If you would like to know the particulars surrounding baby girl's entry into this world then keep reading, but just so you know I may use words like cervix and placenta.
The due date I calculated for baby #3 was October 26th. When I had my ultrasound in June the technician said I was measuring 2 days farther along so if I wanted to I could change my due date to October 24th. I didn't. What's 2 days, and what's a due date anyway? (My feelings on that could make up a whole other post.) So I stayed with the October 26th target and called it good. For weeks before her due date I kept saying things like, "I'll be surprised if I make it till then..." and "I'm sure this baby's coming early!" and other such nonsense statements I should have known would ensure my going overdue. And sure enough October 24th, which technically could have been her day, came and went, as did October 26th, 27th and 28th. The afternoon of October 29th I was not feeling well at all. I had a lot of cramping and pressure but I had had that for days, ok weeks, so I wasn't getting my hopes up too high. That evening I began to feel nauseous so I put Neil in charge of dinner and went to bed. I got up a couple hours later but still didn't feel well. I ate a little dinner and then laid on the couch for the rest of the evening. By 9 or 10 the cramping I had been feeling on and off throughout the day turned into obvious contractions but as any expectant mother knows that doesn't mean they are "real" contractions or that they will last and develop into anything. Within another hour it was clear they were in fact labor contractions and I hoped they were getting the party started. With my other 2 labors my contractions never regulated, so many minutes long and however many minutes apart. They were very sporadic and random in their strengths. I anticipated that that was just how my body operated and figured there was no point in trying to time these ones and decided I would just go to the hospital when it was obvious I needed to go to the hospital. It worked twice before! Neil and I laid down in bed around 12:30 but by 1am I couldn't lay in pain any longer and decided to get in the bath. As I got in the bath I noticed I had started bleeding which confirmed that this was the real thing. I was able to relax for about an hour and by 2am the contractions had reached an intensity that I knew I had better get on our way. When I was in labor with Rigby I got to the hospital far too late for any kind of pain relief and the thoughts of enduring another natural bush-woman labor terrified, terrified me (sorry to all you older generations reading this that had to do all your labors that way) and I thought I'd rather get to the hospital too early than too late - grab your boots! I called my best friend who lives a block away and she came over to be with the boys. (Thanks Shar!)
We got to the hospital and checked in. Because my contractions aren't regular it's hard to gage where I'm at on the labor scale so the nurse took me in a testing room and watched them for a while and then did an internal check. My cervix was dilated about 3 cm which isn't enough to book a delivery suite but she didn't want to send me home. She told me to walk the halls for 2 hours and come back at 5:30am and she would check me again. Neil and I walked the halls while I stopped to breathe through the contractions which were getting noticeably stronger. I unashamedly planned on getting an epidural and knew that I had better eat something as when I had one with Porter it made me throw up and I currently had nothing in my belly to get rid of. Strange to eat something with the intention of throwing it up, right? One of the nurses made me 2 pieces of toast and gave me a fruit cup. I would later be grateful I had planned ahead. We went back at 5:30 and when the nurse checked me I was dilated to 5 cm and she moved me to a delivery suite. I told her I wanted an epidural and within 20 minutes the dude with the drugs walked in. Everyone's best friend! I teased him about how young he looked and asked how many of these he had done. He said he appreciated a funny woman in labor (I do what I can...) and teased me back which created a really pleasant atmosphere among those in the room. Our nurses were one young girl who was extremely competent and fun and friendly and her student side kick who was extremely nervous and was later sent home with crazy shakes from anxiety. (Ha ha! I was only her second delivery.) The doctor asked Neil to hold me while he put the needle in my back but that was a bit much for Neil and as I felt his grip loosen I immediately told him to go sit down and asked the nurse to hold me instead. Neil had to breathe it out for a while before he was whole again. Thanks for the support babe! Once the epidural took I immediately started to feel numbness overcome my body. I could still feel the pressure of the contractions but not the pain. Within a few minutes my chest started to feel really heavy and I was having difficulty breathing. I told the nurse and she sat the bed up as to help me catch my breath. Apparently this was the wrong thing to do and it immediately made me light headed and everything started closing in on me. If you have ever fainted you know the feeling - your vision tunnels, your hearing gets fuzzy and you start sweating profusely - at least that's how it happened for me. I remember the nurse saying, "Michelle, stay with us! Michelle are you there?" and I was hardly able to mutter an audible "barely" when she called to bring the anaesthetist back in to help. I lay there barely in consciousness and wondered if something really bad was happening to me (oh great, I'm going to be the statistic..) when he came over and turned the epidural off. I was soon fully awake and fully nauseous and proceeded to upchuck the toast and fruit I had eaten earlier on. See, I knew I'd need that! After I was done heaving (2 episodes worth) Neil got a cold cloth and placed it on my sweaty forehead while the doctor explained to us that the freezing block had risen too high in my chest and dropped my heart rate and then my brain couldn't tell that my lungs were still breathing and started the whole shut down mode on my body. He told me to place my hand on my chest which helped my brain feel that my chest was in fact raising and lowering with breaths and started the whole system functioning properly again. Crazy. He put a drug in my IV to raise my heart rate and then when he turned the epidural back on he lowered the dose. I'm just little. He stayed and cracked jokes with us for another half an hour to make sure that I was ok and that everything was going well. I really appreciated him. And his drugs.
With the epidural in and the fainting and puking over Neil and I were able to both rest a little bit. He had slept an hour or two and I hadn't slept at all yet so closing our eyes felt really good. I didn't actually sleep but dozed for an hour or so when the nurse wanted to check my cervix. I was eventually at 8 cm and just like with Porter seemed to stay there for quite some time. They gave me some oxytocin to increase the contractions and speed up the dilation. We all chatted and laughed for quite a while and waited for me to feel the urge to push. I kept turning to Neil, saying what an incredible labor I was having a what an enjoyable experience it was. I am grateful I brought Rigby into this world but compared to the moaning and bed biting I had done with him, this was a dream. I had really been worried about labor and delivery and this was going better than I had imagined it could. Drugs may not be for everyone but I was grateful for them and the opportunity they gave me to relax, calm down and enjoy delivering my baby girl. I told the nurse I was starting to feel some pressure in my behind area and that I wasn't ready to push but it wouldn't be long. She called for the doctor to make his way to the hospital and we all teased her that she could just do it, we didn't need him. She was adamant that I may NOT start pushing until he walked in the door. Because I had an epidural I wasn't able to get up to pee but needed an empty bladder so it didn't get in the way of pushing so she stuck a catheter in quickly to drain my bladder and no sooner had she pulled it out then I was feeling the urge to push. She kept telling me to breathe through the contractions and NOT PUSH because the doctor wasn't there yet. The staff had all the tools out on the bed, the spotlight up and ready for the show, and the little tiny bed and warmer ready for my dolly - we just had to wait for the doc. The second he walked in the door I said "finally!" and told him he had barely made it. He gave me permission (thanks) to push during the next contraction and I did. It took one more contraction and her head was all the way out. Often times when you deliver the head and shoulders the rest of the body just kind of slips out but not with this baby - the doctor kind of tugged on her but she wouldn't come. I pushed through one more contraction and delivered the rest of her chubby body and she was here! She arrived at 10:14am on October 30, 2013. I hadn't heard her cry or see her take a breath yet so I said, "She needs to breathe!!" but everyone assured me that she had already breathed and she was fine. I was grateful to see her start to turn pink from the bluish shade she had been. The doctor asked Neil if he would like to cut the umbilical cord but he politely declined, as he's a bit of a queezy guy. The nurse took her to the little bed to check her over while the doctor helped me deliver the placenta and check me over. I had a clean delivery and did not require any stitching (Porter really paved the way for any future siblings, what a champ) and I was glad to hear that, it makes for a nice recovery. I was very anxious to hear the stats on this little girl. Her brothers were both big babies, with big heads (ok, ginormous heads) and I wanted to hear how she measured up. I was in complete shock when they told me she was my biggest baby yet - 9 pounds, 3 ounces and 22 inches long. Her head was smaller than Porter's but bigger than Rigby's at 36 1/2 cm. Geez girl! Once they counted all 10 fingers and 10 toes they handed her back to me and said the only thing they could find was that she had one more fat wrinkle on one leg than the other and that she was absolutely perfect - which of course I already knew.
Neil and I had a few names picked out for our baby girl before she was born. We knew for certain we were going to use the middle name Jean as that is my very special granny's name and Neil's wonderful grandma's name as well - it was a must. We couldn't decide on a first name and had a couple options. The last few weeks of my pregnancy Neil had really favored the name Georgia while I was keen on Ivy. When she was born and was such a big girl I knew she needed a good strong name and thought perhaps we'd call her Georgia. When we got settled in our room I asked Neil what he was thinking and he said he really liked the name Ivy. I laughed and said that I had been thinking Georgia - which I had thought would make him happy! He said he was trying to make me happy with Ivy but would like either. We sat for a while longer with her and went between the 2 before finally deciding on Georgia. It was the only first name that had significance. My best friend Sharlee has been called George by her family for as long as I can remember and we liked that it would pay homage to her. My maternal grandmother's name was also Georgia although she didn't go by that name, it is in fact a family name as well. We loved the way Georgia and Jean sounded together and thought it made for such a cute name. Georgia Jean it was.
 |
| Georgia Jean (Photo by Mandy Baker) |
We have had Georgia for over a month now and I have enjoyed every minute with her, honestly. She is really a wonderful baby and I am now enough of an experienced mother that it allows me to relax and enjoy more than I was able to with the boys. Porter and Rigby adore her and that is something that has brought me more joy than I have ever known - seeing all my babies loving eachother, especially 2 sweet and caring gentleman. One thing I hated during my pregnancy was how many times people said they hoped our little girl would be strong and tough to be able to put up with her brothers, but they are kind and gentle and loving with her, just as I knew they would be.
We are finally the Fivesyth family. :)
The day we brought Georgia home. Because of the measles outbreak in town the boys were not able to visit her in the hospital, they got to meet her the day after she was born. (We didn't have a photographer to take the obligatory first family photo, lol)
September 26, 2012
working the system {Flowerbomb at Sephora}
Sephora is a makeup/frangrance/skin care/hair care lovers paradise. We don’t have one where I live so this summer I took advantage of being close to a couple of Calgary’s locations. My favorite thing about Sephora is their willingness to let you sample anything before you buy it. As someone who purchases something, goes home and agonizes whether I bought the right color, the right style, the right size, if I could have bought it somewhere for a better price – you name it, I really appreciate a store that offers this service. I can do all my humming and hawing there and go home feeling confident that I did in fact try on all 9 shades, smelled all 12 varieties and compared every size/price ratio and that I am getting what I really want. Whew, I bet I’m such a pleasure to help. (I’m not that bad… kinda.) The sales assistants that work there are always super helpful and super willing to hand out sample after sample to take home. And take home I did!
I have loved Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf for about a year now after seeing Vivianna talk about it on her blog. I am not usually drawn to floral fragrances but this has just enough warmth to make it feel sexy, not grandma-y. This is probably the nicest fragrance I have come across yet, I love it. It’s what angels wear, I know it.
I have absolutely every intention of purchasing this fragrance in full size but until I’m feeling rich enough to shell out the cash for the bottle I’m totally satisfied with taking home the little samples that Sephora offers. It’s not my fault that every time a sales associate sees me standing by the fragrances with my eyes closed and a bottle of Flowerbomb half way huffed that they offer to make me up a sample, right? What am I going to do, say no? I am a makeup purchaser often enough that I don’t feel like a total freeloader and as I said, some day I’ll purchase my very own bottle. But I’ll definitely still accept the samples, I’m no dummy.
Have you ever experienced Flowerbomb?
I have loved Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf for about a year now after seeing Vivianna talk about it on her blog. I am not usually drawn to floral fragrances but this has just enough warmth to make it feel sexy, not grandma-y. This is probably the nicest fragrance I have come across yet, I love it. It’s what angels wear, I know it.
This isn’t all of them either... whoops
Have you ever experienced Flowerbomb?
September 24, 2012
An AMAZING discount
I have come across an insane, let me say it again - INSANE deal and you know me, I had to share!
Two of my favorite beauty gods are Michelle Money of Bachelor fame and her trusty sidekick Laura (I’m sure Laura also has a last name, I just don’t know it). They have a YouTube channel called the MMandL Show and not only are these ladies hilarious and hot, they totally know their stuff. They recently posted a tutorial of how Laura does her hair and since I love their unkempt curls I was thrilled to see how they achieved the look. In the tutorial Laura raves about the tool she uses – a reverse tapered curling wand by NuMe. Never being a hard one to sell I was convinced I must have one. Here is the video tutorial where Laura shows you how to get the look.
I really am going to get to the discount part, hold on. Now enter another favorite YouTuber, Carlibel55, who coincidently also recently posted a hair tutorial using a NuMe wand (here comes the exciting part....) and included a coupon code for 60% off anything on the NuMe site. SIXTY PERCENT friends. That’s some frick frackin' discount! Bald people should be buying things. In this tutorial Carli uses a different NuMe curling wand and you can watch that tutorial here. Details of the discount code are in the information box under the video (on the YouTube page.)
NuMe has many different styling tools as well as products and from everything I have watched and read they are great quality. I am most interested in the reverse tapered curling wand because as Michelle says, "it just makes sense" and obviously, obviously I want the exact one that Laura has. The wand was originally $225 already marked down to $145 (why? I dunno), add a 60% discount to that (THANK YOU CARLI!) and BAM you are getting a $225 curling wand for $58! I don’t believe my eyes, folks. Want some more good news? NuMe ships to Canada. Thank your international shipping stars.
Tell me, have you ever used a curling wand? Have you ever used the reverse wand? Are you going to take advantage of this crazy deal?! Do you have hair? Then do it!
Two of my favorite beauty gods are Michelle Money of Bachelor fame and her trusty sidekick Laura (I’m sure Laura also has a last name, I just don’t know it). They have a YouTube channel called the MMandL Show and not only are these ladies hilarious and hot, they totally know their stuff. They recently posted a tutorial of how Laura does her hair and since I love their unkempt curls I was thrilled to see how they achieved the look. In the tutorial Laura raves about the tool she uses – a reverse tapered curling wand by NuMe. Never being a hard one to sell I was convinced I must have one. Here is the video tutorial where Laura shows you how to get the look.
I really am going to get to the discount part, hold on. Now enter another favorite YouTuber, Carlibel55, who coincidently also recently posted a hair tutorial using a NuMe wand (here comes the exciting part....) and included a coupon code for 60% off anything on the NuMe site. SIXTY PERCENT friends. That’s some frick frackin' discount! Bald people should be buying things. In this tutorial Carli uses a different NuMe curling wand and you can watch that tutorial here. Details of the discount code are in the information box under the video (on the YouTube page.)
NuMe has many different styling tools as well as products and from everything I have watched and read they are great quality. I am most interested in the reverse tapered curling wand because as Michelle says, "it just makes sense" and obviously, obviously I want the exact one that Laura has. The wand was originally $225 already marked down to $145 (why? I dunno), add a 60% discount to that (THANK YOU CARLI!) and BAM you are getting a $225 curling wand for $58! I don’t believe my eyes, folks. Want some more good news? NuMe ships to Canada. Thank your international shipping stars.
Tell me, have you ever used a curling wand? Have you ever used the reverse wand? Are you going to take advantage of this crazy deal?! Do you have hair? Then do it!
September 18, 2012
pressing shattered powders {don’t throw your makeup away}
I don’t think there is a lady out there that hasn’t had a powder cosmetic break or shatter on her. We’ve all had them slip out of our hands and crash to the floor as we gasp and yell, nooooooooooooo! It’s possible to continue to use them in their broken state but it makes application a trick and leaves a powdery mess in our makeup cases. I honestly don’t remember where I first came upon this fix but I knew it was inevitable that one day I’d be needing to try it.
I have been storing this shattered MAC Mineralized Skin Finish (in Petticoat) in a ziploc bag a long while and finally got it out the other day to see if this method really worked. All you need is some rubbing alcohol and a few little tools.
In this case only half of the blush was shattered so even though it seems a sin to do so, I took a little fork (a toothpick or any small tool will do) and broke up the rest of the product. You want to make sure the powder is fine with no chunks or pieces.
When all the blush was broken up I spread the powder around to fill the entire compact. You want to press it down to make it set. You could use a little dropper but since I didn’t have one I just poured some rubbing alcohol onto a teaspoon and carefully dripped it onto the broken powder until the entire compact was moist. I then took the back of the spoon to press the mixture and smooth out any bumps.
*Tip* If you are re-pressing a potted eyeshadow you can use a quarter to press the powder down and get a very smooth, flat finish to the top of the product. I did not have anything the size of this compact so I did the best I could with the spoon. Not very smooth, ah well.
Once I had all the dry powder moistened and pressed into the compact I put it aside and let it dry overnight. When I came back to it the rubbing alcohol had evaporated and dried leaving a (almost) good as new compact of pressed powder. I cleaned up the edges, top and bottom and snapped the lid closed. It’s not the prettiest thing but it’s a lot better than having a messy shattered, rarely-used compact lying in my makeup case.
It works! I hope that I don’t have to use this method again soon but I’m glad to know that in the event of another crash I do have an easy fix.
I have been storing this shattered MAC Mineralized Skin Finish (in Petticoat) in a ziploc bag a long while and finally got it out the other day to see if this method really worked. All you need is some rubbing alcohol and a few little tools.
In this case only half of the blush was shattered so even though it seems a sin to do so, I took a little fork (a toothpick or any small tool will do) and broke up the rest of the product. You want to make sure the powder is fine with no chunks or pieces.
When all the blush was broken up I spread the powder around to fill the entire compact. You want to press it down to make it set. You could use a little dropper but since I didn’t have one I just poured some rubbing alcohol onto a teaspoon and carefully dripped it onto the broken powder until the entire compact was moist. I then took the back of the spoon to press the mixture and smooth out any bumps.
*Tip* If you are re-pressing a potted eyeshadow you can use a quarter to press the powder down and get a very smooth, flat finish to the top of the product. I did not have anything the size of this compact so I did the best I could with the spoon. Not very smooth, ah well.
Once I had all the dry powder moistened and pressed into the compact I put it aside and let it dry overnight. When I came back to it the rubbing alcohol had evaporated and dried leaving a (almost) good as new compact of pressed powder. I cleaned up the edges, top and bottom and snapped the lid closed. It’s not the prettiest thing but it’s a lot better than having a messy shattered, rarely-used compact lying in my makeup case.
It works! I hope that I don’t have to use this method again soon but I’m glad to know that in the event of another crash I do have an easy fix.
September 17, 2012
the moment you’ve all been waiting for {whether you know it or not}
Funny how I just wrote a post about loving ourselves no matter what we look like and now I’m about to share this. Thankfully I am confident enough to laugh at this and post it on the world wide web for others to see. What am I thinking? It’s really just too good not to share and if you can laugh as hard as I have over this photo then I’m happy to have it out there.
Neil and I were snuggling one morning in bed and I thought 'aw, we’re so cute, let’s take a picture!' So we did. And it came out like this:
Ok, maybe not quite, but it should have cause that’s exactly what I see when I look at it.
Now please, don’t laugh at me, laugh with me. Let me in on the jokes. Comment and let's have a chuckle.
Neil and I were snuggling one morning in bed and I thought 'aw, we’re so cute, let’s take a picture!' So we did. And it came out like this:
Ok, maybe not quite, but it should have cause that’s exactly what I see when I look at it.
This is how it came out.
(I have built this up so big I hope nobody is disappointed, although I don’t know how you could be.)
WHAT is happening to my face?! Where are my TEETH? What is going on with my nose?
Look it over, take it all in.
Look it over, take it all in.
I cherish this picture as much as I would had it come out looking perfectly. More actually. Nothing has made me laugh so hard in a really long time. And it just goes to show that my husband has real, true, deep and unconditional love for me because if I’m capable of making a face like that, he must.
And one more for the road:
Now please, don’t laugh at me, laugh with me. Let me in on the jokes. Comment and let's have a chuckle.
September 14, 2012
two faced - a pep talk
Am I the only one that thinks this in depth to things? I’ve mentioned it before but I have one side of my face that I like more than the other. I mean, I’m glad I have them both but really, one is not pulling it’s weight. The right side is the ugly step sister of my Cinderella – my cheekbone isn’t as prominent, my jawbone is smaller and my eye not as wide. I haven’t even mentioned the smaller nostril and scars yet. Really, the right side is holding things together for me here. Apparently truly beautiful folks are those that have faces of pure symmetry. I’m not making this stuff up – wikipedia agrees “Studies, in which people's faces were rated for their level of attractiveness and health, found that the highest ratings were given to individuals with symmetrical faces.” That’s not you my girl!
Am I really writing a post to tear apart the features of my face? Of course not, I think I’m a cute enough gal and I am happy with asymmetry, it’s what makes me me. I just find it interesting that everyone can find something about themselves that they don’t like, or like less. I think what is really most important is to then say, ‘but it’s ok!’ There’s nothing wrong with wanting to change something about yourself but then love yourself despite those things. Saying, hey-I-don’t-really-love-my-totally-ski-jump-toenails-that-wear-holes-through-my-socks-and-shoes-and-I-have-to-trim-them-almost-daily-so-they-don’t-take-over-the-place (too much information? it’s all true friends) but I’m still a good person anyway! Don’t let the things you like less about yourself define yourself.
I think a lot of this comes from comparing ourselves to others, and I’m guilty. She has prettier hair than me. She has straighter (and whiter) teeth than I do. She’s got a better body, and bigger boobs than I’ll ever have. We all do it. I recently read an amazing post written by one of my favorite beauty bloggers Cara, at maskCara. In this post she talks about how instead of comparing ourselves to others and hating them for their ‘flawlessness’ (which we all know isn’t true anyway) we should stop being jealous and start making friends. She gives an awesome example which I’ll let you go read, but as she was telling her story I could think of people in my own life that I think totally have it going on and sometimes feel jealous of. Instead of seeing their pictures on instagram and rolling my eyes at how perfect they are I started commenting on them saying, ‘hey that looks amazing!’ Just because someone is great at something or looks gorgeous doesn’t mean I’m terrible at that thing or look hideous. Does that make sense? Don’t let your self worth have any bearing on what others are doing and don’t sit back and be jealous of them, tell them you think it’s great! (Secret is, they are more than likely thinking the same thing about you in some aspect!)
This is kind of an all-over-the-place post and I'm not really sure where it came from but I hope you’ve followed my thoughts. I think as I get older I just realize that we are all more similar than we think we are. We all have those same insecurities we think we are alone in. Whether it’s the right side of my face that’s kinda bumming me out, or the fact that I will never decorate as cute as that gal on instagram – it doesn’t change who I am and that I’m also awesome, in different ways.
Take the things you don’t love about yourself and say, whatever, it’s part of who I am and if I have one nostril that’s smaller than the other, so be it. We are all different colors, we are all different shapes, we all have different talents, strengths and things we are good at and we need to love ourselves for being unique. There’s not another you out there and YOU matter.
September 13, 2012
unattended children {a parenting choice}
I am not usually one to pass judgement on parents out in public. Most often my duo and I are a gosh darn spectacle ourselves so I know what it's like. Having said that, I saw something this summer from a set of parents that I did judge. I was appalled and had I not been stunned in shock I would have done something about it.
My boys and I were at the mall and we stopped so they could play in the mall centre play place. We walked up to the centre to see a few kids playing and a couple of parents standing around. Of course I didn't know what children belonged to what parents so I didn't think much of it. There was a young boy (probably 10) sitting with his back to the group, playing at a station and another little girl (maybe 5) playing by herself. I was there for just a few minutes when the little girl who had a sticker with her name printed on it stuck to her shirt came over to talk to me. She said she liked my shoes and she asked if I was babysitting. I talked with her for a few minutes and then saw a couple walk down the hall of the mall towards the play centre and stop to talk to the boy who was playing at the station. They asked him if everything was ok (how would he know, he had his nose stuck into his game) and then reminded him that he was in charge of his sister, who I had since deduced was the little girl I was talking to, and then turned to walk away. I assumed they would pop into a store close by and then come back to watch their children, like the rest of us were doing. That unfortunately wasn't the case. I watched them walk the length of the long hallway, just waiting for them to duck into a store that left the play centre visible but they kept walking, eventually turned the corner and were gone. I was there for another good 15 minutes and they didn't return in that time. The little girl, with her name still visible, just played while her brother-in-charge sat playing his game, never turning to look at her.
While I was driving home and the seriousness of what I had just witnessed sunk in I regretted that I had not gone to security and reported that young children had been left at the play place. I mean, I really should have, no? I don't know, to me leaving your 2 young kids at the mall play place (one with their NAME on their shirt) is just completely negligent. When I think of how freely that little girl conversed with me it would not have taken much for someone to walk up to her, call her by name and tell her to come with them.Maybe I have an overly paranoid mind to think things like this but it happens and why make it easier for it to happen! Here's my kids - take them! I regretted not notifying someone that the children were left alone and heaven forbid I ever see something like that again, I definitely will.
Tell me, what would you have done? Notified security? Left it alone? Am I just an overly concerned and protective parent who is making a bigger deal of this than is necessary? At 10 years old is a child responsible enough to watch over himself and a younger sibling in a public place? I just can't see myself leaving my kids, even the oldest at 10, in a mall somewhere while I walk out of sight. What do you think about it all?
My boys and I were at the mall and we stopped so they could play in the mall centre play place. We walked up to the centre to see a few kids playing and a couple of parents standing around. Of course I didn't know what children belonged to what parents so I didn't think much of it. There was a young boy (probably 10) sitting with his back to the group, playing at a station and another little girl (maybe 5) playing by herself. I was there for just a few minutes when the little girl who had a sticker with her name printed on it stuck to her shirt came over to talk to me. She said she liked my shoes and she asked if I was babysitting. I talked with her for a few minutes and then saw a couple walk down the hall of the mall towards the play centre and stop to talk to the boy who was playing at the station. They asked him if everything was ok (how would he know, he had his nose stuck into his game) and then reminded him that he was in charge of his sister, who I had since deduced was the little girl I was talking to, and then turned to walk away. I assumed they would pop into a store close by and then come back to watch their children, like the rest of us were doing. That unfortunately wasn't the case. I watched them walk the length of the long hallway, just waiting for them to duck into a store that left the play centre visible but they kept walking, eventually turned the corner and were gone. I was there for another good 15 minutes and they didn't return in that time. The little girl, with her name still visible, just played while her brother-in-charge sat playing his game, never turning to look at her.
While I was driving home and the seriousness of what I had just witnessed sunk in I regretted that I had not gone to security and reported that young children had been left at the play place. I mean, I really should have, no? I don't know, to me leaving your 2 young kids at the mall play place (one with their NAME on their shirt) is just completely negligent. When I think of how freely that little girl conversed with me it would not have taken much for someone to walk up to her, call her by name and tell her to come with them.
Tell me, what would you have done? Notified security? Left it alone? Am I just an overly concerned and protective parent who is making a bigger deal of this than is necessary? At 10 years old is a child responsible enough to watch over himself and a younger sibling in a public place? I just can't see myself leaving my kids, even the oldest at 10, in a mall somewhere while I walk out of sight. What do you think about it all?
September 12, 2012
bathtub cleaner extraordinaire
I am sure many of you have seen this concoction on pinterest and had I even signed in to pinterest in the last 6 months (there's a twisted story of love and hate for ya) I'm sure I would have too. My sister in law Mandy used this little recipe to clean her bathtub and said that it was magical. I logged it away as something I would like to try as I've never found a bathtub cleaner I have been happy with. Never. Never ever. Nope.
When I got home my bathtub was in need of a deep clean and I remembered this little recipe. After trying three different stores to find BLUE Dawn (should it be that hard?) I finally came home and whipped up my own little potion of this cleaning wonder. All you need is 1 part vinegar and 1 part blue Dawn. Heat the vinegar in the microwave and pour it into a spray bottle. Add the Dawn and give it a shakey shake to mix it up. That’s it. Easy sleazy. And guess what?
It IS magical.
Here is a before and after photo and as you can see the after is significantly more spic and span than the before. I would like to do it one more time using a scrub brush as the first time I only used a cloth and I think I could get it even cleaner with a little more elbow grease. I want to eat off this tub when I’m done. Ok, I actually don’t, but I want the option. You never know.
I am so completely impressed with this concoction and feel I have definitely finally found a bathroom cleaner I am satisfied with. Hoo-freakin-ray!
Have any of y'alls tried this yet?
When I got home my bathtub was in need of a deep clean and I remembered this little recipe. After trying three different stores to find BLUE Dawn (should it be that hard?) I finally came home and whipped up my own little potion of this cleaning wonder. All you need is 1 part vinegar and 1 part blue Dawn. Heat the vinegar in the microwave and pour it into a spray bottle. Add the Dawn and give it a shakey shake to mix it up. That’s it. Easy sleazy. And guess what?
It IS magical.
Here is a before and after photo and as you can see the after is significantly more spic and span than the before. I would like to do it one more time using a scrub brush as the first time I only used a cloth and I think I could get it even cleaner with a little more elbow grease. I want to eat off this tub when I’m done. Ok, I actually don’t, but I want the option. You never know.
I am so completely impressed with this concoction and feel I have definitely finally found a bathroom cleaner I am satisfied with. Hoo-freakin-ray!
Have any of y'alls tried this yet?
September 11, 2012
Finally feeling 'home'
Even when somebody takes good care of your house in your absence it does take a few days to make it feel yours again. We got home and unpacked enough to be able to pack back up and head out for a week of camping. So when we returned home with more to unpack and put away I really had my work cut out for me. This evening is the first time I can look around and feel comfortable again. Things are unpacked, washed and put away and the house is cleaned, organized and smells just how I like it. We had an amazing family vacation and the boys loved time with dad. Dad loved time with them too, especially when he had company in the bathroom, walking something over to the garbage, putting something back in the tent trailer and you get the picture - shadows. It was adorable.
I am happy to be home and have a laundry list of things to talk about. Hope you're ready.
I am happy to be home and have a laundry list of things to talk about. Hope you're ready.
August 30, 2012
homeward bound (hey, I think I've used that title before)
Family, friends and internet-land - something exciting is happening. Actually something exciting is going to happen, right now I'm just in the thick of laundry and cleaning out my fridge BUT it's all in preparation of going home tomorrow! The end of the summer is always bitter sweet but by this point I'm just anxious to pack the vehicles and head home. I have done an impressively poor job of updating you this summer but I promise with my return home I will be blogging regularly again. I have a check list of things to post about including instagram photos (mostly for my momma), products I'm loving (exciiiiiting!), makeup tips, some unfortunate blonde moments, outfits of the day (can we all say mustard skinnies?!), THE most shocking thing I saw this summer, and my favorite- the absolute worst photo that has ever been taken of me. No really. On my word it is the most incredibly heinous thing I have ever seen and I've been loving it. Tears, real wet tears, fell from my eyes because I laughed so hard. As disturbing as it is it would be a crying shame not to share it. So I hope you haven't forgotten me and will check back soon. Let me get packed, and then UNpacked, take a little camping trip with the family (no phones, ipads or laptops allowed - heaven! *sigh*) and THEN I'll be in full swing of things. Come back next week!
Believe you me, you're gonna wanna see this pic.
Believe you me, you're gonna wanna see this pic.
June 14, 2012
I lied
Guys, I really am a hair snob. I just couldn't do it. Out with Outrageous and in with Pureology. With the amount I damage my hair (wait what? I'm totally this blonde....) the poor thing really does appreciate the extra TLC. I really could have stuck it out with the Outrageous but it left my hair so darn dry and seeing broken pieces fly every time I touch it was a little concerning. Please don't think less of me, I promise I don't look down my nose at you.
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Ahhhhhhhh that's better
June 11, 2012
an inexpensive MUST have
I quite like the look of a defined winged eyeliner. This look is most easily achieved when using a gel/cream eyeliner and a brush, over a kohl or pencil liner. I have been using MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack and have been quite happy with it until I absent-mindedly left the lid off and it dried up a little. Boooo. It was nothing so terrible it had to be thrown away but it did change the consistency a little and and has been a bit finicky to use since. My friend Laura knew that I was soon in the market for a new liner as I had inquired after her using a drugstore product and how she liked it. She said it was a nice product but I decided that because of my MAC Pro discount it made sense for me to just stick with Blacktrack as it worked out to the same price as the drugstore counterpart anyway. UNTIL, until Laura told me that she had come upon a new drugstore line – Essence, and that they had a gel liner that not only got great reviews on my favorite makeup reference site Makeup Alley, but was an inexpensive alternative at only $3.50! I looked up the Essence gel liners and found a great YouTube video showing swatches and decided I wanted the color Midnight in Paris, a deep dark black. Laura had found the line at a local Shopper’s Drug Mart and said she would pick me one up when she went back to purchase some for herself (what a gal!)
Folks, you’ve got to get your hands on this stuff. I am over the moon about this product (I know, I get a little worked up about a good find). It is fantastic! This product is easy to apply, dark and pigmented, does not smudge, fade or flake and did I mention it’s $3.50?!! The only issue is Laura had to go to about 4 Shopper’s to find the Essence line and my friend Sarah who is now on the hunt for this stuff has been to about 3 and can’t find it either. I think Essence is new to Canada (as their website says “now in Shopper’s Drug Mart”) and my guess is not all stores are carrying it yet. I believe you can find the brand at Ulta in the States. It is absolutely worth the hunt.
To compare Midnight in Paris to Blacktrack I would say Blacktrack is more of a paste, where this stuff is a true gel consistency. The packaging is similar, both in 3 mL round pots with screw top lids. The price point is where the biggest difference lies with Blacktrack setting you back $18 CA and Midnight in Paris coming in at $3.50. I don’t see myself using Blacktrack again, honestly, and not just because of the price difference. The Essence gel liner is deeper and a truer black than the fluidline and I genuinely find it easier to apply (and I am referring to my pre-leaving-the-lid-off incident.)
If you are a seasoned gel/cream eyeliner kind of gal I think you will be really impressed with this product and if you are a defined eyeliner beginner I think this is a great place to start – not only is this product inexpensive and not a great commitment to practice on, I truly feel it is easier to apply and work with than other cream liners I have used. I recommend this to anyone (everyone!) looking for a liner in this form.
Great work Laura.
Folks, you’ve got to get your hands on this stuff. I am over the moon about this product (I know, I get a little worked up about a good find). It is fantastic! This product is easy to apply, dark and pigmented, does not smudge, fade or flake and did I mention it’s $3.50?!! The only issue is Laura had to go to about 4 Shopper’s to find the Essence line and my friend Sarah who is now on the hunt for this stuff has been to about 3 and can’t find it either. I think Essence is new to Canada (as their website says “now in Shopper’s Drug Mart”) and my guess is not all stores are carrying it yet. I believe you can find the brand at Ulta in the States. It is absolutely worth the hunt.
I promise I'm happier about this liner than that - I forgot about the rest of my face - imagine a big toothy grin :oD
Essence Midnight in Paris on the left, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline on right
Great work Laura.
June 4, 2012
smells like teen spirit
…or at least what my hair smelled like when I was a teen. If you follow my instagram you will know that I have recently come upon a hair product I favored when I was a teen - Revlon’s Outrageous shampoo and conditioner. I believe I used this stuff pretty steady for a lot of junior high and maybe into high school, I can’t remember. I loved the way it gave my hair bounce and volume and the smell, ooooh the smell. It actually makes me think of my good friends Jennifer and Laura, I seem to remember them commenting on the smell of my hair on more than one occasion.
While just leaving the hair aisle at Wal Mart these bottles caught my eye and I stopped dead in my tracks. I hadn’t seen, let alone thought of, this product in years. At a whopping cost of $1.96 per bottle I decided I could grab them for old time’s sake, and conveniently I was almost out of my current shampoo and conditioner anyway. I can’t say that I love them as much as my younger self did. Unfortunately (?) I have acquired a preference for professional hair products and believe that in many cases you get what you pay for. A few weeks of use into the bottles I am noticing that while I do get that same softness, this product does seem to leave my ends rather dry. As someone that washes my hair once every 5 or 6 days I am also noticing my hair is rather limp and lifeless by that point, which it usually isn’t. Having said that, I am not a hair snob and am committed to using these bottles to the last squeeze and am going to enjoy every sniff of my hair as I do.
While just leaving the hair aisle at Wal Mart these bottles caught my eye and I stopped dead in my tracks. I hadn’t seen, let alone thought of, this product in years. At a whopping cost of $1.96 per bottle I decided I could grab them for old time’s sake, and conveniently I was almost out of my current shampoo and conditioner anyway. I can’t say that I love them as much as my younger self did. Unfortunately (?) I have acquired a preference for professional hair products and believe that in many cases you get what you pay for. A few weeks of use into the bottles I am noticing that while I do get that same softness, this product does seem to leave my ends rather dry. As someone that washes my hair once every 5 or 6 days I am also noticing my hair is rather limp and lifeless by that point, which it usually isn’t. Having said that, I am not a hair snob and am committed to using these bottles to the last squeeze and am going to enjoy every sniff of my hair as I do.
*sniiiiifffffff*
June 1, 2012
some recent faves
I promised a post and I am here to deliver. I want to share with you just a few things I have been loving on lately.
1. Loreal Waterproof Gentle Makeup Remover – I got to the bottom of my usual Clean & Clear Foaming Face wash and decided that because I am currently treating my skin with a little ProActiv action that I didn’t really need a full face wash, just something to remove my eye makeup. I had seen this makeup remover before and was intrigued with it’s 2 phase system (it is not the packaging that makes it look like that, the liquids are separated and the bottle must be shaken to mix them together before using.) I do not wear waterproof makeup but I do wear a healthy dose of mascara and often have sticky gloss that needs to be removed. I picked this up and I am so glad I did. I am IMPRESSED. I wet (with water) my entire face getting my mascara good and running (haha, it's such a good look) and then get a little product on a cotton pad and barely have to wipe and my makeup is gone. Literally. I have used other products where you have to wipe and pull and wipe some more but this product is strong enough to remove all makeup without much effort but gentle enough that it doesn’t sting or burn my eyes as other removers have. I am really impressed with this product.
2. MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush – (Don't mind the pic of my dirty brush!) My current favorite foundation is MAC Face and Body as I love it’s dewy finish. It is quite runny and up until recently I had been simply using my fingers to apply it. As I mentioned I have been treating my skin and as a result have found it a little more dry as of late. I was needing something to buff the foundation into my dry skin, as using my fingers was not leaving a nice finish on my changing skin. The MUA at MAC suggested this brush and I. Am. In. Love. I have NO idea why it took me so long to come upon this gem. I put a little foundation on the back of my hand and use this brush to dab into it and then stipple and buff the foundation into my skin. I get such even coverage and a beautiful finish with the foundation really worked into my skin instead of just sitting on top. You can use this brush for other products as well but I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fantastic foundation brush.
3. MAC Eye Brow Pencil in Fling – I have been letting my natural brows grow in a bit more as I like a fuller brow and wanted to let my own brows do their thing - within reason of course. Like most people the inner points of my brows are fairly thin and definitely needed to be filled in to blend with the rest of my brows instead of looking like stray hairs. I had been using MAC Omega to fill in my brows and although that does a good job for the length of my brow it did nothing for the sparse little tips. I picked up a MAC brow pencil in the color Fling and have been using that to shape and fill in my brows instead. It has made a world of difference – they just needed something a little more pigmented and something that could define their shape. While I am happy with this product there are many different brands that make brow pencils and correctors and I’ve got my eye on a few I want to try. Do you recommend any?
4. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer – This is actually my girlfriend Sarah’s product. She told me to give it a try as she rarely uses it. I have a face primer from Hard Candy but I don’t use it often as I don’t really notice any results. The first time I used this primer I could tell a difference in my skin. I apply it with my fingers before I apply my foundation as I described above and I am left with a very smooth and glowy face. My foundation lasts all day and I think it helps my bronzer/blush wear longer as well. I do notice that my face feels a little more (I don’t want to use the word oily) glisteny but nothing that I can’t handle. I kinda don’t want to give it back to Sarah! :)
So there you have it, a few things I’ve been impressed with. Have you tried any of these? Do you have any products you’ve been loving lately?
1. Loreal Waterproof Gentle Makeup Remover – I got to the bottom of my usual Clean & Clear Foaming Face wash and decided that because I am currently treating my skin with a little ProActiv action that I didn’t really need a full face wash, just something to remove my eye makeup. I had seen this makeup remover before and was intrigued with it’s 2 phase system (it is not the packaging that makes it look like that, the liquids are separated and the bottle must be shaken to mix them together before using.) I do not wear waterproof makeup but I do wear a healthy dose of mascara and often have sticky gloss that needs to be removed. I picked this up and I am so glad I did. I am IMPRESSED. I wet (with water) my entire face getting my mascara good and running (haha, it's such a good look) and then get a little product on a cotton pad and barely have to wipe and my makeup is gone. Literally. I have used other products where you have to wipe and pull and wipe some more but this product is strong enough to remove all makeup without much effort but gentle enough that it doesn’t sting or burn my eyes as other removers have. I am really impressed with this product.
2. MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush – (Don't mind the pic of my dirty brush!) My current favorite foundation is MAC Face and Body as I love it’s dewy finish. It is quite runny and up until recently I had been simply using my fingers to apply it. As I mentioned I have been treating my skin and as a result have found it a little more dry as of late. I was needing something to buff the foundation into my dry skin, as using my fingers was not leaving a nice finish on my changing skin. The MUA at MAC suggested this brush and I. Am. In. Love. I have NO idea why it took me so long to come upon this gem. I put a little foundation on the back of my hand and use this brush to dab into it and then stipple and buff the foundation into my skin. I get such even coverage and a beautiful finish with the foundation really worked into my skin instead of just sitting on top. You can use this brush for other products as well but I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fantastic foundation brush.
3. MAC Eye Brow Pencil in Fling – I have been letting my natural brows grow in a bit more as I like a fuller brow and wanted to let my own brows do their thing - within reason of course. Like most people the inner points of my brows are fairly thin and definitely needed to be filled in to blend with the rest of my brows instead of looking like stray hairs. I had been using MAC Omega to fill in my brows and although that does a good job for the length of my brow it did nothing for the sparse little tips. I picked up a MAC brow pencil in the color Fling and have been using that to shape and fill in my brows instead. It has made a world of difference – they just needed something a little more pigmented and something that could define their shape. While I am happy with this product there are many different brands that make brow pencils and correctors and I’ve got my eye on a few I want to try. Do you recommend any?
4. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer – This is actually my girlfriend Sarah’s product. She told me to give it a try as she rarely uses it. I have a face primer from Hard Candy but I don’t use it often as I don’t really notice any results. The first time I used this primer I could tell a difference in my skin. I apply it with my fingers before I apply my foundation as I described above and I am left with a very smooth and glowy face. My foundation lasts all day and I think it helps my bronzer/blush wear longer as well. I do notice that my face feels a little more (I don’t want to use the word oily) glisteny but nothing that I can’t handle. I kinda don’t want to give it back to Sarah! :)
So there you have it, a few things I’ve been impressed with. Have you tried any of these? Do you have any products you’ve been loving lately?
May 28, 2012
an update {pic heavy}
Thank you to those that commented on my last post. I appreciate your words and that I’m not alone in thinking the heart can have many loves and many favorites. I didn’t want to make drama out of it but I wanted to say something. Thanks for the reminder that this is my blog and I can say what I want. I appreciate you reading.
Ok, let’s move on. I didn’t want the month of May to pass completely without another post. We have been having an awesome month and I want to show you what we’ve been up to!
We are really having a great summer. Our home is beautiful and spacious, the wives I get to spend my days with are fun and happy and Calgary is a really great city that I am slowly learning my way around. Neil’s team is growing each week and we are happy with their progress. Life is just good. Oh, and the Bachelorette started and who doesn’t enjoy an hour or 2 of one liners and awkward moments? This gal does. :)
Thanks for stopping by. Come back this week, I want to share with you some products I’m loving and also my favorite new app that makes you even hotter than you already are! Yes please.
Ok, let’s move on. I didn’t want the month of May to pass completely without another post. We have been having an awesome month and I want to show you what we’ve been up to!
First of all and most exciting is that my dear friend Sarah arrived at the beginning of the month. Sarah and her family are from Vegas and we met our first summer selling in Winnipeg. We became fast friends as we share a love of makeup, the same sense of humor and now both have 2 little boys. I missed her terribly last year as they took a year off from selling but this year she is back and better than ever and we have been enjoying each other almost daily. This gal makes me happy and keeps me sane. Love her. So glad she and the other wives are here, we have a sweet little group this year.
In other exciting news I purchased a pair of green skinny jeans. I told you, exciting right? I’ve been looking for a pair of colored skinnies to rock this summer and when I came upon this lone pair in my size at Forever 21 I obviously had to make them mine. They are more of a cropped skinny and not exactly what I had in mind but I love them just the same. The color is adorable and goes with a lot in my wardrobe. Great find. And I can keep looking for longer skinnies too right? Don't mind the blurry photo and my horse-face.
We had a week of really warm beautiful weather. Because we are in a home this year we have full intentions of taking advantage of the backyard and extra space we have. Neil took the boys to Wal Mart to pick out a pool and they came home with this – a cute little pool with slide and spraying seals. So fun. The boys spent the better part of the week out in the backyard playing and splashing. I’m so happy to be in a house and feel like my boys can run and play and breathe. Willow is enjoying it too!
I spent last Saturday with these beautiful sisters in law of mine. We are lucking enough to all be in Calgary this summer and try to get together as much as possible. We spent the morning shopping (what else do ladies do when they get together?!) and then enjoyed a scrumptious sushi lunch. I love these gals and wish that our other 4 beautiful SILs could join us too!
I had the pleasure of doing grad makeup on this pretty face. Erica doesn’t typically wear a lot of makeup but didn’t want to hold anything back for grad. We did a beautiful purple subtle cut crease eye and added the drama of false lashes. She wanted to go all out and we had a lot of fun. She looked absolutely stunning all put together.
And like a total creep I stole this picture from her Facebook. She's got it goin' on, no?
Sarah is such a fun mom and always has these crazy ideas. She came over one afternoon with a box of washable markers and said we were going to do some face painting and let the boys color all over themselves. Um ok. It was SO FUN! The boys went to town drawing all over their faces and tummies and then asked us to draw pictures on them too. The markers washed off in the tub without any scrubbing at all and the boys had such a great time. Once I got over my hesitation it was a blast and we’ll be dong it again for sure.
This month my Rigby learned how to put his shoes on all by himself. This is the most adorable picture of him right after he did it for the first time. He’s getting to be such a big boy. *sniff*
The boys love going to look around the Disney store in the mall. It’s about the only reason we go to the mall since actual shopping with them is a serious headache. This is the best picture I could get of them playing with the Avengers gear. Porter was Thor and Rigs was Captain America. They call the store Disneyland and if that’s what they think Disneyland is my wallet is relieved, haa.
We spent this past Saturday afternoon at Calaway Park and it was more fun than I was even expecting. I couldn’t believe how many rides there were for little, little kids like Rigby and Maddox. The boys rode rides by themselves and had so much fun running from place to place checking it all out. We bought passes and will be going back lots this summer.
And last but not least, Willow is as sappy as ever. She certainly believes I am actually her momma and snuggles up to me whenever I sit down for 5 seconds. She is really great with all the people that come and go from our place and has made some great new friends *cough, Sarah, cough* even if they don’t feel the same way. Haaha.
We are really having a great summer. Our home is beautiful and spacious, the wives I get to spend my days with are fun and happy and Calgary is a really great city that I am slowly learning my way around. Neil’s team is growing each week and we are happy with their progress. Life is just good. Oh, and the Bachelorette started and who doesn’t enjoy an hour or 2 of one liners and awkward moments? This gal does. :)
Thanks for stopping by. Come back this week, I want to share with you some products I’m loving and also my favorite new app that makes you even hotter than you already are! Yes please.
May 10, 2012
lesson learned
I somewhat feel the need to apologize to those of you I offended when I recently posted a love note for my sister's birthday. I find it unfortunate that there are those that feel because I love one person it must mean I love others less. The love of the heart is not a balance scale, where one goes up the other goes down. I can see how my use of the word "favorite" does seem exclusive, but does not every relationship have their own dynamic and everyone have many "favorites" in different aspects of those relationships? It was not my intent to hurt feelings and certainly not make anyone feel less-loved. I understand that such a demonstration of adoration may not be appropriate for public display because of this and I will keep future demonstrations personal. I just feel bad, I guess I'm better with lipsticks than people.
May 8, 2012
depotting eyeshadows and a back 2 MAC
I have been growing my MAC eyeshadow collection for quite some time. I started out buying the little pots but more recently have been purchasing the refill pans to stick into palettes. It is neater, more compact and saves space in my makeup kit. Plus I really like to pull out a palette and see all the shadows at once instead of have to dig around looking for a shade. I had 12 shadows that were still in pots and last week I decided that it was finally time I depotted them and put them into a palette.
I looked up some depotting instructions on YouTube, combined a few of them using the steps I liked, and got to work. I didn’t take pictures of the depotting process as you can find a thousand videos of how to do it and use whichever instructions you like depending on what tools you have on hand. I have put this off for a long time but found it a lot easier than I thought it was going to be and it went much faster than I anticipated.
As I’m sure you are aware MAC offers a recycling program where you take in 6 empties to get a FREE lipstick, eyeshadow or lipgloss. As you know I hit bottom on my beloved Creme d' Nude so I took this opportunity to ‘back 2 MAC’ 6 of my 12 empty eyeshadow pots and picked up a new Creme d' Nude lipstick.
It was pretty satisfying to turn this into this.
Getting rid of those 12 pots freed up a lot of space in my kit and I am enjoying the reorganized and no-longer-overflowing compartments. As I mentioned I really enjoy pulling out a palette to see all the shades at once and find it much easier to create looks when I can see everything in front of me instead of trying to remember what I've got. Knowing how simple the whole process was I find it a little silly I waited so long to do it. C'est la vie.
Do you prefer your eyeshadows in individual pots or in a palette?
Note: it is not recommended to depot MAC eyeshadows as there is a risk they will crack or shatter in the process. I did not ruin any of mine but I feel I should mention there is the chance of ending up with a table full of powder and that. would. be. SAD.
I looked up some depotting instructions on YouTube, combined a few of them using the steps I liked, and got to work. I didn’t take pictures of the depotting process as you can find a thousand videos of how to do it and use whichever instructions you like depending on what tools you have on hand. I have put this off for a long time but found it a lot easier than I thought it was going to be and it went much faster than I anticipated.
(Please forgive the camera phone pictures with a bedspread background. So professional right?)
Before and After
I have 2 full 15 shadow palettes and have organized them into neutrals and colors.
It was pretty satisfying to turn this into this.
Getting rid of those 12 pots freed up a lot of space in my kit and I am enjoying the reorganized and no-longer-overflowing compartments. As I mentioned I really enjoy pulling out a palette to see all the shades at once and find it much easier to create looks when I can see everything in front of me instead of trying to remember what I've got. Knowing how simple the whole process was I find it a little silly I waited so long to do it. C'est la vie.
Do you prefer your eyeshadows in individual pots or in a palette?
Note: it is not recommended to depot MAC eyeshadows as there is a risk they will crack or shatter in the process. I did not ruin any of mine but I feel I should mention there is the chance of ending up with a table full of powder and that. would. be. SAD.
May 7, 2012
a visit from my parents
We were lucky enough to have a visit from these nice folks this past week.
We really had a great visit. It rained pretty well the whole week which means we hung out at home quite a bit and that was nice. We got to enjoy some great visits and the boys loved having Grandma and Grandpa to play with all day long.
My mom always brings a “Magic Bag” for each of the boys. Every morning and through out the day she will put something inside the Magic Bag and leave it for the boys to find. (Isn't she adorable?) They love spotting the Magic Bag and pulling out their toys and treats. One morning the Magic Bag held some moustaches and we all got in on the fun.
The boys weren’t the only ones enjoying having Grandma and Grandpa around. It didn’t take long for Willow to decide my dad was pretty ok and snuggled herself up next to him often.
My mom and I snuck away for an afternoon to treat each other to Mother’s Day goodies. We went to Frilly Lilly to smell all the yummy things and bought each other a pair of earrings. We finished off our outing with a trip to a cupcake shop and shared lemon and chocolate raspberry cupcakes. She is one of my very favorite people to go out with, and it's not cause she always buys me things. :)
We thoroughly enjoyed their company all week. We did some baking, swapped some recipes, went for a drive, played, played and played, watched some shows, ate treats and then ate more treats, planned our trip to FLORIDA for the fall (eeek!), and just loved being together.
I appreciate my parents for how supportive and interested in our lives they are. Neil and my dad stayed up till all hours of the night (literally!) chatting and talking. They always want to know how we are doing, how things are going and I appreciate how much they care. They help with the dishes, bathe and put kids to bed, and my momma folded my laundry and mopped my floor. Aren’t parents the best? I think mine are. I am a lucky gal.
Thanks for coming, we miss you already!
We really had a great visit. It rained pretty well the whole week which means we hung out at home quite a bit and that was nice. We got to enjoy some great visits and the boys loved having Grandma and Grandpa to play with all day long.
My mom always brings a “Magic Bag” for each of the boys. Every morning and through out the day she will put something inside the Magic Bag and leave it for the boys to find. (Isn't she adorable?) They love spotting the Magic Bag and pulling out their toys and treats. One morning the Magic Bag held some moustaches and we all got in on the fun.
The boys weren’t the only ones enjoying having Grandma and Grandpa around. It didn’t take long for Willow to decide my dad was pretty ok and snuggled herself up next to him often.
My mom and I snuck away for an afternoon to treat each other to Mother’s Day goodies. We went to Frilly Lilly to smell all the yummy things and bought each other a pair of earrings. We finished off our outing with a trip to a cupcake shop and shared lemon and chocolate raspberry cupcakes. She is one of my very favorite people to go out with, and it's not cause she always buys me things. :)
We thoroughly enjoyed their company all week. We did some baking, swapped some recipes, went for a drive, played, played and played, watched some shows, ate treats and then ate more treats, planned our trip to FLORIDA for the fall (eeek!), and just loved being together.
I appreciate my parents for how supportive and interested in our lives they are. Neil and my dad stayed up till all hours of the night (literally!) chatting and talking. They always want to know how we are doing, how things are going and I appreciate how much they care. They help with the dishes, bathe and put kids to bed, and my momma folded my laundry and mopped my floor. Aren’t parents the best? I think mine are. I am a lucky gal.
Thanks for coming, we miss you already!
April 30, 2012
my eyeshadow consultant
I genuinely don't know how I stumbled upon this site but thank you, lucky stars that I did! If you are a MAC eyeshadow fan then you're going to love it too. Makeup artist Zabrena has put together an impressive directory of MAC eyeshadow combinations complete with pictures, and called it My Eyeshadow Consultant. Simply click on the name of the eyeshadow and up pops a portfolio of photos pairing that eyeshadow with other MAC shadows. I have been perusing her site for only a few days and I have come across some great combos that I am excited to try. Zabrena says that although she appreciates the artistic side of makeup her goal is to keep all her looks wearable. I find she is not afraid to use unlikely shades together which proves that thinking outside the box can create really beautiful looks. I am loving this site and have been inspired to start using a lot of my shadows in ways I hadn't thought to before.
Of course this site is most helpful if you have an extensive collection of MAC shadows, but with the pictures Zabrena provides you can see the colors she uses and find dupes from your own collection to recreate the look. This site could also be used to help you decide which eyeshadows to buy when you walk into MAC and feel overwhelmed at the collection. Zabrena is expanding her site to include Urban Decay eyeshadows with what seems to be a heavy focus on the Naked palettes.
If you choose to do so you can pay a small fee and register with the site which will give you exclusive access to more eyeshadow combinations, newsletters, email replies and for another fee - even one on one Skype time with Zabrena. I am impressed with the extent she has gone to to provide inspiration for us makeup lovers.
Why are ya still here? Hustle on over there and I hope you have some time cause you're going to need it!
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A look inspired by Zabrena using Greensmoke and Patina. I have had Greensmoke for quite a while yet I rarely reach for it. Using it in this way gave me a new love for it. I enjoy rediscovering shadows I already have in my collection. I hope this site can be useful to you too.
Of course this site is most helpful if you have an extensive collection of MAC shadows, but with the pictures Zabrena provides you can see the colors she uses and find dupes from your own collection to recreate the look. This site could also be used to help you decide which eyeshadows to buy when you walk into MAC and feel overwhelmed at the collection. Zabrena is expanding her site to include Urban Decay eyeshadows with what seems to be a heavy focus on the Naked palettes.
If you choose to do so you can pay a small fee and register with the site which will give you exclusive access to more eyeshadow combinations, newsletters, email replies and for another fee - even one on one Skype time with Zabrena. I am impressed with the extent she has gone to to provide inspiration for us makeup lovers.
Why are ya still here? Hustle on over there and I hope you have some time cause you're going to need it!
.JPG)
A look inspired by Zabrena using Greensmoke and Patina. I have had Greensmoke for quite a while yet I rarely reach for it. Using it in this way gave me a new love for it. I enjoy rediscovering shadows I already have in my collection. I hope this site can be useful to you too.
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