Hey Ya'll,

While I was in Vegas I decided to do a look I haven't tried before...Pin Up!! I have always wanted to try one, but never really got up the nerve. Well, except for the Sexy Devil look I did for Halloween. I decided to try this because its Vegas, and anything goes. I was going to a Barry Manilow show, and I decided since he is an older artist that I might as well go with classic red lips. I absolutely love the way this turned out. I'm not as scared of red lips anymore, and I think I'll be wearing them out on the town more often. Here comes the look.....

Products Used (All MAC unless Noted):

Face:
Mineralize Satinfinish nc44
Strobe Liquid
Lustre Drops Bronze Hero

Cheeks:
NARS Casino Bronzer
NARS Deep Throat Blush
Belightful Iridescent Powder

Eyes:
TFSI
Vanilla e/s
Sugarshot e/s
Dark Brown from Kat Von D Beethoven Palette
Lancome Artliner Noir
Stila Eye Kajal Topaz
YSL Faux Cills Black Mascara

Lips:
Cherry Lip Liner
Ruby Woo l/s
Love Alert d/g

Here are the photos....

Hey ladies,

I have missed ya'll!!! How is everyone doing. I have been very busy, and I hate that I haven't had time to devote to this blog. Things will get better, and I am gonna start getting these out faster. So, what have I been up to? I just got back from a week in Las Vegas, and that was so much fun. I had a fabulous time. I got to meet lots of famous people..lol I also did several looks while there, and I took bunches of pictures. I also have a haul to show you from my time in Vegas. I will get those looks up later in the week. For now, here are some random pictures from my trip. Hope you enjoy....

Hey Everyone,

Over the weekend I celebrated my 26th birthday. Friday night was girls night, and we went to see one of my favorite bands. Saturday night was my birthday party, and that was fun even though the weather was crappy. Sunday was my actual birthday, and I was so tired from the weekend that I just had a relaxing day at home. My makeup look for each night definitely had a theme....smokey purples!! I love my purple eyeshadow, so I knew my looks had to have purple in them. For my party look, I spiced it up a bit and added glitter. As you know, I love my glitter.  I didn't get to take too many pictures for Friday night's look as I was in a little bit of a rush. However, I do remember what eye shadows I wore and I'll post a full break down. Also in these pictures you can see my new hair color. I chose to go a little lighter for Spring, and I am loving it!! Overall, I had a nice birthday weekend and I'm looking forward to a great new year!! Here are some pics from both nights.

Friday Night

Products used (All MAC unless noted):

Face:
Mineralize Satinfinish nc44
Strobe Cream
Sun Rush Lustre Drops

Cheeks:
So Sweet, So Easy Cremeblend Blush
Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre
Perfect Topping MSF

Eyes:
TFSI
Charred Mauve Greasepaint Stick
NYX Jumbo Pencil Milk
Digit e/s
Violet Pigment
MUFE #92
Parfait Amour e/s
Femme Fi e/s
Lancome Artliner Noir
Urban Decay 24/7 Zero and Flash
Urban Decay Flash Eyeshadow
Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara

Lips:
Ahoy, There!




 Saturday Night

Products Used (All MAC unless noted)

Face:
Mineralize Satinfinish nc44
Strobe Cream
Bronze Hero Lustre Drops

Cheeks:
So Sweet, So Easy Cremeblend Blush
Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre
By Candelight MSF

Eyes:
TFSI
NYX Jumbo Pencil Milk
Digit e/s
Violet Trance e/s
Satellite Dreams e/s
Parfait Amour e/s
Fuchsia Glitter (adhered with fix+)
Femme Fi e/s
Lancome Artliner Noir
Stila Kajal Liner Onyx
MAC Carbon e/s
Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara

Lips:
Ahoy, There!

Makeup Pics....

This will be my last vacation post. Here are some random pictures from my trip. I'll be back very soon with more posts. I think I am gonna post that March favorites since I have pictures for it. So that will be coming up next. So until next time, here come the photos.....

The view from the pool..

Hey everyone!!

How has everyone been? It's been so long since I've posted an entry. I have been so bogged down with work from grad school that I haven't had much time for the internet and blogging. I had so many posts planned, but two presentations I had to do just took over my life. I had my march favorites as well as Lush project 10 pan, and a lush haul. I'll try to get these up as soon as possible. As far as weight loss, this month I lost 3 pounds. Not the best, but not the worst. I'm still working at it though. Trying to lose a few more by my birthday at the end of April. I did try on the skirt that I blogged about earlier that I wanted to wear and.....it fits!!! I was really happy about that because I haven't been able to wear it in years. Anyways, that was a great moment for me. I have been working out on my Wii fit, and i find that really helps. Its a great workout! I also bought the Wii Active, but I haven't had a chance to try it because I took a little trip to get away. Oh, I also got a new camera!! I got the Samsung tl225, and I absolutely love it. It takes great pictures. So much better than my last one.

So that's my life in a nutshell since I last blogged. Last weekend, I took a mini-vacation to Daytona Beach and it was so relaxing. I figured that I'd take a few pictures of my makeup at the beach so that I'd have something to post here when I got back. As far as makeup is concerned, at the beach I like to have simple makeup. It's so hot that I usually don't wear foundation at the beach because it just melts off. I love the look of glowy cheeks at the beach. Usually when I go on vacation, I bring everything I own (okay not literally!). This time I tried my best not to do that. I just brought the Urban Decay Alice palette and a few mac shadows. The FOTD I am about to show you was pretty much the look I did for each day of the vacation. It is using scatterays Solar Bits with a colored liner on the bottom. I really liked this look, and I'll be doing it more often. Solar bits can be a little funky to adhere, but I've found that applying it with a finger is so much easier!! The pictures aren't that great, but they'll do. Onto the pictures.

Products used:

Face:
Strobe Cream

Cheeks:
So Sweet, So Easy Cremeblend Blush
Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre
Cheeky Bronze MSF

Eyes:
TFSI
Scatterays Solar Bits (Adhered with fix+)
Jabberwocky from the Alice in Wonderland Palette
Lancome Artliner Noir
Urban Decay Liner Flipside with Alice e/s over it (The blue liner pictures)
Urban Decay Liner in Flash with Flash e/s over it (The purple liner pictures)
Sexy Curves Mascara

Lips:
Ahoy, There!


Here come the photos. First, the look with blue liner......



With purple liner......

Well, I went for my latest weigh in last week.....

Gained three pounds. Boy am I happy that it is just 3 pounds and not 10, but I still am not where I wanna be. It seems like weight loss is a cycle with me. I'll be very gung ho for about 2-3 weeks, and then lose momentum. During those weeks, I'll be eating and exercising like i'm supposed to. I'll see the results as I am doing what I'm supposed to. I guess then I get cocky. I stop tracking what I eat, I exercise less, I drink more alcohol, and I eat the wrong foods. As a result, I do not see the results on the scale that I want. Then, I get a wake up call and the cylce starts all over again. Does anyone go through this?

My question for those that do, is how do you deal with getting into a dieting rut? I have got to find some way to get past the three week mark. I know that I want to, but something in my brain just isn't clicking. I see people around me that can eat whatever they want and not gain a pound, and I want that to be me. No matter how much I want that, I know I'll always deal with this for the rest of my life. I don't know what to do to keep me on track. I guess I'll just keep trucking on, and accept the three pounds. I think that I am going to start setting mini goals for myself. Hopefully these mini goals will help. So for the first one....

Lose 10-15 pounds by April 8. Why April 8th?

That's the day I leave for vacation. There is also this certain article of clothing that I want to be able to wear on my vacation, and I know that I need to lose at least 15 more pounds to get into it. So today starts my journey. I vow to track what I eat, eat the right foods, limit alcohol, and exercise. This date is three weeks from today, so lets see how I do. I can do this!!!

I might have lost a battle, but I will win the war!!!

Hey Everyone!!

Hope ya'll are having a good week. I've seen this beauty survey on a couple of blogs, and decided to post it on here. If you like this survey and decide to post on your own blog, link me to it. I'd love to read your posts!! Have a good weekend!! Here goes....

SKINCARE

-How many times do you wash your face daily? Most times twice, if not then once

-What skin type do you have? Combonation

-What is your current facial wash? Avon Immediate Response Acne Cleanser or Estee Lauder

-Do you exfoliate? Yes

-What brand do you use? MAC Volcanic Ash Exfolatior

-What moisturizer do you use? Olay

-Do you have freckles? No

-Do you use eye cream? Not at the moment

-Do you or did you have acne prone skin? I get the occasional blemishes

-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ? No

MAKE-UP

-What foundation do you use? MAC Mineralize Satinfinish, NARS Sheer Glow, or Bobbi Brown Skin

-How about concealer? MAC Select Moisture Cover Up or Make Up For Ever HD

-Do you know your undertone color? No

-What do you think of fake eyelashes? Love them!

-Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months? Yep, and I do

-What brand of mascara do you use? Rimmel Sexy Curves

-Sephora or MAC? I'm a MAC Girl

-Do you have a MAC Pro-card? I wish!!

-What makeup tools do you use in make up application? Brushes

-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes? Too Faced Shadow Insurance or MAC Shadesticks

-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)? I love purples!!

-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner? Both

-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil? Hardly ever

-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows? I like to use them, but only when I am not in a rush

-Do you use mineral makeup? Yes

-What is your favorite lipstick? At the moment, MAC Ahoy, There!

-How about lipgloss? MAC Dazzleglasses

-What is your favorite blush to use? MAC Tippy or NARS Deep Throat

MAKE ME CHOOSE

-Do you buy your makeup on ebay? Nope

-Do you like drugstore makeup? Mascara, yes

-Do you go to CCO's? Love them!!

-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? Only the Studio Talk one's MAC offers

-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup? Nope

-Name a makeup crime that you hate? Dark lipliner and light lipstick/gloss, unblended shadow

-Do you like colorful shades of makeup? Yep!

-Which celebrity always has great make up? Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Leona Lewis

-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use? Mascara

-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on? Yeah I do

-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on? No, not really

-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line? MAC

-What do you think of Makeup?? Can't live without it!

That's it for now....

Hey Everyone!!

It's been forever since I updated the ol' blog. How have ya'll been? I've been super busy with school and work. I hope to get back in the full swing of things very soon. I just got in my items from the MAC Spring Color Forecast Collection, so I should be making a haul post soon. Plus I have some great Lush goodies to show you. Since its still in the beginning of the year, I figured I should update on my weight loss adventures. It's been a long time since I updated on my weight loss. Its going great now..... Confession time!!

 I must admit that over the holidays, I completely stopped watching what I was eating and exercising. With holiday parties, finals, and work I was totally not paying attention to what was going in my stomach. Not to mention, my family loves to eat the non-healthy items during the holiday season. Professionals call this mindless eating, and that's definitely what it was. I honestly was not caring what I put in my mouth. I saw the eating come full circle when I went back to doctor in January for my first weigh in of the year. I gained and I gained a lot!!

I was 10 pounds heavier means that my 30 lb loss was now 20!! To tell you I was devastated was an understatement. But how could I really be devastated when I wasn't putting in the effort to keep my weight loss going? To add insult to injury, I was dealt another blow. This one I can't really speak of because its painful to talk about. But talk about a wake up call. The event that happened clicked something in my head that I must lose weight, and I have to do it now. From that moment on, I was on a mission. I have started doing what I'm supposed to in order to keep my weight loss going. I've started watching what I eat, limiting alcohol, and exercising. I got a Wii Fit for Christmas, and it has been a lifesaver. I now look forward to working out. Its a great tool for people trying to lose weight.

Fast forward to a month later (Feb 2010), it was time for me to go back to the doc to weigh in. 10 pounds are off my body!! To say I was excited wasn't the half of it. I was literally over the moon. No one could keep the smile off my face. Now my total weight loss is back to 30 pounds!!! These 30 pounds are awesome, but I want more!! I'm on a mission to get to 100 pounds loss before the end of the summer. I'm trying my best to keep focused, and that means celebrating wins and losses. Plus, I have a great group of people behind me. Some girl friends and I are starting a weight loss support group, and I think this will help immensely. Just knowing there are people behind you that have struggled and are struggling like you is a great comfort. I'm so glad to be back on the train, and it feels amazing!!

Until next time.....

Fact, I've been overweight almost all my life.
Fact, I've been one every kind of fad diet one can think of.
Fact, I have lost and gained back pounds so many times I have lost count......

Yes, I am fat. I've been fat as long as I can remember. Do I like being fat, no. Does anyone like being fat, don't really think so. Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that this is not an easy process. It takes hard work and determination. Unfortunately there isn't a quick fix, because if there were I would have done it already. I finally got fed up and decided I had to do something about it. I've been on this journey for about three months, and this is my story:

I have lost about 23 pounds, and it hasn't been easy. I, like a lot of people I know started off gung ho about my adventure. I was going to the gym almost everyday. I was eating the foods that help the weight come off. And the scale was showing the results I wanted. Then life got in the way. With starting grad school, family problems, colds, and other issues, my weight loss has suffered. I have completely stopped going to the gym. I have slowly added back foods that I had stopped eating. In other words, I failed....

Well, in my mind I failed. Then, I think of what I have gained. With each pound lost, I feel better both physically and emotionally. This is what keeps me going from day to day. I have learned that yes, I am going to mess up. There is no overnight fix. Every time I get off the horse, I get back on again and keep trying. It all came full circle today, when I went to my monthly weigh in. The scales said I have lost 5 pounds this month. This is what keeps me going.

I keep going because I don't want to fail again. I won't gain every single pound back like I have done in the past. I keep doing this because I want to wear trendy clothes. I keep going because I am tired of being the "You have such a pretty face" girl. Anyone who has had this said to them knows how bad it feels. Yes I may have a pretty face, but I want the rest of me to be pretty too. In other words, I just keep going.....

Until next time....

Peace, Love, and Happiness!!

Hey Everyone!!

How have you all been? I know we're already out of September and into October but here is my new installment of Ins and Outs.

Ins:

• Natural Makeup: It seems that lately, all I have been rocking makeup wise is foundation, blush, and mascara. With working in a school, dramatic makeup really doesn't work. Plus I like to sleep in, so this is usually my routine during the week. On those days when I do put on eyeshadow, I use a minimal amount. I think an upcoming post will be my everyday makeup look. Also, I'm thinking about doing day to night looks possibly.
• All of the Style Black Shadows: The Style Black collection was on my ins and outs list last time, and this was before the collection actually released. With seeing it in person, and getting my items this collection did not disappoint. In fact, my next post will be a haul and review of Style Black.
• Hello Kitty Quad in Lucky Tom: On those days when I do use eyeshadow, this quad is what I reach for most. I use the lightest color Creme Royale on the lid and Paradisco in the crease. Add black eyeliner and mascara and that's it.
• Being sick: Working with the little one's isn't the best for you're immune system. This month I have spent over half of it with a cold. The kids are awesome, but when you teach preschoolers and kindergarteners, they don't know what covering your mouth means just yet. Anyways, their a joy to be around but sickness just comes with the job title. This takes me to my first out of the month.

Outs:

• Exercise: Starting a diet regimen most always mean exercise. When I first started trying to change my eating habits, I was doing well. I would hit the gym 3-4 times a week, and now that I have started working and grad school I seem to never have time for it anymore. Add the fact that I've been sick, and you get not going to the gym for over a month. Somehow I have managed to keep off what I have lost, but I know that I'm not going to without getting back into the exercising bit. Ok, enough blabbering I will save that for another post.

I can't think of anymore outs at the moment, so I am going to end here. I've been thinking long and hard about the fact that when I started this blog I was going to make it about my weight loss journey too. To date, I only have one post about that and its the starting post. I really need to get in gear, but lately I have been so uninspired. When I actually have time to sit and blog, I can't get the words out. I'm seriously gonna start my weight loss blogs this month.  Come with me on my journey of getting healthy while looking fabulous. I want and NEED to do this....

Until next time.....