One of the main reasons I want fall and winter to come asap. These are the few times I 'feel' canadian.
I thought I'd show you guys how to make these easy fringe scarves out of old t shirts. there are so many variations, you can braid the fringe, add beads...this is just the basic. hope you enjoy!
Here are some products I've been loving the past month. Hope it helps you discover some new loves for you too! Let me know if you have discovered anything lately that you absolutely love too!
this is a total splurge...expensive, but definitely worth it. I got it a while back when it was on sale, and I love it! definitely lives up to the hype. makes your hair so smooth and silky... so for people like me who love to damage your hair, this is amazing!
Liole Silky Highlighter BB Touch. These two are like cousins to bb creams because they have a little bit of a different function to regular bb creams. this one you can use on your entire face for a 'glow' but I use it just as a highlighter and I love it. It makes my gigantic pores look smaller and smoother too!
Liole Dollish Veil makeup base in Natural Green. This is quickly becoming an every day staple for me. the green base cancels out redness and it keeps my makeup where I put it ALL day, even in this horrible heat!
Ok I secretly think these are the same color. Kissable balm stain in Lovestruck, feels like a balm, but stains your lips..amazing. and the Lip Butter in Lollipop. Super moisturizing. both by Revlon. I love the blue based magenta. makes your teeth look whiter, and easier to wear than a red lip..
but still gives that va va va voom-ness
Physicians Formula Happy booster blush in Pink. I didn't like it at first b/c of the strong smell..but I've been using it a lot lately. This picture looks more brown, but in real life it is also more blue based which makes it work great with the lip stuff above!
I love me some cleansing towelettes. These ones smell SO good and relaxing, the cloth is soft and leaves my skin feeling moisturized...and I feel like I smell good when I come to bed :)
Usually not a fan of cream shadows...at ALL. but this one is amazing. Hard Candy Eye Def in Golden Earth. goes on liquid and then dries. doesn't smear, smudge, move...stays all day! another one of my summer must haves.
Oh Tovolo! my new pancake squirter has made me an even cooler mom. I love this thing. you can make any and every shape possible (see post below)
Daisy by Marc Jacobs. borderline granny... but for some reason I love it!
I came across this site today, and I am in LOVE! everything is super cheap (like forever 21 prices) which I love too. I am so close to just posting every piece...but these are some that caught my eye and all super cheap, I linked each picture so they are easier to find!
Bracelet love!
necklaces
this white one reminded me of the house of harlow one :)
and c'mon, a gator ring?! hello swamp people! haha!!!
Am I the only one that gets into "I'm not good at anything, woe is me" mode once in a while?
Sometimes I start self pitying and wish I had a tangible talent that I could use to to bless others. I go down the road of.."if I were athletic, or if I could sing, if I could play the piano..." and then I start feeling bad. Why do we do that? so not productive.
I really truly believe that your 'gift' is something that you enjoy doing, and you're pretty good at. So I decided (with a lot of encouragement from my husband) to use what I love doing to bless others more and MORE!
When my nailpolish rack arrived I was gonna hang it in our room in our bathroom, and my husband was like NO! you need to hang out there so you can do people's nails more often!
So I am taking over the office with my nail stuff. haha!!!
I feel like I'm totally filling a stereotype of korean girl doing nails, but hey.. maybe it IS in my bones. I like doing it, its fun and I get to spend time with people while I do them.
So... spontaneous nail night started yesterday.
Got to do a couple of girl's nails and now I think I'm going to do it on a regular basis at certain times on certain days so people can just drop by. (and hopefully have yummy treats to eat too!)
I wanted to share this to encourage all of you out there to use the things you love to do to bless others. It might be something as simple as painting people's nails. Not everyone LIKES doing or is good at doing things you might delight in doing and find very easy to do....
You will be amazed at how great you feel making someone else feel good while doing something you love!
So the last couple of times I've gone to the store I've seen these 'pancake bottles' there are always 'cupcake bottles' right next to them, but from what I can see...they are exactly the same.
My kids LOVE pancakes, all three of them...so I thought it would be a good investment. I had previously bought the frying pans embossed with smiley faces, but I could never get the pancakes out and always ended up smushing them or burning them.
I wasn't sure how it would work, but it worked so easy! you have to squirt pretty fast, but this was my first try and it worked great! my son wanted a spider and spiderweb and my daughter asked for a little girl.
I'm sure there are different companies that make them, but mine is by "tovolo" and I got it at homegoods for $5.99. Not bad for mornings of fun!!! The bottle and nozzle are super squishy and the bottom comes off for easy cleaning too! :)
Growth is such a natural part of life, yet I feel like at a certain point we don't want to grow anymore. We become so comfortable and 'safe' where we are that growth isn't welcome.
I want to make sure that I'm always open to growth. Is it easy? sometimes, but not always. Often growth means getting rid of things we might like, like getting rid of your favorite pants that are now too small. Sometimes it means trying new things, like a baby learning to eat new food. Trying things that are hard even if you fall...and it hurts. Watching that little girl trying to stand on her own and fall over and over her...determination is admirable.
Growth isn't always easy... but growth produces the ability to enjoy a life that is better. Yes its comfortable to eat what you are use to, stay where your mom puts you and babble instead of talk. But there comes a point where growing is good and takes you to another level.
I don't ever want to just be comfortable and satisfied where I am. I am content, but I strive for more.
I have a good life and it is full and satisfying. Yet I know that God has more for me.
So I am open and asking Him to show me, push me, encourage me and teach me to be a better person. a better mom. a better wife. a better friend. a better daughter. a better sister. a better me....
Can't wait to see what the next stage has in store :)
Since the whole 'nail art' trend has gone to another level with everyone I thought I'd share some of the ways I do my nail art. I haven't been doing my nails as crazy as I use to, just because I don't have the time...but I will be posting more nail tutorials (in the middle of the night as everyone sleeps) hopefully soon!
Here is the next nail look, coming soon... Braided Nails!
The last week I have been reminded why I am Canadian. I often wonder what I am doing in California when my favorite seasons are winter and fall. I swear my insides are sweating. I'm such a baby. haha!!!
I know this isn't an 'extreme' situation, but the other day we had been cleaning and moving stuff in the heat and I felt like I had nothing left in me. Made me think about how we are in different situations. Uncomfortable situations, panic situations, frustrating situations... I think its in those times your 'secret self' comes out. The parts of you that most people don't see...but are there.
I want my secret self to be a pleasant one, so I've been trying extra hard to control myself when I don't want to..am tired, and cranky.
So being that it is so hot, I've changed up my every day makeup a little bit. Hope this helps for any of you living in a hot place, do sports, need long lasting makeup for whatever reason!
Hope you all have a good week!
Products used:
Liole Veil BB Cream in green
sigma f80 & f82 brushes
Revlon Photoready Foundation in Golden Beige
Sonia Kashuk Concealer Palette
MAC Mineralize skinfinish in Medium Dark and Dark
Anastasia Brow powder in Ebony
Hard Candy Eye Def
L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe
Milani Infinite Liquid Liner
Maybelline Falsies mascara in waterproof
Revlon kissable balmstain in Lovesick
If it were up to me, I would use korean makeup 100% of the time. Especially face makeup. I remember the first time someone gave me a 'twin cake' compact from korea... I was sold. My skin looked flawless, and after using that compact, no other powder I tried here seemed to compare. I have to say, koreans are good at anything beauty. (I have to admit, when I was in Korea...I thought there was a bit too much emphasis on beauty...BUT with that said, they make good products!)
The BB Cream "craze " has come to America... but really its been around in Korea for ages. Originally created for women who had 'treatment's' done to their face, BB creams were made as 'safe' makeup that was actually good for your skin, delicate enough for skin that had been treated with laser, and coverage and protection all at the same time.
I've tried several different types of BB creams and have been oogling over Liole products for quite some time now. What can I say, I'm a sucker for packaging and the little cinderella-ish princess carriage makes me want to have all of their products!
I recently got these BB creams and I have to say that it couldn't have come at a better time. This heat wave we are in is no friend to makeup. Amazingly, my face is still in tact at the end of the night..
Go BB Creams!!!
use "aboutalot" in promo code for 15% off!
This is the Water Drop BB. $22.80
I was excited to try this one (especially for fall and winter) because I have really dry skin. If you have dry skin, you know that a lot of times makeup can make the dry patches look flaky and accentuate the dryness. This is literally like a drink of water for your skin. It goes on like water...and you skin eats it up. It strangely refreshing. Definitely more sheer coverage, so if you need more full coverage you may need to wear a bit more concealer with this one. I can already tell this will be my go to for fall and winter.
"Lioele Water Drop BB (SPF27 / PA++) supplies the skin with a natural glow rather than by adding pearl using its cool water droplets. This BB Cream releases moisture drops to provide ample hydration and enhances skin's natural radiant glow while covering blemishes for a clean and natural finish. This helps to simultaneously block UVA & UVB while also relieving reddened skin. The water drop formula both moisturizes and covers skin imperfection. Water capture system provides increased hydration when compared to other types of BB cream without a water capture system. Water droplets form upon application, making skin feel cool and moist with a light coverage and no stickiness. This Lioele Water Drop BB Cream contains various plant extracts, Trehalose, and Oligo HA, to help maintain healthy moisture level while leaving a dewy flawless look.
This is what I like to call 'the gangster, hardcore version of BB Cream" this is a thicker more full coverage BB Cream. this one is not going anywhere. At first it feels kind of thick and looks almost an ashy grey, but once it sets in your skin looks WAY better than before. It stays on all day and doesn't budge. I wish there were more color options for different skin tones though. I am a NC35 ish olive skin tone and it is a tad light, but after bronzer and powder it looked perfect.
"Lioele Triple Solution BB Cream (SPF 30 PA++) is a special BB Cream which works greatly in Whitening & Wrinkle Care & UV Protection. Its natural looking coverage lets your skin look healthier and smoother. Not only will it brighten your skin tone, but it will also protect it from harmful UVA/UVB rays. With A little volume of BB cream, it hides most of skin trouble so that you can have an almost flawless complexion. Benefits include: it adheres tightly to skin due to the fermented yoghurt component, it perfectly protects you from the sun, continuous use will result in wrinkle reduction and whitening, saves you time because it’s a 3 in one solution of makeup base + sunblock + bb, it will not leave your skin feeling greasy or sticky. Contains tangerine and strawberry extracts that brighten skin by lightening the color of blemishes.
Ingredients Yoghurt powder and hyaluronic acid provide moisture and nutrients to the skin to keep it soft and moist. Does not contain any stimulating organic UV block, but protects harmful UV rays at SPF30 and PA++ to prevent the formation blemishes such as liver spots or freckles. Contains tangerine and strawberry extracts that brighten skin by lightening the color of blemishes."
Silky Highlighter BB Touch $25.50
Ok this one is a BB Cream for your whole face to make your face look 'glowy', but I use it just as a highlighter. I LOVE it. A lot of highlighters are overly shimmery and sparkly. This one just brightens and smooths. (my gigantic pores look pretty! haha!) I love how it dispenses, although I dot it on and blend it in with my fingers... something about BB Creams, I feel like they work the best when you apply with your fingers, but that's just me! It apparently is suppose to make your face look slimmer. I might need a bigger tube to slap this on my love handles! hahahha!!
"Lioele's Silky Highlighter B.B Touch's brush makes application a breeze, illuminating as it covers. With its new generation, hydra-smoothing hyaluronic acid micro-spheres that blend into the skin tissues, it expands with water to recreate volume. Microfine brush-pen is created with soft artificial brush that is simple to use. It helps the BB cream adhere so closely to the skin as if it it would absorbed into skin to effectively and gently cover blemishes.The brush-pen helps to covers freckles and protruding areas that are difficult to cover with fingers or puffs. It contains microscopic subtle pearl to give skin a glowing and luxurious look. The 3D effects by Pearl BB Cream makes the face appear slimmer.
DAAAAAANG GINA! ok this might be one of my new must haves for life. I got this makeup base in green...and its like making my face a blank, CLEAN canvas for my makeup. I love it. I have a lot of red splotches and age spots and I feel like it really evens it out. It doesn't completely cover everything, but I feel like it makes my skin "ready" to be covered up. After I apply I do my normal foundation routine and everything looks flawless...and it lasts! I did so much the other day in 113 degree weather with non air conditioning, and at the end of the day I must say.. I looked pretty dang good! haha!
"The Lioele Dollish Veil Vita BB SPF25 PA++ (Natural Green) is a BB cream with multifunction: Make Up Base + BB Cream + Sunblock. It works as a makeup base and BB cream and is effective for skin tone correction and coverage. This is a new type of BB cream which not only protects the skin with vitamins but expressing more natural skin tones by changing capsule colors right after application. It's leaves your skin moisturized with a matte finish. The Lioele Dollish Veil Vita BB corrects and shades skins' imperfections and contains 6 natural vitamins to protect your skin.
So I really wanted to do a separate review for each product and make myself look 'prettier' so you could really see the amazingness of each of these products, but I think the true testament is to see me after a long, hot, sweaty day.. still looking OK.
You will definitely see me talking about these again!!! woot woot~
All these products are linked and are from natural radiance.net. They have amazing products, I wish I owned everything on their site. Korean sheet masks, makeup, cream, skincare, eyelashes. Seriously, check them out. It also helps that they are super super nice and helpful. Also like their Facebook page, they have giveaways all the time!
For some reason once in a while I remember my dad singing "its hard to be humble"...strange memory, but so true. I think it is so hard for people to humble. A rare, but beautiful trait to have. This is one characteristic I don't run into very often, but when I do...it does something to me. It warms my heart and I feel full of love and feel that there is still good, deeply good in people.
so, just a couple of thoughts for the tidbit of the day!
I recently got these GORGEOUS earrings from Vivid Jewelry and I am in LOVE with so many of her pieces. Everything is so classy, feminine and timeless. Thought I'd share some of my favorites...(which was hard, I love everything! for real.. so gorgeous)
I will link each picture to that item in her store...hope you fall in love too!
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