It's Official

I am chopping my hair off within the next couple of weeks! I can't take it anymore!

I figure this is a good one (and it also may have something to do with my recent bout of "catch up" with The Hills) I love me some Lauren Conrad; and it also will be good to cover my gargantchuan forehead and it's still long enough that I can put it up and do interesting things with it!


PS: I have a suprise tomorrow!

Some New Drugstore Favorites

I've recently been trying out a few new products because they've either 1. stopped making the previous product I was using or 2. I needed something new or wasn't satisfied with the results of the previous product. Plus with the economy the way it is I personally cannot afford to go out and spend a ton on beauty products. So here are some of my new favorite things from my medicine cabinet..


Dove's Smooth Cashmere Deodorant: this stuff is fantastic! I feel fresh and dry all day (even at the gym) and it smells absolutely wonderful the way I would describe it would be a fresh spring day! And the best part is it does work for 16 hours because I put it on in the morning and can still smell it (a slight hint) at night before I go to bed.....and of course it doesn't leave marks on my clothes and my armpits are now smooth LOL!



Almay self sharpening eyeliner crayon in Black Brown: this stuff is great it glides on smooth and doesn't drag like some eyeliners do. The packaging promises a 16 hour lasting power without smudging...and I'd say it gets pretty darn close to that. It's great for the $6 price tag.

Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Facial Scrub: I picked this up because in the morning when I wake up I would feel that my skin felt a little flaky and that my makeup wouldn't go on smooth even after washing my face with my Mary Kay face wash which is supposed to have exfoliators in it also but it just wasn't doing the trick so I got this because not only does it promise exfoliation but also to help even out skin tone which was a good hook for me because I have what I like to call ruddy skin it's just not even so I've been using this in the morning before putting on my makeup and using my Mary Kay products at night. It seems to be helping and J. said he has noticed an improvement in my skin tone so we'll see...It cost about $7 at Walmart.

Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray: I use a blow dryer on my hair about every other day and a straightening iron about once or twice a week so this stuff helps to keep damage control on my heat styled hair. It's good stuff for the money because I'm definitely not going to shell out the $30 for the CHI stuff...smells good too so that's a plus. It's about $4 at Walmart and Target


Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette: I just got this yesterday and I'm already addicted. It has 4 colors in it one that is slightly green tinted for covering up zits and toning down redness, and then a few other regular colors to cover up all areas of your face and so you can mix and match to get the correct color. It's $10 at Target and I say well worth it too!


What are some of your favorite drugstore beauty products?

Comment below!

My Current Obsessions

I have recently become obsessed with some things I've come across...so here is a list...

1. Youtube makeup and hair tutorials! You can find out how to do just about anything you can think of on there! If you are looking for how to do Lauren Conrad from The Hills braided headband you can find it! If you want a natural look to wear everyday or how to pluck your eyebrows it's there! Check it out! I can't stop watching!

2. Pioneer Woman Holy Batman folks this woman is just pure awesomeness! She has taught me most if not all I know about photoshop and I've tried like 4 of her recipes and dang they are GOOD! Check her out too!

3. Photoshop once again holy batman! My pictures have gotten so much better since I learned how to do even just the basics with this program! I took some of our engagement photos that didn't turn out so great and made the AWESOME, wall worthy even!

4. Photoshop actions are pure genius! Especially free ones! I found a bunch on Coffee Shop Actions and Pioneer Woman offers two huge sets for FREE! Check them out!

5. Stripped shortbread cookies from the dollar tree. Best cheapo cookies I've ever had! I've gone through an entire package in 2 days!

Ok I'm done....TGIF tomorrow and HOPEFULLY some wedding pictures! YAY!

Hair-apy Part I

I have been so bored with my hair lately (I have a love hate relationship with it honestly) that I've been considering chopping it all off to about just above my shoulders like I had it in high school BUT then I think about how long it took me to grow it out (2 1/2 years) and how I can put it up easily and do a few more things with it that I chicken out. My hair at this point is so long that it just hangs there like a mop. Boring and BLAH! So in my quest to find something new to do to my hair I decided I had one of two choices:

1. Dye my hair which I've really been wanting to dye it dark brown for a while especially after seen Reese Witherspoon in Walk The Line as June Carter Cash.

or

2. Find some new hair styles and see if that tickles my fancy.

So way back in October I had boudior photos taken for J. as a wedding gift. I had my hair done at a salon and I told the girl I wanted it like an old vintage pin-up girl would wear her hair. So what we came up with was loose wavy curls. Now what no one understands here is my hair does not EVER hold curl (not for very long atleast) but somehow this girl got it to stay AND to top it all off she curled it with a STRAIGHTENER!

In my quest for new hair styles I looked on youtube for videos on how exactly to curl your hair with a straightener and I struck gold!

Take a look, it seems so simple! This girl is funny.



After watching this I feel like I could possibly do this with a little bit of styling product and a good straightener. So tomorrow I'm going to head off and find a nice straightener and some good product.

Does anyone have any good suggestions for a good straightener (not a CHI) and product?

I'll let you in on the results!

Product Love: Cover Girl Lash Exact Eyelights Mascara

OK, usually I don't do this but I just had to tell you guys about this stuff. In early January I decided it was finally time to throw the old mascara away and buy a new tube. I usually go with Maybelline Full Lash but decided to try something new on a whim.

I was going to try the Almay eye color enhancing mascara but at almost $10 at Walmart I decided to walk the other way. So as I was perusing the aisles I found this and it was basically the same exact thing as the Almay mascara just $3 cheaper so I tossed it in my cart and decided to give it a whirl.

I brought it home and decided to use it that day. Let me tell ya I love this stuff! It really does "brighten your eyes" as they say on the package. Even with just the mascara on and nothing else I feel more made up and fresh than I did previously with a whole ton of gunk on my face.

J. even noticed a difference. That day he walked in and said "you look different, but good different. What is different? Are you wearing makeup?" I replied "yeah just not a whole lot like usual" and he said he liked it so that gives it even more kudos if the husband notices and likes it!

Anyways, as far as the product goes it doesn't clump and it comes in either waterproof or just regular non waterproof. I got the waterproof and I don't have any problem with raccoon eyes or anything it stays put all day long (and long into the night when I forget to take it off before going to bed) man if Hilary knew I said that she'd show me pictures of eyelash mites again and tell me creepy eyelash falling out stories.

So, in terms of a number rating I give this mascara a 9, and that's only because when I do take it off at night I kind of have to be a little generous with the eye makeup remover and work a little harder than usual to take it off but to me it's worth it.

Confidence = Beauty

OK, let me first explain to you that all my life even though I am skinny as a rail and all that I've been made fun of for it, just the same as any overweight girl would have been. They had obnoxious nicknames for me (even my family). Anyways I'm not trying to make any one pitty me here so I'm gonna get to my point here. I have never been confident in my looks or felt very pretty.

During high school I was so vain I would never walk out of the house in the morning without putting makeup on and being fixed just so. I tried wearing the latest trends in clothes and still just felt ridiculous. I'm still slightly guilty of this to this day. Only I've gotten lazy. I'll leave the house without makeup and just have my hair thrown up in a pony tail and in a pair of running shorts and a tshirt. I tell you what though this doesn't make me feel any better about myself.

I've always ever since I can remember wanted someone to tell me what I should wear to accentuate the parts of my body that I like and have someone tell me how I should do my makeup to look nice, and show me how to do something with my hair besides wear it down and flat just hanging there or even worse in a bun or pony tail.

Well, like I have mentioned before in a previous post I had a consultation with a Mary Kay lady & man I tell you what I recommend having one done to any of you. She color matched foundation to my skin (no more ring around the jaw=mask) and showed me how to hide my dark cirlces and accentuate my blue eyes (my favorite feature). I loved what she did for me so much that I wanted her to do my makeup for my wedding and we did the trial and she did an awesome job. She even did my makeup for my boudior shoot and I felt just glamourous.

She also showed me how to properly take care of my skin. I have always had a bad habit of not washing my face before going to bed or even in the morning. That's gross I know, I told ya I was lazy. Now, since getting these new products and actually seeing what they can do for my skin and how much better I look even without makeup on I have been washing my face morning and night. She said it could take up to 2 weeks for everything to work its self out so after two weeks I should see a dramatic difference. I plan to take an after shot at about 3 weeks from now (i've been using it for a week now) to show everyone the difference.

Even J. notices a difference in my skin. He'll come in after work and say "are you wearing makeup?" and I'll tell him no and he'll say "well you look like you are your skin is looking really nice" which helps.

Poor J. though he always makes a concious effort to tell me that I look nice and my brain just cannot seem to wrap it self around the concept that I can actually look nice. I wish that I could but I can't; maybe one day.....

Maybe one day I can finally fully (I'm getting there slowly) accept myself and my body and skin for what I have.

So anyways. what do you do to make yourself feel more confident or what is your number one confidence booster? When did you finally accept the skin you are in? I'd love to know and even try some of your tips out!