Post Halloween Sales

Ever since I've lived on my own, the day after a holiday, I hit both Target and Hobby Lobby to take a peak at their holiday clearance sections.  I have pretty much furnished my entire collection of holiday decor doing this, and I get great deals.  This year, Target has all of their Halloween items 50% off, and Hobby Lobby has a (slightly disappointing) 66% off.  In years past, they've had up to 80% off.

I didn't buy anything from Hobby Lobby, which is ironic, because that's where I have bought the majority of my holiday decor, but I hit the Target jackpot.  If you have a Target in your area and love Halloween, I'd recommend popping in.  My Target still had a ton of stuff!

Here's what I bought:

I basically figured out my Halloween costume for next year.  I usually don't have an opportunity to dress up, besides at work, and even then, I don't want to go totally overboard.  This cute witch hat and matching witches tights would look perfect!

They also had this cute set of votive candles, perfect Harvest table decor!

I usually don't go too scary for my Halloween decorations, but I couldn't resist these gauzy LED purple lights.  I bought two packs.  I'm hoping we can put them on the door of our new house next year!

These spider webs are a must for Halloween decor, especially if you are on a budget.  They can easily last a few years if you take care of them properly, and can be put almost anywhere. 

Kyle and I have sworn off using pumpkin carving kits, but these were so cheap, that I thought I'd grab a few to try.  It might be easier than using our flatware. 

I've already de-Halloweened and Thanksgiving-ed my house.  Did I mention how much I LOVE decorating for the holidays??

October Favorites

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!!!!!

I love this day so much.  It's my very-close-second favorite holiday (Christmas being my first, and Christmas only wins, because it's a whole season).  To celebrate this wonderful day, I am going to bring you my first monthly favorites post.

Here is what I have been loving in October:   

Neutrogena's Nourishing Eyeliner in Spiced Chocolate:  LOVE this stuff.  I have used the Revlon Colorstay eyeliner for years, but recently went rogue and purchased this baby.  I love it.  It's smooth and creamy with great pigmentation.  It also lasts all day, but still comes off fairly easily.

Dr Bronner's Magic Soaps All-One Hemp Peppermint Pure Castille Soap:  I've been looking for an (ahem) less expensive version of the Lush soaps, and I think I may have found it.  My grocery store had a coupon for buy one for $3.99 get one free.  That's a hell of a lot less than Lush's prices.  So far, I LOVE this stuff.  It leaves my skin silky and smooth with zero dryness or residue.

Lush BIG Shampoo:  This shampoo is incredible.  I use it once a week as a clarifying shampoo, and it truly increases the volume in my hair.  It also feels baby soft and silky.  The only downside is that it is a little drying, but I make sure and follow up with a hefty conditioner. 

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti Chip Top Coat:  I've been really into painting my nails lately.  I'm extremely hard on my hands, being a nurse, so I'm always looking for fast dry options.  I've given up on long lasting nail polish, and Shellac is super hard on my nails.  So, this is the next best option.  No matter how thick the nail polish coats, this stuff dries my nails within 1-2 minutes.  It's pretty incredible.  The consistency is a little odd, almost like a really thick semi-dried out nail polish, but it applies nicely and still dries incredibly fast. 

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Powder in Autumn Catwalk:  I think this stuff was about $4-5 at my local grocery store, and the pigmentation rivals my more expensive blushes.  I absolutely love it.  It has just the right amount of shimmer/highlight to be subtle, and it lasts ALL day.  Go get this now!

 Up and Up (Target) Brand Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes in the purple/blue color:  These wipes are fabulous.  I recently started using a gentler cleanser, so I decided to try these wipes to remove my makeup at night.  They work SO well.  I still have to remove my eye makeup with coconut oil (the mascara I have right now is super water proof), but I don't mind.  It removes my makeup, but is still gentle on my skin and not drying. 

Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser:  A sweet friend of mine has become my new skin care guru, and she recommend this face wash to me.  I love it!!  Since winter is a-coming (sometime), I think it's important to update my skin care routine for the changing, dryer weather.  This cleanser thoroughly cleanses my face, but still leaves it soft and smooth.  It's totally non-drying, and it really works in conjunction with a few other of my prescription medications (Retin-A Micro .04% and Spironolactone) to combat my occasional hormonal breakouts.  

The Best Makeup Tip I've Learned This Year

Hooded Eyes

I've always had difficulty when applying eyeshadow on my outer corner and crease, but I never knew why.  It would smudge into strange shapes, and I could never apply it evenly.  Firstly, I wasn't using the right tools, but secondly, I wasn't applying the shadow correctly for my eye shape.

I'm blessed (NOT) with hooded eyes.  I am seriously allergic to everything, so the puffiness from allergies only exacerbates the hooding.  Recently, I learned what my eye shape was and I've been doing my eye shadow differently ever since.  It makes a HUGE difference.

This is a photo of just my eyes after a makeup trial for my wedding.  As you can see, when looking straight on, there is very little movable eyelid (the eye lid that is covering my actual eye ball).  I also do not have an obvious crease, shown below, with my eyes closed.

In order for my makeup to actually look good, I've now learned there are several things I must do:

1. Do NOT apply dark eyeshadow to the movable eye lid.  Since dark colors make things on your face look sunken in (contoured), you do not want to make your movable lid more sunken in by applying a dark color.  Now, I will do what is shown above and apply a lighter color to the inner corner of my eye, a medium shade to the middle of my movable lid, and a darker corner on the outer part of my lid to make a gradient of color.

2. DO apply a darker shade to the 'crease' (or in my case, the area where one's natural crease would be).  This makes me eyes look more defined, and less puffy.

3.  Do NOT apply a shimmery highlight shade to my brow bone.  I can both understand this and disagree with this point.  Highlight/shimmer shades tend to bring facial features forward.  Since your eyes are naturally hooded/slightly puffy, you do not want your brow bone to also appear more prominent.  I personally don't think it's THAT big of a deal, as long as you don't apply a TON of glittery, shimmery highlight.

4. DO focus on your lashes.  My lashes have always looked better when they are super volumized and curled, and now I realize why.  Women who have hooded lids need their eyelashes to stand out more to make them appear less puffy/more awake.

Celebrities with hooded eye lids that I use for reference include Blake Lively and Cat Deely.  Blake's eyelids are actually much worse than mine.  Her movable eyelid is practically non existent when her eyes are open.

Pixiwoo are two British sisters who give amazing makeup tutorials on YouTube and have greatly helped me better my makeup self.  Here is a great blog post they wrote (with links to many of their YouTube videos) on how to do makeup for different eye shapes.  Here is an excellent post on different makeup tips for eye shapes.  Hopefully you will have normal eyes and not have to make adjustments, but if you have a different eye shape, it's definitely to your benefit to learn how to properly apply your makeup.   

Bath and Body Works Haul

Bath and Body Works Pre-Christmas and Post-Fall Sale Haul

I popped into Bath and Body Works after voting yesterday with the hopes of purchasing a new fall candle.  I burned through my Leaves candle in an insanely short amount of time.  I just love that scent so much that I burned it almost constantly while I was home.  Next year, I've learned, I'll buy a back up.  Their fall candles, while very limited, were all 50% off, so I picked up the Autumn Day scent.  I was initially thrown off a bit by the sweet pear scent, but now that I've burned it some, I absolutely love it.

Their hand soaps and Wallflowers were also on sale, so I swiped up some of the Christmas scents.  I was a little disappointed in their new Holiday scents this year.  While the usual Vanilla Bean Noel still wowed me (as always), the other ones were just so-so.  There's also one ginger-vanilla hybrid hand soap that's just yucky smelling.  I like to buy the foaming hand soap in the holiday scents, because they don't last as long.  Let's face it, it'd be depressing to have a Christmas scented soap in February.    

I also have been loving my Wallflowers lately, and needed two new plugs for both our living room and bedroom.  We also needed a few new holiday replacement scents, so I picked up a Marshmallow Fireside (my new FAVORITE Bath and Body Works scent this year, and one of my top five of all time now) and Winter bulb.

The white wall plug is ADORABLE.  It's for our room.  I can't wait to see how it looks in there.  Here's a detail shot.

I can't wait for their next 2 for $20 candle sale.  I missed the last one by a few days.  Winter candles, here I come!!! 

My Thoughts on Voting

My Thoughts on Voting

(Not a Political Post)

I voted today. Early voting is something I have always done, and it was a huge weight off my shoulders.

Like my religious beliefs, my political beliefs are VERY private and personal for me. You'll never see me posting my thoughts all over Facebook, or getting into arguments with people over their beliefs. To each their own. I think that at this stage in our adult lives, we pretty much have our minds set on what we believe and do not believe. Putting someone down because they don't believe what you do only makes you look intolerant.

I personally like to quietly listen to opinions, but I don't give them except to my immediate family and husband. I formulate my own opinions as best I can and truly try to look at both sides. Then I do my civic duty and vote, which I encourage all my readers to as well. Information about early voting and locations can be found on your city's government website.  Information from San Antonio (my town) specifically can be found at: http://elections.bexar.org/

5 Makeup Products I Can't Live Without

The Five Makeup Products I Can't Live Without

 

1. Mascara

I am lucky enough (not) to have eyelashes with blonde tips.  So, when I have no makeup on, I look like I have no eyelashes.  Not only that, but I also have hooded eye lids, which scream for mascara.  I'm still looking for my holy grail mascara, but some that I like well enough are: Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara, Benefit They're Real Mascara,  and Diorshow Iconic Extreme Waterproof Mascara.  I still have yet to find a drug store mascara that I even remotely like.

 2. BB Cream/Tinted Moisturizer

I've been using the Garnier BB Cream for a while now, and absolutely love it.  I have heard complaints from other people about it being a bit greasy, but I have very combination skin, so it's not a problem for me.  It's been a miracle for me in the summer, when I don't want to cake on heavy foundation along with powder.  I make sure to set it with powder, the Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder is my favorite, and I'm good to go!

3. Eyebrow Powder

The eyebrow powder I have used all my life is the Cliniqe Brow Shaper.  I couldn't live without it.  It lasts an INSANE amount of time, and stays in place.  It helps shape my sparse eyebrows.  I recently went lighter after learning that you should go a shade or two LIGHTER with your eyebrow powder, and I think it makes a big difference.

4. Gel Eyeliner

Gel eyeliner is a hybrid between the smoothest eye pencil you've ever used and a liquid eyeliner.  It's more forgiving than liquid, allowing more time to smudge and correct mistakes.  However, it stays longer than pencil eyeliner.  It also usually washes off very easily.  The two that are my absolute favorites are my Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner and the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner.  Both have very similar application, drying time, etc.  However, I've noticed the Maybelline dries out a bit faster than the Bobbi Brown and that it is slightly less pigmented.

5. Blotting Papers

Since the South Texas heat and humidity tends to be brutal on my already slightly oily skin, blotting papers are a must to carry in my makeup bag.  Boscia Blotting Linens in the Green Tea version are my absolute favorite. 

Diet Update

Hello all!!  I have been thoroughly surprised at how easy it's been to cut most carbs out of my life.  I cheated on our vacation and ate whatever I wanted, but with all the walking we did, I actually lost weight.  So far, I have lost about 10 pounds and feel great.  I've been prehypertensive for a long time now, but since starting this low carb/clean eating lifestyle, my blood pressure has been the lowest it's ever been.  This is amazing, since I have a genetic predisposition to high blood pressure, so I really have to keep myself in check.  I would say that if I had to put a name to my new lifestyle eating principles, it would be a combination of low carb (except I eat fruit), clean eating, and Paleo.  Here are the basic principles I've been following:

Nothing white:  No pasta, no white rice, no sugar whatsoever (only Stevia), nothing processed, and no refined carbohydrates.
Limited whole grains:  I've been snacking on Ezekiel bread whenever I NEED a carbohydrate in my life.  They're cinnamon raisin is incredible and very filling.  I'll also eat some Wasa crackers with hummus if I need a crunch.
Organic Popcorn:  I've been getting the Central Market brand organic popcorn in their mini snack bags, and this has been a lifesaver.  Popcorn is the ONLY true light food that fills me up.  The ingredients in the organic popcorn are natural, and it is delicious. 
Protein, Veggies:  For dinner, I've been making a high protein meat like chicken, with a vegetable such as broccoli or a side salad.  If I make a dish that calls for pasta, I omit it.  One of my favorite snacks is frozen edamame with a small amount of salt.  Delicious and so filling! 
Indulgence 5% of the time:  I had a friend come in town this weekend with lots of eating out and football.  I let myself eat like crap.  Then Sunday, I recovered with salad and good foods.  On Halloween, I know I'm going to eat sweets, and on Thanksgiving, you better believe I'm going to eat that gravy and stuffing until my heart's desire.  However, I will adjust and eat better on the days leading up to it and afterward. 
Flour Substitutes:  Almond flour is the BOMB.com.  I have been able to make Paleo-friendly apple muffins with ZERO carbohydrates (only from the apples) with almond flour.  It's truly amazing how many GOOD flour substitutes there are out there.  I make a clean eating mug brownie with almond flour, cocoa powder, Stevia, and coconut oil that is to die for!    

I'm starting to crave salads and lean proteins.  I don't even miss the pasta, breads, that used to make 70% of my diet before.  It's a wonderful eating plan, and I would highly recommend it if it fits into your lifestyle.

If you have any questions about my particular diet, I'd love to answer them!