Hoozey's blog

For Sue-- some smoky eyes and long delayed FOTD

So Sue has a wedding to attend soon and was asking about e/s colors to do a smoky eye look. She likes Steeler Black so I did several options using Steeler Black as the darkest color. I didn't bother with any liner and by the end I was getting a bit sloppy with application but knocked these out in less than an hour including washing in between and photos. I did different colors on each eye so it's not just bad technique. LOL 

ALL LOOKS- Steeler Black outer V and lower lash line LWG as brow highlight

Options 1 & 2

P1000047

My Right Eye/your left- Copperhead all over lid and in crease. Steeler Black. A little LWG inner corner.

My Left/ your right- Cocoa Nut all over lid and crease. Steeler Black. LWG- a little to inner corner and right above iris too. 

Options 3 & 4 

P1000056

My Right-Leaping Lizard all over lid and in crease. Silver Fog over LL below crease and lower lash line. Steeler Black. LWG. 

My Left- Miss Gigi all over lid and in crease. Steeler Black, LWG

Options 5 & 6

P1000064

My Right- Haute Stuff all over lid and in crease. Steeler Black , LWG

 

My Left- Olive It all over lid  and in crease. Olive Fab Middle , Steeler Black, LWG

Options 7 & 8

P1000070

My Right- Silver Fog inner 2/3 of lid Steeler Black, LWG

My Left- Brilliant Blue all over lid and in crease. Steeler Black LWG

Options 9 & 10

P1000079

P1000079

My Right- Fiery all over lid, Espresso Yourself Middle, Steeler Black, LWG,

My Left- Bonanza all over lid, Mr. Sully outer crease, Steeler Black, LWG 

P1000037

I was in Target yesterday and saw some Sonia Kashuk eye brushes (bamboo handles) but for $19.95 for three I passed this time. I did pick up 

P1000039

more Studio Tools brushes- Crease ($1.99) and Smudge ($2.49) Both worthy for price. I love the smudge for packing on color. 

Last is FOTD from 3-2

P1020210

Dayna foundation applied with Lumiere Flat Top and MMBB Grape spray

Perfect Pink Blush

Eyes: elf Prime and Seal - I maybe didn't wait long enough for the primer to set up because I did get some creasing. I got DD this product and she LOVES the Seal end-- does a line of it and then tops with minerals like I use Milan Gelle Drops. Nice thing about this product is that it has the applicator so you don't have to dirty a brush. 

Flaxen Light all over lid, In-crease (in crease) Brought to Light, middle of lid, elf Waterproof Plum liner ($1!!) elf Pearl along lower lash. 

Lips- elf prime and plump- prime end does get rid of color but then mutes colors on lips- like wearing concealer on lips. Plump end does tingle a bit but not irritating like Sexy Motherpucker. 

elf mint gloss ($3) in New York. (Really like these colors- got DD San Diego at Target yesterday (more coral) which she fell in love with)

Gotta get squats in- youngest son has bass lessons tonight so afternoon will get crazy.

Long time no post... photo heavy- more shoes. LOL

Hi. Sorry it's been so long since I last posted. A little catchup in certainly in order. 

*Feb. 19 was a really bad day for me- hot water heaters weren't functioning properly. I finally figured out how to light the gas one but still wasn't get hot water. DH finally got home and looked at the electric one (which the gas one dumps into) thinking that he'd just by-pass it but all he needed to do was press the reset button. I will know for the next time. GRRR!! At least it didn't cost anything. 

*Last week I worked on a neighbor's window treatment along with the typical stuff I do day in and day out. So that kept me a little extra occupied. I finally took photos of the boys' room finished- along with the old Steelers jerseys that I mounted to walls. No the room isn't usually this tidy- that's why it's taken me so long to get these photos- I had to clean before I'd take them. Boys are piggy. 

I also did a new window treatment for the kids' TV room because I bought a chocolate 2 piece slipcover for the loveseat and the old burgundy and hunter green one wasn't cutting it. I love this fabric- it's chocolate background with golds, reds and even a little black in it. BTW the pole vaulting poster is actually DH at Penn Relays years ago- and he didn't make this jump- bar fell after photo LOL. 

P1020030

P1020033

*Friday night DH and I went to this restaurant downtown where a favorite band Tyrone Dunn Experiment would be playing later. My youngest son's bass teacher (you can see him at the beginning of this video) plays in this band. The lead singer is incredibly talented and I just love the music they play. Dinner was incredible. We started out with a seafood appetizer of ahi tuna and shrimp. OMG the ahi was like butter- it just melted in one's mouth and with the cucumber wasabi dressing, heaven. We ordered a bottle of Louis Martini Cabernet (which I love since I bought 6 bottles at Christmas time for ourselves and as gifts.) For dinner I ordered scallop in a white wine, bacon and butter sauce and the waitress says again (said it about appetizer choice) "Oh that's my favorite." I said "I bet you say that about every order." LOL She explained that they really were her favorites and I can see why. My dinner was divine! DH got stuffed pork chops. At the end DH ordered chocolate raspberry cake. I only had a few bites seeing that I am trying to follow Belly Fat Cure. I was really proud of myself for holding back considering how yummy it was. Super dark fudge frosting- my mouth is drooling just thinking about it. After dinner we went over to the bar area to watch TDX.  

DH isn't good in crowds and it was really crowded and really not our scene since most were on the prowl in the bar. If a man even looked in my direction, DH would burr up like an aggressive dog protecting his stuff. It's even worse since he'd just gotten home from a long week in Chicago- so he's really tired and cranky. My son's bass teacher really wanted us to say "hello" if we showed up so we stayed for first set. There was one older lady there, I'm guessing mid-60s that epitomized everything I DON'T want to do when I'm that age. She was in respectable shape for her age but dressed way too young- skin tight low-rider skinny jeans in stiletto heeled knee high boots. She was obviously drinking (drunk) and dancing provocatively.  The majority of the crowd was early thirties so she just looked rather sad and pathetic. Definitely not classy. It's funny because DH wanted me to wear a dress but I told him that I didn't want to because it would be "trying too hard" and I didn't want to be like some of the women I'd seen the last time we went there (Christmas with my mom and Brian.) I was so happy I'd followed my instincts and just wore some jeans and sweater. Some examples of what I didn't want to look like-- one lady (late 40s to mid 50s) was in skin tight jeans, high heels (really long pointy toes- think porn) black sequin top with tiger stripe cardigan. Another early 30 woman in short black dress that had long fringe from about right below bust line to skirt bottom- just looked out of place. Trying way too hard to be noticed- just reeks of desperation. 

*Saturday DH, boys and I went bowling.  I noticed my workouts are working... I was using the 15 pound Steeler ball and it felt so light. Even after 4 games, I was having no trouble with the weight. Usually my right arm is pretty sore from bowling by the end. It was really crowded because the other bowling alley was having a charity event. There was every sort of redneck there. Like new mom, baby couldn't have weighed 8 pounds and was only a few weeks old, who was smoking- at least she did go away from the baby to smoke but it just makes me so angry to see that. They were a part of a large group next to us- so the stroller was parked in the walkway to our lane. Then they didn't even bother to have the courtesy to put shoes under stroller or their table (UNTIL the dad tripped over one of them.) On top of that, they'd also stand in the walkway- so we literally could not get to our lane. We couldn't go to the other side because they had their own lane/walkway totally blocked. (One of their party was a very large woman- her rear end had to be over 3 ft wide.) On the lane on our other side was a couple that obviously had no idea about bowling etiquette- they stood on the lane the entire time and didn't give their neighbors the right away when they should have. The guy thought he was a bowler which made it even more pathetic. The girl was a horrible bowler and held everyone up because she would walk up to the line and then swing the ball forever before releasing. My boys were getting so cranky because they don't bowl well when someone breaks their concentration. We were literally surrounded. Surprisingly DH was in pretty good spirits even with the crowd- maybe because I haven't gone bowling for ages. The main reason I hate bowling is the smoke- I get such a headache from it. 

So I think I'm pretty caught up with what I've been up to. 

On weight loss- it's been a frustrating couple of weeks. I haven't lost any additional weight. One day last week I did get back down to my lowest weight so far but it seems like my weight is creeping up even though I am following the BFC strictly- less than 15 g of sugar and only 6 carbs (a carb serving is between 5-20 g.) I am still losing inches but it's less dramatic than before. I happen to read one diet blog where the woman put on 5 pounds in a week and sent food diary to nutritionist who told her to eat more calories, and the following week not only did she lose the 5 pounds but a few more. I think that I may need to eat a bit more complex carbs. When I was doing BFC without the book, I wasn't being so strict with my carbs and I think that maybe my body needs more carbs in my diet so that it's like "got enough carbs in diet, it's OK to let go of some of the fat reserves." So I am going to add a serving of carbs to see how that works. My other issue is that I've learned that my belly fat isn't that bad-- but I am losing it, which is making pants issue worse. My butt and thighs have been deciding factor on fit and now it's become even more skewed. These photos are from a few weeks ago

P1010557

 and you can see how the pants that I just bought in Oct. are gaping at the waist

P1010560

 even my old skinny jeans have gaping waist already but thighs aren't nearly so roomy. I know if I went down a size to fit my waist, my thighs would look like sausages in casing. 

I've bought some MORE shoes since last shoe p@rn post. This pair was from Hyder's shoes- 

P1020035

I stopped in one day while waiting to pick up kids from track practice. Ironically DD's friend was in there looking for the burgundy shoes. I thought of H right away when I saw the little kitten heels, color and plaid. 

Last week I got my hair cut and stopped in again- didn't find anything so I walked over to Shoe Carnival for a looksie. They had a special on clearance shoes, an additional $5 off and I fell in love with these ones

P1020054

 right away. (Wore on my date with DH Friday- very comfy seeing I had to stand to watch band since bar was so crowded.) While perusing the other shoes they announced a special of BOGO 50% off but clearance ones not included until 11 am- OK twist my arm to look for more shoes. So I found this gray pair uber comfy and of course I love the style.

P1020042

 Then I found these brown plaid- which I opted for because don't have a lot of brown shoes. 

P1020039

LOL All three pairs were less than $50 total. 

I also stopped in TJ Maxx. I found this Gotta B Urban Bronzer brush for $5.99.

 It is natural hair but very soft and I've never come across such a large but packed brush. Haven't used it yet since it took a little long to dry. I find that I don't wear makeup as much these days. Since losing some weight, I think my skin/face looks pretty good in general so I often don't bother with makeup. I also found a refurbished Cuisinart ice cream maker for $29- it's the kind I was thinking of ordering on-line and the cheapest I found was $80. It only has 90 day warranty but the freezer bowl is worth the $29 so if it works for a while, it's a win. 

I also ordered from e.l.f. after Frond's post about their brushes. I got the (Studio Line) small angled (eye) brush, the small smudge brush and small precision brush.

P1020178

 Each was $3. I love the size of the angled brush except it's a bit thicker than I would have liked to draw precise lines with indelible liners. I think it may be ideal to use as the brush I use to apply minerals over a line of Gelle Drops as liner. The small precision brush is almost better for lining because the bristles are tapered so the actual tip is quite thin. This could also do the same application of dry minerals over a Gelle Drop line. I love the small smudge brush- I think this is my new indelible liner brush- it's tiny, not too long bristles and quite tapered tip so precise lining should be possible. I just received Saturday so I haven't gotten to use yet. 

P1020179

All are worth the $3 investment. I also picked up a few other products. Several of their nail polishes- (regular line) at $1 each how can you go wrong and I fell in love with their bubblegum pink one last year for my toes. I got the Chocolate and it truly is like chocolate syrup... I wish this color had been out when I was looking for polish for BIL's wedding a couple of years ago.  I love the Burgundy- it's got gold sheen to it. Really lovely. I got several pinks and what I like about them is that they are a bit warm pink- almost coral tint. Truly a great product for $1. I do recommend a good top coat since wear isn't stellar. I also got their (Studio Line) eye prime and line (One end is a flesh tone primer and the other is a clear gel that you can mix with minerals for liner) conceal and highlight (one end concealer and other pearly white highlighter) and lip prime and plump (one end flesh tone primer and other is slightly glossy clear end with minty aspects.) At $3 each- certainly worth a try. I also picked up some of their waterproof liner pens ($1) and other liner (brush/bottle $1.) The waterproof ones are seriously stay put. I put on my hand and couldn't get off. I got two of the liners in the glittery shades for DD but kept the pearl white one for myself (and brown.)  Last is the minty lip glosses- (Studio line) in NY and LA.

P1020177

 NY is sheer red with gold flecks.

P1020182

 Very wearable red for those who tend to go sheer or nudes like I do. LA is really pretty pink with gold flecks. Love both colors. They are a bit sticky but that seems to make they wear quite long IMO. The mint is a bit medicinal but not gagging and for $3 I'd repurchase because I like the colors. They are glossier and sheer color than say Covergirl Amazemints. 

FOTD- All looks in Dayna foundation using Lumiere Flat Top and MMBB Grape spray. Eye brows are Earthy Girl except for Feb. 26-- I dyed my hair ash brown (I wasn't digging the red once the roots started showing) and Just Browsing Brown works better then. Max Factor 2000 Calories Extreme Mascara. 

Feb 16

P1010871

Empress' New Clothes-ENC (as blush)

Eyes: Fiery (inner corner) ENC in crease. Mad Magnetism indelible liner. Espresso Yourself outer lash line. LWG as brow highlight. 

Lips- Botanics Chicory liner. Cover Girl Amazemint Silly Lily

Feb 17

P1010908

 

Perfect Pink Blush

Eyes- Apricot Dreamzzz all over lid, Cocoa Nut in crease. LWG as inner corner and brow highlight. Espresso Yourself as liner.

Lips- Loreal Nude

Feb. 24

P1010990

Raisin Rush Blush

Illumination Glow

Eyes- Rest as base. Atmospheric inner corner. Golden Grape in crease. MMBB Smolder indelible as liner. Topped with Milan Gelle Drops and Golden Grape. 

Lips- Covergirl Amazemint Plum Crazy

Feb. 26 (Makeup I wore out on date with hubby- ugly gray t-shirt to do house cleaning in)

P1020059

 

Illumination Glow

Perfect Pink Blush

Eyes- Mad Magnetism indelible liner and then Bare Necessity as base. Fiery inner corner. Miss Gigi in crease and along bottom lashes. Mr Sully along upper lashes. LWG inner corner and brow highlight. 

Lips- Loreal Taffeta with Sexy Motherpucker in What A Melon gloss.

 

FOTDs and more puzzling.

Here's another 1500 piece puzzle I put together.

P1010533

 This one took about a week of working on it off and on. It was "Big Ben" brand like the egg one but easier because the edge pieces were all the same color making it very easy to pick those pieces out. Then the various edgings also helped to work this puzzle out in an orderly fashion... outer border and ones between small butterfly photos were all purple but the inner rectangle for big butterfly collage had a tiny red line. So I worked from the outer edges to the inside quite easily with this one

P1010532

. 

All looks with Dayna Foundation applied damp with MMBB grape spray and Lumiere Flat top brush.

Brows filled in with Earthy Girl- I use this color when my hair is more red since Just Browsing Brown is more ash toned.

Mascara is Maybelline 2000 Extreme 

Feb. 11

P1010706

Bronzed Goddess Glow

Pur-fection Blush

Eyes- Hi Jack all over lid below crease. Taupe-iary in  crease. Plucky Plum along lower lash line and outer corner. MMBB liner pencil Smolder. (Love this color for it's gray/purple/?? color) 

Lips- Sally Hansen Limited Edition mineral lip gloss

Feb. 12. 

P1010768

Vision Airy Glow

Empress' New Clothes as blush

Eyes- LWG on inner corner and brow highlight. Lt. Cocoa Mauve on lid below crease. Dark Cocoa Mauve on outer V. Magnetism indelible liner 

Lips- Sally Hansen Natural Butter in Pulp

Feb. 15 

P1010844

A really natural eye like this makes me look so young IMO

Empress' New Clothes as blush

Eyes- Rose Gold all over lid beneath crease. Cocoa Nut in crease. 

Lips- Maybelline gloss ? color

Oh my, my lashes look crazy long between using Beauty Society Enormous Lash about once a week and Maybelline 2000 Calories Extreme. 

Another week-- repeat. Sometimes my life seems too same old.

Hi everyone. I was just thinking about how sometimes my life seems so repetitive-- grocery shopping, laundry, dishes, kid pickup- REPEAT again and again. Some differences this week was that my kids were out for snow days Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. They are now at snow day #7 and that means they have to make them up at the end of the year. Frustrating since the snow day was called on Thursday night and the actual accumulation didn't show until after the kids would have been home from the day. Seems like the front stalled and didn't get here as soon as expected. The good thing was that DH left Chicago at a reasonable time because of possible weather on his way home so he had little to deal with and was home EARLY for once. By Friday evening the roads were getting pretty tricky. The problem with snow in the "south" is that the ground isn't typically frozen, so when cold weather finally does arrive, the first snow melts and then becomes icy. Plus they have little to no snow removal/salting of the roads, so we have to wait until it all melts before the buses can safely go again. Since my kids attend the county school system-- it includes a lot of back roads that aren't clear for a long time. Tuesday's snow day was another "suspect" one-- but it seems like the school system refuses to work on delay system-- it's snow day or go to school, no 1-2 hour delays likes some schools do. DD is especially unhappy about the snow days because it will just mean less days of instruction before AP tests and more days after testing that seems to wasted on doing nothing. Seems like since "No child left behind" stuff started, the schools only seem to care about testing-- once testing is over, it's like they stop teaching for the rest of the year... so the snow days make 7 more days that will come after testing that will be filled with busy work, watching DVD's, etc. 

Like I said, typical week otherwise. I did dye my hair Monday and learned a valuable lesson- if "new" color is even slightly lighter or redder, do not follow the "touch up directions." I did follow the touchup directions, leaving color on just roots for most of the time, and the roots were lighter and redder than the rest of my hair. The next day I ended up having to use a darker color to get my roots to match. Lesson learned. I decided to go redder for a change. Usually I opt for ash colors since dying my hair usually brings out red tones anyway but I have to dye to hide the gray... yes, I am vain--- sorry not ready for gray. My mom never dyed her hair but then again she doesn't wear makeup either. 

Weight loss- I lost exactly 1 pound from last week's Wed. weigh-in. I weigh in daily but only use Wednesday weight as comparison since my weight can fluctuate up and down, even though I weigh in under same conditions every morning. For instance Monday I weighed 2 pounds less than Wed. week before and 1 pound less than yesterday... if I look at each and every fluctuation I'd probably go crazy. What I find is that week to week, I am weighing in less each time-- so I am losing weight overall. I account for the fluctuations as being hydration and other (don't want to get explicit here LOL) factors that may be different. As long as I'm seeing a weekly loss, it makes me think I'm going in the right direction. 

Tuesday I actually picked up the book "The Belly Fat Cure" which my diet is based on. Most of the book are recipes and good/bad food choices- all based on amount of sugar and carbs... those are the only two things you count or track. Mostly the sugar because this causes you to release insulin which causes you to store fat. Until your insulin level is low, stored fat will not be released.  At first the diet seems counterintuitive on some foods-- yogurt, milk, fruits are actually not recommended because they have a surprising amount of sugar. The daily limit is 15 g- considering that even nuts and veggies contain some sugar 1-3 g on average, a single fruit will use up most of that daily limit. It also does not recommend most artificial sweeteners--or even Agave nectar, which touts itself as being better for you than sugar, as one of the worst. Stevia (natural) , Xylitol, Maltitol and Erythirtol  (last 3 are "sugar alcohols"-- which are really a type of carbohydrate) are recommended (sugar alcohols count against your carbs tracking.) Other shocking information is how the average American eat 189 g of sugar a day-- or 47 teaspoons of sugar a day-- much of it coming in unexpected places like "healthy foods."   The other interesting thing is that my "belly fat" is actually at an OK level- women should have waist (sucked in as much as you can, measured at belly button) of half their height or below. I'm already there- so luckily I store my fat in the "good" way for women (butt and thighs) but I find that this is the first time I've found a "diet" that I've lost weight on- yet I am gaining strength, so I know I am losing fat. The biggest surprise, I actually have MORE energy than before. I can't seem to sit still- I want to dance around and go go go. I am happy I got the book because it has lots of recipes for "belly good" foods- and cabernet sauvignon is on the good list. LOL I'm telling you, the belly good meals look really yummy- not just rabbit food. This is a lifestyle change rather than a diet because the food is satisfying- granted I will indulge once in a while once I reach my target but I can see using this for the rest of my life... especially with the energy boost I've seen personally. 

Last but not least-- FOTD

* Dayna foundation, MMBB grape spray, Lumiere flat top brush damp application

*Raisin Rush blush both days

*Earthy Girl as brow fill (more red since I've changed hair color)

*Max Factor 2000 calorie extreme mascara

Feb. 2- I was feeling brave-- I did tone this down later

Vision Airy Glow

Eyes- Olive It (inner 1/2 below crease) Brash (crease) Olive Fab over Jordana black liner  and a bit on outer corner. 

Lips- Sexy Motherpucker in Nude

Feb. 3,

 

Illumination Glow

Eyes- Mad Magnetism indelible waterlines- Apricot Dreamzzz all over lid below crease, Luminous White Gold (inner corner and brow highlight) Miss Gigi outer V. & lower lash line

Lips- Sexy Motherpucker What A Melon

Weight progress, puzzling, andFOTD

Yesterday was week 2 of limited sugar intake along with working out... weighed in at over 3 1/2 pounds lighter than Jan. 13. Today's weigh in was a full 5 pounds difference. :-) I do see slight fluctuations up and down but overall there's the trend to be losing weight- which means I'm losing fat because I'm getting stronger. I'm seeing some muscle definition and clothes are getting looser. Funny because posting the full body photos to my friends was really great motivation for me... I don't want to disappoint you so I keep at it better than if I had kept it all to myself. The weekdays are still pretty easy to keep consistent but weekends are a little more trying. I do ease up a little but still try to follow the rules best as I can. When I get to my target weight- I'll still continue to follow this program because it has taught me that sugar is really my enemy, not carbs, so I have to be conscious of not going overboard with the sugars. The progress makes me really want to get "The Belly Fat Diet" book that the article was based on-- wondering if some sugars on the labels aren't as bad-- like vegetables... is 3 grams of sugar in a tomato as bad as something that has refined sugar added? Are the 12 grams of sugar in milk the same as candy? Milk is probably the hardest part of this-- I love milk and cereal and yet 12 grams of sugar in the milk nearly puts me at the daily limit- so I've been resisting it as much as I can. Luckily cheese is recommended so I get to enjoy that. I'm also hoping that when I reach my target, that working out will be easier for this old body-- that maybe it won't hurt as much with less weight stressing my joints. Another thing I've really learned from this-- I need to lift weights-- as you may have noticed, I've been running the entire time I've had this blog but just started lifting again in Oct. I really find this has kicked up my metabolism much more than the cardio stuff. It's also a nice ego boost because I seem built to lift weights. 

P1010163

LT recently posted about the puzzle her son got for Christmas and her doing most of the work. A few weeks ago I bought a couple of puzzles from WalMart and finished a 1500 piece one last week. BTW DH's grandmother used to do these kind of eggs-- wish I had learned that art from her. I never really did puzzles until MIL bought one for the kids a few years ago. I found it rather relaxing and enjoyable- (addictive.) So while playoff games were on I'd listen to the game while working on the puzzle- often with hubby playing through chess games on the other end of the dining room table. DD and middle son sometimes helped out. DD wants me to bag up each egg separately so we don't have to sort through all the pieces again if we decide to put it together again. I bought my MIL a few puzzles for her upcoming birthday since I know she really enjoys them.

P1010164

 

FOTD- all days foundation is Dayna applied damp using MMBB grape mist and Lumiere Flat Top brush. Mascara is Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme . Brow fill Just Browsing Brown &/or Earthy Girl 

Jan. 21-

P1010198

Vision Airy Glow

Perfect Pink Blush

Eyes- Violet Foam all over lid below crease. Red Blooded in crease. Poy-ple patted over Milan Gelle Drops. 

Lips- Jordana Tawny liner, Sally Hansen Natural Butter gloss in "Pulp" 

 

Jan. 26

P1010260

Raisin Rush Blush

Eyes- Light Cocoa Mauve all over lid below crease. Confusion in crease. Jane Wine indelible liner. 

Lips- Jordana Mauve Silk  liner and CG Silly Lilly amazemint.

Jan. 27, 

P1010377

Ruby Doo Blush

Vision Airy Glow

Eyes- Baby Popo all over lid below crease. Brownstone in crease. In The Navy patted over Milan Gelle Drops as liner. Luminous White Gold as inner eye and brow highlight. 

Lips- Silly Lilly 

They are predicting snow here tomorrow so I wouldn't be surprised if my kids have snow day #5. :-( They have to make every one up at the end of the year. 

FOTDs and weight progress

It's been a week since I posted "Friends Only" post concerning weight loss-- I made it friends only since I included photos of my "before" body and wasn't brave enough to have it all out there for everyone. It was hard enough to post these photos in even that small circle. To sum up that post- I have made a concerted effort to workout routinely since October which I feel did help prevent packing on extra pounds during the holiday goodies. About 2 weeks ago, I found an article in First magazine about "Belly Fat Cure" and mostly it was controlling sugar intake. So a week after posting this, I am pleased to report that I am weighing in over 2.5 pounds less than last Wed. My weight can fluctuate up or down depending on conditions-- after workouts I am often heavier due to water- so I've been trying to weigh in under the same conditions. Surprisingly this diet is not that hard for me to follow because I'm only limiting sugar- a typical day is toast with either butter or peanut butter (the bread I use is Nature's Own 100% whole wheat- it's low in sugar and carbs, high in protein and fiber compared to most breads- it's actually the only bread we eat other than homemade bread) lunch is usually tuna or egg salad sandwich or peanut butter sandwich, dinner is whatever I am cooking for the family-- I don't worry so much about dinner since I am watching the other meals. Snacks consist of cheese or nuts. I find that getting snacks with some fat satisfy more than carb snacks. I've kept at the exercise of course and am really pleased with the results so far. Since DH wasn't home this past weekend, I continued this "diet"-- a typical weekend I would probably have wine or beer. That's another thing, I drink my coffee now with just 1/2 and 1/2 (used to have some sugar) and it's surprisingly satisfying. I drink lots of water (especially since I get migraines if I get dehydrated) and tea without sugar. (Neither of these is a change in my habits so easy to continue.) For a treat, I will have dark chocolate but 1/2 as much as the serving to keep sugar within reason. So I am pleased with the results thus far. 

A couple of blips-

* I tried the Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme mascara that I bought last week. I think I may have another HG-- now the problem is that I believe MF is discontinuing products in US-- so that's disappointing. This mascara doesn't flake like the Loreal Extreme Volume with Collagen- I'd love this mascara if it didn't flake like it does. I prefer the 2000 Calorie brush- it's the spiky plastic kind but thicker wand-- short spikes- and actually is easy to apply to even lower lashes without mess. I also love that this is a mascara that can be built up without spider eyes. This is a non-waterproof formula but if you need WP you can always apply a WP over it. 

*I've been thinking a lot about perfect lip product- I really like the Cover Girl Amazemints except for the applicator. I hate the sponge ones because they don't apply enough product- I wish all lip glosses came with the little brush (similar to nail polish) because seems like you don't have to reload a dozen times to get a single application. 

*This is totally not makeup related but thought I'd put it out there-- I've noticed a few weird messages from my Facebook friends lately. One was "from" my mom's BF who I am pretty sure would be unable to do a link so I was immediately suspicious not to mention I know he doesn't really do FB. So I just thought I'd put this out there-- rest assured I would never send a note with "Hi" and then some link-- so if you ever get an email or message from me with such a link, trash it. If you haven't noticed, I am rather verbose and could never send such a brief message, let alone the fact that I rarely forward stuff. So if there's a link in my email without a decent explanation, it wasn't my doing. 

*I'm hating my bangs/fringe-- after yesterday's photo session I cut them--you'll have to wait for the next post to see if I'm insane or if you think it's an improvement. 

OK FOTD-- 

Jan 18

Dayna foundation/MMBB Immortelle spray/Flat top

Polka Dot Blush

Eyes- Lid Gloss all over lid and a bit for brow highlight. Leaping Lizard applied dry with blender brush in crease (it's a dark color so a light hand was used) Leaping Lizard patted over Milan Gelle Drops as liner. Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Mascara-- what do you think? Definitely volume

Lips- Cover Girl Tickled Pink (Amazemint)

Jan 19

Dayna foundation/MMBB grape spray/Flat top

Perfect Pink Blush

Eyes- used Serious Skin Care Inst-A-tox on left eye (has more droop than right eye) Luminous White Gold at inner corner and brow highlight. Lined with Mad Magnetism indelible, Spark Some Interest all over lid below crease and a little in crease. Iced Sugar Plums lightly in crease and then patted on over liner and lower lash line. 2000 Calorie Extreme Mascara.

Lips- Botanics Chicory liner and CG Pink Positive (Amazemint)

You know I love nail stickers-- here's my toes-- bare in mind that this "pedi" is over a week old.

P1010045

 

FOTD for the week.

Kids were off for snow 4 days already- 2 last week and two beginning of this week-- so they went back to school for 3 days before getting nearly a week off. Unfortunately they will have to make them up at the end of the school year. The other problem is that AP (Advanced Placement) tests do not change date regardless of snow days-- so DD prefers not to have too many since she has AP psychology and biology. She did get her results from the ACT-- scored a 29 this time around. She did improve on math and English but her reading score went down- she had a nearly perfect on it when she took in June. She wasn't too disappointed because she was sick and that would definitely affect score. She'll take it again in spring because the entire junior class has to take it at her school. Even the boys were happy to go back to school. 

Not much else happening so here's three FOTD this week. All looks using Dayna foundation, MMBB Immortelle spray and Lumiere Flat Top brush.

*I recently bought Max Factor 2000 calorie (something or other) mascara because I was at Target the other day and of course have to peruse the makeup area. A young woman asked the worker there if they had Max Factor. I told her that I had heard they were being discontinued in US and she said "Oh no, they make my favorite mascara, 2000 calories." She had really nice lashes, so of course I have to try. I admit it, I'm a complete mascara ho!

Jan. 11-

Golden Summer Glow as blush and all over color.

Eyes- Glossing over all over lid. Totally Teal over Milan Gelle Drops as liner. Full N Soft Mascara (Maybelline)

Lips- CG Amazemint-- Everything's Rosy

P1000961

Jan. 13

Purfection Blush

Eyes- Fiery inner 1/2, Cocoa Mauve middle, Brownie Points outer 1/3, Interesting over gelle drops as liner. Misty Aqua dry on lower lash line. Maybelline Full N Soft Mascara

Lips- CG Amazemint- Red Riot

Jan. 15- Dentist appointment today-- told I do a good job on keeping my teeth clean-- LOL 

Pretty In Peach Blush 

Eyes- Rest In Peach all over lid, Peach Fuzz middle 1/3, Hush Hush in crease, Mad Magnetism indelible liner, Isa Dora Snowblink waterline. Lancome Cils Booster XL topped with Max Factor Lash Lift Mascara

Lips- Sally Hansen Bloom (Natural Butter lip gloss)

Cover Girl Wet Slicks Amazemints Review- Picture Heavy

One of my favorite (and DD's) lip gloss is the Cover Girl Wet Slicks Amazemints- between the two of us, we have almost ever color so I thought I'd do a quick review of the colors in the house. 

P1000794

*No Care Bare- Nude Beige

*Freedom of Peach- Slightly peachier version of above

*Pink Positive- Nude Pink

*Slap Happy- Peachy Nude

*Merry Berry- Actually rather coral color rather than berry IMO

*Everything's Rosy-Really pretty because a bit shimmery but not glittery- interesting sheen- rosy under with golden flakes

*Tickled Pink- More color and pink than Pink Positive

*Red Riot- Looks really colorful in the tube but goes on with just a sheer, slight boost of color. I like it though. 

*Plum Crazy-Bright pink - more colorful than rest

*Silly Lily- My Lips But Better color (Really like this one too)

*Un-wined- Bold Berry- darkest and colorful like Plum Crazy. 

Overall, they are rather sheer with the exception of Un-wined and Plum Crazy. Some look extremely colorful in the tube but go on very sheer like Red Riot. Most are sheer nude looks and low shimmer although Everything's Rosy has a very nice shimmer that gives a nice color change kind of aspect. Red Riot has bigger glittery flakes but not too many so wearable IMO. I love, love, love the minty flavor. 

Here's close ups of the lips in each color

Here's full face photos in each color - Makeup: All Dayna's Minerals unless specified

Foundation Dayna (MMBB Immortelle spray) Lumiere Flat Top (Both days)

Pretty In Peach Blush

Eyes- Pick Me Up Pink, Haute Stuff (crease), Minx over Milan Gelle Drops on upper lashes, lower lashes dry lined

Loreal Xtra Volume with Collagen and Maybelline Full N Soft Mascaras(Both days)

Jan. 5-

Tarte Enchanted Blush

Eyes- Boring? (inner 1/2) Luscious (crease) Dark Chocolate (over Milan Gelle Drops upper lash line) Misty Blue (lower lash line) Flaxen Light and Luminous White Gold (brow highlight) 

Lips- MMBB indelible pencil in Poppy, Cover Girl Petal Shine.  

New Loves, Old Loves, and Disappointments/Lessons Learned in 2009

I thought I'd share some products that I fell in love with this year, some that continue to keep me in love (so worth mentioning again) and some things that I wouldn't purchase again. 

New Loves

*Beauty Society Enormous Lash- Face Fab is a representative for this company and of course I had to try out the EL because I'm a mascara ho and anything that will enhance my lashes I will try- especially since there is a money back guarantee if not fully satisfied. I got in on EL buy one get one free and have definitely seen results- as I have posted with photos on this blog. 

* Lime Essential Oil- For several years I've been playing with melt and pour soap and making scrubs- using both essential oils and fragrance oils to scent. In general I tend to prefer EO over FO because FO can often have a "chemically" finish which I do not like. I seem to have a very sensitive nose (DD says I'm part beagle like our one dog Sully) so I notice scents being off. Even with EO, one can be disappointed with the scent-- for instance I have tangerine EO- expected to be bright and sweet like when one peels a tangerine and it was not very scented and rather bitter smell. So this year I ordered lime essential oil and it is my HG scent for the scrubs I make myself. I never seem to tire of the scent.

*Natural Soap Warehouse Key Lime Soap-- I've been a fan of natural soaps for a few years now but just ordered from Natural Soap Warehouse this year. By far my favorite is the Key Lime Soap-- it has the bright, fruity scent of lime essential oil which I love so much and it's natural soap which leaves my skin softer and less dried out. For the NSW price, I won't be bothering with scenting melt and pour soap base and will just keep ordering loaves of this soap. Many of the other scents are quite lovely but the Key Lime will be a staple for me. 

*LaCrosse Double Bar Lash Curler- at about $5.99 this curler does the best job on curling my lashes quickly and easily. I've already bought a backup in case they stop making it. Post about it here. 

* MMBB indelible liner pencil in Smolder- Lisa sometimes does a special order on these liner pencils and she suggested Smolder to me. I LOVE it- it's purple but smoky and just such a great liner color. When I travel, this pencil is always in the makeup case since it's great for so many different looks. 

*Argan Oil- Lisa also recommended this- Sally's Beauty Supply sells a version of it and I picked it up. It can be used on wet or dry hair to help condition and prevent frizz. Usually this kind of product really weighs my fine hair down but this stuff works great. I bought the trial size for $1.99 and soon went back for the large size because I do not want to be without. When I was getting the large size the girl working at Sally's says "That stuff is great!" She even gave me a helpful hint of putting a little bit of it into hair dye to keep color longer. 

*Aquafresh Isoactive Toothpaste- I really like the foaming action and how clean my teeth feel after using it. 

*Revlon Eye shadow brush- I happen to find these at Big Lots for $1.99 if I remember correctly, but would even pay the real price (under $10) for this brush. I find myself grabbing this brush all the time.

*OCC Lip Tars- Due to the generosity of Lili, I was able to try almost all of their colors and can't tell you how fun they are. I only wish that they did smaller (more affordable) sizes so everyone could get the entire set and try them out. I am thinking about purchasing the entire set and breaking them down into smaller containers (like I put Lili's into the little paint containers that are 8 strung together with a round sticker on top with name) and sell to friends so more people get a chance at them. It only takes a tiny bit to get pigmented look- so the big tubes seem over the top. LMK if you think you'd be interested in a smaller sampler- if I get enough interest, I'd buy all the colors and do that. 

 

Old Loves that still have my heart. 

*Wen- (and Classy Minerals Hair Zen) cleansing conditioner. I just can not go back to shampoo since starting on this. My hair is super soft and conditioned but the added benefit is that I don't get "hair product" breakouts anymore. 

* Emu oil-- LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this stuff for my dry skin. In the summer I use a few drops of emu oil (which I scent with EO- usually lavender, even though I'm not a lavender fan it's beneficial to skin so I "get over" it and lavender is definitely better than "chicken fat" scent) mixed with a bit of water. In winter I use this same mix and then apply Olay moisturizer over it to give a bit more moisturizing and "sealing" in. I really think that emu oil is responsible for how young my skin continues to look. 

*Emu soap- I don't make this, I buy a melt and pour base online and then add a bit more emu oil to it- I leave unscented. This is the only cleanser I use on my face. It just seems to work for me. 

*Sugar and Honey face scrub- I especially love this in the winter. I mix about a teaspoon of honey with sugar until I get the right consistency and then scrub my face (and lips) in a circular motion in the shower. My skin feels so soft and all dry flakey skin is removed. Sometimes I add a bit of lemon juice to the mix. It works and tastes good too. LOL 

*Humidifiers in the winter. I run humidifiers all over the house during the winter. I think it helps my skin and also seems to keep illness at bay. 

*MMBB sprays- I use these for every makeup application I do. My favorite is the grape spray but I also love the neroli & immortelle. Lisa can attest that I insist on having a backup long before I run out. 

*Fit Flops- I just love these shoes. I think I owe 6 pairs. I kind of hate winter because it's too cold to continue to wear these and I'm not really a fan of the clog versions they make because they are lined. They are the only flip flops I will wear because my feet never hurt when I wear them. 

*Natural Soaps- last year I gave my mom and MIL a gallon each of the unscented (although I scented later) gel soap from Vermont Soap Works. My mom said she preferred this one to the Soap Factory one because it lathered better. Since I liked the Soap Factory one, I guess I would love the VSW version and plan to order some soon, although I have lots of bar soaps from Natural Soap Warehouse to use up first. 

*Philosophy Falling In Love, Baby Grace and Pure Grace perfumes- as I mentioned before, I tend to have a sensitive nose and most perfumes do not agree with me. I love these three fragrances and can't say how happy I am to know that they will always be around. My signature scent is Falling In Love, but I still find myself grabbing Pure Grace (especially if I'm going in public after a workout) for it's clean, soapy scent and when I want a little more sweetness I grab Baby Grace. My DD loves Amazing Grace and it looks like I will have to buy my mom some because she kept using Amazing Grace lotion in DD's bath on her hands and commenting on how she liked it. 

*Maybelline Full N Soft Mascara- I've tried many, many, many mascaras (see multiple posts of various mascara reviews- just look up tag of "mascara review") but haven't found anything better than FNS 

*Mineral Foundation- don't see myself ever going to anything else. Recently I found my foundation looking a little eh, but I found that a change to Lumiere Flat Top brush, MMBB spray and less foundation is producing the look I love again.

Makeup Diary- Even though I do less FOTD photos, I still rely on a small little notebook to mark down what I wore, ideas to blog about, etc. It keeps me sane because if I didn't write these things down, I would not be able to post many FOTD and actually remember the products.  

Things I was disappointed with- 

Soy products- I started drinking soy milk daily as a way to combat belly fat but found that they are just not for me. I found that my skin started breaking out like crazy and didn't particularly like the bloated and gassy side effects. I guess I'll take working out harder to combat the belly fat-- not like some other parts of my body can't use this too. LOL 

Pricy mascaras- I got the Sephora Lash Stash mini mascara set and all I can say, not one of them is worth the price when I can get Maybelline Full N Soft Mascara for half the price. See review. 

Chagrin Falls Shampoo Bars- This is just because my hair is really fine- my hair was once described as a forest of skinny trees- so these Shampoo Bars really weighed my hair down and left it rather oily looking. My DD has coarse hair and she actually found these helpful for her hair (although the one that has patchouli scent annoyed DH so I passed those along to a friend that I knew enjoyed them.) 

Here's the final two FOTD for 2009- I'll post them now and will be starting on Makeup Diary #3... kind of funny that I ran out of pages with this post. 

Dec. 26 (My mom and Brian were visiting and we went to see a local band play later that evening.)

P1000621

 

Dayna foundation using Lumiere Flat Top brush, MMBB Grape Spray and less foundation. 

Tarte Dollface and Flush gel blushes

P1000643

Eyes-  Coastal Scent Bare Necessity indelible, Apricot Dreamzzz all over lid. Cocoa Nut in crease, Mad Magnetism indelible on waterline, Iced Sugar Plums as liner and outer corner. Luminous White Gold as brow and inner corner highlighter. Loreal Extra Volume with Collagen and Maybelline Full N Soft (WP) mascaras

Lips- Botanics Chicory pencil. Cover Girl Plum Shine (lipstick like tube but sheerer than lipstick) Dec. 30

Dec. 30

P1000665

Dayna (applied as Dec. 26)

Tarte Dollface and Merry gel blushes

Eyes- CS Bare Necessity as base, Sunbeam (inner 1/2) Iced Tee (outer 1/2) Magnetism waterline and upper lash line. Black Sparks over GD as liner and then a little dry on outer corner. 

Lips- Jordana Mauve Silk liner, Cover Girl Wet Slicks No Care Bare. 

NEIGHBORHOOD CHECK OUT MY PREVIOUS POST ON YEAR IN REVIEW 

FOTD before Christmas baking begins.

Here's a FOTD from Dec. 15- I put makeup on seeing I was going out grocery shopping to pick up a few ingredients before the Christmas Bake-A-Thon could continue. 

Some things I've noticed lately. My foundation hasn't been looking so hot using the damp red cleansing sponge method. Just been looking not so fresh. I think part of it is that remnants of my tan are quickly fading but also drier skin. I am using honey/sugar scrub more frequently now and applying emu oil twice a day. I also think part of it is not drinking as much water- I just have such a hard time drinking water when it's cold. I am not alone with this because my middle son got a headache last week and said the same thing. I've been playing with other foundation application methods and liked the synthetic flat-top (Lumiere) damp application in the following look. 

P1000491

Dayna Foundation with MMBB Grape mist- Lumiere flat top synthetic brush.

P1000499

Tarte Dollface and Flush gel blushes. (I have plans to make more blushes in 2010 because of these colors)

P1000546

Eyes- 

P1000513

Gilded Beige (all over lid below crease) (this is such a neat color because it's like a drab gold-- not yellow, but a golden patina) Chocoholic outer V (this is a warmer (reddish) brown) Sable coat over Milan Gelle Drops (Sable Coat is an interesting "brown" because it's dark but has this olive cast) 

Lips- Cover Girl Mauve Shine-- it's this product that's in lipstick tube but a little more glossy and sheer than regular lipstick. I am loving this color because it's just enough "berry" to brighten my lips without making me feel self-conscious.