Summer Favorites

Being a chubbster, one can (correctly) assume, I am no fan of the heat. Humidity makes me want to punch kittens. Combine the two, and you've got yourself the right conditions for Satan's taint. Oh don't act shocked I said taint in a public place, you should hear me cursing at the self checkouts in WalMart. That said, there are some things I do actually kind of like about the season- swimming, camping, the warm breezes at night, and looking forward to fall. Which, let's face it, is my main object of seasonal adoration. Sweaters and boots and corduroy, yes please.

That said, here is my list of things I have enjoyed this past summer. Not that it's over yet. And not that I'm not wishing it were. I've come to accept it as a part of life, and maybe, just maybe, when I am a more fit person, I will enjoy it more, because the minute I am of a proportionate height/weight/muscle combo, I will parade naked. Or, at the very least, in a cute, skimpy outfit, because, why not? Here's the list :)

• Queso con Mambo, Sao Paulo's, Austin. I could eat this frequently and not get tired. Fatter, sure, but I'm seriously debating whether or not that is a bad thing.
• Youtube beauty vloggers. ThatGirlShaeXO. Vintage orTacky. Grav3yardgirl. Leighannsays. XSparkage. Dkycutie78. Not my entire list of channels I've subscribed to, but these ladies make up the bulk of my watching time. I want a cupcakes and makeup party with them for Christmas.
• Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt spray. It smells really nice. It does provide texture, like bedhead, imho, and it will bring out any natural curl you have. Since I have little to none of that, I've used it before twisting my hair into 2 sections on top of my head, and going to sleep like that. The next morning, I have mermaid-worthy waves/curls. Sadly, I tried to make them stick around with NYM'S volumizing hair spray. Not a good plan. So yes, this works, I like it, but if you want the look you're after to stick around, use some good old fashioned max hold hairspray with it.
• Pastel Nails. I'm pale, and probably shouldn't wear neon colors. So my nails have mostly rocked the summer as though it were still spring. Except for the weeks I've worn Sally Hansen Complete Manicure in Mermaid's Tale. Let's just all agree now, summer= mermaids, mmkay? I also love Zoya's Pixie Dust in Liberty. I love blues hues.
• I've really enjoyed smelling like Pacifica's Wakiki Pikake (which I also scored a tube of the body butter @ TJ Maxx recently for $8!), Ulta's Creamy Coolada Crackling Sparkle Mousse and Dragonfruit Parfait lotion, and Escada Especially, despite the fact that it is not too long-lasting. It's light and sparkling and pretty, which is perfect for summer really, it's just got the lasting power of a sparkler. And as always, Pacifica's Island Vanilla, which is good year-round in my world.
• When I've applied my face, I've reached for my Naked 2 and Fun palettes, a Wet n' Wild mascara, the name of which escapes me (released earlier this year I think. Skinny, purple tube. Lengthening, I am almost positive), Pacifica's Berry Guava lip balm, Nyx Matte Lip Cream in Milan, Nyx Retractable liner in Deep purple, shadows in aqua/teal shades, and Palladio blotting papers. A few new items to this (meaning, I just got them within the last 2 weeks) are Nyx's Butter gloss, a Revlon Kissable Balm Stain, and Rimmel's Stay Glossy 3D gloss. I love the Nyx glosses, especially Strawberry Parfait on top of the Balm Stain in Sweetheart. It's a bold, hot pink, which I would have to say is my other lip signature for the summer so far.
• Accessory-wise, I've gone from dangling earrings to smaller (but not tiny) ones. My favorites are a pair shaped like anchors, in a blue and white stripe, that remind me of something Betsey Johnson would have designed. The others are some pyramid and round studs, of varying degrees of sparkle, that I got at Lane Bryant (which, your size or not, they have some seriously cute jewelry.)
• On the tv, Breaking Bad. Almost nothing but. I would get into a show just before its final season, but my god, chemistry and meth and crime after crime have never been so interesting to me before. I still have the occasional fling with the trash coming out of TLC, and the new Arrested Development episodes on Netflix. Netflix is usually it, as far as my viewing habits go. Oh, and True Blood, except I think Jesus doesn't want me to watch it during any season of it. I saw the first two episodes, then no more satellite until last week. Just in time for the last two. No spoilers, but seriously?! What the hell, True Blood? What the hell?

I think this about wraps up my summer favorites, and what a long list! Which is probably a good thing. Maybe my days of summer grumpiness are soon to be a memory. I am hoping, by next summer, we'll have moved to Austin, I will be in a better place, physically, and I discover plenty more favorites to share :) Hope you have had an exciting summer!

Happy Spring!

Not gonna lie, I'm a fan of this time of year. The weather improves, pastels abound, there's chocolate...it's all lovely. Easter was always my favorite as a kid (or tied for first with Xmas), as I love Cadbury mini eggs and stuffed bunnies. Peeps and jelly beans, not s'much. Anyway, with a mind to improved weather and a heart full of glitter, I decided it was time to bust out the lighter colors from my polish stash. And this is what I came up with:

For this, I used Sky-blue Pink by Orly, Pink Friday by OPI, and Are You Hoppy? by Fingerpaints. Topcoat is Out the Door, which I'm not sure I'm fully impressed with, as this chipped the next day (and it's possible it was due to the glittered nails, but it seems to not dry so fast, and is a bit gummy. But not the worst product, I'm sure.) Two coats for each color, and the glitter I did have to maneuver about a bit, but I do like the new flakies by Fingerpaints. Are You Hoppy? is a sweet pinky-lavender. This collection reminds me of the foil wrappers on those little chocolate eggs everyone seems to find in their basket. They look like tiny, pastel, metallic footballs. And I love them! :) Hope you like! And are enjoying spring now that it's officially here, and Happy Easter/Ostara/April Fool's day in advance!

Girly-stash, October 2012

I've found myself somewhat flush with cash this fall, so like any responsible human, I decided to save that shit like it was the last money on Earth give back to the economy by buying myself a few little things. Never feel guilty for treating yourself, people. Two bottles of Chanel's Peridot varnish? It's called stocking up! Buying five NYX jumbo eye crayons each trip to Ulta? What, they can be hard to find! Sometimes, going a little overboard isn't a bad thing. Just make sure you have money for gas, food, and houseplants (or glitter polish. Or whatever may be on your constant list of wants. I'm not bossy, swear ;) ) The following were found at Walgreen's:

 Sally Hansen's Complete  Salon Manicure line is being discontinued/reformulated, so those polishes are on sale pretty much all over. If you can find any, that is. The regular price of these was about $8. I paid $1.89 each for the two I got, shades "Angel Wings" and "Shall We Dance?" They are not my usual crazy glitters, far from it. SWD? is a pinky nude, and angel is opalescent white in the bottle, but shows up more iridescent pink on my nails. I really like them both. If you are a fan of nudes, you may be in luck, as those shades may be the only ones left in your area. Best part? On those two polishes alone, I saved $11.20. Not too shabby.

Still in the  Ms. Hansen section, I decided to give a new nail treatment a try. Hard as Wraps promises acrylic strength in 60 seconds. I am not so sure about this, as it seems acrylics would not fall prey to a steel wool scrub pad in a sink full of dishes, but I also fully admit, I am murder on my nails. I had been using Nail Life (sans formaldehyde) and it used to work well for me, but it tends to thicken about halfway through the bottle, and leaves a bubbled finish on. Never mind the fact that it peels like mad. So if HAW can outlast my obsessive hand washing, and not turn into a bottle of goo in a month, it may be my new go-to. Oh, and that's assuming it makes my nails longer and stronger.

In the travel section, I found a bottle of Clear scalp and hair therapy shampoo. I had never used it before, it smells ok, and was $1.99 for a 3oz bottle. I know these are about $5.99 full sized (about 120z),and when I did the math, the full sized is, per ounce, a better bargain, ringing in at roughly 50 cents/ounce. The travel size is 66 cents/ounce. Don't be like me and always assume a travel size is a bargain! I hate math, but I love saving my cash, so I promise to work on this :) As far as the shampoo itself goes, I like it so far. The smell is a weird, plastic-y, grape-y scent, but it doesn't linger.

Next is a Studio 35 Beauty brand travel touch-up brush set for $2.99. I've been looking for a set of eyeshadow brushes for a wee bit now, and as I could not shell out for the Eco tools set, I decided to get this one. The blush brush is too small for any sort of blushing, but I kinda like it for an all-over eye color brush. The smaller brushes aren't bad, and it also includes a lash/brow groomer, which I have been in desperate need of for some time now. So, while these are not super-awesome-professional quality brushes, they are at least as good as my travel size mark brushes I've been using for several years now. I do think the blush brush could have been better, though.

Lastly, Invigorating Apricot Scrub (store brand) was 99 cents, and seems ok, perhaps a little rougher than its brand-name counterpart of Swiss origin. I can't use it every day, but I do like it. I am an oily, sensitive gal, and if there is no exfoliation on my face, things go awry.

All in all, I'd say this was a good trip. I'm only sorry that I hadn't signed up for the rewards card before  today.

October Loves

I am so glad summer is finito. I hate hate HATE summer. Perhaps if I lived in L.A., not La., where temps year-round were not sweltering and too muggy to breathe, my opinion would change. However, I live in the temperate region I refer to as Satan's Taint. It's as unpleasant as that sounds.

Gladly, October has arrived, cooled things down enough to be bearable, so I am in a better mood, and thinking about the things I am loving now. First up, a new favorite blog. Beauty in Budget is written by Teresa, who regularly scours drugstores, Target, Ulta, Sally's and the internet, for the best deals in beauty. Her philosophy, that being thrifty does not equal being stuck with low-quality products, is a smart one. Her reviews are honest, especially helpful if you are a dry-skinned gal (but don't let that deter you! I'm oily and find her reviews insightful for my issues too), and her writing style reads like a chat from your very knowledgeable friend. She also shares her monthly gets from Birchbox, offers giveaways, and reviews any higher end products she receives (as either gifts or with great discounts.) If you love makeup, want to know where your dollars would be best spent, follow her blog. http://beautyinbudgetblog.wordpress.com/ 

Keeping in the budget theme, we move from the vanity to the kitchen. Our eating habits of late have left much to be desired. Frozen pizzas, drive thru, repeat...I'm sick of the same ol same ol. So I made a list one night, based on things we already have around the house, and built a menu from there. The two main aspects of this are 1) will this meal provide leftovers, and 2) are the ingredients able to be used more than once. I call that stretching. And it has changed how I cook. In the past, leftovers either went to waste, or don't exist (on chicken pot pie or enchilada nights, especially.) Now, I am planning leftovers. It's not quite once a month cooking, which I think my kitchen is currently too messy/disorganized/small to make work, but it's in that vein. I keep in mind the number of servings, what goes with the main, and will I be ok eating this more than twice a month? Because a nice pot of red beans and rice is great, but it's not my favorite, so the thought of eating it frequently does not set my heart aflutter. Which might be a shame, I do make really good red beans. It is on my list of to be mades, so sometime before this month is over, we will have some and freeze the rest. My goal is to stay out of WalMart as much as possible, not spend a ton on food, and stretch things as far as I can. I have a list of meals to make, how many servings they will provide, and I have tried to assign them to a day, so I can see how far they will go. It hasn't exactly worked out that way, because so far, two meals went to the freezer, and two more were eaten later in the night, or for lunch the next day. However, I feel I am on the right track, since starting this we have only spent about 200 on groceries, and I know I have enough to finish this month, and stretch into November. Fingers crossed that we make it to November 7th. Probably a lofty goal, but with careful planning, I see no reason why not :) I have a few other culinary favorites right now, but I am saving those for a possible future giveaway, so subscribe and stay tuned!

The other loves of my autumn are pretty much required for this time of year. Halloween, pumpkins, candy, nicer weather...the usual. I loved Halloween as a kid. I was always very shy, but putting on a costume seemed to help some of that float away, at least for the night. I love the holidays, despite their inherent insanity, so this time of the year is like the best of both- fun days are coming, but things haven't gotten nutso stressful just yet. And fun sized chocolate everything is everywhere. Love that! ;)

A Case Full of Happy

I <3 nail polish :)