Shadow

In my last High Five for Friday post I told you all about the little kitten I rescued.  I wanted to give an update.

Saturday morning I took Shadow to the vet again.  He still wasn't eating and wasn't making much improvement.  The vet game him some fluids and vitamins.  He told me in a roundabout way that he didn't think little Shadow would make it.  I cried the whole way home. 

I still wasn't giving up.  I continued with his medicine and the Nutri-Cal gel.  I prayed and prayed for my precious fur baby.

His little body just couldn't fight anymore and he passed away Saturday afternoon.  My fiancé made a little casket for him and we buried him. 

This was a very sad weekend. 

I miss my little guy.



Until next time...

GlamGlow Super Mud Clearing Treatment Mask Review

Try saying that blog title 10 times fast

A few weeks ago when I stopped by Sephora I picked up a sample of GlamGlow Super Mud Clearing Treatment Mask.


I've read several reviews about this mask and I wanted to try it out for myself.  Like I said before, I've struggled with acne and oily skin since being a teenager.  My usual go to mask is the Refining Mask from Proactiv.

 

It really helps to control the oil and it's amazing to put on blemishes for an overnight fix. 

I was able to get 4 masks out of the sample.  It does go on a dark gray and dries to a light gray color.  The impurities that it pulls from your pores turn the mask a dark gray color so you will end up having a sorta polks dotted face.  If you've never Googled the pictures of it, you should it is very cool.

I feel like this mask really helps my skin.  After I take the mask off my face feels very clean.  I'm thinking I'm going to alternate between the 2 masks.  I'm anxious to see if the number of breakouts I experience lessen with continued use. 

Now for the price of this puppy.  This mask ain't cheap.  The 1.2oz jar will cost you a stomach turning $69.  I believe you can buy a smaller sample size for around $20ish.

You won't have to use very much of this stuff to get the job done.  The sample size I got from Sephora was only supposed to be 1-2 uses and I've gotten 4 out of it.  I've read it dries out rather quickly but you can add a little water to it and that will also extend the uses.

If you haven't tried this mask, you should definitely ask for a sample the next time you are in Sephora. 

Until next time!

Fall Boots

It's late and I have to get up at 5am so this blog post will be short and sweet.

I finally got some boots!  WOOHOO! 

If you've read my blog then you'll know I've wanted some boots for a while now.  I stalked the internet and found some very cute affordable boots from Target thanks to my friend from Slice of Life



Here is the picture of the boots since the picture I took of me wearing them wasn't the best.

 

I love love love these boots!

Justin's mom invited us over for dinner; she made an amazing lasagna.  I love hanging out with her.  I'm so glad I can say that about my future mother-in-law.  Here is the outfit I wore.  I'm wearing the boots but you really can't see them thanks to the short mirror.



Now I'm off to bed.  I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend!

Until next time...

High Five For Friday

I haven't wrote a blog post in a few days because I've had a lot going on.  This week has been a pretty horrible one.  The itty bitty kitty I rescued from the side of the road a couple of weeks ago is very sick.  We almost lost him Wednesday night.  I had to rush him to the local Emergency Vet Clinic to save his life.  His blood sugar had dropped to 10.  He stopped breathing on the vet 3 times.  They gave him glucose and that stabilized him.  I took him home and was up with him all night giving him sugar water and Karo syrup to keep his sugar up since he wouldn't eat.  Thursday morning I took him to a vet and they told me there was nothing they could do and to just make him comfortable.

Well not my little fellow.  He is a fighter and as long as he is fighting so am I.  I took him to another vet, Indian Ridge Pet Hospital.  They were wonderful.  This vet actually cares.  He gave me some antibiotics for him and some high calorie paste to squirt in his mouth since he still isn't eating. 

My little kitty is doing some better but he still isn't out of the woods.  I've been praying so much for my little fur baby.  For him being so tiny he has the heart of a lion.  I had 2 vets tell me that he wasn't going to make it but with God it's never hopeless and that's why my little fur baby is still here.  I will try to keep the blog updated with how little Shadow is doing.

Here is my High Five for Friday.

1.  I  found an awesome vet that actually cares.  The majority of the vets I called in my area just care about money.  If you can't pay for everything up front then they won't help you.  That is very sad.  You would think they became vets to help animals and if they could save a life why wouldn't they?  If I was a vet, I would because every life is precious.  So I'm very glad I found a really good one.

2.  My manager got the whole team lunch today.  We went to a local pizza place and I got a mushroom and cheese calzone.  That thing was huge!  I should have taken a picture of it before I devoured it.  I have an awesome manager.  It makes a big difference when you have a great boss.

3.  My parents got a puppy.  Her name is Waggles.  She is part Yorkie and part Shih Tzu.  She is adorable!


Sorry the picture is blurry I had to snap the picture in a hurry because she doesn't sit still for long


4.  I found a Bare Minerals holiday kit that has a blush, lip gloss, eyeliner, eye shadow, and I'm thinking there was something else in there.  Anyway I'm going to order it and probably do a blog post about it.

5.  My sister from another mister is coming over tomorrow and we are going to make some jewelry.  We decided we are going to open our own shop and sell jewelry.  I'll try to do a blog post tomorrow and show some of our pieces.



Until next time!

The Rule of Fashion

When the weather starts turning cooler and the leaves begin to change into deep reds, oranges, and gold; fashion changes.  You start seeing dark colors in clothes, nails, and even hair.

I don't believe that certain colors are reserved for certain times of year.  In the summer you will catch me sporting deep red nails and in the dead of winter you will see me wearing pink pastel nails.

I feel the same way when it comes to clothes.  I don't shy away from bright colors in the fall and I don't turn down wearing a dark brown top in the spring.  I even wear white after Labor Day.

There is only one rule in fashion and that is: there are no rules.

No matter what you wear, if it makes you feel good, wear it. 

Be unique......be simply you.....


Until next time

What Martha Really Thinks

I heard about Martha downing bloggers so I had to find the interview. 

She is the perfect example of an elitist.

I could go on a rant but I won't.  I'll let the interview speak for itself.

Kitty News and Makeup Remover Wipes

Well I missed the High Five for Friday post...again.  It would have probably helped me to sit down and think about highlights for the week because yesterday was not a good day.  It would have helped my mood tremendously. 

Ok, I will stop rambling and get on with it.

I picked up some new makeup removing wipes at the store.  They are called Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes.



I like to use a makeup remover wipe before I wash my face using my Clarisonic.  So far I'm loving the wipes.  They are gentle and don't irritate my skin at all.  They work great at removing my makeup I just wish they had a little more moisture.  Best part is they are cheap.  I bought a pack (25 wipes) for a little over $4.  I will be repurchasing these for sure.

In other news, the itty bitty kitty I rescued is doing great.  He is so sweet and cute.  My son named him Shadow, which is fitting since he is a Mackerel Tabby.  I posted a picture of him on Instagram if you'd like to check the little fellow out.  I will try to add more pictures of him today. 

Until next time!

Updos and Silverware

For some strange reason I want to chop all of my hair off.  I'm trying to resist the urge to go get it cut.  Do you ever go through periods where you just hate your hair and want to just whack it all off?

Anyway, I decided to do a messy updo today.  I usually don't do updos because I'm not that great at doing hair.  I had to enlist the help of my 11 year old son.  He was also my photographer.  I think he did pretty great.



You can see one of the bobby pins.  Oh well.

I used to hate wearing my hair up but I'm starting to really like it now.  Isn't that weird?


In other news, I got some new silverware. 

I've been eyeballing these babies for a hot minute and we needed some silverware since ours somehow has been disappearing.  I've never had an issue with losing silverware so I'm not sure what is going on.  All I know is every time I do dishes there are less and less forks and spoons.  This is how I justified buying them today. 



The set was around $25 so it wasn't bad.  Justin is not a fan of them.  He hates the way the spoons are shaped but I love it.  I like the finish on them too.  He just better be glad I didn't make it back to the beauty section.

Until next time!

Some Assistance Please?

I need some help.  And no I don't mean mental help.  Well actually...

I need help with shoes.  Boots to be exact....tall, dark, handsome, err leather, affordable boots.

So I have been wanting a pair of tall dark brown boots since last fall.  I'm not even joking.  Last October we took a trip to Nashville and I fell in love with some boots there, however, I was not in love with the price.  Since then I have been on the search for some boots that won't break the bank.

That being said, I need your help.  I need some suggestions on where to find good boots for a reasonable price. 

Here are some boot styles that I like.


I like a little hardware but not too much and no heels.



It has to zip, no laces or buttons.



As you can probably see all the boots in the pictures are pretty much the same.  The boot in the last picture is my favorite.  I'm thinking those cost around $9,000.00.  Ok, that may be an exaggeration, but they still cost more than what I'm willing to spend.

If you can give me some suggestions, I'd be forever grateful. 

Until next time!

Instagram

I finally created a blog inspired Instagram account last night and added a few pictures.  I also linked it to my blog (which I am very happy about).  I will try to keep my Instagram and Twitter account updated regularly.

 I also have a YouTube account that isn't linked because I haven't posted any videos.  Not much sense in linking it if there isn't anything to see.  I created it because I started thinking about doing a vlog as well.  Who knows.  One day I might get the courage up to do it.  Sorry I'm rambling....

Anywho, I just wanted to drop in and let you guys know about my Instragram account.

Happy Monday!

A Few Fall Favorites

It's getting fall and the air is getting dryer so I change up moisturizing routine.  I have always loved Dove's Go Fresh Body Wash.  It never leaves my skin feeling dry and they leave your skin smelling nice and clean.  My favorite scent is the Plum and Sakura Blossom. 



I recent tried a new body lotion that I'm loving.  I usually go straight to Gold Bond lotion with Shea Butter because it works so well.  I'm not a fan of the smell however so while I was shopping I decided to try Nivea Express Hydration body lotion.  It doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy and it absorbs quickly.  It works well at keeping my skin moisturized but not quite as good as Gold Bond lotions.  I will probably need to apply the Nivea lotion a little more frequently.  I may end up using the Nivea lotion and then just using the Gold Bond lotion on my elbows, feet, knees, and hands.  Those areas tend to dry out faster and need special attention.  I strong suggest you get the Lotus Flower scented Nivea lotion by the way.  It smells wonderful!



I also tend to use a hair mask more frequently in the cooler months.  My go to hair mask has usually been It's a 10 hair mask.  It works very well at moisturizing my hair and keeping it healthy.  I try to use a hair mask once or twice every couple of weeks. 


I use a really good shampoo and conditioner for regular washes.  I wrote a blog post about the shampoo and conditioner I use a while back.  It's called Clear; it works and it's pretty cheap.  I also use It's a 10 leave in conditioner.  This has been a must in my hair care routine for at least 4 years. 

I'm currently trying out a different hair mask and face mask that I'll try to review soon.

I hope you enjoyed some of my fall favorites!

Until next time

High Five for Saturday

If I'm repeating this, I apologize but this stuff is great!  Ulta has the big bottles on sale for $9.99.  They are usually around $20 I think.  Just a little FYI.  But anywho this stuff gives my hair volume on days I skip washing it.  It doesn't leave reside in your hair and it smells nice too.

This week has been a pretty busy one and I didn't get to do my High Five for Friday yesterday so I'm just going to share a few highlights from the week and weekend.

1.  I got to spend some time with my sister from another mister.  (Sorry I just had to.)  We went out to eat at Chili's and had a margarita.  It was nice spending time with her.  After a hectic week it was nice to slow it down for a bit.

2.  You won't find very many pictures of me since I really don't like how most of the pictures turn out.  To my surprise I took a nice picture this weekend and decided to make it my profile picture. 

3.  I'm still loving my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette.  I try to mix up the eye shadows every day and do something different.  Lots of good colors to choose from and they blend really well. 

4.  Went to Ulta and lusted after some blush.  I'm dying to get my hands on Benefit's Rockatuer.  Next payday I'm getting that blush.  I think it's going to be the perfect winter blush.

5.  Tried some Keebler Cheescake Middles cookies.  They are delicious.  Next time you are at the store treat yourself to these goodies.  Warning:  You will have to hide them from the rest of the family.




Until next time!

Kiss My Lashes

I've always had long thick lashes and when I was younger I hated them.  When I first started wearing makeup I hated wearing mascara.  If I used mascara my lashes were super long and resembled the lashes of a fake doll.  I would normally just use some eyeliner and be good to go.

I have since seen the error in my ways.  I now love my long lashes and I love wearing mascara.  Isn't it funny how things change as we get older?  I see myself in a completely different way and the things I used to hate about myself I now love. 

Now the issue I have is mascara tends to clump up or clump my lashes together.  Some mascaras will make my lashes look spidery and unnatural.

I'm about to share a secret with you and you will never put on mascara the same way again.

Take your eyebrow comb and run your mascara wand over the edge of the comb and then comb through your lashes.  This is the best way to apply your mascara.  The comb separates your lashes so no clumps and no lashes sticking together.  Since you are putting a small amount of mascara on the comb you aren't coating your lashes with a ton of mascara that will only weigh them down.  Just be careful not to poke your eyes.

I'm afraid of eyelash curlers.  I wear contacts so I have no problem with touching my eyes.....it's just something about having a piece of metal that looks like a torture device from a horror film near my eyes that gets me.  The brilliant thing about putting on my mascara with the eyebrow comb is that when I comb them upward they stay curled.

Here is a picture I took after I used the eyebrow comb to put on my mascara.  I apologize for the quality, etc of the picture.


I cannot take credit for this wonderful idea.  I got this tip from a makeup artist I follow on Youtube:

GossMakeupArtist

This guy is AMAZING!  He is brilliant with makeup and fun to watch.  I highly suggest you check him out. 

I hope you try this little tip and let me know how it works out for you.

Until next time.

Weekend Highlights

This weekend was an interesting one to say the least.  I have a few highlights I wanted to share. 

I haven't done any nail art in a while so this weekend I decided to do a neat little design.



It's not perfect but I still think it looks neat.



I love patterns on nails.  Sometimes I get nail stickers from Sally Hansen.  Those things stay on your nails forever.

Now on to another highlight of the weekend.



Do you see what those are?  Yep, those are Tweezerman tweezers!  A really good friend of mine gave me not 1 but 2 pairs of Tweezerman tweezers.  Thank you Brianna!! I was visiting her this weekend and we got on the subject of make up and tweezers.  I'm so glad she was kind enough to give them to me.  I bet you all can guess what I did as soon as I got home.  I tweezed my brows!

Until next time!

Benefit Sun Beam Review

A few posts back I mentioned I went to Sephora and picked up a sample of Benefit's blush Coralista that also came with a sample of their highlighter Sun Beam.



This highlighter has a bronze sun kissed glow much different than their highlighter Watts Up.



I can see a need to have both of these highlighters.  Sun Beam would be perfect for summer time when you want to have that sun kissed glow when your skin is a little tanner.  It has a really beautiful bronzy shimmer but it's very subtle.  I put it at the top of my cheeks and blend it in with my fingers for a natural glow.  I probably won't be using it as much when the weather gets colder and if I do it will be a very small amount.  It's just not realistic to have a sun kissed glow in the middle of winter.  But that's just me.  If you love it then rock it.

I have really fallen in love with Watts Up and that has been my go to highlighter ever since I got the mini in my birthday kit from Sephora.  Before that I never used a highlighter on my face other than a shimmery eye shadow under my brows.  I have been doing research on the web and have come to discover the benefits of using a highlighter so I have made it a staple in my daily make up routine. 

No matter what highlighter I'm using I always apply it to the same areas.  I like putting it right on top of my cheeks above my blush and I blend it into my temples.  I also put some on the cupid's bow of my lip and right below my brow.  If you have never used a highlighter right under your brow, step away from the computer and go try it.  It makes a huge difference.  You will never go without again.

If you research some of the beauty blogs they will give you all kinds of ideas on how and where to apply highlighter.  On Youtube you can find loads of tutorials that can be helpful with this as well.  One blogger I follow that I have gotten several make up tips from is Cara from Maskcara.com.  She has a beauty blog as well as a Youtube channel.  I suggest you check out her site for more tricks and tips because the things she can do with make up is AMAZING. 

Wow, so I really got off subject from actually reviewing the highlighter. 

I don't know if the full size Sun Beam comes with the nail polish brush or not but the mini one does and I would have to say I'm not a fan of it.  I don't really like putting the highlighter on with that little brush and it feels weird.  It feels like I'm painting my face but once you blend the product in you can't feel it.  It does blend really well and it is very pretty.

Once my mini sample is used up I probably will not buy the full sized one.  I have pale skin so I feel like the Watts Up highlighter is a better option for me.  I feel like Sun Beam would be perfect for someone who has tan to darker skin tones.  I find that if I use products that are more bronzy it looks fake on me so I have to be careful.  I want my make up to look as natural as possible.

If you want to try out this highlighter or any others I suggest going to Sephora.  They are always more than happy to provide me with samples of products and I've never had an issue when I needed to return a product even if I used it.

I hope you enjoyed reading my review and that it was helpful even if I did get off subject.  (I tend to do that a lot)  

Until next time!

High Five For Friday

Well we made it through another week.  This week was pretty hectic.  I will be so glad when my life calms down a little.  I long for some uneventful weeks where I'm not exhausted at the end of the day.  I know what I need.  I need a vacation!  Until I can actually take a vacation a guess the weekends will have to suffice. 

I'll stop rambling now and get on with the 5 highlights of my week.

1.  I got my LORAC lip gloss set!  I was so looking forward to getting that package in the mail.  I checked the UPS tracking website at least 3 times a day.  It was worth the wait.  I did a blog post with swatches of the colors yesterday so I won't go in to details but I will say I love them.

2.  Mom and dad's appointment with the cardiologist went great.  It's always an answered prayer when the doctor says they are doing ok and don't change their medicines.

3.  I got to see my sister from another mother this week.  It's always great to spend time with her and talk to her.  I really needed to see her and get some things off my chest.  She keeps me sane and she has the amazing ability to turn a bad day into a good one.

4.  Got the new issue of Elle magazine.  I have to admit some fashion magazines I just don't get but Elle is actually a good one.  It has a mix of fashion, beauty, health, and it usually has some very good articles.

5.  Mom and dad had a 42 year anniversary this week.  We all went out to eat to celebrate.  We rarely get the opportunity to go out and do something fun .  I can't believe they have been married that long.  I hope I can put up with my (might as well call him hubby) for 42 years.  I'm just kidding; I know I can put up with for eternity.


Well there you have it.  A few highlights from my week.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!


Until next time!


Linking up with Lauren for H54F.

LORAC Red Hot Lip Gloss Review

I finally got my LORAC lip gloss set from HSN a couple of days ago.  As soon as I got it I tried on every color.  I was like a kid at Christmas.  I've had a couple of days to test them out and let you all know my opinion. 

I took a picture of the set out of the box.
Please excuse the quality of the pictures; I took them with my iPhone and it didn't translate well to the PC



I don't use Microsoft Paint very much so I'm still learning how to label things in pictures so I will just have to tell you the names and colors below.
From left to right:
Rock 'N Roll (pink nude)
You Rock (plum)
Rock On (rose)
Rock Anthem (berry)
Easy Rock (fuchsia)
Rock It (coral)

Now here are the swatches in that same order:



I'm happy with all the colors and I think for $27 I got a good deal.  Rock Anthem (berry) and Easy Rock (fuchsia) look very similar.  When you put them on the Easy Rock has a slight pinker tone.  Those happen to be the only 2 colors in the set that do not have shimmer, however they are still glossy when you put them on.

My favorite shades are Rock 'N Roll, Rock On, and Rock It.  The pink nude is the perfect nude with glossy shimmer.....is that even possible?  You would just have to see it for yourself.  My pictures don't really do the colors justice.

The little applicator brush makes it very easy to get precise when putting the gloss on.  They go on smooth and stay on for quite a while.  If you eat or drink you will have to reapply more often.  They feel good on and my lips feel hydrated while wearing them.

These glosses aren't sticky when you put your lips together but your hair will get caught in the lips gloss if the wind should blow or if you ride with your windows down in the car.  I personally hate when my hair gets stuck to my lips but that is the only negative thing I have to say about them.

Oh, and did I mention they all smell like cotton candy?  That's a nice little bonus.  I like the packaging too.  I love the red top with the tiny fake diamonds. 

One other very important thing.  Inside the tube there is a little stopper looking thingy with a hole in the center where the brush goes down into the product.  That nifty little stopper thingy (very technical term) keeps the gloss from gushing out every time you put the applicator back in the tube or take it out.  So far it works great and even I have not been able to make a mess.

Overall I think I got a great deal and I am very happy with the products.  I wish they would have included a red gloss instead of 2 that pretty much look the same.  Call me crazy but with a name like "Red Hot Lip Gloss Collection" one would think they would have included a red gloss.  I'm still glad that I bought this set and now I'm going to have to try more LORAC products.

Until next time!


*I was not compensated in any way for this post.  This is just my honest opinion of the products I bought