New Baby

Today, I am super excited to share with you all some pretty big news! If you didn't already know, I'm on the path to starting a career in photography. Because business is a boomin', I've been needing a computer that can really keep up with my workload. 

I've dreamed about owning a MacBook Pro for a few years now. After lots of saving and contemplating over the past few months, I was finally able to make it happen! I am seriously so excited about this, I could almost pee myself. Really. 

I chose to go with the 13" MacBook Pro 2.5 GHz with Dual-Core Intel Core i5 processor. I am so beyond happy with my new computer! The fact that I felt the need to share it with you within the first 3 hours of buying it should tell you something. 

Listening to my girl Katy, as always.

Now, being that I've only had my MacBook Pro for about four hours, I can't tell you just yet if I'm a die hard Apple fan just yet. But, I can tell you that I do absolutely love my new baby and I can't wait to learn more about her! I know it's silly, but my new super cool computer makes me want to actually focus more on blogging. So maybe you'll be seeing more of me from now on. We shall see!

Mac or PC. Which one are you? 

Most Used Brushes

Like most makeup junkies, I have an extensive collection of brushes. I have extras, backups, and brushes that I honestly have no idea what their use is. In total, I'd say I have somewhere around 30 or 40 brushes. (I buy in kits and lots and lots of elf!) Even though I have so many brushes, I generally stick to using the same ones, over and over again. 

As you all know, I love my Real Techniques brushes. But then again, who doesn't?! If you don't own these brushes yet, you MUST! Seriously. I love all of these and I really don't think that I have a favorite from these two collections, but if I had to pick, I'd have to the that the buffing brush and the all over shadow brush are my two favorites. But I really love them all. The contouring brush is great, and so is the fluffy crease brush! 

I know that most people use the buffing brush for foundation, but I prefer it as a blush/powder brush. I don't find that it is dense enough to apply foundation, but that's just me. 

The next two brushes that I love are the Sephora Proffessionnel Contour Blush/Bronzer brush and the Eco Tools Blush brush. These two brushes are ones that I have seriously had for years. If you're on a budget, I highly suggest Eco Tools. They are probably the most affordable, best quality brushes you can buy. They really do hold their own. and they are made incredibly well! I love to use the Sephora contour brush to really blend out my bronzer and blush. It is super dense and the bristles don't have a lot of give, so it blends beautifully!

My next three most used and from e.l.f. You all know how much I love this company, and for good reason! The brushes from their Studio line are so incredible! In my opinion, they are softer than my RT's. The only reason that I like RT's more is because the quality is better. It's mostly in the weight on the handles, not so much the actual hairs on the brushes. If you are looking for some really nice brushes, but don't have the money to invest in something like Sigma, I would definitely recommend any of the brushes from e.l.f.'s Studio line! My favorites are the powder brush (more of a flat top kabuki), the large stipple brush, and the small stipple brush. The stipple brushes are perfect for cream products, like blushes and highlighters. I even use the small stipple brush for contouring, especially my nose. 

Which makeup brushes are your go to's? Do you tend to gravitate towards the same ones, over and over?

Cozy Spaces

I feel that part of the reason that I lack motivation for blogging, is because of my lack of legitimate work space. The vast majority of the time when I post, I'm posting from my couch. Now, it may just be me, but I've always been one of those people who need a more structured work enviroment, something more along the lines of a home office. 

Like most girls these days, I'm constantly browsing the pages of Pinterest for inspiration for my one day blogging room/office. I could seriously spend hours going through pins that fill my head with crazy decorating ideas. Will I ever actually have a room all to myself as beautiful as the ones on Pinterest? Probably not. Will I ever actually have a room all to myself that's half as beautiful as the ones on Pinterest? It could happen!

I have a rather tiny den space in our house here in Italy. It's what we call the "downstairs" and there is really nothing there, and it's never been used. The natural light in the room is incredible, and the staircase and floors are marble. I'm in love with this room and I would absolutely love to make it my office! All I need is a desk and some type of organization system for my makeup, and I'll be set! 

This is the desk that my heart desires, but I can't get my husband to take me to Ikea. Oh, the struggle! I feel like this desk would just be the perfect size and the drawers would be perfect to store all of my makeup! Maybe one day soon I will work up the nerve to drive myself there, but those chances are super slim. 

***driving in Italy is the scariest thing ever!!! I don't venture out alone too often. 

How do you feel about home offices? Do you need your own little space to be productive?

Revlon Lip Product Collection

Howdy! 

I know, I know. You're all thinking "Where have you been?!" And honestly, I just haven't felt like blogging over the past couple of weeks. So ya know what? I didn't! But now, I'm back in the game. I know it's horrible blogger etiquette to post so sparatically, but what can I say? I'm a busy woman. Between working out and yoga, my house wife duties, and spending time with my husband, I really don't have much time to work on this project of mine. But I'm here today and I'm trying to make some sort of schedule, so bear with me.

Today, I wanted to share with you something that is my favorite to see on other blogs or on YouTube. And that is my Revlon lip stick collection! Now, seeing Revlon Lip Stick collections aren't my favorite, but seeing collections of certain prodocts or entire makeup collections are my favorite! Mostly, I just like to see that others are just as big of a hoarder as I am. Te he ;)

As most of you already know, I never liked the Revlon Lip Butters, until recently. I've jumped on the band wagon. I decided to cave in, and I did so whole heartedly! I don't have as many as most Lip Butter junkies, but I think having four of one particular lip product makes me a definite lover! 

The next Revlon lip product that I can't get enough of are the Jst Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. L.O.V.E. I love love love love love these! Over the past few weeks I've branched out of my normal color range and have picked up a few new shades. I'm actually missing two from these photos, because I can't for the life of me find them. :(

Left to right: Cherry Tart, Wild Watermelon, Candy Apple, Raspberry Pie

 Left to Right: Raspberry Pie, Candy Apple, Wild Watermelon, Cherry Tart.

Now, I know that these come off as pretty dull in the swatches, but they are far more pigmented on the lips. This is the reason that I was never crazy about them. All of the swatches I had seen were dull and pretty lack luster. But when I finally decided to actually give them a go, I realized that they had much more to offer and I absolutely love them! 

Now, the staying power of these isn't anything great. I'd say about an hour or so. But from something with a super moisturizing, light weight formula, I don't think you can expect too much. 

 Left to right: Romatic, Smitten, Rendezvous, Darling, Honey. 

Left to right: Romatic, Smitten, Rendezvous, Darling, Honey. 

Ah, my balm stains! These are so so great! I'd say that this is definitely one of those "better on the lips" products, much like the lip butters. My two favorites of the bunch are Smitten and Honey. Honey is a beautiful mauvey nude. It's that perfect "my lips but better" shade. My next favorite is Smitten. It's a gorgeous bright plummy/pink. While this is definitely more of a Fall/Winter shade, I love it for all year round. I'd say that the purple hues look the best on me, that's why this one is my go to. 

For the perfect every day red lip, I love to use the balm stain in Romatic with the lip butter Candy Apple on top. The stain makes the color last a good 4 or 5 hours, and the lip butter gives a little bit more pigmentation and dimension. It's a very wearable, muted red lip, so it's perfect for running errands and other day to day tasks. You should definitely try it out! 

I can't wait for the PX to have their Revlon products 40% off so I can pick up more shades. With the PX prices, the sale will make these $2-$4 a piece! They normally run this sale every other month, so I will definitely be on the look out. I encourage all of you other military spouses to check your PX, too! And for those of you non-military, COUPONNNSSS! I highly recommend using them so you can stock up on these babies! 

Which Revlon lip product is your favorite? What's your favorite shade and which sould I pick up next? Let me know!

Project Pan

If you keep up with the online beauty world, I'm sure you've all heard of a little something called Project Pan.  If by chance you have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, let me fill you in: 

Project Pan is pretty where you take a bunch of products that you have a ton of, most commonly it's 10, and you use all of them up. You're not allowed to buy any more of that product until you've used it all completely.   I'll be giving updates once a month and reviews as I finish things. 

Being a beauty blogger, it's really hard not to buy new products when they are released. I decided to cheat a little bit, and try to use up a bunch of sample items. Yeah, I know. I'm going easy on myself. But what can I do? 

My reason for doing project pan is simple. I have a ton of unused products, as does every beauty hoarder. I'm also traveling back to the States for about three months in the Fall and I plan on stocking up on things back home that I can't get here in Italy. Before I do this, I want to get rid of a few things.

I know it looks like I have a good amount of things here, but I feel like I will be able to finish over half of them before September comes. I'm trying to be realistic with my goals, mkay?

The first five things I picked up were for the face. I have one full size product, and the rest are deluxe samples. I am about a third of the way through with my Revlon Colorstay, and while I don't feel like I will be able to finish it all completely before September, I'd like to be about 2/3 of the way finished. I threw in the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation, too. I never really use this because I find that it just doesn't do much for me, but I really want to just get it over with. I have two primers, the Skin Prep FX foundation primer and Benefit's POREFessional. I threw in the sample of NARS Pure Radience Tinted Moisturizer for the days where I don't feel like wearing foundation.

For my eyes, I didn't want to throw in too much, becuause I feel like mascara and eyeliner are one of those things that just take forever to use up. Maybe that's just me? For mascara, I chose this sample of They're Real! and Maybelline's The Rocket. These are both mascaras that I have back ups/samples of so I really need to use these up. 

The next thing I have is my Sephora Eye Brow Pencil. I use this almost every day and I honestly don't feel like I'm ever going to finish it. No matter how much I use it or sharpen it, it never goes away! 

I feel a little silly for putting two blushes in my Project Pan, but I have so many! Especially the elf Studio Blushes. I have one in every shade and backups of most. I really, really love these. The only blushes that I love more are my Benefit ones, and we all know how long those last, so putting them in a Project Pan is just setting yourself up for failure. The two colors I chose were Candid Coral and Twinkle Pink. Candid Coral is a super duper close dupe for Benefit's Coralista, and Twinkle Pink is a dupe for NARS Orgasm. 

I felt like to top this project off, I really needed to add a lip product. I have more lipsticks than one could ever need, and I knew that I would have a really hard time sticking to one shade. So instead, I opted to throw in my elf Lip Exfoliater. I love love love love this little baby. I use it every single day. It does an awesome job exfoliating my lips and it makes them super soft. This is a product that I will definitely be purchasing as soon as I run out. 

Well, that concludes my list of products for my Project Pan! I can't wait to see how much I actually use. I don't know about you guys, but finishing a makeup product feels so rewarding! Have you done a Project Pan? Let me know! 

Who's Got Time For That?

   I used to have a blog that I kept up with for about 2 years. I would occasionally go a week or two without posting, sometimes even months. I enjoyed doing it, but I didn't love doing it. This blog on the other hand, I absolutely love, but it seems like something is always coming up that keeps me from posting. 

   If any of you actually pay attention, you'll notice that I never post on Saturday or Sunday. If I do, it's because I did my homework and actually scheduled posts!The reason I don't post on these two days are because of my husband. No, he doesn't keep me from doing it, if that's what you're wondering. Those are just the only two days that we really have to spend quality time together. 

   Now, why don't I post every other day of the week? Well, the answer to that is quite simple. Kind of. I have the worst A.D.D. in the world. It can take me hours to write a post. Seriously. Between taking pictures, sorting through them, writing a post, proof reading it, etc., I could be here all morning and afternoon. Keeping a legitimate schedule is the hardest thing for me. With all of my housewife duties, errands, and working out, I'm normally only left with one full day a week to actually sit down and write a well thought out entry. But by this point, I have a million ideas running through my head and actuallly completing the task becomes impossible. 

   My question is, especially for those of you busy housewives or students, how do you stay on top of your blog? Do you follow a schedule, or do you just let the magic happen when it happpens? What are your tips and tricks for balancing a blog on top of your already hectic schedule? 

June Favorites

Well, apparently June decided to be the shortest month of them all and fly right by. Seriously, though. June has went by faster than any other month this year. I have no idea why, but it really did. With June already gone, that means 2013 is half way over. Can you believe that? It's just crazy! 

This month I didn't wear a ton of makeup. I've only put on a full face maybe a handful of times. The hotter it gets, the more that I lack motivation to do my makeup.

I can't believe I am saying this, but I've jumped on the bandwagon. I am obsessed with the Revlon Lip Butters. I know, I know. I've dogged them in the past, but I'm a new woman. My eyes have been opened. I was never a fan because they weren't pigmented enough for me. Well, when the PX had all Revlon products for 40% off, I decided to grab a couple in what seemed to be more intense, vibrant shades. I am glad that I did! I picked up the colors Candy Apple and Raspberry Pie. I absolutely love these two! 

Another lip product that I've been loving is the elf Conditioning Lip Balm with SPF 15. This lip balm is ridiculously hydrating and moisturizing. I like to lather my lips up with this about two times a day. The color and staying power is quite impressive!

For eyes, these three products that you see are pretty much the only ones that I have been using all month. I picked up the Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion because my best friend swears by this. I was reluctant because I've never been a Cover Girl fan, but I'm hooked. I've been using this mascara more than my They're Real! I can't say that I like it more, as They''re Real! does a lot for me, but since it's so expensive, I'm trying to make it last as long as I can. Lash Blast definitely gets the job done. It's a favorite in my book!

I'm sure you've all seen my Pixi eyeliner in Oyster Glow in other recent posts, but I seriously cannot get enough of this! I use it as an inner eye brightener, brow bone highlight, nose and cupids bow highlight, and I even use it on my cheek bones! It is seriously the most gorgeous champagne color ever. It will be a really, really sad day when I run out of this. 

The last eye favorite for this month was my Tweezerman eyelash curler. The only other eye lash curler I have is my elf one, and it does the job just fine. But I do find that this one gets a bit closer to my lash line so I'm able to get a more dramatic curl. It's also rose gold. How can I not be obsessed with it?!

The three products you see above have pretty much been the only face products I've used all month. I've reached for my Revlon Colorstay a few times, but my Garnier BB Cream has definitely got the most use! I got this because my other Garnier BB Cream was about a year old and the formula was just obviously not as good as it used to be. I don't care what anyone says, the Garnier BB creams are the BEST! You can't change my mind. I do however lik this new formula better than the old. I bought this one specifically because Kasey did a review on it and it made her skin look amazing! I definitely recommed this BB cream to everyone! 

I have the worst undereye circles so when I saw this Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser, I had to give it a go. I have had this for a few months now, but I just started using it a lot this month. While I think that there are probably better products out there, this one does the job well enough for me. 

I've been using my Rimmel Stay Matte powder like crazy! I'm not head over heels in love with this powder or anything, but I really just needed to start using it up. My holy grail Hello Flawless! is really expensive, so I really want to conserve that as much as possible. I picked up Stay Matte for less than $2 on clearance at the PX. I'd rather use this for everyday, and only use my Benefit HF for the more important ones.

I am kind of possessive over my hair. If you guys haven't seen, I kind of have a lions mane. I have super thick hair, but it can get coarse. To prevent that, I've been using the L'Oreal Triple Resist Ultimate Strength Solution. I've only been using it about twice a week over the past month, so I haven't noticed a huge difference. The only thing that I can say is that I find there to be less fallout when brushing my hair. I can't really say that this is a "favorite" moreso than a product that I've just been using regularly. ...Why did I even include this? Ugh. 

I hoped that you all enjoyed this month's favorites! Which products have you been using on the daily this month?