Thumbs Up Thursday!

Hey there!

Today is another Thumbs Up Thursday, I've got a few products to highlight and a few other things I am just enjoying at the moment. 

This is the Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle leave in conditioning spray. It's AMAZING. I originally received a sample size in a birchbox and instantly fell in love with it. My hair is so soft, silky and smooth. It does not weigh down my hair and does not turn greasy. It says to leave in and use before styling to protect against heat damage. I usually only blow dry my hair but with this, people are always telling me my hair looks so soft. I can't stop running my fingers through it. It's got a pleasant scent too! I've tried to find the product outside of the birchbox website but no luck so I just purchased the full size from them. 

Lately I have been loving plain nonfat Greek yogurt (no particular brand) and find that when mixed with honey, peanut butter, and cinnamon makes an awesome fruit dip, especially with apples. I'm sure it's relatively healthy and has lots of protein and fiber from the fruit. It keeps me full if I eat it for breakfast and tastes more like a dessert. I also like to top mixed fruit (berries, pineapple, papaya, grapes) with the yogurt, drizzle with honey and sprinkle pecans on top. Soo good!

This candle is from Nest Fragrances, it's the Burchwood Pine Luxury Scented Candle. I got it in a Popsugar Must Have box and it is delicious. The candle infuses the whole room with the most pleasant wintery scent even when it's not burning. This photo does not do justice for the beauty of the glass itself. It has a gold leaf pattern design and I cannot wait to use the candle up and have the pretty jar to store makeup brushes or eyeliners atop my vanity. The Popsugar Must Have boxes are really great and I really enjoy the items they send.

This body cream From TokyoMilk (also received in a Popsugar box) smells fantastic. It makes my skin so soft, it applys smooth and absorbs nicely. When I wear this I do not need a perfume because it leaves me with a faint pleasant smell throughout the day. It keeps my skin supple and I like to apply it right from the shower. The jar itself is huge and cleverly designed. A really great find!

When I'm not feeling in the mood for coffee (which is rare) but still need a caffeine jolt I reach for a sugar-free energy drink. I've tried most varieties and granted they all taste a bit like the candy Smarties on crack. It's a toss up if this taste is pleasant or not. Either way a friend from work introduced to me the Monster Energy Ultra Zero. This DOES NOT taste like doped up sugary candy. It's mellow, slightly sweet, slightly tart. It reminds me of Squirt soda. It definitely has a hint of grapefruit to it and it seems like although it is still carbonated it isn't extreme fizz like most other energy drinks. This stuff could be dangerous because it doesn't feel like I'm drinking an energy drink, just seems like a refreshing beverage so I've got to be careful not to reach for one right before bed! Overall I love this and it's my go to boost of energy when coffee just won't cut it.

Moving on to the one Thumbs Down for this week.

 I was really kind of bummed out because when I got the BH Cosmetics Contour and Blush Palette it seemed like it was going to be really awesome. I loved the color and when I first applied it everything seemed great. 

Then by the end of the FIRST day wearing it, right above my jaw line a huge pimple surfaced. I don't usually have acne issues and never in that area. I did not wear foundation this day and the only thing I applied there was the brown contour color. I decided to try it a few more days and the breakouts just got worse! I stopped using it and they are starting to go away. I REALLY wanted to love this. I will continue to try the blushes to see if they will still work out but I mainly got the palette for the contour color. BOO. I'm sure not everyone will have this reaction but something in the formula causes me to breakout.

And in the spirit of tradition here's a #TBT for ya!

My dad and I, circa 1989.

:)

Thanks for reading!

Til next time,

Trish 

Outfit of the Week

Hey there!

Today I bring you another installment of my work week outfits. Why only 3 you ask? I decided that not all of my outfits are always pulled together at 2:30am when I'm getting ready for work. If I pick my best 3 outfits each week I've got a little wiggle room for error. 

This deep cobalt blue shirt is one if my favorites from Target. It's easy to wear and the silhouette suits me well. I pair it with a gray/brown textured pant from Gap. These pants are soft and very comfortable. The shoes are slip resistant pumps from Payless. 

This was a fun outfit. I'm always delighted on the slight chance I can wear jeans to work. These jeans are from Eighty Eight Jeans and I found them on Zulily. They fit perfect and go with any outfit. This top used to be a dress that shrunk and is now too short, so I just fold under the bottom. I got it at Target along with the black sweater that has Black rhinestones on the shoulders. I get compliments on the sweater all the time. 

Here I paired a black cropped blazer from Mine Too found on Zulily with a short sleeve button up top from Nordstrom Rack. The top has a nice brown dot design and tabs on the sleeves. The pants are my trusty NYDJ that I bought from Hautelook. The necklace is from Zulily and the earrings from Forever21 (they have such cute inexpensive earrings and so far they do not irritate my ears!). I'm pretty sure this outfit would have looked nicer with the shirt tucked in and a black belt but the NYDJ come pretty high up and would not have worked out that way. 

Nothing too exciting this time, some weeks I'm so tired it's hard to get creative at all. I've also got certain criteria I have to follow for our dress code. Boo! Someday I'll have a job that let's me dress however I want! 

I should be getting my first DIY finished by the end of the week and stay tuned for Thumbs Up Thursday as well!

Thanks for reading,

Til next time

Trish

Dressing Room Tour!

Hey there!

Today I'm going to take you inside what I hope to someday be my beauty/makeup/dressing room. This is a virtual tour because it does not yet exist. I spent a few hours using a free program from the Design Within Reach website to plan and decorate a virtual room. I absolutely LOVE what I came up with and enjoyed using the planner. They had so much to choose from and at the end you get a 3D rendering of your design.

I was able to input the specs of a room that is currently in my house and change wall color, and add furniture. The windows, doors, and even rug are almost exact match to my actual room. I got the inspiration for the closet wall from this photo that I found on Pinterest: 

Hope one day my clothing collection might look like this! 

Here is the other side of the room. To the left is a closet, a tall mirror (just what I need for OOTD pics) a seating area with wire dressing mannequin and plenty of art on the walls. 

The above photo found on Flickr is my color and pattern inspiration! If I could recreate everything about this room I would. This encompasses my style and personality perfectly. 

I think the 3D design program did a pretty awesome job recreating most of the design elements and being able to see it in a space I currently have makes me so excited to work on making it a reality. I highly recommend using the DWR 3-D Room Planner to plan design and bring them to life!

Thanks for reading!

Til next time,

Trish

Thumbs Up Thursday!

Hey guys!

Today is all about what I'm giving a big thumbs up to this week. Each week I'll pick a few products that I just can't get enough of and tell about my experience with them. I'll even throw in a thumbs down or 2! 

My first thumbs up is this mascara by Tarte. It's called Lights, Camera, Flashes. I got this in a Glossybox and was stoked that it was full size (I am always looking for a good mascara). The brush is peculiar and has 2 different sides. One is supposed to deposit the formula and add volume to lashes and the other side is supposed to distribute the product and lengthen lashes. I'm not going to lie I poked myself a few times in the eye trying to figure out the correct process and almost gave this product a total THUMBS DOWN! Luckily I practiced a bit and figured out the correct way to apply and let me tell you it makes my lashes full, long, curled and glamorous!

I will definitely purchase this mascara again once it runs out.

The next thing I'm loving right now is BCBG Maxazria Bon Genre. I also received a sample of this in a glossy box and love the scent, this is the full size that I purchased from the birchbox store. Its my go to everyday scent. It's not too strong, just slightly feminine and has great staying power. It makes me feel fresh not flowery when I wear it. The bottle is a little cheesy but I wear the scent not the packaging! 

This microderm face scrub from Goldfaden MD is FANTASTIC. It makes my skin so soft, smooth, and supple. I received a full size in a Popsugar Must Have box and have since purchased a replacement from theskinstore.com for 20% off. This scrub is pricey but does wonders for my skin. Even Ryan has started using it and I've noticed his face is soft and free of dryness and peeling that he used to have all the time. I use it once a day and finish my routine with the Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve face cream.

I also received the face cream as a sample in Birchbox and have bought the full size from sephora. There is a dramatic improvement in my skins clarity, smoothness, tone, and its helping fill in some of my wrinkles across my forehead (runs in my family). 

At night I use the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser system to remove my makeup. It also makes my skin super soft and my face feels so refreshed after using this, it's a pretty quick cleanse and easy to use with the muslin cloth. The only thing that is a thumbs down here is it does not remove the Tarte Lights Camera Flashes mascara very well. I usually have to use a quick, concentrated eye makeup remover first and then clean my face with the Liz Earle.

Thumbs Down!

I thought I'd have another great thumbs up and it's possible that it could be next week but let me introduce you to my THUMBS DOWN for this week.

This is the Urban Decay face case in Shattered. 

LITERALLY.

Ba dum tss!

I ordered it last week and was super excited when it arrived yesterday. Much to my disappointment it was not packaged properly and was a total mess when I opened the box. The clip that holds it closed is broken, the blush is "shattered" all over the case, and if you look closely at the highlight there is a fingerprint!(not my own) EW, WTF. Absolutely going to go exchange this first thing tomorrow morning. I'm sure I will love the actual product but this unboxing was a total thumbs down!

The last thumbs down for today is a halfway thumbs down.

Ryan so lovingly picked up some spray adhesive for an upcoming DIY project I'm going to work on. Unfortunately it's formulated for more serious heavy duty adhering. The project I'm working on is a little more delicate and I won't be able to use this formula for it. 

See how the spray foams and creates a thick adhesive on this newspaper? I definitely need a finer mist without a noticeable layer inbetween. Kudos and thumbs up to Ryan for being so sweet, for my project though this spray's a thumbs down. 

Here's a quick #TBT for ya,

I think we would make the most adorable tiny persons! 

Thanks for reading!

Til next time,

Trish

Outfit of the Week

Hey there!

Today I am going to spot light the first of continual weekly work outfit posts. I have 3 outfits to show today. 

I am kicking myself because I had made awesome homemade meatballs last night and as I was pulling them out of the oven I thought "this would have been an awesome post for the blog!" But alas I did not have any pictures of the ingredients or the process or the before or after and therefor had NOTHING to post. I'm sure it was beginner blogger mistake. I'll get with the program sooner or later. 

Please excuse my lack of hairstyle. I get up at 2am to be to work at 3 so I sometimes forgo the hair. Here are 3 of my favorite outfits this week:

This top is from Zulily, brand eci New York. It is very flattering, has a nice fitted shape and I LOVE the color, with the black stripe down the sleeve adds a nice edge. The pants are NYDJ also purchased on sale at Zulily (love this site BTW, you can find some pretty sweet deals) they have hidden panels and a high waist to keep my tummy pooch tucked away! This scarf is my absolute favorite. It is light weight but soft and feels very comfortable around my neck. It's an infinity style scarf and the pattern is awesome, the colors go lovely together with the top. I got a great deal on it using a Shoptiques gift card I received in a Popsugar Must Have box and bought the scarf for just over $2 which was what remained on the shipping after the gift card was applied! My earrings are from Forever 21 and I cannot get enough of them. This is my go to look on a weekly basis and I usually just trade out the pants for jeans with boots.

I get so many compliments on this shirt that I bought from Nordstrom Rack ( great store for bargain finds!) it's shear so I pair it with a plain grey tank top also from Nordstrom Rack the black skinny jeans are from Target and I wear them all the time, they are so comfortable and fit really well! The shoes are slip resistant maryjanes from Payless (SR required for work). I forgot to accessorize this morning! 

This outfit was fun to put together and wear. The dress and belt are from Charming Charlie. The leggings are Hue brand and I bought them from Amazon (BEST leggings ever, soft, comfortable, still hold everything in place HA! I wish I had 5 more pairs) the blazer is  LC Lauren Conrad boyfriend blazer from Kohls. No matter how I dress it up or down I always get compliments on it. The silver cable heart necklace is Rampage brand found on Zulily. The shoes again from Payless.

Don't mind my badge/ID lanyard I usually have to snap these shots while running around during the day.  

Hope you enjoyed these looks and I can't wait to show you what outfits I pull together next week!

Thanks for reading!

Trish

 

Rockin' Red Lip

Hey there!

There's something about red lipstick that just radiates sophistication. Today I'm showcasing the products I use to help me achieve this brilliant bright red lip.

Rockin' red lips can be tricky and can be quite daunting if you've never tried this trend before. With the right stuff and a few tricks it is pretty easy to pull off.

When going after red lips the first thing you should do is use any remaining foundation on your brush and lightly coat bare lips so that there is just a hint of nude. Many people suggest using a liner with red lips but I have found with the above products I do not have a problem with bleeding  or feathering in the fine lines around my mouth. The first product I apply is the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in color Beso. This stuff is amazing! It's highly pigmented so you do have to be careful about where you apply it. It dries quickly so keep makeup remover and q-tips on hand for any touch ups around the edges. I fill in the entire lips with this and allow it to dry for a few minutes before adding the other colors. Because this color is quite bright I opt to next use a deep, dark red from BHCosmetics Creme Luxe Lipstick in Red Truffle. I again apply to the full lip and leave a thin edge for the Stila to peek through.

At this step I blot any excess on a tissue. In order to liven up the lip I now take a color that is in between shades of the first 2 with Duwop in color Private Red (I received this sample a LONG time ago and I do not know if it is still available). Again apply to full lip leaving a bit more edge around the lips. Use a lip brush to blend the edges and smooth the transition of colors. The final step to tie them all together is take a nude lip color, here I've used J.Cats Fantabulous Lipstick in color Honeycrisp, and apply it just in the center if your lips. Use a lip brush to feather the color to the outer corners of your lips making sure the rich red shades are perfectly ombré creating a more voluptuous lip. 

Here you can see the lightness in the center from the Honeycrisp, and the reds just blend so nicely. The best look with red lips is a neutral eye with a bold black cat eye liner.

Both of the above are taken with flash from my phone camera and 6 hours after initial application with no touch ups! In order to make the color last I always make sure to use straws while drinking and take small bites with a fork to avoid rubbing off the color.

Definitely a thumbs up for beautiful bold lips! With the right products and a few simple steps any one could rock the red lip.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial, I'd love to hear comments and suggestions for future posts! 

Be on the lookout for some DIY projects coming soon.

Happy Sunday! 

Trish

HUGE BHCosmetics Haul!

Hey there!

I'm excited today to bring you a collection of goodies I purchased from BHCosmetics. If you've never heard of them you must check it out. They offer tons of makeup at extremely reasonable prices and so far, everything I have tried holds up in quality and is a great value for anyone who is looking for great beauty products on a budget.

The wide variety of products covers all of your beauty needs. I was able to pick up a few lip products, some eyeshadow palettes, a face powder palette, a brush set, and an assortment of nail polishes. 

The brushes are soft and sturdy and the set comes in a dainty roll up travel pouch.  I haven't tried them yet but I am always in need of brushes and like to keep an eye out for ones that aren't outrageous expensive. 

I am really looking forward to using the 6 color contour and blush palette. Ive watched a few tutorials and it seems like this palette is a great tool for those who are contouring novices. 

The palette includes 2 blush colors, a contour color and 3 varying highlights. The contour and blushes seemed like they could have been too dark for my fair skin tone, but after watching the tutorials I realized that the colors are mellowed once applied to the skin. I am super excited to test out my skills with this palette. 

These Creme Luxe Lipsticks are gorgeous. The colors are highly pigmented and and the formula is creamy. Forever Nude is the perfect nude lip color; Red Truffle is a deep almost crimson red and would go perfect with a neutral eye; Tea Time is a sweet petal pink and could become my go to lip color for everyday looks.

This is the 6 color Eyeshadow Pro Palette. You get to customize the colors and each pan is interchangeable. Each color is coded by the formula eyeshadow it contains. 

WS stands for Warm Shimmer and the 2 colors from this category that I picked out are a light champagne color and a slightly rosier highlight. CM stands for Cool Matte. The colors and I chose are neutrals that would be great blending crease colors. MM means Metalic Matte. The color I picked is a nice plum that would be stunning used on the outer corner. The last color I chose is a Metalic Shimmer or MS. It's a burgundy shimmer that makes my blue eyes pop!

I also chose these 3 eyeshadow palettes. The one on top is the Galaxy Chic palette and has some fantastic highly pigmented shimmer colors. The palette on the left is the BH Party Girl Palette. It has a great combination of bright colors as well as neutrals. You can mix them to make a variety of day or night looks. The palette on the right is the BH San Francisco Eyeshadow and Blush Palette. The package comes with several eyeshadow colors in shimmers and mattes, blush and highlight in a small compact with a mirror, it's the perfect palette to travel because it's fits easily into bags and has everything you need in one. 

I was excited about this 10 piece Mystery Collection Nail set. It includes warm and cool shades with colors for any occasion. The color is quite opaque and only needs 2 coats to cover the nail. The price made this set an awesome value at a little over $1 a piece!

Last but certainly not least I chose 4 lip glosses. The colors I ordered were Plain Jane- a nude gloss, Classy Gal-a berry red, Copper Crush- a red with copper metalic shimmer, and Studious- a bright peony pink. 

They do not feel sticky on the lips and the color is opaque not sheer. These make the lips seem fuller and the formula is quite pleasant.

I cannot wait to try out all of these great products and plan to post swatches soon so you can see how the colors transform on skin. 

If there's something specific you'd like, a review of any of the products perhaps, comment below and I'd love to use recommendations on future posts! 

Happy weekend everyone!

Til next time,

Trish