So my last few post's have been about makeup. Today I figured I would talk about one of my other hobbies; Reading. I absolutely LOVE to read. I am a total book worm. When I was younger and my parents would send me to my room after getting into trouble, they used to take away my books because they knew I would just sit up in my room and read. True story lol. I have loved to read for as long as I can remember.
Back in the day my book favorites used to consist of The Boxcar Kids, The Babysitters Club and the Sweet Valley High Books. Haha, anyone remember those? Obviously now, at 26 my tastes have grown. I enjoy reading romance/suspense books, and the author Mary Higgins Clark got me started down that road. I read all of her books and then moved on to some similar writers. My current favorite authors are the following:
James Patterson: I absolutely love him. 2 of my favorite series written by him are
1. Woman's Murder Club. There are currently 12 books in this series. I have read up to book 10, and loved all of them so far. I just need to get over my money issue and actually buy the 11th and 12th book. (One bad thing about James Patterson's books are that they are not cheap, especially when they first come out!)
2. Alex Cross. There are currently 18 books in this series. I believe that I am all caught up, I might have the latest book sitting in my Nook all ready to read but I would have to check. There are so many Alex Cross books that at times it is hard to keep how many I have read straight.
The books that he writes that do not belong in a series are also great. I have many of them. He is an easy read that keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out the mystery while enjoying the romance that is progressing. He really is a great author. Judging by the amount of books he has written, I think it is safe to say that other people agree.
Lisa Jackson: She was the first romance/suspense author that I read after Mary Higgins Clark. I believe there are 2 new books that have just come out that I bought but have not read yet. She has a few different series out, and believe me they are all good, I will just name a couple of my top favorites.
1. NEW ORLEANS SERIES with Detectives Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya: This is a great series, you really start to feel as if you know these detectives. There are 7 books in this series.
2. MONTANA "TO DIE" SERIES featuring Detectives Regan Pescoli and Selena Alvarez: There are 5 books in this series, book 5 just came out and I have been itching to read it. Just trying to finish up the book that I am currently reading. In all reality I used to be able to read a book or more a day. Now, with a 10 month old crawling around, I'm lucky if I get to read 10 pages at once. And pick up a book at least once a day, HA, it just doesn't happen when you have kids.
The 1st Lisa Jackson book that I ever read is called, "If She Only Knew." I recommend it as a great starting point if you are interested in reading her books.
Beverly Barton: Is another good read, but I am only going to discuss her briefly. Sadly she passed away in 2011, so there are no new books from her. She has written a couple of books with Lisa Jackson, and some of my favorite books written by her would be the Dead By series, there are 3 books.
Karen Rose: She only has 14 books out, but she falls right into line with Beverly Barton. Good, easy, suspenseful reads.
Nancy Bush: Has 6 suspense books out, and has also written the Wicked Series, with Lisa Jackson.
Wendi Corsi Staub: She has 27 books total, all of which I have enjoyed reading.
Lisa Gardiner: Has written 3 series of books including the Detective D.D Warren series with 8 books, The FBI Profiler series with 6 books and the Standalone series with 4 books. She is probably the least favorite of all the authors listed so far, but she falls into the suspense category so I felt that she was worth mentioning.
Lastly there is Heather Graham. She is slightly difference because not only do her books fall in the romance/suspense categories, but they also touch upon the supernatural side of things, discussing ghosts and haunting's and what not. She has a ton of books, I am still trying to read my way through them, but I have enjoyed what I read so far.
Those are the main authors that I read. I can read, and re-read them over and over again. They are all just so good. Now mind you, this book worm has 98 books saved to her wishlist on my Nook. And speaking of the Nook, OMG. Best gift EVER from my hubby one Valentines Day when we were still dating. It was just the most perfect gift since I would be that girl that traveled with 5 or 6 books, would finish them half way through the vacation, have to go and buy even MORE books and then lug them all home. Enter Nook. I can now basically bring every book I own with me anywhere I go, and I can also buy new books at the press of a button. GENIOUS! It is my most favorite thing my hubby has ever given me aside from my engagement ring lol. Obviously now there are other reading devices out besides the different varieties that Nook offers, there are the Kindles and even the IPAD you can read off of now. But I enjoy my nook because I can use my Barnes N Noble gift cards or just a credit card and do not have to deal with Amazon like the Kindle does.
I was not sure if I would enjoy reading off an electronic reader, but it has not bothered me in the slightest. And I still have my paperback and hard cover books, come on now, I was not going to spend extra money and re-buy all those James Patterson, Lisa Jackson and Beverly Barton books I already had! Silly silly.
But I hope I left you with some curiosity on the various authors I mentioned. And whether or not you enjoy reading romance/suspense or want to try it out for the first time, I think I left you with enough choices that you should be able to find something that you will enjoy!
Oh and for the record, these are not the ONLY type of books that I read, although they are my books of choice, but this blog post has become long enough so another time I will briefly touch upon the random books I sometimes pick up. Orange is the New Black will be my next book, and after watching the series on Netflix, I am really looking forward to it!
Happy Reading!
xoxo Lauren
Friday, August 16, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Loving Lip Color
So I love makeup. I think that we established that in a previous blog. I also think that I mentioned I wanted to look more into lip color since all I use right now is a basic gloss with a little bit of shimmer. After many discussions with a friend who shares a similar makeup obsession, I decided to give it a go and try out some new products for the lips.
Now I also believe in my previous makeup post I said that I hate spending money on makeup products when I don't know how they will look on me. Fast forward to the 30 minutes I spent in the CVS makeup section looking at ONLY lipstick. lol. But I bought some! 3 to be exact, and it was stressful!!! I've never been more stressed out buying makeup. Let me also point out, that aside from lip gloss, my experience with lipstick has been minimal, basically crappy cheap brands in hideous shades for dance competitions that stain your lips and flake off and UGH I am shuddering just remembering it.
Anyway, back on topic. My friend has been raving about Revlon colorburst lip butters for $7.99. So I went there first and I chose Peach Parfait, it is a more natural peachy color and sheer. It has a little bit of sparkle to it and best of all is not dry. Bahh there is nothing worse then dry cakey lipstick! I really like how this one felt and looked on, and once I get the guts to try a less neutral color, something more dramatic and with a pop of color, this is the lip stick that I will go to.
I browsed the other brands and ended up at CoverGirl, that was always my go to brand when dealing with drugstore cosmetics. I had seen an ad on TV for their lip stain and wanted to check it out. I didn't like any of the colors that they had, so I found LipPerfecion Jumbo Gloss Balm for $8.99 and chose the color Blush Twist. It looks like a giant eye shadow pencil and twists up from the bottom. This is also a more sheer color, but the shade I chose has a little pink tint to it, also very natural looking with a slight shimmer. This is also not dry. SCORE!! 2 for 2 so far!
The last one that I ended up buying was also Covergirl, but this one is the Blast Flipstick Lipcolor for $9.99 that I got in Whisper. This is my least favorite of the 3 I bought. This one is two shades, a shimmer and a cream, and you can blend them together or fade them or wear them individually for different looks. It intrigued me. I am not sure that I love the color that I chose, it is a little more on the mauve side then the pink. It also felt more like a lipstick when wearing it. Not horrible heavy, but not light and airy like the other two. So 2 out of 3 ain't bad!! The Flipstick is deff more of a night look, to me at least where the lip butter and the gloss balm are more all day, every day looks.
From left to right: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in Blush Twist and Covergirl Blast Flipstick in Whisper.
These are the shades on skin. The left is the Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, the next is Covergirl Glass Balm in Blush Twist, the next 2 are Coverigirl Blast Flipstick individually, and the last is the Blast Flipstick colors combined. LOVE LOVE LOVE the 1st two!!!
Overall I was happy with my lip color shopping experience. I have 3 different shades and am in love with 2 of them. I am going to try and make it a point to wear the Flipstick and try to get used to more of a lipstick feel on my lips opposed to a gloss, I think that may be part of the issue. I'm not used to wearing something more heavy feeling on my lips. I can't talk too much yet about how long they last, I have not had the chance to put them on and test the longevity of them. But as soon as I do I'll make a note in another blog entry.
I also want to make a quick note of another makeup product the same friend mentioned to me. It's ELF (eyes, lips, face) brand facial shimmering whip. The color that I got was Lilac Petal and you can use it as a highlighter (which is what I use it for) but you can also put in on your eyes or even your lips for an added shimmer. It goes on so light and just adds a little something something. Best of all, IT'S ONLY $1.00!!! A freaking $1.00. There is nothing better then that!
So this is the ELF shimmering facial whip in Lilac Petal. Above is what the package looks like and below is the shimmer on skin. Just a nice subtle glow. This one does not have a ton of color which I love for highlighting on the face :)
So hopefully this entry gave you some guts to go and experiment with lip color, I'm glad that I did. Having color on your lips really just completes the look, especially when you spent so much time and effort putting makeup on the rest of your face :)
xoxox
Lauren
Now I also believe in my previous makeup post I said that I hate spending money on makeup products when I don't know how they will look on me. Fast forward to the 30 minutes I spent in the CVS makeup section looking at ONLY lipstick. lol. But I bought some! 3 to be exact, and it was stressful!!! I've never been more stressed out buying makeup. Let me also point out, that aside from lip gloss, my experience with lipstick has been minimal, basically crappy cheap brands in hideous shades for dance competitions that stain your lips and flake off and UGH I am shuddering just remembering it.
Anyway, back on topic. My friend has been raving about Revlon colorburst lip butters for $7.99. So I went there first and I chose Peach Parfait, it is a more natural peachy color and sheer. It has a little bit of sparkle to it and best of all is not dry. Bahh there is nothing worse then dry cakey lipstick! I really like how this one felt and looked on, and once I get the guts to try a less neutral color, something more dramatic and with a pop of color, this is the lip stick that I will go to.
I browsed the other brands and ended up at CoverGirl, that was always my go to brand when dealing with drugstore cosmetics. I had seen an ad on TV for their lip stain and wanted to check it out. I didn't like any of the colors that they had, so I found LipPerfecion Jumbo Gloss Balm for $8.99 and chose the color Blush Twist. It looks like a giant eye shadow pencil and twists up from the bottom. This is also a more sheer color, but the shade I chose has a little pink tint to it, also very natural looking with a slight shimmer. This is also not dry. SCORE!! 2 for 2 so far!
The last one that I ended up buying was also Covergirl, but this one is the Blast Flipstick Lipcolor for $9.99 that I got in Whisper. This is my least favorite of the 3 I bought. This one is two shades, a shimmer and a cream, and you can blend them together or fade them or wear them individually for different looks. It intrigued me. I am not sure that I love the color that I chose, it is a little more on the mauve side then the pink. It also felt more like a lipstick when wearing it. Not horrible heavy, but not light and airy like the other two. So 2 out of 3 ain't bad!! The Flipstick is deff more of a night look, to me at least where the lip butter and the gloss balm are more all day, every day looks.
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These are the shades on skin. The left is the Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, the next is Covergirl Glass Balm in Blush Twist, the next 2 are Coverigirl Blast Flipstick individually, and the last is the Blast Flipstick colors combined. LOVE LOVE LOVE the 1st two!!!
Overall I was happy with my lip color shopping experience. I have 3 different shades and am in love with 2 of them. I am going to try and make it a point to wear the Flipstick and try to get used to more of a lipstick feel on my lips opposed to a gloss, I think that may be part of the issue. I'm not used to wearing something more heavy feeling on my lips. I can't talk too much yet about how long they last, I have not had the chance to put them on and test the longevity of them. But as soon as I do I'll make a note in another blog entry.
I also want to make a quick note of another makeup product the same friend mentioned to me. It's ELF (eyes, lips, face) brand facial shimmering whip. The color that I got was Lilac Petal and you can use it as a highlighter (which is what I use it for) but you can also put in on your eyes or even your lips for an added shimmer. It goes on so light and just adds a little something something. Best of all, IT'S ONLY $1.00!!! A freaking $1.00. There is nothing better then that!
So this is the ELF shimmering facial whip in Lilac Petal. Above is what the package looks like and below is the shimmer on skin. Just a nice subtle glow. This one does not have a ton of color which I love for highlighting on the face :)
So hopefully this entry gave you some guts to go and experiment with lip color, I'm glad that I did. Having color on your lips really just completes the look, especially when you spent so much time and effort putting makeup on the rest of your face :)
xoxox
Lauren
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Makeup
Ok, so being a girl, makeup is an essential part of my morning routine. I wear it to varying degrees each day depending on my plans, but for the most part I never leave the house without my foundation, powder and mascara. Forgetting to put on my mascara is grounds for throwing off my whole day (sad I know) same as forgetting my phone at home, I need my mascara to function!
For the longest time I have been an avid MAC makeup user. Despite their prices I was happy with their brand in general and it was simple to only stop at one makeup counter and buy everything that I needed. I used their liquid foundation, blush, mascara, eye liner and eye shadow. They also have amazing makeup brushes. Once I had my second my baby, I began to notice changes in my skin that I was not happy with, and my makeup began to look less then flawless, which really upset me. I was having difficultly finding a foundation shade to match my skin tone, and the brand began to look flaky on my face. So I decided I needed to start all new (Seriously dumped all my MAC makeup with the exception of my face powder, eye shadow and eye liner) and I headed off to ULTA to get a makeover.
I wish I knew the name of the girl that helped me while I was at ULTA because she listened to everything that I had to say and we tried tons of product until I found what felt good and looked good on my skin. (I hate when makeup feels heavy) So makeup girl at the Lake Grove ULTA, thank you!!! I love putting my makeup on every day!!!
Here is what I got and why I like it!
-Hope in a Jar by Philosophy $39.00 (moisturizer for all skin types) It goes on so nice and smooth and does not feel heavy or oily on the skin!
-CK One 3 in 1 face makeup with SPF 8 $30.00 (300 Sand) Flawless coverage that matches my skin tone great. I don't even feel like there is makeup coating my face!
-The Real Deal Concealer by Laura Geller $22.00 (Medium) Perfect spot coverage. It covers and evens out my bad skin in ways I did not think possible!
-Laura Geller Baked Blush (Malibu) $23.50 Don't let the brightness fool you. This color can be blended in for a more subtle look or worn bright!
-Laura Geller Balance -n- Brighten Foundation Tan $33.00 Gives me that extra pop of color without looking fake, just a nice healthy glow.
-Too Faced Softly Illuminating Translucent Powder (Candlelight) $30.00 I love how adding this contours my face and gives it depth.
The following are what I already had but also use in my daily routine (with the exception of eye shadow and eye liner which I don't wear daily)
-MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium/Dark $30.00 I use this to set my foundation and concealer and it works great. One of the MAC products I kept.
-Naked 2 Pallet by Urban Decay $50.00
-Love Lash Mascara by Mary Kay (Black) $15.00 Applies easily and evenly without clumps and makes my lashes look long and full. Worth the wait for having to order it.
---> While I am waiting for my order if I need mascara I found that Lash Perfection by Covergirl (Black) is very similar and around $6.00-$7 .00
-MAC Powerpoint eye pencil (Engraved) $16.00 Stays on all day without running or smudging. Can't ask for a better eye liner.
-Shinny Kiss Flavored Lipgloss (Strawberry Fizz) from Victoria Secret. Clear gloss with a tint of pink. I don't like too much color on my lips. This is thick but not annoyingly so.
--> I usually buy 2 for $15.00
-I also use a variety of MAC eye shadows that run about $15.00 each
I am also a big fan of Target's up&up brand makeup remover wipes. They get the job done and it is not hard work to get the makeup off. I am still looking for a really good face wash that does not dry my skin out or cause me to break out.
Onto brushes. These make such a big difference in how your makeup goes on. I just invested in 2 really good brushes when I bought my makeup at ULTA and it makes putting my makeup on quicker and more flawless. Worth every penny in my opinion!
-Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring brush $25.00 (And is amazing for applying foundation)
--> My most favorite brush ever!!!
-Urban Decay Good Karma Blending Brush $26.00 (For applying concealer)
To set my makeup I also use Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray $29.00 which is amazing and keeps my makeup on all day!!!
So thats my makeup. Not necessary the most cost effective, but at the end of the day I'll take what works, and right now this is it. I can't justify going to a store and buying stuff that looks good in commercials or on display without being able to try it on to see how it looks or feels before buying it. I'd rather spend the money on makeup I know that I like :)
Kisses xox
Lauren
For the longest time I have been an avid MAC makeup user. Despite their prices I was happy with their brand in general and it was simple to only stop at one makeup counter and buy everything that I needed. I used their liquid foundation, blush, mascara, eye liner and eye shadow. They also have amazing makeup brushes. Once I had my second my baby, I began to notice changes in my skin that I was not happy with, and my makeup began to look less then flawless, which really upset me. I was having difficultly finding a foundation shade to match my skin tone, and the brand began to look flaky on my face. So I decided I needed to start all new (Seriously dumped all my MAC makeup with the exception of my face powder, eye shadow and eye liner) and I headed off to ULTA to get a makeover.
I wish I knew the name of the girl that helped me while I was at ULTA because she listened to everything that I had to say and we tried tons of product until I found what felt good and looked good on my skin. (I hate when makeup feels heavy) So makeup girl at the Lake Grove ULTA, thank you!!! I love putting my makeup on every day!!!
Here is what I got and why I like it!
-Hope in a Jar by Philosophy $39.00 (moisturizer for all skin types) It goes on so nice and smooth and does not feel heavy or oily on the skin!
-CK One 3 in 1 face makeup with SPF 8 $30.00 (300 Sand) Flawless coverage that matches my skin tone great. I don't even feel like there is makeup coating my face!
-The Real Deal Concealer by Laura Geller $22.00 (Medium) Perfect spot coverage. It covers and evens out my bad skin in ways I did not think possible!
-Laura Geller Baked Blush (Malibu) $23.50 Don't let the brightness fool you. This color can be blended in for a more subtle look or worn bright!
-Laura Geller Balance -n- Brighten Foundation Tan $33.00 Gives me that extra pop of color without looking fake, just a nice healthy glow.
-Too Faced Softly Illuminating Translucent Powder (Candlelight) $30.00 I love how adding this contours my face and gives it depth.
The following are what I already had but also use in my daily routine (with the exception of eye shadow and eye liner which I don't wear daily)
-MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium/Dark $30.00 I use this to set my foundation and concealer and it works great. One of the MAC products I kept.
-Naked 2 Pallet by Urban Decay $50.00
-Love Lash Mascara by Mary Kay (Black) $15.00 Applies easily and evenly without clumps and makes my lashes look long and full. Worth the wait for having to order it.
---> While I am waiting for my order if I need mascara I found that Lash Perfection by Covergirl (Black) is very similar and around $6.00-$7 .00
-MAC Powerpoint eye pencil (Engraved) $16.00 Stays on all day without running or smudging. Can't ask for a better eye liner.
-Shinny Kiss Flavored Lipgloss (Strawberry Fizz) from Victoria Secret. Clear gloss with a tint of pink. I don't like too much color on my lips. This is thick but not annoyingly so.
--> I usually buy 2 for $15.00
-I also use a variety of MAC eye shadows that run about $15.00 each
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| My day to day makeup minus the Naked 2 Pallet & eye liner |
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| MAC eye shadows in various colors |
I am also a big fan of Target's up&up brand makeup remover wipes. They get the job done and it is not hard work to get the makeup off. I am still looking for a really good face wash that does not dry my skin out or cause me to break out.
Onto brushes. These make such a big difference in how your makeup goes on. I just invested in 2 really good brushes when I bought my makeup at ULTA and it makes putting my makeup on quicker and more flawless. Worth every penny in my opinion!
-Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring brush $25.00 (And is amazing for applying foundation)
--> My most favorite brush ever!!!
-Urban Decay Good Karma Blending Brush $26.00 (For applying concealer)
To set my makeup I also use Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray $29.00 which is amazing and keeps my makeup on all day!!!
So thats my makeup. Not necessary the most cost effective, but at the end of the day I'll take what works, and right now this is it. I can't justify going to a store and buying stuff that looks good in commercials or on display without being able to try it on to see how it looks or feels before buying it. I'd rather spend the money on makeup I know that I like :)
Kisses xox
Lauren
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
DIY Bow & Headband Holders
One of the first projects I took on was a headband holder. The materials are as follows:
- Large ice tea container
- Fabric, wrapping paper, scrapbook paper (I used 2 pieces of scrapbook paper)
- Ribbon
- Candle holder
- Hot glue gun
- Bow or Flower
It's simple. Empty out and clean the ice tea container. Cover the outside with your fabric or paper using a glue gun. Cover the seams and decorate with ribbon. Hot glue the container to the candle holder. Glue bow or flower to the lid for decoration and slide on your headbands! This cost me next to nothing since I had everything in my house already except for the candle holder!
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| Covered ice tea container lined with ribbon |
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| Candle holder hot glued to the bottom of the container |
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| Slide your headbands on & Voila! Instant headband holder! |
- A piece of square cork board
- Fabric large enough to cover the cork board
- Ribbon ( I used 3 different colors and 2 different sizes)
- Hot glue gun
- Screw hooks
Cover the square cork board with the fabric, hot glue down. Place the ribbon vertically down the board, evenly spaced. (It took 5 pieces of ribbon for the cork board I used) Hot glue the ends of the ribbon to the back of the board. Screw a hook in between each piece of ribbon, hot glue down for extra hold. Add a ribbon handle to the top if you would like to hang your holder from a hook. I made 2 of these, one for my daughter, and one for a friends baby shower. I was very happy with how they came out!
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| This is the one that I made for my daughter, I used the command strips to hang it. |
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| This is the one that I made for my friend. I used a different ribbon placement and added ribbon to hang the holder. |
I'm going to leave you with one last Pinterest creation that I made last night. It has nothing to do with headbands and hair bows but I was extremely happy with how it turned out.
I painted the molding and letters white. I thought the molding added a nice frame and it was different.
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| View of the name over her crib |
So I love Pinterest and the DIY ideas that it gives me. These were all super easy, the most difficult part was measuring and making sure everything was level while I was hanging the molding and letters!! If your not on Pinterest, trust me and join. You'll be addicted within minutes!
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