Tropical Dreams...

So I used some colors out of the 360 Pallet I reviewed yesterday.  I started out by using NARS Primer on my eyelids.  I swept on some MAC (the gold color) across my entire eyelid, then on the outer eye I used a turquoise eyeshadow, and used a little bright blue in there for some contrast.  I wish that the teal color was a little brighter, but what can you do...  I think this is a good summery look, and I have this perfect dress to wear it with if I get home by the end of the summer.  If not... Looks like I will have to pack that little sun dress and take it with me on vacation in November!   

That's right, I said vacation!  A bunch of my friends have decided that we should get together and have a "Single Girls" trip.  I'm really excited because who doesn't love vacation?  Plus I get to spend some quality time with some of my favorite people, and get to meet some people I don't know.  The always plus of this is some sun, surf, and coconut drinks with the little umbrellas!  We have decided that we are going to all book the same week off and then go on a last minute kind of deal so that we aren't spending a fortune to get a tan! 

How about you guys?  Do you have a favorite place that you like to go?  I would love to know if you guys had some unreal vacation experiences, and what are the things that you "must" do when you visit another country?  What are your favorite tropical drinks?  And what is the one thing that you couldn't live without?

I would have to say for my answers my favorite place I ever went was the Dominican Republic.  We went to Punta Cana and stayed at the Barcelo Resort.  This was actually a family trip.  My parents had given my brother and I all expense paid vacations for Christmas, and this is where we ended up going.  The other great thing about this trip was that I got to spend some time with my future sister-in-law.  And that marriage turned into me gaining one of the most amazing sister-in-laws/best friends I could ever possibly ask for! The most wonderful thing about this destination was the beautiful beaches, the crystal clear water, and the wonderful resort.  If you ever get a chance to go there, do it! (gosh... I sound like I should be writing an article for Trip Advisor) Anyways.... I hope you guys are all having a wonderful weekend!

360 Pallet from Sephora

I've been talking about this 360 Deluxe Pallet for the last little bit, but I decided I'd finally show you what it was.  I went all over the Internet looking for the names of the eye shadows, lip glosses, and blushes that are in this pallet, and I still can't find them!  I think I should just rename them myself!  I guess if any of you out there have any ideas about it, I'd greatly appreciate it!  So for now I'm just going to show you the pallet!

I'm a fan of the lighter colors, but I find the darker colors don't blend as well, and they aren't as vibrant as I would like them to be.

I love all of the colors in this lip gloss pallet, except for the brownish ones.  They remind me of the mid 1990's, and who wants to look like they've been kissing ass all day long?

I love all of the blush colors!  I don't use them all alone, but usually mix a couple of them together to get the desired look I'm trying to achieve!

This is what the whole thing looks like.  The eye shadows slide out to the sides, revealing the lip gloss underneath, and the blush slides out from the bottom!  It comes with a mirror in the cover, and its not a bad size.  I just measured the entire thing (closed) and its 5 inches wide, and 1.5 inches high.  Its a little big to just throw in your purse, but I suppose that depends on the size of your purse and the occasion that you'd be packing it around for. 

For the price I have to say I'm rather impressed with this product.  I think I will get some use out of it, and when I'm done, hopefully I can figure something out so that I can put new colors and things in the pallet, because it sure beats having a bunch of individual products floating around!

GLAMOUR in a T-shirt...

So today I decided to be brave and wear some very bright lipstick!  I LOVE IT!  I have to say, this is the first time I've ever decided to go this bright!  I feel so girly!  I don't even know what color it is because I got it out of Sephoras 360 pallet (I think that's what its called... ) I just went to check and can't find it on their website.  Oh well!  Anyways.  I love this look, I think its a little glam (minus my t-shirt) I just can't wait to wear this on a night out somewhere!  I added some liquid liner, and dusted on a light gold shadow on my lids, put on mascara (obviously), and used a peach color on my cheeks!

Thought I'd share some outside/natural light pictures with you because sometimes it feels like I never leave my house!  Plus you can see how blond my hair really is now!

It was kinda bright outside, and I couldn't keep my eyes open, I thought this was a rather hilarious picture so I thought I'd share it with you!

Ojon Haircare

So I bought this Shampoo & Conditioner set from Sephora not long ago because it seemed to have some good ratings.  I really love this product.  It smells wonderful!  The only complaint I have is it doesn't lather great!  If you wash your hair twice the second time lathers more, but its still not as sudsy as I like it.  The smell is AMAZING!  I can't get enough of it!  I actually leave my hair down all day because I can smell it every time I move my head.  Most shampoos scent your hair for about an hour, but this one is an all day kind of deal!  I found my hair to be shiny and lightweight, none of this heaviness!  I found it works extremely well for fine hair.  After only using this product for a week I've noticed my hair feels healthier and more shiny than it was before. 

With it came the Leave in Glossing cream.  I'm not sure how I feel about this product, but it does help smooth down the ends of my hair after styling.  The smell is fantastic, and you only need a tiny bit of this product!  At the rate I'm going, this is going to last me about a year! 

I found the set to be a little expensive for the amount you got.  On the plus side of that, I watched the shopping network on this product and found out that they harvest the Ojon oil (which is actually Palm ) from Central America. Ojon is proud to work closely with MOPAWI – a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting sustainable development in the native Miskito and Garifuna populations in the Mosquita region of north–eastern Honduras.  I would rather pay a little bit extra for a product that is giving back to the region that it harvests its products from.  The great thing about this is they don't just go in and take over, they buy from the local people and help them to sustain their traditional harvesting methods rather than using machines and heavy equipment to harvest the product.

I have to say that I will probably buy this product again because I love the smell and feel of it, and because of the support that this company gives to the people of Honduras.  Maybe I'm just a sucker for a good story, but whatever, I'm sure I'm not the only one out there!

PATINA CONCRETE EYELIDS

Another makeup post!  I'm testing out all my new eye shadows and I have to say... I'm loving them!  I actually just went on ebay and bought a whole bunch more!  I'm sure you all realize that you need to have options!  Its kind of like shoes... you can't wear red shoes with a pink dress... well I'm sure you could, but its probably not recommended!  (Think Dorothy's ruby red shoes with a baby pink dress... barf!!  I even provided you with an example at the end of this post.... )  Same goes with makeup... you'd look ridiculous wearing some colors with some clothes!  And you have to test them all out so that you know which ones flatter your skin tones the most!  Or at least that's my reasoning!  Plus I'm buying each of them for $2.00 or under, so I'm thinking that's a pretty good bargain!  They say MAC on them, but I'm pretty sure they're knockoffs!  I could be wrong though.  I did go check out MAC's website, and they look identical, and some of the colors are even the same!  I suppose I'll just have to buy some authentic MAC makeup so that I know for sure if they're the same!  Either way... its still a step of from most of the drugstore makeup brands I've bought.

Today I did the same thing with my face.  I used a more pink blush that I got out of the SEPHORA Pallet I bought, just because my eyes were a little darker I thought I'd let my cheeks pop a little bit.  I used a neutral goldish color on my lip, which I love!  And that's pretty much it for the face!

For my eyes I started out using NARS primer.  I have to admit, this is the second time (aside from the other day) I've ever used a primer on my lids!  I was kind of skeptical that it wouldn't really help with anything... and boy was I wrong!  After I did my SATELLITE DREAMS post I noticed that my makeup was still going strong 15 hours later! Very impressed!  I think I'm going to have to try out some other primers, even though I do love this one (unfortunately its only a sample!) I think there might be a better product out there!  Anyways... back on topic!  I used PATINA on my entire eyelid, and then swept CONCRETE on the outer eye and then blended.  I followed up with mascara and some liquid eyeliner.  I'm rather happy with the results! 

I just wanted to say thanks to you all for the lovely comments that you have left me!!  They make my day.  I hope you are all having a wonderful Monday, and best wishes for the rest of the week!! 

Hate the outfits together, but love these shoes!  I do believe they are on my must have list!

BLONDIE

So the other day me and my BFF Candice decided to color my hair.  I saw a picture in a magazine that was kind of blond and just fell in love with it  (obviously I'm not platinum blond, but this is the lightest I've ever gone)  She did an amazing job I think!  I'm actually thinking of going a little bit blonder when I go to get my roots done.  The one thing I love about having a professional do your hair, is it feels soo much better after!  She doesn't work in a salon, but I seriously think she's the most talented person I know (she did go to hair school though)  Anyways, I was just wondering if you guys think I should go lighter or keep it at the same color??!?!  I love it right now!  Somehow blond is just so much more interesting!

MY EGO IS HAVING SATELLITE DREAMS....

So finally a Makeup Post!! YAY!  I was all excited to get ready today because I have a bunch of new makeup to try out! I had ordered a bunch of things from Sephora (first time ever), and I'm pretty much addicted!  No more drugstore makeup for this girly!

 I started by using MAYBELLINE'S Corrector Concealer Cover Stick.  Its a must have in your makeup kit.  It completely covers any red marks and it glides on your skin super smoothly!  Next I brushed on SEPHORA'S Buildable Cover in Medium.  This just helps further reduce any red marks and gives you a good base for foundation.  It goes on super velvety too and doesn't cake like I thought a powdery concealer would.  Next I applied MAYBELLINE'S Super Stay Makeup in True Beige.  My skin was looking pretty good today, so I didn't need to use much.  Just enough so that my skin looked nice and even.  After Foundation I applied BARE ESCENTUALS Mineral Veil just under my eyes, and it brightened them up immediately!  I love this stuff!! If you don't have it, go get it!  I brushed on some blush (like a mix of 4 different kinds) and that was pretty much it for my face.

For my eyes I started by using NARS Primer, then I applied MAC Ego Eyeshadow (Pink) to the lids, and swept MAC Satellite Dreams on the outer eye (and a little underneath to line the lower lashes), and blended.  I used a Neutral for under the brow bone from my Sephora Compact thing I bought (stay tuned for another post on that one!)  And applied about 50 coats of mascara.  My favorite right now is LashBlast by COVERGIRL.  The thing I love about it is, once you curl your eyelashes and apply mascara, they stay curled, where most just make my eyelashes stick straight out (FRUSTRATING!!), instead of staying curled.  Make sure you get the waterproof one though, the regular one doesn't work as well.  The only downside is its a BIT*H to wash off!  I lined my lashes with ALMAY Liquid Liner, and obviously I was a bit shaky today, but whatever... Nobody should be that close in my face to even notice!

Finally for my lips I just used a neutral lip gloss, because I didn't want to come across as looking like a clown.  This is already kind of a bright look for me, so I figured I'd just stick to having one feature that was a little insane.  I actually just got a compliment from a boy who said they look sexy, so I'm going to take this as a good thing (the only thing is... he's over 60, so I don't know if I should trust his judgement)...  who knows!

NOTD...

So I know I did a nail post the other day, but for some reason, Nails are my favorite new thing.  Obviously I'm a little shaky with the nail art, but it will come!  Today I was going through my nail polish trying to match my shirt (which is army green) and I figured purple would go with it!  I used Rimmel's 60 Seconds Vinyl Shine.  I wasn't too impressed with the color, it went on kind of streaky, even after two coats (hence the nail art, to try and hide it)  Either way, it turned out not too bad, but its definitely not my favorite color polish.

I was shopping online for nail polish today, and found some great new colors, until my computer decided to magically shut itself off on me.  So hopefully they're still in the shopping cart, because I didn't bother writing down the ones I picked, and I don't really feel like browsing through the selection again... bah... darn technology sometimes!  Anyways... here is a couple more pictures of my nails.  Let me know what you think!

MYSTERY GIVEAWAY

Hey everyone stop in and check out Laura Beths giveaway... its a mystery when it will end, but its a worth while check out anyways... and her blog is amazing!

SUMMER NAILS...

Well now that I'm back to work I have all kinds of time to do fun stuff... like paint my nails.  Last night I thought I'd wash the remainder of ancient nail polish off my fingernails (well it wasn't that old, but it was looking kind of sketchy) 

The other day I went to visit my Aunt & Uncle & Cousins in the thriving metropolis of Chetwynd, BC (yes... that would be sarcasm...).  The first thing my cousin Brooke wanted to do was paint my nails.  She did black tips and put some flower stickers on them.  I have to say for an 11 year old, she's got some serious talent!  She also gave me some Enamel Art pens to take with me, so I couldn't wait to try them out!  I have to say, they're pretty fantastic too! 

I forgot the base coat.. because I always do.  Then I added Finger Paints in "Up & Coming Artist", then used my green nail art pen to draw little polka dot lines, and then finally finished it off with a pearl color flower, also from the nail art pen collection.  And then I applied a top coat... because obviously your nail polish has better lasting power when you don't skip this step (which I normally do)

A few months ago I wouldn't have even bothered painting my nails because honestly, I didn't really care.  Now that I've been blogging and actually trying to get ready on a daily basis I find that my nails are getting more attention than ever!  I can't wait to try some more designs later!  But for right now, I'm happy with the way they look.  Oh, and a boy even commented on them!  So you have to know your doing something right if a dirty oil rig boy compliments you on your fingernails! hahah!

Obviously my cuticles need some work, but that's saved for another day!! (and yes... I know some flowers are smudged if we're getting picky... ) I'm going to chalk that up to my not being able to sit still as soon as I apply a fresh coat of paint!

TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM WORK....

So I've been getting a lot of flack from my Sister-in-law and my aunt for my lack of posting. I just have to defend myself and say its hard to post when I'm always on the go! I know most of you all have busy lives just the same, but I just never seem to get around to using the computer on my two weeks off. Anyways. I thought I'd just share some highlights of the last couple weeks!

Date night in Edmonton...

My wonderful mother practicing her baseball swing with golf clubs

                                                         One of the millions of pictures I thought I needed to take of myself after a few cocktails

Me and my wonderful friend Krystle who I miss tons!!

Golfing! (my new obsession)

It was sooo hot outside!  But yes... I'm golfing again....

Angie and I on our golfing excursion!


That's about all I got up to on days off!  A whole lot of golf, and a few days at the lake!  It was all in all a pretty good couple weeks!  Now its back to work, and I'm going to at least have some frequent posts for the next few weeks!  I hope you are all doing well, and I can't wait to go and read what you guys have been up to for the last little bit!

ROSE HYDROSOL

I should first of all start by explaining what hydrosols are... Hydrosols are flower waters and are created during the distilling process of plant materials (the process of extracting essential oils).  Basically they are like an essential oil, just not quite as concentrated.  I'm choosing to focus on Rose Hydrosol today, but there are many other types of hydrosols out there.  Rose Hydrosol is simply just Rose Water (hydrosol is just a fancy name).  This product has ton a of uses! It is used in Aromatherapy, Cooking, Skin Care, and many other beauty applications.

I've been using some Rose Water on my face every morning and night as a toner after cleansing my face.  I have to say, I'm impressed with the results!  My skin feels tighter, is more radiant, and my makeup application has become effortless!

For use as a toner, I just soak a cotton ball  in the rose water and wipe it across my face after I'm finished washing it.  This helps to restore the pH balance instantly.  The whole purpose of a toner is pH restoration.  When you wash your face the natural balance of the skin is disturbed, and the skin has to work twice as hard to re-balance the pH levels.  The balancing can take up to half an hour if your skin is doing it on its own, but is achieved instantly when you use a toner immediately after washing.  This is because, the toner restores the acid and alkali balance of the skin.

Toners are designed to penetrate pores, refresh and cool the skin while clearing away any excess oil, impurities and dead skin cells that were not  removed with your cleanser.  Toners are there to make sure that all the cleansing product has been removed from your face.  This helps to bring out the even more radiant you!

Rosewater can be used directly on the skin, unlike an essential oil, because it isn't as concentrated.  Its tempting sometimes to just use the rose water as the entire cleansing process (skipping the whole washing of the face), but that isn't what it is designed to do.  Make sure you are cleansing your face properly before using a toner, in order to obtain maximum results.  A good way to know if your cleanser is doing its job properly is by run a cotton ball soaked with rose water (or any other toner) on your face after you have washed it and examine it to see if the cotton ball comes away clean.  If your cotton ball comes back clean your cleanser is doing its job.  If it comes back dirty, you  might want to consider switching products or try washing your face again.

Rose water has been used for centuries, and is one of the oldest beauty secrets there is.  Its use dates back to ancient Egypt... so if it has been used for that long...who am I to argue?  The other great thing about this is the Aromatic benefits!  The use of Rose can be used to help reduce stress and heart disease, it can be used as an antidepressant and can help balance hormones in women. 

Once again, Rose Hydrosol isn't the only hydrosol available (its just the one I currently have).  You can use other products for your skin, depending on your needs.  Here are a couple of examples:

Normal/Sensitive Skin:  Try using Rosewater or Sandalwood
Oily Skin:  Witch Hazel, Juniper or Lemongrass should help

The great thing about this is its inexpensive!  I paid $10.00 US for 16 oz of this product.  If you think of it in relation to use, you're looking at spending hardly anything.  I figure you can get 20 uses per oz that's 330 uses per 16 oz bottle, which ends up being 3 cents per application.  I think I could live with that! (unless for some strange reason I can't do math, and I'm way out to lunch on this!)

CLASSIC BEAUTY

So I've been packing around these makeup cards for quite some time now! (Probably 5 years)  I figured it was time to get them used up.  Now I wasn't sure how I was going to like it, but the end result was pretty good.

As you can see by the Picture they are Mary Kay Signature Makeup.  They pre-pick all the colors for you and apparently they are supposed to all work together to make you extra pretty!! The one thing I did notice is that as soon as I put the lipstick on, my eyes instantly popped!  YAY!

I think this is the kind of makeup you'd use for a first date or something.  Its pretty, but it has that sophisticated feel to it.  I know I feel pretty!  The odd thing is... I'm hardly wearing any mascara (and we all know what a mascara junkie I am).  I used this card yesterday to do my makeup (applying my normal amount of mascara) and I felt like the mascara took away from the look.  I think today I put just the right amount on! 

The colors they give you are:

SPUN SILK- Eye color Highlighter for application under the brow bone

CINNABAR- Eye color Accent for application of the eyelid and lower lashes

BRONZE SANDS- Cheek Color

CINNAMON TWIST- Lip Color

They say this pallet is recommended for Ivory and Beige skin tones.  I have no idea what my skin tone is.. haha!  I guess I should just quit buying random things and mixing them together!  But if I were to take an educated guess I would guess that I'm probably somewhere along the beige tones!

Anyways... Below are a few pictures of how things turned out!  Not too shabby, and then I decided to throw my glasses on for a picture, because sometimes I just like the look of them!  I think they make me look smarter than I really am!!

Oh... I also did a Mary Kay Lip Mask and used their lip balm to follow up with it, and thats why my lips look super soft and shiny!  love it!

BLOG AWARD!!

I received the Cherry On Top Award from Sara Hassan's Blog  Make sure you go check her out!  She is pretty amazing!  She has these amazing eyes that always have the most perfect makeup application (if she wasn't so sweet I'd probably hate her out of jealousy... just kidding!!)  But seriously!  Make sure you check her out because she does a wonderful job everyday!!

Thanks Sarah!  Big Hugs are being sent your way!

I guess I should explain the rules of the award so that we all know what is going on here... here we go!

                                                   1. Thank the person that gave this to you

2. Go on, give them a virtual hug

3. Copy the award and put it on your blog

4. List 3 things you love about yourself

5. Post a picture(s) that you love

6. Tag 5 people you wish to pass this award onto.

So numbers 1-3 are done... Three things I love about myself...

1. I love my more positive attitude!  Its something I've been working hard at this year, and I think I finally am starting to see things in a different light!  I have to say, it's a rather good feeling

2. I love my friends and family!  I should give an extra thanks to my Mom who has always been there for me!  I don't know where I would be right now if I hadn't had all of her Love and support during some of  the difficult times that life throws at you.

3.  I love my blog!  Its a great way to be creative and I've met some wonderful people doing it!  I love all the positive comments and the support that you guys are giving!  I don't know why I didn't start blogging sooner!  None the less, its perfect!  So thanks each and every one of you for making this so much more fun to do!

So I posted a picture a few days ago of a rainbow I saw, so I suppose I can't post that again.  The last few days there has been rainbows non stop out here.  I'm going to look at the bright side and think that the rainbow means good things are coming my way... because we all know these rainbows just show up for my benefit (haha)!  Anyways, here is a picture of the rainbow behind the rig.  I guess you guys now will know exactly what my view at work consists of!

 

I just realized that I didn't open the door wide enough, so that big yellowish looking thing on the right is the door!

Tag 5 people.... My choices are...

Required2beinspired

SprinkleofGlitter

WillWorkforMakeup

MakeupMyMind

LipstickRules

Happy CANADA Day to all of you out there!  Celebrate safely!