MERRY CHRISTMAS

Just thought I'd stop by and say Hi!  I'll most likely be an absent blogger for the next little bit as I'm off to my brothers for Christmas!  I'll be back at it sometime at the beginning of the new year!  I hope you all have a lovely Holiday, and best wishes for the new year!

Champagne & Sugar and a little more...

I've been busy busy busy making up some lotion for something to do lately.  I had some requests for some so I whipped up about 6 different kinds the other day.  They were:

*Champagne & Sugar

*Blowing Bubbles

*Cranberry & Cherry Blossom

*Plumberry Spice

*Juicy Grape

*Spiced Plumberry & Grape

I used  a variety of oils to make these lotions!  With the weather being pretty dry up here I made something that would be extra nourishing for the winter months.  I used:

Sweet Almond Oil: Is believed to improve the complexion and add a glow to dull skin.  It can help with soothing itching and inflamed skin.  This is one of my favorite oils!  I think I use it in EVERYTHING!!

Apricot Kernel Oil:  Works miracles in nourishing the skin.  Can be used for sensitive skin.  High in vitamin A & E.  Doesn't leave a greasy feeling on your skin.  Also helps achieve that soft smooth texture to your skin.

Aloe Extract: Used to sooth and help heal skin from cuts and bruises and irritation.  It also has moisturizing properties that help reduce the appearance of stretch marks and wrinkles.

Macadamia Oil:  Can be used for all skin types, especially mature.  Tones aged or dry skin.  Softens and heals the skin.  It also penetrates the skin quickly leaving less of a greasy feeling.

Avocado Oil: Helps increase the amount of collagen in the skin (which diminishes as we age)  It helps reduce age spots, scars, and sun damage.  It penetrates deep into the skin which helps with the hydration of your skin.  It is also known to help with eczema and psoriasis.

I used tea to color these lotions. A combination of Lemon and Chamomile was put in a tea bag, then I soaked it until I got the color I desired. I'm extremely happy with the way they turned out! Tea makes a great "natural" colorant, plus it also contains other great things for your skin. I took some pictures of the process, so you could see how things are made!



The oils and wax measured out





The tea mixture added to the oils





After heating the product it turns into a milky looking mixture





Emulsifying the mixture





High Temperatures of the emulsified mixture





Pouring the lotion into containers while it is still in the liquid form





Takes about 20-30 mins for the lotion to cool and set





The Finished Product!!! (Also my very favorite scent!!) Available in my Etsy shop!




Another great scent!  Goes well with the Cranberry & Cherry Blossom Bath Bombs that are available in my Etsy Shop!

 These make wonderful gifts for those you love!  I hope you all had a lovely weekend thus far!  And for those of you heading home or somewhere special for the holidays, Save travels!

Blues and Purples

I was trying to figure out how to switch things up with my makeup this morning and thought about my two favorite looks.  I really loved the purple eyeshadow I had the other day, and I really liked the blue eyeshadow I had around the same time.  I thought blue and purple could go together brilliantly!  Well all I can say is it was bright!  I'm not sure that this is exactly something I plan on doing again, but it was okay! 

As for an update on the cold... still lingering, but I'm thinking by tomorrow it should be history!! YAY!!  And I just realized that I have exactly ONE week left until I go on days off for Christmas!! YEAH!!  I'm super excited to go see my whole family! 

What are all your plans for the holiday season?  Any cool traditions that your families all do?  Our family has tons!  Christmas Eve we do a fondue and open one Christmas gift (usually PJ's).  Christmas day we are only allowed to open our stockings until everyone is awake!  I'm usually the first one up by the way!   Then we open gifts and eat crepes for breakfast!  Yum! We do a bunch of other little things, but I'm not going to bore you with the details!  All I know is.... I can't hardly wait!


MAC in Purple Haze and Mac in Freshwater



Wintery Sparkles

This afternoon we had a little freak snow storm that lasted for about 10 mins.  I was inspired by snow for my makeup this morning!  I love how pretty and pure everything looks when its covered by snow.  I'm pretty happy with the way my eyeshadow turned out!  I think it looks fresh and fun and perhaps it just enhances my angelic side a little bit... bahaha!

I did throw a couple of curls in my hair because somebody mentioned they really liked my hair like this!  I have to say I really like it too!  I feel just a little bit more polished and put together.  It's also a fun flirty look.  I think this whole look would be best for a first date or dinner out with friends.

Anyways, I did find the Marriage Ref on TV, and if you haven't seen this show you really need to watch it!  I just decided that I really need to focus my entire attention on it ASAP because I can't seem to type what I'm thinking.  And because I'm hugely amused! 

 PS.....On the plus side, I think I'm finally winning against this cold!  I'm hoping by tomorrow I'm back to 100%!  I know this is another short and sweet post, but I'll leave you with a few pictures!  Have a lovely rest of your day my pretties!! 



hair partially pulled back for a variation



Greensmoke

Today I finally decided I should try and make myself look presentable!  I'm still fighting this hideous cold and I'm starting to think that I'm never going to win the battle!  I got all ready this morning, did the picture thing, looked at the pictures and realized that I looked like I was higher than a kite in all of them!  So looks like today you get a picture of my eyelids! lol. 

I don't know if I'm totally in love with this look.  I think that there are other colors out there that are better suited to me, but it works!  Anyways, I think me and my freshly made up face are going to crawl back into bed and make some sweet sweet love to my pillow!  I'm hoping tomorrow I feel a little better!  I hope you all had a great weekend!



MAC Greensmoke on lids & MAC Knight in Creases



Can fish climb trees?!?!

Today just so happens to be one of those thoughtful days for me!  I don't know why, but I woke up feeling as though I could conquer the world (cold and all).  I read a quote awhile back by Albert Einstein and for some reason it's just stuck in my head for the past little while.  It says:

"Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid"

How true is this!  Some days I find myself quick to judge, and every time I am, this little saying seems to pop into my head!  I know we all tend to judge each other, its something that society has taught us to do.  We judge based on appearance, race, looks, wealth, status etc....  The truth is, we have no idea what might be going on in the persons life that we are judging.  We all are fighting some sort of battle and I think we need to support each other a little more.  It may just be a simple smile to a stranger we pass on the street, kind words to the lady who is ringing up our groceries, time spent at a local charity, or spare change placed in a box, designated to help someone, at our local coffee shop!  The more we give, the more we get back. 

How many times have we struggled in our own lives?  How many times have you though, I'm just to stupid, I just can't do it, I feel like I'm "going crazy"?  I know I've muttered those phrases a few times (okay... probably more than a few) to myself.  So maybe I'm not the fastest kid on the playground, or maybe I didn't get the best marks in class, but it doesn't mean I'm stupid.  It means that maybe I'm not that great on the monkey bars, but the swings are more my element and its an area I'm going to excel in.  I had to learn (and it took awhile) that I can't read a book and be satisfied with learning whatever it is I'm supposed to know.   I felt stupid for years because I just couldn't "read" and learn.  It took awhile but I finally realized that I need to touch, I need to feel, I need to connect with whatever it is that I am doing in order to learn.  My heart has to be in it 100% for me to succeed.   "Success is not the key to happiness, but happiness the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you WILL be successful"- Albert Schweitzer.  Look at the "Albert's" of the world go today, so wise! 

I'm so lucky that I have had such wonderful friends and family to support me.  I know sometimes I don't always make the greatest decisions.  Sometimes I know my parents shake their head, my brother rolls his eyes, and my friends just shrug because they don't know why on earth I'd make things harder for myself.  Yes... I am a SLOW learner!  Sometimes I need to screw up multiple times to fully understand it (usually resulting in heartache or disappointment)  But... "Sometimes failures are simply opportunities to begin again.  This time with more insight into what we really need to be successful".   So yes, maybe sometimes my friends and family don't understand what I'm up to, or why I have to make things harder for myself, but just support me.  Don't feed me the "I told you so" line!  Just support me.  How many people never reach their full potential because they never had the support of friends or family?  How many times have each one of us shot down an idea from someone we care about?  Lets lift each other up.  Lets not make anyone feel like that poor fish, struggling to climb a tree!  Because yes, on numerous occasions I have felt like that fish.  I also know for a fact that I don't like that "fishy feeling".

As we reach the New Year people are always making resolutions.  Most are the typical, quit smoking, go to the gym, don't shop as much, save money, go on a vacation....  Normally those are the examples of what my "Resolution" list looks like.  This year I actually put some thought into it.  I didn't just file it away in my mind (where I would "conveniently" forget it), but I actually wrote them down and taped them to the inside of my 2011 day timer. 

My goals for the year are:

1) Take an aromatherapy course
2) Work on saving money
3) Make a 5 year plan
4) Send out more "cards" and "little notes" to people to let them know I'm thinking about them
5) Make sure everyone I meet feels like they are special
6) Donate to the Food Bank once a month
7) Be "HAPPY" with the success I've made, and celebrate them!
8) Get my business off the ground
9) Register for an esthetics course
10) Be happy with me!  No comparing myself to other people!

What are your goals for the upcoming year?  Have you thought about them?  What are you going to do to make sure they become a reality?

Lotion Bars

I recently decided that I'd try making some lotion bars!  My feet and elbows get extremely dry in the winter and regular lotion just doesn't cut it sometimes.  I figured if I made something a little more concentrated that it would help!  These lotion bars are perfect!  They start to melt as soon as the bar hits your skin, giving your skin a huge drink of moisturizing goodness!  For these bars I used  Cocoa Butter and Avocado butter.  I added some Orange Essential Oil to the one batch and it smelt like one of those chocolate oranges you get at Christmas.  The other batch I added some Vanilla Hazelnut, and it smelt like a yummy cup of Hot chocolate with some vanilla hazelnut (obviously) in it. 

I use this before I go to bed (when I remember) and in the morning before I put socks on!  The socks help lock the moisture into your skin, and in return they help keep your floors from becoming a slippery sliding skating rink.  And really, I don't know anybody that would like a bunch of little greasy footprint all over their carpet either. 

The only complaint I have right now is that your hands get all greasy when applying this product.  Its fine if you have very dry hands, but I personally don't like that feeling.  I'm currently waiting for some "lotion tubes", which are basically like a lip chap tube, just a little bigger, to put these in  It will help you get the lotion directly onto the area that needs it rather than all over the place!  I'm guessing that I should have the "Lotion Bars"  in my Etsy shop by the New Year!

I didn't get any fantastic pictures, but hopefully you get the idea from what I do have up!  Gives you a bit of a clue as to what I'm talking about.  Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

All is Golden

Today I had no idea what I was going to do for my makeup!  I mean I have limited choices, and I'm kind of getting sick of doing the same thing over and over.  Plus I get made fun of all day long when I do something a little more on the dramatic side.  Normally I don't mind, but somehow I've managed to catch a miserable chest cold!  Bah!  I have no idea how this happened or why someone who NEVER gets sick has managed to catch 3 colds this fall!  Anyways, now that I'm done my complaining I'll get on with the rest of this post!

I've been using such bright colors to do my makeup lately, I figured I'd use some other colors (not that it ended up being all that subtle)  but I'm always a fan of gold.  I just so happened to love this, but my little old boss man asked me what possessed me to paint my eyes yellow, and told me I looked ridiculous!  Well geeze, thanks!  I personally think I looked terrific! 

The colors I used were MAC ________ (the gold color).  This happens to be missing the name on it, so I have no idea what it is, but its a gold color, and the dark color I used in the crease was MAC Black Tied.  I used a hodgepodge of things on my lips and then decided I didn't like any of the, so I wiped them off and just put some gloss over top.  Turned out alright!  And as for eyelashes.  I used Covergirl Lash Blast, in waterproof (which means I'll be wearing this darn mascara for the next week, because it doesn't budge).

Well I don't have a whole ton of things to say today, and seeing as how a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll leave you with the 3!  That should make up for my lack of mumbo-jumbo I usually spill on here.  I hope you all have a lovely day!  Happy Friday!  Have a lovely weekend!

Extreme Hydration Bath Bombs

Today was creation day in the bath bomb department!  I had been meaning to make some for quite some time now but was bored stiff by the though of doing something that everyone else had already done!  So me, being the genius I am, figured I'd re-invent the bath bomb. 

In traditional bath bombs there are 3 ingredients.  Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, and good old fashioned Water.  I know how exciting bath bombs are!  I still get excited by them, but I just wish they did more for the skin!  I mean really, whats the point of buying something that doesn't really benefit you in the long run?!?  Well I think I've solved that problem!

I realized that if I paired FUN with FUNCTIONAL I would have a heck of a brilliant product on my hand!  I started by mixing some Natrasorb (which is basically tapioca starch) with some butters that I had melted together.  I used Mango Butter and Aloe Butter for this particular bomb.  For those of you that have followed my blog for awhile you will know that I chose all of my oils for particular reasons, not just on a whim (which I seem to do everything else on).

I used Mango Butter because of its great moisturizing properties!  This wonderful little oil helps treat eczema & dermatitis, helps heal rashes, itching, and rough and tough skin.  It is also jam packed full of antioxidants (which we all know are fantastic for u!).  All in all I love the way this leaves my skin feeling.  The added bonus is that it helps fight those tiny little wrinkles that we are all trying to avoid.

Aloe Butter is another thing that your skin is going to love!  It is great for moisturizing and is easily absorbed into the skin.  It contains a ton of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes that help correct any deficiencies or problems in your skin.  People who suffer from psoriasis can benefit for this oil!  It also helps heal acne, burns, cuts & scrapes, and is great for relieving itching.  I don't know about you, but my skin gets ridiculously dry and itchy in the winter from this fridgid climate that I live in.

I mixed some Citric Acid and Sodium Bicarbonate together, added some fragrance oil (I blended Cranberries & Cherry Blossoms for this), and threw in some dead sea salts, for some extra luxury, and  then mixed everything together.  I placed the mixture in molds and then placed them in the freezer so they would solidify. 

I figured before I could tell you all about how amazing this bomb was, I would have to test this piece little magic out for myself.  Unfortunately I don't have a bath tub, so I used a plastic container filled with warm water and decided seeing as how my entire body wouldn't fit in it, that I would just test this out on my feet! I left my feet in for a whopping 2 minutes and all I can say is AMAZING!  They came out looking soft and supple and just plain good! I have my feet stuffed into some socks right now and they still feel extremely hydrated.  I know I'm going on and on about this, but I do truly thin that this is a fantastic product!



The one thing I noticed is that there was a little bit of an oily residue in the container after I was done.  This is obviously going to happen to your tub (because of the butters that are in it), but I guarantee that your skin will soak this up and love you (and Me) for it!  Once you get out of the tub make sure you put some lotion on to help lock in the moisture!  I just so happen to know where you can get some Cranberry & Cherry Blossom lotion to help with this (yes, I'm making a batch as soon as I finish this post!!)!



 

before

 

after

I'm currently in the process of putting these up in my etsy shop.  They will be for sale for $3.00 each.  They weigh 3 oz, and can come in a variety of scents.  If you have any further questions, feel free to email me at: customblendsbycorrine@gmail.com





Tickle me Purple

Hello lovelies!  I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!  Only a couple and a half more weeks until Christmas, and I must say, I am thrilled!  I can't wait to go spend some quality time with my family (especially my niece, because she's just so darn cute!)

Today I decided I was going to do my makeup with pinks and purples until I knocked my pink eyeshadow under the bed (as far back as it could possibly go).  Then I switched to plan 'B'... all purple!  A couple posts ago I mentioned how much Brown eyeshadow I currently had lurking about in my makeup box but I didn't realize I had so many purples!  The weird thing is,... it just so happens that right now I could care less about brown and purples because I'm obsessed with the blues and the greens at the moment!  A girl can never win!  Anyways.... I thought I would do a makeup tutorial today until I realized how terrible all the pictures turned out, so I scrapped that idea!  All in all, I think my eyeshadow turned out pretty good!  I think a hint of pink would have been kinda nice in it too, but what can you do?!  I suppose once I decide to haul everything out from underneath my bed we will be able to play with this look again.  And mom, if your reading this, No, I don't still shove everything underneath my bed in hopes of making my room look clean!!  Its all rubber maid tubs (organized ones at that) and suitcases all stacked in an orderly fashion! 

To achieve this look I started out by using NARS Primer on my lids, because I actually remembered I had it and was able to find it burried under the mounds of makeup I currently have piled in one teeny tiny box.  For eyeshadow I used MAC in Crem de Violet (for all over), Purple Haze & Knight (blended together for the crease), and Gesso (for highlighting).  And I can't remember which I blended together to line the bottoms, but I know I blended one of the colors with Knight to make a plum color.  I used NYX Felt tipped liner for the liner (obviously) and then loads and loads of mascara, because if you haven't already noticed.... I have a thing for eyelashes.

I also decided that today was a sweater kind of day!  For some reason when I wear a sweater I all of a sudden get tired of having straight hair (weird... yes I know), so I heated up the curling iron and threw some curls in it..  Much to my dismay I remembered giving away my FAVORITE hairspray while I was in Cuba (and never did go by more)!  Damn impulsiveness!  Actually, I'm glad I could give something I love so much to somebody who probably wouldn't ever go spend $20, of their hard earned money, on a beauty product!  Anyways, I'm stubborn and these darn curls are going to last me all day regardless if I have hairspray or not!  Thank goodness for my almost chaotic backcombing skills!  I really think I should have been older than 5 in the 80's!  Because when it comes to hair... bigger is better! Actually, who am I kidding?!?!?  When it comes to anything.... bigger is ALWAYS better.... !!  With the exception of my ass and size 10 flipper feet!

Have a great one lovelies!

Eye spy with my little eye, something that is BLUE

I was feeling creative yesterday when I decided to do this look.  Now we all know I'm coming out from underneath my little rock and trying new things in the makeup department.  (It sure helps when you went on a huge makeup shopping spree recently)  Now I'm sure my makeup collection doesn't rival a lot of peoples, but I do know it is a heck of a lot more extensive than some people!  My mother always makes fun of me and ask how I turned out to be such a girl, because she doesn't care about makeup or hair or going to the spa or getting her nails done.  I don't know!  I just don't know how you could live without these things, or how you couldn't love feeling good about yourself, because I feel great when I spend a little extra time on "ME". .  I mean my mom is pretty as she is so she really doesn't need to wear makeup, but even a little swipe of mascara can make all the difference in how you feel about yourself.

My eyeshadow today had mixed reactions!  The cooks loved it, a couple of guys thought it was great, and a couple of the guys hated it!  Actually, the old feller that called me a "hooker" for wearing red lipstick a few days ago was the only one who hated it!  Apparently his opinion is, that women look better "natural".  I think that's boring and a load of crap!  But then again, that's my opinion.

I really liked this!  I kept going to the mirror to look at it during the rest of the day!  The pictures I don't think do it justice, but it was the best I could do in the lighting I had! 

 I started out using MAC in Freshwater all over the lid.  Next I used MAC in Gesso for highlighting and to line the lower lids, and I used MAC in Knight in the creases of my lids.  Finally I used the Gesso to highlight the brow bone and tie everything together.  I'd say this is more of a dramatic look that I would probably use it more at night rather than for a daytime look, but I really liked it!  For once in my life I didn't have blue eyes!  This combination actually made it look like my eyes were green, which is strange actually, because normally the first thing people comment on is my blue eyes! (Which obviously you all think I'm crazy for stating... lets just say that the green didn't show up in the pictures, but in natural light they changed from blue to green)    I will be using this combination again but I think I just might save it for a night out with the girls, or for something a little more dressy-up-ish.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic start to their weekend!  Enjoy it, because we all know Monday comes WAY WAY to fast!

Oh la la lashes!

I finally remembered to grab some eyelash glue when I was in town the other day (I've been trying to remember this for 3 months now!)  I got Revlon's precision lash adhesive, and so far I'm pretty happy with it!  I've been dying to wear the lashes that I won in the lovely NICOLETTA'S  give-away!  So yesterday after days and days of yearning I finally got to wear them!  The glue made it easy to apply.  Easier than I remember it ever being!  The great thing about the glue was that it didn't make my eyes burn!  Usually the glue irritates them, and they burn for a bit until the glue is fully able to dry.  This is not the case with this product!  I will be buying it again when I run out!

Now as we all know men aren't the most observant creatures, but yesterday while I was up in the Doghouse (Doghouse is kind of the office building on a rig, where the Driller sits and watches things all day long. It's also where I go when I go up to visit because it is heated, and there is always coffee there!)  Anyways, I was sitting there having a conversation about firearms with the boys,  (Not that I was contributing at all, because I don't know the first thing about guns)  But I was looking at the pictures they were showing me and pretended like I actually cared what they had to say.  All of a sudden the one guy says, "You put high heels on your eyes or something."  I don't think I've ever been so confused in my entire life!  Needless to say, he actually noticed that my eyelashes looked different, and he was really trying to tell me that they were longer and that he noticed and wanted to know what I did!  The funniest thing is, he's the biggest hillbilly out here... Some days I just don't understand men!! 

The girls at camp (the cooks) noticed right away.  Because women always notice such things!  Now everyone wants me to put lashes on them... fortunately I don't have any extras, so I don't see it happening. 

For my eyeshadow I used Mac Pigments in Copper Sparkle.  I wish the copper color was a little more on the copper side!  In the container it looks this gorgeous color, but once applied I find its way to light.  It needs more pigment!  Oh well!  In the creases I used MAC in Brun just to add a little something something.  Overall I'm happy with it.  It was simple and didn't go too over the top!  I lined with NYX Felt tipped liner, and used Revlon in a Nude on my lips.

 All in all I think my eyelashes and eyelids looked fabulous!  I felt amazing all day!  I love when one simple look can just make you feel that good!  I know I have a package of lashes kicking around here somewhere, and today I'm on the mad hunt for them! 

I hope you all have a lovely day, and seeing as how the weekend is coming up, I hope you all have a great one!  Play safe!

The Return of the RED lips

I'm officially in love with red lips!  Up until about a month ago, I'd never wore lipstick!  I'd always used a tinted lip gloss, or anything else I could use (such as eyeshadow) to give my lips a subtle color.  I finally went out and actually bought lipstick!  I have no idea what possessed me to do it, but I did it. 

I got to go to town yesterday, which is a big deal to someone who spends their entire life out in the bush at work.  I had lunch with my wonderful Uncle, and then did some quick shopping for everyone else out here.  I only made it to London Drugs, and I spotted the new Burlesque Nail Polishes from OPI.  I fell in love with the Purple sparkly one, its called.... Show it & Glow it (thanks to in InStyle Magazine for having the names in the OPI polishes in an add)  I picked it up and then put it back (a first for me!)  Because there is NO way I'm paying $17.99 for a bottle of nail polish!  After that I figured I'd better vacate the make-up area before my will power went through the window!

Now anyone who knows me, knows I can't go into a store without buying something!  I made plans with some guys I work with to take a trip this spring.  We've decided on Thailand!!  I'm pretty excited, so saving money is going to be a lot easier!  All I need to think about is VACATION, and I'm pretty sure the money will be stuffed back in my pocket and the beautiful things returned to the shelves!  I also mentioned this trip to my Aunt and Uncle yesterday and it sounds like they might be heading there with us!  I think that would be great!!  Anyways, enough about that, lets get on to my makeup!

So now that you all know I went to town, I couldn't go looking like a frump, which is why I decided on the bright lips!  I had initially done a smokey eye, but for some reason it just wasn't working for me!  I know its a little smoky, but it isn't exaclty what I was looking for.  I ended up covering it with a yellow pigment called "Pineapple" from GOSH cosmetics.  I think the base layer was MAC in Knighted.  I wasn't thrilled with the way my eyeshadow turned out, but I was WAY too lazy to take it all of and start new!  Regardless, I think I looked okay and nobody stared at me funny, so I guess that's a bonus!  The only thing I had to constantly watch was lipstick on my teeth!  For some reason, yesterday was a terrible day for that!  But whatever I suppose, it's happened to all of us, so I'm not going to let it get me down!  I will for sure be wearing something similar to this again! 

 Well, now that my post has been all over the place I think I'm going to just be quiet, add pictures and post!  I hope you all have a lovely day!