My Go-To's for Makeup!

Two post's within a few days, what's going on!?

I was doing my makeup, realized I had some downtime, and I thought "why not blog my go-to makeup and beauty items?"

So, here we go! Enjoy!

First off, I just thought I'd show all of my beauty products (minus all my hair stuff of course!)

SO, this is all of my makeup products. All of those smaller makeup bags are full of eyeshadows, foundations, lip glosses, mascara's, etc. I also have lots of spares in my face cleaning regimine, because you'll never know when you need one!

Now, here's what I do daily for my makeup. The actual process of putting on my makeup, doesn't take any longer than 10 minutes!

I usually always take my makeup off at night, if for some reason I didn't or I have left over I always use one of these Elf makeup remover wipes (find out where to puchase these, and the price in one of my previous post's.) Mary Kay eyemakeup remover is my ultimate favorite! It's not harsh on your eyes like some others, and it gets all makeup off so easily! Lastly, I moisturize! It is SO IMPORTANT! I use Mary Kay Moisturizing Lotion and it is wonderful! 

Next, is prime time! In order from left to right is what I use to prime! Mary Kay Foundation Primer keeps my foundation lasting all day! Next, I use the Elf Eyeshadow Primer ($1 at Target!) next I use the Elf Lip Primer (this is a duo lip primer & plumper, $2 or $3 at Target!) Lastly, I conceal under my eyes and bumps with this L'oreal Visible Lift Serum Absolute Concealer.

Next is foundation! I've used Mary Kay Liquid Foundation for as long as I can remember! (excuse my sponge, I actually just switched to a new one because the one pictured above looks so gross.) I love Mary Kay foundation because they offer foundations for Normal to Oily skin or Normal to Dry skin! These are each one of those. Some days I'm more dry and some days I'm more oily, so whichever day I'm having, I base on which foundation I use. 

I also use mineral foundation on top of my liquid (most days.) The mineral foundation I use is from Merle Norman, a container this size was about $28 (if I remember correctly) and I apply a small amount with either my Elf  Kabuki Brush (Target, for I believe $5.00) or I use my Elf Complexion Brush (Target, $3.00)

Next, I use this bronzing set from Elf, ($3.00, Target) Now, I don't contour too much but I do use the lighter color in the left hand corner as a powdered highlighter. I apply that with my Elf Bronzing Brush, ($1.00 at Target) followed by my Elf Blush & Bronzer set ($3.00, Target.. I do NOT recommend the bronzer in this pack if you're not firmilar with contouring) I apply by blush with my Elf Blush Brush ($2.00, Target.)

Generally I use my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, which I paid for with Christmas money last year. I got this the day after Christmas, and I use it almost every single day/sometimes multiple times if I'm changing up my look. You can see how much I still have, so if you're thinking about making the investment.. DO IT! I got mine for $50.00 at Sephora, but you can also get them at Ulta.

Lastly, I line my eyes with either my Almay Liquid Black Eyeliner or my Elf Liquid Pen. Next, I use either two of these mascara's. The first one is the Revlon Grow Lucious Mascara in Blackest Black (Waterproof.) It is AMAZING! I would choose this over a higher dollar brand, honestly. If I don't use this one (because I don't like using waterproof everyday) my next go-to would be this Rimmel ScandalEyes mascara in blackest black! Lastly, lips! I use either this Revlon Just Bitten Color Balm Stain or I use this Elf Lipstick (check out my review in a previous post!)

So, that is what I use on a daily basis! I hope you'll find some of these products interesting, and try them out! If you do, let me know what you think! I love hearing feedback!

Have a good weekend!

One Minute Cinnamon Sugar Apples!

Yes, you read that title right!

I realize I should've called this post something witty like "Fast Food Friday" but since it's not Friday, the title of what this is will just have to do!

So, sometimes you just get a craving and want something sweet, right? Well, have I got something for you! 

These are Cinnamon Sugar Apples that take one minute, yes ONE minute, to cook! Seriously. What takes the most time is the preparation! So lets get to it, shall we?

First of all, here is what all you'll need!

This recipe only makes one serving, double/triple if you're using more than one apple!

• 1 Apple
• A Microwaveable bowl (I use this soup mug, because it's deep & holds a good amount + has a handle!)
• 1 Tbs Brown Sugar (more or less, based on your preference, I usually use just a tbs.)
• 1/4 Tsp of Cinnamon (more or less, based on preference, I usually use less.)
• 1 Tsp of water (if you want it with more syrup, add one or two more tsp of water, I added 3.)
• 1/4 tsp of regular sugar (optional, but sometimes the cinnamon overpowers the brown sugar and I like them sweet!)

STEP ONE:

Cut your apple in half, core it, and peel it!

STEP TWO:

Cut your apple into small pieces, I typically do triangles, but do it however you want!

STEP THREE:

Add your brown sugar to your bowl!

STEP THREE:

Add your cinnamon! (You can put the cinnamon and brown sugar in together before you put the apples in, if you want!)

STEP FOUR:

Add your water, it will be hard to see because of all the apples. If you want, give it a little stir so the brown sugar and cinnamon makes its way to the water, this makes the syrup as you cook it.

 STEP FIVE:

This is what it should look like after microwaving it for ONE MINUTE. (I sprinkled a little regular sugar on here, and stirred!)

*You may need to add 15 seconds or so if you apples are still crunchy. You shouldn't have to do them longer than fifteen seconds!

STEP SIX:

Add your vanilla ice cream, and enjoy! 

*Ice cream WILL melt fast!

Like I said, the preperation is what takes the most time! It's a delicious, super easy treat if you're ever craving some sweets! One serving is plenty, and you could probably get by with sharing, but I don't blame you if you don't.. It's that delicious!

Let me know in the comments below if you try this for yourself, and what you think of it!

Have a good weekend!

Workout Wednesday!

Hello Beautiful!


Hope you're having another wonderful Wednesday! This week I've really been wanting to find some good at home workouts to do that don't take too much time. I'm always either working or at school or, of course, with Dallas. Now, while I'm well aware that there is no room for excuses, sometimes life gets in the way. I was doing very well for awhile, I lost 12 pounds in about 2 months. It felt great. I felt great! Well, wouldn't you know I got lazy and fell off track.

Below is a before and after picture. The top left was taken in July of 2013. The bottom left was taken in November of 2013. Absolutely disgusting for me to look at. This is what made me want to change. The top right was taken this past May, and the bottom right was taken in June.

Like I said before, I've fallen off the wagon and I've gained back some of the 12 lbs I lost. 

I want to post a few of my favorite at home workout routines. I'm constantly looking on Pinterest, other websites, and even my work for workouts that are simple, and easy to do at home for the days I can't go to the gym.. (Which is a place I've been slacking on going to.) 

So, here they are! If you have any at home workouts that you think I'd like, please feel free to leave them in a comment below!

I tried this one today, and I'm absolutely in love with it! It burned like the dickens, but that means I'll see results! You can push through the burn! I'm aware this visual might be hard to see, so if you have questions please feel free to ask! 

I live by this video. It calls for 3 AND 5 lb dumbbells, however I've only ever used 5 lb for the entire thing. I did this simple, easy 10 minute workout once a day for ONE WEEK, and I saw a difference! It goes by quick too! Try it and let me know what you think!

Lastly, this is another of my favorites! At first it was SO hard for me to do these circuits three times, but it gets easier everytime you do them! I used my 5 lb dumbbells for these as well, but I want to upgrade soon to 10 lb for more of a challenge! 

If you ever want some great tips, printables, diet plans, workout plans, videos, etc. Head on over to http://www.fitsugar.com/ and look around the site. It's absolutely wonderful and SO helpful! 

Have a great rest of the week!

My First Product Review!

Hey Y'all!

Hope you've enjoyed your week so far! It's almost Friday!

I previously posted about my mini-Target haul. I've given it quite a few days, and I've tried out these products multiple times since then. I thought I'd review the products in case any of y'all ever want to try them out! These are just my experiences with them, so if you're still interested in them after reading this, by all means try them! I don't want to sway your opinon one way or the other, this is just my take on them!

First off, I posted about how the Up & Up (Target Brand) Makeup Remover wipes were so amazing, and my go to makeup removers... Until these! The ELF Makeup Remover Wipes are SO much better. You only get 20 cloths, but for $3.00 who cares?! They go a long way, too! The Up & Up started burning the area around my eyes, the more I got to the bottom. I'm assuming this was because there was more liquid product on the wipes themselves. These, however, don't do that. I've gone as far as taking one from the bottom. I can use them on and around my eyes, and they remove the makeup so well. I have normal to dry skin, so these are great. They don't dry me out anymore than I already am, and they also don't cause my face to be oily. Definitely invest in these if you're interested! I'll be choosing these over Up&Up from now on!

Next, are the Up & Up Cucumber Cleansing Cloths! These are still wonderful. They aren't harsh and abraisive on my skin, and they leave it feeling so smooth and soft! The smell isn't overbearing, either. The only thing I would change would be the packaging. To close these, it's basically just a sticker. Overtime, it becomes less sticky, so it's hard to keep closed. They need to stay closed to stay moist, so I'll probably end up putting them in a zip lock bag or something. Other than that, they're great! The price is great, too and you get 30 wipes in each package. They also have another scent, I want to say Apricot? I'll be trying those next!

Unfortunately, I was not as happy with the Elf Blotting Papers. I tried them a few times when I was a little oily, and I was not satisfied by any means. I purchased them for $1.00 at Target. They were the Green Tea ones. I disliked them so much, I'm contemplating just throwing them away. When you pull them out, they're disgusting looking. They look like mold is growing on them, first off. Second, when you're using them on your face, the mold-looking stuff comes OFF of them, and is supposed to "help your skin." I'm sorry, it just grosses me out to think that stuff is going on my face. Just my opinion, if you want to try them. Go ahead! I will not be re-purchasing these, though! (Sorry the picture of the actual sheet is such bad quality, I took the picture with my webcam.)

The next thing I got was the complexion brush! I needed a new blush brush, but Target didn't have a specific brush for that. They had the bronzing one, which I already have. So, I decided to try this one for my blush. I have no complaints! It's super soft, and easy to clean! It hold a good amount of product on it, and it's super easy to use when applying your blush AND when blending your bronzer and blush together. (Sorry mine is a litle dirty, I hadn't washed it before this picture.) Overall, this is one of my favorite brushes from Elf that I have. For $3.00 you can't go wrong! 

 Now onto lips! I purchased the Elf Moisturizing Lip Color in Pink Minx. I'm not a bold lip kind of girl, so if you are then this is for you! I even tried blotting and adding a little gloss, and it was still a little too pigmented for me. I like a natural lip for day, and this just isn't it. Now, with that being said I do like this if I'm going out with friends or out to dinner. It's a fun color for something like that! I also previously bought the same lipstick in Lavishing Rose. It's also a little too pigmented for me. Lavishing Rose is one of those that I wear on date night, and I also wore it to a job interview (and was complimented on the color.) I'm not very tan, infact I'm quite pale. So, this was a darker bold color that I think goes well with my skin tone. I want to try the other colors Elf provides, if I can find one in maybe a Nude! If y'all ever find one, let me know the name of the color and where I can get it!

(Pink Minx)

(Lavishing Rose)

I didn't purchase this one in my Target haul, but I did purchase it awhile back. It's the Elf Lip Exfoliator in Clear. I love this because I constantly have rough lips or places that I wish were smoother. This exfoliator is easy to use, and it isn't harsh like other name-brand lip exfoliators that I've tried. It was about $3.00 and it's lasted me for so long. I believe I purchased it about 3 months ago, and I haven't even made a dent in it, yet! Sorry it looks kind of gross, it's been at the bottom of one of my makeup bags. Oops! Anyways, try it! You won't regret it!

Lastly, for lips this is something I picked up today at Walmart! I saw it as I was checking out, so I decided I'd try it! It was about $4.00, and there was only this color (Sheer Coral) and another baby pink color. I've tried it twice today. So far, so good! It is colored, but the color actually doesn't show up on your lips too much. I put it on, and it looked like the same natural color of my lips. It's VERY moisturizing, too! It's definitely one I'll be keeping in my purse as my go-to! 

 I picked up a few other random things today at Walmart as well.

I've been needing some good combs to part my hair, and to tease my hair with. There was a pack of 2 combs for $2.50 or I could get this pack of TWELVE or like $2.79. In this pack, you get 6 pocket combs, 2 all-purpose combs, 2 tail combs, a mini styler, and a dresser comb. Will I need all of these? Probably not. But, for 29 more cent, why not?

I also picked up this phone case. Walmart has those $4.77 barrels of iPhone accessories. They have a TON of iPhone 5 phone cases, so I really had to dig to find this one. I'm going to order a small monogrammed decal soon to add in the pink area, but I just really loved the colors of this! I'm constantly changing my phone case, so I'm always looking for ones that are $5.00 or less! The front part of it is an extremely hard rubber type of material, and the back of it is a hard plastic. (I got my button sticker at Walmart, too. 6 of them for $1.88. I went to go buy more of them today, and they were completely out. Bummer!)

Anyways, that's all I have for y'all today! Check back soon, because there's no telling when I'll do another product review!

If you have any cheap/pretty affordable makeup, hair-care, tools, etc. that you think I'd like, please let me know! I'm always down to try new things like this!

Until next time!

What Getting Engaged at 19 DIDN'T Stop Me From Doing.

I'm constantly seeing people on Facebook share those blogs about "why you shouldn't get married before you're 25" or the post's about "What every 20 something year old should do before settling down." Well, I'm here to talk about what getting engaged at 19 didn't stop me from doing.

Let's get started:

1.       Finishing College

·         If anything, getting engaged at 19 has pushed me to work harder academically. When Dallas asked my parent’s if he could propose, they had ONE stipulation. I had to finish school before the wedding. Ideally, this would’ve been me getting my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. As it turns out, I’m getting my Associates in Business Administration instead. (But being married won’t stop me from getting my bachelors degree.)

2.       Having a Social Life with Friends

·         “Getting engaged at 19 sounds a lot like leaving a party at 9 pm.” We’ve all heard that one, and to us who are young and engaged or married, it’s super annoying. I still go out dancing with my friends. I just went out this past weekend to celebrate a friends 21st birthday. I grab lunch, we get our nails done, or we just hang out at their house. Being engaged doesn’t automatically mean you can no longer hang out with your friends.

3.       Having Plans For My Future

·         I don’t look at engagements and marriage as a lockdown. I’ve always had plans for my future. Jobs, vacations, memories, everything that I’ve ever seen myself doing, I still do while being engaged, and I will while being married. The difference? Now I have someone by my side through it all, to enjoy all the career changes, vacations, memories with. I have my best friend there. What’s better than experiencing all of life’s joys with your best friend? Nothing!

4.       Being my age!

·         I’m almost 21. I’m in the prime of my life (or so everyone tells me.) I’m a college kid, I stay up late, I sleep in late. I eat too much fast food, I listen to my music loud. I go to work, I use social media more than I should. I see my friends. Do I party? No. I personally don’t, because I never have. It’s not my thing. The only difference between the “average” 19-20 year old and myself is, I’m engaged. I’m going to be a wife in about 10 months. I’ll no longer be 19 or 20. I’ll be 21 and living with my husband, my best friend. I’ll go to work like I do now, we’ll pay our bills together, we’ll cook dinner, we'll go out with friends, and we’ll live our life together. It’s no different than what most people do at 26+. It’s just looked upon as “unacceptable.”

5.       Not looking at those who don’t want to be engaged/married by 21 differently.

·         Lastly, getting engaged at 19 and (I will be) married at 21, hasn’t made me look at others any differently. I don’t judge you because you don’t make the same choices in life as me. Because ultimately, that’s what they are. MY life choices, and yours are YOURS. Interesting concept, I know! Everyone is different, and we all have different paths in life. Does yours make you better than mine? Absolutely not. If you want to wait to get married until you’re 35, GO FOR IT! If you want to get married at 18, GO FOR IT!

I asked a few of my twitter followers, who were also engaged at 19 what their responses to this question would be as well, here are a few of their answers…

“

Being engaged at 19 didn’t stop me from seeking to truly discover exactly who I am. We’re young & we will change. We’ll evolve as people, and we know that. Because we know that, we learn about new things together.  It didn’t stop me from finding myself.” –Hope

“Well, it didn’t stop me from having friends. Like, I felt as if people still wanted to be friends with me. It didn’t take over my life. I still made great grades, and I got a job. It didn’t make me want to have kids right away, either. I still want to accomplish goals. I could go on and on!” –Emily

“The main one that pops into my mind is parties! We just do them together now instead of separately. It’s like a permanent buddy. The other would be spending money. I feel a lot of people think you can’t spend money if you’re engaged for some reason. We spend money separately and together, we just ask each other first. It also didn’t stop me from finding my own identity. I still wanted to be me and figure out who I wanted to be as an adult.” –Brittany

“Everyone is always joking about being “old and married.” Meanwhile, Jordan and I love going to concerts and staying out all night dancing, traveling to new places- like going to DC just randomly. Plus, beach trips, and we even paid off his car and got me a new one. Not to mention I, of course, got my degree.” -Kristen

The way I look at it is, I met Dallas when I was 17 years old. We met totally by chance.

Is our relationship perfect? Far from it. Is it strong? Absolutely.  We’ve grown together. From me being a 17 year old high school student, to me almost finished with college. Him switching a few jobs, and both of us trying to find our place as individuals but as well as a couple.

My soon to be Mother-In-Law has told me a few times “your 20’s are the hardest years of your life. You’re trying to figure out exactly who you are, while constantly being thrown new challenges.”

There is no doubt in my mind that God brought us together. He has a plan for us.

He has a plan for everyone.

God's plan for us was that we get engaged at 19 & 21, and we get married at 21 & 23.

This isn’t His plan for everyone, and that’s okay!

His plan is for us to get through our “Terrible 20’s” together, all the while making them NOT so terrible!

To be the rock for the other, to have a shoulder to cry on, to have someone to tell good news to, and someone to cherish every moment of life’s blessings with.

The main point of this post was to stress how unimportant age is. If you’re happy, in love, and your relationship can stand through the trials and tribulations that life may throw at you… Who is to say two individuals, whether they're 19 or 49, shouldn’t unite as one to become man and wife? 

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” - Genesis 2:24

 

So excited for this!

Happy Wednesday, Y'all!

I've been wanting a super cute signature to end all my post's with, and I finally got one! Thanks to my good friend Kristen, I now have a cute sign off for all of my blog posts! She makes these as well as business cards, wall art, custom resumes, and thank you notes, etc.

If you're interested, check out her etsy shop!

You can find it, here!

Mini- Target Haul!

So, as I'm sure you will learn from this blog.. I love makeup. I love to shop for makeup, and I have way more than I could ever possibly need or use, but I just keep buying it. Honestly, I could probably be a makeup hoarder. Oops! When I'm trying to get rid of stuff I think "Oh, but what if one day I need a bright pink eyeshadow?" (Don't ask why I have a bright pink eyeshadow, I've gotten some strange makeup over time. Don't judge me.)

First in the haul, I picked up some Up&Up (Target brand) cucumber cleasing cloths. I've used these the past three days and so far, I really like them! These towelettes have a smooth side and a textured beaded side as well. I love the beaded side because I feel like it's really cleansing my face. I've also been using the Up&UP makeup remover wipes and I have absolutely no complaints! They're even okay to use around my eyes, no burning or anything from them. One wipe takes off all of my makeup, so no need to use two! Overall, I think Up&Up's products are very good, reasonably priced (about $3.00 a pack) products.

Second, I decided to finally try the Elf makeup remover wipes ($3.00). I am a lover of (most) Elf products. With such cheap prices, you'd think that there is stuff is low quality. However, I've found that some of their stuff, I like more than name brand. I haven't tried these makeup remoer wipes yet, because I'm still working on my Up&Up pack, but when I do try them I'll probably write some type of review!

Third, I got the Elf Blotting Papers ($1.00). I've noticed only here within the past 3-4 months that my face has been oily. I hate it! I've read mixed reviews about these, and so far I've only tried one. These are the green-tea kind, and that's supposed to make them better than others. However, I've tried other blotting papers, and I liked them more. I'm not sure if it's just me or what. I'm going to give these another try when I notice my face is a little extra oily. So, stay tuned!

One of my makeup must-have's is the Elf Eyeshadow Primer. It's $1.00 at Target and I stock up on this stuff. I believe there are multiple colors you can get, I just go with the plain jane one like this. I don't need sheer or anything because my eyeshadow's are generally similar to this in color anyways. I can put this on, then my eyeshadow/liquid liner at 8 am and by 5 pm my eyes are still looking great! I seriously recommend this product to everyone! If you like it, great! If you don't, well you only wasted $1.00! Give it a try!

For Christmas this past year, my soon to be Mother-in-Law got me a 12 piece set of the Elf brushes. That's when my Elf obsession started, I guess! Anyways, I love the Elf brushes because they are cheap, but when you're using them, it's like you're using a brush from Merle Norman, Elizabeth Arden, etc. The bristles don't fall out, they're super easy to clean, etc. I needed a new blush brush, but at Target I couldn't find the specific one I was looking for. Instead I got this complexion brush and it works just as well! It's super soft, but the handle is sturdy and I can tell it's going to be one of those brushes that last's a long time.

Lastly, I got the Elf Moisturizing Lip Color in Pink Minx. I previously (a month or two ago) bought one of these in the color Lavishing Rose as well. The color given on the package is pretty close with the actual color of the lipstick. The Pink Minx is a little too pink for me, so I blot and add a little gloss and it's fine. The Lavishing Rose color is beautiful! It's my go-to for a dramatic, darker lip. Either way, these colors are great and super pigmented! They're about $3.00 each, but I know that Elf has other lip colors (that I've used and loved) for $1.00! 

Other random things I purchased were some gum (because I'm constantly chewing gum) and this cute little teal notebook with gold script lettering. It was in the $1.00 section (one of my favorite places in Target.) With all this wedding planning and going to school, I'm constantly jotting ideas and plans down. This little notebook is the perfect size to keep in my purse so I can grab it whenever I need to! 

I also got a card because Thursday is my step-dad's birthday! Total I spent less than $20.00, but I know Up&Up is always on sale if you have the Target Cartwheel App. 

Hope you enjoyed my first mini-haul!

Stay Classy,

-B