Dinner For 1...

Living by yourself and cooking for one can be really tricky because there are a lot of annoying factors that go along with it.  The single serving meals or small portion meals like frozen dinners, or mac -n- cheese or sandwiches are only good for so long before you are burnt out.  Then if you want to make a meal, by the time you get all the ingridients, you might as well have just went out to eat for the money you just spent OR it's a portion for 8 people!  You can only eat the meal so many days in a row before you are over it and throw it out.  And finally, it is SO easy to get in the habit of grabbing food because its convienent and quick.  By the time I work all day, go to the gym and/or run errands, I am super hungry and don't feel like making anything so I just grab dinner to go and that is unhealthy (depending what you are getting) and adds up quick $$$$.  So lately, I have been making a meal on Sunday nights that is a small serving size then I can have leftovers for lunch or dinner for the next couple days.  This dish I made (of course I found on Pinterest) was inexpensive, HEALTHY, and quick.  And I didn't have leftovers forever. 

4 Chicken Breasts ( I made this again, but only did 3 because by the 4th one, I was kind of over it!)
1 can of green beans
New Potatoes (all I could find was the small bag of them, so I used about 1/3 of it)
Carrots
Italian Dressing Seasoning (found in the dressing aisle)

Throw all the ingridients in a baking dish with Pam, bake at 350 covered with foil for 1 hour. 

**The second time I made it, I added some sweet yellow onion and zuchini and topped with a little bit of parmesean cheese as well as the seasoning and it was even better! 

This would even be good for a date night dinner or for a family.  Enjoy!

Beautiful, Effortless Curls

Right now, the Kardashian curls are more in than ever before.  I have really long hair that goes to the small of my back and is naturally slightly wavy-meaning I can't just blow dry it and go.  I have to straighten it or it's a mess!  Regular curling irons do nothing for my hair besides hold a curl for 5 minutes then it falls out. THEN I discovered the Herstyler while at a friend's house!  This hair tool is life changing. 

What it is: basically it is a curling iron without the clamp and gets very hot.  So rather than curling your hair the old fashioned way, you wrap your hair around it and hold it there for a few seconds then let it fall out.  It does come with a glove b/c you can easily burn your fingers.  The Herstyler is also MUCH faster than using a curling iron.  My whole head usually takes about 15 minutes. 

My hair held curl ALL night and even the next morning I could've worn my curls.  They are sold at the mall for over $100 but I found mine on Amazon for $20.  (the link will be listed at the bottom)

The Herstyler brand is the cheaper version of the original Nume-which is found all over the internet but will cost around $100-so depending on your budget, preference, how often you will actually use it, etc you can make your decision.  But if you are using this type of tool for the first time, I would start with the Herstyler.

Mine is one length and 25MM.  If you have shorter hair (shoulder length) I would say to get one that is 19MM or around there.  There are also ones that the barrel is bigger at the top then gets smaller towards the bottom and vice versa.  It's a personal preference and the naked eye is not going to be able to tell which rod type you used. 

TIPS:
Use smaller pieces/sections for a more curled look
Use bigger pieces/sections for a more wavy, natural look 
Always hold the wand pointing downward (the handle will be in the air)
Curl the front of your hair AWAY from the face
I am right handed, so when I am doing the left side, I literally arch my arm OVER my head that way the wand is pointing downward 
Use a heat protectant on your hair as this wand is HOT
*I use the Chi IronGuard
I usually just top it with a little bit of hair spray and some shine spray. 
You can go in ONCE THE CURL IS COMPLETELY COOLED, and seperate them if desired, I usually don't
Practice! that way you will know what kind of curls you like on you.
*I personally like to do smaller curls by my face that go up higher, then as I go to the back I take bigger sections.  I also section my hair into 3 layers-one at the ear, then one at the crown. 

Here are some pictures of my curls:

I used smaller pieces for the front and curled away from my face and made sure to curl the whole strand of hair
*My lipcolor is: Mac Magenta Liner + Mac Rebel Lipstick + Mac Dazzleglass Funtabulous

 Here, I went for the more "beachy wave look" in the back and just curled the bottom in bigger sections.  I've had nights where I curled the whole strand so the curls were much fuller

And sorry this picture would NOT crop for the life of me but you can kind of see where the curls are looser in the back but get more curly with smaller sections towards the front. 

If you are interested in ordering, here is the link for the one I specifically have but you can search on Ebay/Amazon or where ever for the specific wand you want.  Happy Curling!! 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00736VKVM/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00


Thanks for reading, XOXO!

5 Helpful Makeup Tips

Here are 5 helpful tips for a better makeup application...

1. This is by far the most important: BLEND GIRL,  BLEND!

There should be no harsh lines on your face, ANYWHERE!  Whether it's your eyeshadows, foundation, blush, powder, bronzer, etc there should be no lines anywhere.  Everything should blend and flow together so the naked eye can't tell where your makeup started or ended.  When in doubt: BLEND!!

2. Build your product, don't cake it. 

Makeup is meant to be a buildable product.  If you want your foundation coverage heavier,  apply a thin layer, then apply another thin layer, etc until you have reached your desired level of coverage.  For your eyeshadow, if you want it to appear more dramatic, build it.  Put some shadow on your brush, apply the color and if you want it more dramatic, then add some more color to your brush and apply, building the color.  Do not load a bunch of color on your brush then slap it down on your face/eyes/wherever as that is going to cause it to look caked on and no one wants to be a "cake face".

3. Put your foundation on the back of your hand.

Pour, pump or whatever you need to do to get the foundation on the back of your hand.  The warmth of your skin will warm up the product and make it more workable.  It will go on smoother and more even without being so thick and you should need less product. 

4. Do NOT pump your mascara, twirl it!

Pumping your mascara is going to dry it out because of the air your are pushing into the product and causing it to go on more flakey once applied to your lashes.  (You will end up with black specks on your face throughout the day, NOT cute)  Mascara only has a 3 month life from the time it's been opened so don't speed up the life of it by pumping.  If you are trying to better coat the wand, leave it in the tube and twirl it around to evenly coat it.

5. Skin care is just as important as your makeup.

Taking care of your skin is more important than the makeup itself.  You should wash your face twice a day, ALWAYS remove your makeup and moisturize and exfoliate.  It is NEVER ok to sleep with your make up on!  Don't forget the under eye cream at night, some sort of SPF on your face, heavy sunblock in the sun and covering your face with a towel (or 2) if you go tanning.  When you are 35 and want botox around your eyes, you will wish you had taken better care of your skin when you were younger! 

Hope that helps and thanks for reading, XOXO!

4th of July Nails

4th of July Nails!

Nothing shows patriotic spirit like red, blue and sparkles!

Here are the polishes used:
Don't mind my cat Blackie in the background :)

Products used L to R:

Nutra Nail Bullet Proof Strength Formula

China Glaze 634 Frost Bite

Milani One Coat Glitter 550 Twinkle

OPI Ali's Big Break

Milani One Coat Glitter 521 Red Sparkle

Nutra Nail High Gloss Top Coat



I put one coat of the Nutra Nail Bullet Proof Strength Polish Formula on each nail.  I then used the solid color polish and did 1-2 coats on each nail, 2 coats of the sparkle polishes topped with 1 coat of the Nutra Nail Highlight Gloss. and BAM! Nails are ready for the 4th!! 
*The Nutra Nail Highlight Gloss tends to take FOREVER to be fully dry.  However, I have noticed when I sit outside in the hot summer air with wet nails, it is drying MUCH faster, FYI. 

You can see how beautiful the Milani Twinkle is up close!  It has purple and blue sparkles in it which is perfect for topping off any purple or blue polish.  The Milani polishes are about $5 at CVS and sometimes you can catch them on sale or buy one, get one half price.

The Red Sparkle is just as beautiful, as it has red and gold glitter.  This color is perfect for Valentine's Day, 4th of July, Christmas or any occassion you feel like adding some bling to your look.

Hope this gave you some fun nail ideas, have a safe and Happy 4th of July, thanks for reading, XOXO!!

New Nightime Moisturizer

New Nighttime Moisturizer

I have been hearing so much about the Josie Maran Argan Oil and finally decided to try it-and I LOVE it!  Currently, before I go to bed after I wash my face, I apply the argan oil to a dry, clean face.  When I first saw how thick the oil was and the fact I was putting it on my already oily skin, I was very hesitant!  To apply, I used the dropper to put drops on my forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, and under each eye.  I started at the bottom of my face and lightly rubbed it in going upwards.  (Always rub UP not down, as you do not want to pull your skin down)  I even rubbed some of the oil over my lips and I’ve noticed less dry skin from it.  It takes awhile for your skin to absorb all the oil since it is so thick.  In the morning, my face does not feel greasy at all and my makeup is lasting just as long as it was before I started using this product. 

Pure argan oil has a high concentration of vitamin E and essential fatty acids that helps with dry patches/rough patches and reduces the appearance of fine lines.  Over time, it can also help reduce the appearance of acne blemishes and reduce scarring.  Finally, it helps restore the skin’s elasticity. 
This can also be used for your skin, hair or nails/cuticles.  However for the price and the fact that it benefits the skin so much, I only use it for my face.  I have other products I use for my hair, skin and cuticles.  It is an option though. 

I purchased the sample size at Sephora and got .5 ounces for $14.  Also available is 1.4 ounces for $48 and 4 ounces for $96.  The thought of applying thick oil to my already extremely oily skin made me very nervous so I just went with the sample size despite the hype about this product.  A little bit does go a long way and this product does last but when it comes time to re-purchase, which I will be doing, I am getting the 1.4 ounce bottle. 

Thanks for reading, XOXO!

Mini Ulta Haul

Mini Ulta Haul

On Saturday, I made a trip to Ulta to pick up a few new NYX products.  If you don't know about NYX or what it is-you need to check it out!  They are considered a drug store brand makeup line found mainly at Ulta or online at nyxcosmetics.com. Over the past year or two, they have really taken off from your basic eyeshadows, lipsticks, lipliners/eyeliners and their most famous product: the NYX jumbo eye pencil.  The NYX jumbo eye pencils are compared to the MAC paintpots (as the whole line is very comparable to MAC except much more affordable) which are eyeshadow bases that help intensify your shadow color and make it stay on longer.  Now they have evolved to lip plumpers, lip creams, shine killer, pore filler, beauty blotters, foundations, concealers, bronzers, etc!  They also are coming out with more and more eyeshadow palettes.  So needless to say, over the past year or so, my makeup collection has gotten bigger with lots of NYX products and I love them.  Basically, if you don't have any NYX products, I suggest going to Ulta to try them.  (eyeshadows and lipsticks are like 3.99)  Enough about my love for NYX and on to what I got.  (I used my actual camera instead of my iPhone for pictures and it's an older camera because my good one got stolen on vacation and I haven't had a chance to replace it but after seeing the quality of these pictures, I will be getting a new one ASAP so bear with me through some of these photos!)

The beautiful orange bag!! (much brighter in person)

LEFT TO RIGHT: NYX High Definition Photo Concealer in Beige, NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Candyland, NYX Round Lipstick in Strawberry Milk, Bare Minerals Eye Shadow in Queen Tiffany, NYX Pore Filler, NYX Matte Bronzer in Deep Tan, and NYX Bronzer/Blush Combo in Ibiza

Up Close:

And Again:

Swatch of NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Candyland.  It's a beautiful Barbie pink color perfect for the summer that looks good on just about everyone

NYX Round Lipstick in Strawberry Mild which is another light Barbie pink color.  Strawberry Milk + Candyland look beautiful when they are paired together

The only non-NYX item I purchased was Bare Minerals in Queen Tiffany.  I have had this color since I was 19 because it is just a gorgeous, classic color and I just needed to pick up a new one.  These shadows are great because they can be applied dry or if you get your brush wet, the color intensifies.

Here is the packaging for the bronzer/blush duo and the matte bronzer.

The bronzer/blush duo is perfect to throw in your purse or bring with you when traveling because it is a 2-in-1.  There were three different ones to choose from and I chose this one because it had the darker bronzer and a beautiful pink blush that is unlike any other blush I have.  (I gave in and used the phone to re-do the images, the other ones were HORRIBLE)

Here is the Matte Bronzer in Deep Tan *Matte meaning there is no shimmer or sparkle in the product.  I already have oily skin so if I use a bronzer with shimmer, when I start to get oily, that will only intensify it!  Also, the matte bronzers, in my opinion, look more natural.

I used the bronzer Saturday night and I do like it, however it is a little chalky/dusty when I put my brush into it.  However, the color payoff is great and I did like it on

AND randomly, on my way home, I had to return something to JC Penney's and found this ADORABLE Hello Kitty tank top.  It was $10 but to my suprise, when I went to pay, it was only $7.50! (winning!)  At the JCP I went to, there were several left in case you are interested.  I thought this would be cute to run errands in or do a casual lunch in

I know I didn't talk much about the NYX Pore Filler but what it does is give your skin an overall smoothe and flawless base before putting your makeup on.  It is supposed to shrink your pores and minimize any flaws in your skin.  I used this as well Saturday night and it did give my makeup a more even surface to work on.  But I used it alone without using an oil-mattifier and I did get greasy pretty quick.  So I will try it again, on top of an oil mattifier and hopefully it shall work better next time :)

Thanks for reading, XOXO!

PS-If you are wondering what is on my nails in the reflection: Essie Orange, It's Obvious! (this is my favorite nail polish brand BY FAR) used with Nutra Nail base coat and top coat for the Shellac Manicure look

How I achieve the perfect tan!

How to achieve the perfect tan!

Exfoliate!!
This will get all the dead skin cells off your skin and even your skin out.  I either use a loofah and body wash or a body scrub of some sort.  Also, make sure that you have freshly shaved or waxed.

I found this body scrub at Ulta and the loofah is $1 at Wal-mart. 

Moisturize!!
Before I go out, I hydrate my skin with lotion.  Usually I like to use coco butter as it is thicker and will keep my skin hydrated longer.  The sun will better tan moisturized skin than dry skin. 

Protect!!
Before I even get out in the sun, I put any sun block on that is needed.  For my face, I love Clinique SPF 40 Oil Free.  It does not leave my face greasy at all and it really protects my face from burning.  I don't typically put sunblock on my body. (Shame on me) And don't forget a good chapstick for your lips.  I use Nivea A Kiss of Shimmer (pictured top) because it protects my lips but also gives them a pretty pearly finish. 

Optional:
When I get into the sun, I use good old fashioned baby oil to tan with.  I have found that it works the best.  Any of the Banana Boat or Hawaiian Tropic products work well too-anything oil based.  Some come with an SPF built into them and others don't.  My all time favorite one is Hawaiin Tropic Amplifier with carrot oil but can not find it any of the drug stores anymore.  The carrot oil attracts the sun and amplifies your tan so be careful!! 
I recently picked up Austrailian Gold Continuous spray with instant bronzer (pictured top) but can honestly say I am not a fan. It has SPF 15 (which is good to protect the skin) but I feel like with the bronzers in it, the tan I am getting is from the bronzers and not the sun. The bronzers in it make the product a little drying.  I personally would not get any sort of tanning oil with bronzers for that reason and because after the shower, you can put bronzers on. 

After Sun Care!!
I love my Banana Boat After Sun with aloe.  It keeps my skin moisturized, the aloe helps with any sun burn, and the Vitamin E helps extend my tan.  After being in the sun for any length of time, it is important to moisturize.  The sun is so drying on your skin along with chlorine, lake water or salt water that you need to keep your skin hydrated.  Sometimes I add in Loreal Sublime and mix it with the Banana Boat lotion to give me a golden bronze look.  And like I say in EVERY blog: DRINK TONS OF WATER!!

And now all you need is a cute pool bag, towel and a magazine!

**All these products can be found at Wal-Mart, Ulta, Target or your local drug store (CVS or Wal-greens) 

Thanks for reading, XOXO!