Thursday, January 10, 2013

BEST OF 2012: Beauty, Hair & Skincare!

Ladies and Gents.. (aka the probably 1-2 gents that read my blog) - I give you 21 minutes of my FAVORITE & MOST USED beauty products of 2012! These are the products I used and abused and repurchased AND I LOVE! As always - let me know if you have any questions about ANY of the products, would be happy to answer any! :) 

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Skincare

Hair
MAC Impeccable Eye Pencil (Dirty Blonde) - Can't find link anywhere - I think it was discontinued :(
Naked Palette
Naked 2 Palette
MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow
Revlon Lip Butters (Peach Parfait, Pink Truffle, Red Velvet)
YSL Rouge Volpte Lipsticks (#13 and #17)

best thing I discovered in 2012 
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youtube probz
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OOTD from yesterday
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It is like spring in NC - I love it! This weekend it is supposed to be in the 70s and sunny! Looking forward to a great weekend!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

2 Beauty Videos: My 1st Makeup & Hair Tutorial AND December 2012 Favorites!

 I have been on a filming kick! I uploaded two videos in the past week & more are on their way! :) Follow me on twitter to keep up with my YouTube channel as well as my FB since I do not always make dedicated blog posts for each video! 
Twitter
Facebook

My FIRST makeup & hair tutorial ever! It is my everyday makeup & hair - very simple & easy!


 Products Used:
Makeup Products Used:
Josie Maran Moisturizer
Tarte Clean Slate Poreless Primer
Urban Decay All-Nighter Spray
Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser (I use light)
Sephora Professionals Concealer Pro Airbrush Brush
YSL Touche Eclat Foundation (I wear B30)
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
Makeup Forever HD Powder
Makeup Forever Kabuki Brush
Lorac Eye Primer:
Naked Palette:
Mac Eyebrushes: 239, 224, 226
Mac Harmony Blush (to contour):
Sephora Professionals Blush Brush (angled for contouring):
Nars Blush in Sin:
Mac Soft & Gentle:
Mac 168 Brush (for highlighter):
Eyeko London Skinny Eyeliner:
Chanel Eyelash Curler:
Maybelline Falsies Mascara:
Maybelline Dream Lumi (in radiant)

Hair Products Used:
Pantene Moisture Whip:
Remmington Curling Wand:

My December Favorites Video - as always - if you have any questions let me know!


1) Bioderma
3) Nars Blush Palette (discontinued) - My favorite blush is Sin by Nars
(there is a similar Nars blush palette available on Sephora HERE)
7) Biotin 

Thank you for watching! :) 

Monday, January 7, 2013

Weekend Update + a recipe!

Not sure how we are all going to make it through this 5 day work week, but there's always wine right? Not for me though. I have been sticking to my diet and only indulging in wine a couple of nights per week (trying to be good) ((TRYING)). I hope you all had a great weekend - mine was actually perfect! Relaxing & got everything that I needed done - DONE!

So - today is my first day linking up with the lovely Sam and Leeann for the Weekend Update blog hop! I have been meaning to start linking up with them for a while and what better time than now? Check both of these ladies out if you haven't before - they both have incredibly funny and amazing blogs that I read daily! 

My dad was here for a couple of days over the weekend & that usually means him spoiling us with nice dinners. Since we are on our clean eating plan - our choices are limited in restaurants but that doesn't mean you can't find something delicious & appropriate to eat at almost every restaurant! On Friday night, we convinced my dad to take us to this new Asian fusion restaurant AZN that recently opened near Southpark. I think it has some of the freshest sashimi I have ever tasted! My dad and I also shared the Japanese Ceviche which had yellowtail, octopus, and avocado - it was delicious! 
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Saturday morning, my sister and I went for our first outside run of the year. I really need to work on my breathing. Ever since I have had surgery on my nose, I have a hard time with running outside and breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. It wasn't as bad as I imagined - we ran 2.5 miles in a neighborhood close by to our condo in 30 minutes, but I almost passed out after! I will definitely be having a little bit of protein before our run next time. I am going to try running one of these mornings since when I get out of work, it is already pitch black! 

Saturday afternoon, we finally saw LES MIS! I had been dying to see this movie since Christmas but had not found the time to. I am in love with the movie - I think everyone did a great job! I hate it when people criticize other actors - I thought Russel Crowe was a really great Javert - do NOT hate on him - he has an Oscar and you do not.  His acting was incredible. I cannot tell you how amazing Hugh Jackman was - HE IS VALJEAN! I loved Eddie Redmayne as Marius too - I know some people had a problem with his voice but I thought he was great and his Empty Chairs at Empty Tables brought me to tears. As a fan of the broadway show, it was so exciting to see a play I love so much become alive on the big screen! I was as excited as when watching the harry potter movies for the first time!! (yes I am a nerd.) I definitely want to go see it again in theaters soon! (soundtrack on repeat!!)
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comfy saturday movies outfit! Brandy Melville Cardigan, Bebe Leggings, Random old f21 shirt, & f21 shoes (old)
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 We ended up having dinner at CPK which was A-OK with me since I LOVE the roasted vegetable salad there! I got it with no sundried tomatoes and with grilled salmon on top. I also skipped the dressing and added hot sauce instead! So good! Seriously - anything with artichokes is right up my alley.. I should probably learn how to make that at home!
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Yesterday, I took my sister to the huge mall Concord Mills where they have this HUGE f21! It is so overwhelming, so while she was trying on clothes for an hour, I hit up both the Nike outlet and the VS semi-annual sale! 

Got all of this for $100! The bras are AWESOME. I love them way more than the lululemon ones that I have. And they were on sale for only $23 each! I got the other 2 jackets for running outside and for going to flywheel classes. 
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I also picked up these goodies from VS as well as some new undies! (50% off)
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After we got back, we worked out at our gym and then we made a yummy light dinner of grilled tilapia and garlic green beans and mushrooms! 
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This is an extremely easy meal to make! We just season the tilapia in mrs. dash lemon pepper & then grill it in very little extra virgin olive oil. 

For the garlic veggies - steam the green beans while you saute mushrooms in a pan with some extra virgin olive oil & then add freshly chopped garlic to the pan and then add the green beans once they are done steaming - I promise they are DELICIOUS! 

Have a great week everyone!! 

Saturday, January 5, 2013

What I got for Christmas Haul!

Meant to put this up yesterday but here is my little belated Christmas Haul! As I stated in my video - I returned my "big" Christmas gift because I didn't like the color that the bag was in real life. Opal does not = avocado green. Oh well - Now I have some money to spend at Nordies!! :)


- Tory Burch Elina Wedge Bootie (sold out - maybe try e-bay)
- Nadri Princess Earrings
- Violet Petals Candle 
 - Cole Haan Poppy Boots (sold out now) :(
- BP faux leather vest
- Peplum dress & top from K.LA (Atlanta & Charlotte Boutique)
- Josie Maran Matchmaker Complexion Kit  (I got it in light/medium)
- Laura Mercier Fresh Fig trio kit

Thank you for watching!! xoxo

Friday, January 4, 2013

Happy Friday! + Random stuff I have been LOVING!

A very Happy Friday to you all! This short week went by really fast - I think we are all going to slapped in the face next week when we actually have to work for 5 days!! Nonetheless - I am really happy and relieved that it is Friday - I am so sick of packing and unpacking every weekend so I plan to stay put until my work travel starts again! I am planning on a relaxing weekend - organizing, cleaning, cooking yummy healthy meals, working out and doing some fun things with my sister.

It has been a great start to 2013 - I am so excited for what the year has in store! 

My OOTD Today! 
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Some of my current LOVES!

My BFF Mon recently started a blog! It is so cute - Peplum & Peony! I would love it if you would all check it out & let her know that I sent you! :) Monica is my best friend - she was my big sister in my sorority in college and we also lived for 2 years together! I have been trying to convince her to blog for a while now since she has such amazing style and taste! Monica got married in May of last year and she writes about her life, healthy cooking (vegetarian), interior design, and shopping! We are extremely alike - we always end up buying similar things if not the exact same thing! Love you Mon! 

best friends :) 
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Been sticking to clean eating since I got back to charlotte - I always say this when I am clean eating but it just makes you feel better, you have more energy! 
Grilled Tilapia (cooked in Pam olive oil spray and mrs. dash lemon pepper spray) & salad for dinner last night! See my favorite salad recipe - HERE
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I bought this laura mercier fresh fig set at saks over the weekend on major sale and I used the scrub for the first time yesterday - HOT DAMN. It is the best scrub I have ever tried - no wonder it is so expensive - it is definitely worth the money!! 
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I posted my Christmas Haul on my youtube channel - a post on this will be up later today with links! :) 

Have a great weekend everyone!!! 

Thursday, January 3, 2013

2013 Resolutions

Well here it is - the dreaded "resolutions" post every blogger is obligated to do. Well not necessarily obligated, but one cool thing about blogging is having the ability to look back on the past year and your former new years post and see where you have come. Well - I took a look at my post from last year and again, it made me a bit sad. I didn't exactly FAIL at all my resolutions. I have learned how to save more and spend less AND more fun for me - I have grown my blog and especially YouTube! It makes me so happy that people actually take the time to watch my videos, even if just one person is watching them - I appreciate it! :)

resolution writing. 
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I know my blog is usually about clothes and makeup and the more fun things in life, but I hope you guys don't mind me sharing some of my personal struggles as well. 

Let's take a look at last year's resolutions - 2012 Resolutions

1) HEALTHY LIVING & HEALTHY THOUGHTS
Well - I haven't failed 100% - I usually stick to around 4 workouts a week - sometimes just cardio, sometimes a flywheel class, running, etc. It's been a year of ups and downs diet wise. I don't have a very healthy way of dealing with my weight issues, this year I hope to develop and work on my outlook on being healthy. I can't tell you how many times I have been in tears telling myself destructive things - I know that is not okay and people have MUCH bigger problems than not being able to fit into my size 27 hudson jeans from California - LOL! I am not someone who eats junk food but I do love GOOD food and of course - Wine. I know it will take sacrifices to get there again, but I KNOW I can do it. Luckily, I have the help of my sister who is in the same boat as me and we can support each other like we did while living in California. We went "clean" grocery shopping yesterday & it feels so good to have just our food at the house. Honestly - it is so yummy to eat healthy. I LOVE making fish, salad and vegetables. During my work travel season, I will also make sure I bring my gym clothes and shoes! I know this is a common resolution, but I have succeeded before and know that I can do it again! Diet along with continuing working out consistently will get me to my goal.

2) START RUNNING OUTSIDE & DO A 10K
I was talking to my friend Caitlin when she was in town and she was telling me how much she loves running. I am not a real "runner" - I will run 3 miles on the treadmill in 35 minutes and call it a day, or I will do some hardcore intervals for a good sweat. I am going to start running this year and plan to do my first run on Saturday. I actually really like doing 5ks and this year, one of my goals will be to run a 10K in the first 6 months of the year.

3) BALANCING WORK & PLAY
I want to see my friends more and plan more weekend getaways! I also want to take advantage of my work trips and plan on staying in the city I am in and exploring a but more. Work is very important, but it is also important to have fun and to have a balance of everything.

4) GROW MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND BLOG
Before last year, my blog was more of a way to document my thoughts as opposed as a way of making friends. I am so happy to have "met" such lovely ladies from blogging! I want to continue on growing my blog - I would like to participate in more link-ups and dedicating more time to read other blogs and make more bloggy friends. As for my YouTube channel - that is something I really want to grow. I know it is kind of crazy to sit in your room and talk to a camera, but it is so much fun for me. I want to upload at least ONE video per week - it could be a haul, a favorites video, a tag, a vlog, or maybe something else? I have been thinking about starting some simple tutorials! As always - if you ever want to request a review or anything else, I would be more than happy to do it! :)

5) PUT MYSELF FIRST, NO MATTER WHAT
I am DONE with being a pushover. I will do WHAT I WANT. WHEN I WANT! and yes I needed to capitalize that. Like I said before - the year of the bitch.

Like last year - I have 5. I think it is a solid DOABLE number that won't overwhelm me. In about 2 weeks, I will be done with grad school apps until march, so I really have time to concentrate on what I want to achieve! Thank you all for reading <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">xoxo

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

New Years Weekend Re-Cap!

Jan 2nd you guysssss! Can you believe it? I hope you all had a safe and wonderful NYE and wish you all the best in the 2013! My friend Caitlin came to visit me in Atlanta over the weekend and we had so much fun! As usual - sharing some pictures from my instagram account! Follow me here.

I'm working on my "resolutions" post - I have a long list this year and I will probably have that post up tomorrow! I think 2012 was a great year - I took on a new position at work, traveled a lot (for work and for play), my best friend Mon got married, and my sister moved to Charlotte with me. Like I mentioned in my previous post - I want 2013 to be all about me. That may be cliche, but it is really what I want. I want to put myself and my well being before anything else! 2013 - leggo! 

I have been hearing great reviews on the Josie Maran Argan Oil and ended up picking up this set on Saturday because it included a full size version of the oil plus three other products to try for only $64 - let me know if you guys would like to see a review on it! 
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Saturday night, my friend Caitlin arrived and we went out with our friend Jake in Midtown - it was so much fun! 
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Sunday morning, I took Caitlin to Stone Mountain - we climbed the mountain and got in a good workout!
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wearing my new lulu pullover - obsessed!
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We just relaxed the rest of the day and on Sunday, we went shopping at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead. I returned my purse I got for Christmas and didn't see anything I loved so I am still going to wait on buying something else. Caitlin found all these amazing deals - I am pretty proud of myself for only buying one thing! (laura mercier bath and body set on major sale) 

 shopping outfit: Free People Sweater // TopShop Jeggings // Cole Haan Poppy Boots // LV Neverfull MM
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Then we got ready for new years. Originally, we were supposed to go to Pampas with my parents, but my parents ended up ditching us last minute and going to Disney! LOL! We still had a great night - such amazing food at my dad's steakhouse Pampas Steakhouse

nye makeup - red lips and false lashes
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my dress - Victoria's Secret (on sale now for $78!)
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 Happy New Year! 
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I sinned. No more! 
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So ready to start a new year! I have so much to look forward to this year and no matter what, I am so lucky to be who I am. I am blessed with an amazing family and friends and most importantly, health! Here's to 2013!! :)