Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara: Pros and Cons Product Review

Quick Results: Yes, I love this mascara and I would repurchase.

Price: ~$20

I set out for a mascara for my college graduation. While I was happy as could be that I was graduating, I knew there would be some tears. I saw the the name, cannonball, and immediately thought, “well that better work.” Yes, I fell for marketing, but I don’t regret my purchase. I paid about twenty dollars at my local Ulta for this mascara.

I do not own this image. I searched for it on Google. If this is your

image and you would like me to take it down, email me, and I will

do so immediately.

The wand is fairly standard, but it is small enough to get inner and lower lashes. The formula is fantastic, it’s not prone to clumping and is easily build-able.

The mascara also held up so well to crying! There was no ugly mascara streaks or flakes sprinkled around my face from crying. My lashes looked fine (my eyes were a bit red), not as perfectly fanned out as when I first applied, but other than that, my lashes looked as good as they had before the tears. I will definitely be reaching for this mascara whenever I go to a wedding, or other tear filled event.

Keep in mind, that a waterproof mascara will be harder to remove, but with a good and gentle remover, this mascara can be removed.

What is your favorite mascara?

Fool Proof Free Hand Nail Art

You love the look of nail art, but you don't want to pay for a salon, and you don't have a very steady hand yourself. Sure, nail stamping has created a way to get simple and intricate nail art, but what if you want the power to have whatever design you want, and complete control over colors and when they changed in designs?

Well I have found a way to create nail art that can easily be fixed if you make a mistake, without ruining the based color of your manicure.

But first I have to tell you that I did NOT invent this idea, I have come across it in my own nail art adventures.

So how do I create nail art that is no big deal if I mess up? Acrylic paint.

Once you have your base coat and color done (and it is completely dry) you can pull out your nail art brush and acrylic paints.

The best part about this is that when a line is smudged or you just don't like the placement, you can take a little bit of water, and wash away the acrylic without messing up the base polish. You can also use a cotton bud and water to wash away a small part of the design.

Now even the clumsiest of people (aka ME) can create cool nail designs.

Life Becoming a Video Game (Weight loss Entry)

So, I've been away for a year, and sadly, most of that year has been spent away from the computer. Why? Well, Senior year in college can be tough. Most of my time has been spent with books, messy buns with pens in them, stacks of post it flags, and those weird highlighter stains on my fingers.

Along with a lifetime of poor habits, this past year of sitting stooped over the kitchen table with theorists has created the perfect starting picture for a miracle weight loss advert. Sadly, I'm real and we can't immediately flash ahead to me holding out the waistband of my former pants as show off how I can swim in them.

What I can do is be real with you... I am over weight. By a lot. My eating habits are terrible, and I am quick to find an excuse to miss out on a gym day- even though I know I always feel better after I leave the gym. But in an effort to turn my life around and feel comfortable in my own skin, I have decided to kick my butt into gear, or at least get in moving.

In an effort to see what I am doing, and track progress, I bought a FitBit Flex. Here's the deal, when I can't see the work I am doing, I am fast to stop it. The Flex allows me to monitor my activity, and create small wins for myself. I can see when I have been more active lately, even if my outward appearance doesn't show my progress.

This is NOT an ad for FitBit or the Flex. I bought it with my own money (why would anyone sponsor me, I am an unkown :) )

I like that there are badges and goals that I can set for myself. It reminds me of unlocking achievements in video games. Step goals, hourly activity goals, calorie goals, water drinking goals, etc. - complete with badges and the ability to compete with friends.

Let me know if you have a FitBit and want to add me as a friend to compete!

It is my goal to keep you updated on my journey to a healthier me. (If you're interested that is.)
Feel free to share your stories with me!!!!

Start Day: May 25
Start Weight: 280 :(((((
Goal Weight: ~180

Keep Your False Lashes Organized

When you take good care of your false lashes, you can use them more than one time. The problem I often come across is keeping my lashes clean and organized in between uses. With single packs of lashes you have the option to keep the lashes in the packaging, but when you buy multi packs like the ones sold by Ardell, it is harder to keep the lashes organized in between uses.

The idea I am about to share with you is not one that I have come up with, though I would love to be able to take the credit. When I saw this idea, I thought it was absolutely amazing and I knew that I had to share it:

A pill organizer!

You can put your lashes in the compartments by pair, or one strip per compartment. If you choose the second option, I recommend that you use tape or a maker to label which compartments go with each other. If you are going on a trip and don't feel like packing a bigger pill organizer you can always opt for an individual day or two sized pill organizer. This option is probably better for short trips or if you don't have tons of different lashes you rotate through. 

I have seen organizers specifically meant to organize false lashes on the market, but I find these pill organizers to be a better option because they are in so many stores and really cheap (I bought mine for 98cents!). 

How do you keep your falsies organized? 

Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Palette: First Impressions & Naked 3 Dupe

So when I saw this palette my hands tossed it in my basket before my brain registered what I had even grabbed. I use my Maybelline The Nudes Palette at least 3 or 4 times a week so I had to pick this one up.

The first thing I noticed was its striking similarity to Urban Decay’s Naked 3 Palette. Perhaps you will agree with me:

So yeah, if you had your eye on Naked 3, but don’t want to (or can’t) spend the fifty something dollars, for around ten you can have this palette. Here are swatches of The Blushed Nudes:

And just for fun, here are swatches from Naked 3:

The verdict:

Blushed Nudes is a really good palette. The shadows are soft and blend well. I’m definitely glad that I go it. I do believe that it is comparable to the Naked 3, the biggest difference is that Naked 3 is more pigmented. It really all depends what you want to spend your money on when it comes to make up.

Personally, my Naked 3 is my favorite palette, so I can’t imagine passing that up for the Maybelline. But I can’t deny the similarities. 

Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel Review

Spring…by the time it gets here I am more than ready for it. Fall is my favorite season, but the beginning of Spring always gives me renewed energy. It’s warm, but not too hot, and there is a sweet spot before my allergies and bugs start to attack.

Given the warming weather, capris, skirts, and shorts will soon be able to come out of hiding. A while back, I wrote an article on How to Make aShave Last, and in that article I mentioned shaving lotion/gel that helps slow down hair regrowth. So today, I will be providing you with a review of the shaving gel I use for that purpose: Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel.

I purchased mine at Wal-Mart, though I imagine that this shaving gel would be available in most stores that carry Aveeno.

First off, let me talk about the scent. I know for some people that can be a huge factor, so I will be addressing that first. Personally, I love the scent; it reminds me of Amaretto Cookies. It is a fairly strong scent, though once you rinse it off, I don’t notice it sticking around.

Now, let’s talk about the gel. You don’t need that much, a little bit of gel goes a long way. This is because as you rub it on your legs, the gel lathers up and takes up a lot more space than it did when you first dispense it from the can.

Does it actually slow down regrowth? Now, I’m not going to be scientific about this. From my experience, it does. I am not sure about the formula and what about it slows the growing process, but I have noticed that I get a few extra days before I need to shave again.

To explain how big a deal this is, you’ll need to know about my own “hairy” situation.. (I’m so sorry, but I had to do it.) If I shave in the morning, by night time, I have decent amounts of stubble. And since I am ghost pale, with really dark brown hair, it stands out. By the end of the next day, the entire forest has grown back. When I use this (when I’m lazy and don’t exfoliate) I can get four days instead of one to two. If I’m not lazy, I can get five or six days. After spending years of daily to every other day shaving, I never thought that I would be able to go 4-6 days without shaving.

I absolutely love this shaving gel.

As far as price goes, it is a drugstore product, so it is affordable. It was about four dollars. From the 

prices I saw when I picked it out, it was towards the higher end, but if it works for you like it did for me, you will a lot less, a whole lot less often. 

*I do not own this picture. I found it via a Google search. If this is your picture and you would like me to take it down, please let me know and I will gladly do so.*

Washing a Beauty Blender (or a Dupe)

So you have finally given in to the beauty blender craze ( I know I resisted for a long time). You use
the sponge, and no matter what your feelings on the application, you are now left with a dirty makeup applicator that needs to be cleaned. But how? You can’t just wipe it off, and there aren’t any bristles like on a makeup brush.

Read on if you want to see how I clean my Beauty Blender.

First, I must stress, that if you want your blender to stay in good condition for as long as possible, you must be GENTLE.

What to wash it with?

-I use a mixture of Dawn (original formula nothing extra added) and coconut oil.

I know coconut oil is solid in its normal room temp state, but you can get a liquid coconut oil and I have also seen little bottles of liquid coconut oil in Sally’s.

-I put about equal amounts of each into a container.

-Then I mix the two liquids,

-Using water that is about room temperature, I run my beauty blender under the faucet until it is damp. I then dip it into my clean mixture and gently work it in. I do this by squeezing the beauty blender and running it under the water.  I continue gently squeezing until I don’t see any more dish soap suds coming out of the sponge. I continue dipping and rinsing and squeezing under the running water until I have gotten all of the makeup off and out of the sponge. This will take time, but if you are gentle, your sponge should come out pretty much like new when you are done. At some point it is only natural for stains to occur, but you will know your blender is clean when the water you squeeze out of the blender is consistently clear.

*The image is not mine, I got it from a Google search, If the image is yours and you would like me to take it down please message me and I will gladly do so.*