Here is an outfit which i made using two muslins from other projects, they were all white so I was surprised when upon dying them the dress revealed a cool pattern. However the pattern was on the inside of the dress which had an arm/neck facing, so I cut the facing away from the neckline and it created these cool drapey flutter sleeves! My point being, why waste your muslins? Muslins that are well made can always be changed up and dyed to become a whole new outfit!
Does anyone else out there have this problem? I am blondish with long eyelashes which are practically invisible without mascara, therefore i consider mascara to be essential. HOWEVER my problem is that because my lashes are long, i inevitably end up with little smudges under the outer corners of my eyes! For the record i use UD eyeshadow primer over and under my eyes as well as the de-slick setting spray…… do i need to invest in an eyelash primer too!???! Anyone with experience in this department, please help a sister out!
Things have been crazy hectic lately preparing for the fashion show in only 1 month! I thought I would post an update on my goodwill project. I’m using a pillow cover and a hotel curtain from the Goodwill “as is” store to create an work wear look including a fitted top and pleated/gathered skirt (also maybe a jacket if i have time! lol). Here are some pics of the raw materials and the top which i just completed!
(it’s meant to be worn by someone a bit bustier, which is why it looks funny on the form =)
My birthday is fast approaching and im thinking about birthday cake… i have two thoughts….
1) hey it’s my birthday i can let it slide
2) if i eat cake today it could be a slippery slope with ice cream and cookies and candy eventually leading to my demise!
How do you guys feel about b day cake?
These go picnic meals are such an amazing solution for anyone who is trying to watch their calorie intake on a busy schedule. They are easy to pack and perfectly portioned ( also great for anyone traveling). Most meals are between 360-490 calories with a good amount protein and fiber in each one. This particular meal has 360 calories with lots of fiber! It is one of their new meals, the black bean dip and plantain chips yum! If you havent tried them yet I would reccommend also the tuna, sunbutter, and salmon. I believe they are sold at most target stores, but I usually buy them online on their website. most are $4.99 at full price, try to catch them on sale by subscribing to their emails!
I sincerely believe that keeping a food diary is the best way to lose weight. It doesn’t require any special diets or crazy amounts of gym time. It simply helps you to be more aware of what you are eating. I started using myfitnesspal.com about a year ago. It is a great site that has an extensive database of foods and their nutritional info, making it relatively easy to track your meals (did I mention the service is free!). You can also track calories burned through exercise, and it has guides to help you figure out how many calories you should be consuming each day. Now, it’s not an exact science, but it is a helpful tool. The most important thing though, is to stick with it. When I started a year ago, I lost a total of 17 lbs over a 5 month period, however I subsequently got super busy and stopped tracking because I was pretty happy with the weight loss I had achieved. That was a HUGE mistake, I have now gained back 9 lbs! This time I’m determined to lose the 9 lbs + an additional 5 to boot, and I’m not going to stop tracking because it hands down WORKS!
I bought this palette after doing some research through other blogs and the NYX website, hoping that it would be a perfect all in one travel palette. Unfortunately, the dimensions of the palette weren’t listed ANYWHERE (it is just under 5x5x1 inches), and so as it turns out, it’s just ever so slightly too wide to fit in my mini train case. However, I still HIGHLY recommend this palette, it has amazing colors and payoff. I might still try to bring it with me to Italy if I have extra room (hahaha). Without further ado, here are some pictures of the palette and a look I tried out today!
I used this bluish purple in the crease and the taupe brown over the lid
I used the shimmery pink in the corner and the nude color on on the brow
I used a combination of these two pinks on my lips, i know it seems like it would be a pain to reapply, but if you regularly carry a bigger purse this palette will totally fit and with a lip brush like the retractable ones that sephora offers then this can work!
Here is everything that I picked up yesterday from the Goodwill “as is” store. Everything pictured cost me $10 total.
I absolutely could not resist this dress with its sweet details. It is fully lined and in perfect condition except for a bit of color fading, and I’m surprised no one picked it up sooner even for a costume! The tag inside says “McInerny Hawaii since 1850” but I’m sure it is more modern based on the font of the tag. I tried looking it up but couldn’t find anything, does anyone know much about this company? I think I’ll be keeping this one rather than cutting it up =)
This adorable red and cream polka dot dress is a perfect condition silk ann taylor piece that I would totally wear if the hip area fit better, but I think i’ll get use out of it for my design project =) The forever 21 top in the middle is in almost perfect condition, same with the top on the end which has rly cute fluttery sleeves
This colorful handmade dress is admittedly falling apart in a few places, but the wide hem sweep means lots of fabric to cut into! A fully lined tan corduroy coat in good condition, maybe could be a cropped jacket? I thought maybe I could pair the fabric of this mens shirt with the fabric from the printed dress for a cute print blocked halter dress.
Finally I got a long pleated hotel curtain that has a really neat texture for a skirt, and this groovy pillow case!
I do have some initial ideas about what to create for the fashion show, now it’s time to do some sketching!
Today my apparel design class took a trip to the Goodwill headquarters in SF, and it was actually pretty fun! We got a tour of their processing facilities and found out about the lifecycle of the goods that get donated. It really is a great organization, and I’m super excited that we will be partnering with them to create up-cycled garments for our Spring fashion show! We got to pick out $10 worth of items from their “as is” store, which is all of the items that wouldn’t sell at their regular locations. I have to admit that some of it was pretty grody, but i also found a few pieces that are in perfect condition! Everything is currently in the washing machine, but i will post an update soon with pictures of what i got and ideas for my project!
Since I will be traveling for a month this summer, I have been thinking a lot about what to pack. I know that I can’t bring a lot of clothes (I’m only taking carry-on luggage) but I cannot go a whole month without splashing some color on my face, and no, one eyeliner one lipstick one eyeshadow and mascara is not enough, mom!
Anyway, If you’re like me and can’t imagine leaving all your makeup goodies behind for a month, this post may be of interest to you. (warning this is a long one!)
FIRST THE CASE
This mini train case measures apx. 5” deep 7.25” long 4.75” tall.
It is the smallest sturdiest case I have found, and I got it at ross for $9.99! unfortunately that was kind of a one time thing, but I have found comparable cases on amazon for closer to $20.
Some people might think that this hard case would be impractical for travel packing since it’s not compressible, but who would want to compress their makeup products anyway!? I love that this case can hold a LOT of product and keep it safe as well as ORGANIZED!!!!! I hate it when you put a ton of product in a soft bag and then it’s super hard to find anything buried at the bottom esp. smaller containers. This case allows you to keep everything in sight for quick retrieval.
What am I packing?
Liquid foundation
Concealer stick
Pressed powder
1 Bronzer/illuminator
1 blush
1 eyebrow pencil
1 lip treatment
16 eyeshadows
2 liquid eyeliners
10 pencil eyeliners
1 mascara
6 lipsticks
1 lipgloss
AND I could easily fit more, but as I mentioned I like to be able to see everything rather than piling more in.
Now for the specifics….
NYX HD studio photogenic foundation in Nude 01
Evens my complexion which is ruddy with some acne, very fair, and sensitive combination skin
Mark. Save the Day anti acne concealer stick in Ivory Nude
Not sure if this really works as anti-acne because I use another treatment on my face daily, but It has a nice texture and is blendable.
Physicians Formula Healthy Wear Powder SPF 50! In Medium Translucent
This stuff is truly amazing… with my fair skin I really need to wear sunscreen on my face daily not to mention when vacationing in hot weather, but I HATE regular sunscreen as it causes me to break out (yes even the oil free stuff) this stuff does the trick while leaving me looking cool calm and collected (found it on drugstore.com)
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips custom blush & highlighter in Sunkissed Glow
This is supposed to be a blush/highlighter, but for my fair skin I use it as a bronzer lol! It adds just the slightest hint of shimmer and color without making me look scary as most regular bronzers do. I also love that the strips can be used as individual colors as eyeshadows!
Mark. Good glowing blush in star glo
This blush has been discontinued, and unfortunately Im not a fan of mark.’s new blush formula, but I will use this until I run out or find a dupe, it’s the perfect subtle peachy pink.
NYX eye/eyebrow pencil in Taupe 915
I rarely do anything with my brows at all because even though they are a bit thin in some spots and a bit much in other spots, they are blond and don’t stand out too much, and I’m just plain scared to attempt anything with them, but if I’m going out for an extra fancy evening I will darken them just slightly with this pencil which is only a shade darker than their natural color.
Aquaphor healing ointment advanced therapy
I avoided wearing lipstick for a long time due to dry unsightly lips, until one day my friend suggested this product. I put it on before bed every night and my lips stay soft even in this winter weather.
EYESHADOWS!!!!
Mark. I-mark custom pick eyeshadows (old formula) and wet/dry eyeshadows (new formula)
from left to right and top to bottom: storming, pewter, chenille, barista, tiki, minx, fairy dust BOTTOM: retro peacock, empress, dragonfly, stellar, plum velvet, jazzy, lotus, puff
Unlike the new blush formula, I LOVE the new eyeshadow formula that mark. has come out with. The colors are so soft and glide on beautifully, but I still have my standby colors from the old formula that I won’t let go of (good thing I have backups!)
Urban Decay 24/7 waterproof liquid eyeliner
siren and perversion (honestly why does it have to be called that? I really dislike that name.)
This stuff is seriously waterproof and so easy to apply, mark. Also has some good liquid eyeliners in the metallic range, but I just wanted to take a black and this teal color.
Urban Decay 24/7 glide on eye pencil
top to bottom: flipside, ransom, dime, gunmetal, deviant, graffiti
It’s been said before, these are amazing!
Rimmel Spark it Up eyeliner in Peridot 500
I’m not sure if these have been discontinued, but I just use it to line my bottom waterline occasionally.
NYX slide on eyeliners
green papaya & brown perfection
These are almost as amazing as the Urban Decay liners, they also come in a few different colors and are like half the price! I say almost as amazing because I feel that the Urban Decay ones stay slightly longer on the waterline, but it’s a close match.
Sephora Collection Flashy liner in flashy mauve
These are also fairly similar to the nyx and urban decay liners, pretty good staying power. This one was discontinued =( It’s my all time favorite color, a pale lilac purple with a blue shift! A close dupe is the Urban Decay 24/7 eyshadow/liner crayon in morphine
Mark. Scandalash mascara
This is my all time favorite non-clumping mascara! It currently only comes as a hook up (I have a lipgloss on the other end) but soon they will be coming out with a full size scandalash, and I couldn’t be more excited!
BUXOM big and healthy lipsticks
Monte Carlo, Acapulco, Barcelona, Athens
Amsterdam, Milan
This is a product that people seem to either love or hate, but I happen to love them! If you have very very dry lips, then maybe they aren’t for you (also try the aquaphor I mentioned above). Also if you don’t like minty caramel scent or tingling lips, again not for you. They come in the most beautiful colors and have really great staying power! Totally worth trying out. (hidden sharpener in the bottom of the tube)
BUXOM big and healthy lip crème in White Russian
This is the perfect nude lipgloss without any sparkles or shimmer, it’s so beautiful. I happen to have the travel size which is perfect!
Phew, that was long! But I hope you can see that you really don’t have to sacrifice your beautiful makeup products for the sake of limited packing space. I’m taking tons of colors and products and it all fits in my tiny 5×7 case which will keep it organized and accessible.
my carry-on suitcase with makeup case and plenty of room for clothes and toiletries
makeupyourmindgirl 