Nail Help

January 28, 2013 by

ak-nail emergency
So I have been having a nail dilemma for a while now…I know that if I don’t go get manicures then I bite my nails. Time has been a problem for the last year in terms of getting manicures, so you can just imagine the state of my nails. I generally only have time to go get a manicure on a Saturday afternoon. Obviously sometimes that just doesn’t work out. So I need to get into some sort of new home routine that keeps everything looking somewhat nice so I don’t bite them. A LONG time ago I posted this home mani, and I can definitely get on that train again for sure. I also bought these nail wipes (IMPULSE PURCHASE) recently that I think will help when the polish starts chipping and I can’t get back to the nail salon.
Josie Maran Bear Naked Nail Wipes

So tell me, what should I do in terms of base coat and top coat at home when I can’t get to the salon? And for those stay at home mamas when do you do your home nail care? Nap time? After the kiddos are in bed? When? HELP!

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Hair Color Extender?

January 24, 2013 by

ak-hair powder
Has anybody used this as a dry shampoo AND to cover greys? I just read that Jillian Harris of The Bachelorette fame uses it for that very reason and I think I could get on board with that to prolong my color. But would love to know if anybody else out there uses it and what they think….
Bumble & Bumble Brown Hair Powder, Sephora

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The Book of Why

January 23, 2013 by

ak-book of why
If you are in possession of a small child of the speaking variety, this book may be of interest to you or him/her. At some point your child starts asking why this and why that. This book will assist you. Trust me. This book gives you answers to such things as Why do we have a belly button? Why do balloons float? Why do some people wear glasses?

Go forth and learn all the things.
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why

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My Skincare Routine

January 22, 2013 by

ak-skin care
I think a while back we all talked about eye cream or skin care of something of that sort but I’ve changed up my routine a bit in the last year and thought I’d let yall know what I’m doing these days. I saw my dermatologist for the first time in YEARS last year and he had me implement a couple of new things. First he told me I needed to start using Retin-A for fine lines and blemishes. I LOVE how using the Retin-A makes my skin feel and, after a couple of weeks, look but I HATE the peeling that happens early on. When I first started using it, my face was peeling off! So I started researching how to not look like I was in a horror movie while I was out and about during the day and still using Retin-A. The first suggestion I found was that I should apply it after I wash my face but also after my face is 100% dry (so like 15 minutes after I wash my face). The second suggestion was Josie Maran Argan Oil. This stuff, you guys, it’s AMAZING! Once I implemented these two suggestions, I had way less peeling issues but still had great Retin-A results. My problem is that I forget to apply it 15 minutes after I wash my face at night because I BE TIRED YO. Anyway, the next thing my dermatologist suggested was this Skinceuticals LHA Cleansing Gel. I was still using Cetaphil from when I was pregnant with my youngest and I felt like my skin could use the change. I’ve used this Skinceuticals alone and with my Clarisonic and it’s great either way. It is expensive but lasts FOREVER because you seriously don’t have to use but a dime size amount. And the last bit to my skin care routine is the Biodroga eye cream. I’m am still loving this and still not having problems with it. Highly recommend.
Skinceuticals LHA Cleansing Gel
Biodroga Intense Moisture Formula Eye Care
Argan Oil

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Straight Hair, No Frizz

January 21, 2013 by

ak-hair no frizz
Have yall heard of this line of hair products that Jennifer Aniston started using and loved it so much that she is now a co-owner and face of the brand? So obvs that caught my eye because Jennifer Aniston is like my personal hair idol. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken a picture of her to the salon asking for whatever cut or color she’s got going on. A ton of times I tell ya…So anyway, when I heard she was connected to a line of products I for sure wanted to try it out. Amazon has a set of the products in sample sizes and that’s what I started with. My kit included shampoo, conditioner, straightening cream and a curling cream. I already used the shampoo and conditioner all up and while I loved it, what I think changed my hair the most has been the Straight Making Styling Cream. Not only does it make my hair straight and smooth but it also helps with the same in both second and third day hair. My hair is very thick and a “not pretty, wavy” if I let it air dry. So I pretty much hate the blow dry process, it takes FOREVER. This doesn’t change that fact but what it does help with is extending my style for longer. Love it!
Living Proof Frizz Styling Cream

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The Perfect Pink Pout

January 18, 2013 by

I believe I’ve sung the praises of Maybelline’s Baby Lips previously in the shade of Cherry Me (still a great shade for that I just ate a popsicle look) , but I recently stumbled upon a color that I can only describe as the perfect baby pink. It’s like my lips are baby soft AND the perfect shade of baby pink without looking too matte or too…how do you say it… stripper as to me some super light pink glosses tend to look in my opinion. I find myself reaching for this color all day every day this winter. And for under $5 you can’t lose!

LIPS

Filed Under: der, makeup, skin care

50 Shades of AWESOME

January 17, 2013 by

50grey

Yes, I am going to talk about that recent (or maybe it was last year, but who knows because I’m always behind the literary times) book phenom: 50 Shades of Grey.

I’ve obviously been hearing about this trilogy for some time now, but never really considered reading it until I saw Barbara Walters interview of her most fascinating people of the year. When Ms. Walters admitted that SHE read the books, I thought, OK, I can totally handle this. So, over the Christmas holidays when my hubby, toddler, and I were bored to tears with no television and in the middle of nowhere visiting my MIL, I thought it would be a good time to start reading said books…

HOLY SHIT BALLS (technical term), I could literally not put the book down! Within a week I had read the first 2 books read and had started on the 3rd. Whew, I am now completely finished and telling everyone I can think of to read these books. Don’t be afraid of the whole BDSM thing, that’s not the main part of the story….READ IT!

You’ll thank me, E.L James, and start begging Hollywood to make the movie already! 🙂

 

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A Kid Journal

January 17, 2013 by

ak-qa journal
I got two of these journals last week or so and I’m LOVING them. Basically it prompts you with a question to ask your child and you write down their response. It provides one question for every day of the year and has a spot for the next three years to record answers. We leave it on our kitchen table and ask our 4 year old the day’s question at breakfast or dinner or whenever we remember. So far it’s been very fun!! Let me give you an example of one of the responses I got yesterday:

Question/Prompt: I felt awful when_____
Answer: It was Sunday and I broke up with Taylor Swift.

(Don’t worry, they have since gotten back to together and have plans to marry)

Q & A a Day for Kids: A Three-Year Journal

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Shoes I’m Living In

January 15, 2013 by

ak-shoes I live in
I have lots of shoes, in lots of colors. But this past year has been pretty tough so I decided at some point (probably when I was wracking my brain for what to wear one day and was absolutely run into the ground) that I needed to just buy some nice looking comfortable flats that will go with EVERYTHING and I won’t have to THINK. So without further ado…the flats/moccasins/loafers that I’ve been living in for the past year (aside from flip flops in the summer):
Vince Camuto ‘Ellen’ Flat – Caramel This one and the black flat are the exact same shoe, different color. I bought the black ones first and wore them so much because they are SO COMFORTABLE that I bought the caramel just recently.
Minnetonka Kilty Suede Moc – Brown Suede These might be the closest thing to wearing slippers outside of your house you can get. SOOOOOOO comfortable.
Vince Camuto ‘Ellen’ Flat – Black
Lacoste Women’s Concours – Tan Suede LOVE LOVE LOVE these, again..very comfortable. I couldn’t find the exact ones that I own which are tan suede, but they are this same exact style. There are some really cute ones in this same style that are out right now that are brown with a berry colored detail–super duper cute.

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My Daily Makeup

January 14, 2013 by

ak-makeup

Let’s talk makeup! So I’m of the stick to the same brand forever and ever amen variety in the makeup department but I have switched things up a bit in the last year and I wanted to fill y’all in on it. This is the stuff I wear every single day…
Long-Wear Cream Shadow – Ballet Pink This is the most recent addition to my lineup and the color shown here doesn’t really portray it correctly but it’s the perfect base shade. I put this all over my lid all the way up to under my eyebrow. In the past I have had problems with cream eye shadows…I seem to have a sensitivity to whatever is in them and they make my eyes hate being alive. This doesn’t bother me in the least. AND the great thing about this is that it makes whatever you put on top of it a truer shade, it pops out more.
Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow – Heather Mauve I just love this color. It’s sort of a mashup of purple and grey and taupe with a touch of shimmer. And I am NOT a shimmer girl.
Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner – Black Ink I have been using this for years and I will never ever go back to a pencil, you can’t make me.
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage – SC2 My favorite concealer thus far. I use a fat concealer brush from Sephora to apply it.
Laura Mercier Oil Free Suprême Foundation – Blush Ivory I also use a brush to apply this Laura Mercier foundation. Once I started using a brush to apply foundation I don’t think I could go back to using a sponge or my fingers, I just think it goes on so much better with a brush.
Maybelline New York Dream Bouncy Blush – Peach Satin This was me dipping my toe in the water with regards to cream blush. I didn’t want to commit to something expensive because I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or not. So I went cheap and hit the lotto. When I mentioned that I had started using this to Der she told me to trust her and use it with a regular brush even though its cream. So I had a leftover foundation brush from a set that I wasn’t using and went for it and she was SO right! Thank you Der!
Nars Semi Matte Lipstick – Pigalle This is also a fairly recent purchase. I’ve been using Bobbi Brown Lipstick in Brownie for a long long long time and it was getting low and just thought I might try something new. I LOVE this color.

What’s new with y’all? What have y’all recently found and loved?

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