Hi all!

As you may have read I had to take some time off to deal with personal issues, but now I am back.  So I thought I’d come back with something fun, and what better way to do that than with makeup!  I’ve done a tutorial before with products some of you may not know about, but this time it features Revlon products, and I know you’ve heard of Revlon, right?

Last week I had to opportunity to review a couple of Revlon products, including an eye shadow palette and one of their lipsticks.  I’ve used a few Revlon products in the past and still use their nail polish, so being able to try these out was fun!

Here is what I received…

Revlon Colorstay 16 hour eye shadow palette, in Bombshell

Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick, in Fire & Ice

I must say when I first opened the lipstick I was slightly shocked because 1. I don’t wear lipstick, and 2. I am not a red person- at all!  So when I saw it I thought “Oh My!”  But after I applied all the makeup and added the lipstick, I liked it.  I feel that red is one of those classic colors that can really make you pop, and stand out from the crowd.  Well to get started with the tutorial, I decided to go with the way it says to apply the eye shadow on the back of the case.  And here is how it went…

-The lightest shade is the “highlight” color, and I brush that over my entire eye and onto my browbone.

-The light gray shade is the lid color, and I brushed it over my lid up to my crease.

-The yellow shade is the accent color, and I put that in the outer corners of my eyes, the case says this is to “create drama.”

-Last, the darkest shade is the contour or crease color, and I applied it to just my crease.

Here is the look that resulted from those guidelines…

Sounds simple, right?  Well it was super simple, and came out pretty great.  Looking at myself in these pictures and then in some other iPhone pictures later in the day, it almost seemed like the color got more intense over time.  I know when I first applied it I did not think that the shadows were very pigmented, but after seeing myself in a different light I realized the were.  Except for the yellow, I thought that it needed to be a little brighter to stand out on my skin.  But one someone else it may pop!

Here is the look with the very red lipstick…

Don’t you love it?  I loved it!  So now about how the makeup lasted.  The eye shadow say “16 hour,” and I think I might agree with that.  I didn’t wear it quite 16 hours, but I did wear it for a significant length of time.  The shadows lasted very well, and did not seem to crease.  I did however us a eye primer (revlon has a makeup primer as well) before I applied the shadow.  I’ve found that primer allows for smoother application, and the shadow seems to stay in place.  As for the lipstick, it was light, smooth, and didn’t feel cakey on my lips.  I can’t stand when I have heavy stuff on my lips, so this lipstick was nice.  It did seem to smudge and wear off at times if I accident touched my lips against something.  And that made it look faded after a while.  But when I first put it on I liked it, and it gave my lips a little shine!

I can say that I’d recommend both of these products to at least try, you might like them.  It’s a great time to do it, since Revlon is doing an “Expression Experiment” right now.  And with that they are encouraging women to “prove that beauty is anything but routine.”  They want women to try something new and step outside their comfort zone.  I can say I definitely did that with this look, especially with the hot lips!  I think it’s fun to try something new every once in a while, and I think I may ever do a red lip again…gasp!

You all can join in on the Revlon Expression Experiment yourselves, by visiting the link and clicking “get started.”  It’s a Facebook app that let’s you view monthly makeup challenges, see what others are doing, and also join in on the action.  It’s a tool that can be used just for fun, and it may even supply those of you that are bloggers a project to do every month.  All in all, I had fun doing this and would gladly try a new style each month.

I hope you enjoyed my first post back.  Let me know in a comment what you thought about my look, and I’d love to see your own looks that fit your style!

Until next time…

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Usually I’ve never announced my small absences, but this time I felt it was needed. I may around elsewhere on the web, but due to some personal issues I need to take a break. I love my readers and I’m so thankful for you all who stop in to read. I will be back soon, and hopefully back with more recipes and DIY projects.

Thanks in advance for understanding.
Until next time…

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Hope you all are enjoying the summer.  We’re finally in August, and that means school will be starting back up soon.  But that hasn’t stopped this heat from beating down.  Oh man has it been hot here in California.  The past couple of weeks have been filled with activities for me and the hubby though.  It started with a lake trip for a couple of days, and that was awesome!  My hubs is not the outdoor type, yet he got out in the lake and even rode a jet ski!  That was interesting considering there were 3 of us on the thing, a few sketchy moments but we worked it out.  This past weekend was somewhat of a family trip.  My sister in law had to pay up on a bet she made with my hubs, so there was a group of us that attended a Giants game in San Francisco.  It was a great weekend with family and friends!

Well enough about me, lets get to what Wednesday is for…Pins!  Of course I’m linking up with Michelle over at The Vintage Apple as always.  I usually do a theme, but this week I’m feeling kind of random.

Randomness

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How funny is this!?!

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Seriously awesome woman!

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I added my own source, because the pin wasn’t pinned correctly.

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Added source for this as well

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Well that is all the pins for this week.  If you need an invite to pinterest let me know in a comment, and make sure you include your email address.  Hope you enjoyed the pins, and don’t forget to head over to The Vintage Apple and check out what others are pinning.  If you have a blog, go link up!  You can find my pins and boards here.

Until next time…

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Last week I was contacted by signer/songwriter Nick Gill to check out his new album “Waves Are Only Water.”  To be honest I had never heard of Nick before, so at first I was like “is this for real?”  So I did what anyone would do and did some research.  I love finding new music and artists to listen to, so after I found out that he was for real I was excited.  Like I’ve said in the past music is my escape, and sometimes you just need a few good songs to get lost in.

About The Artist & Album

Nick Gill is pretty accomplished for being only 20 years old.  After viewing his iTunes page, you’ll see that he has been making music since he was in his teens.  The album was produced in Franklin, TN by Grammy Award winning producer Ed Cash.  So even with him being an indie artist, he is still making music with some big names.

Waves Are Only Water was released on May 18, 2012 across multiple channels including iTunes and NoiseTrade.  It features seven songs, and is in the pop/rock genre.

Waves Are Only Water Tracks:

1. By The Way
2. Dawn
3. How It Feels (To Lose A Friend)
4. Love Never Has A Last Chance
5. Risky Business
6. Row
7. Summer In The Winter Time

My Thoughts On The Album

When I listen to new artists I like to listen to the tracks once through, and then go back to listen again.  My first impression of Nick’s album was “awesome!”  He is a very talented songwriter, and his voice is smooth with a slight rasp to it.  I can see how it is in the rock genre, but you can definitely tell that he is based in Nashville.  While listening I could hear the bits and pieces of country sounds coming through my speakers.  Although, there are only seven songs on the album but he dives into several emotions like loss, love, and hope.  The upbeat “Love Never Has A Last Chance” is probably my favorite, just makes you realize that there is always room for love.  I see it being the album you can close your eyes and sway to, bob your head, and tap your toes to.  If you really listen you can pick up more than the country tones in the music, you can hear it in his voice as well.  Definitely a country boy.  I’d most likely add his songs to my lazy beach day playlist.  So overall opinion, go listen!

Reminds me of:

Jack Johnson
The Fray
Mat Kearney

Additional Links:

Nick’s Website
Album on iTunes
Nick’s Facebook
Album on NoiseTrade
Nick’s Twitter

*I was contacted by the artist to possibly do this review, but all opinions of the music are my own*

I really suggest you check out Nick’s album.  It’s only seven songs so won’t take long to listen, plus I’m sure you’ll be glad you did.  Have you heard of Nick Gill before?

Until next time…

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It’s Wednesday, and time for “Oh, How Pinteresting  Wednesday” with Michelle over at The Vintage Apple.  I know I have been an awful blogger!  I missed blogging last week altogether.  But Pinteresting Wednesday is one of my favs, and tomorrow I’ll have an album review for singer/songwriter Nick Gill’s new album Waves Are Only Water.  As for today I thought I’d go with a summer loving theme, just a few things that remind me of summer.  Although I’m not loving this heat so much right now.  I love the fashion summer brings, the beach, the cold drinks, and good times.  But living in Cali, especially the area I’m in, the heat is no joke.  110 today with a low of 80, really?  I know some of you are in those humid states, and I feel for y’all!  Well enough about the heat, let’s get to those pins.

Summer Loving

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*this pin wasn’t linked to the correct post, so I put the correct source as my “source”*

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So that’s all the pins for this week.  I hope you’re enjoying summer so far, and staying cool!  Don’t forget to stop by The Vintage Apple and check out what others are pinning.  If you have a blog and Pinterest, head over to The Vintage Apple and link up!  You can find all my boards and pins here.  And if you need a invite let me know in a comment, and leave your email.

Until next time…

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I’ve been MIA for a little while.  I’m a little bummed, I missed “Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday” again!  The past week has been pretty fun, and just a bit crazy.  Last weekend my husband decided that he wanted to go to the lake.  I know some of you may not understand, because you’re thinking “The lake?  That’s awesome!”  And I’m right there with you, I love being outdoorsy so the lake was a great idea.  But my hubby is not the outdoor lover that I am.  So I jumped all over the fact that he wanted to go relax.  I went and bought an inflatable 2 person boat, I made sure we had drinks and food, and of course sunscreen.

For me the sunscreen worked great, but for my husband not so much.  The next day the front half of him looked a bit like a tomato.  It’s taken almost a week, but he is just about back to normal.  Yay for me because I haven’t been able to really hug him since Sunday!  But now we’re almost to a new weekend, and I plan on kicking it off right.  And that is where a girls night comes into play along with these men…

Yes…tonight my friends and I will spend a nice evening out, having dinner and watching Channing Tatum & cast as strippers in Magic Mike.  Believe me when I say I have never, and probably never will see a male stripper personally.  It really does not appeal to me.  But I will make an exception for this because…well…it’s Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, and Joe Manganiello.  Love all of them separately, and together I’m sure it’s going to be great.  I’ve even sent my friend and cousin “Chan-A-Grams.”  Yeah, sounds awful right?  You should check it out, even if you don’t send them to anyone.  Just preview them and enjoy!  Seriously, I have not been this excited to go to the movies in a little while.  This is definitely one of those “guilty pleasure” type of movies, and I’m okay with that.

Is anyone planning a girls night, or going to see Magic Mike this weekend?  Hope you all have a great weekend!

*Magic Mike poster downloaded from Magic Mike website here.

Until next time…

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Hope everyone had a great weekend, and awesome father’s day!  I know I love my dad and would not be the person I am today without him.  Well since it is a new week I thought I’d start it off with a way to get you some savings!  The website RetailMeNot just launched their new app, so that you can get those coupon codes whenever you may need them.  If you don’t know what RetailMeNot is you should definitely check it out.  It is an awesome site that lists thousands of stores, and coupons from them that can save you money.  It seems that there is something for everyone with sites like Victoria’s Secret, Shutterfly, Pizza Hut, The Home Depot, and so much more.

I’ve used RetailMeNot several times in the past, and have seemed to find a deal every time.  I just like to check the site to make sure that I’m not missing out on a deals before I buy.  There are some occasions where I haven’t been able to find the site I am buying from, and sometimes I found that sites don’t want their coupon codes listed (shame on them!).  But overall it has been my go to guide to finding great coupons.  RetailMeNot also lists printable coupons, and grocery coupons for the non-internet shoppers.  The site also allows users to to submit coupons that they have found, and spread the savings to everyone.  You can vote and give coupons a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” depending on if it worked for you or not.  You can also share the codes with friends, and leave a comment.  So here are some details about the new app…

 

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It’s time for “Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday!” with Michelle over at The Vintage Apple.  This week I thought I’d go with a DIY/Crafty theme.  I’ve found some pretty cool DIY pins to spruce up just about everything.  There are so many awesome pins that lead to great blogs and sites that I may have never found otherwise.  So if you don’t have Pinterest yet, you’re missing out.  If you need an invite leave me you email along with a comment.  Well let’s get to those pins.

DIY/Crafts

DIY for under $20…Yes Please!, source

Spoons turned into a mirror, source

Decorative glitter bottles, source

How to cut a bottle, Awesome!, source

Restore that broken compact, source

Planter centerpieces to make s’mores, source 

Turn that hoola hoop into something cute, source

And I added this one just because it’s awesome!

So that’s all the pins for this week, I hope you enjoy them.  Don’t forget to stop by The Vintage Apple and check out what others are pinning.  If you have a blog and Pinterest, head over to The Vintage Apple and link up!  You can find all my boards and pins here.

Until next time…

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The hubby and I have been going on more date nights than usual, or maybe it just seems that way now that he is out of school.  But I thought I’d show you all my go to look for when I go out with him.  I know many people love the smokey eye look, and I can’t blame you.  It’s sexy!  However, I’ve always felt the smokey eye is for those nights out on the town.  The times when you get dolled up, put on those killer heels, and dance the night away.  But since I just don’t go out like I used to, I have to try and sneak that look in when I can.  So I came up with my own softer smokey eye, that has a hint of color.  It still makes me feel good, but not as overdone.  So here’s how it goes.

Date Night Makeup

Above you can see the colors I used, and some of the other makeup I use for this look.  They include: Coastal Scents makeup palettes, elf foundation, elf cream eyeshadow, lid primer (urban decay), black eye liner (stila), mascara (mary kay), bronzing powder (mark), smashbox artificial light luminizing lotion, bronze bliss lip gloss (mary kay).  These are just things I use, but you can use whatever colors or brands you like.

So this is me to start…

1.  Make sure you start with a clean and moisturized face.

2.  I know everyone has their “way” of applying foundation and powder, so that would be your next step.

3.  Apply lid primer.  Optional, apply a cream eyeshadow close to your skin tone, mine has a little shimmer. (top left)

4.  You will apply the color that will eventually be your hint of color.  I used a coral/red color (bottom right, in colors pic).  Apply it just above and into the crease of your eye, and bring the color down to the outer corners. (top right, above)

5.  With a blending brush, blend out the edges of color you just applied. (mid. left, above)

6.  Brush entire lid with the color you would like for your lid (mid right, above).  I used a light coral color. (bottom right, in colors pic)

7.  Take a dark coordinating color (top left, in colors pic) and use a fluff angle brush to apply it to the outer corners of your eyes, halfway across your lash line, and halfway across the crease of your eye lid. (lower left/right, above)

8.  Finish it off by lining your eye (top & bottom) with a black eye liner, as close to the lash as possible.  Then smudge your upper lid with your finger to soften the liner. (bottom, above)  Add mascara.  Optional, go over the liner of your upper lid with the dark color crease color you used to blend further; and add the first color (bottom left, in colors pic), underneath the liner of your lower lash line and blend.

9.  Apply a very light color (top right, in colors pic) to the inside corners of your eyes, optional.  I like to do this to lighten up my eye slightly.   And highlight your brow with a shimmery color (middle, in colors pic).  Add blush if you like, and highlight your cheeks.

10.  Add some lipgloss, and Enjoy!

 Yeah I had fun taking pictures after this was all done.  Sometimes I get carried away!  But I hope you try it out some time, if not for date night, then just for fun.  Let me know what ya think.  Hope you all have a great rest of the weekend, and I’ll see you next week!

Until next time…

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Kind of a late Pinteresting post today, but I had to get it in since I skipped last week.  I thought that since it’s the wedding time of year I’d go with a wedding theme today.  Like always I’ll be linking up with Michelle over at The Vintage Apple.  Now time for those lovely wedding pins.

Weddings

Color Block

Spiral Ceremony

Button Wedding Cake

Elegant Canopy

Beach Ceremony

Peacock Table Setting

Flower Table Setting

Floating Canopy

Well that’s all the pins for this week.  Don’t forget to stop by The Vintage Apple and check out what others are pinning.  If you need an invite to Pinterest let me know in a comment and be sure to attach your email address.  If you have a blog and Pinterest, head over to The Vintage Apple and link up!  You can find all my boards and pins here.

Until next time…

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