Makeover Madness: Rocker Trash

I use the term "Rocker Trash" because this makeup look reminds me of the singer Kesha. She categorizes herself as "Garbage Chic" and that's what I'm hoping to achieve today. I first saw a similar look on Keiko Lynn's blog, but that was over a year. I must have subconsciously remembered it without remembering she did it first. So I'm linking it with her name if you want to see how she achieved the look.

I've had this pigmented pot of eyeshadow from MAC for a couple of years now and have hardly used it. I see it every day in my makeup bag so I wanted to bring it out in a post and that is what inspired me to do this look.

Products I used: 

MAC Paintpot in Painterly. 

MAC Pigment Eyeshadow Pot in Golden Olive. 

Urban Decay Naked Palette in Virgin and Creep. 

Rimmel London Exaggerate Full Color Eye Definer in Noir. 

Maybelline Mega Plush Volume Express in Blackest Black.

Bobbi Brown Semi-Matte Lipstick in Uber Beige (picture above).

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Hot Plum (picture below).

Since my eyes were so heavy, I wanted to keep the lips neutral. But if you wanted to try something like Keiko Lynn's model, this is what it would look like with a bright lip.

Are there any eyeshadows in the bottom of your makeup kit that you don't use that often or that you've forgotten about? What looks have you experimented with? I want to hear them all!!

If you would like to see a tutorial or pic-torial on this look, comment below. You know you want to :-)

High Five for FRIDAY

HIGH FIVE FOR FRIDAY

1. This was my first girls' night in a LONG time. We had so much fun. It's odd that I actually got a good picture during a night of drinking. Score!!

2. I stumbled upon found a recipe on Pinterest for an Apple Turkey Melt. Find my post here.

3. The hubs and I went to see Dave Chappelle live at The Ryman downtown. It was definitely a once in a lifetime show. Who knows when he'll be back in town or even performing again. Our line was wrapped around for an entire block. I know that seems small, but standing still makes it seem longer.

4. I found a new matte lipstick at Target this week. I keep collecting my "new favorites" of lipsticks so I decided to review them all. This color is Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in no.109. It's a beautiful orangey-red.

5. Super excited to find a photo editing app on my phone that smooths and brightens skin. That was all I did to this picture but it has many other features that I'm excited to play with. But, shhh, it's a secret.


This is the week that I decided to link up with Lauren Elizabeth and add on with her "High Five for Friday" posts. I'd really love to continue writing my normal posts, but let's be honest, Friday is the day that I want to not think about anything. I'll just recap of what went on that week and if you want to link up with Lauren, view this post on how to do that.

High five for Friday and enjoy your weekend!!!

Gray + White Stripes

I have been obsessed with stripes lately and I think it's safe to say that I'm not the only one. They just go well with every season whether it be in fashion or home decor. I found a blog a while back that gave instructions on how to paint a striped wall in her home. The Lazy Girl's Timesaving Tips for Painting Wall Stripes tells you that she wasn't the original tutorial maker but she just gives you ways to cut time with the project. Sign me up.

Her rules were as follows:
1. Use what you have.
2. Remember the number seven.
3. Use tape pieces to mark which rows NOT to paint.
4. Measure from the top down.
5. Find good painter's tape.
6. Don't let it dry.
7. Don't make the stripes two drastic colors.
8. Don't expect perfection.

Our walls in the entire house are this grayish-purplish-taupish color and it changes depending on if the sunlight is hitting it directly or if the lights are on in that room. We decided it would be fun to paint one of the walls in the bathroom. I considered Rule no.7 and thought about painting it tan/white and then picking the contrast stripe to be the opposite color of whatever I picked. But that was going to be too much work. Hello, I'm Meghan and I'm lazy. 

I also considered Rule no.1 and thought about using the paint in the garage left from the previous owners. I looked inside the cans and it was either the gray color or red from the front door. So I headed to Wally World and bought a quart of semi-gloss paint in Stone White.

Every other rule I tried to follow and it turned out to be a pretty simple project. The only sucky part was that we did not have a level of any kind so we took the redneck way of measuring across the wall with a pencil and yard stick. I don't have but a couple of pictures because this project happened before I started using Instagram and before I started blogging again. So I apologize for that. If you need more help using pictures, please visit the blog I linked in the beginning of this post and she can help you out!

Do any of you have any painting projects for your home? I'd love to hear about them! Send leave a comment and/or send me a link!!

The battle of the lipsticks

Iiiiii(dragging this word out because I'm a little hesitant to admit this)iiiiii'm kind of a lipstick whore. Is that even a thing? Yes, it's true. If there is one thing in my makeup bag that I have tons of, it's lipstick. And I'll use them with every single outfit in my closet. With my foundations, bronzers and blushes, I like to stick with what I know goes well with my skin tone. But with lipstick, as long as they're blue-based, it's game on for every color!

One of my friends asked if I could pick just one color that was my favorite....and I don't think I can do it, but I'm going to try. I wanted to give somewhat of a review of the lipsticks in my makeup bag. I'll tell you the pros and cons, prices, and if it's worth your money to try them.

The first one I'm going to talk about is one that I've had the longest. This dates back to 2010 when I was visiting a friend of a friend in LA. We went to The Grove for some shopping and wound up at the MAC counter inside Nordstrom. It's such a dangerous place for people like me. Next to the MAC counters were the counters for Bobbi Brown. I've never used her makeup products but this friend told me that I HAD to buy the lipstick no.52 called "Uber Beige". This friend looks like a hotter and younger version of Bridgitte Nielsen and because of that I couldn't say no. You learn to take makeup suggestions from the pretty people. #iwishiwerejoking. Bobbi's original formula has a soft-matte finish, which I didn't realize until this very moment. I have been on the hunt for some matte lipstick (I'll list that next) and this Bobbi Brown splurge is the best of both worlds. It is rich and moisturizing but still has some matte to it. Because of the price, I would say to look for an alternative. But if you don't care about the price and want a very good quality-made lipstick, this is the one for you.

Price --> ($24.00)Nay... Quality --> YAY!

This next lipstick is one that I bought just a few nights ago at Tar-zshay. If you've seen any of the celebrities out and about this summer or in magazines, several of them have been wearing orange on their lips. I'm not a huge fan of the color but I figured if I found the right shade, it would be something different and not your average red or pink. I found Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in no.109. This orange is the perfect in-between of red and orange and I promise it's more flattering than you think. It's blue-based and would pair really well with navys, blacks and even chambrays. Your skin tone might pair better with yellow-based oranges. Play with some and see what works best. Since I am a little skiddish of the color, the matte-ness of it helps calm me down, but on the other side it doesn't quite moisturize like other brands. None the less, I feel more confident wearing it. Rimmel London's makeup products are more affordable and because of that, I say go out and try some new colors. Whether it be orange or plum, you can rock it!!

Price --> ($5.19)YAY! Quality --> Meh...

This lipstick I actually found at the Flea Market in downtown Nashville. They have buildings full of different things and one is designated for makeup, hygiene and basics like socks and t-shirts. The makeup always has some sort of crazy deal like 6 for $5.00 or 3 for $2.00. It's like I'm in Heaven! They don't have much variety but they always are chock full of lipstick. I found my perfect red. Maybelline's Color Sensational lipstick in Red Revolution, no.630 is THE LIPSTICK to beat in my book. It makes my teeth look whiter, it moisturizes my lips to the fullest, and doesn't smudge unless I mean for it to. I love this particular lipstick brand so much that I have five other colors!

Price --> ($5.14)YAY! Quality --> YAY!

This last one I'm going to mention is Covergirl's Outlast All-Day Lipcolor in "Berry Stain" no.815. I bought this back in 2010 for my wedding. Jerry was worried about having color left on his lips after we kissed so I was looking for more of a long-wear product, or even a stain. I saw this stuff on the shelf and was very curious about how it would hold up throughout the day. It does what it says it will do. You apply it like a lip gloss, but it is recommended to keep your lips open for the next 20 seconds until it dries. This sets the color, without smudges, until you take it off yourself. This color is gorgeous! Buuut, I don't like that I have to use makeup remover to get it completely off my lips. Here are a couple of pictures from the wedding.

Price --> ($7.49)Meh... Quality --> Meh...

Of these four that I reviewed for my favorite people out there, considering price AND quality, I would suggest you trying the Color Sensational lip products by Maybelline. They offer sixty-freaking-eight color options. If you're in the mood for pink, you can choose one of those. And if you're in the mood for neutrals, they have those to choose from as well. So many different colors. Have fun with your lips!!

Apple Turkey Melt

I am a sucker for a good grilled cheese sandwich. It's probably because my inner fat kid cries out in pure ecstasy every time cheese enters my mouth. Is that bad?? When I still lived at home, my mom tweaked the traditional recipe and turned it into a grilled turkey sandwich, mayo included. I'm sure everyone has heard of this, but she added mayo (not to be confused with Miracle Whip...yuck!) to the inside of the bread slices with a pile of turkey and cheese in the middle. It was to die for! If you're thinking about going vegetarian like I am, there are turkey alternatives out there.

Back in the Fall, I had been experimenting with apples in several recipes. I'm always hesitant to mix sweet things with any meats but I remembered having this apple and sausage pizza from Panera back in the day, and it was so yummy, so I wanted to just see what I could come up with.

I'm going to call this my "Apple Turkey Melt" and here's how you make it.

NEEDED INGREDIENTS:

Bread
Spreadable Butter
Spicy Mustard
Slices of Turkey Meat
Apples
Slices of Cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare griddle by heating at medium heat.

2. Butter only the outside of each slice of bread. I made four sandwiches so I will be buttering eight slices. I only start by buttering four and laying them on the griddle.

3. Grab a skinny silicone spatula and spread the grainy mustard on the four pieces of bread.

4. Add as much turkey meat as you would like. I like mine to be a little thicker so I'll add more.

5. Add enough apple slices to fill to whole space of the bread.

6. Add one or two slices of cheese next.

7. Grab your spatula again and spread more mustard to the remaining four slices of bread. Lay those on top of the cheese that was just placed.

8. Lastly, wash your spatula and use it to spread butter on the outside of the bread.

9. Cook like a normal grilled cheese. Flip times vary from different appliances. It will be easier to flip if you leave it a little longer; the middle parts will be more stuck together.

Another simple recipe that I recommend you all to try!! ENJOY :-)

Going Vegetarian

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This is the question I get asked when I tell others that I'm thinking about becoming a Vegetarian. At this point, I'm leaning towards actually doing it rather than just thinking about it. Becoming a Vegetarian isn't for everyone--then again, neither is Tommy Lee. There have been so many documentaries and shows that demonstrate the pure cruelty administered to animals. Then I forget about other products that aren't meat but have meat in them, like jello. I'm going to hurl. If you read this article, you find that:

     "Gelatin is a mixture of peptides and proteins produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the skin, boiled crushed horn, hoof and bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, chicken, pigs, and horses. Food-grade gelatin is produced mainly from two raw materials, beef skin and pig hide. Photographic and pharma grades of gelatin are generally made from beef bones, although some beef bone gelatin is used by the food industry. Gelatin is an animal protein unlike many other gelling agents used by the food industry."

And I just can't handle it any longer. I don't even want to finish reading that article. But it's there for your enjoyment :-)

On a positive note, I found this great article about becoming a Vegetarian.

     "Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat – red meat, poultry, seafood and the flesh of any other animal; it may also include abstention from by-products of animal slaughter, such as animal-derived rennet and gelatin. Vegetarianism can be adopted for different reasons. Many object to eating meat out of respect for sentient life. Such ethical motivations have been codified under various religious beliefs, along with the concept of animal rights. Other motivations for vegetarianism are health-related, political, environmental, cultural, aesthetic or economic. There are varieties of the diet as well: an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products, a lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs, and an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products. A vegan, or strict vegetarian, diet excludes all animal products, including eggs, dairy, beeswax and honey. Vegans may also avoid animal products such as leather for clothing and goose-fat for shoe polish. Various packaged or processed foods, including cake, cookies, candies, chocolate, yogurt and marshmallows, often contain unfamiliar animal ingredients, and may be a special concern for vegetarians due to the likelihood of such additions."

What I didn't know is that some processed foods, like cookies and candy, have animal ingredients. I'm going to have to give up my favorite thing--candy--but I'm willing to do that because it's not right for animals to get slaughtered just to feed our already overly-obese country.

We already eat Morning Star meat crumbles in place of everything else. And I just learned a few months ago that they make a variety of chicken substitutes too. If you're not completely devoted to meat, I wanted to give a list of easy ways and reasons to go Vegetarian and it can be done, simply and healthy.

1. Replace all of your meat products with a brand like Morning Star. They offer ground beef, breakfast and dinner patties, sausage links, bacon strips, breakfast biscuits (including a meat, egg, and cheese), wings, chicken nuggets, and veggie dog substitutes. They also have meal starters like lasagna, chili, and meatballs.

2. When replacing your meat products, you should probably find another way to find protein in your diet. I would suggest incorporating things like edamame or chick peas. You find these a lot in Mediterranean style foods but are becoming more and more popular within the U.S. If you're scared to try a bean that you've never had before, you can search for recipes online. They really are delicious!

3. By replacing your meats, it cuts fat from your diet. Good fat is, well, good. But meat has a ton of bad fat in it. You'll be lowering chances of heart disease, diabetes, and many other diseases.

4. There is less of a chance to get food poisoning. Many of the food poisoning cases in the country are from meat, either from it being under cooked or just cooked in the correct way.

5. If you have read up on this life change, I would suggest trying a new meat-free recipe each week. It will help your transition.

6. Tell your friends and family so they can help motivate the change. And plan your meals accordingly.

7. And most importantly, think of all the innocent animals who get slaughtered every single day. They don't deserve to die just because we think we need meat in our diets.

This transition can be an easy thing in your life if you're willing to do it. If you would like to read another informative article on become a Vegetarian, here is one to try out. I know I'm willing to make the change. Are you??

Shots of "sexual frustration"

My girlfriends and I went out last night and we were celebrating the fact that one of the girls was no longer pregnant. So let's all go out and get shit-faced!! The bar we went to offers free beer until 11 pm but I cannot stand the stuff so I'm a liquor kind of girl. My drink of choice is usually a cranberry and vodka. Or if I'm feeling a little daring, I'll get a pineapple and vodka. At one point in the night, one of the other girls came back from the bar with this massive shot of something that looked like, honestly, really dirty pee. She was going on and on about how good it was. I smelled it and judging by that, I knew it'd be amazing. I immediately got up from my chair and went to get one for myself.

I want to take a second and complain about how much liquor costs at bars. They just all need to follow the rules of strip clubs and let us bring in our own liquor. That would be much better on all of our wallets. Sheesh.

Anywho. This shot that we got was called Sexual Frustration. I'm not really sure where the name came from but it's a fun name, none the less. It makes me think of Nars Cosmetic names like Orgasm or Foreplay. I have been searching all day online for the recipe because I want all of you to find as much joy it in as I did last night. And I think I might have found it. I'm not sure how many shots it makes but I'm sure you can figure that out once you make it at home.


INGREDIENTS:

1 shot 99 Bananas
1 shot Coconut Rum
1 shot Watermelon Pucker
3 shots Cranberry Juice
3 shots Pineapple Juice

Five ingredients. Simple as that.

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(This isn't the real picture. I just needed one so I could link it with my Pinterest board.)

It's fun to go out with the girls and get crazy every once in a while. You can let loose more so than with anyone else. Just be careful. Don't drink and drive, mm'kay?

Cookie Dough Dip

I've got another sweet recipe for you. Literally. The last dessert recipe I posted was for mini s'mores. Since then, I've had a couple of friends ask if I had any other recipes up my sleeve and I do, I do!!

Cookie Dough Dip

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INGREDIENTS

1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup toffee bits

INSTRUCTIONS

• Mix together cream cheese and butter.
• Add all remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined.
• Serve with graham crackers or apple wedges.

Extra Notes

• Do not use reduced/no fat cream cheese. It will probably give you the wrong consistency needed for the dip.
• The best apples to use with this dip is Granny Smith apples.

Substitutions

• You can substitute chocolate chips for white chocolate, butterscotch, etc.
• You can substitute toffee bits for butterfinger chocolates heath bar pieces, etc.
• You can substitute graham crackers for chocolate graham crackers.

ENJOY!!!

Twofers

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Step right up, come and get 'em! I've got two for one specials today. Twofers are one of my favorite things in the world aside from cotton candy and Ellen Degeneres, of course. As an emerging makeup artist, I have been trying to find some ways to show friends how to save money with the products they already have in their makeup bags. Some of these you might have already heard about, but I wanted to give you a list of my favorite makeup twofers.

1. Lipstick --> Blush. Let's say you spent the night at a friend's house last night and you also have brunch planned with a blind date the next day. You didn't think through your packing situation and it did not even cross your mind to bring your makeup. What can you do?? Blush is the little bit of color needed to brighten up your face. We already established you don't have blush so now what? Reach in your purse and pull out any lipstick. Tinted chapstick would work well too! Gently dab it on the apples of your cheeks and use your ring finger to dab, blending up and away like you normally would apply it. It will give you that dewy yet fresh look that your blind date will instantly notice.

2. Mascara --> Eyeliner. I don't always carry either of these in my purse but if I had to guess what makeup you did carry with you, I can bet mascara is one of them. I read about this trick in a magazine and I never would have thought of it on my own. Smudge mascara from its' wand on your hand. Grab a small angled eyeliner brush and rub that smudged area with the brush applying it to your lash line. It will create a smooth line as if you were using a pencil the whole time. I tried this for the first time a few weeks ago and I couldn't quite get the hang of smudging the mascara from the wand to my hand but it's possible with practice!

3. Moisturizer + Foundation --> Your very own BB Cream. If you remember from one of my last posts, I talked about applying less foundation in the summer. This is another alternative. Squirt the normal amount of moisturizer in your hand and add a tiny drop of your liquid foundation in that same hand. Rub together to get them properly mixed and all you have to do is apply it to your face. It will even your skin tone, moisturize your face, and still allow your face to breathe. Easy peazy!!

4. Lipstick --> Matte. I have been scared to try the matte lipstick look. I don't really know why either. Shiny lips are horrible for my huge pout so you would think I'd be all over the opposite effect. If you have already tried this look and love it, here is something that would save you money. Rather than buying matte lipstick, there is something you can do to make it matte on your own. Apply your lip liner and lipstick like normal. Blot the excess color and then gently dab translucent powder or even blush to your lips until they are the desired matte effect. Who knew?!

5. Brown sugar + Honey --> Exfoliator. This is one of the tricks that I am sure you've read before. There are probably some really good exfoliating products out on the market but they can tend to be on the pricey side. Rather than wasting spending your money on something you don't need, try mixing brown sugar and honey together, mix it until it becomes pasty, and apply to your face. It will buff away all of the dead skin leaving it smooth and radiant.

6. Cinnamon --> Lip plumper. This has to be the easiest AND coolest trick! Cinnamon oil is one of the most common ingredients with lip plumping products. Although the spice in your kitchen doesn't quite do the trick, finding it in your all-natural grocery stores will hardly put a dent in your wallet. And if you're lacking in the big lip department, I'd say this might be the one you try on this list!

There are a ton of more tricks out there especially some non-makeup related ones. I'd love to hear about your favorites! Do you have any similar to mine?

Star Spangle Hammered

What's America's favorite thing to do on this special holiday most holidays?? We all LOVE to get hammered. If America isn't doing one thing or another, you can probably find us drinking. Eh, it's not something to be bragging about (trust me, I'm not bragging) but it is something we're good at.

I wanted to share a few quick ideas for your Independence bash that would be sure to bring a good time.

1 The first is....an alcoholic drink, any alcoholic drink. Just think in terms of red, white, and blue to keep up with your holiday theme. Rather than showing you three different drinks, I found one that I'm actually going to try this year.

My husband and I aren't much into beer. Don't tell me we're not American. Yada yada. We've heard it before. BUT, I found this recipe that looks so tempting and I can't just not try it. The recipe is pretty much BEER + SNOW CONES. Tell me that isn't a genius idea?!!

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Betty Crocker's website tells us that all you need is 2 12oz bottles or cans of beer, chilled, and syrup (I'll show you those recipes below). Pour the beer into a 9 in. glass baking dish and freeze for 45 minutes. Ice crystals should form around the edges and once you see that, begin gently mixing it with a fork. Freeze for another 3 hours, stirring every 45 minutes or so. By that point it should be a granita texture (semi-frozen). Now they are ready to serve!

For the syrups, here are three flavors that could stand in your holiday theme.

Red Raspberry-Lemon Syrup: In a 1 qt. saucepan, mix 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Remove the peel of the lemon and add those peels to the saucepan. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add that and 1 cup of fresh or frozen red raspberries to the pan. Heat all of that to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove it from the heat and set aside to cool for about an hour. Strain the syrup into a jar and throw away the junk that was left over. Cover the jar and stick it in the fridge until you need it. 

Blueberry-Lime Syrup: This will have the same process except you'll replace the raspberries with blueberries and the lemon with a lime.

Orange Syrup: This will also have the same process except that when it comes time to squeeze the fruit juice (like with the lemon and lime), you'll squeeze juice from 6 medium oranges.

Pour these flavored syrups over the beer ice mentioned above. The syrups stay good for two weeks. And since we're not proficient in the beer world, I'm sure there are certain ones that taste better than others so you can learn each time you make these.

2 The second is alcohol-soaked (or not), star-shaped watermelon bites on a stick.

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This is super easy. Cut your watermelon in slices. Use a star shaped cookie cutter and punch the watermelon slice as many times as it will give you the shape. If you have a mini melon baller, you can use it in the middle of the watermelon star. I found it easy to just push my finger through it and was able to get the blueberry to stick. The blueberries are optional so it's up to you if you want to add any more flavor. And if you want to get really festive, purchase striped lollipop sticks and you won't have to get your hands dirty. But to me, I love watermelon and I don't think I'm going to be so delicate when it's time to eat them. I would rather have the stars on a plate and I'll just dig in as soon as I see them!

For adults ONLY: I had a friend that soaked fruit in vodka last summer and it was to die for! You just need to prep a little differently if you choose to do this. Before you cut the slices, cut a small circle from the top of the watermelon and pull it out. Gradually pour a 12.6 oz bottle of vodka inside the watermelon. If it seems that it will overflow, wait, because the fruit will soak it in. The entire bottle needs to be emptied. After this has been done, plug the watermelon back up with that piece you cut out and cover the whole thing with foil or plastic or whatever you have handy. It could take up to two days to properly soak. After this has been completed, you can now follow the steps from above and cut your watermelon into star shapes.

3 The third is a red,white, and blue trifle in mason jars.

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And without getting too fancy, I'll keep this one simple. You can use angel food cake for the bottom layer, blueberries or blackberries on the next layer, whipped cream on the next, and raspberries or strawberries on the next. Keep layering until you reach the top of your bowl. Top it with whipped cream and a couple of the fruits used. To make it even more moist, you could put vanilla pudding in layers of this trifle and only use whipped cream on top. You can make them in mason jars or just whatever you have around the house. This is a light and not very fattening treat to have during your Independence celebration. 

To make it adult-friendly, just soak your angel food cake in a liquor that was sweeter like rum. And you don't need any prep time for soaking. It can be done as the trifle is being put together.

I hope you all enjoy your 4th of July. Go out and celebrate our freedom with your family. And why no get star spangled hammered?!!!

Sweat-proof your Makeup this Summer

As anyone in the South knows, summer months can be a scorcher. It's one thing to be 95 degrees, but to be that temperature AND humid makes it feel like it's 120 degrees. I'd rather be living anywhere else in the county at this time of the year--my exception is when we're on vacation at the beach--or Iceland. We're supposed to be hot down at the beach. I really don't want to look like this.

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Since I've recently switched my powder foundation to liquid, I wanted to share some of my secrets for keeping it mess-free and melt-free.

Go lighter. My first suggestion would be to lighten up, not choosing a lighter color foundation but choosing to apply less in the summer. We'll all get somewhat of a tan and that glow brings color to your face without having to try. You might could try switching to a powder foundation like Bare Escentuals mineral powder foundation during these three hot months. Or you could even use a tinted moisturizer like the one ELF sells.

But if you still want fuller coverage, here are a few other things that would help tremendously.

Prime it. Applying a makeup primer helps set your face. This article shows the top priming products in the industry right now. As you can see from this list of twelve, primers can be quite pricey. My favorite on the list, for price reasons only, would be the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Luminizing Face Primer. It acts as a barrier not letting any of the harsh environmental elements get to your face and it also helps keep the oil from shining through. Primers would be applied after your moisturizer but before your foundation. If you don't want to add just another product to your makeup bag, another suggestion would be to find a liquid foundation with silicone in it. I know that sounds unnatural to have on your face but silicone is the ingredient that sets your makeup, keeping it mess-free all day.

Choose a liquid liner. Are you crazy?! I am NOT good at applying liquid liner! I know what you all must be thinking but I promise this is definitely the way to go in the summer. The waxes and oils in traditional pencil liners, whether retractable or not, smudge more as the temperature rises. Liquid really assures that it will stay put all day long. You won't even have to touch it up if you have plans to go out that night. My favorites are Almay Intense i-color liquid liner in black pearl or ELF Essential liquid eyeliner in black. The Almay liner is a little easier to apply because the brush is stiffer. It helps if you have an unsteady hand and is almost as easy as applying a regular pencil.

Blot it. This is another beauty trick that I wasn't always apt to do. One reason is that I hated having another thing in my purse that always ended up at the bottom of the pit never to be touched again. Another reason is that I honestly thought they were a waste of money. They aren't expensive, I just thought they weren't needed. But blotting can save your face! If you're like me and have switched to liquid foundation for more coverage, you probably know that oil shows more by the end of the day. And rather than adding more makeup (because we want our faces to look like cake, right?), all you have to do is take out one of the blotting sheets and blot in the necessary spots. One of the blotting products that I've actually used in the past is Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets. But if you still aren't convinced to buy them, you can use one of these two every day items. Parchment paper from your kitchen works wonders! Also, and this might seem a little weird or gross but when you're heading to the restroom to make sure your face still looks beautiful and you notice oil shining through, go into one of the stalls and tear and piece of the toilet seat liner from the corner and it works just like a blotting sheet! Now you learned something new!!

Change your lipstick. I'm always a go-to lipstick girl. But wearing it in the summer can sometimes weigh down the look of your makeup. I don't always choose the opposite item and go for glosses either. I've found this product by Maybelline called Color Whisper. It is the perfect medium between glosses and lipstick and is in a gel without any waxes or oils. My favorite colors are Pink Possibilities and Lust for Blush but they have twenty different colors so you're bound to find the perfect color for you!

And there ya have it! My top 5 ways to sweat-proof your makeup this summer.

Kitty Litter, TMI?

I'm trying not to sound like a total crazy cat lady right now but I just had to share our latest discovery from the kitty litter world. Arm & Hammer Double Duty is our new favorite litter.

(source)

Wow. It still sounds funny after uploading the picture of the box. Keep trucking along, Meghan! Stay serious. This stuff is the real deal. I've grown up with at least two cats in our family at all times. We had Garfield and Sassy when we lived in Chattanooga, Sassy and Felix when we lived in Birmingham, Sassy and Zoey when I was still living at home in Lebanon, and now we've got our own two, Asher and Sophie. What's a little scary is that Sassy has outgrown all of these cats. And she'll probably outlive us too! Aaah!!

We've always used Tidy Cats litter and I didn't realize that there was better stuff out there until Jerbear showed me the light. I was always scared to try anything different for fear that the cats wouldn't like it and they would shat in the house in protest. That happened, unfortunately, and now we know not to switch it up that often. We tried the corn fiber litter, which they hated the most, and some other brands of regular litter other than the Tidy Cats brand.

We liked other Arm & Hammer products and saw this stuff on the shelf...Double Duty litter. Why not try the stuff and see if their advertisement really holds up? I never knew that litter was supposed to clump when urine was sprayed in the area. I only thought that was for feces. But this stuff clumps with both. It's like MAGIC. Annnd, on top of that, the litter doesn't reak of amonia. Could this be our God-send?? Ever since we found out that the cats didn't hate it and the stuff actually worked according to its' claims, we haven't strayed since. So if you're tired of your house smelling like shit--or amonia--and you want to get the pee-soaked black litter out of their box without dumping it and putting more in, then I recommend buying a box of this litter and giving it a try. Tell me how much you love this stuff, if there's even such a thing as loving litter. Our cats deserve the best!!

And to end this on a not so stinky end, here are some pictures of Asher (the black one) and Sophie (the brown and white one). I never thought I'd see the day where my husband loves cats. 

Have a clump-tastic day, everyone!!!

Makeovers: My sister-in-law, Jessica

First off, let me start this post by saying HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all those specials dads and dad-figures in our lives! I know so many of them have huge impacts in our lives and they deserve a special day. Take them out to eat and offer to pay. Or just offer to do whatever they normally do around the house and take it off their hands. Tell them how much they mean to you. My dad's uncle passed away several days ago so he's in Florida for the memorial service. Otherwise, I'd be a picture taking fool on this holiday. :-)

Jerbear and I went over to his dad's house for lunch and while we were there, I asked his sister to do her makeup. Jessica is my height and only--wait for it--twelve years old. She seems like a baby but in reality, if you didn't already know her, you'd think she was sixteen or seventeen. It honestly blows my mind how grown up she looks.

Gorgeous, right?!

Not that Jessica really needs a makeover (none of my girls do) but it's always fun to play around with the makeup and see what kind of transformation we can find. She just recently cut her hair and donated it to Locks of Love so her short hair makes her look even older.

Anyway. I've only been doing these makeovers for a couple of weeks now and I'm sure you're all tired of seeing the same faces over and over again. So that was why I wanted to show you this lovely lady's face. I used the makeup she already had in her bag. Let's get on to the pictures!!

This was her before picture. I believe she only had on mascara.

And this is after! I applied a tinted moisturizer from ELF as well as bronzer and blush.

The color on her eyelid is a baby pink, the crease was a pretty silvery/taupe color, and the outer corner was a rich purpley/wine color. And then her brow was highlighted with a champagne color.

Her eyes were lined with an eyeliner called Rich Coffee and completed with some mascara. I chose this particular eyeliner because it complimented her eye/skin color and I wanted to keep her looking twelve.

And here is her before and after picture.

(And just in case your'e wondering where this dress came from, it's from Express! I NEED it in my closet, as I'm sure we all do.)

And this completes another makeup session by yours truly. I'm in the mood to do something funky next time. So I'm calling out to all my brave girls who aren't afraid to experiment with colors. Let's all have fun!!

Every day makeup look for work Tutorial

Where do I begin when it comes to telling you how much I love makeup? Well, I do... a lot.  Whether I make this my career or not, it will always hold a very special place in the creative side of my heart. I wanted to upload a tutorial of one of my favorite work looks that shows a neutral eye with bright lips. I'm very excited about it. So without further ado, I made a video tutorial on my YouTube page that shows you the colors as well as how to apply them.

Disclaimer: This is my first video post and it will be featuring MY face, not someone else's, so I'll try to get it done without being too awkward. And I have very little editing skills so I'm going to try and get this done in one take.

Disclaimer no.2: I also noted after watching the video that my bathroom has HORRIBLE lighting. Please ignore that. I'll look into recording in front of a window next time...or something.

Here's a funny picture I took before we headed out tonight. It shows you better lighting.

 

And there you go! I can already see the areas that need improving but I hope you can see through that and take what you need from the tutorial.

Have fun with your makeup and don't be afraid to try new things!!