February 2014 Birchbox

In February's Birchbox, I was half expecting it to be love-themed because of Valentine's Day, but it wasn't. They focused more on Awards Season and how one would prepare themselves for the red carpet.

"Step and Repeat" shares star beauty intel with us (although after reading what you see below, I call BS) starting with tips on posing for flattering photos. Wait. Maybe they share these tips on Birchbox's site... Yep, I bet that's it.

Agave
Healing Oil Treatment | Full-size, $24-$40
   WHAT   Created by a veteran hairstylist, this lightweight oil uses agave to hydrate and protect.
   HOW     Work a small amount into damp hair from roots to ends.

I'm not one to always try out new hair products. But considering this was meant to restore and treat frizzy hair, I'm all for it. I don't really know if it's one of those products you have to use for a week before you begin seeing results, so we'll see how it goes.

Eleven Skin
Refresh Cleanser | Full-size, $30
   WHAT   A rich face wash that leaves skin clean without stripping it of its natural moisture.
   HOW     Massage a pea-sized amount into wet skin, rinse, and pat dry.

I think I say this every time I get face products. I don't like to try new things on mah face. It's too sensitive. I guess I could look at it as my face is already acting like a 2-year old so it wouldn't hurt, right? Just makes me nervous to try something out of my routine.

OPI
Sheer Tints in Be Magentale with Me | Full-size, $9
   WHAT   This tinted top coat gives nails a wash of high-shine, translucent color.
   HOW     Wear alone for a subtle tint, or over your go-to polish for a chic shade-shifting effect.

I'm going to be honest and say I don't really see the point of this stuff. Maybe it's just me, but I HATE sheer polish. So a tinted, sheer polish? No thanks.

smashbox cosmetics
Full Exposure Mascara | Full-size, $19.50
   WHAT   Hybrid fiber formula that expertly lengthens, volumizes, and curls sans clumps or flakes.
   HOW     Sweep mascara wand from the roots to the tips of lashes. For even more drama, use two coats.

I love love love trying new mascaras! I'm always interested to see which ones give me volume or length. This mascara claims it's a hybrid fiber formula so I'm curious to see what exactly that means.

.....BEAUTY EXTRA.....

smashbox cosmetics
Full Exposure Palette | Full-size, $49
   WHAT   A range of versatile hues, complete with tips on creating the best look for your eye shape.
   HOW     Use one shadow for a casual look, or layer shades to take makeup from day to night.

I haven't had much luck with previous sample palettes because it seems like it's not always enough for both eyes. I really like that this sample includes the 6 same colors (so 12 total) in both shimmery and matte. So maybe I'll actually have enough this time.

Interested in signing up with Birchbox? Visit their site and follow their instructions.

I'm linking up with All Things Thursday and Tres-Chic.

Spinach Orzo Salad

My parents recently made this Greek/Mediterranean-style orzo salad and I am in love with it! The ingredients aren't normally something I would consider a favorite of mine, but once they were combined, it was a huge hit. I think they got it from my Grammy and I know she's been passing it around with her church friends and family down in Florida.

So now it's my turn to share it with you.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

2+ cups bagged pre-washed baby spinach, chopped

1/2 cup Greek salad dressing (recipe below)

1/2 cup oil-packed sun dried tomato halves, chopped

1 6oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

1/3 cup green onions, chopped

3oz+ feta cheese, crumbled

1 red bell pepper, chopped

Greek Dressing:

1 cup olive oil

2-3 Tbsp Greek seasoning (see below)

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

I had no idea where to find Greek seasoning at the store. Even the Publix worker couldn't find it. So I looked online and found a recipe with herbs from my pantry.

Optional Greek Seasoning:

1 1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1 tsp dried Thyme

1/2 tsp dried Basil

1/4 tsp dried Garlic, minced

I found that online here.

Additional Ingredients:

1/2 cup English cucumber, diced

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Kalamata olives, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Cook orzo according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Mix together the orzo, Greek dressing, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and green onions. Marinate for a few hours or overnight. (Or if you're out of time and forgot to marinate it, it's not the end of the world. It still tastes just as delicious!)

Just before serving, stir together the spinach, red bell pepper, cucumber (if you want) and feta cheese with the orzo mixture. Add more Greek dressing to your taste. Serve.

**For a different taste, use lemon-infused olive oil and omit the lemon juice. I actually forgot the lemon juice at the store, so whatevs.**

I love that this pasta works as a meal on its own. You could just as easily eat some grilled chicken or fish with it if you like. I also love that, to me, it can work in both chilly and warmer seasons.

I will say that the spinach leaves can get soggy in the oil when you're eating the leftovers, but that's okay because you can add more!!

I'm linking up with Random Wednesday, That Hump Day Blog Hop, Your Whims Wednesday, and I Feel Pretty.

Makeover Madness: Beauty at Any Age

I decided recently that I wanted to give my mom a makeover--not that she really needed it. She's one of those women who age really well decade to decade and I'm thankful I've got her DNA. If I can look as good as she does when I'm her age then I'm going to be one hot mama. You should all be, what do they call it nowadays.... JELLY!

But I still need practice with my makeup artist skills. So that's where today came into play. I didn't really have a "set look" for her but I do know that I wanted to play up her eyebrows and the colors on her cheeks. She's also been on the hunt for a nude/pink color for her lips so we played with that as well.

Disclaimer: I'm still working on my photo taking skills, so bear with me...

FACE

Foundation: Covergirl Aqua Smoothers Liquid Foundation in Medium Beige

Concealer: ELF Studio Under-Eye Concealer in Medium

Loose Powder: NYC Translucent Powder

CHEEKS

Bronzer: Sephora Bronzer in Los Cabos

Blush: NARS blush in Orgasm

Highlighter: Benefit Watts Up! Highlighter in Luminous Champagne

EYES

Brows: LORAC Take a Brow Kit in Brunette (used the darker color)

Concealer: MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC20

Eyelid Primer: MAC Paint Pot in Painterly

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked Palette 1

     Eyelids--Toasted

     Crease--Buck

     Outer corner--Hustle

     Lower lash line--Buck

Eyeliner: L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator Eyeliner in Black Quartz

Mascara: Covergirl Lashblast Fushion Mascara in Very Black

LIPS

Lipstick: NYX Lip Creme Lipstick in Iced Honey

One thing I know I need to work on is cheek color. It seems like a lot when I'm inches away from a face, but when I back up or take someone outside, it looks like there isn't any color at all.

I chose the colors from the Naked palette based on her green eyes. I thought with the nude/rose/purple colors, they would pop! And I was totally right.

She didn't care too much for the lip color because of the shimmer, but overall, I think it was a good tone. I wanted to use a gloss that I've had for years but didn't bring it with me.

So what do you think? Comment below and tell me what you would have used on your mom!

I'm linking up with Monday Morning Gossip, Manic Monday, Mix it Monday, and Funday Monday.

Little Miss Busy

(source)

As you can tell from my absence, something's up. It's not anything bad, just life gets busy sometimes and it's hard to regularly schedule posts on le blog. I know we can all relate to this. We've got families and jobs and some even have school. Priority, people.

I started a program at the gym a few weeks ago and it was just what the doctor ordered. I had put it off for far too long and I'm glad I finally said YES to the many years of telling my dad NO to join or at least visit under a guest pass. Now that I've been going several times a week for a few weeks now, I think I've formed a habit. Yay!

With my gym schedule now, I work out Monday through Thursday and a lot of the classes I attend don't start until 6:30 so I'm not getting home until 8 pm. All I want to do when I get home is eat and then crash. Because being up from 5:45 is killer enough, I don't want to stay up much later than 9:30.

So when do I have time to blog? That is a very good question. I don't. That's why I've barely had like two posts the last two weeks. The weekends give me prime time for creative thinking but with a busy week, a lot of times I just want to be lazy, yanno? If I want to continue with le blog, which I do, I've got to start doing things a little bit differently.

Well, what can I learn from all of this? Preparation, determination, and organization. I've got to browse the interwebs, other blogs, and whatever else during the week for inspiration, make a note of it somewhere and then write about it over the weekend. Sounds pretty simple, I've just gotta give myself a kick in the arse and actually do it.

Here's to hoping I can accomplish something over this weekend. I'm sure as hell shooting for the stars.

Travel 2014

Welp, my 2014 resolutions are kind of being washed down the drain right now and I couldn't be happier. We wanted to see how much money we could save by cutting out unnecessary spending like shopping, fast food (by ourselves), crafty things, comics, and so on. So then came this resolution. We've only been a month in and it's crazy thinking we're not living paycheck to paycheck.

And now came a crazy idea and we've just rolled with it. What's a sure-fire way to spend all said saved money? Go on vacation, of course! And not just any vacation but back to Europe. #dearjesussaveusall