New year, new goals!

I can't believe it's 2014 already. I keep writing the wrong date on things. I can't say I'm sad to see 2013 go, as I had my fair share of misfortune and mishaps all year. Here's to hoping for a better year!

I have a few resolutions/goals for the year.

First of all, I am beginning a mega weight loss mission. I'm not imposing any grand workout goals or diet restrictions, as I want this to be something I can stick with. Instead, I'm just focusing on calories in vs. calories burned, and most importantly, keeping track of everything I eat. It's so eye opening when you see how every little thing you snack on adds up!

To go along with my weight loss goal is a no-buy. With the exception of my subs, I am not allowing myself to buy any beauty products. Instead, I am going to allow myself beauty purchases when I meet weight loss benchmarks. I haven't decided exactly what they will be, but for now I have set my first "reward" at 10 pounds.

Another goal is to use up things in my stash! I am terrible about getting something new and NEEDING to try it right away...and the number of open products I have just grows and grows, and since I'm using so many at once, it takes forever to use anything up. My goal for 2014 is to use up my open cleansers, moisturizers, serums, creams, and scrubs before I open anything new. Once that is done, I will have only one item of each type/need open at a time! This also applies to hair care products and certain types of makeup! I want to use up some of my partially used bb creams, foundations, and mascaras before trying anything new, as well.

To go with this, I intend to start monthly "empties" posts, where I share the items I've finished and my thoughts on them, as well as going back to monthly favorites posts, which I deserted a while back. I really love reading those kinds of posts and I want to go back to making them!


So, hopefully there is a lot of change on the horizon, here! What about you? Do you have any beauty resolutions or goals for the year? What kind of posts do you like to read?

Happy 2014!

Life!

So, I know I've really been slacking on my posts, and I have several reviews I need to do adding up...but I swear I have a really good excuse!

Besides working a lot of overtime, I have a brand new nephew!

Meet Xavier Scott! Can't wait to spoil him and teach him to drive his mama nuts like she always has me.

June Favorites!

I can't believe June is over already, wow. I don't have a ton of favorites for the month to share, as I've still been trying to clean out my sample stash. But here are a few things I keep coming back to!

I'm about as pale as I can be, so a good sunblock is a must. I got this one in the summer Target beauty bag, and I fell in love with it. I hate the way most sunblocks feel on my face - they're either too chalky, or too oily, and they make my face feel disgusting. This one is nice - it really is weightless and dry to the touch. I've been using it every day under my makeup (and/or on its own). As soon as this runs out, I'll be buying the full size.

Similarly, I've been using this lip screen by Lavanila every day. I hate sunburned, chapped lips. This is really nice for a lip screen. It's light and smooth, and has a vanilla minty scent and flavor. I like it both on its own and under or over other lip products. The texture and flavor are much nicer than most I've tried, and I love that it is all natural ingredients, as I try to avoid chemicals and petroleum on my lips.

I get bored easily, and I have to change up my scent often. Right now, I'm really loving Vanilla Grapefruit. It's got a citrus zing, but the soft warmness of the vanilla. It's nice and clean and not too strong, and just sweet enough. I love the rollerball, and I keep it in my purse. As with the lip screen, I love that this is all natural and chemical free.

I got this sample from Jouer and I love the shade so much I've ordered the full size. It's called "tender" and it's the perfect peachy shade for me. I love Jouer glosses, they actually last a decently long time for glosses and I like the way they feel on my lips. Love these minis for my purse, too.

I love Zoya polishes - I find them to have the smoothest application and best finish. This shade is my current favorite! It's Kristen, and it's actually from the Feel collection from this last winter. I personally think it's equally pretty for summer, though. While it looks more grey in the bottle, it looks more blue on the nails. It's gorgeous!

And finally, the Cargo color palette in Toronto. I am really into silvery greys and blues right now, and Cargo shadows are my current favorite. The texture and pigmentation is great and the packaging is freakin' adorable. 

So, that's what I'm loving for June. Have you tried any of these products? What are you really into right now?

The "What's In Your Makeup Bag" Blog Hop

This week, I decided to participate in BlogLoveTherapy's "What's In Your Makeup Bag" blog hop.  Click on the link for more information, and to join yourself!  There are tons of awesome blogs participating, and I've already amassed a huge list of products I want to try just from reading their posts.

These are my daily must-haves that go with me EVERYWHERE.

1. eos every day hand lotion. I have them in both the regular and cucumber scent. LOVE THESE.  The packaging is adorable and small enough to fit in your purse or even your pocket, if needed.  It smells great - the regular is mildly scented enough that it doesn't interfere with any perfume I am wearing at the time, and the cucumber just has that mild fresh scent to it.  I love that they have no parabens, as well.

2. CO Bigelow Lemon Lip Balm.  This is one of my favorite lip balms of all!  I love the smooth texture and the bright lemony taste and smell. It keeps my lips soft, and I love that it has no petroleum.

3. Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hr Eyeshadow in Bold Gold.  I'm an eyeshadow fiend, it is my favorite makeup.  This is a great one!  When I don't have time/the desire to put much effort into my makeup, I can just slick a bit of this on for a little shimmer on my lids, or I can build it up to a more opaque gold.  It's so pretty and it goes with everything.  It can even be used as a base. I love the cream formula, it's perfect to take along with me because it's so easy to sweep a little on with my finger when needed.

4. tarte LipSurgence natural matte lip tint in Lucky.  Oh, how I love this!  I got this product in my March Birchbox and fell in love with it.  I love the light pink, it looks natural on my lips and it lasts a long time.  Love the minty smell and flavor and the matte finish is different from my usual glosses and balms, and it's great for when I want a little low maintenance color on my lips.

5. pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black.  I love this liner.  It's a pencil, but it goes on so smooth and dark it reminds me of a liquid.  It's seriously no-budge, I wear it on my waterline and it stays all day and does not move until I remove it.  I like the small size, and that it's paraben and preservative free.  There are several other colors to choose from, as well.

6. Covergirl LashBlast volume mascara in black brown.  This is my favorite everyday mascara - it makes my lashes thicker, fuller, and longer without looking fake or clumping.  It's cheap and outperforms most of the more expensive mascaras I've tried for a natural look.

A favor?

Can I ask you guys for a favor?  If you have a Facebook, will you go here and vote for my dog, Rowan, to win a lifetime supply of doggy food?   He's awfully cute...

All About Me

I was tagged by Vee from glamourdolleyes to do the get to know me tag.  I never do these, but none of my readers here know much about me, so why not?

The Rules 
1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you plus eleven questions for the people you have tagged to answer.
3. Choose eleven people and link them in your tag.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs.
6. You legitimately have to tag.

All About Me! 
1. I have a HUGE immediate family, and there is a 10 year gap on both sides of me.  I have five brothers and two sisters, all half.  I'm my dad's oldest, my mom's youngest, and the only kid they had together.
2. I am a huge animal person and I have a very spoiled, very loving 2 year old pit bull named Rowan and two cats named Edgar and Lucy.  
3. I work at a home for profoundly disabled children, both mentally and physically handicapped.  I love my job most of the time.
4. I'm addicted to beauty products of all kinds, and I have a hard time resisting spending what little extra money I have on them...if I had my way, my apartment would look like a Sephora warehouse.
5. I'm on a mission this year to go green.  I'm using up the rest of my "non-green" products, and I've vowed to by only natural products once they're gone WHEN POSSIBLE.  In some cases, I haven't found a good green alternative yet.
6. I spend the vast majority of my life in scrubs and pajamas, but when I do wear real clothes, my favorite things to wear are dresses!
7. I absolutely love to read.  It bums me out that I work so much because I rarely read anymore.  One of my goals for this year is to read at least one book per month.
8. I've never been on a vacation.  I want one.
9. I love jewelry, but it looks stupid on me.  Same thing with lipstick.
10. I am a strong advocate for equal rights and treatment.  People are people regardless of race, gender, orientation, gender identity, or social class.  I have little tolerance for bigots.
11. I have seen every episode of Gilmore Girls probably 10 times.

Vee's questions:
1. What's your favorite eye shadow? Oh, man...I'm not sure I have one favorite.  I really love the mineral shadows from Elf because they're so cheap, have decent pigmentation, and go on smoothly.  I do wish they had more color variety. I'm still on a quest to find the perfect brightly colored, affordable, paraben free shadows.
2. Do you have siblings? What are their names?  MANY, as I explained above.  Their names are (in order of age)  Dominick (39), Stacy (38), myself (27), Grant (17), Hope (16), Lane (13), Luke (7), and Samuel (15 months).  Yes, I know.
3. What is your favorite song? I have many, but I think the two best songs ever written are Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen (love the Buckley and Cale versions too) and Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan.
4. What is your favorite animal?  I love dogs.  My favorite "more exotic" animals are red pandas and penguins.
5. What is one item you just can't get to work for you? Fake lashes!
6. What is one trend you just couldn't stand? Jeggings, unless worn under a dress.
7. What is your favorite TV show? Gilmore Girls, Supernatural.
8. If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would it be? I'd love to see Hawaii someday, and I'd love to go to London.
9. What is your favorite nail polish? I'm not a nail polish person, but I do like the Zoya Feel collection.
10. Have you ever been to a concert? What was your favorite? Hundreds of local ones, but my favorite live show I"ve seen has been Bob Dylan.
11. What day is your birthday!? April 22, which is also Earth Day!



I'm going to break the rules a bit and tag people later...I have to be productive for a bit, lol.