Revlon Blush: Melon Drama

With it being spring, I wanted a peachy colored blush just to change things up a bit.   So I wandered around the make-up aisle. 

I noticed the Revlon blush and I thought it was the perfect shade.  (Unfortunately, the camera makes it look pink.) 

It’s not very noticeable with the finger swatch I did, but the amount that comes off and on to the cheeks is very pleasing.  Sometimes, with other brands, there’s no pay off, but with this on there is.  It was just what I was looking for. 

The only down side that I have about this blush is that it has gold sparkles in it.  Not so much while you’re inside and hanging out, but in the sun I definitely saw the gold sparkle.  So if you spend a lot of time in the sun, and you don’t like sparkles, then this really isn’t the blush for you. 

I think I paid around $5 for it, maybe $6.  So it’s definitely in budget.   I just know that it will  be my spring and summer blush.  I love it. 

Do you like peachy blush?  Let me know!

Xx 

7 Things: Favorite Movies

Last week I wrote out 7 goals and they had a small explanation behind them.  This week I'm going to tell you about my favorite movies. (I'm not very good at summarizing, so hopefully I do the movies justice.) 

House of D

I first saw this movie when I was in 8th grade.  I was on the phone with a friend and he told me to watch it.  I was instantly hooked.  I fell in love with the movie.  A year later, I introduced one of my other friends to it, and it became a favorite among us.  It's been eight years since then and I still love it.  I cry every time I watch it (Yes, I'm a crier.) and I was so happy the day that I bought it.  

House of D is about a young boy,Tommy, who is trying to find himself.  His best friend is Pappass, the janitor at his school.  His mother is over barring, and she really isn't ready for Tommy to grow up.  Tommy then meets Melissa.  Not being comfortable enough to go to his mother for advice, Tommy befriends a woman who is in the Woman's House of Detention.  She helps him ask out Melissa, and she helps him figure out what to do after his life is turned upside down. 

Seven Pounds

 This movie...I can't remember when I first saw this movie, but again I fell in love instantly.  Again this movie makes me cry every single time I watch it. 

Seven Pounds is about Ben Thomas, an IRS agent who is trying to find people who are good, who do good, and who deserve so much better than what they currently have.  He has a set plan.  He knows who he's going to help, and nothing can stop him.  Until he meets Emily.  He second guesses what he plans, but in the end goes on.
I don't want to give away too much, but seriously if you haven't seen this movie, please try to!

Gone With the Wind
I've loved this movie ever since I was a little girl.  I think  I was six or seven the first time I saw it, and I haven't stopped watching it since.  (Well I have, but you get the idea.)  It wasn't until two years ago that I read the book, which I recommend also, and fell in love even more.
Scarlett is a spoiled girl who gets everything she wants and every man she looks at falls in love, well every man except for Ashley.  Ashley is engaged to Melly, his cousin.  (His family likes to keep it in the family. Common back then.)  Unfortunately there is a war about to happen, and when it does all of the men go off to fight.  Scarlett being the girl she is, grabs the first man that would piss off the most girls, and marries him.  He dies even before the war starts.  A lot of things happen, and Scarlett ends up back at her beloved home, Tara, to find that it's just as sad as the rest of the South.  Scarlett goes to Rhett Butler for money, and later on she marries him.  Rhett is a very rich man, who is perfect for Scarlett, she has his child, and it isn't until after Melly dies that Scarlett realizes that she never loved Ashley, and that she is in fact in love with Rhett, but it's too late.  

Fast and Furious Series 
I stumbled upon the first and second movie in this series, when I was around 13 or so, and it's because of these movies that I have an appreciation for cars.  I own all of them.  I fell in love with the original cast, and when the third one came out, I was excited because Lucas Black was in it.  I love the casting, and the cars, and everything.  And I was heartbroken when I found out about Paul Walkers Death.
It's hard to summarize six movies...But basically 1, 2,4,5, and 6 follow Dom and Brian.  At first Brian was an undercover cop, who gets on the good side of Dom and his crew.  Brian ends up falling for Dom's sister, Mia.  Dom doesn't play by the rules, which gets him in trouble. etc. Enter Hobbs into the fifth movie, and you have lots of muscle, fighting, and cars. The third one is about Tokyo, with Lucas Black and Bow Wow.  At the end of the sixth movie, Tokyo is tied in, and now I'm waiting for the seventh to come out.   

Atonement
This movie.  I Love.  I know I keep saying that...But really...If you haven't seen this movie, you should.  At first  I thought it was confusing, really it isn't.  I'm also in love with the book.  (Surprise.)
Atonement is about Robbie Turner, Briony Tallis, and Cecilia Tallis.  Briony is 13 and she is a story writer.  She sees something between Cecilia and Robbie that she doesn't understand, and gets Robbie into a lot of trouble.  Robbie is sent to jail, and later on is let of because he enlists in the British Army.  The whole story is about how he finally is reunited with Cecilia and they finally get to have the love they deserve.  Briony, who is older now, understands what she did wrong and she does everything in her power to correct her mistakes...but it's actually too late. 

Monster
I found this movie on a whim.  This movie is raw.  It's based on a real woman, who had a very hard life. I've always had an interest in murders, and women who kill, etc.  This movie does make me cry.  It's just a sad story.  This movie deals with sexual assault, drug abuse, and violence.
Aileen Wuornos is a serial killer.  She had a  very hard life littered with abuse and drugs.  She became a prostitute at 13 and also became pregnant.  She moved to Florida,  where she became a prostitute to make a living, and it's also where she met Selby.  The started a relationship, and Aileen keep the prostitution and the killings a secret.  Selby eventually found out, and their relationship ended.  Later on Selby sold out Aileen, and she was sent to jail, and later on executed.

An American Crime
This movie is another violent movie.  So please keep that in mind.  I first saw this movie when I was in 11th grade, and I just couldn't get the movie out of my mind.  The thought that this could happen kills me a little, but, to me, it's good to know.  Evil does exist, even in small little towns.
An American crime follows the life of Sylvia Likens.  Her parents had little money, and they left her and her sister with a woman they had met at church.  Gertrude had six other children, and saw Sylvia and her sister as money. (Gertrude had a drug addiction.)   The oldest daughter, Paula, and Sylvia become instant friends, but later on Paula thinks that Sylvia is spreading rumors about her.  Gertrude then forces Paula to stand up and  basically smack some sense into her.  Then you think all is well.  Later on, the check from the father is late, and Sylvia is the one to take all of the backlash, which eventually turns into a disgusting, abusive, rip your heart out, torture.


I know some of these are a little dark, and most of them pull on your heart strings, but I can't help but love them.  I love them all for their own reasons, and some really expose the dark sides of this world.
If you decided to watch any do tell me what you think!
xx 

Mixed Drink: Thin Mint Martini

If you enjoy Thin Mint Cookies that the girl scouts sell every year, then you'll love this drink.  I expected the drink to be a little strong, but it tastes nothing like alcohol.  (To me.)  It's the perfect amount of mint and chocolate. 

Ingredients: 

1 Tbs Chocolate Syrup 

1 oz Peppermint Schnapps 

2 oz Chocolate Liqueur 

2 oz Half and half

Directions:

Dirzzle Chocolate Syrup into a martini glass and then put it into the freezer so the chocolate can set.

Then put the rest of the ingredients into a shaker with some ice and shake.

Then strain in to the glasses.

Enjoy!

I didn't have chocolate syrup, but I did have hot fudge, which works just as well.  It was a little hard to drizzle properly, but the drizzle still turned out okay.   I never knew how hard it actually was to drizzle chocolate properly in circles.  

xx 

Flower by Drew Barrymore:

The powdered foundation is PPL

A little while ago, while on my normal run to wal*mart, I walked pass a display in the make-up section called Flower.  I decided to take a look, and I was drawn to this little rectangle, and found out that it was powder foundation.  I have never used powder foundation.  I have used powder, but it has never been full coverage.  I decided to buy.  The first time I used it, I didn’t really care for it.  I felt like it didn’t cover enough, and I felt like it was too powdery.  A little while later, I tried it again, and I fell in love with it.  (Obviously that can be seen in the picture.)  The packaging is very lovely.  It's a magnet closing instead of a snap, and I was a little weary about that, thinking that it would open in my make-up bag, but it hasn't.  It also likes to pick up my bobby pins, which I don't mind.

Fast forward a few months, and I went back and bought two new items, a lipstick and an eyeliner marker/ mascara combo.  I love the lipstick, but the combo pack, not so much.  I don’t know if I just got a dud or what, but the mascara is dry and barely comes off of the brush. That's a little disappointing because it costs nearly $10.  The mascara also says that its volumizing, but I haven’t noticed a difference (maybe because it’s so dry?)   I don’t know. 

The marker, is great.  I'm not the best at cat eye like eyeliner but I think using this marker makes it a little bit easier.

LS7 So Gladiola 

The only complaints that I have about the lipstick is that it’s a little drying, but that’s so easily fixed, that it’s not worth complaining about, and that it is a smidgebit hard to open, but the more use, the easier it's getting.  It lasts for a really long time.  Even through all of my nervous lip rubbing and biting it has stayed strong.  I love it. 

The brand itself is very pleasing.  They don’t test on animals, and they try to keep the prices as low as the can.  The website itself (flowerbeauty.com) is very aesthetically pleasing.  It flows perfectly and Drew even has a videos showing what she loves, and tips on how to fully expand her line.  I don’t see that from other brands, and in my opinion it shows that she really cares about her line. 

I hope to own more from her line, and when I do, I’ll update.

xx

Happy Easter!

Yesterday was Easter, usually I post holiday posts on the holiday, but I was with my family and I didn’t get the chance.  

We always have dinner together.  This year we had ham and lamb for the meat course with a bunch of other side dishes including potatoes and green beans.  Then later on we had dessert.  My aunt this year made little lamb cakes, they were so cute, as you can see and they were so yummy. I forgot what kind of cake the body was, but the icing was buttercream, which in my mind is the best kind.  

We also had drinks that included Mudslides (Baileys Irish Cream, Vodka, Kahlua) and Black Russians. (Kahlua and vodka), they were so good!  

When I was younger I would dye eggs with my family and then go to bed ready to wake up in the morning to them being hidden by the Easter bunny.  The reason why it’s a bunny is because rabbits have always been associated with spring, and it’s believed that the goddess of spring, Eostre, companion was a hare.  The Easter bunny also brought gifts that included candy and toys.  Even at 21 years old my mom buys me and my sister a chocolate Easter bunny. 

Such great memories. 

I hope that your Easter was fun and I hope you got some sort of candy or whatnot. 

xx

7 Things: Goals

Last week I decided to end the "10 Things I wish I Had at This Very Moment" series, and I'm now replacing it with "7 Things."  This series is going the have a different theme to it every week, so for example this week is "7 Things I want to learn by this time next year."  

To Read/Write French. 

I've always loved the French language.  Some of my favorite movies are in French.  Even my number 1 movie has a little bit of French in it.  I would like to be able to watch the movies without the subtitles.  (Or at least barely needing them.)  The reason why I don't have speak French is because I already know that I would fail at that.  My sister took French in high school, and she has tried to teach me what she knows, but I just can't get the accents down.  I can't roll my r's for Spanish, and I can't say my r's in French either.  I want to be able to understand, and maybe mildly communicate back. 

Learn American Sign Language. 

Keeping with the Language goals, I would love to be able to communicate in ASL.  This one is a little selfish goal.  I don't know any deaf people but their language intrigues me.  Around where I live, not many people have ASL as a skill, and I really feel that if I get a job some where in a bigger city, it could help out a lot. I don't know, ASL has always interested me, ever since elementary school.  (The reason why I didn't take ASL in High School was because I wasn't "allowed."  I wasn't "smart" enough.) 

Play the Piano.

I don't know if your school did this, but when I was in elementary school, in music class, we had a section on keyboarding.  I never got past the right hand stage, but ever since I have always wanted to play.  When I was in middle school I played the clarinet, so I know how to read music, I'm just a little bit rusty.  I've always lightly tried to play, ever since I got a keyboard for Christmas when I was about 13, but I've never seriously practiced.  I know about two songs, and I play them pretty slowly.  I hope to get faster and better. 

Learn how to play Poker.

I don't really know why this is a skill I want.  I think it started when I was in one of my math classes in college and we had a section that included poker.  (My Professor was amazing.)  There were a few different card games that were being taught, and my group got poker. (I have since forgotten everything I learned.)  Ever since then, I've just wanted to seriously learn the game. 

Know how to Survive in the Wild. 

This might sound a little paranoid...but I've wanted to know how to live in the wild ever since I was in high school.  Mostly just to spit out facts that someone who knows me wouldn't believe I knew.  I don't seem like the person to care about survival skills, and I would like to have that surprise under my belt.  If something were to happen, then people would need me.  ( Totally selfish reasoning, I know.)  I'm sure nothing will happen, but I want to be able to at least try to survive before I die.  (Unless it is zombies, because I don't want to have to run from those things. Ew.) 

Know what plants/ berries/ mushrooms can and can't kill me. 

Keeping with the survival skills I would really like to know what I can and can't eat in the wild.  A long time ago, my grandma was visiting, and where she lived there was a mushroom that she could pick and eat, but here where I live, we have the identical trickster mushroom and the one she wanted.  She ended up getting sick.  I would like to prevent that kind of thing.  I grew up in the country, you would think I'd have this skill. (lol.) 

Sew.

I don't know how to sew.  I've done a few whip stitches in my time, but they were horrible.  I can't even sew on a button, I'm that bad.  I would like to be able to repair simple things, instead of having to run to my mom for everything.  I bought a pair of pants a few month back, that instantly ripped the second time I wore them, and it was too late to return them, so my mom sewed them up (factory malfunction, the fabric didn't line up properly while being sewn.) and they were like brand new.  It was amazing.  I want to be like that.  

So, I hope that you like my new series, and if you have any tips about any of the above, please send them my way!  

xx  

Recipe: Fruit Parfait

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you would know that every Thursday I wrote a small list containing things that I wanted to have, last week I took all of the lists and I went through them and found things that were within my control.  (You can find the full list here)

So, that being said, this week’s recipe is fruit Parfait!  This recipe is really loose and up to you. 

What you need:

Yogurt 

Fruit 

Granola

Whipped Cream (Optional)

Make sure you wash your berries, and then what i did was cut up the strawberries first into slivers, then I cut them in half.  Then get a cup or a bowl, and you're ready to start. 

I used vanilla yogurt, strawberries and blueberries, and chocolate granola.  I layered yogurt, granola, fruit, and then yogurt again.  In the cup I used it was about two scoops of yogurt, a handful of granola, a few scoops of fruit, and then two scoops of yogurt again. 

The measurements are all up to you really. 

I did make a different cup that I didn’t picture that had yogurt, granola, fruit, and then whipped cream that I had made.  (My mom accidentally bought whipping cream instead of half& half.) I didn’t picture it, because it was a little messier looking. 

If you would like to make your own whipped cream all you need to do is buy whipping cream, it comes in a little carton that looks just like milk, add some vanilla and sugar (to taste) and whip it on high for about 2 minutes.  It’s very simple, and you can flavor it however you like.  ( You don’t even have to flavor it, but I suggest that you do.)

What are your favorite fruits to put into parfaits?  Do you always use vanilla yogurt? Or do you like to change it up? 

Let me know!

xx 

Empties #1:

I hope that you're like me, and enjoy looking at products that people have used up because today I’m going to share with you a few products that I have used up.  Some I loved, some not so much.  I love these type of posts because it shows that the opinion is 100%.  The products wasn't used just for a few days, it was used for a month or so...I hope you're the same way.

 

Colgate Optic White Toothpaste:

This isn’t my first tube, and it won’t be my last.  I’ve been using this toothpaste for about six months now and I’ve notice a difference in my teeth.  They’re not like the commercials, but is anything ever?  My teeth are pretty normal; they’re not movie star white.  So, if that’s what you're looking for, then maybe you should invest in going to the dentist for a bleaching.  But if they’re a little yellow, and you want them to be brighter, than I suggest you try this product.  I’m sure that I could get my teeth whiter if I used the mouthwash that is specifically paired, but I’ve always used Act.  But I am thinking about switching, and when I do, I’ll update if there are any big changes.

Olay Fresh Efforts Make-up Remover Wipes:

For the past three years or so, I’ve used make-up wipes to remove my make-up.  Usually I would use Neutrogena wipes, but I decided to give Olay a try.  They smell really nice, but the cloth was rough.  I liked them at first, but eventually I noticed how rough they were.  They did the job, but I will not be repurchasing them.

Herbal Essence Tea-Lightfully Clean Shampoo and Conditioner:

I’ve been using Herbal Essence since high school.  When they stopped selling the drama clean with a very fruity scent, I was devastated.  I think I switched to treseme after that, and then  I went back to try their voluminous range.  When I started seeing the green bottles again, I was excited, but when I looked closer, I saw that the scent had changed.  I decided to try it, and I fell in love, not as much as the older scent, but very close.  I think these particular bottles were my third.  These are very minty.  I’ve accidentally gotten the conditioner in my eye, one word OUCH!  But I do love me so mint. 

Estee Lauder Take it away Make-up Remover:

I’ve talked about this product 100 times, and I will continue to talk about it.  I love this make-up remover, but it’s not within my price range at the moment.  This product is what made me decide that I love lotion removers, and I won’t be going back to make-up wipes.

Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser:

I’ve had this face wash for about a year now.  I got it because it was natural and I was in a class that was talking a lot about how gross chemicals are, and that there are so many chemicals in US products that aren’t even thought of in other countries. I eventually got tired of it, and moved on to a different product.  While using this facial cleanser, I didn’t notice much of a change, but if you know anything about my facial washing schedule, you’ll know it’s sporadic.  It also kind of smells like ketchup to me.  The moisturizer that goes with it smells of oranges, but it’s a very thick formula, and I stopped using it because it made my face way too greasy.  As much as I love the naturals, I will not be repurchasing. 

Not Your Mothers Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo:

I have no idea why I’ve never talked about this product before.  I love this dry shampoo.  I’ve used one other dry shampoo and I hated it.  (Talked about here.)  It’s hard to describe the smell, it’s very fresh.  It leans more towards citrus than floral, but it’s not exactly citrus either.  I love it, it works wonders and it works all day long.  I never have to think “Do I need a touch up?”  I’m pretty sure this is my fourth or fifth can. 

Have you ever used any of these products?  Do you love the ones I don’t or vice-versa hate the ones I love?  Tell me.

xx

Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival:

On Saturday I took the metro into D.C. and went to the annual Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival.  I’ve been going for the past four or five years to just this festival, but this year we decided to also go to the actually cherry blossoms.

The cherry blossoms trees were a gift in 1912.  The Japanese mayor, Yukio Ozaki, gifted 3,000 trees to the U.S. to celebrate friendship.  There are now 3,750 trees with 16 different variations. 

You can visit the cherry blossom trees any time in April.  The National Park Service try to have the trees bloom around April 4^th, but sometimes the weather doesn’t allow that.  The street festival is planned around when the trees are mostly in bloom so that you can make a day of it all. 

Waiting in line for some food

My sister's chicken teriyaki chicken.  (So yummy)

My Thai tea.  (So delicious) 

The street festival this year was on Saturday, and luckily this year the weather was perfect.  I’ve been when the humidity was super high, and I’ve been when it was raining.  Saturday was perfect with a high of 77 and breezy.  While there, I got my usual chicken on a stick and Thai tea.  If you get the chicken freshly off of the grill, it’s perfect and the tea is so delicious, perfect amount of sweet and tea.  I actually have a recipe for Thai tea that I’m hoping is exactly what I get at the festival, so I can have it more than once a year.
Since I go every year, I know exactly what every table has (except for jewelry tables…) and I typically don’t buy anything.  My sister bought a new cell phone charm and a  Kimmidoll, and my mom bought a necklace and earrings set.

After we were all done looking we decided to get onto the metro an go to the actual trees.  We walked past the Washington Monument, (which was damaged by an earthquake we had a few years ago) and we walked all the way to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.  I didn’t actually go into the monument, because I had been more recently than my mom and sister, but they went all the way up and in.

Jefferson Memorial  

Washington Monument

We then went back to the metro and went home. 

It was a long, but beautiful day and I’m hoping to soon go back.  I live just a metro trip away from so much, so much free stuff, that I need to start taking advantage. 

xx 

No. 7 Cleansing Balm:

Ever since I got the Estee Lauder lotion make-up remover, I’ve been on the hunt for one that is more affordable, and while in Target, I found just that, plus a little extra.

When I saw that Target had a No.7 section I was surprised because I thought that was only a brand in the UK.  I don’t know if the brand is anywhere else, but I can for sure tell you that it is not at wal*mart, CVS, or Walgreens. 

I wasn’t really sure if I was going to like this lotion because it says it is for very dry skin, which I don’t have, I have combination leaning towards oily.  I was thinking that is was going to be too greasy for me, but I haven’t noticed any excess, and I've been using it for two weeks.  It’s a very smooth lotion, and when I put it on it feels a little heavy, but it works wonders.  On the label it says to avoid the eyes, but I don’t and I haven’t had an issue with it  burning my eyes.  

The plus of this make-up remover, is that it is a full cleanser, meaning that it is my only step at night regarding face washing.  I love that. 

  I haven’t used this cleansing balm on waterproof make-up, because I don’t own any, therefore I cannot say if this product will work as well for you if you use waterproof.

I think that I paid around $9 for this which is much better than $28 in my opinion, but it won’t stop me from splurging every now and again. 

xx 

Food in a Mug: Mac & Cheese

This week’s recipe is one of my all-time favorite dishes, Mac & Cheese.  I love a good homemade dish, but unfortunately that makes 8 servings.  So, I went out to find myself a single serving of mac & cheese, and of course I found it. 

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Pasta 

½ Cup Water 

½ Cup Milk (I used Fat Free because I have a dairy complex)

¼ Cup Shredded Cheese

Directions:

Combine the pasta with the water and put it in the microwave for two minutes.  The water might boil over, and the only way that I know how to stop that is by opening the door if it starts to overflow.  

Once the two minutes are up, stir, and then repeat for another two minutes. 

After those two minutes, add the milk and the cheese, and then put the cup back into the microwave for another minute.  ( I had to extend the time to 1 minute 30 seconds.) 

Let sit for a minute then enjoy! 

xx