Hearts and Darts 2.15.13

Hearts

• Plum/fushia lips- I have been reaching for plum or fushia lip colors all week. They add color to my face without making me look crazy at work. For the fushia, I just dab it on. But on the weekends it full on. I actually stained my lips from applying so much Saturday night. Oopsies. My go-to colors have been Maybelline Whisper in A Plum Prospect and Revlon ColorBurst in Fushia.
• College best friends- My group of college best friends (plus my best friend since 8th grade) came to visit last weekend. We ate a lot of fatty foods, drank way too much, and had such a great time. I wish they all lived in Chattanooga, but at least we have a lot of weddings/showers/celebrations to look forward to this year!

• Rock and Republic Ankle Boots- I broke my vow to only buy secondhand clothing for the rest of the year. But I broke it for a great reason. Look at these boots! I found them on sale for $29.99 at Kohls. They are super comfy and look good with skinny jeans, leggings, and wide leg jeans. I think I'm going to order the black pair, too. Here is a link to purchase them from the Kohl's website.

Darts

• Running out of favorite products- I'm trying to go the entire year without purchasing any makeup products. So far, so good except I'm starting to run out of my favorite primer, foundation, and lip balm. THE HORROR.
• Angry people- I'll admit it; I get really bad road rage. However, I try to contain it and do breathing exercises so I won't scream out profanities or scare my passengers. On Thursday (V-Day) I was going back to work after volunteering at a local high school and stopping by Sonic to get me something to eat. I hit a red light and stopped like I should have. I didn't notice a guy in the turning lane trying to turn left. Well I guess it was my fault that he couldn't get it...which wasn't even true because he got past me...and while he drove past he screamed STUPID EFFIN B**** three times. EXCUSE ME?!?!? I almost whipped my car into the parking lot to follow him but decided my hot dog and apple slices were more important. But seriously dude????
• Over sharing on social media then complaining about it- This week I saw a girl post on Twitter and Instagram that she was going to surprise her boyfriend by traveling to see him. Well then someone told him. And she got mad. Why did you put that all over the internet for people to see???

What were your hearts and darts for the week?

What is Lent?

My religious denomination doesn't participate in Lent. I was unfamiliar with the term and meaning until I was in high school. Lent is not mentioned in the Bible but is practiced by many denominations of Christianity. So, what is Lent? Lent is the 40 days before Easter and is a time for Christians to reflect of the life, death, resurrection and sacrifices of Jesus. This is done through fasting or giving up something pleasurable.

Although I do not participant in Lent with my other churchgoers, I will be doing two things in preparation for Easter. I will go on a walk every day to spend time in prayer and reflection. I will also being giving up fried foods. This is more of a personal goal to help me get healthier. 

I think doing these two things will help me get to a much better mental and physical state than I am right now. I have been so swamped with work and classes and have really let myself go crazy in the mental department as well as the eat-whatever-is-convenient department. I have totally ignored Weight Watchers which is silly because I know eating better and losing weight will make me happier and mentally stronger.

The Walnut Street Walking Bridge is my favorite place to walk in Chattanooga.
I hope to be doing most of my walks here.
Source

Good-bye Chick-Fil-A waffle fries, Champy's fried chicken, and my favorite Zaxby's chicken tenders.

Are you giving up anything for Lent?

January 2013 Empties

Since I'm trying to go an entire year of not buying any makeup I decided to keep track of all the empty products throughout the year. Here are all the products that I (some with the help of my husband) finished in January. 

A mini review will follow each as well as rather 

I would repurchase them again or not.

Hair Products:

 I'm not very picky when it comes to my shampoos and conditioner. I normally buy them for under $1 or get them for free when I coupon. As long as they get my hair clean and moisturize my hair I'm happy.

Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly shampoo: Got my hair clean and I loved the smell. No complaints from my husband or me. I would repurchase this.

Pantene Nature Fusion conditioner: I LOVE this stuff. I hadn't used this line from Pantene before and I was very surprised when I started using it. It moisturized my hair without leaving it limp or heavy feeling. I will definitely repurchase this.

Body and Skincare Products:

Secret Deodorant in Va Va Vanilla: This is the only antiperspirant deo that I use. It does what it's supposed to do, smells good, and doesn't irritate my underarms after I shave. I will definitely repurchase.

 Bath and Body Works Shower Gel in Be Enchanted: This wasn't my favorite scent from B&BW. It was a bit too sweet for me, so I wouldn't repurchase.

St. Ives Green Tea Scrub: I really liked this face scrub. It was gritty enough so it didn't irritate my skin. I used it with Clarisonic Mia and the scrub would foam up which I enjoyed. I think this is a great drugstore face scrub option, especially for those with oily or acne prone skin.

Nivea Creme: I stock up on these .99 hand cream tins. The thick cream sinks into my skin quickly so it doesn't feel greasy. It smells faintly of roses and does a good job of moisturizing dry areas like elbows, knees, and palms. I am stocked up on these, so I won't be repurchasing them until I run out.

Lumene Sensitive Touch Cleansing Wipes (2): These makeup removing wipes did a good job of removing all my makeup, other than multiple layers of mascara which isn't a big deal to me. What I liked most was the fact that my skin didn't feel dried out after I used them like some wipes do. My only gripe? I had to store them upside down with a book over the packages so the wipes didn't dry out. I would repurchase them if I found them on sale.

Random Products:
Walgreens Isoproyl Alcohol 91%: After watching Lisasz09's video about cleaning makeup brushes with rubbing alcohol, I decided to give it a try. I use this cleaning method about once a week and deep clean my brushes once a month using baby shampoo. My brushes look good as new and haven't dried up any which was my main worry when I first started this. Below is the video if you want to learn how I clean them.

Makeup Products:

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara: I tend to go back to this mascara over and over. The blackest of black formula gave my lashes volume, length, and thickness. I liked to layer it with the Extra Volume Collagen and Falsies Flared mascaras.

L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara: This was the first time I had used it and I must say I was impressed. I used to be a die hard Maybelline mascara fan, but I'm slowly going to L'Oreal's side of the tracks. This mascara did everything that the Voluminous did but tended to get a bit clumpy at times.

Maybelline Falsies Flared Mascara: The first few weeks I use this mascara I hate it. It definitely needs a few weeks to dry out before it lives up to its full potential. I will say that when combined with the other two mascaras I get a falsies look without the actual falsies.

I would repurchase all three mascaras. That might happen if I run out of the mascaras that are in my collection. Mascara is one thing I cannot live without.

MAC Viva Glam V lipstick: I finally finished up an entire lipstick! This pinky nude color was my go-to natural color on days when I didn't want a fussy lip color or had a colorful eye look going on. The best thing? 100% of the $15 goes to AIDS research. I will repurchase this once my makeup ban is over or when I have enough MAC products to Back 2 MAC.

Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment mini: I received this for Sephora's birthday gift last year. I know the full-size of this product is pricey at $22.50 but I would pay that. Not only was the subtle rose tint beautiful but my lips felt so smooth after using it. The best thing about it was that I didn't have to reapply it every hour like normal lip balms. Maybe I'll receive it as a gift for my birthday or a holiday (hint hint everyone).

January 2013 Favorites

LypSol- I found this lipbalm at my local Walgreens. It reminds me a lot of Burt's Bees lipbalm but stays on my lips longer and moisturizes them more. It seems like actually sink into my lips, unlike some balms that just stay on the top layer. It also has a cute little bee on the side that moves the balm up and down in it's tube. How cute!

L'Oreal Infalliable Foundation- This medium-full coverage foundation has been a lifesaver for me this month. Depending on how much time I have I either apply it with my Real Techniques' buffing brush or with my fingers. Two thin layers of this foundation gives me enough coverage that I can go without concealer and lasts me most of the work day. I think it covers better than my beloved Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation and the price tag of $10ish is a lot better than that $43.

Covergirl + Olay Simple Ageless Blush in Rich Cinnamon- This cream blush doesn't have a lot of pigment to it and that's why I like it so much. It's very hard to over do it when applying this blush. The Olay moisturizer that is swirled within the blush provided extra moisture to my chapped cheeks this month. The Rich Cinnamon color provides a warm flush to my cheeks. Perfect for this nasty winter weather.

Essie Penny Talk- This rose gold metallic polish is one of my favorites. You do have to work with the formula a bit because too little can make it look streaky. Rose gold jewelry doesn't look flattering against my skin, but this polish does!

Essie Topless and Barefoot- My favorite nude polish. Normally Essie's nudes and lighter colors give me trouble, but this one is the perfect formulation and coverage.

Nivea Creme- The magical cream in the little, blue tin pots have been a lifesaver this month. I dab a bit on my hands and elbows every day. The thick creme sinks in quickly and doesn't leave me feeling greasy. I have also used a bit on my chapped nose to calm the redness and moistuize the chapped areas. Best thing about this stuff? A travel size costs .99.

Revlon Lipbutter in Berry Smoothie- This has been my go-to lip product for the month. My lips are pretty pigmented already, so I like to call this my "my-lips-but-better" shade. I can swipe it on without a mirror and it doesn't accentuate any chapped areas. I'm almost done with my tube of it and that makes me a little sad.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude- This is a fairly popular lipstick on YouTube and now I see why. I love the creamy formula and the pinky-nude color. It's much more natural that those "I just swiped concealer on my lips" shades. I've read that a lot of people don't like the smell of these lipsticks, but I do. It reminds me of my mom's makeup when I was young. I think this is a great shade to start with if you want to experiment with nude lips.

Maybelline 24 Color Tattoo shadows- I didn't wear much eye makeup in January, but if I did I was reaching for any of my Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadows. Most of my shades are neutrals, so I haven't been picky. Which color is your favorite?

What were your favorites for the month? Link your post below or comment. I would love to find out!