burning the candle at both ends.....

My days are becoming increasingly long as the school year has started and my beloved MAC Studio Finish concealer (NW 20) is starting to fall short or rather disappear around hour eight, and my friends that is just not cutting it anymore. So I recently took a jaunt down to my local MAC store and picked up their new Pro Longwear concealer in NW 15. I LOVE IT !! I have been wearing in consistently for about a month now.

It is marketed as a lightweight medium to full coverage that lasts up to 15 hours. I believe this product more than lives up to its promises.

I place it underneath my eyes and allow it to soak in for about twenty seconds or so before I blend it.

The pro longwear series tends to run a little darker then the average MAC product. I had to go down one shade. Remember to use a warm shade as an under eye concealer to help cancel out the cool tones of dark circles.

a moment for skin care

I know that none of us can resit the urge to splurge on all the beautifully colored packages of powders and creams, all of which promise to make us look like a supermodel (I know I am with you all especially the glitzy packaged ones) but if you have not invested time in your skin the results will never be what you desire. So let us take a moment of pause from our makeup covered worlds to talk about skin care.


I have been blessed in my life not to have had immense trouble with my skin. I do suffer from extremely dry skin, it is like the Sahara desert in the winter months and I do have occasional acne but other than the latter no real problems. I do think that some of this can be attributed to luck of the draw in the good ol' gene pool and some of it is a strict regiment that I follow. I am pretty loyal to skin care products unlike my fickle ways in makeup. So I have been using the following products for many months now and in some cases decades.


I want to put it out there in the open that every one's skin is different and you will have to, through trial and error, find what works best for your skin.


I think the first rule in skin care is your outward appearance will tell you how well your body is feeling on the inside. A quick, and inexpensive way to help your skin look healthy is to drink water. And now I will step off of my soapbox of good hydration and tell you about the products I am currently using.


Day Routine



1. Rinse face off in the shower - I am not a supporter of over washing your face. You will end up stripping your face of all of the good oils as well as the yucky bacteria and old makeup.

2. Apply a serum- I am currently using Philosophy's Miracle Worker miraculous anti-aging concentrate.

3. Apply eye cream- I am on the hunt currently as my last eye cream has started to irritate my eyes.

4. Apply a good moisturizer- I am currently using Philosophy's Miracle Worker miraculous anti-aging moisturizer

Night Routine
1. Cleanse Face using clarisonic and Cetaphil Cleanser- The clarisonic has revolutionized my routine and I have been using Cetaphil forever and still think it is the best cleanser on the market. It is so gentle and does not dry out your skin, which is very important to me considering that I have not an ounce of moisture to lose.

2. Apply MD skincare Alpha Beta Daily facial peel steps 1 and 2- Love this product. It keeps acne at bay and leaves skin with and even texture and glow.

Another product that I swear by and have been using since high school is Clearasil's vanishing acne treatment cream. I use this as a spot treatment whenever I feel a pimple coming on.

This has been a very long ramble but hey your skin is the largest organ on your body; you should be taking care of it! If you have any questions or want more of an in depth review on the products listed please just leave me a comment!

July Favorites

I will get better at this updating thing......(trails off ).

So July was very hot and very humid here in Nebraska, home of the good life. Just to help paint a more meaningful picture in your minds it has been like wadding though a giant bowl of pudding as you walk around outside. Nevertheless, I have started to wear minimal makeup as anything more will melt right off your face.


Foundation wise I switched to Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer, in the color sand. I absolutely love this product. It melts right into my skin and becomes one with my epidermis. It provides light coverage but seems to be slightly build able. This and a little concealer is all I have been wearing. So my actual skin is on display.

Other than a little black liquid liner this is all I have been wearing. I have actually enjoyed this summer experience. I am interested in what summer beauty products you all have been loving!!! Let me know.

MAC just when I am getting bored....

I am so excited. MAC, I can never seem to get away from you; just as I am getting bored and am starting to stray towards another brand, you suck me right back in with this ....... http://www.maccosmetics.com/vv_landing/index.tmpl.

April Favorites

I have actually I know to my shock as well changed my morning makeup routine this month. I have trade in the old brown matte eyeshadow for a little something more dramatic and fresh. So my favorites this month are the new products that I have found myself wearing daily.

1. Rubenesque Paint Pot- I love the warm color this brings to the eyes. It is great on its own or paired with a dark grey or brown eyeshadow for something more dramatic.

2. Chanel's Eyeshadow Quad in Mystic Eyes- I like to wear the darkest shade all over my lid and then smoke out the crease with a blend of the silver and gold colors. I use the light pink as a highlight on my brow bone and in the inner corners of my eyes.

3. Tarina Tarantino blush in Feather- I love the whole concept of this line it is girly, sparkly, and pink, what more could I ask for. The packaging also happens to be a bit gimmicky which is what sucked me into this line in the first place. The product that is within these pink sequined containers is high quality. The blush is a nice velvety consistency. This color in particular is described as a shimmering peach and it is true to its description. I feel as though it offers a lift to my face without adding much color or an obvious blush look.

4. C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine in Mangosteen- Yummy this has been my go to lip product this month. It boosts a good deal of shine with a citrus flavor.

Let me know what some of your favorite products were this month!

Bare Study.. How I love thee

Through the month of April I have not had much time to devote to getting ready in the morning. So I have found myself really reaching for the products that can do multiple jobs. One of these products is bare study paint pot by MAC. I really love this product. It is one of the things I have with me at all times because it is so multifunctional. I bought it originally to use it as an eyeshadow base but have found many other uses for the product.

1. eyeshadow base- adds a nice shimmer to a matte neutral office look
2. brow highlight-easy to apply and not to garish
3.cheek and face highlight- great all over highlight
4. all over eye color-on a particularly lazy day an easy swipe for a brighter eye look

This product will always have a spot in my makeup bag and with me wherever I go. It helps to cut down on the amount of junk that I carry with me through the day. It is one of the most versatile products I have come across.

A little product love

In recent months I have gone to the lighter side of hair color that is.... I am now sufficiently blonder. I love the new color but it has left my hair much more dry. On one hand this has been nice, it has given me an upper hand in my never ending battle for volume but my ends are another story....dry fluff and all around tacky.

As I was perusing my local Beauty First store, I notice they sold Moroccanoil. I have seen a lot about this product lately and most of it good reviews so I purchased a small bottle; dismissing the voice in my head telling me placing oil in your hair may turn out to be a disaster as well as the quite steep price tag.

I have used the product for two weeks now and I LOVE it. My hair has never looked or felt better. Gone are my fluffy dry ends and flyaways, replaced with silky healthy ends.

To apply I use a dime size amount and comb it through damp hair concentrating on the ends and my bang area where I have a lot of flyaways.

As I mentioned before this product is a little pricey, the small bottle that I purchased was almost $16. I will say this is one of the few hair care products that is worth every penny. I will definitely be repurchasing this item.