Spring Cleaning Your Wardrobe

Every spring a good thorough cleaning of your home and car are in order. A cleaning of your wardrobe along with your home will help in several ways. You will not only feel better about the cleanliness of your closet, but you’ll be reunited with articles of clothing that may have been forgotten about, and any discarded clothing can be donated to a good cause.

So what all should you dump?
- Anything with the name of a designer. As a fashionable woman, you should never let yourself be mistaken for a billboard or let corporations use you as part of thier marketing scheme.
- Fedoras, beanies, skull caps
- Anything that’s clearly out of style. Items may come back, but they’ll be back with a twist.
- Concert tees
- Things that were expensive but made you feel unattractive
- Broken or torn items
- Clothes that don’t fit.

Reference: “The girl’s guide to everything” by M. Kirsch, Workmak publishing, 2000.

Essential Makeup Brushes

Applying makeup can be a very precise art, so it’s important to have the right tools. Using quality brushes will make your application go on smoother, last longer, and give you the exact look that you want. These are some examples of brushes I use on a regular basis that everybody would enjoy. I’ve used Mac’s brushes as an example.

 

Face Brushes

194  Concealer Brush – This is amazing for applying concealer to your under eye area, around your nose and on any blemishes. I’ve found since using it, that my dark areas are much less noticeable and that it really transfers the product beautifully.

183 Flat Buffer Brush – <I don’t actually use this exact brand of buffer brush, but I use one almost identical. This is the one brush I use for sure every day, as I use it to apply my mineral makeup foundation. Awesome awesome awesome. I use the one made by Mary Kay, which is a lot cheaper (over half the price) and if anyone is interested in getting one, just contact me. Though I’m sure if you’re interested in the MAC version it will work Beautifully!! J

Mac’s 224 Brush – Great for blending in the crease. You could also use the 217, which is a little more round and not quite as long. This is also great for blending. I find it a little bit more easy to use just because the bristles are not as long.

239 Eye Shadow Brush – Picks up a LOT of color from your product in comparison to other eye shadow brushes, and is really great for applying the eye shadow onto your lid. It’s very easy to control where your makeup is applied with this brush. I own 2 of these. You can not only just apply dry shadows with this brush, but you can also use it to apply paint pots or fluid line.

266 Angled Brush -  This can be used to apply fluid line eye liner or to apply a thin line of eye shadow or pigment. It is very precise.. and you can create the lines as thick or as thin as you want depending on how you angle the brush on your lid.

 

So there you have it – All the essential brushes. Credit to www.maccosmetics.com for all the photos. Please go there to purchase any of these brushes, or hit up your closest MAC counter.

Quick Starbucks Rant

So I’m at home sick with a really sore throat, and I’ve lost my voice. I finally got up the energy to go to the Starbucks close to my home to get some Earl Gray tea, and they don’t have it. The people working there convince me to get another type called “Awake” (I think?) and it is awful.

Mineral Makeup Foundation

Summer is coming very quickly, and one thing that most women don’t like when it’s very hot is melting makeup. A product that I’ve recently discovered is mineral makeup. I’ve replaced my regular foundation with mineral makeup, and I will most likely never go back. The brand I’ve been using for my mineral makeup foundation is Mary Kay. This replacement for liquid foundation is awesome, especially now with the heat. Mineral makeup is non transferable, so it won’t end up on your clothes, and it doesn’t melt off your skin like a regular liquid foundation does.

The application process of mineral makeup is a little bit different than that of regular makeup, so here is how I apply it:

Tools You’ll Need: A foundation brush – You can either use a flat top mineral makeup brush, like the Mineral Makeup brush specially made by Mary Kay (this gives a fuller coverage,) or a kabuki brush, which will give lighter coverage.

Step 1: Prepare your skin with a moisturizer. This helps to prep your skin for the application of the minerals, and makes it last longer. Make sure not to put on too much, and wait until it dries before putting on anything further.

Step 2: Apply concealer. I use Mac’s concealer, which I think is great, but you can use whatever type you like. Apply it under your eyes, around your nose, and anywhere else that needs it.

Step 3: Finally the foundation! When applying mineral makeup, you do not need a lot. Tap a bit of foundation into the lid of the foundation container, or dip your brush into the foundation and tap it off into the lid. Swirl your brush around in the lid: this embeds the powder into the bristles. Make sure to tap off the excess!

Step 4: Apply the foundation by swirling it all over your face, similar to a buffing motion. Apply all over your face, including your jawline, and a bit on your neck so that it blends. Even if you don’t wear eyeshadow, make sure to apply overtop of your eyes anyways. Apply as many layers as you want – The foundation is so light you can barely feel it.

Another great feature I have found with mineral makeup foundation is that if you like to tan, as most of us do in the summer, it is so light that you will not need to purchase a different shade of foundation as your skin becomes darker or lighter. This was the best part for me

Yummy Smoothie Recipes

Now that the weather is warming up, sometime’s its really nice to have a cool refreshing treat that is filling at the same time. I came across these smoothie recipes, and they sound SO yummy.

Sunrise High Energy Smoothie (makes 1 serving)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup fresh or unsweetened frozen fruit

1/4 cup orange juice

2 oz (60g) strawberry or vanilla meal replacement powder

1 tbsp ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil

2 cups ice

 

or this recipe:

Tropical Cheesecake Smoothie (Makes 2 servings)

1 can mandarin orange segments with juice

1 can pineapple in its own juice

1 cup low fat cottage cheese or vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup orange juice

2 cups ice

 

With both recipes, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!

The Lauren Conrad Collection

So we all know Lauren Conrad has been trying to break into fashion design since the beginning of The Hills, and she’s used her fame to do so. What do you think of her new spring collection?

 

I love love love them! They are gorgeous designs, but the price she’s asking for them I think its a little unreasonable. You could easily make these at home.

How do you wear a mini skirt with class?

Warm weather is just around the corner here in Canada, and I’m seriously thinking of skirts! I absolutely love love love to wear mini skirts with wedge sandals and flowy tops, and I wanted to share some words of advice on minis from Mrs. Victoria Beckham, who is one of the most glamorous fashion icons ever. I just love her.

- If you’re wearing quite a short miniskirt, counteract it with a modest cardigan over a non cleavage top, tone down your makeup and keep your hair simple.

- Make sure the skirt is not so short that everyone can see your knickers whenever you bend over or get out of a car. For that matter, make sure you’re wearing knickers, which may seem an obvious point but I’ve seen people getting out of cars with no knickers on.

- Look for clever underwear tricks when wearing miniskirts; you can find miniskirts with built in knickers to really protect your modesty, which is a genious idea. Boy shorts are a safer bet than g strings, but failing that, it’s Bridget Jones style knickers underneath!

- Be careful when wearing denim skirts as they have the unfortunate habit of slipping upwards all too easily whenever you sit down. A little too “ride em cowboy” if you know what I mean.

- Denim skirts are also prone to sagging a little at the front of your waistband after too many wears, giving you a funny bulge around the tummy. Avoid this by looking after them properly: wash them frequently at a cool temperature, lay them out flat to dry and finish with a quick once over under a hot iron.

- Always check your back view before you buy any kind of miniskirt. So often you see people in the street wearing minis that are just WAY too short in the back. Some designers have rather cleverly cut their miniskirts to hang longer in the back to avoid this shortfall.

I just can’t wait until miniskirt weather!

White!

It seems that white shirts are really making a comeback this spring, which is nice to see considering all the black and grey that’s been out this winter.

LOVE the outfit… but what’s with the ugg boots? The top is gorgeous.. love the off the shoulder look.

I also really like the dark denim paired with a white tank, the contrast looks great! The blue scarf as a belt is also a really nice touch to finish it off.