Christmas + B-Day Haul!

February 11, 2016Leave a comment

Yo yo yo!

If you guys have been around for awhile, you know these two dates are one and the FREAKING same. WEll, my birthday falls on Christmas Eve but like BFD, it’s the same day.

This year, people really ponied up and gave me some great things and welp – here they are!

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

YES. I own the Gwen Stefani palette from Urban Decay and lemmejustsay – this palette is amaaaazing. My initial reaction to this palette was that it had WAY too many beigy colors. But upon closer inspection, each one offers something totally different. I have used basically every color in this palette, and so far there is not a dud in the bunch. I LOVE the blue and the pink as well, because both colors make my baby blues POP majorlly. I now understand that Urban Decay has released the Gwen blush palette….and oh law, it looks GORGEOUS. Must. Resist.

The Balm In the Balm of Your Hand Palette

Sister Megan got me this palette for Christmas and I am SO glad she did. I wanted this palette because I realized I (horror of horrors) own NOTHING from The Balm. I have wanted to try their blushes, eyeshadows, bronzer and OF COURSE the Mary Lou-minizer for a while now. This palette contains ALL of those items, plus a lip color and a lip and cheek color. I have had a chance to use several of these colors and so far my favorites are ALLLLLL of the shadows, the Hot Mama blush, Mary Louminizer and the cream cheek color. Plus, how cute is this packaging!?

Lush Rosy Christmas Gift Set

I purchased two of these little suckers during the day after Christmas sale on the Lush website. This box contains a small bottle of Rose Jam shower gel and a small tub of my beloved Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner. Each box was $16.95 and it was buy one get one free, so I got both of these boxes for a helluva deal!

Lush Butterbear Bath Bomb

These little guys were also buy one get one free, and at $4.95 apiece I couldn’t resist. I reallllly like this bath bomb because it releases a vanilla-infused cocoa butter formula into the water and it leaves my skin feeling baby soft.

Lush Rosie Wrapped Gift Box

Big thanks to Nan for realizing how much I need Lush in my life! This gift box contains more of my favorite things, Rose Jam Shower Gel and Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner. It also contains a miniature size of the Ultrabalm, which is pretty great. It also contains my beloved Rose Jam Bubbleroon AND Amandopondo Bubble Bar. I am vurrry excited to use this all up and smell like roses!

That pretty much sums it up! What did you all get for Christmas?

Christmas 2015

January 12, 2016January 11, 20161 Comment

Hello bunnies.

Welp. It’s all over. The holidays have come and gone again. It has been an interesting year for me, and as I sit here writing, listlessly munching on a small bowl of Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch, I cannot help but wonder – what will 2016 hold?

Mascara. And undoubtedly, an ungodly amount of candy, sure to wreak havoc on my molars and dentist bill. But I am also hopeful. Hopeful that 2016 will be better than 2015, a year filled with ups and downs, smiles and frowns (see what I did there?). So, hello 2016.

It’s me.

But let’s shift our focus onto Christmas of last year and talk about the sh*t I got and the babies I held (Tate).

Per usual, Nan’s respective Santy and Snow Babies collections were on fleek.

The break started off with my birthday celebration on the 23rd. It was basically the worst thing ever but we had no choice because Amy and Shannon had to leave Christmas morning which meant everything had to be bumped up a day. For my birthday, I got ballet slippers! Wearable ballet slippers.

I also got black Vans, because I have decided that slip-on shoes are the best shoes.

The night of my faux-birthday, we had Papa Johns and my sister’s wife Shannon did my hurr and it looks glorious.

My mom also took me to get a pedicure AND an ice-cream cake. So basically, things that would make a 5 year-old happy, make me happy.

The best part of my birthday this year was getting to spend time with my nephew Tate, who I think I love more than anyone else in the family #sorryguys.

Christmas Eve was spent doing Christmas things! We opened gifts, ate brisket and played lots of Farkel and card games.

Here are more things people gave me!

Living

Ari!!!

Economic, haha

Amy and I even took Ellie to Costco to try and find Amy some cop clothes (Amy is a correctional officer).

Christmas Day was spent relaxing, drinking vodka + sprites and you guessed it, more Farkel.

A wonderful, family-filled time!

Little Haul

December 11, 2015December 10, 20152 Comments

I grabbed a few things from Sephora and Macy’s that I am very excited about!

Ariana Grande Bubble Bath + Rollerball

I nabbed this duo on Thanksgiving Day at Macy’s for $25. It was a good deal, considering the rollerball alone is probably about $25 on it’s own. As I mentioned in my Christmas list post, this perfume isn’t exactly the classiest, but I love the way it smells (it has bottom notes of MARSHMALLOW) and am really excited to take a bubble bath!

Tory Burch Perfume Duo

Meg and I saw this at Sephora when we were shopping with sweet baby Tate and were pretty excited that this was only $18. The bottles are pretty legit and I am in LOVE with the standard Tory Burch original perfume.

Tony Moly Pocket Bunny Moist Mist

I feel like this whole Korean beauty fad is quickly taking over. One thing I LOVE about this trend is the cute packaging. And as we all well know, I judge books by their covers. I could not resist buying this moisturizing facial spray for $15. I meannnn, just look at it!

My 2015 Christmas List

December 1, 2015December 4, 20151 Comment

It’s that time of year again! The time of year where Christmas and my godforsaken birthday fall on nearly the same day. Thank the Lord Nan had them break her water on Christmas Eve, otherwise I would have been born on the WORST day of the year to have a birthday. However, it has also historically meant I get more prezzies, which, as I get older, are dwindling. For example, this year, I actually told my mom to pay my car insurance for a year as my gift..and she almost agreed to do it!

Please see below for the link and descriptions for things on my ACTUAL Christmas list.

christmas 2015 by natd08-1 featuring star stickers

Joe’s Jeans black denim skinny jeans
I have been jonesing for a pair of destroyed black jeans. Unfortunately, my long body only looks good in a couple of brands: The Gap and Joe’s.

Sperry Top-Sider white deck shoes – Nordstrom $59.95
I LOVE the way these look with rolled-up jeans or shorts in the summer time. And since my bday is in the winter…I gotta think ahead.

Vans suede leather shoes – urbanoutfitters.com $63
I wear my gold metallic vans ALL the time, so obvs I need them in black.

TheBalm makeup – Kohls $39
Mostly, I want this for the blushes and the forest green eyeshadow. Plus, I own NOTHING from the Balm!

Ariana Grande Eau de parfum perfume – Macy’s $50
This perfume is delightful and probs too young for me but I DON’T CARE. It has bottom notes of MARSHMALLOW. I mean, hello!

Lush Christmas Candy Gift Box Bubble bath – LUSH $29
There are about 5 Lush gift boxes I realllllly want. Anything containing Rose Jam or Snow Fairy and I’m a happy camper.

Lush Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner Beauty product – $34
You can read about 1272 posts on my blog about this stuff. It’s what dreams are made of.

Carpet Remnant Rectangular area rug
YEPPP. I have cold-ass hardwood floors and I would like a cheap-O piece of carpet to lay on and watch Gilmore Girls.

Sound of Music on CD
My car has a CD player so of course I want this on CD. What do you take me for?

Little Twin Stars 2016 Day Planner
Or really, any day planner will do. I also saw a Walking Dead one that is amaze-balls.

And last but not least…MY HAIR

My wonderful sister-in-law Shannon will be doing my hair at Christmas time and YOU GUYS it is going to be glorious.

Weekending & T-Giving 2015

December 1, 20151 Comment

Hello mini-seahorses!

What wonderful weekends I’ve been having! A couple weeks ago, Nan, Megan and Mr.Tate decided to come for a visit and I was beyond excited to have this tiny human back in my life.

Girls weekends with Megan and Nan usually involve shopping from about 11 am to 9 pm, with lunch, wine and maybe some fro-yo sprinkled in. Us gals can go go go. We usually start out at a mall, throw in Nordstrom Rack, some consignment stores and then to appease Nan, we’ll hit up a Goodwill right before closing time so she can contemplate a book on CD entitled “The Jewels of Tessa Kent”. But now. Things are a bit different having a tiny gentlemen in tow. We decided the safest option was a straight-up shopping mall and what better place than stroller-ridden Washington Square?

First, we woke up and had play time:

Then we walked down to Jim and Pattie’s for brek:

Then we hit WA Square and Meg gave the Ergo Baby a whirl.

Tate was a champ for the first couple of hours, happily snoozing in the pram and periodically opening those eyes (lined with LONG eyelashes now!) to stare up at these crazies subjecting him to horrible techno at H&M. We went to all our faves, like Pottery Barn Kids and Nordstrom (places I can definitely afford).

Of course I did this.

I found one of those cheesy-ass signs that actually makes perfect sense:

Then, we stumbled upon what could very well be the CUTEST and most magical place in Portland, Lolli & Pop’s!

Look what the employees wear. OMG.

Aside from the fact that everything at Lolli & Pop’s costs $14,000, I am totally a fan.

We had lunch at the Nordstrom Cafe and then I grabbed a Candy Mountain Bubble Bar from Lush! We knew Tate wasn’t going to last much longer, so we all got in the car and made an attempt at Nordstrom Rack before quickly realizing Tater Tot was done. The weekend wrapped up with the three of us watching movies and trying to get Tate to smile (which I am SO good at).

And then of course, it was T-Giving! I drove home after work on Wednesday and spent 3 glorious days at my parents new digs.

The first night, I partook in the following activities:

Playing with Gare’s new label-maker:

teehee

2. Eating gingersnaps

3. Looking at the butter sculpture Nan bought:

4. Taking photo-booth pics of Nan while she was asleep on the couch eating butterscotch disks:

baahahahaaaaaaaaaa

The next day I watched the parade in my jammies and got mad that I missed the Hello Kitty balloon. Tate and Megan came over and I played with him and fell even more in love.

Then, we put hims in his OOTD:

Then I combed my hair and put some makeup on and a headband to go to my grandparent’s for T-Give:

Thanksgiving dinner was spent at my grandparents, which meant we were all sweating from the permanent 80 degree setting on their thermostat.

If that wasn’t enough, my grandma also got out her scarf collection and had me pick out a few for myself (I currently own about 40 of these already), but I was a sport and acted completed delighted to sport a thinly knitted bit of periwinkle! We stupidly only brought one bottle of wine over, so I was reduced to sipping from an old bottle of Disaronno I found behind my grandparents’ 2008 Mall Walkers participation plaque. At this point, I was lookin’ purty good:

Then Ben and Megan brought Tate over and ta-dah!!! Instant distractions and something to stare at for 2 hours! I did snap a few adorable pics though:

Four generations!

Reasons why this is the cutest ever: 1.) They are matching 2.) Tate’s smile 3.) My grandpa’s giant hand 4.) They are matching

And thennnnn we did the unthinkable. Nan, Megan, Tate and I went to Macy’s. This year, they opened their doors at 6 pm and I was really jonesing for the $25 Ariana Grande bubble bath. After grabbing a few deals, we mozied by BBW on our way out and I was terribly disspointed at their half-assed sale. Buy 3, Get 3 Free!?!? WTF. That is, like, NOT a good deal. Give me $8 dollar candles or 75% off of something! GHODddd.

Anyweeeez – the next day was spent hanging with Amy and Shannon, playing cards, drinking Svedka and 7’s and me having perpetual bed-head, which was making Megan actually mad at me. Excuse me if I don’t want to comb my hair for 24 hours.

I made it back to Portland safe and sound and immediately jumped (ok stepped) into my bathtub for a candy mountain soak. NOT A BAD END, my friends.

Halloween 2015

November 11, 2015Leave a comment

SO..I never really dress up for Halloween.

I’ll admit, it is partially because I’ve never had anything cool to do. Never gone to a big halloween party, never really “gone out” too much. So aside from the odd, thrown together cowgirl or 50’s Pink Lady – I’ve never really done anything special.

BUT THIS YEAR. You guys. This year, I actually made a plan!

So for work, I teamed up with a couple of my pals at work and we did Frozen characters and DUH – I was Elsa!

I had the best time doing Elsa makeup and throwing in some extensions to get the elusive Elsa braid. A bunch of my co-workers brought their kiddos in and it srsly melted my “frozen” (haha) heart because they all really thought I was Elsa. I now have a taste of what it must feel like to work at Disneyland and be a princess and all I gotta say is – I could totally get used to it!

The next day, I opted to go the POLAR opposite of Elsa and be…a walker. I would like to clarify this because I was not a brain-eating zombie. I was a walker, ala Walking Dead.

My first time with liquid latex!

If anyone wants more detail on how I did this makeup (for Elsa or the Walking Dead) just let me know and I can do a step-by-step tutorial!

New Makeup and Beauty Items!

January 22, 20151 Comment

Ohh hi.

So I was thinking that it is HIGH TIME I update y’all with the majestic wonders I have procured over the past month. With Christmas and my wretched birthday both being in the recent past, I have received a handful of new things worthy of many a blog post. So let’s get started.

Too Faced Le Belle Carousel Set

Mother Nan begrudgingly gave me this for my birthday. I say begrudgingly because Nan doesn’t get why any human needs more than 2 eyeshadow palettes. But this palette? This one is different. First of all, let us admire the packaging. I MEAN. A pink, sparkly, carnival-themed container of multiple shadows, blushes and bronzers? I die.

I have used everything in this set, other than the mascara and I have come to the conclusion that Too Faced shadows are amazing. They are super pigmented, blend like a dream and are long-wearing. Both of the blush/bronzer duos are to die for and I find myself reaching for Luminous Peach on more than one occasion.

Overall, this set gets an A++ from me!

Chanel Camélia de Plumes Powder

This powder is what dreams are made of. I imagine myself as a close personal friend of the Olson twins, who goes out for drinks in Soho wearing vintage Halston and a deep, red lip. I stick strictly to La Mer and when I feel the need to gussy, I accentuate my high cheek bones with a little Chanel Camélia.

In reality – it is my prized possession. It is the crown jewel at my vanity table. The MVP, the star. It lays nestled among tubes of $1.99 Wet’n’Wild lipstick purchased five years ago. Next to several dried-up mascaras and picture frames that need dusting, it stands alone, shining like the North Star in our little extra bedroom, strewn with un-folded laundry and too many throw pillows. I may not lead the chicest of lives – but when I use this powder…I’m just SO glam.

Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush

My amazing friend Danny (otherwise known as Unicorn Queen) gave me this for Christmas and I am so excited to do a review. Being a stranger to the popular Clarisonic, I have no clue how I am going to like this so if you have one let me know!

New Lush Goodies

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar and Dragon’s Egg Bath Bomb

Y’all know I am crazy for Lush and the Candy Mountain (also from Danny!) is among my favorites. I decided to pick up the Dragon’s Egg for myself on a recent trip because I’ve heard it’s a party in the bath.

*Also note that Lush came out with a UNICORN HORN for Valentine’s Day found here.

WAAAAAANT

Elizabeth & James Nirvana White Perfume

I have wanted this perfume ever since it hit Sephora last year. I have also heard that combining it with the Black version is quite scrumptious. This has become my signature scent since I got it and I looove that one of the main notes is peony which just happens to be my favorite flower!

Cargo Vintage Escape Fall Palette

Sister Megan gave this one for my birthday and these colors are truly magnificent. I love the combination of neutrals with some interesting pops of color. I will have to pay more attention to Cargo in the future!

Ole Henrikson 3 Little Wonders Gift Set

Homegirl is runnin quite low on her skin care these days, so right before Christmas, I decided to pick up this $22 set from Sephora to give some new products a whirl. I have heard good things about the Truth Serum from Kristin Gehm and wanted to try it for myself. The set also comes with an Invigorating Night Treatment and a moisturizer. So far, I am not overly impressed with any of the products but I will give a final review once I have finished all three.

Essence Gel Eye Pencil Waterproof

GUYS. I may have found my new favorite eye pencil. I still love my Nars Larger than Life Eye Pencil in Via Veneto but this one from Essence Cosmetics may in fact be better. And it was $2.99! It stays ALL DAY as eyeliner and the staying power in the water line aint bad at all. I find that NOTHING will stay in my water line or tight line all day, but this stuff is as good as I’ve found.

Annnd I think that’s it! What new things have YOU tried?