Allergens, Milk Duds and a Trip to France

March 11, 20158 Comments

HEE HEE, HAW HAW.

The three aforementioned items could not be more dissimilar. But in my little world, they are inextricably linked. I could have also added Recent Exercise as another topic item, but 4 things seemed a bit much, no?

Let’s start with the state of my allergies! A topic I’m sure so many of you are absolutely thrilled to hear about. WELL. Every summer I die of allergies, which y’all have been privy to on more than one occasion (like here & here). Since Spring has Sprung like 89123 days early this year, I decided to book an allergy appt straight away!

I was poked (hee hee) 40 times with various extracts from trees, weeds, insects, you name it – and had OFF THE CHARTS allergic results to…drumroll please….

GRASS. I am allergic to grass. The doc told that it’s basically the most common thing to be allergic to. Which makes me so disappointed in myself. I was hoping it would be something really unique and specific, like Russian Thistle! But no, it’s just grass – and it’s EVERYWHERE. I am on a BRAND new medication called Grastek to treat my severe allergy, so holla at me if you share the same distaste for Grass!

And then there are Milk Duds. I could eat Milk Duds all day, everyday. After years of dormancy on the candy shelf, they have quickly become a favorite, winning out over popular favorites including (but never limited to) Junior Mints, Jujyfruits and Snowcaps. I realize that the combination of sugary chocolate and caramel are likely wreaking havoc on my pearly-whites, but thankfully I have been limiting myself. I also find them completely irresistible when frozen! Who am I?? Elsa?!

And lastly…FRANCE. In less than 2 weeks I will traveling to Chamonix, France with none other than Bryan-Arthur.

I do not know if France is ready for another dose of my high-school French (of which I am way too confident in) and demands for ice in my soda. We shall see. One thing is sure, I will buying Bioderma for the masses and possibly a couple liters of Caudalie Beauty Elixir if the budget allows. I hear it just flows from rivers there!

And then there’s the delicate matter of skiing. Which thanks to Bryan’s encouragement and a few positively WONDERFUL ski days, I am completely ready for! A couple of meltdowns are likely, but so it the possibility of fondue and wine…and LOTS OF IT.

I wish I could become the photographer I know I’ll never be, and capture our trip to perfection. But you guys know what you’re in for. Expect my usual slightly blurry, dancing-in-the-hotel-with-wine-in-my-hand repertoire, mmm-kay. Anything else just wouldn’t be me ;).

Adieu beautés!

Happenings

February 26, 2015March 3, 2015Leave a comment

I recently started volunteering at a local elementary school as part of a program that my work puts on. I tutor a 2nd grader in reading every Tuesday and oh my, how I look forward to it. First of all, the school is one of those charming old brick buildings, with these giant palatial windows and little pop-outs for window seats, where I imagine young minds curled up and feasting on books by Roald Dahl. Every time I walk, in I am greeted by the smells and sounds of my childhood. Eager crossing guards, racing outside in their orange vests, moms and dads holding the hands of sleepy little ones with traces of pillow lines on their faces. It’s all so cute and happy and it makes my heart full. The icing on the cake is every time I leave the school around 8:45, there is the absolute cutest little French bulldog with a pink collar. She sits obediently on the pavement and does not bark at any passersby. I always say hello to her (or him) and add, “I love you!” while I give her a little pet. It really is the best day of the week.

A few weeks ago, on a rainy Sunday, I convinced Bryan to take a study break and escort me to NW 23rd Street, where my local Lush resides. I was all giddy in the car at the thought of buying Lush’s Unicorn Horn, that I couldn’t stand it. We parked in the rain, got out the umbrellas and trucked up the street to the store. I walked in and ALL OF THE VALENTINES STUFF WAS SOLD OUT. The girl who worked there told me it barely lasted a week. I cried silent tears and we walked across the street to Jo Bar for some Happy Hour food. We shared fondue! It was soooo good and the world started to feel right again.

R.I.P

Speaking of Lush, check out my bath the other day, using the Dragon’s Egg bath bomb:

You can’t tell from this pic, but it was GLITTERY!

My eyelashes are falling out and it really is the most terrible thing that could ever happen to a girl. When I have no makeup on and I look at myself in the mirror, straight-on – it is literally the saddest thing ever. I feel like one of those hairless cats or a mutant alien. ANYWAYS ugh. I am not doing Latisse for a multitude of reasons (eye color changing side-effects and the price being the top two) and so I have been forced to look elsewhere. I have decided to try Rapid Lash, which is available everywhere and recently I have also discovered Castor Oil as a treatment.

I have been using Rapid Lash now for about a week and I just bought Castor Oil the other day. Keep in mind if you try this that you should buy cold-pressed, organic 100% pure Castor Oil.

My plan is to use the Rapid Lash as directed and then apply the Castor Oil directly to my eyelashes. We’ll see. Isn’t it just SO WONDERFUL that this has happened to me!? I feel like as I get older, the list of “conditions” I have to deal with just gets longer and longer. Sheesh!

And lastly, I heard someone say the funniest thing the other day when talking about how tired they were…

Person: “OMG I am exhausted today!”

Me: “I know, me too!”

Person: “Good thing the bags under my eyes are Prada.”

Me: “Haaahahahahaha OMG I am going to make a shirt that says that!!” (I srsly thought I was going to be soooo clever).

Turns out, its already a thing. SO a thing.

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?

Skincare: Smoke and Mirrors?

November 3, 20141 Comment

Do you like my mysterious and quizzical title?

The idea for this post came when Bry and I were waiting for a delayed plane out of PDX and I wandered around a Keihl’s store. I skirted around the outside, close enough to sample a little hand cream but keeping far enough away to avoid getting badgered by sales folk. Then I overheard a conversation between the sales gal and woman with (if I’m honest) not-so-good skin. Hyper pigmentation, dark spots, lines, wrinkles, and pores big enough to store loose change.

She stared open-mouthed in frustration as the sales girl talked about this product and that. A corrective and firming regiment of balms, tonics and creams seemed to be just the ticket! Bryan wandered over at that point and I asked him what he thought of the promises of all these products. He looked at me blankly and replied, “C’mon Nat. We’re all slowly dying.”

A bit morbid, sure. But I am beginning to think he was dead on (pun intended). We’re all trying to reverse a process that is inevitable for all humans. A slow breakdown of our youth and beauty sounds just horrific, so we look anywhere for help. We look to the $350 cream in a fancy pot and laquered box. We look to medi-spas, botox, fillers and even surgery. We will do anything.

So I wander up and down the aisles and aisles of skincare, reading words like “age-defying”, “wrinkle-reducing” and my favorite, “luminescent”. I think, I want to defy my age! I want a reduction in my wrinkles and OBVS I want to be luminescent. Of COURSE I do.

But I think the day Bryan uttered those words to me it finally clicked. Sadly, NO amount of money is going to give me the skin of an 18-year old. Nor will I ever “glow from within” unless I’m just really sweaty. And the recent photos of Ms. Renee Zellweger prove that going the surgical route is just SO wrong. So what CAN I do?

I can drink water (even though I MUCH prefer Diet Coke).
I can exersize, eat things that are good for me and try to get in m’8hours.
I can douse myself in SPF, wear floppy hats and always find a spot in the shade.
I can keep my skin in great shape using simple methds of washing, exfoliating and making sure my skin is hydrated.
I can do fun things with my makeup like like eyelash extensions, a bold red lip and fierce brows (on fleek!).

I guess what I am saying is, although I’d like to belive that dropping thousands of dollars on laser treatments and creams laden with chemicals could make a difference in restoring youth – it’s mostly a bit of smoke and mirrors. Clever marketing, beautiful packagaing and perfectly trained sales people that rattle off 75 reasons why YOU NEED this product. It’s a bit of a circus, or a carnival that can be confusing and a bit scary to those who can’t see through the fog.

But don’t fret because believe it or not, it is pretty easy to take excellent care of your skin with products that keep it simple. If you’re interested in my opinion of products and lines that fit the bill and are worth the money, stay tuned.

Influenster Spring Fling Vox Box

June 16, 20148 Comments

So.

If you are active on the social medias, have a blog or BOTH than you need to be signed up for Influenster if you haven’t already.

It took me about 10 minutes, I linked up all my SM accounts and BAM – 2 weeks later I was notified that I would be receiving the Spring Fling Vox Box. FOR FREE. Yes, my friends. I actually received free things. I feel like a real, live beauty blogger. Who is begged by major brands to promote their goods and services on the daily. I’m SO cool you guys.

AnyWHO – yes. Anyone can sign up, so give ‘er a try. I have no referral link and am not getting a dime for talking about any of these products. I just like free stuff. Simple as that.

Here’s what I got!

Kiss Press-On Nails

I am really excited to put these on. I have tried the Impression ones and they were SO thick that I couldn’t run my fingers through my hair without ripping out 20 strands. These look pretty and fairly natural, obvs I will report back.

Nivea Skin Firming Body Lotion

I am already a huge fan of Nivea. This formula seems like it’s RIGHT up my alley though – skin firming!? Yes please.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Retro Glam Mascara

When I think of retro glam eyelashes, I think Twiggy. Yes, I will take a set of those! I am not sure about the hourglass brush, but of course I will give it a shot.

Peach Cobbler Air Freshener

This was to promote the movie Labor Day…whatevs. You guys know I love me some car air fresheners, esp the ones by Yankee. Not too sure about the peach cobbler scent and how that would mix with dirty hiking clothes in the back of Bry’s Jeep.

Softlips 5 in 1 Cube

I am SO PUMPED to try this little sucker out. It seems all the chapstick brands are trying to emulate the EOS balms (which I find to be fairly waxy, btw, they do work well as a lipstick base though). This will get lots of use this summer!

Playtex Sport Tampons

Let’s just go ahead and discuss this, shall we? Ew. Free feminine hygiene products are always a win in my book, I hate buying them. Also, I love that there is a chick hurdling on the box. It’s the stupidest predicament to feature, like how many women that buy these actually hurdle? Why not show a woman sitting on the couch with seven blankets, a Bud Light tall-boy and a Dance Moms marathon. MUCH more accurate if you ask me.

That’s all she wrote, folks.’Til next time!

Engagement Photo Prep

June 1, 20142 Comments

Happy Weekend BBs!

Tomorrow, (well today if you’re reading this on Sunday) we are taking our engagement pics. IknowIknow, it’s like 3 minutes before our wedding (really it’s 34 days) but SHUT UP, we’re just a little late mmmkay?

So today, while Bryan took 4,000 practice exams and calculated derivatives I got ourselves ready to put on our Sunday clothes. I chose two dresses a week ago at Express that I died over. I am wearing ONLY dresses in these pics because I am a classy broad. I am outfitting Mr. Nash is slacks, crisp oxfords, khakis and a casual button-down. Call me old-fashioned but there’s something about a couple posing sweetly in sandblasted, rhinestone encrusted denim in a park that makes me shutter. Hence, we shall opt for the route more tradish.

I also needed to procure a couple beauty aids to make me into an attractive human being.

1.) A new set a’falsies

These’ll do ya.

2.) Napoleon Perdis Boudior Mist Foundation…totally NOT a necessity but me and Christian (at the Portland Nordstrom) determined that yes, actually it is.

I am really anxious to give this baby a test-drive as I wore it all day and it performed like a champ. FLAWLESS coverage, like air-brushing, paraben free and it DOES NOT BUDGE. Boom-shakalaka!

This morning I painted my feet with Sally Hansons Ruby Sequin and my fingers with Mod About You and obvs slathered Out the Door topcoat for a high-shine, LOCK-IT-DOWN look.

Next I showered and applied my Michael Todd Pumpkin Mask (which STINGS btw, youch!). I rinsed that off and let two SKYN under eye skin-cooling pads do their thang for 15 minutes. After that, I self-tanned with the Tarte Maracuja Self Tanner and watched 1/2 an episode of Scandal naked while waiting for it to dry.

After that, I applied Moroccon Oil and Pureology 21 Benefits to my hair and wide-tooth combed it. Five minutes later, I went in with my Heat Tamer Spray and let that sink in before blowing my hair dry upside down.

Later tonight, I plan to brush through my extensions and get them prepped for curling tomorrow. After I iron our clothes and consume a couple BLLs I should be all set 🙂

Wish us luck! I’ll obviously be sharing the photos…duh.

Rodan + Fields Self-Tanner and Skincare Review

March 31, 2014February 22, 20177 Comments

**For more pictures and an updated review on this product, click here!**

My lovely co-worker and friend, Megan was kind enough to allow me to try a few products from the Rodan + Fields skincare line to try. She has been selling their products for about a year and lemme just tell you, her skin is gorgeous.

Rodan + Fields Essentials Foaming Sunless Tan 4.2oz $24

As a huge fan of any cancer-free tan, I was thrilled to try this one in particular because it is made by actual dermatologists. Which means I knew it wouldn’t be poisonous, cause break-outs or be super orangey.

And I was right.

Step One: I started out by taking a shower and exfoliating my skin with the Tree Hut Body Scrub in Brazilian Nut which smells DIVINE. As any avid tan-in-a-can girl will tell you, exfoliation before tan application is key.

Step Two: I used 2.5 pumps per leg and noticed right away that the product was not tinted. Some brands use what’s called “color-guard” to make it easier to see any areas you have missed. The color-guard tint also means that usually it’s best to apply with a tanning mitt.

Since this foam is clear, I just used my bare hands and went to town. The smell was really nice and kind of citrusy, WAY better than most self-tanning products. The label advised “finishing one area completely before moving on to the next” and when I began to work the product into my skin, I knew why. The foam absorbs SUPER quickly into the skin, which means you gotta work quickly. No dilly-dallying. No time to stop and clip your toenails. But I kinda loved it. I loved that it was absorbing so nicely and evenly into my skin, instead of sitting grossly on top, making me feel “wet”. Literally, 5 minutes later, I was all done!

Freshly applied – nevermind my gross, veiny foot

Forearm – before

Step Three: After a thorough hand washing, I walked around our bathroom watching YouTube makeup tutorials and eating handfuls of Fruit Looks naked while the product completely dried. Now THERE’S A SITE! Within minutes, my skin felt completely dry (not like, dry-dry though) and I could get dressed.

*Here are shots from the next morning.

Overall, I really liked the tanning foam. The developed color is not super dark, but I think that’s what I like about it. While I would not use it for that instant, deep dark tan – I love it as an everyday, subtle “glowy” tanned look.

The next products I reviewed came packaged so cutely and conveniently. Here we have the Microdermabrasion Paste, the Night-Renewing Serum and the Lip-Renewing Serum.

Step One: I started out with a (relatively) clean face (makeup wipes only).

Just. Don’t be jealous.

Then I squeezed out the entire packet of paste onto the tips of my fingers and began massaging it into my skin for 30-60 seconds as instructed.

The paste had a wonderful, almost warming effect on my skin and felt amaaaazing as I worked it around. Call me cray, but I could literally feel my skin moving and tightening below the surface of the product. SOMETHING was happening and I luuurved it.

Step Two: A minute later, I rinsed the product off and patted my skin dry. Then I went in with the face serum and literally – just, oh m’lord. The Hallelujah chorus went off in my head. Or maybe my face? Hallelujah! Said my pores. Hallelujah! Exclaimed my fine fines. It was like my skin was finally given a big ol’ drink of water. Actually, not a drink. It was given a Big Gulp.

Guys, this serum is JUST the best. The best, Jerry, the best. My skin was like a friggen’ baby’s bottom.

Step Three: Then I smeared the lip-renewing serum all over my mouth. And I mean everywhere. I went WAY outside the lines and into the corners. It felt like the most luxurious lip gloss ever, like a rich oil. Even after Bryan and I watched an episode of Dexter AND I drank water – the product was still there, sinking into my lips.

So, yeah. I have never experienced such an enlightening night of skincare before in m’life. Perhaps it is because I haven’t tried products that really work. Which is kindof a depressing thought. No, these products are not cheap. But, I am a firm believer that with skincare – you absolutely get what you pay for.

I am so impressed with everything I tried from the Rodan + Fields line and will keep you all in the loop if I try out anything else. If you are interested in purchasing any products from the line, just click any of the links!

‘Til next time – stay lovely!

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