Home Additions & Springtime Fun

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Hello chocolate bunnies!

Everyone get their obligatory bag of 75% off jelly beans after Easter? GOOD.

When we moved into our new house, David and I immediately knew we wanted to do something about the state of the back deck (see below). And while the realtor pics ALWAYS make everything look 328934 times better with their fancy cameras and wide angle lenses, believe me when I say that the deck was def pretty old and splintery. No bueno!

So, last fall David and his stepdad ripped the sucker right on out and replaced the wood with Trex! A wise choice indeed. Then in March, David (along with the help of many) planned out, purchased lumber for and built a motherf*cking pergola. THE PERG.

He then strung lights through it (my only request).

So yeah. Go us!

Next on the docket was buying a Q. David happily scampered off to Lowe’s and literally purchased (much to my chagrin) the largest barbecue ever made. Behold:

Not even Meira can comprehend it’s great size.

“But Natalie, it has a charcoal AND gas side!” he says.

I was literally picturing the good ol’ Smokey Joe of yesteryear so I had to let out a good chuckle and let bygones be bygones. The man likes his fire machine and I like this man.

Up next it was high time to address this modern monstrosity:

And absolutely no shade to anyone who fancies this light fixture (you can have it, btw). It just doesn’t seem to “fit” the  house (read: it’s a size behemoth) and the decor (read: could be a prop from The Matrix). Luckily, I had Nan and Meg in town so we went to Home Depot and I scored this adorable, weathered-wood number for a mere $99. We think it was an online return (read: limited edish).

With the lights on.

SO. Much. Better.

Then I decided our very white kitchen needed  a splash of color so I decided I wanted a valance for the window. Yes, a valance. For any of you readers our there that are NOT little old ladies, a valance is a very short curtain for a window that is typically in the home of (you guessed it) a little old lady. So, I scoured the stores and the web for such a thing and surprise surprise – good options are NOT easy to come by. I ended up custom ordering (what I thought) was a perfect pattern in lovely, complimentary colors to the room.

Here is what I ended up with:

NO. Just, no.

It looked like the Copa Cabana up in hurr.

And it really sucks because the fabric was nice and the lady who sewed them from Etsy did a great job. I just made a $25 bad choice. Again, any takers on some beautiful, albeit vibrant little kitchen curtains?

And then of course, there are these stunningly beautiful Portland days we randomly get that wet our whistle to the forthcoming months. These days are best enjoyed outside and preferably with a canine companion. Namely, Meira.

Yes, she is my flower child.

And then there are overalls.

Note the gingerbread socks. I’m sorry Meg (she can’t stand when people don’t take their socks off when trying on short items).

I did not buy these and have realized a few things when it comes to myself as I relate to overalls.

  1. Much like bodysuits and the dreaded romper/playsuit/onesie – overalls are just NOT made for us Amazons.
  2. Despite my best, most well-intended efforts, I may have to fork over more cash than I want to spend if I want a pair of these.
  3. Overalls are not going to happen to me as easily as I thought.

Darn.

Lime Crime Diamond Crushers Review

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Hello little glitter fairies!

The other day I FINALLY got around to really playing with this awesome little set sister Meg gifted me for Valentines Day. Hailing from Lime Crime, the diamond crushers are a product I have OBVIOUSLY been highly intrigued by ever since I saw my homegirl Kelly Eden do a review on them.

I mean really, do you expect anything less from me? Give me a sparkly, color-shifting lip topper ANY DAY.

Let’s get to the majesty shall we?

This would be the Lime Crime Glinda Diamond Crusher Set. Even the box looks like a piece of candy which is 10 out of 10 my aesthetic.

Here we have the colors Choke, Pink Pearl and Acid Fairy.

Here are some fresh swatches. While I thought the white iridescent color did swatch a bit patchy and splotchy I KNEW it would be gorgeous centered on the lower lip.

 

And I was right! Also, CHOKE. Such a great name. I started with a base down, as I thought a more realistic application would be to place over the top of a color. I chose Mac’s Creme Cup for this job.

Here is the lipstick on it’s own (control group).

And here is Choke.

Next up, Pink Pearl.

And lastly, Acid Fairy.

I really love this product. All three colors are really gorgeous in their own way. They add a fun, glitzy touch to the lips and would be gorgeous over a variety of different lip colors. On their own they might come off a bit patchy but not anything terrible. I will get tons of wear outta these!

If I had to pick a favorite though, I would choose Acid Fairy. I mean, look how pretty it is..

Oh! And here are the swatches after about 20 minutes or so. Still SO pretty and glittery.

What are YOUR thoughts on these little lip toppers?

Happiness Is…

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An ice-cold G&T right when you need it. AMIRIGHT!?

But also. There has been so much friggin’ happiness in my life as of late I just feel compelled to share it. Because I’ve got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart.

Where?

Down in my heart!

WHERE?

DOWN IN MY HEART!

But srsly, it ain’t just Tate. It’s a whole lotta things.

It’s getting together with my cousins.

One of which, I haven’t gotten to see in like 2983 years!

And meeting my cousins precious baby Tony (Tate is his mentor).

It’s getting to see my sis Rachel and filtering the absolute bejesus out of our faces.

It’s getting a random bouquet of flowers from my Dad, the OG man in my life.

And E bein’ the best Girl Scout she can be! Juliette Gordon Low would be proud.

It’s my main squeeze Dah-vide who I get to marry in like a month. I am SO excited.

 And last, but certainly NOT least.

My Meira. The best doggy in the whole world.

Let me know what is making you happy these days. I’d love to know :).

 

The Ordinary Skincare Review

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Hello lemon-heads!

Today is an exciting day. A VERY exciting day.

Today marks the official first day of my adventures in a new skin care line! (not spons’d. i wish)

Never in MY LIFE have I been a one-brand girl. In fact, those of you out there who always buy the same exact soap, cereal, laundry detergent, etc., I ask you – WHY!? There is just too much variety out there for me to want to stick to THE SAME stupid brand each time. I prefer to mix it up and get a little crazy. Except when it comes to dry shampoo because YOU KNOW the best brand for that, obvs.

But when I caught wind that there was a skincare brand boasting powerful concentrations of quality ingredients with price points as low as $6, I was SHOOKETH.

Give me a bargain  or give me death, I always say. And while you’re at it, make it work.

After I wrote about how I wrecked my skin just shy of a year ago, I had all kinds of folks giving me all kinds of advice. “Don’t try lasers!” they said. “Try this $200 set!”, they said. And I was intrigued. I DO want the spots to fade, the lines to disappear. But at what cost? In my book, $200 for a 90-day supply of product just isn’t worth it. I’d rather go to Paris, or buy us a nice dinner out or maybe the 6-foot Pusheen plush at Fuego. Doing a laser treatment is also not off my radar but I am pretty much going to need a 100% guarantee that it will work.

So in the meantime, I decided to give The Ordinary a shot. This brand is now available on Sephora.com but I placed my order on deciem.com.

Here are the products I purchased and the reasons I purchased them:

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalene

  • Should help fade my sun spots
  • Also helps fine lines and signs of ageing

I went with the Retinoid versus Retinol because I read that they are stronger. I decided on the highest percentage because my sun spots are pretty intense.

The Ordinary 100% Plant Derived Squalene

  • Helps with hydration
  • Also great for my damaged hair

I decided on this product after reading multiple articles about how great it is. Plus, I like the word squalene :).

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2%

  • Amazing for hydration
  • Helps “plump” the skin

OF COURSE I got a hyaluronic acid. This ingredient is produced naturally but the production slows down over time. I have seen first-hand the amazing effects of hyaluronic acid and how glowy and plump it makes the skin appear.

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2%

  • Also helps with hyperpigmentation and spots

I purchased this one because of the high concentration of the active ingredients at 2%. The standard is 1% and Mama needs all the help she can get.

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

  • Intense Hydrating  lotion

I wanted to try at least one product that was not an oil-based serum from the line and this lotion is regarded very highly. Also, you get 100 mls for less than $8!

Over the past few days of using these pups I can attest to their keen absorption into the skin, the wonderful absence of scent and the ease of the packaging.

And since I am so very excited to see how the results pan out, I am doing before and afters! So here is my BEFORE in all her eye goop and age spots, morning glory.

Let me know if YOU have tried any products from The Ordinary! I hear they make a nice foundation too :).

Wet’n’Wild Photofocus Foundation Review

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Hello chocolate eggs!

 

Your homegirl is in desperate need of a new foundation which poses many-a-problem.

First, I am a terrible decision-maker and take 934892 hours to decide on really anything in life. This means that facing the counters at Sephora and Ulta and having to make a decision can be super triggering. I want something dewy, but not too dewy, great coverage but not heavy or cakey, long-wearing and doesn’t settle into fine lines. A tall order, I know.

My sister swears by drugstore foundations but I have never been a fan. I decided to do some due diligence on the topic and was inundated with information and conflicting views. So I decided to head to the store, see if anything was on sale and make a decision there.

I walked in to Rite Aid and faced the wall of infinite choices. L’Oreal Lumi? Maybelline Fit Me? Covergirl Bombshell? AAAAAH. My palms started to sweat as I rounded the corner to Wet’n’Wild and made the snap decision that yes, I, Natalie Kate, was going to try the Photofocus foundation.

Widely known in the beauty community as a dependable, photo-friendly foundation with good coverage and a $6 price point, this foundation is a favorite among many varying skin types. I was hesitant with my dry skin but since Wet’n’Wild was 30% off that day, I could roll the dice with $4.

I took another 238945 minutes selecting the right shade and ended up with Nude Ivory.

The next day I whipped ‘er out and smothered ‘er all over my mug. My thoughts are as follows:

PACKAGING

Love the glass bottle and the amount you get (1 0z). The spatula-esque applicator was aight. Definitely liked it better than the treacherous pour-out style but would have probably preferred a pump instead.

APPLICATION

The application was pretty easy. Not too hard to blend in and I found it easy to build up in certain areas.

COVERAGE and WEAR

The coverage is nice! Definitely not as luminous as I like (even with Mac Strobe Cream underneath) but not overly matte either. Upon initial application, the coverage and wear was pretty, as shown here. Also. CHECK OUT MY BUH-LINDING HIGHLIGHT.  It is Mary-Lou Manizer from The Balm! NO filters neither.

Where I started to get in trouble was when I checked my face in the mirror around 4 pm that day. This picture was taken at around 1 pm (in florescent lighting no less) to try and capture the severity of a very dry skin patch on my nose but you can see the foundation starting to break down and settle in around my mouth. Also, check out the little blemish on the corner of my mouth! Three cheers for realness!

Totally get that LOTS of foundations do not hold up super well for 8 hours, but this one looked especially gnarly. As  in, not-even-398434-sprays-of-Fix + would-have-fixed-this gnarly. The foundation had settled SO far in to my fine lines that they looked like the crevasses of Everest. Just baaaaaaad.

So I will definitely not be wearing this foundation to work everyday but for an afternoon tea and crumpets, it’ll do.

What do you y’all recommend I try??

Current Winter Skincare Routine

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Hiya buddies!

 

The other night as I nestled myself cozily into bed, I realized something. I patted it my eye cream and thought, “Wow, I take awhile to get ready for bed.” What once took me minutes to accomplish now takes well over 15 minutes and why? #thirtysomethingproblems

The amount of steps involved in my current winter skincare routine rivals the cha-cha-cha. Here’s how it breaks down:

STEP ONE: Remove makeup

Lately I have been using the Earth Science Creamy Fruit Oil Cleanser to remove makeup and cleanse the skin. As a dry gal, I need a gentle product that cleans the skin but isn’t overly harsh. This stuff works great and is only about $10.

STEP TWO: Tone

My all-time favorite facial spray is the Beauty Elixir from Caudalie, mostly because it smells like a bougie spa and makes my face tingle.

STEP THREE: Moisturize

For me, moisturizer comes in many different forms. On a typical night I have been using the Skin Laundry Restoring Night Serum, followed by the Boscia Deep Hydration Sleeping Mask. The serum has a bit of a funny smell but pairs nicely with the sleeping mask.

If I need an extra surge of moisture, I will throw a sheet mask on. I am not too picky about the sheet masks these days but I LOVE these ones from Karuna.

If I want a lighter moisturizer for my face, I will use the Origins Ginzing Energy-Boosting Gel Moisturizer. I LOVE this line from Origins.

On my eyes, I have been using the Juice Beauty Smoothing Eye Concentrate. I smear this stuff all the way around my eye and it feels amazing.

Sometimes, if I want a CRAZY amount of moisture under my eyes, I apply some Confetti Cake Lip Balm, from Treat Beauty. It is basically straight-up coconut oil.

For my lips, I like to exfoliate! This Elf Lip Exfoliator in Mint Maniac is just the ticket. I follow up with more of my beloved Treat Beauty lip balm.

 

In regards to body care, I use a couple of different products for added moisture before bed.

On my thighs, I apply the CeraVe Renewing SA Lotion which helps with KP (read a whole post on that here).

Everywhere else, I apply this Exfolicare Coconut Oil Creme that David’s aunt Sandi got me from Maui. IT IS AMAZING and if we go back, I am hunting it down and buying it by the barrel.

That is about it for my winter skincare routine. What do I need to try next?! Let me know in the comments below!

Valentines Day Gift Guide

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Good morning strawberry zingers!

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I LOVE VALENTINES DAY. Ok ok, it might have something to do with the color scheme and the fact that candy is err’where but who cares!? It’s the best. And because I’m a little bit extra, I LOVE to give cute Valentines gifts out this time of year. Because what’s better than getting a pink and red themed care package? NOTHING.

 For Gals

Daryl Dixon Shirt 

Etsy – $15

This item needs no explanation. If you do not watch The Walking Dead than I am sorry.

Love you More Pillow 

T.J Maxx – $20

I say this phrase to all my loved ones and it is always true. Everyone needs seasonal throw pillows amiright!? You could also keep this on your bed anytime of the year!

“Be Mine” Tee Shirt

H&M – $13

This little tee shirt makes me so happy. Notice the tiny heart detail on the bottom? The fit is actually very nice and at $12.99 – it’s a steal!

Candle in Honeysuckle

Bath & Body Works – $24 (USE A COUPON!)

My sister Megan turned me on to the gloriousness of honeysuckle scents from BBW. This one comes in an adorable V-Day themed jar that you can clean out and use for cotton balls when you are done!

Rose Jam Body Spray

Lush – $40

FINALLY Lush has answered my prayers. I have been tweeting the companies for years asking for this scent to become available in a perfume or body splash. IT IS HERE! Hopefully Davy is reading because…hint hint…I WANT THIS.

I will now work on tweeting Lush about a candle in this scent. Aw yiss.

FOR HIM

52 Reasons I Love You Idea

Do I love cheesy, lovey-dovey gift ideas? IS THE POPE CATHOLIC?

I love making sh*t like this for people I adore. Click the link about for a step-by-step HOW TO on how to make this!

Angels Envy Whiskey 

$50

This bottle-o-booze is representative of any alcohol or food item that your guy or gal loves. It’s nice to step it up a notch on V-Day and spend a little more on something bougie. Dahvide LURVES this whiskey.

Replica At the Barber’s Cologne

Maison Margiela – $130

I just recently smelt this sucker at Sephora and lemme tell ya – I almost bought it for myself. It smells like a clean, sexy man. Who doesn’t like that?

FOR BOTH

Crosley Pink Turntable Record Player

Amazon – $64

David got me this exact record player for Hanukkah last year along with 3 of my favorite albums. I CRIED. It was the most thoughtful and romantic gift ever. We slow danced in the living room. I love owning a record player again and this one comes in SO many colors!

Origins Love Oil

Good Clean Love – $22

Guys, you can put this stuff errwhere. Catch my drift? On occasion, I do make David rub my shoulders and go to town on this hump on my back I’ve had FOREVER. I used to think massage oils were just not necessary until we tried this stuff. It smells amazing and makes the massage feel about 92784 times better. This brand (more on them later) also uses aphrodisiacs in several of their products and like HELLO, yes! Please be more attracted to me! I love that and seriously feel that they work.

Myths & Legends Organic Aphrodisiac Perfume 

Good Clean Love – $30 each

These two fragrances are not for dilly-dallying.

Legends is the more “masculine” scent, with notes East Indian Sandalwood, Omani Frankincense, and Bulgarian Rose. The scent does NOT mess around guys. And either you love this or hate it. I tend to like heavier scents, myself.

Myths is the more “feminine” scent. I really enjoyed how this scent paired with Legends.

I think any couple would get a kick out of trying this set of two fragrances.  It would be fun to try wearing them out together on a date night! Plus, the small size means you’re not making a huge investment on a giant bottle. Win!

*I was sent the Good Clean Love products complimentary for testing. All opinions are my own.