NOTD #6: Let Them Breathe!

More so because of lack of time, but also because I needed to shape and buff my nails to get ridges and stains off my nails, and that takes a minute, I decided to go au natural (plus clear coat).  An un-painted nail is an unprotected nail!

So here is what my natural nails look like.

I love long nails that are shaped in a soft square.  I like the look of square nails, but they always catch, snag and tear, so I always soften the edges.  I do not like the round, granny nails.   I used to hate the stiletto nails, but they’ve kind of grown on me.  And coffin nails are pretty cute too, just not practical for me.  I keep it pretty basic.

The clear coat is OPI Nail Envy for Sensitive and Peeling Nails.  I love it!  I always use this as my base coat and in a pinch will use as my top coat as well.  My nails still peel, but not nearly as much as they did before.

Now to determine my next manicure color.

~TiffanyC

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NOTD #5: Back to Bright

This nail polish is revolutionary!  I have never even heard of the brand, but I am now a devoted fan and will be purchasing more colors.  Color Club nail polish is shiny without a topcoat, extremely chip-resistant and lasts FOR. EV. ER.  Seriously, I work with my hands all day every day and this polish has lasted one week with no chips and two weeks with minimal, can-barely-see-them chips.  I ordered the color Edie, because Kandee Johnson was sporting it in an old YouTube video and we all know I must have what Kandee has.  That’s a given. 🙂

It applies so smooth and opaque and it has a finish like a gel nail polish.  I had work people ask me about it being a professional gel manicure and I was like, “Nope – just the home polished awesomeness that is Color Club!”

It looked super bright in Kandee’s video, but when I polished, it didn’t.  I was a little disappointed, but turns out it was the crappy lighting.  It’s definitely bright and takes on an almost neon hue when outside in natural light.  I am absolutely in love with the color and this brand for sure!  Also it makes me look more tan, which is the dream I perpetually chase.

They are $8.50 from the Color Club website.  I got mine from Amazon for $4, but I would pay $8.50 for their polishes again and again!  They are sooo worth it!

If any of you have any Color Club polishes, please leave a picture comment.  I’d love to see some more swatches so I know what to buy next!

~TiffanyC

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in OPAL + Primer Sample Review

If you don’t already own one of Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfectors, go buy it now!

I have been dying to share this amazing product with y’all for a while now.  It has become my holy grail for highlighters, even more so than my Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight highlighter. Although I must say I do still love the Candlelight highlighter for a softer look.  Becca Opal is definitely more intense.

I heard about this highlighter from the incredible Jaclyn Hill (check her out on YouTube).  She uses the Opal shade and I didn’t think I was as tan as she is, but when I tried it on in Ulta, Opal was definitely for me.  I could have gone with Moonstone, but I like the warmth of Opal.  Moonstone is more white than gold.

This product is pricey ($38 – ouch), but I think once you get it, you’ll never have to buy another one again.  Plus it’s multi-functional.  You can use it for cheek, cupid’s bow, chin, forehead, brow bone, tear duct or even as an eye shadow if you like a shimmery lid.  I’ve actually used it on my lips to create a matte highlight in the middle of my bottom lip.  Whatever you use it for, it’s fabulous and I can’t say that enough.  I want everyone to have it because it’s absolutely gorgeous! Usually I’m compelled to try all the new or classic makeup that I’ve never used, but I can officially say I’m done buying highlighters.  Awesome job Becca Cosmetics!!!

The packaging is very sturdy and clean looking.  The outside rim is rubbery so in case you drop it, it stands a better chance of staying intact.

The swatch is beautiful!  I took a picture with it on my finger and then I swatched what was on my finger onto my hand so you can see how pigmented it is.  And even though it looks extremely intense and opaque on my finger, my hand swatch is more subdued and when applied to the face – complete perfection!  It’s like it blends itself into my skin.  Love it!  The application is effortless and leaves the most beautiful glow to your face without looking like an over-glitzed teenager.

If anyone wants to see how it looks applied with a full face of makeup let me know and I can post pictures of my wearing it, just leave your request in a comment.

As a bonus, I got a sample of Becca’s Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector.  This is hands down one of the best primers for pore reduction I have ever used!  I mean, it knocks Smashbox out of the water!  It’s $36 for the full size (ahh expensive), but whoa does it do its job!

My main issue are pores across my cheeks.  Gross!  So I’m constantly on the look out for pore-hiding primers.  The best ones I’ve ever tried are Smashbox and Benefit’s Porefection.  Both are excellent products and now I’m adding Becca’s primer to the mix.  It’s silky and makes my skin to smooth!  The perfect canvas for foundation.

I have the same thing to say about both of these products: they are essentials!  Especially if you need to cover pores and keep your face matte, but want a gorgeous highlight for a glowy finish.  If I get any comments wanting to see the highlighter applied to my face I’ll put this primer under my foundation so everyone can see it in action.

I know you’ll enjoy this product as much as I have!

Happy Makeuping!

~TiffanyC

Treat Lip Balms

I can honestly say I will never buy another lip balm, other than from Treat, again!

My blog should be named “I want whatever Kandee Johnson says is good.”  Can’t help it.  She likes the good stuff.

Anyway, in one of her YouTube videos she mentioned her new Treat lip balm in Marshmallow Crème.  So of course I had to get it.  I immediately put an order in with Amazon (to get the free shipping with a $35 purchase).  A few days later when I got it in, I wasn’t super impressed.  The jumbo tube was cool and easily accessible anywhere in my mess of a purse, but the actual balm didn’t have the great taste and smell that Kandee described.  I was super bummed.  After a few days though it really grew on me.  I guess I had to wear it down a little to get past the brand new taste, because now it tastes and smells great!  The feeling of it on my lips is divine, the smell is awesome, the taste is delicious and it softens my lips quickly.  Actually with my recent regular use, I never have chapped lips like I used to.

Move over Baby Lips, make room for Treat Lip Balm!  I have four of five balms.  In the order shown above: Marshmallow Crème, Soft Candy Pink Buttercream, Coconut Crème and Soft Candy Vanilla Buttercream.  There is also a Peach one, but I’m satisfied with the ones I have.  Last week Treat offered a buy one get one free deal on their website and I jumped on it for the two Soft Candy lip balms, so my collection is complete.

They retail for $9.99 each, so a great deal considering their size.  I’d estimate one Treat lip balm is 2.5 – 3.5 regular lip balms (like a Chapstick or Blistex).  It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I guess I’m leaning toward the Marshmallow Crème, but all of mine are like Heaven for your lips.

Another thing I love about them is they’re all natural!  I know what all these ingredients are!  I’m not condemning chemicals, but it’s nice to have natural options.  Not that I’ve tried this, but Kandee also mentioned you could use this stuff on fly-aways or even as a moisturizer in a pinch, but it makes perfect sense, because I’ve used these ingredients on my skin and hair before.  Win! Win!

I highly recommend these lip balms.  If you don’t have one, get one!  You won’t regret it!

~TiffanyC

Starting Her Out Early…

Just wanted to share a quick couple of pictures I thought were cute.  I was unpacking my makeup bag from a bridal practice run, and my daughter crawled up and started poking through all my MU.  I don’t know if it’s a good thing or not, but I hope, if it turns into an addiction like mine, she will stick to drugstore makeup until she buys it herself!

UPCOMING : Makeup Geek Eye Shadows!!!!

TEASER: After hearing rave reviews about Makeup Geek eye shadows, my curiosity was sparked and I ordered four MUG eye shadows.  They do not disappoint!  I was so in love with them I ordered five more.  I’m just waiting to try them out before I post my review, but I am so excited to share them with you!  Details coming!

NOTD #4 : Keep It Neutral

I’m definitely on a neutral kick now that I got my first neon of the spring out of the way.  I’ve been seeing white polishes all over Pinterest (you can follow me @ Tiff Any).  My YouTube beauty gurus have been sporting them and it just seems like a classic, clean, simple manicure that will go with everything and make me look more tan.

Instead of going with a White Out kind of white, I opted for a softer white.  I love the Essie nail polish formulas, and Marshmallow won the contest.  I ordered the bottle off of Amazon and painted my nails the morning after I got it in!This is two coats.  You can barely see my nail line, but I didn’t have enough time for a third coat or a top coat.  Although the shine was enough that I didn’t need a topcoat, it started to chip after three days; keep in mind I work with my hands all day every day, so my nails take a beating at work.

I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve heard that painting a white polish under a more shear color will brighten it up, similar to using a white shadow or pencil as an eye shadow base does for brightening a muted color.  Anyone have experience with this?  I think I’ll try it under OPI’s Rose Among Thorns to test it out.

I’m definitely going to give myself a pedicure with this color once my current toenail color wears off. What colors are you enjoying for Spring?

~TiffanyC

50 Random Questions Tag

Ok, I’ll shamelessly admit I took this from Dorkchops and thelifeofkristyn. I figured it would be a good way for readers to learn a little bit more about me.

1. Would you rather be twice as smart or twice as happy?
I’m already pretty happy, so I pick twice as smart.  If for some reason I’m unhappy about something, then I’ll have the smarts to fix it!

2. What’s your worst habit?
Being lazy, but some (most) days it’s feels sooo good to lay around watching beauty guru videos on YouTube!

3. Are you dating?
Nope.  I’m married.

4. Do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels?
If there’s any left over by the time I leave.

5. What is the one thing you’ll never do again?
I will never buy a new vehicle again. Buy used people!!!

6. Do you collect anything?
Makeup.

7. Worst injury you ever had?
I broke my hip a few years ago.  That got me out of work for 6 weeks!

8. What is your favorite pet/animal?
Dogs!  I have two: Carrie and Kona.

9. What’s your dream vacation?
To stay in one of those over-the-water-huts in Fiji.

10. Honestly, are things going the way you planned?
Definitely not, but things happen one way for a reason, so I’m very grateful to be where I am.

11. Do you have any tattoos?
No, but I think they’re super cool.

12. What’s your secret to lure in the opposite sex?
Here’s the secret: Don’t try to “lure” anyone to you.  The right person will come to you naturally.

13. Any phobias?
I’m really scared of aging.  Not getting old, but physically aging.

14. Do you bite your nails?
Not my nails, but my cuticles and it’s totally worse than nail-biting.

15. Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
No.

16. Heels or flats? Both
17. Have you ever stolen a street sign before? No
18. Do you always smile for pictures? Yes; it seems unnatural not to.
19. Do you ever dance even if there’s no music playing? Yeah, cuz there’s usually some kind of music in my head.
20. Do you miss anyone right now? I miss my baby and husband – that’s a given.

21. What’s your favorite color? Green
22. Do you want kids? Already have one!
23. Are you patient? Not particularly; however, I can pull it together for work.
24. Can you swim? Yep!
25. Tea or coffee? Coffee for morning, tea for afternoon.
26. What do you wear to bed? pajama pants and t-shirt most of the time.
27. Ever used a gun? yep

28. Do you sing in the shower? I hum.
29. Are you stubborn? Very
30. Are you lazy? I can be, but I make an effort not to be, because it irks me when I see other people being lazy.
31. Can you change the oil in a car? Not in the newer cars.  Totally could in my first Jeep.
32. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?  A couple months ago.  I write back and forth to my grandma sometimes.
33. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? no no no no no!
34. What is your favorite food? I have a severe sweet tooth, so anything and everything dessert-ish.
35. Do you still watch cartoons? Cartoon movies yes, but not the everyday ones.  They just don’t make them like they used to…
36. What movie(s) can you watch over and over again and not get bored? Gone With the Wind, The Other Woman, Julie and Julia, Fool’s Gold….the list could go on forever.
37. What superpower would you have for one day? The power to eat whatever I wanted and not suffer the consequences the next few days!
38. What’s been your favorite age so far? 22 was a good year, but so was 25…the best is yet to come?

39. How old are you?  Nope!  How old do I look? (Yes I have a complex about aging.)

40. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self? Lose weight now!  Your older self will thank you.

41. If you knew you would die in one week, what would you do? Def quit my job and spend every moment with my family.

42. What celebrity would you trade lives with? If Kate Middleton counts as a celebrity, her!

43. Do people ever take you seriously? I’m pretty sure people always take me seriously.

44. What happened the last time you cried? Nothing. I stopped crying and went to sleep.

45. Who knows you best? Probably my husband or maybe my mom.

46. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? Open.

47. What is your song of the week? I’m still loving All About That Bass.

48. Last person you kissed? My daughter when I dropped her off at daycare this morning.

49. Best thing to eat for breakfast? Omelets!

50. Does anyone know the password to your email? I know I’ve told my husband before, but whether or not he remembers it is another story.

Ombre Lip Trend

I’ve been seeing a ridiculous amount of people doing the ombre lip.  On Instagram (follow me @tikitiff25), if you don’t already follow @ellarie and @frenchtouchofmakeup, you need to pronto!  They are stunning and know what they’re doing with a makeup brush! They’ve both sported the ombre lip and I just loved it!  Not only does it make your lips look bigger(which I desperately need), but it’s just pretty.  I was inspired to try it out.

Let’s be real though.  Those gorgeous women are professional makeup artists and can get away with wearing more dramatic looks.  Even if the particular makeup is just for an Instagram photo or whatever, most of us not actually in the industry would probably not wear such a bold lip for everyday.  Or if you’re like me and don’t like the shape of your top lip and usually try to divert attention away from your mouth, a more subdued ombre lip is probably your best bet.

Here’s a close-up and a wide view:

FYI – I used Mac Soar lip liner and YSL Lingerie Pink lipstick.

I did ever-so-slightly over-line my top lip on the sides and it is extremely subdued compared to what I’ve seen all over IG and YouTube, but I was comfortable wearing this to work with simple eye makeup.  If you like it as is or think I could stand to make it a little more obvious, I’d love to hear some feedback.  Maybe it would look better matte instead of glossy? PLEASE tell me!  My co-workers are not cosmetically inclined!

Can’t wait to hear from you!

~TiffanyC

NOTD #3: Going Nude

Time to break away from the neons for a bit.  I’m craving a neutral.  My nails have never been this long before, so something to make them appear even longer, just so I can see how I like it.

One of my favorite nude nail colors is Topless and Barefoot by Essie.  It’s such a pretty, neutral polish!

Plus I love the formula of Essie’s polishes.  I haven’t had one yet that I don’t like.  Although last year I bought Haute As Hello, and it has changed colors in a year’s time.  Eh, oh well.

Maaaaybe all my nails aren’t the same length, but I think the light color helps disguise that fact.  Plus the color is classy and timeless and goes with everything.  I’ve been sporting this color for the better part of a week and I just love it.  And any issues with chipping are very easily overlooked because of the color.

If I didn’t have so many other nail polishes to wear I’d re-manicure in this same color again.  Last picture and I’ll stop, promise.

It looks more white than nude here, but it must be the lighting and background.  It really is the most gorgeous nude color.  I’d say it’s the perfect match with Revlon’s Soft Nude lipstick, if you’re familiar with that color.

I just ordered a super awesome turquoise color by Color Pop.  Anyone want to see how that one turns out?

~TiffanyC

Happy Dance to the Tune of WEIGHT LOSS!!

I have never lost this much weight before.  In nearly two decades of perpetual dieting, the most I’ve ever lost was 40 pounds on the HCG diet.  I loved that diet, but the minute I started dipping into old habits and not weighing everyday to keep it under control it started to creep back.  Here’s hoping that doesn’t happen this go round.

I’ve been following the Slim For Life program since October and today at my weigh in, I had surpassed the 50 pound mark!  Yes ladies, I have officially lost 51 pounds since I started!  I was so excited!  This whole week has been kind of blah and I haven’t had any new makeup treats to perk me up, so to find out all my hard work and constant effort has gotten me 51 pounds closer to my goal was phenomenal!

I was so happy I even took a Jeep selfie when I left the S4L center.

The weird high-five is supposed to indicate 50 pounds gone!  Which is what I texted all my friends who know I’m trying to slim down.

Here is what I looked like two days after I had my daughter last year.  A word of caution: I am literally two days post partum and have not a stitch of makeup on, but you can see what I was working with 11 months ago.

Awwww…..look at that sweet baby!  I could just slather that precious dino face with a million kisses!  (I thought she looked like Little Foot in the face when she was born.)  I digress.

Anyway, you can clearly see how much weight I’ve lost from my face, which is the first place people notice when I lose any weight.

Onward to my next goal of losing 75 pounds!  Wish me luck because I will surely need it!

Everyone have a great weekend!

~TiffanyC