i’ve tried to figure out the easiest way to wake up with hassle-free hair. i don’t have a lot of free time nowadays (did i mention that i’m a mom?) so if i find something quick and easy, it’s a winner! i stumbled across this tutorial and decided to give it a shot.

here are my results (all i did was take out the headband - i didn’t add any product or use styling tools). i’ll continue trying to perfect it (hers looks way better), but for my first time, i’m fairly happy with the outcome.

(there was a horrible glare on my glasses so…this is what you get).

i love a good eyeliner (as opposed to a bad one). below is a swatch comparison between four eyeliners that i own and love for different reasons.

- revlon colorstay in black (far left): the cheapest of the four. as you can see, it’s not as pigmented as the other three, but i usually put a liquid eyeliner over the pencil eyeliner anyway. bang for your buck!

- nyx slide on in jet black (second from left): THE BEST “drugstore” brand eyeliner, ever. i put drugstore in quotes because while it’s considered a drugstore brand, you can’t really find them at a drugstore. weird. it’s more pigmented than revlon’s brand and it slides on like butta. 

- too faced perfect eyes in perfect black (third) and urban decay in perversion (last): i lump these two together because i can’t tell the difference between them. i love them equally…both are super dark and buttery at one swipe (time saver, yo!). the too faced pencil comes with a blender built on the eyeliner brush (which is nice) but i still use my go-to smudge brush from target…i’ve had it for YEARS and haven’t found a better one. 

now somebody tell me how to get these stripes off my hand. 

p.s. that was a joke. i know how to get them off. acid.

p.p.s. that was a joke, too. i know you have to use a small flame to melt them off.

p.p.p.s. that wasn’t a joke. somebody please send help or i’ll end up like this.

i’ve tried false eyelashes twice. and failed…twice. they’re irritating to the point where my eyes are itchy, red, and watery. not a good combination. so i’ve had to improvise and come up with a way to fake longer lashes than i actually have.

here’s the routine:

i start by curling my lashes with shiseido’s eyelash curler. then i put on a couple coats of diorshow maximizer plumping serum, followed by a couple coats of urban decay’s cannonball mascara. to finish it off, i put one coat of buxom lash mascara on my top and bottom lashes. 

it may seem like a lot of steps (and mascara!), but i’m pleased with the clump-free results it gives without the itchy, watery eyes, and the pain that comes with false eyelashes. and really….false eyelashes? ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat!

before.

after.

while i’m not obsessed with the show, i do like the quirky comedy ‘new girl’ (i mean, come on…who saw the kiss between jess and nick?! they’re no jim & pam, but still…i fist pumped when they finally locked lips).

i’ve been trying to find out what makeup zooey wears (namely, her eyeshadow). i finally found the product she uses on her website, hello giggles. it came at no surprise that she uses rimmel eyeshadow “glam eye” in heart of gold, the brand she endorses. i was pumped that it was a cheap, drugstore brand that i could try out (and i got it on sale for $3.50!). 

i had originally thought her eyeshadow was a reddish/brown color, but this is  gold and sparkly - something i would normally stay FAR away from. it looks flashy in the container, but surprisingly blends into my everyday, natural makeup quite well. i used the gold shadow on the base of my eyelid and contoured with urban decay’s brown shadow ‘buck’ in the crease.

two thumbs up for an affordable look! 

tools.

revlon curl magic styling wand - obsessed with this. takes no time at all to create voluminous waves that last all day. my hair NEVER holds curl, but when I use this in the morning, I still have the same amount of curl at night! 

scunci hair bow clip - holds MUCH better than a bobby pin - and looks way cuter, too.

clothing.

long & lean maternity tanks - you don’t have to say it. i know i’m not pregnant anymore. BUT - these tanks are PERFECT for layering. super slimming, too. i’ll will wear these forever, pregnant or not.

lightweight boat-neck tees - here’s a little trick. order these puppies from the TALL section. then they’ll be nice and long…another perfect layer.

terry crew sweatshirt - long (see a pattern here?), comfortable, classy. i only wish they’d come in more colors!

makeup.

two faced perfect eyes waterproof eyeliner + stila waterproof liquid eyeliner - i love lining my eyes with two faced first, then using a liquid eyeliner over it for a more precise line (because i’m horrible at using ONLY the liquid eyeliner…smudge city). 

shiseido eyelash curler - actually curls my lashes. i never had luck with the drugstore brand.

urban decay cannonball mascara - i jump around from mascara to mascara, but i really do love this one. it separates while maintaining my curl. 

my current, future, & forever favorite: 

Exciting news - I have a perfect 7 week old baby boy! His Daddy and I love him so much. Now that I’ve been a Mommy for a couple months, I wanted to write a post on my favorite baby items (inspired by Sylvia Osorno). 

Aden and Anais Azure Bamboo Muslin Collection - I’ve never found a softer blanket (make sure it’s from the Bamboo Collection - the other ones are soft, but not THIS soft). 

Aden and Anais Burby Bibs - So soft, and I love how big they are (my son doesn’t like to limit himself on how far his spit up travels). Thanks to Erin Maguire for suggesting these gems!

Avent Pacifiers - Some people hate pacifiers, some love them. I’m a lover, not a hater. Really, though…it’s been a lifesaver. If he would have started out taking these and ended up hating the breast, I wouldn’t use them, but he does fine with both. 

Baby Bjorn - He loves snuggling close to Mommy or Daddy while we get things done around the house!

Bulb Syringe - Perfect for those snotty noses! They usually give you one in the hospital to take home. 

SwaddleMe - He loves being snuggled for bedtime!

BabyWise - I love this book - it really helped me figure out a routine for Samuel. He’s now been sleeping so well during his naps and bedtime. This is also an amazing website to help BabyWise followers understand it even better (thanks, Karen Courliss)!

Kate Spade Diaper Bag - I am obsessed with this diaper bag (thanks to Juliana Doxey). No, I did not spend $400 on a diaper bag (do you think I’m stupid?) - you can find AMAZING deals on Ebay! I got this beauty for $100 (which, to me, is totally worth it…and is what a diaper bag can usually cost). It’s functional AND fashionable. I love it.

That’s it for now - next post featuring what I carry in my diaper bag! :)

I’m a foundation snob and generally think that if it isn’t expensive, it doesn’t work (my poor husband’s wallet) - UNTIL I found out about Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup. I read multiple reviews of bloggers who also used expensive foundation and discovered this gem. My face is a little darker in the summer, and I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a new foundation (baby on the way!), so I knew I had to try it out. I love it. Seriously. Not cakey or thick, but still has a nice buildable coverage. If you’re looking for a new, inexpensive foundation, give this a try!