Update and Favorite Blogggers?!

I've been a terrible blogger lately and I feel so out of the loop. Now that our move is finally done, with only a few more boxes left to unpack, I can finally start blogging on a regular basis again.. well for the most part anyways. The only real downside to moving is the service. I use my phone for the internet, which means I also use my phone to blog and unfortunately my service is not that great. Hopefully in the up coming weeks we can get internet on. It would be so much easier typing on an actual keyboard versus a touch screen. 

With that being said, I have a question for you all! I follow the people that I do because I genuinely love your blogs and because we have common interests. I generally like to follow those who do not have thousands and thoudands of followers. Why? Well, I don't know if this has happened to anyone else before, but when I really like someones blog and I've been following them for awhile, I start to see a change in their writing style, their posts, their personality in general. Usually that happens when they become a very well known name, you get sponsers, and they want their material to seem more mature and professional. Truly, that is really great and all, but I feel like they lose their passion, their reason for starting in the first place, and their personality that we grew to love.

And now to my question. Because I love the blogs that I follow so much, I'm interested in seeing those that you all love! It can be as many blogs as you'd like, but I would really love to know who you follow that inspire you and no matter what the post is they write, you never miss! Leave their links below so I can check them out, thank you!

Collective Drugstore Haul

I feel like it's been forever since I have been able to sit down and write a post. So today I will be sharing a haul I've gathered the past few days. New home means fresh new makeup!

The lighting on this one is a bit poor, but I am happy to say, our new home has a ton of windows, which means more natural lighting!! Also, everything you see in these two photos I had bought from Target.

I have a bit of a problem.. Or at least that's what my bf says. I've been cut off for a lil bit 

(LOL). In this photo everything was from CVS. I've been on the hunt for the Maybelline's The Smokes Palette, but sadly so far no luck. 

The first thing I got was Covergirls Clump Crusher Mascara with a Perfect Pointplus self-sharpening eye pencil. I've heard a bit about this mascara, and although I don't usually try to many, the name it self sounded good! As for the eye liner, the total came to a dollar more if I got the one without it, so why not(;

Everyone and their mom knows how much I love blush, and when I can find a good blush for a great price, you know I'm all over it! E.l.f's studo blushes are really nice with very little fallout, and awesome payoff for being only $3! I couldn't decide between the two so I got both. Left is Fuchsia Fusion and the right is Tickled pink, even though it looks for

more peachy in the picture.

Sorry for the odd ball lol. I don't exactly have a set place for pictures yet. But these are the three foundations I've been wanting to try.

First is the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation. I believe I got this in the lightest shade 110 Porcelain. 

Next is the Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation which I've heard sooooo many great things about. I wasn't sure which shade to get so I actually picked up two, 105 Classic Ivory and 110 Creamy Natural. 

And lastly, the L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation with Opti-Blur Technology in the shade Classic Ivory. I've heard many many different opinions on this, so I'm not really sure what to expect. 

If anyone has tried this before, tell me how you liked it!(:

Lately I've been really loving that "dewy"/"satin" finish, so I've been skipping my usual finishing powders. I absolutely love L'Oreals Luminous Foundation, so I decided to give this a try. And if Jaclyn Hill loves it, then that's good enough reason for me to try(;

This one isn't new, but a repurchase for me. Y'all know I can't get enough of this concealer!

This is the Sonia Kashuk Correct and Conceal Palette. I really want to try to the Mac one, however, I can't see spending $40 on that. This was only $12, and I've heard it's very similar. Maybe in the late future I'll budge for the higher end one!

These were believe it or not, more of an impulse buy. I never and I mean NEVER buy single eyeshadows. I was really hoping to find The Smokes Palette, this was the third store I have tried and still no luck. When I saw these, I remembered an instagram picture I had seen with all the pretty shades in line, and they looked soo pretty! As soon as I remembered that, I picked a few of my favorite colors, and went on my way. I guess my bf is right.. I do have a problem (woops)..

Well that is it for todays haul! I hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend!

Have you tired any of the products mentioned above?

If so, tell me your thoughts/opinions!(:

Oil Cleansing Method: What is it? + 14 Day Challenge!

Hello everyone! First off, I just want to say, the next few weeks are going to be very hectic since I move IN TWO DAYS!!! (Insert overly happy dance here! Hehe(; )

With that being said, I won't have as much time to blog, but stay with me, I'm not going anywhere!(:

Moving on. Pinterest was the culprit for this odd find, but before I get into that, let me tell you a little about my skin.



From the time I hit puberty, till the summer before my freshman year of highschool, I had horrible, horrible acne. I mean, you could spot them from a mile away.. It was bad. And no matter how many products I used from drugstore, to what my dermatologist prescribed, down to Proactive. Absolutely nothing worked, and I wish I was exaggerating. 

However, once highschool rolled around, I swear the magical blemish fairy came to me one night, waved her magic wand, and I woke up with perfect (or almost perfect, minus discoloration) skin! So for the next several years, I rarely had a blemish. In fact, it's been so long, once I started breaking out again, I had no idea what to do.. 

Only this time, they are not just blemishes, but cystic acne (awesome, right?) Thankfully however, instead of being all over my face like my puberty years, they seem to only remain on the contours of my cheeks and chin. Getting rid of them though, has been a complete and utter battle. It's embarrassing. So what does this oil cleansing have anything to do with this, you ask? Keep reading!

Oil Cleansing Method 

All our lives growing up, we are told that oil is bad, it clogs our pores and causes nasty breakouts, use oil free products, etcetera etcetera. Especially those of us with oily skin. Never once do you hear that oil is good for your skin, or anything of the sort. Oh no no no. Which, of course, when I first stumbled upon the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM), I was like "what? You want me to what?"

If you remember from chemistry, you learned that like dissolves like.
So in terms, oil dissolves oil.

How to do the OCM

The idea is, you create your unique mixture of natural oils, slather it on your face, and rub for a couple minutes. While you are continuously rubbing, the new oil you put on your face is now "pulling" the old hard oil from your skin and replacing it with the new fresh oil. This also is awesome for removing makeup, so no need to do that before hand!

Basically:
⚫ The natural oils will clean and moisturize,
so need for a traditional moisturizer.
⚫ You're skin will thank you for not using harsh
chemicals, or stripping away all its oils!

There are a variety of oils to use, but since I am new to this method, I suggest you do your own research to find out which oils are best for your skin type, and a good ratio to start off with. Here are a couple blogs I found to be very helpful:

Troubleshooting: The Oil Cleansing Method & What you need to know

What You Need To Know To Make Oil Cleansing Work For You

What Oils To Use For Your Skin Type

My OCM Blend

Now, remember it's really important to do your research before using anything on your face. You may have to experiment with your oil blends. I'm still learning myself.

The oil blend I am experimenting with consists of Extra Virgin Oilve Oil (I started using this before I had come across the second link above), Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil and just a couple drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil. 

To mix them, I do:

⚫ 2 spoon fulls of EVOO (I just use an actual spoon).
⚫ 1 spoon ful of Sweet Almond Oil.
⚫ 1 spoon full of Jojoba Oil.
⚫ About 4-5 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil.

And mix mix mix!

Now For The 14 Day Challenge!

I decided to take a challenge of using the OCM for two weeks, to see if this really makes any difference in my skin, and to see if I can actually ditch those nasty harsh chemicals once and for all!

Of course however, you probably won't find the perfect blend right away (but if you do, awesome!). So take your time and listen to your skin!

I will be periodically checking back (or making a new post) to document how my skin is doing, and I will continue on after my 14 days.

And now, I challenge you!

Have you heard of the OCM or tried it before?
Will you be taking the challenge? 

Mine Haul!

Hey everyone! I feel like it's been for ever since I did one of these, or even bought anything. LOL. But today I wanted to share with you a few things I purchased while I was out and about today!

I told you it was a very small haul. And I have to say, I'm pretty happy with myself! I literally have not bought any beauty related products in a month, which was not easy let me tell you! But I feel like I did pretty darn good. 

I've had my eye on the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation for so long know. It's funny though, Covergirl was the very first brand I had ever tried when I first started wearing makeup. Thanks to my mother (that was the only brand she ever used). And since then, I haven't worn anything of Covergirl, though I'm not really sure why? 

I've heard and read sooo many great reviews on this foundation. Some even going as far to say this is their holy grail. Which, you know when you hear that you automatically HAVE to try it. For me at least anyway.

I wasn't sure which shade to get. I was torn between Ivory and Classis Ivory. Which, Classic Ivory is the one I decided to go with.Thankfully, if it doesn't match well, I can always return it!(:

This is actually the second L'Oreal mascara I've bought. I usually go for Rimmel, because that's my favorite brand, but when I saw *False Fiber Lash*, I was instantly pulled in! I never knew drugstore brands made fiber mascaras. So of course I had to get it! I definitely plan on doing a review on this, so keep a look out!

So these babys are the whole reason I went out in the first place. First off, these are so not easy to find. I had no idea where to look, and tried everyplace I could think of. The only place that never did come to mind were health food stores. Which of course was the very last place I looked and found them! As you can see, I bought 100% Pure Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba Oil. 

The reason why I wanted these so bad, is because one day browsing Pinterest, I came across something called the Oil Cleansing Method. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but basically, it's when you wash your face with oil versus your normal typical everyday cleansers. I know, weird and super scary, but I do plan on making a whole post about it!

But these two particular oils are supposed to be very good for those with oily and acne prone skin. And I've been going through a horrible acne breakout the past few months, I'm willing to try anything at this point. So far nothing has worked for me, but I do promise to write a more indepth post on this later!

That is all for now, I hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend!

Have you heard/tried the Oil Cleansing Method?

If so, what was your experience?

I would love to hear about them!(:

Late Halloween Pictures, Update + Mini Home Tour?!

I haven't posted anything about Halloween yet, and now that we are in November, I figured better late than never! 

This is our second Halloween together (Sunshine's third!), and we really wanted to make a tradition of family costumes. I just find them so cute and fun, and a great excuse to take pictures!(;

Last year we went as the Flintstones! My mom was sweet and made our costumes for us. Awesome right? The only thing we fogot, was the big fluffy pillow for Fred Flintstones belly! Oh well, we still rocked the part, and my Sunshine made an awesome Pebbles!

Look how big my baby is now! Can you believe this is just a year difference?

This year we weren't able to spend Halloween together since my boyfriend had to work. However, Sunshine still got dressed up and ready for trick-or-treating. Mini Mouse style ofcourse! I wish I could have fixed her hair and ears better, but as you can see in the third picture, she was gaurding her head from me lol.

Last year she was still too young to understand the concept of Halloween but after going to three or four houses and she realized she was recieving candy, she started running to them all! She had such a blast, and as much as I may miss my wittle itty bitty baby, I love watching her learn and grow. Gah, I just love her so much!

Update

So, as many of you know, my family and I had found a new home and were supposed to move on the 1st of November. 

Well, unfortunately that didn't happen. 

There was still too much to be done, and so our move in date was moved to the 8th instead. Which would have been this Saturday. BUT, when we talked to them Monday, they said our new place was still not ready. 

And so our move in date got changed again. To the 15th, which is next weekend. We're hoping and praying this will be the final date so that we can finally move. Everything is packed. Literally, right down to the t.

 It has been a frustrating soon to be month and a half, but God only knows this wait is going to be SOOOO worth it! And Pinterest has given me an unhealthy amount of ideas I can't wait to put into action and share with you all!

Mini Home Tour + DIY Projects?!

When we went to check out our new home over the weekend I decided to take some pictures. Actually, some is an understatement. I took A LOT of pictures. I was thinking about going a head and making a mini home tour post, but I wanted to know if you guys would even like to see that? 

Also, since I have so many diy's on my project board on Pinterest, we have a few in mind we are definitely going to do. Most of which won't start until the Spring time so I won't freeze my butt off painting. Would you guys like to see some of our DIY Projects on here? If so let me know to both questions in the comments below!

Well, that is it for my update. I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween and enjoyed all that free candy!(;

What were you dressed up as for Halloween?

Don't forget to let me know about a home tour

and Diy Project posts!

The Liebster Award Challenge

I have been nominated for The Liebster Award Challenge by my favorite Ireland beauty, Miriam! You can see her blog here. Thank you Miriam!!(:

The Rules:

The rules are quite simple :) 

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link their blog in your post.

2. Display a picture of the Liebster Award in your post ( I got mine from google).

3. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you.

4. Provide 11 random facts about you (I love this rule the most).

5. Nominate 5-11 blogs who have less than 200 followers.

6. Make up your own 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer.

7. List the rules in your post (you can copy and paste these ones if you'd like)

8. Don't forget to let the people you nominated know that you nominated them. Send them the link to your blog so they can get the information.

The Questions I was asked:

1. Why did you start your blog?
I wanted to start a youtube channel initially, but after months of thinking and consideration, I realized blogging would be more idealistic for me.

2. What to you is the hardest thing about a blog?
Keeping up with weekly posts. I'm a full time mother, and I also work full time. Finding time, and entis sometimes hard. But I love blogging so much, I find a way to make it work!

3. Where do you get your inspiration?
I find my inspiration in different places. My favorites though; Pinterest, youtube, magazines, and while I'm working. I find that my mind wonders off so much during work, that I always have some new ideas I can't wait to turn into a blog!

4. What is your favourite kind of food?
I absolutely love seafood. My favorite type, steamers hands down. The best part? My bf hates them(;

5. What is your preferred lipstick colour?
I'm really not a lipstick person, but if I had to choose. I like nudes, pinky nudes, and slightly brown/tan nudes.

6. What (if any) is your favourite book?
I don't read much, and I really should. However, two series I really loved and would definitely read again would be, The House of Night and The Immortals.

7. Where do you picture yourself being 10 years from now?
I picture my family and I being in our very home house, with another child. As for careers, I honestly have no idea. I keep changing my mind on what I want to do. I really haven't found something that interests me enough to make it my lifelong career.

8. What is your favourite item of clothing?
Shirts and sweaters. Too boring?

9. Cats or dogs?
Dogs.

10. What is your favourite memory?
The day I held my daughter for the very first time and the first thing she does is holds my finger. The best feeling you could ever feel.

11. If you were only allowed to wear mascara or lipstick for the rest of your life, which would you chose?
Mascara of course!

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. My birthday is in January.
2. I don't care for chocolate.
3. I love pickel juice.
4. My eye color is Hazel.
5. I never wanted to get married.
6. I had my daughter when I was 19.
7. I'm Irish, Italian, French, and Cherokee.
8. I'm 5'7.
9. I love camping.
10. I can't walk in heels.
11. I don't like dreaming.

And the lovely people I nominate are!:
(I don't know how to check followers, but heres who I love!)
1. http://ashleysuemakeup.blogspot.com/?m=1
2. http://x-couturegirl-x.blogspot.com/?m=1
3. http://plovesfashion.blogspot.com/?m=1
4. http://www.beautybroadcast.net/?m=1
5. http://www.beautywithlily.com/?m=1


My questions for YOU!:

1. How long have you been blogging?
2. Why did you start a blog?
3. Are you a pessimist or an optimist?
4. If you could, what would you tell your younger self?
5. When you were younger, what did you picture your life to be like at this time?
6. Do you have a guilty pleasure?
7. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
8. What keeps you motivated (to blog)?
9. What are your goals in life? 
10. Are you following your dreams? 
11. Chocolate that tastes like dirty cardboard or hard stale cake?

Now GO! GO!GO!