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Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Summer Anti-Haul - What I Don't Want to Buy

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I feel like sometimes as a blogger (millenial, female, and just myself) I tend to talk a lot about the things I want to buy. What I want, all the time - can make me envious, self-indulgent, and down on myself. Now, of course I'm very grateful for everything I have and do appreciate the things and the not-things in my life. 

Sometimes we just need a reminder of all the things we don't need. So when I saw The Anna Edit and Phyrra do anti-hauls on their channel I was inspired to do one as well.

Below are the things that I don't feel the need to buy this summer! 


Flat Sandals - anti-haul




#1 - Flat Sandals


Or slides or mules... Although I think flat sandals are really cute, my feet are having none of it. With my plantar faciitis and flat feet, I have to wear sandals (all shoes for that matter) with support. Thank God Burkenstocks are back in fashion... and when they're not I'll still be over here rocking them.


Ruffles - Anti-Haul



#2 - Anything with Ruffles


I've never been a "girly" girl when it comes to dressing. I've been dabbling a little more in the feminine realm these last few years but I just don't feel comfortable in flouncy unstructured clothing. And then they go and add ruffles to everything. I know it's gauche right now but I'll stick to classic, simple sillhouettes and leave the ruffles to other ladies.


Fake Tan - Anti-Haul




#3 - Fake Tan


Oh damn... I might be the only person on the planet to say this but I hate fake tanning! The smell, the sitting, the orangeness, the streaks, getting an even color, and having to do it all again in a week. It's just too much, I'll just stay pastey, thank you!



Makeup - Anti-Haul




#4 - Summer-Proof Makeup


Obviously I love wearing and doing my makeup as much as the next gal. However, summer rolls around and we all become obsessed with our makeup lasting forever. But you know what, I'm going to let my skin shine through this month. I bought a very light coverage Coola BB cream with a matte tint to even me out a bit and protect. Then it's all about a bit of concealer and glow and eyes! I'm into the easy, minimal makeup look in summer so if (when) it melts off I'll look more glowy and less like a child in my mother's makeup after a steamy shower. But one thing that I'll still wear and recommend for regular summer days or events is the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. This shit is legit, your makeup will last longer!


Basket Bags - Anti-Haul




#5 - Basket Bags


Is it just me or shouldn't there be more to a bag than a basket? I need pockets and organization and a damn place for my phone! It makes me anxious just thinking about all my possessions jostling around in a basket vying for a position at the top. Nope, just nope, I need pockets and a zipper! 


I hope you liked this post and have thought about some of the current trends you won't be needing this season! Happy summer to you all!
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Thursday, June 1, 2017

It's My Birthday! Success and Goals

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Ah! It's my birthday and I'm 32 this year. Time keeps passing whether or not I want it to, but that's inevitable I suppose.


In all reality though, I'm loving my 30's; they're so much better than my 20's! I'm enjoying my freedom, I know who I am and what I want out of life, I'm able to do the things I want and am still looking forward to the future.

So last year I wrote 31 goals for 31 and I'm really proud to say that I've reached a majority of them! A quick rundown of what I've accomplished in the last year:
  • I purchased a condo and started living with my brother!
    • Things are going well and were working everything out together
  • I've started saying "yes" more to blogger events and collabs
    • And I've been so impressed with the friendly, supportive community here in Denver
  • I've been working on making new friends using the Bumble App (iTunes, Google Play Store)
    • I've met some really lovely ladies, and it's great to have single girlfriends to talk to!
  • I've overhauled my diet, started with Whole30 
    • And have been eating pretty well since then (about 80% clean and 20% what I want!)
  • I've bought a swimsuit (2 actually) and will be wearing them on my vacation to Costa Rica this month!!! (more posts to come on this)
  • My attitude has been a lot better, I've been more grateful and focusing on the good aspects of my life... most of the time.
I think I did pretty well for myself last year. Especially because last year was a challenge and a year of growth for me. I had a lot of change, healing from my divorce, and focusing on myself to do. And I'm so glad I took the time to do it. I'm now stronger, calmer, happier, and enjoying life so much more!

A few of the goals I am still working on, so I'm going to roll them over to this year's goals. I have a lot fewer this year, but I think their really good ones.
  • Invest in nice, classic clothes that I feel great in. Really focus on my wardrobe and buy clothes I love!
  • Don't let fear rule. Sometimes the doubt and fear is more debilitating than anything, it can keep me from even trying.
    • I've especially had fear when it comes to dating; meeting new people and opening up has been so challenging for me. But I'm working on it!
  • Continue on my health journey - Run the Bolder Boulder 10K this year. I have a year to train and I want to do it!
  • Try something new (often)! Do something that scares me.
    • I keep meaning to signup for a spin class or Yoga on the Rocks and I constantly talk myself out of it.... no more!
  • Work on marketing my blog more and focus on the business side of things. 
    • Not my strong suit but it must be done
  • Allow myself to dream and want and reach for my goals instead of settling for the status quo and.or mediocre. I can do great things!
See only 6 goals this year, but they're big ones so I'm going to have to work hard. But I just know that 32 is going to be a great year! It has to damnnit!

Also my blog turns 3 on June 3rd, so I'm excited to apply these goals to my blog and document everything on here. This has been a great outlet for my makeup obsession and personal life. Thank you all for your support!

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Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Tips for Taking & Editing Photos

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I've been blogging now for about 3 years (can you believe it?!?) and although I'm still no expert photographer or photo editor I have definitely picked up some tips and tricks to editing my photos.

I use my phone (Samsung Galaxy S6) primarily for my blog photos. It's just so conventient... and let's be honest I can't justify buying an expensive camera. And I'm sure many of you do the same.

Aura Photo Frames is sharing the guide below on tips for great pictures from your phone and asked me to include it in a post. I love these tips and have started incorporating them into my photography. So it seemed like a great fit to write about how I take and edit photos.

Aura Photo Frames are smart frames that making displaying your phone photos easy.  They automatically choose your best pictures and sort out blurry or duplicate pictures. 

Taking Great Pictures with your Phone



If you're interested in learning more about the frames, or placing an order you can do so here.

Now that you can take great pics with your phone, I wanted to show you my favorite apps for editing them.

Apps for Editing Pictures


Once I've taken photos with my phone I select the best one(s) and use a few different photo editing apps to prepare them to post on the blog and on social media. I use different apps for different features, below are my favorite picture editing apps:

Photoshop Express (Android/iPhone)


Original Picture

Edited in Photoshop Express
This mobile Photoshop doesn't have all the orignal's bells and whistles but it does offer a little more than your average app - Along with exposure, color, and saturation, you can adjust the whites, highlights and shadows of your pictures.

 It also has the ability to remove redeye and blemishes (which can come in handy) and has a nice cropping feature and filters to play with.

I like that this app is intuitive and easy to use, I use it for almost all my social media postings. 

Photogrid (Android/iPhone)


Original Picture

Edited in Photogrid

I use Photogrid whenever I want to make a photo collage. This app is also pretty simple and straightforward. It gives you options for the grid layout, background colors, and border thickness. I also use this app alot for adding text to my photos as it's got pretty great fonts and format features. 

You can also edit your photos in this app, but I usually edit them in Photoshop Express first. 

Pixlr (Online)

Example at top of post

If you don't want to shell out for Photoshop, Pixlr is a great alternative. There's no signing up or downloads required, and it's a pretty robust option for photo editing. 

It has a similar layout to Photoshop, so if you're familiar with that you'll step right into Pixlr, You can do a lot with this app, my most commonly use features are: curves, color balance, cropping, and image resize.

I edit most of my blog pictures using this app and find that it does a great job for my basic needs.

Well those are my most used photo editing apps for social media and blog posts. I hope this post helps you with taking pictures using your phones and editing them afterwards. Remember, as a beginner (and beyond) it's ok not to have the msot fancy equipment, just keep practicing and you'll improve. I kow I just keep getting better and better. 

Thank you!
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Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Bold Lips done Cruelty-Free

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||Originally Post at: Denver Style Magazine||

|Photography by: Krysta's Kaptures|

I'm all about the bronzer, lighter bases, and big lashes for my usual spring and summer makeup. But for this year there was a trend all over the spring/summer runways that had me intrigued: a bold lip colors with barely-there makeup. I saw these looks at the Chanel, Valentino and Jason Wu runways (just to name a  few).

This is way out of my comfort zone! Anyone who knows me, knows I don't usually (ever) wear lipstick. I am a chapstick girl through and through. But I'm always down to try new looks and this sounded fun.

For these looks to have the easy, breezy feel I wore minimal makeup: a light foundation with lots of bronzer and a bit of mascara. Definietely summer friendly! I love that it's a pretty easy look but you look pulled together, and it's so quick.

So here's my cruelty-free take on bold lips with a no-makeup makeup look!

#1 Berry Pink


I think I've decided pinks are my favorite lip colors to wear, and I especially love this metallic color. For a matte lip, it's pretty comfortable and it just brings something extra special to a look.

#2 Orange-y Red




I think this is the most "Amber-friendly" formula. It's a light gel stain that you can leave pretty sheer or build up for more color. I think it gives that cool popsicle-stained lip look that's popular in South Korea. And this color is great for when you have a bit of a tan and brightening up a look. I'll definitely be picking up the more pink-red color of this too!

#3 Vampy Purple




Ok, this is the most out there of the colors and it's a little crazy But I saw something similar on the Acne Studios runway so I thought, why not?! It's definitely very striking and would be fun for a night out with the girls dancing. I'd feel special without having to worry about my eyeliner going all panda on me!

All Together Now!
Pink Lips

Red Lips

Purple Lips

I think I'll be busting this look out more and more as the temperatures rise. You know when you're lucky to put on a bra let alone a full face of makeup! So what do you think? Would you try this trend?

Test your Cruelty-Free Beauty knowledge and support a great cause here!

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Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Best Smudge-Proof Mascara for Dry Eyes

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I can't believe I haven't written about this! Everyone's always looking for a new favorite mascara.

I'm now on my third tube of this mascara and I've never written an actual review here on my blog, oh man, talk about failing as a beauty blogger! Well I am here today to right this wrong and tell you all about the mascara that saved my life.

Lol, ok so I'm being ridiculously over-dramatic. But you feel me, with mascara it can sometimes feel like a life or death moment when you're favorite starts to dry out.



For the last few years I've had all kinds of issues with mascaras, even some of my old favorites because of my chronic dry eye. I am always squinting my eyes to make them water (one way to get relief) or putting in eye drops. This wreaks havoc on any mascara I try. Usually by lunch I'm looking more like a panda than lady. Not a cute look, I promise you!

But I finally found it, the mascara! It doesn't smudge or flake, it's really black and lengthening, and can handle my crazy eyes.

Elizabeth Mott

You can buy it on Amazon (it has a 4 star rating) for about $15. By some miracle, this Korean brand is cruelty-free. My beauty prayers have been answered!

My Holy Grail Mascara



















I'm wearing this in the picture above. As you can see it provides a lot of length and is very black. I do wish it added more volume, because you know lashes you can see from space are really my goal. But for all the other perks and lack of panda eyes, I love this stuff!

Let's Chat


What's your holy grail mascara?
What do you look for in a great mascara?






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