Organic Makeup Girl

I jumped on the BB cream bandwagon last year and then I got right off of it. The BB cream experience was mediocre and over-hyped. I ended up giving most of them away or tossing them out. Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream lured me in at Sephora on a recent trip, however, and changed things.

The Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream is a versatile product that really does multitask: with SPF 35, it offers protection from the sun, moisturizes, can be used as a primer, moisturizer and a foundation. The scent is nice (read: barely noticeable, just how I like it haha). I have been using it alone on my skin or as a primer.

This product is worth a try! I really like it and will be using it for the remainder of the Spring and definitely into the Summer. I have a couple fun posts in mind coming up so check back for those soon! :] Also, maybe a YT video or two. ;]

xoxo, Katie

Spring is here! I’ve picked up some new polishes at Lux Beauty Story in Red Bank, NJ from Essie, Butter and OPI to celebrate the new season!

Essie (from left to right) Madison Ave-Hue, Hip-Anema, Mint Candy Apple, and Chinchilly

Madison Ave-Hue is the cutest Barbie pink. I love it! It is a great shade for manis and pedis. There is a hint of silver sparkle to it that really makes the pink pop.

Hip-Anema is a fabulous fusion of red and orange. This is my personal favorite!

Mint Candy Apple is a gorgeous creamy green. The opacity of this shade is awesome and it is a fun pick for Spring. Also, since Emerald is the color of the year for 2013, anything in the green family is in! Mint green jeans, shoes, nail polishes, shirts and more are dominating Pinterest!

Chinchilly is a classy gray shade with cool undertones. This color is beautiful year-round but rainy Spring skies make me crave this color.

Butter London (from left to right) Fiver, Snog, and Kerfuffle

Fiver is very similar to Essie’s Mint Candy Apple. I justified buying both because Fiver is slightly lighter and less intense. This shade reminds me of mint chocolate chip ice cream!

Snog is a classic hot pink. It is so fun and flirty. This is one of those shades that you can wear nonstop and never get tired of it.

Kerfuffle a sweet creamy coral. This is such a pretty pastel to rock this season.

Opi Eurso Euro (from the Europe Collection)

Eurso Euro is a dark navy shade. It’s an awesome shade because it looks good with just about any color that you might wear (even black!). I love this one!

xo,
Katie

Maybelline Color Shoe Lustrous Lime, Orange Extreme, Shock Wave, Coral Glow, and Orange Fix

These polishes  were intriguing because of the price (less that $3.00 a bottle) and the shades. Also, I had never tried this brand of lacquer and I wanted to give it a go. The verdict: I really, really like the colors. The polishes are pigmented (but not as well as a higher end brand) but they definitely do the trick. In terms of wear, with 2 coats and a topcoat they lasted approximately 2 days without chipping (pretty standard).

I painted my nails with Essie’s Madison Ave Hue and did an accent nail on my pointers with Lustrous Lime and got a lot of compliments on it!

Most of these polishes will get a lot of love this summer. :]

x0,

Katie

You will need: Mini doughnut pan (Get it here!)

1 Cup all purpose flour

1/4 Cup sugar
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 Cup Half & Half (I used Land o’ Lakes)

Cinnamon & Sugar coating:

2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 & spray your mini doughnut pan with a nonstick cooking spray

2. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl (I used an electric mixer)

3. Mix vanilla, egg, butter and half and half together in another bowl

4. Combine the two mixtures and stir/mix well (about 1 minute using electric mixer)

5. Put the dough into the pan using a tablespoon – put 1 Tbsp of batter into each cavity (be careful – less is more! Don’t overfill…)

6. Bake for 10 minutes

7. While your doughnuts are baking you will make the coating. Melt the extra butter in a bowl and blend the sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl.

8.  Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes.

9. As you take the doughnuts out of the pan, quickly dip them in the butter (just enough to make the sugar stick – do not saturate the doughnuts) and then the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

10. Eat them. :]

*This recipe yields 24 mini doughnuts.

x0,

Katie

This is for Chelse! x0x0

A Quick & Healthy Weekday Breakfast

Ingredients:

10 eggs

1-2 Bell Peppers &  1 Onion, diced, and sautéed (about 2 cups)

Pam

Muffin Pan

Oven (haha)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees

2. Crack the eggs, add 3 Tbsp. of water and scramble

3. Spray muffin pan with Pam

4. Cover the bottom of the muffin pan with the veggies

5. Put 1/3 cup egg mixture (if you’re using liquid eggs whites, just substitute 1/3 cup) in the muffin pan

6. Place pan in oven and cook for 20 minutes

7. Remove pan from oven and cool for 5 minutes

8. Turn pan over and drop eggs onto a piece of wax paper

9. When the eggs are completely cooled, package in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator (for up to 5 days)

10. To eat them, microwave for 30-35 seconds (for 2)

• Eat in alone
• Eat it on a Thomas’ English Muffin :]
• Add some hot sauce…

Let me know how they turn out if you make them! :]

xoxo,

Katie

Happy New Year! Make 2013 the best year yet for your skin! It is your largest organ after all and it is always on display. Here are some suggestions for things you can do to make sure you are looking fab 24/7 365 days a year:

• Wash your makeup brushes!
  You don’t need a brush cleaner – dish soap and olive oil work just fine! This is a bit annoying but needs to be done. :]
• Use organic products as often as possible (You know I love the Cosmetic Database - check out the rating of products before you buy and use them!)
• Touch your face less. Germs, bacteria, and oil on your hands transfer onto your face when you touch it! Gross…
• Exfoliate and use lotion. Out with the old and in with the new… haha :)
• Drink water! Admittedly, this is something that I literally forget to do in the Winter. Eating hydrating foods helps too!
• Take your vitamins. I’ve been slacking a bit here too, especially on the fish oil, but will be more diligent in 2013.
• Try to move a bit everyday (even if that means running up and down the stairs for 5 minutes). Exercise leads to better circulation and complexion.
• Use sunscreen (as often as possible and especially in the Summer) and eat foods that naturally boost your SPF like tomatoes, watermelon, berries, spinach, fish, tea (green and black), and dark chocolate.

I’m not a doctor… but you might be so if you have more ideas for resolutions in 2013 please leave them in the comments below! :]

Happy 2013!

xoxo,

Katie

It has been too long my loves! This is just a quick little post to tell you about 3 products that I’m absolutely l-o-v-i-n-g!

1. Essie Butler Please is such a gorgeous winter blue from Essie. The consistency of this product is awesome, it is opaque (with 2 coats) and dries semi-matte. I have been layering Essie’s Stroke of Brilliance on top for shine and glitter (’tis the season).

2. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect nude lip gloss, Smashbox Illume is an awesome pick. You can snag it at Sephora. Although lately it has been sold out – must be popular! :) If you can find it, get it!

3. Smith’s Rosebud Salve has been a lifesaver lately. Cold air + heat = chapped lips (at least for me! How about you?) This product smells great, is long-lasting,  and appears subtly shiny (almost mimicking a gloss). I bought my first tube at Lux Beauty Store in Red Bank and recently picked up two more at Blue Mercury in Shrewsbury. I always opt for the tube because the pot is just disgusting (honestly, in my opinion it is just a little nasty pot of germs that is probably doing you more harm than good. Get the tube!)

Hope this was helpful!

x0xo,

Katie

The Maybelline Color Tattoo cream gel shadow is an amazing, amazing product! (And yes! It required two amazings…)

What is it?

• Long-wearing eyeshadow
• Can be used as a base/primer
• Crease-free
• Waterproof
• Safe for people who wear contacts & have sensitive eyes

What do to with it?

• Apply it with fingers, brushes or a sponge applicator
• Wear it alone
• Layer up different Maybelline Color Tattoo shades
• Use it as a primer and then layer powder shadows on top of it
• Use it as an eyeliner (it is a great dupe for a gel eyeliner)

I own 5 of them: Too Cool, Mossy Green, Rich Mahogany, Barely Beige, and Bad to the Bronze. I’ve been wearing them for months and would definitely recommend purchasing them if this is a product that you think you might like. Also, these are very similar to Mac Paint Pots and 1/3 of the price! Just saying… :)

xo,

Katie

Here are my Fall 2012 Nail Polish Picks:

Neutral Nails – you can’t go wrong! Nude nails are pretty yet perfect for work. They go with every single thing you wear which is always nice. My favorites include: Butter London Yummy Mummy, OPI Bubble Bath, and Butter London All Hail The Queen. 

From the Left, Butter London Yummy Mummy and Butter London All Hail The Queen

OPI Bubble Bath and OPI Just Spotted The Lizard

Butter London Shag

Metallics are so trendy right now! The best options for Fall are Butter London Shag and OPI Just Spotted the Lizard. Orly Rage and Essie Penny Talk are great shades for trying the rose gold trend. All of these shades will impeccably compliment the colors of autumn.

OPI Pirouette My Whistle

The Jelly Sandwich Nail trend is all over Pinterest! To achieve this look layer a sheer nail polish, followed by a glitter polish, and finally another coat of the sheer (just like a sandwich…). This is such a fun way to rock glitter on your nails. My favorite sheer to use is OPI Bubble Bath, followed by Revlon Whimsical, Butter London Tart With A Heart or OPI Pirouette My Whistle, and then another coat of Bubble Bath.

Revlon Whimsical and Revlon Stunning

All of the Butter London nail polishes were purchased at LUX Beauty Store in Red Bank (the polishes are Big 3 Free & healthier!). They have a huge selection at this boutique and I highly recommend the brand, it is hands down the best polish I’ve encountered. The OPI polishes were also purchased at LUX in Red Bank. Finally, the Revlon shades were purchased at Harmon’s. :]

Which trend are you most interested in trying?

xo, Katie

I love reading about how to get awesome skin. Who doesn’t love the idea of a flawless face? One thing on this topic that tends to get to me, however, is the fact that products always seem to be the answer. You know exactly what I mean! Although I think using high quality products (preferably organic, natural, or a something with a low rating on the Cosmetic Database) on your skin is important, there are other things you can do to obtain great, healthy skin. Here you go:

Make sure you are sleeping on a clean pillow case. This seems like a no-brainer but how often do you actually change your pillow case? Once a week? Once a month? You sleep on it every single night! Think about what your pillow has to put up with: The bacteria that naturally lives on/in your skin, sweat, lingering makeup, dust, etc.

Keep your cell phone clean. One minute you are texting on it and the next you’re holding it up against your face. Did you wash your hands before you started texting? Didn’t think so… Wipe your phone off every once in a while.

Bacteria can build up in your makeup brushes. Wash your brushes often. Brushes you use to apply liquid makeup products need to be washed more frequently. Use baby shampoo or dish soap to get rid of bacteria built up on your brushes.

What do you do to keep your skin looking fab?

x0,

Katie