Spring "Break"

So I guess that I unintentionally treated myself to a Spring Break. I wasn’t planning on this short break from blogging but so many amazing things were happening so quickly that I couldn’t let life pass me by. So since I blogged last we welcomed Cecilia Jolene Loiselle into this world. On March 12^th she took her first breath weighting in at 9lbs 5oz; that is a BIG baby. We prayed for Cecilia for what seemed like forever and now she is actually here, it’s truly a miracle. She is so beautiful and is surrounded by so much love… and puppies. Our family is forever growing. Coming September 2016 our family will be growing once again. My sister Christen and her boyfriend, Jim, will be blessing us with another precious baby. My obsession with babies is so real and they are just feeding it! Being an auntie is the best job in the world.

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I am done bragging! I will try to get into why you’re really here. I have been trying out a ton of new products some I love some..ehhh not so much! I wanted to share an updated makeup routine and in an upcoming post I will share the products I didn’t like. The products I am using right now seem to be working perfect, especially for nights out. I probably wouldn’t use all of these products every day because it may seem a bit excessive but I wore this look for St. Patrick’s Day out and for a recent girl’s night out and it lasted all night; maybe even until the next morning...

So I start with clean hands and then apply all over my face the Maybelline babyskin primer. I try to focus this mainly in my T-zone which is my forehead, nose and chin. These are the main areas where your foundation seems to breakup or you can start to get oily after a long day. This is a great drugstore primer and your foundation goes on beautifully after this.

A new product for me is the NYX CC cream to color correct the redness on my cheeks. I apply this mainly focusing on my cheeks with a dense foundation brush and it blends it beautifully. It creates an even palette for my foundation to be applied too. I have also worn this product by itself on days when I am too lazy to do a full look and I think it looks pretty good alone! I mean, it isn't a full coverage look but it evens out your skin and applies easily. Its lightweight, smooth and long lasting. The product is actually green; so do not be alarmed when you apply it to your skin... I promise it will blend out! 

For foundation I have been religiously using my Makeup Forever Ultra HD in R260. This is a build-able foundation so you can make this a full coverage look for nights out or when your skin is acting up. I didn't care for the way this applied with a beauty blender, I thought it was to sheer- I have been using a foundation brush and I love that. Once I am out of this foundation I do think I want to try another high end foundation... not that I didn't love this one! But if I splurge on one high end product for my makeup I think it should be foundation. Any recommendations for a new product?    

This step is optional, and again I only do this for nights out because well frankly I don't care as much when I am going to CVS. This is the Maybelline Master Conceal in the lightest shade. I apply this under my eyes, down the center of my nose, chin and my forehead. I blend it into my skin with a small brush or beauty blender whichever is clean and closest at the time. Either technique works perfectly. I will say that you must set this immediately with powder because it will crease. Once it is set though it is beautiful and adds just enough brightness to the skin. To set this product and my foundation I have been using the NYX Set it Don't Forget It loose powder in light/medium. I opted to use this product instead of the ELF powder because this one has a pigment. The ELF product I still love but it casts a white shadow on your face in pictures; the NYX doesn't. Keep that in mind and what type of day/night you are having. Expecting a lot of pictures? Stick with the NYX. 

I am pale... so pale right now. I know I am not alone; but this is awful! I need sun! For the time being bronzer has been my BFF as well as self tanners. To bronze up my face I have been using Tarte Social Butterfly bronzer. I dust this on my forehead, apples of my cheeks and my jawbone. To add a bit more of deeper bronzed look, and contour my cheek bones I use the ELF bronzer palette and take the deepest color. Obviously you have to use just a touch because clearly, I am pale as all hell. I just apply this deeper shade on the corner of my forehead and to carve out my cheek bones. A good technique to know where to find your cheek bones is to place the end of your brush at the tips of your ear and contour down from that.

I am not a huge shadow girl, maybe because my lids are so small. I usually just stick to what I know and if you follow my blog you know exactly which shadow I am referring to. All over my lid I will apply Loreal Infallible Bronzed Taupe just blending that all over, and in my crease I will use a matte shadow. I have been using from the Naked Basics palette, FAINT. I just use a more precise brush to apply it directly to my crease and then a larger fluffier brush to blend it out. Blend, blend, blend!! You don't want any harsh lines or creases.

To fill in my brows I am still using the Maybelline Brow and Define; I don't do anything crazy I just fill in my natural brows... no funny business here.

Lashes, this is serious. I do not joke around with mascara application it is truly a make or break moment. I always always curl my lashes first and will pulse the curler on my lashes to kinda make the curl last longer. It might be in my head but I feel like that works better, for me at least. I have switched back to using my Loreal Voluminous Lashes in blackest black. I stopped using this previously and I don't know why? It is so beautiful and the formula works beautifully on my lashes. If I apply the mascara and I feel like there isn't much of a curl I will re-curl my lashes. WAIT for them to be completely dry!! If not this will pull out your lashes! But it doesn't give your eyes an extra pop! 

Probably my favorite part of the entire look is the highlight. I am a die-hard Becca Champagne Pop fan. I live sleep and breathe this highlight it is so gorgeous. They recently came out with blushes as well and I can't wait to get my hands on them! (Birthday list, FOR SURE). I use a fan brush or blush brush, depending on how fierce I want it to look. I apply this hightlight to the apples of my cheeks, cupids bow, center of my nose and under each brow bone. This gives your skin such a healthy glow and looks so gorgeous in the summer. My cousin wore it on Easter and when she turned the right way in the sun it was glimmering; ugh! It is gorgeous! Worth every penny!

The last two times I went out I have been rocking a nude neutral lip, I know, shocker huh! I was all about the dark lip but since we are transferring over until spring/summer I think the glosser look is more appropriate. I have been using the Bare Minerals lip gloss in Spice Cake a lot recently, if not I have been using the Maybelline Vivid Matte in Nude Flush. Both are nude and basic staples depending on the look you're going for. 

So this is it! This is my go-to going out look! It works best for me and I always set it with my Loreal Infallible Setting Spray. It is pretty basic, but I have received a lot of questions on what I use to make my skin look so flawless. TRUST ME, It doesn't always look this good. I envy anyone with gorgeous natural skin.  

ALL PRODUCTS USED:
Maybelline Baby Skin Primer
NYX Color Correcting CC Cream
Makeup Forever Ultra HD 
Maybelline Master Conceal 
NYX Mineral Set it & Don't Fret It
Tarte Bronzer Social Butterfly
NYX Contour Palette
Naked Basics Palette
Loreal Infallible Shadow
Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes
Maybelline Brow & Define

Becca Champagne Pop Highlight

Bare Minerals gloss Spice Cake
Loreal Infallible Makeup Extender Spray

Just a quick gym update:

So I have been working out on average about 4 times a week now for about an hour. I have found myself not being able to sit on the couch for too long now because in my head I am thinking "I could squeeze in a quick workout right now". Even if I get to the gym and I only have 30 minutes to workout it is better than just sitting on the couch. I also ran outside a few weeks ago for the first time and it was awful, awful. It was 10x harder than running on the treadmill and I really want to be able to run outside. My shins were killing me and I felt out of steam so much faster than when I run on the treadmill. Every time I go to the gym I run, and I have increased my endurance quite a bit but I can't run outside! Gym go-ers.. HELP! What is your secret! The fresh air was so beautiful and I loved that but I couldn't run nearly as far. What are your secrets? Help this newbie out!

In exciting news, the skirt that I wore for Easter Sunday I haven't been able to wear for years now because it was too snug. I was so excited; and I truly hate to brag, but this was huge for me! When I look in the mirror I still don't see too much of a change but I can see it in my clothes and that is how I can tell I am doing something right. It is hard some days, coming home from a tough workout and you just want instant gratification. Like, why don't I have a 6 pack yet? I have been on this journey now for about 2 months and each day is a challenge; I try every day to make smarter eating decisions and that is probably the toughest part. I am doing it, and if I can do it, you can do it. Trust me, I was anti-gym anti-working out for ever; I had enough. I needed a change I needed a better me.

I am working on myself, by myself, for myself.