Where have I been?
Where am I? What am I doing here? What have I been waiting for? Life has just ran away from me, the last eight months have flown by, and the fact that 2017 is dwindling down is incredible. I'd summarize what I have been up too; but I don't want to bore you, plus I know why you're all here. During my blogging hiatus I received a number of Facebook and Instagram messages asking "When are you coming back to your blog?! I need an inspirational pick-me up!! Who is Garrett?! Can you recommend a new mascara?!" THIS is why I blog, I blog because I love this little family I have created on here (as if my big family isn't enough), but knowing you all feel comfortable to message me and just chat just warms my heart. With all of this craziness and hate going on in this world; I want to keep this blog a place where anyone can come and know that I genuinely care, and want to spread happiness and positivity. Call me corny, but if you truly know me, you know this is who I am.
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So let's do this, let's get back into what makes us feel goooooood, I am so stinkin' excited!!
(insert heart eye emoji)
Since the last time we caught up, I have stumbled upon a few new beauty products that I can't wait to tell you all about. From moisturizer to lip products, I have been trying them all. This past weekend we partied our way through Newport for my best friends bachelorette party; a whirlwind of laughs and memories. While I was there I tested out a handful of my most favorite products and put them through the test. From humidity to rain I wanted to really challenge the longevity of these products and I think I'd give them an A+.
Before applying my foundation I applied a primer, this is just going to fill in all of my pores and give me an even pallet to work with. The one I used this weekend was by Bare Minerals called Prime Time. I applied this right to my clean bare skin with my hands, mainly focusing on my t-zone where my pores are a little more pronounced. Although I don't have large pores, this is just going to make my foundation glide right on seamlessly and keep it lasting longer.
Now for foundation, I have been making myself a little cocktail. I have been loving the Revlon Colorstay foundation, BUT (and this is a huge BUT) it has an SPF15. Typically, I'd love that on a day to day basis, however when taking pictures using a foundation with SPF you will look washed out. WHY? I wish I could answer this for you, but I will show you proof below. So, when I am going out and plan on taking a lot of photos I try to stay away. Instead, I will use the L'oreal infallible pro-matte. which is all around the perfect foundation. It is oil-free, super light, demi-matte and medium coverage. I apply it right to my skin with a damp beauty blender.
HOLD UP: When I say "damp beauty blender", I literally mean putting your entire blender under the sink until it almost doubles in size and then squeezing out any excess water. I asked my best friend to dampen the blender for me this weekend and she barley even got a drop of water on it. (NO NAMES)
I will still gravitate towards the Revlon Colorstay because I personally believe it has a fuller coverage and can be layered to get a desired look without looking cakey on the skin. It also more of a matte finish so I can douse myself in highlight and it won't be too conflicting with the foundation. If I am feeling crazy I'll even mix the two together on the back of my hand and apply it with a blender to my skin, there is no rules when it comes to makeup. My only advise:blend, blend, blend!! Keep using that beauty blender to push the product into your skin. When you think its even, just blend some more.
For bronzer, I am still drug store but blush and highlight are from Sephora. The bronzer palette is the same bronzer I have raved about in the past and still love it. The ELF bronzer palette is from Target and is $6, I use it every single day. There are 4 pans in this palette and they can be popped out and mixed with their blush products too. The shades are not chalky, and have the perfect undertones leaving no signs of an orange face, no one wants that. The highlight I have been drooling over is still Beccas' Champagne Pop, I basically drown myself in it. I apply this to all of the high points of the face; the apples of my cheeks, nose, cupids bow, and chin, I also will apply it to my collar bones and shoulders. (outfit permitting.) It just makes your skin have such a healthy glow, and I can't get enough. Blush has always been something I struggle with. I never used to use it because of my rosacea, and how my cheeks are already naturally red and discolored. Recently, after discovering the perfect foundation match for my skin I have found that it covers so well that I can add some blush without being nervous about it being too overpowering. I have been using the Nars blush in orgasm and lightly dusting that on my cheeks and my nose just gently. It has a gorgeous golden glow to it and it is just perfect for summer. Now that I have jumped on the blush train I can't wait to try out new shades for the fall.
The lip looks I wore this last weekend were drastically different, I wore a deep matte burgundy and glossy nude lip.I pack everything,I love options, it drives my boyfriend nuts. For the dark lip I lined my lips with the Rimmel Exaggerate liner in 105, Under my Spell. I line them entirely, and then fill them all in with that lip liner. It will help keep the lip color on your lips when it has something to stick to. For the actually lip color I used the Wet n' Wild liquid catsuit in Video Vixen. This shade is super super pigmented, so be really careful applying it. For the nude lip I used the Maybelline Vivid Matte in Nude Flush, and once that dried entirely I topped it with a Revlon Super Lustrous in Super Natural. The nude lipstick was just too nude for me? Does that make sense? So I had to add a gloss to add some dimension to the lip. I loved how it looked, especially with the highlight. It just looked so fresh and glow-y highly recommend trying out this look!
If you follow me on any social media you have noticed a pretty big addition to my life about eight months ago. I am not going to get into details because I am attempting to keep "some" of my personal life private; but I wanted to share a few things I have learned about myself since we spoke last.
One of the most important things I have learned was to be in the present moment. I have written about this in the past, thinking I understood what it meant, but now I can see it clearly. I was getting so wrapped up in healing my past that I started living there too much. To counteract that, I was then becoming so consumed about manifesting the perfect life that I became lost in the future and the "what ifs". How often do you recognize that you rarely are fully present to the here and now?
I have learned that I am excited for the life I have right now. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in what my life will be, I don't really give credit for the life I have now. How sad is that? Whatever stage you are at in your life, what is happening right in the very second is serving you a purpose. Honor it by fully living in it. You will know when it's time to make changes or to create something new. By living with a grateful heart, you are creating a space for all that you desire and deserve.
Now for foundation, I have been making myself a little cocktail. I have been loving the Revlon Colorstay foundation, BUT (and this is a huge BUT) it has an SPF15. Typically, I'd love that on a day to day basis, however when taking pictures using a foundation with SPF you will look washed out. WHY? I wish I could answer this for you, but I will show you proof below. So, when I am going out and plan on taking a lot of photos I try to stay away. Instead, I will use the L'oreal infallible pro-matte. which is all around the perfect foundation. It is oil-free, super light, demi-matte and medium coverage. I apply it right to my skin with a damp beauty blender.
I will still gravitate towards the Revlon Colorstay because I personally believe it has a fuller coverage and can be layered to get a desired look without looking cakey on the skin. It also more of a matte finish so I can douse myself in highlight and it won't be too conflicting with the foundation. If I am feeling crazy I'll even mix the two together on the back of my hand and apply it with a blender to my skin, there is no rules when it comes to makeup. My only advise:blend, blend, blend!! Keep using that beauty blender to push the product into your skin. When you think its even, just blend some more.
For bronzer, I am still drug store but blush and highlight are from Sephora. The bronzer palette is the same bronzer I have raved about in the past and still love it. The ELF bronzer palette is from Target and is $6, I use it every single day. There are 4 pans in this palette and they can be popped out and mixed with their blush products too. The shades are not chalky, and have the perfect undertones leaving no signs of an orange face, no one wants that. The highlight I have been drooling over is still Beccas' Champagne Pop, I basically drown myself in it. I apply this to all of the high points of the face; the apples of my cheeks, nose, cupids bow, and chin, I also will apply it to my collar bones and shoulders. (outfit permitting.) It just makes your skin have such a healthy glow, and I can't get enough. Blush has always been something I struggle with. I never used to use it because of my rosacea, and how my cheeks are already naturally red and discolored. Recently, after discovering the perfect foundation match for my skin I have found that it covers so well that I can add some blush without being nervous about it being too overpowering. I have been using the Nars blush in orgasm and lightly dusting that on my cheeks and my nose just gently. It has a gorgeous golden glow to it and it is just perfect for summer. Now that I have jumped on the blush train I can't wait to try out new shades for the fall. The lip looks I wore this last weekend were drastically different, I wore a deep matte burgundy and glossy nude lip.I pack everything,I love options, it drives my boyfriend nuts. For the dark lip I lined my lips with the Rimmel Exaggerate liner in 105, Under my Spell. I line them entirely, and then fill them all in with that lip liner. It will help keep the lip color on your lips when it has something to stick to. For the actually lip color I used the Wet n' Wild liquid catsuit in Video Vixen. This shade is super super pigmented, so be really careful applying it. For the nude lip I used the Maybelline Vivid Matte in Nude Flush, and once that dried entirely I topped it with a Revlon Super Lustrous in Super Natural. The nude lipstick was just too nude for me? Does that make sense? So I had to add a gloss to add some dimension to the lip. I loved how it looked, especially with the highlight. It just looked so fresh and glow-y highly recommend trying out this look!
If you follow me on any social media you have noticed a pretty big addition to my life about eight months ago. I am not going to get into details because I am attempting to keep "some" of my personal life private; but I wanted to share a few things I have learned about myself since we spoke last.
One of the most important things I have learned was to be in the present moment. I have written about this in the past, thinking I understood what it meant, but now I can see it clearly. I was getting so wrapped up in healing my past that I started living there too much. To counteract that, I was then becoming so consumed about manifesting the perfect life that I became lost in the future and the "what ifs". How often do you recognize that you rarely are fully present to the here and now?
I have learned that I am excited for the life I have right now. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in what my life will be, I don't really give credit for the life I have now. How sad is that? Whatever stage you are at in your life, what is happening right in the very second is serving you a purpose. Honor it by fully living in it. You will know when it's time to make changes or to create something new. By living with a grateful heart, you are creating a space for all that you desire and deserve.
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