It's a Boy!!

There is a very good reason that I haven't been blogging much lately.  A perfectly cute, little, ten fingers, ten toes, cries a lot and demands a lot of my attention type of reason.  Let me introduce you to my little Halloween baby.

My water broke at about 11 the night of the 30th and I haven't gotten a good night of sleep since.  He's worth it though.  He came 6 days early and caught me by surprise.  I thought for sure he would be overdue because he hadn't dropped at all yet and I wasn't dilated at all.  I had just barely finished packing my hospital bag an hour before my water broke.  I like to wait until the last minute to get things done and it kinda made life stressful, but we did have all of the essential stuff done or ready enough.

I'm trying to post as I can, but he's kinda high maintenance :)

CheapSkateBeauty Holiday Gift Guide 2013

The best deals on the best gifts for a teen or 20 something that I could find.  This includes gifts, gift sets, and stocking stuffers.  I only included gifts I would love to give and also receive.

Enjoy!

Welcome to The Price is Right!

Drugstore makeup is an incredible bargain when compared with high end makeup.  But it is still not the cheapest stuff and can really add up.  By planning ahead you can save 50% or more on your favorite makeup.


How does one do this?

• Sales
• Manufacturer coupons
• Store coupons
• Store rewards

In order to really save I try to match up at least 3 of these 4 on a transaction.

For example: 

Riteaid had Maybelline products buy one get one half off and a $5 reward for spending $15 on Maybelline.  I also had a manufacturer coupon for Maybelline mascara.  I bought 3 products (it would've been smarter to buy 4) and saved quite a bit.

Another Example:

Ulta had Revlon products on sale for BOGO half off, I had a manufacturer coupon for $1.50 off a foundation and another for $2 off a foundation and an Ulta coupon for $3.50 off a $10 purchase.  I saved a ton on this one!  I got both foundations for slightly less than the price of the more expensive one.

Most of my coupons I find and print from coupons.com.  I also get some redplum and P&G coupons in the mail.  I don't get the Sunday paper so I actually probably miss out on some good coupons each week.

I look at the Riteaid ad online about once a week and look for good sales that also have +UP rewards.  You get money back basically as a gift card/voucher with the +UP rewards.

I also look for sales at Ulta, especially if I can use their coupon with the sale.

Hopefully this gives you some good ideas and inspiration so you can save some of your hard earned dollars!!

Fall Fabulousness

There are so many amazing things to love about fall.  Crunchy leaves, boots, sweaters, the trees changing colors, cooler weather, hot cocoa, pumpkin flavored everything, Halloween and fall decorations--it's just a very comfy, cozy season.

This fall I can't really plan on making a leaf pile and jumping in it like I have loved doing with friends in past falls.  But I do want to do some cute fall maternity pictures.  I think it would be cool to maybe be in a leaf pile, go to a pumpkin patch, or if nothing else just have beautiful fall leaves in the back drop.

Here's some fun photos from past falls :)

 Steve and I made this huge leaf pile when we were dating and had so much fun jumping into it.  We also carved pumpkins with my family that fall.  Last fall we did family pictures with my family up along the Ogden River Parkway and by the Timbermine.

D.I.Y. Coconut Oil Hair Treatment

If you haven't tried coconut oil in your hair, you should!  It's easy, cheap, and amazing for your hair.  I buy the really cheap coconut oil that is not technically that great for eating, (it's extracted and processed differently) but it is still the same oil and has the same properties.  The reason why coconut oil is so good for your hair has to do with its molecules being able to be easily absorbed by your hair.

The easiest way to do this is to not melt the oil, but rather work with it in your hands and work it through your hair as it melts.  I've tried melting it and then applying it before and that was way messy.

Simply brush through your hair so it's smooth and ready.  Part it or do whatever you need to so that you can work with about an inch of hair at a time.  Take about a teaspoon (dime size-ish) of the solid oil and work it in your hands to start it melting, then work it through your section of hair, adjust amount of oil for hair section as needed and repeat with all of your hair.

You can comb through your hair with a wide comb to better spread it.  Then put your hair in a bun and put on a shower cap or some saran wrap to hold heat in and help the oil penetrate better.  If you want to use your blow dryer to add a bit more heat you can do that and leave it in for a shorter period of time (approximately 15 minutes) or you can just go about what you were doing and leave it in for longer (about 30 minutes).

To wash it out start working your shampoo in before you get wet.  This will help with removing the oil, the oil will repel water if you start with water.  Most shampoos have emulsifiers in them which will help remove the oil.  You may also need to shampoo twice. 

Enjoy your healthy, smooth hair!

Road Trip! What's in my makeup bag?

My husband and I are in Central Oregon visiting my grandparents this week.  I've been trying to figure out what I could blog about quickly since I'd rather be visiting and not hogging the computer.  I decided to share what I packed in my makeup bag.

I don't pack much on trips, because I don't like to spend much time getting ready.  So here are the essentials to getting ready quickly while being picture worthy.  I discovered a while ago that not getting ready at all was not fun to look back on.

My basics are:

Foundation:  Revlon ColorStay Foundation for normal/dry skin

Blush:  NYC Mosaic Face Powder Color Wheel in Pink Cheek Glow, e.l.f. All Over Color Stick in Persimmon

Bronzer: e.l.f. Baked Bronzer in St. Lucia

Brushes: e.l.f. Studio Complexion Brush, e.l.f. Studio Kabuki Brush

Mascara: Maybelline Define-A-Lash Mascara, COVERGIRL LashBlast Luxe Mascara

Liner: Avon Glimmersticks Cosmic Brown

Shadow: e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow in Enchanting and Elegant

Eye lash Curler

Q-tips

Chapstick



Thanks for reading!!

What are your essential items for on a trip?  Comment below :)

Is the expensive primer worth it? Make-up Review Series: Primer Edition

I believe I wrote in a prior post about wanting to do reviews on every product I can remember using. I'm going to start with primers. I've tried mainly just these four primers, so it made for a less overwhelming place to start. Plus if you use one it's the first make-up item you probably use on you face. Hence I'm starting at the very beginning :)

So here we go from left to right:

Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Skin Primer: This was the first primer I ever tried. I expected it to work miracles. I bought it about 4 years ago, it was before drug store brands really started making primers. I had read in magazines how primers would smooth your skin, reduce pore size, and improve your foundation's appearance and staying power. 

 I really liked this product, but it never met all of those expectations for me. It was almost like a lotion. I felt like it was very good for my skin and that it helped my foundation go on smoother. I didn't ever notice much of a difference though in my foundation appearing better on my skin with this product nor did I feel that the foundation lasted longer.


Pros:
felt good on my skin
moisturized
smooth texture/smooth foundation application

Cons:
didn't see much improvement in foundation performance with product
expensive


Overall:
4/5 stars



Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light: I tried this once I ran out of the auto pilot primer. Boy are they different! The auto pilot is more of a lotion like moisturizing primer. This is more of a mattifying gel/silicone like primer. I chose this one at Ulta because I felt the auto pilot maybe didn't do miracles because it was too much like a moisturizer. I also had (still have) oily skin at the time and felt this would help combat that and hence make my foundation last longer.

From the beginning I did not like how drying this was. It was very silky/powdery, which was nice in a way, but it was also a little too drying, even for my oily skin. Maybe if I would have gotten the regular version this would have helped. I also felt like my foundation and it did not get along well together. It was hard to get this applied evenly enough for it to be a good even base for under my foundation. For me this product was a struggle to use and I never mastered how to make it work for me.

Pros:
silky finish

Cons:
drying
expensive
did not work with my foundation well


Overall:
2.5/5 stars




Benefit the POREfessional Pore Minimizing Makeup Primer: I got this is in the fa la la flawless kit they did last year at Christmas. I had heard great things about its ability to shrink pores especially.

It was very, very silky and went from the gel to the dry product really really quickly, which made it difficult for me to blend it and apply it evenly. I never saw it do anything really with my pores, my foundation still applied over my pores basically the same.

Pros:
silky finish

Cons:
drying (not so great on combo skin)
not poreless
expensive
hard to apply

Overall:
2.5/5 stars



e.l.f. Studio Mineral Infused Face Primer: I tried this about two years ago. I ordered it online and it is the only one of these primers that I have repurchased and that I would repurchase.

This was also slightly drying as it is a gel primer. It applied very silkily but I was able to feel like I could apply it evenly before it dried. I noticed a slight difference with foundation application and wear. The bottle does not come with a ton of product.

Pros:
silky finish
cheap
easy to apply
not as drying as other gel primers
improves foundation application, wear and longevity somewhat

Cons:
not a large amount of product
somewhat drying
not a huge difference in foundation appearance

Overall:
3.5/5 stars



The bottom line is that the only one of these I would repurchase today would be the elf primer. I haven't noticed a huge difference with primers and I do not feel they are worth large amounts of money. I actually like the auto pilot primer better, but not enough to pay the price to buy more of it. Out of the three gel primers, I actually liked the elf primer the best. Most online reviews of the elf primer are as favorable as reviews of the smashbox and benefit primer so I must not be the only one who feels it is a good product.



Thanks for reading!!

Do you feel primer makes a difference?  Comment below if you want to share your opinion :)

Works in Progress...Other fun stuff to look at :)

I have been keeping up with my resolution!  Some posts take more than half an hour though.  I have two great ones that I've been working on.  One is reviews on primers and one is a cheapskate basic makeup kit. They both are proving to be kinda time consuming, so in the meantime...here's some amazing blogs that I love to check out and read occasionally.

First here's a fun fashion blog:  J's Everyday Fashion

link: http://jseverydayfashion.com/home/2013/8/21/everyday-fashion-polka-dots-outfit

She posts inspiration pictures and then photos of her own outfits.  She has some amazing tips for building your wardrobe so that you can make the most and the best outfits possible.  Link for that: http://jseverydayfashion.com/home/2012/05/todays-everyday-fashion-multiples.html
Link for her tips on how to look great on a budget: http://jseverydayfashion.com/home/2012/08/how-to-not-look-cheap.html

Another amazing and bargain minded blog is Pretty Providence

There post on traveling in New York made me want to go there, which is saying something, because usually I want to spend my money on going to somewhere like Mexico or Hawaii

Here's that post: http://www.prettyprovidence.com/2013/06/how-to-experience-new-york-city-on.html



That's all the goodness I can think of to share right now.  Enjoy!

Easy Day to Night Curls (Cheater Curls)

There is a super simple way to do your hair cute during the day and also curl your hair for a night out.  The best part is that it's super easy and only requires a pony tail band (or bobby pins if you prefer).

I brushed my hair out this morning and then parted it on the side.  I pulled all of it back at about the middle of my head and started twisting it until it started wrapping around itself.  I simply wrapped it around a few times to make the bun and then wrapped a pony tail band around it.

Tonight when I got home, I used the blow dryer to heat up the bun for a few minutes.  Then I took off the band and let my hair unravel and then used my fingers to separate the parts that were still all twisty.

I lightly sprayed it with Aussie Sprunch spray on each side and also flipped my head upside down and sprayed underneath, let it dry for a minute and then stood back up.  This gave me more volume.  Those who really like volume would probably also want to tease before the bun and maybe a little more while they were fixing the curls.

Here's a closer picture of the curls/waves:

The bun took me about two minutes to do and the curls took about five minutes to spray and fix.  Super low maintenance!

You can also totally do the bun the night before and have the waves in the morning :)

Easy Everyday Anti-aging Ideas :)

I think most of us walk around everyday with a huge to-do list and guilt about things that we never have time for.

We have so many things looming over us constantly.  One of those things might be that you feel you aren't doing enough today to keep yourself looking good in the future.  If that's ever something weighing you down I've got some super easy fixes!  I love doing these things because they make me feel happy that I am preventing possible future problems.  (even if this isn't something looming over you, it can brighten your day to know you are doing something positive for your future self)


#1  Wear moisturizer with SPF everyday

This is super easy to do and prevents aging sun damage in the future and burns/dry skin today :)

I also love to use enough that I can apply it to my neck and to the backs of my hands too.  These areas are also very prone to sun damage and premature signs of aging and it takes maybe 2 extra seconds to cover them too.


#2  Wear sunglasses

I used to never wear sunglasses.  I finally bought myself a pair once but never wore them.  Last summer I was able to find a pair that I liked and I started wearing them whenever I drove and then whenever I was out in the sun.  Find a pair that flatters your face and that makes you feel amazing and then simply wear them :)  They'll protect your eyes from the sun and help prevent cataracts and other not so fun eye conditions.

I bought these last summer at TJMaxx for $10

And these this summer at TJMaxx for $10

#3  Stay hydrated

This one is in some ways simpler than the other two and yet also harder to do.  I would recommend getting a water bottle that you like and take it to work with you, to the gym, or just have it around the house.  If you really hate water then find another drink that works for you.  Also you can eat more fruits and veggies and up your fluid intake that way.

I love target's simply balanced essence water.  It doesn't have very much sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, it has stevia instead of other sweeteners and a relatively short ingredient list.  Oh yes, and it's not too spendy :)

Thanks for reading!!

Know of other simple fixes for a beautiful future?  Share below by commenting :)

New Resolution! (New Years in August?)

So Christmas in July is something that is celebrated by some and joked about/known about by the rest of us...so making resolutions in August isn't that weird right?

My resolution is to blog for at least 30 minutes every day.  Well here goes day one...I also have decided that maybe I need to start by taking pictures before each post.  Maybe then I won't get hung up on pictures and decide not to post.

I think I'm going to have to also decide to take pictures in the morning.  It might help me feel better about how I look, if I take the picture before working about ten stressful hours.  It just might help :)

The Quest for the Glow: What to do with crazy, bipolar pregnant skin

I think that everyone hopes that pregnancy will make them feel miraculous, vibrant, and of course will come with "the glow."  Even though we've heard many things to the contrary, we all hope we will be that one person that we know of who was absolutely gorgeous, glowing, healthy and seemed happy and perfect while pregnant.

Image from Cycle Beads . com

Before I even missed my period or knew I was pregnant, I knew something was way haywire with my skin and hair.  All of the sudden I felt like I was balding, I had horrible dandruff (even dandruff shampoo didn't fix it), my face was so dry and yet so broken out, my chest and back were way more broken out than they had ever been even in teenage years.  I was "glow"ing!  Ha ha!

It took a while, but I finally was able to adjust my skin care routine to compensate for the changes in my skin.  Also I believe my hormones may have calmed down a bit.  I still have dry skin with some flakes in my scalp, but I have been able to balance out my skin.  I no longer have dry sore skin and blemishes due to my skin trying to even itself out.

When I first got pregnant I was using Clearasil Cleanser and I was loving it.   It turned out to be too drying for my pregnant skin.  I tried using Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser, but it was almost too gentle and yet not moisturizing enough.  I don't know if that really even makes sense, but my skin was not getting clean and also was still too dry.

I then decided to try my body wash bar soap, it's Olay Ultra Moisture with Shea Butter.  I was getting desperate and had heard in the past that some people really liked using Dove Beauty Bars to wash their face with.  I knew this would help with moisture and would hopefully also get my face clean.  It worked!  I'm still using this today, morning and night to wash my face.

Moisturizer:  I also began searching for a better moisturizer for my poor skin.  I had been using L'oreal Active Daily Moisture, which worked fine on my pre-pregnant skin, but now I needed something more heavy duty.  I started using a travel size Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with Dimethicone Skin Protectant.  Side note:  in the health care field we use DSP lotions or barrier creams when someone has skin that is damaged and needs a protective barrier to heal.  This was a much stronger moisturizer, but it didn't play nice with make-up.  I had to start using it just at night.  I still use it every night.

Somewhere in all of this, I read a post by Miss MaskCara about how to apply make-up to cover blemishes.  She concluded that it was much easier to camouflage and cover blemishes with darker skin tones.  I have very fair skin and agreed that yes red blemishes do stick out much worse on a white canvas than they would on a more golden or beige canvas.  I started using Jergens natural GLOW FACE with sunscreen for fair to medium skin tones.  I actually feel like the formula of this lotion also helped with my skin's overall condition.  I feel it helped even out my tone by slightly moisturizing, helping with flaky skin, and by not overdoing it, helping with the breakouts.  I started using this once a day in the morning with the Aveeno moisturizer at night.

All of these changes were made slowly.  This process took me about a month or so to perfect.  Remember you are working with your skin not against it.  Also it takes your skin up to 6 weeks to adjust to changes in your skin care routine.  I decided to treat the dry skin first as I believed the acne was my skin's reaction and compensation for the dryness.  So instead of freaking out about the breakouts and trying to get rid of them, I tried to take better care of my skin so it could heal and balance itself.  In my personal experience with acne, this approach always works better than trying to kill, zap or clear the breakouts.

So remember, not too many changes at once.  Try to figure out the root of the problem and what your skin is lacking and address that.  Try something for at least about a week and then move onto something else if needed.  (unless of course it is obvious that whatever you are trying is harming your skin).

Me with much happier skin :)

What I've been up to lately...

I haven't posted in a long time, but I've had good reasons/excuses.  There has been a lot going on since my last post.  Here's the highlights and some fun pics!

My husband started working longer shifts on days that I was working so that we could do more fun stuff on our days off together.  More fun stuff=less time home alone to blog.

We planned a trip to Peru!  It was so fun, but it required a lot of planning.  We did a lot in just two weeks of vacation time.

I got a promotion/new job complete with a very different schedule and much longer commute.

My husband got his dream job, it also came with a very different schedule.

Also we are expecting a baby in November.  Just being pregnant and working is about all I can handle some days, but I've been a lot less tired lately.  We found out today that we are most likely having a boy!


See!  I've been very occupied with many other things :)

I have so much I want to add to the blog now!  I'm planning a post on how to pack for vacation and I'm also planning on doing reviews on all of the products I currently have or have been using in the last six months.  There's a lot of great products and a few not so great products.

I can't wait to get started!  (After a camping trip this weekend and catching up on hours at work that is)   ;)