Make your cheekbones POP!

I follow Benefit cosmetics on Instagram.  They have some pretty cool marketing and their products always have the funnest names.  Yesterday they posted a tip called "the jelly doughnut."  You use illuminator around your cheekbones/apple of your cheeks and then put blush in the center of your "doughnut" and blend.

I tried it yesterday...Wow!  I have never had my cheeks look so sculpted and gorgeous.  These pics really don't do it justice.

Before (sorry it's so blurry)

Can you see the ring of shiny color on my cheek?

Ring and blush in the middle, preblend

The finished look!  I think this is easier and maybe even better than highlighting and contouring. I used my e.l.f. all over color stick as my highlight because it is somewhat frosty.  I used my e.l.f. baked blush in rich rose to pack in the middle of my circle.  Then I blended the edges of the circle and the middle with the blush.

You've got to try it!  Thanks for reading :)

Linking up with: Fry Sauce & Grits, Makeup Monday

Bold florals + Bold stripes (plus some little sister fashion)

Last night/early this morning my little brother left home for the next two years to serve a mission for our church.  We thought he wasn't going for another two weeks, so it was a really crazy few days for my mom getting him ready to go.  We all got together as a family last night.  It was sad to say goodbye, but we are all very excited for him.  As I'm typing this, he is probably almost to Mexico City.

I wanted to share some pics of what I wore last night and also what my 9 year old sister wore.  She was wearing the cutest outfit and it was so well coordinated.  I'm sharing pics below.  She also took the first few pictures of my outfit.  :)

This skirt is actually from my friend's wedding.  Isn't it cute!  I thought the bold stripes in my shirt needed a bolder floral pattern and I love how it looked with this bright, bold skirt.  My other sister got me this beautiful blazer for Christmas.  It has a stripe print with a chunky white lace overlay.

See how cute!?  She's got this beautiful white tee with clear, iridescent sequin sleeves and a pocket, a super cute polka dot layered skirt, white leggings with lace on the bottom, and then sparkly shoes that match the shirt.  She put this together by herself!

Thanks so much for reading!!

Linking up with:  Because Shanna Said So, The Pleated Poppy, Style Elixir, Whitney Nic James, Trend Spin Linkup.

Summer Style: Pink Striped Maxi Dress

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Dress: Connection 18 (TJ Maxx) ($15) / Denim Shirt: Forever 21 ($10 secondhand) / Shoes: Dollhouse ($14) (Ross) / Watch: Betsey Johnson (TJ Maxx) ($35) / Rosebud Earrings: Rue 21 ($5 in a set) / Hairstyle how to: here

Outfit total: less than $80

I got to go Birthday shopping with my mother in law this week.  We weren't able to go earlier because she was on vacation.  We found this dress and my watch at TJ Maxx.

I absolutely love this dress!  I love the color of pink it is and it is sooo comfy.  Striped maxi dresses are so gorgeous for summer.  They are so easy but look amazing!  Adding to the outfit with a kimono, blazer, or chambray top gives it a little something extra :)

I found as many similar items on Amazon as I could.  If you live near a TJ Maxx and want the watch, check to see if they have them.  They were only $35 in store and they are around $100 on Amazon.

**These are affiliate links, so if you choose to buy something from them, I will receive a small commission from Amazon, this will not affect the price you pay**

Thanks so much for reading!!  Comment below with your favorite summer clothes :)

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Also linked with the Pleated Poppy link, the Penniless Socialite link, the trend spin link up with the Fashion Canvas and Walking in Memphis in High Heels, and the Real Arnolds link up.

Bridal Shower Bucket

One of my hubby's best friends is getting married next week.  We've known him since high school and he and his bride have been dating for over 3 years now.  We are so excited for them!

I went to her bridal shower with his family on Saturday.  His mother makes the best food!  She made the cutest little sugar cookies, little drinks complete with color coordinated bendy straws, croissant sandwiches, and fruit kabobs.  Mmmm!

The last 3 bridal showers I have went to, I have given them some homemade laundry detergent along with other useful things.  Big storage totes are always useful, and they make a great "bucket" for smaller gifts.  Go big or go home!

Step 1:  Get your "bucket"

I bought my tote at Shopko.  I get the biggest one I can find that's around $10.  This time I got this grey tote with green latch handles by Sterilight for $12.50, I believe it was 16 gallons.

Step 2: get smaller useful things to put in the bucket.

I decided to do some quick dinner items.  I wanted them to have something for those nights when you don't have much time for dinner and didn't plan ahead, but you don't want to go out.

I got: a jar of spaghetti sauce and spaghetti noodles; a jar of alfredo sauce, fettucine noodles and a can of chicken; and peanut butter and jelly. 

 I also made them some homemade laundry detergent.  I used a clean empty pickle jar and painted the lid with krylon and made a cute "laundry sprinkles" label with instructions on it and then filled it with the laundry detergent.  The lid is super sparkly and shiny :)

Step 3:  Wrap it up!

Next use a few beautiful wedding/bridal shower bags and group things together and place them in the bags with tissue paper.  You can get super creative and write a cute note, saying or instructions with each bag.

A few examples with the items I used: "You guys go together like peanut butter and jelly."  "One without the other is like spaghetti without sauce, fettucine without alfredo," etc.  I ran out of time to do the sayings, but the gift looked much better with them grouped and wrapped in pretty bags.

This is a great way to do a gift on a budget that is still very useful and does not look or seem cheap.  With a gift like this it's the thought that counts.  This gift (to me) says, "here, lets make your life a little easier."

I was really happy with how it all turned out.  Sometimes when you try to stick to around $20-$25 you kinda feel like your gift is lacking.  That's why I love starting out with the big tote and then adding themed items to it.

Thanks for reading!!

I'm linking up with these lovely ladies.  Click here to check it out!