Healthy Journey Series Part Seven - Isa-scuse me?

Hi everyone! This is my seventh post in my Healthy Journey Series.

Thank you all so much for coming along on this ride with me, I really appreciate the kind comments and support <3 I will get back to blogging about some beauty related things soon, but I wanted to get this story out first as I am truly passionate about this and really want to share with you.

So the title of this post is a shout out to the person that introduced me to this new opportunity. She told me I reminded her of Anna Kendrick from Pitch Perfect, I'll take that compliment!

Isagenix. Have you heard of it? I hadn't.

(My two favorite products from Isagenix and my adorable little shaker!)

So I hopped on the internet and did some research and after much debate I decided to go for it and order some products. What the heck? If I absolutely hated the products I could get my money back so no harm in trying right?

To clarify Isagenix offers a range of products to help you have a more healthy lifestyle. They have different packages based on your goals and needs and at a variety of different price points. The kicker for me was that the shakes they offer are full meal replacements. Not a protein shake or snack to be had pre/post workout but an actual meal replacement. And you know what? It's made with real food. Real vitamins and minerals that your body needs. No weird chemicals and artificial sweeteners.

I tried it for a week and lost a pound, but I was feeling a lot better. Hard to believe given how good I felt adding exercise and making healthy eating options into my life already. But I wasn't 100% committed, so I decided I was going to return my products and just move on to something else. I called and got a return number and had everything all boxed up and ready to go.

And then it sat there for two weeks. Two weeks. Remember, everything happens for a reason. I kept seeing my friend and others post about how great the company was. How great they felt using the products long term and how supportive the company was and how great the culture was and being so supportive of one another. Not saying they are perfect here by any means, but everything was just really positive.

So I called my friend and told her I still hadn't returned my stuff and wanted to talk to her about the company and the business opportunity. In the mean time I had watched "all the videos" and read a ton of articles, blogs, etc. (I really commit to my research guys). And when we met for coffee there wasn't anything she told me that I hadn't already read or heard about something else, but she was able to explain the comp plan to me in a way that made real-life sense so that was way helpful. And seeing her passion come through as she was talking about it is what really sold me.

I have sold Mary Kay, mark., and Avon in the past so I know about network marketing and I know how hard you have to work to be successful and how rewarding it can be. But none of those companies offered a comp plan and success tools like Isagenix does.

And so here I am, staring down the awesome opportunity that awaits with this awesome company. I can't wait to see where it takes me!

A Healthy Journey Part Six - But Now What?

Hi Everyone! This is part six in my Healthy Journey Series.

I am feeling great, better than I have in a long time in fact. And I lost the weight I have been talking about losing for years. I still have some additional fitness goals I want to hit, but I want more than that. I have always had a secret love affair for the fitness industry.

(Diesel is very supportive of my fitness goals. Also, if you haven't tried PiYo, you're missing out.)

When I started college the second time (or maybe it was third, I don't know) my major was Exercise Science and Sports Nutrition. As I mentioned in a previous post I worked out like crazy in college and I liked how I was feeling. So when I was picking out a major I thought why not do this for a living? And then, I had to take Anatomy. Did you know there are roughly 900 gagillion bones and shizz in the human body?! And did you know that in order to pass that class you have to have it all memorized. Yeah...that didn't work out so I went back to my other passion, psychology. [In case you are wondering 9 years later I finally graduated with a double major in Psych. and Marketing. Yes nine years. No I don't have a PhD, I just like to take my time.]

But I have still always secretly envied those in the fitness world and have always wanted to be part of that. But I felt like I didn't fit in. As I said, I didn't play sports, I wasn't a naturally fit person so I just never felt right trying to insert myself somewhere I wasn't sure I belonged.

Now that I have started on this journey I feel that pull stronger than ever. I want to help other people, I want them to see that they can accomplish their goals and live a healthier life. If I can do this, anyone can do this.

I was offered the Beachbody Coaching opportunity and thought it made since to get a discount on Shakeology. I liked Shakeology, it tasted good, it was semi-filling and made me feel good about putting all kinds of good nutrients in my body at least once a day. But in terms of weight loss, it didn't really do much for me. Eating "clean" and incorporating more veggies and fruits with protein, healthy fats and carbs along with literally moving my ass each day is what did it for me. I know this product helps a lot of people curb their cravings for sweets but I am not a sweet eater (damn you potato chips!) so that didn't really matter to me. It's a great product, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't the key for me.

The key for me is the feeling. I love how I feel. That's what I want to share with people.

You may have read my post a few weeks ago about not believing in coincidence and that everything happens for a reason. (Go read it quick, it's short.) And I believe I am on this path for a reason. I believe that this theme in my life has never really gone away because I am truly meant to do something with it.

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to participate in a local artist show and I got to meet some of the most amazing women (and a couple men) and one of them introduced me to a new opportunity. Something I had never even heard of and was really pretty skeptical about, but then I did some research (and by some I mean I watched an inappropriate amount of YouTube videos, read a shit ton of blogs, articles and went to A LOT of websites to find out more.) I basically was consumed trying to get all the information I could because I am certain this is something I am passionate about and want to share with everyone.

(Me and the amazing women from the fashion show I was in in August. If you like the fashions pictured, check out my friend's site here.)

A Healthy Journey Part Five - Results.

Hi Everyone! This is my fifth post in my Healthy Journey Series.

The results were/are awesome. I lost 15 pounds. Finally. I have been talking about doing that for longer than I can count right now. Fricking finally. But that wasn't all.

 (This is after the first 30 days. I was down a few pounds and starting to see muscle definition.)

(This is at the end of 60 days. Be jealous of my shirt, don't judge, I know you want one.)

I was super pumped about the weight loss. But I also felt better. See there's that word again, "feel". I was sleeping better, I felt better when I woke up and throughout the day. I had more energy and didn't feel as stressed out all the time.

I was thrilled with the results. About half way in I actually started following the meal plan and that's really when the transformation gained momentum. I was eating better, drinking less wine (sad, I know, but not really), both of those things coupled with the increased activity and better sleep really sold me on being healthier long term. I could see that this wasn't something to finish and then go back to my old ways. Why would I trade more energy and better sleep for feeling like shit and not sleeping great? I wouldn't. And I haven't.

So now that I had lost all of this weight, one of the things I did to help keep me committed to my new lifestyle was to get rid of all the clothes that were too big. No hanging on just in case. They were gone. I have gotten rid of 12 bags of clothes. I had to go out and buy new jeans and a couple of dresses for work but most of my tops still fit. I also had to buy new undergarments because those weren't working any more either. I also had to buy a new swimsuit (That was fun! Seriously.)

But, as you may be wondering, I started to wonder what next? What do I do when this 90 day program is over? Do it again? What else am I going to do?

Well thankfully Beach Body has a slew of other workout programs to choose from. I picked a couple and am working on those now. But I am finding myself wanting more. I want to challenge myself physically. What else can I do? Since completing P90X3 I have lost a few more pounds, which is great but it's not my end goal. So now what?

A Healthy Journey Part Four - Let's Do This.

Hi Everyone! This is the fourth post in my Healthy Journey Series.

After coffee that day I was able to find used P90X3 workouts online for super cheap and placed my order. I texted my friend and agreed that the following weekend I would get started. She had already started so she was a week or two ahead of me. 

The DVDs arrived and I was super pumped. I read everything I could find and watched a crazy amount of YouTube videos so I understood just what I was in for. The program was seven days a week and each workout was only 30 minutes so I figured at the bare minimum that I would lose weight because I was going to be working out seven days a week as opposed to one or zero days a week.

(February 14, 2015, I am sucking in my belly so much here that I can barely breathe.)

So on Saturday morning I woke up and did my first P90X3 workout. And it was not as terrifying as I thought. It was hard. And I was sweaty. But I didn't die and I didn't puke (I set the bar pretty low), so I considered it a win. And then something weird happened. I was super excited for the next workout. Weird. And then after the second workout, it happened again. I really enjoyed working out. Who knew? It was so helpful to have my friend for support. We texted each other and encouraged each other the whole way. It took us a little longer than the 90 days to complete the program, with work and life we weren't able to work out every single day of that 90 days. So in June I/we completed the 90 day program. 

And the results were kind of awesome. 

A Healthy Journey Part Three - Ask for help.

Hi everyone! This is my third post in my Healthy Journey Series.

Once you have your head in the game, things will change dramatically. Being healthy is a lifestyle. Not a diet. It's not fitting into pants from high school (even if the 90's are trending again). It's about doing things everyday that will make a difference. Taking a walk. Choosing an apple instead of potato chips, eating a salad instead of another slice of pizza (but still have a slice!). It's all the little things that add up to change.

(This is Isis. She is not impressed with my journey. Or yours.)

I had to realize that this couldn't be a short term solution to a long term problem. I love eating and I love some forms of exercise so I had to find something that would allow me to work my body in an enjoyable way and still allow me to eat "real" food (because apparently I thought really fit people ate "pretend" food...)

So after I sort of got that I need to make some lifestyle changes I asked for help. It didn't really come across as a direct ask like, "Hey I need help, please help me!" But one of my best friends is super fit and has always made healthier eating choices than me so I asked her what she was doing. I told her I needed to try something new because the same old crap wasn't working. This was right after the holidays and she was looking to get back on track too so it was perfect timing really. She told me that she had done P90X3 a couple of times and was impressed with her results and would do it with me if I was willing.

Internally I was freaking out, but I heard myself say "Yes! Okay!" I was panicking because here's what I knew about P90X:

• Really buff people were on the DVD cover = Really buff people did P90X workouts.
• What the eff is P90X3?
• I haven't been really, truly physically active in like a decade or more. 

My friend played volleyball in high school and has always been in slightly better shape than me so I was thinking there was no way in hell I would be able to do this and keep up with her. So I did what any person would do. I fished for a compliment/reassurance. I said "Yeah I am so out of shape though, do you think I would be able to do those workouts?" And she was wonderful and said "You look great! Of course you can, they're only 30 minutes!"

And all I heard was  "You look great!" and "30 minutes". Certainly I can fricking handle 30 fricking minutes. I mean seriously.

So I left coffee with her agreeing to purchase the DVDs online and we would start the following week. On Valentine's Day actually. 

A Healthy Journey Part Two - Get In Touch with Your Feelings

Hi everyone! This is my second post in my healthy journey series.

So why not me? There are tons of fitness models and coaches and professional athletes well in to their 60's who are in better shape than me. I'm only 34, surely I can get fit too? Right?

Sure! Of course! But it won't start in the gym. It won't start at the grocery store either. And it certainly won't start online shopping for cute work-out clothes.

It starts inside. In your head. Yep.

Dig deep and get in touch with those feelings!

(This is Dahlia. Stealing sports bras off the drying rack is her version of getting healthy.)

Something in my brain had to finally turn on and get it. This can't be about being a certain size. It can't be about looking like a Kardashian or Cindy Crawford. This is about being healthy. Which means FEELING good. And feelings start on the inside. And then they work to the outside. And when you feel good, others can feel it too.

Notice I said feel. Not see. Feel. Just think about it.

If you feel good about yourself, you are likely to smile more, use more open body language, have a more positive mood and generally be more pleasant to be around. I am not saying you are perfect, or never crabby, but generally people who feel good are more fun to be around than people who feel shitty. Just think about people you know and how you feel when you are around them. Crabby, fun-suckers might be funny for awhile or you can understand their struggles, but being around them constantly is draining. When you are around someone who is smiling and positive (not like nauseating-Polly Anna-optimistic all the frickin time either) is more relaxing and fun to be around. Agreed?

Once I was able to start getting my mind on the right path, it wasn't as much of a struggle to start getting the rest of me there too. It wasn't a cake walk, but it wasn't as much of struggle as it has been in the past. You can't do nothing, eat like shit and mope and expect to suddenly feel better or lose weight. You have to own who you are and decide that you want to feel better and then figure out what you need to do to get there.

This mental clarity or realization has take me YEARS to figure out. It's still something I have to remind myself daily and some days are better than others. But physical health is directly linked to mental health. Get your head in the game and watch it change everything.

A Healthy Journey Begins

I know a lot of people are using the word "journey" to talk about a lot of things right now. Today I want to talk to you about my journey. This will be the first in a series of posts as this is a long story to tell and one that is still in progress.

This is not a story of weight loss, though that is part of the story, it is not the focus. This is not a story of being skinny or thin. Healthy does not equal skinny. Being fit does not mean losing massive amounts of weight. Being healthy is more than just what you put in your mouth or how many burpees you can do or what size jeans you wear. This is my story of how I am getting healthy.

(This is Onyx. He is not on a journey. But he likes it when I put pictures of him in my blogs.)

Health and fitness is something we all work on everyday. Some of us work harder than others and for some of us it's easier than for others. Many people have huge obstacles and hurdles in their way; be it financial, disabilities and disease, or simply a lack of motivation. Everyone is different.

I've seen a crap ton of fitness and healthy quotes and some of them are really awesome, and some are really stupid. But one that stands out for me as really cheesy and true is that fitness is a journey, not a destination. I don't know who originally said that and I don't know where I originally saw that so I can't credit the source here, but that's not the point. The point is, is that I didn't really get that until now. Seriously, like in the last week or so I've really been thinking about that statement and it's never been more clear to me. 

I have struggled with fitness since I was a little kid. A lot of kids around me were into playing sports and being active. Me? I was totally content to hang out inside with my toys and not get sweaty or deal with bugs. As I got older, I still didn't really care about participating in sports because that would have required interaction with others and I wasn't super in to that. Once I was in my late teens and early twenties I decided I wanted to "get in shape" and tried various magazine workouts and bought a couple of workout DVDs from Target to help me get fit. 

In college I worked out pretty hardcore, but didn't really do anything else to support my healthy lifestyle. I drank a lot and ate like total crap, but I was 23 so my metabolism was working in my favor. I am now 34 and my metabolism is looking at me like "Pay back is a bitch, eat those fries, I dare you." And when I look back at pictures of me from that time period I am not as fit-looking as I thought I was. I am not saying I look bad, I just am not as defined as I felt (or remember feeling). 

Then I entered the professional work force and went from one desk job to the next. I gained some weight and then would decide to eat better and would lose a pound here and there. Then I decided I didn't care and ate whatever I wanted and screw eating salad. 

A couple of years ago I had started working out more, but not really quite eating as healthy as I should have been and I lost a little weight due to increased activity. Then we moved into a new house and had all kinds of other things going on in my life and eating healthy kind of took a back seat. I felt fine, I was tired and stressed, but I felt like that was normal. I wasn't paying any attention to my weight, but I knew that some of my clothes were feeling tighter than normal and just thought, well I'm over 30 now so this is what happens.

But it's not what happens. Why should I have to accept that because I am now 30 that it will just be down hill from here? People over 30 can be healthy and fit right?! Why not me?

Everything Happens for a Reason

Ok time to get a little deep on the blog. Do you believe in coincidence? I don't. I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes you don't know why, and sometimes it takes for freaking ever to determine what that reason is. But ultimately I do not believe that things are random.

Take one example. Back in 2002 I went to college and met some extremely awesome people. I didn't know it at the time but one of them would be responsible for introducing me to Tony. It took four years for the timing to be right, but here we are nine years later and still going strong.

Another example, taking a chance on a business opportunity with mark. (now under Avon) allowed me to make some really awesome friends I would never have met otherwise and that has led to not only some amazing friendships but through that network of friends I was introduced to more business opportunities and new networks of people. And this blog.

It's really crazy how things are all connected, even when you can't see it right away. Especially the smaller things. If you would have chosen to sit somewhere different or take a different route to work; all of those little things can lead to something that could have completely changed your life. It could be something as small as a shittier commute by taking a route that had unexpected road construction, or by introducing yourself to someone at a networking meeting who ends up becoming a co-worker down the line. Crazy.

Sometimes things happen that are good, and some things that happen are extremely shitty. But all of those things are there to teach you something and make you stronger and wiser for what is yet to come.

I'm sorry if that is too deep or vague or weird; but I was just reflecting on my life lately and feeling really awesome about how things are going and grateful for all of the lessons I have learned (good and bad).

What are your thoughts on this? any strange "coincidences" or choices you want to share?

Fall Scents - Bath and Body Works

As mentioned in my previous post, fall is my favorite time of year. I especially love the smells of fall. Pumpkin, spice, cinnamon, etc. I love it! And one of my fave places in the world is Bath and Body Works. I have been a fan of theirs since the first one opened up in the Lawton Mall in Oklahoma and changed my world forever (not a lot happened in Lawton, so this was literally life-changing at the time).

So today, I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite things I like to get this time of year.

Before we get started, I want to point out a couple of things:

• Try and wait until the candles are two for $22 this happens several times a season.
• Wall flowers are ALWAYS 6 for $24 or cheaper, but don't get duped by the two packs, if you do the math they are not always cheaper than buying them individually. 
• Bath and Body Works gives out coupons like nobody's business. Use them.
• Retail-Me-Knot ALWAYS has discount codes for shopping online at B&BW's website. You can download the app for free. I use this when I shop anywhere because they almost always have some sort of discount code going.

(excuse the non-fall candle hiding in the background - it's Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut if you're wondering)

I freaking love candles. I always have, and then I had a slight obsession with the movie The Craft and they were always burning candles for some sort of magical purposes and my love for candles has just intensified. I used to have like 20 of them in my room in high school, kinda weird I guess. And yeah,  I happen to think that Bath and Body Works has some of the best ones. My favorite scents in fall are Leaves (classic cinnamon-y scent), Marshmallow Fireside and then the Pumpkin ones. Here I have Sweet Cinnamon Pumkin and Pumpkin Pecan Waffles. One year they had a Pumpkin Latte scent and I LOVED IT, but I haven't seen it the last couple of years. 

I also picked up wallflower refills in Leaves. I have these all over my house and they typically last at least a month if not slightly longer (it usually depends on the size of the room they are in). 

And finally, I needed more hand sanitizer so I purchased their Autumn Scents pack for $5 (making these $1 each). My favorite so far is Fall Lakeside Breeze. It smells divine (as far as hand sanitizers go).

So that's it for today's post. What are your fave fall items to pick up from Bath and Body Works? What was your first scent you ever bought from them? Mine was Sun-Ripened Raspberry and then I was hooked on Juniper Breeze for awhile. 

Bye Felicia!

I am a make-up hoarder. Well, kind of. I really like make-up, so I tend to buy it a lot. It's like...a hobby. People ride bikes, collect comics and stamps, I collect make-up. Or I used to.

A couple of  years ago I really felt pressure to buy a lot of the new make-up items, mostly from the drugstore, in order to make sure I was trying the latest and greatest and providing my readers with reviews, swatches, etc. I had So. Much. Stuff. Too much actually. And it was really stressful to me to have all that stuff that wasn't getting used and wasn't being enjoyed.

But then over the course of the last couple of years, I realized two things:

1. Not every new product that comes out will look good on or work for me.
2. If people want reviews of every damn new product that comes out, there are already 400 bagillion blogs and videos out there with that info (I'm lookin at you YouTube).

So what does that mean?

I cleaned the shit out of my stash. I mean that literally and figuratively. If the product didn't look good on me, or wasn't something I used a lot I got rid of it. I didn't just throw it away (unless it was expired). I returned a crap ton of stuff to Sephora and Target, and gave away BAGS of make-up to friends and family (you're welcome Jen and Laurel!). And now what I have left is a stash of my most favorite and most used make-up.

This is not to say I don't still fight the urge to buy (or at least want to buy) all the new things. I just don't give in. [Note - to be clear, I NEVER actually bought ALL the new things.] I really think about whether or not I need a sixth foundation in my drawer, or another dark red lipstick in my purse. Most of the time the answer is no. I try to limit myself to picking up new items either, when something runs out that I don't already have a replacement for, OR a couple of things for each new season.

I have gotten to the point this year with make-up (and other things in my life) that if it's not working for me, then it's done. I am done hanging on to stuff that I won't use. I don't care how trendy it is or how much someone else says they love it. I am not a YouTube Beauty Guru (and that's okay - I love them, I'm just not one of them!), I don't have millions of followers and an endless supply of cash and sponsor-ships to try out every new beauty item under the sun. I am done trying to be something I am not, it's exhausting and expensive and stressful and just plain shitty. I am who I am, and I think I am pretty awesome.

Have you every had one of these "epiphany-style" moments? What was it?

Fall Favorites

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the changing colors of the leaves, the crisp cool mornings, snuggling into warm fuzzy blankets and sweaters. I love football and Fall TV (Empire and Sleepy Hollow are my faves!) So for this post I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite fall "things".

1. Orange and gold. Pumpkins, leaves, nail polish, everything this time of year is some variation of orange and gold. I love how rich it makes things look (not like money rich), it's just the best.

2. Cinnamon and pumpkin scented everything. My house never smells better.

3. Family time. I have the best memories of fall as a kid and this time of year always makes me feel nostalgic for those times. But fall means the beginning of the holiday season and some of the funnest times you will spend all year with your fam.

4. It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown! The best fall/Halloween movie. Ever.

5. Halloween - I love to decorate for it, celebrate it and just everything.

6. Boots! I love boots! And scarves. Fall fashion is so comfortable and I love the chunky knits, the fleece lined things, everything is just so cozy and COMFY.

7. The September Issue. As in Vogue. I seriously wait all year for this to arrive. I look at it probably 100 times and tear out pages of clothes, hair, anything that inspires me for season and I try to re-create looks with things I already have or identify (much cheaper versions) pieces that I want to buy for my fall wardrobe. Burgundy knee-high boots and plaid everything made in this year (thanks JustFab and Target!) but I am huge fan of plaid anything all the time, not just this year.

8. Baking. Is there any time of year that has better baked goods than fall? The answer is no. Pumpkin pie, pumpkins seeds, cinnamon cookies, banana bread. Bam.

9. Bonfires. Sure summer bonfires are great, being at the lake/beach, blah blah blah. But fall bonfires smell better, they burn brighter, AND there are no bugs. No bugs. #winning

10. Fall folklore and rituals. So interesting. Preparing for the fall solstice, All Hallows Eve, Day of the Dead, all those things, fascinating.

What's your favorite thing about fall?

Hi, I'm not dead.

Eight months.

That's how long it's been since my last post.

(Dahlia isn't impressed either.)

Some of you are going, "I know!" and some of you are thinking, "Who is this bitch?". Yeah, it's been awhile. Life happened, I left this blog in the dust and just didn't really feel like doing anything about it. Lazy? Kind of. Rude? Maybe. But I am really hoping to be back on track with things and move forward from here.

Part of why it's been so long is I just honestly haven't felt all that inspired by blogs lately. It seems like the same old same old crap content everywhere. And I just felt really blah about my own blog. I felt like I was trying to be and keep up with someone I'm not. I am not a professional blogger. I do not want to forgo sleep and snuggles with my fur babies to write a post for you. Sorry. And then I just got really crabby about the whole blogging thing in general. So I stopped.

But now, I want to get back in the game and take this blog in a bit of a different direction. I want you guys to feel like we are BFFs sitting down to a glass of wine and I have something fun (and maybe sometimes it won't be so fun  - not everything is unicorns and rainbows) to share with you. I want to take a look at other areas of my life and share those with you as well. Beauty will likely still be the main focus as it's something I really enjoy and like to share my opinions on, but it can't be the only focus. I bored myself, so I hope I didn't bore you.

Some of the things that have been going on since my last post:

- I lost 20 pounds, maybe you want to hear about that?
- I switched jobs.
- One of my dogs had ACL surgery.
- One of our chickens was brutally murdered by a hawk/owl/chupacabra/alien.
- Tony and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary.
- I was in a fashion show and made some kick ass new friends.
- Other shit I can't remember; it was eight months guys. Jeez.

As soon as this post is done, I am going to write up several more so that I have more consistent stuff for you.

Quick question. If you have a blog/website/whatever, how do you stay motivated to keep posting content for your readers?

Order of Application According to Mel

Hi Lovelies!

Today's post is all about the order of application. Beauty product application that is. There are so many products out there, and it can be really frustrating when you apply something and you aren't getting the end result you wanted. Part of that could be due to application error, or it may not be the right product for you. But, the order in which you apply your make-up can really make a difference in how products work with each other to give you the end look you really want.

What follows below is MY order of application. I have been wearing make-up since I was 5 (seriously, Tinkerbell make-up was the bomb), but truly wearing makeup since I was 14. My application techniques (hello foundation brush!) and the order in which I apply them has changed quite a bit in the last 20 years.

Alright, first thing's first: skincare. Wash your face, apply treatments, serums and eye cream and then moisturizer BEFORE you put any amount of makeup on your face. You should ALWAYS start with a clean face.

Next, primer. There are a ton of different face primers out there, and I will be doing a separate post on that later, but now is the time to prime. There are brightening, pore minimizing, hydrating and other types of primers out there, but generally speaking a primer is going to help your make-up last longer, and provide a sleeker canvas for your make-up.

Now it's time for foundation. This is where you really need to assess the make-up you are about to apply and take note of cream and liquid products vs. powder. In basic terms, you can layer liquids and creams on top of each other, but once you apply a powder you are done with liquid/cream. So, if you are using a liquid foundation, creamy concealer and then powder to set your make-up, the blush and bronzer all need to be powder. If you use powder foundation and concealer (ex. mineral make-up) then proceed accordingly. Does that make sense.

For me I use liquid foundation 99% of the time so I apply my foundation first. I dab on a few dots on my cheeks forehead, nose and chin. Then I use a brush to blend it all together. I apply the heavier amounts towards the middle of my face and blend out.

Next I add under-eye concealer and cover up any blemishes or spots. Applying your concealer after your foundation was weird to me as I always did it the other way around. But if you are going to spend all that time covering things up, the last thing you want to do is rub over that with something else. This has made a huge difference for me, especially in covering up blemishes.

Now I will set my concealer with a translucent powder. If I am doing powder blush and bronzer I will also apply powder to my nose, chin and forehead to keep those areas from getting shiny. If I am doing cream bronzer and blush I will wait to powder those areas until after those products are applied.

Applying cream over powder gives a cakey look that I am not in to.

Now I will contour my face. I do a little on my cheeks, nose and forehead. Then I do bronzer on my cheeks, forehead, nose and chin. Next I apply blush to the apples of my cheeks and blend back towards my hair line. And finally, I apply highlighter to the tops of my cheeks.

After that is done I move on to brows. I don't like to do my brows until after all of these steps are complete because I don't want to accidentally brush over my brows and mess that up. So I usually use a pencil or a pomade product for my brows and once those are done, its time to move on to eyes!

Eye primer is the first step in your eye shadow game. You can use concealer, a cream eye shadow or an actual eye primer. Using a primer before eye shadow will help make your shadow last longer, prevent creasing and can help colors appear brighter and truer to what they look like in the pan.

I am not going to get into application of eye shadow as that really depends on the look you are going for, but once your eye shadow is done it's time for eyeliner.

There are tons of different forms of eyeliner, powder, gel, liquid, pencil, etc. Whatever you prefer now is the time to apply it. If you are doing a liquid liner, I like to let that set a few minutes before applying mascara.

Whew, we are almost done.

Now that your eyeliner is applied and dry, you can curl your lashes if you want. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't Curling your lashes while your eyeliner is wet will likely cause the eyeliner to move or rub off onto the lash curler so that's why I recommend you wait to let it dry. And once they are curled (or not) you can apply mascara.

Do not pump your wand into the mascara tube. This will cause clumping by pushing air back into the tube and will result in your mascara clumping on your lashes and drying it out faster. So if you need more mascara on the wand swirl it gently in the tube (kind of like you are scraping the sides of the tube). One coat of mascara is generally sufficient (depending on the look you want).

Now if you wanted to, you can apply false lashes. You may need to touch up your eyeliner at this point and if you are adding lashes I always go back in with a quick coat of mascara to kind of make your lashes mesh better with the falsies.

Now that you are done with eyes and face, it's time for lips. If you are going all out, you can apply concealer over your lips to prep and prime them for lip color application.

First apply lip liner. The lip liner should either match your lip color or the color of the lipstick you are applying next. Leave the brown lip liner and light lipstick in the 90's where they belong. It's not 1994, you are not Kim Mathers, let it go. Also, do not over line your lips. Follow your natural lip line or just slightly outside of it.

Apply your lipstick straight out of the tube, or using a lip brush or your fingers (this is better for darker colors so you don't get it all over the place). And then blot. And by blot I want you to take your index finger and (in a non sexual way) stick it in your mouth and close your lips around your finger and pull your finger out. Any excess lipstick will now be on your finger and not on your teeth.

Finally if you want to add a lip gloss to the top of your lipstick you can add that now.

Good grief that's a lot of steps! For a final, final touch, you can add a make-up setting spray at the end that will set your makeup and help seal it in to last for the day.

I do not use all of these products on a daily basis, and sometimes I have even more steps if I am going all out for a really dramatic or specific (Halloween) look. It just depends.

I know it seems like a lot, but this all can really be done in 5-10 minutes once you get your routine down.

Do you have a different order of application or other tips? Leave it in the comments section below!

2014 Best In Beauty

Hello Lovelies! It's time again for my annual "M" awards! I am going with "M" because it's by first initial and because it's mostly for make-up. And because it just came to me. I really tried to streamline things this year and not award something in any category that I didn't feel was really outstanding. This is not to say that other products I raved about in 2014 weren't awesome, but as I thought back over the year and thought about truly stand-out products this is what I came up with. And I know I chose wisely because all of these products were either in the bathroom or in my purse and not in my master make-up stash. So go grab a bevvie and a snack and settle in, here we go! 

And the first M award goes to, red lips! Any brand as long as they're red. I have had a long standing, love-hate relationship with red lips, but 2014 was the year I finally embraced them and learned which hue of red works best on my skin tone. As one of my boss ladies always tells me, I really have the Wednesday and Mortitia Adams look and it turns out deep berry-reds and brick reds with hints of burgundy and definitely on the cool side pretty much rock my lip world. Some of my faves here are Lime Crime's Glamour 101, Mac's Russian Red and Ruby Woo, Maybelline's Deepest Cherry and Divine Wine, Revlon's Red Velvet and NARS Olivia and Dragon Girl. I forgot to throw in my NARS Audrey lippie (it's buried in my bag right now). And on a side note, if you ever need to put on a lipstick that will take you from ho-hum to the baddest mama-jamma, it's Dragon Girl. The name alone implies a level of bad assery that the average lipstick just can't compare with. 

And the M award for best cheek products is a three-way tie! Milani blush in Luminoso is pretty much all I wore from May until yesterday because it's so awesome. I got it at CVS and there is so much product in here, I don't know if I will ever hit pan! My NARS palette from last Christmas (2013) also got a lot of use. I hit pan on the bronzer and used the darkest one (Dolce Vita I think?) quite a bit this fall. And in the back are my Makeup Geek blushes. Makeup Geek isn't done in this post (hint hint) but peeps I'm tellin ya to get your booty over to Marlena's website and YouTube channel and get yoself some of her products. At $9.99 a pan it's cray.

Drugstore lovers unite! The next M award is for face products and everything here can be procured at your local Target and CVS. The Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch foundation is out. of . this. world. This bottle pictured here, is empty. Empty people. I used it that much. It's a light weight medium coverage foundation that is essentially pure foundation awesome in a bottle. Next up is the E.L.F. HD brightening concealer. This is the shizz under your eyes. It's $3 and this is my second tube. Guys, this is pretty major on the makeup commitment scale for me. Just understand that for a second. My other loves in this category are the Sonia Kashuk contouring stick and the Milani eye brow pencil. Both products blend to perfection and last all day. Love them.

The M awards for eyes go to two brands, Makeup Geek for the stellar eye shadows, pigments and gel liners and YSL for mascara. These shadows are $5.99 each and like $6ish for the pigments and liner. They last all day, blend like a dream, are so affordable its almost criminal and the color selection and color payoff is amaze-balls. A-maze balls. Not to be forgotten in this picture is the mascara of the decade people. It is the Babydoll mascara from YSL. Yep, it's pricey, no getting around that. But it is LIFECHANGING. Volume for days and length to match. Completely worth every lash-tastic dollar. 

The first-ever M award for brand of the year goes to, drum roll please, MAKEUP GEEK! Guys, for serious, go check this brand out! These shadows are better than Mac, cheaper than Mac, and have way cooler names and color pay-off than any Mac product I have ever tried or owned. The new foiled shadows are cray-cray pigmented. And the blushes are beautiful, last all day and are talc free. I just seriously can't say enough about this brand. I haven't tried everything they have and I am sure there are duds in there (as there are with every brand) but the quality of the product for the price point is amazing. The website is easy to use, out of stock items come back fairly quick and shipping costs are very reasonable. Try it. Now. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Alrighty then. moving on to M awards in the hair and skin care category! Many of you will not be surprised that the Tangle Teezer is getting an award. I have raved about this and bought this for a great many of you for birthdays and such. Guys and girls with long and medium length hair, you need this. NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED IT. Target carries them and be sure to get the Tangle Teezer brand. I have had people tell me they use this on their kids' hair and it's the only way the kiddos can handle have their hair brushed. 

The Aussie 3-Minute Miracle Moist conditioner is the best leave in treatment/daily conditioner of all time. This isn't what I consider a hair mask, like the L'Oreal one I raved about and still love. This is a conditioner. And I use it daily. Also, it's $3. Yeah. Three effing dollars. My hair is so soft and shiny and smells so good after I use it. 

Batiste dry shampoo for dark hair is a life saver. I do not wash my hair every day. I usually wash it two or three times in a week. And I would be S.O.L. without this product. It smells good, doesn't leave a white cast on my dark hair and it really gets all the oil so I don't look like a Nirvana groupie (not that that's a bad thing, I love them. Just not the greasy hair that goes with them).

Skin care award winners are an oldie but a goodie and a new product taking the beauty world by storm. The Smith's Rosebud Salve has been around a long time and for good reason. I use this stuff day and night and it can be used on your lips, cuticles, dry patches on your face, etc. I even used some of this on my dog's feet once (she had her own tin that was used only for her feet, just FYI). 

The Glam Glow Thirsty Mud is another life-saving beauty product. It's mask that can be worn for 20 minutes or you can sleep in it (which I do) and it really helps to hydrate your face. I have dry skin anyway but through Minnesota winters, I get alligator-dry skin and this has saved me! This is spendy too, but I'm telling you it's worth it. Bonus: it smells like coconut! Just be sure that when you sleep in it, that you wash it off in the morning, you can't put makeup over this. 

And last but not least, the MVP M award is going to Zoya Nail Polish Remover. This stuff. OMG this stuff. It smells nice (not like I want to bathe in it, but it doesn't stink and make you high like normal nail polish remover), like lavendar or something. And it removes the reddest, glittery-est nail polish like nothing. Guys, if Beyonce were a nail polish remover, she would be this one. Yeah, I went there.

I have a couple of other honorable mention products but I will do a separate post on those soon! Tell me in the comments what your best in beauty products were this year and if you have tried any of the ones I mentioned.