Archive for March, 2010

I generally hate the new Sally Hansen brushes… They’re big, bulky, and an overall PITA to work with.  However, when I’m in a major rush and want a quick NOTD, I definitely reach for SH Insta-Dri polishes!  They dry quick, and seem to only need one coat.  Gotta love that, no?

So, today was yet another major rush day, and I hadn’t had a chance to do my nails last night.  I ended up throwing on SH Insta-Dri in Rose-a-go-go, which is my most trust “go-to” besides an NYC color.  It’s one of the most gorgeous light pinks, and has an ever so subtle hint of coral and shimmer to it.  Where are you gonna go wrong there?!

Hello my lovely followers!  Sadly, we didn’t reach 50 followers as I had hoped, so I’m going to extend the giveaway through April 15.  However, the goal will now be 35 followers instead of 50.  I just really wanna have a giveaway, even if it seems too ambitious at this point.  You’re with me on this, right?  Sure you are!

So, be sure to tell your friends!  Post it on your blog!  Tweet about it… Post about it on message boards!  Whatever works best for you, but spread the word! ***HUGS***

Sorry gang, but my pic doesn’t do this beauty any justice!  I wish I had a good way to take pics of my NOTDs when I was at work while it was sunny, but no luck!  Although, I could just take my camera to work with me… I am pretty much out of the trenches of Winter and should have regularly scheduled sunlight LOL!

ANYWHO!  Sinful Colors Mint Apple is more of an aqua color to me than mint, but I still like the name.  There’s an ever so subtle shimmer to it, though I’m not sure if it’s a darker aqua or silvery shimmer.  Either way, it’s fab!  And luckily, it’s been made part of their permanent line.  I recommend going to your nearest Walgreens or Rite-Aid to grab it

I’ve decided to start doing a daily post for my NOTDs instead of putting them in the sidebar for you to click in order to view. Makes it easier for you, right?

I originally started with OPI And This Little Piggy, but it’s a color you layer over a creme or something… I used 3 coats and still had VNL. So, this morning I decided to just add ChG Strawberry Fields over it. I don’t think the previous polish affects the color either since I had used this on my toes last night (yes, I’m matching for once LOL), and it looks the exact same.

This makes for a great summer fun color. It’s a nice vibrant pink with golden shimmer to it. It’s almost a one coater, but I did two. I shouldn’t have waited until it started warming up to use this. It’s such a happy color! Perfect for dreary winter days for a pick me up

Okay, so we’re not Irish and we didn’t make this on St. Patrick’s Day. But that’s okay! No one said this only had to be eaten once a year, right? And now that I found out it’s one of DH’s faves, I reckon I’ll be making it more often.

INGREDIENTS
4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 large onion, cut into quarters
3 lbs corned beef brisket (with spices)
8 small white potatoes or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 head cabbage, cored and cut into 10 wedges (about 1 1/2 pounds)

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the water vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, in a 6 qt crock pot and mix well.
2. Place corned beef and contents of spice packet in the mixture.
3. Scatter the potatoes over the top and along the sides.
4. Cover and cook on high heat setting 4 hours.
5. Remove the lid and scatter the cabbage wedges over the top.
6. Cover and continue cooking on high 3-4 hours longer, or until beef is tender.
7. To serve, carve the beef into slices against the grain and serve with the cabbage and potatoes, with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist.

SIDE NOTE: I added carrots and celery as well, but I added them along with the potatoes before the last four hours of cooking. Otherwise, I get the feeling the potatoes would be too mushy if you added them earlier as the recipe calls for.

Recipe & Picture Courtesy of Recipezaar

Today is my 6th wedding anniversary!  YAY!  My husband might love to irritate me, but I love him anyway!

I was originally going to do a matching mani with my friend using OPI Jade is the New Black, but after applying my mani I remembered I have a meeting today with VPs, managers and the American Red Cross!  Eek!  I ended up having to switch my mani, but I do believe I’ll use this again on Saturday when DH and I go out to celebrate.  I mean, his fave color is green LOL!

I did take a pic of OPI JitNB, so that’s a plus!  I originally went to use China Glaze Something Sweet, but I wasn’t happy with the color at all.  I just wasn’t feeling it.  So, I ended up with Color Club Who Are You Wearing?  So fab!  This could be a color that is a “go-to,” except I’m not keen on the fact it took me 3-4 coats… That’s not cool!  I reckon I’d have to use a white base under it first.  Ready for some pics?!

Color Club Who Are You Wearing?

Sadly, I don’t think my pic does this justice.  It’s a gorgeous grey cream with just a hint of lavender.  I’d definitely let this be a “go-to” color, but I hate that this was 3-4 coats! (Scrangie’s pic is much better!)

OPI Jade is the New Black

It takes a lot for a green to wow me, and while I can’t say this “wowed” me, I do like it.  It seems to be more full-on green depending on how I look at it (Pic 1), but at other times it has a dusty look to it that I do like a lot (Pic 2).  I’ll definitely wear it again without any reservations.

I just recently heard about this one, and I have no idea how I’m missing out on so much lately… It could be that I’m not spending as much time on other blogs and forums as I used to.  I’ll have to fix that ASAP!  Thankfully, P’ssion had some pics and info she was willing to share.  Thanks!

Wing It! and Catch Me in Your Net

Flower-to-Flower and Flit A Bit

I’m kinda likin’ this collection.  The only color I have an aversion to is the orange one, but that could change.  Orange, yellow and I normally don’t mesh well given my skin tone.  What are your thoughts?  Exciting, blah, “been there, done that?”

Collection info from: P’ssion

Not that ALU, Temptalia and others haven’t already posted about this, but I figured one more blog wouldn’t hurt, right?  I’m not too sure if this is something I’m going to jump at right away… I’m interested, but I’m definitely going to have to wait to see swatches.  What are your thoughts?

The colors in this collection are:

• Lapis Of Luxury – a dreamy ocean blue
• Splash Of Grenadine – a playful magenta pink
• Playa Del Platinum – an elegant and sheer sandy gray
• Turquoise & Caicos – a flirty and pretty tropical aqua

Collection info from: Chicprofile

Products: 4 of 5
Packaging: 5 of 5
Quality: 4 of 5
Price: 5 of 5
Overall: 5 of 5
Would I repurchase? I’m in debate on the foundation only because it doesn’t seem to jive well with my combo skin, but with a primer, it’s golden… Yeah, I’d buy them both again.

::: The Products :::
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15 is a water-based, extremely lightweight foundation which is considered ideal for all skin types, and is available in 20 colors.  Skin Foundation, as per the Bobbi Brown website, is “A truly modern foundation that offers invisible, weightless coverage that looks like skin, not makeup.  This long-wearing formula evens tone, minimizes the appearance of pores, conceals imperfections, and offers broad spectrum UV protection.  Its hydrating technology leaves skin feeling cushioned, comfortable, and clean.”  Each bottle holds approximately 1 fluid ounce and retails $45.

According to the Bobbi Brown website, Sheer Finish Pressed Powder is “Bobbi’s long-lasting, super-sheer powder sets and perfects color to create a smooth, flawless finish. This sheer powder is 100% oil-free and oil-absorbing, with Vitamin E for the most comfortable wear.”  The 0.38 ounce powder is available in 7 colors, and each compact comes with a powder puff and retails $32.

::: The Ingredients :::
Skin Foundation SPF 15 – (Active ingredients: Octinoxate 7.50% and Titanium Dioxide 1.00%) Water, Methyl Trimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Talc, Boron Nitride, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Dimethicone, Lecithin, Aluminum Dimyristate, Tocopherol, Myristic Acid, Silica, Magnesim Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol. May contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).

Sheer Finish Pressed Powder – Talc, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Silica, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisosterarate, Cetearyl Octanoate, Zinc Sterarate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Zeolite, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEI-10, Sorbic Acid, Tetrasodium Edta, Methylparaben, BHT, Propylparaben, Butylparaben
(May Contain) Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 30 (CI 73360), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Carmine (CI 75470), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140)

::: My Experience :::
I heard of Bobbi Brown LONG ago… She was actually one of the first makeup artists I’ve ever heard of.  However, I just never gave a lot of thought to her products.  I’m not too sure why, but I didn’t.  Over the last few years I’ve begun using her Shimmer Bricks and limited edition palettes.  I knew her foundations were yellow-based, which is good for me since I have yellow undertones.

For some reason I decided I wanted to switch from mineral makeup to liquid foundation.  I can’t be too sure why this is, but something has me thinking my drier winter skin might’ve prompted it (even though summer is around the corner now).  I definitely wanted a natural look, and stopped by the Bobbi Brown counter while on a trip to the mall.  The SA was very nice, and was more than willing to let me walk away without making a single purchase instead of walking away with something I wouldn’t be happy with.  (Although this might have something to do with her not wanting to have a return on her sales, that’s fine by me too!)  The SA was able to show me I didn’t need concealer, and I actually haven’t used it since… And I’ve always sworn I needed it for my severely dark circles!

ANYWHO!  I knew with my combo skin, which leans oily lately, that I didn’t need a tinted moisturizer.  Skin Foundation seems to be a good alternative, and since it’s oil-free, I decided to try it while I waited for the new foundation to be released almost two months later.  I’ve been using Bobbi Brown for almost two full months now, and I like it quite a bit.  I don’t need a lot at all, and it gives me a nice natural finish with barely there coverage.

To complete my look I use the Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder.  The color doesn’t change my foundation at all, which I should mention doesn’t oxidize and change color either.  I can reapply the powder throughout the day and never look cakey or overly matte either.  I’ve debated on getting the loose powder to use at home and taking the pressed for my purse, but I figure I don’t need two powders for one face, right?  Oh, and I should mention, my color match was dead-on in both products without any worries about lines of demarcation either.  I’m a perfect Warm Natural who hasn’t had a single breakout from either product!  Yay!

::: Overall :::
I would definitely buy these products again… Especially the powder.  I’m a huge fan of Bobbi Brown’s, and I think she knows how to help a woman stay true to her own natural looks.  It seems Bobbi’s philosophy is to be happy and beautiful with what you have… Not mask yourself up and be someone you’re not.  All of her products have been good to me, and I will be a repeat customer.

Disclosure: These products were purchased by me from Bobbi Brown. For more information, please view my Disclosure Policy.

Photos from Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

Thaw: 40 minutes
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
1/2 of a 17.3 ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
6 cups diced cooked chicken
1 bag (24 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, green beans and lima beans)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme and/or oregano)

DIRECTIONS
1. Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it’s easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.
2. Stir the chicken and vegetables in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.
3. Heat the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually stir the stock into the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens.
4. Stir in the black pepper. Pour the stock mixture over the chicken mixture.
5. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Place the pastry over the filling.
6. Press the pastry sheet to the edges of the dish to seal. Flute the edges of the pastry, if desired. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the herbs. Cut several 2-inch long slits in the pastry top.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden and the filling is hot and bubbling.

Recipe & Picture Source: Swanson’s Broth