One Man's Trash...

This weekend my neighborhood had a garage sale. My mom wanted to sell an old end table for $5, but it would't sell! I decided to give it a little make over. In the end, I ended up spending only $14 dollars on the finished product!

What I Spent Where:

End table- free! It was my cousin's a while ago and my aunt gave it to us.

Spray paint- $3. On sale at K-Mart.

7 New Knobs- $11 from Home Depot

The Finished Product!

Mardi Gras Mambo

Mardi Gras is over! :( I am so sad because it's my most favorite holiday. I had a really good time in Nola, starting out the break with Midcity Ball.

 

 Saturday we went downtown, then uptown, then downtown, with a lot of rain keeping us company, which you can tell by the picture made me and Chels sad. Me, Gabi, and Becky just so happened to have Mardi Gras colored rain boots, which were adorable if I do say so myself.

Then we met a little man with the coolest motorcycle jacket I've ever seen riding down Bourbon Street.

The next day Chelsea, Lindsey and I got to dress like we were attending the Kentucky Derby. We then went on to toast the new Midcity court, having a delicious lunch, then watched the parade from the viewing stands! It was super fun, filled with beads and champagne, two of my favorite things. 

After that I just went to a bunch of parades and had a great time for the rest of the time I was there.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Happy Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope everyone is having a beautiful day! I love V-Day because it's a chance to tell everyone how much you love and appreciate them! Today's blog post is just a short and sweet little note to tell everyone who reads this that I love you all!

This is what I made today for breakfast!

Makeup Bag Monday: Eye Love Eyeshadow

Eyeshadow is my most favorite part of makeup. I love how with it you can go from a light and easy everyday look to a dramatic smokey eye in a few minutes and brush strokes. Some people are afraid to use eyeshadow because it can be kind of intimidating at first. If you are one of these people, have no fear. The best part about that is going to YouTube and searching "how to do a smokey eye." It will come up with a million different tutorials! After a while, you will find someone who you really like to watch their tutorials, and you can subscribe to them and see all of their tricks and trades.

The great thing about eyeshadow is that you can find great stuff at CVS just as easily as at Sephora. Today I am going to go over two different types of eyeshadow, one being more practical if you are on a budget. I will also review a product that I think is essential for creating the perfect eyeshadow look.

Maybelline Luminizing Eyeshadow: Eye Studio

This eyeshadow brand comes in 5 different palettes. I have the one pictured above and I must say: the picture does not do it justice! The colors are a lot more shimmery in real life. This palette is only about 10 dollars. It's great if you are not really sure about eyeshadow yet and don't want to invest a lot of money into something you don't feel comfortable with yet, but still want a good product.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow

Alice in Wonderland Palette

They don't make this any more because it was limited edition, but it is without a doubt my favorite thing in my makeup bag. Even though they don't make this exact palette, they still have other great ones that are very similar. 

Deluxe Shadow Box

I also have the deluxe shadow box which has lasted me forever and I highly recommend! It's $38, but it's something worth putting a little extra money into. It has nine different shades and a primer potion which is amazing.

Eyeshadow Primer Potion Tube

The primer is amazing. According to the website it preps, brightens, and provides all-day wear. It's $20 dollars, but a lot of the time it will come with a palette of eyeshadow. It's a great product and I would say it's an essential in your makeup bag.

Factory Girl: Edie Sedgwick

Edie Sedgwick was a model, an actress and an artist in the 1960's. Beautiful and talented, yet troubled and manic, I think that Edie Sedgwick was one of the most interesting people that I know about. She is commonly known for being Andy Warhol's muse and superstar, staring in films such as Poor Little Rich Girl. She also had a love affair with Bob Dylan, inspiring his song Like a Rolling Stone. Edie battled drugs on and off all through out her life until it all ended when she was at the young age of 28 when she overdosed and died. I think Edie is so interesting because her life was anything but simple. Her "old money" family was packed with many brothers and sisters, three of whom killed themselves. They were all always in and out of mental institutions, whether it be because they needed to be, or because that is where their father, Fuzzy, shipped them away to. Through it all though, I believe that she was always very caring and free spirited. The movie Factory Girl is about Edie and her life, and I highly recommend it. 

"She loved the things she did not know. She was eager to learn, not in the way of a pupil, but somehow in the way of an artist."

- Donald Lyons

"She made you feel privileged to be there."

- Rene Ricard

"One person in the sixties fascinated me more than anybody I had ever known. And the fascination I experienced was probably very close to a certain kind of love. But her name is still going. It seems incredible, doesn't it?"

- Andy Warhol

"If I all I cared about was me, I could make a million. And that's what they'll never understand."

- Edie Sedgwick

"It's not that I'm rebelling. It's that I'm trying to find another way."

- Edie Sedgwick

Makeup Bag Monday: Don't Make Me Blush!

Today is Monday, so you know what that means! Makeup Bag Monday! Today the makeup of the day is blush! I am going to do a product review on two different ways to do blush. Hope you enjoy!

Sephora Collection: Colorful Blush

What it is:

A collection of blushes with smooth, long wearing coverage to define the cheeks.

What is does:

Available in two beautiful finishes, matte or shimmer, each blush delivers a healthy glow. Now with enhanced mineral and organic pigments, these blushes feature smoother application, boosted color intensity, and longer wear. Enriched with moisturizing ingredients, including the extract of the portulaca plant and a natural peptide, cheeks look smoother, more hydrated, and fresher-looking.

What else you need to know:

The non-comedogenic formula is paraben-free and tested under dermatological supervision.

Research Results:

In a 28-day satisfaction test with 20 volunteers, 95% of women reported that the blush's color lasted all day long and 90% of women reported that the blush gave their complexion a polished, flawless look

Allie's Review:

I love this blush! This summer, I was in New York and I visited one of the Sephoras where I decided I needed to buy a little something. Since my blush had just run out, I decided to ask the employees which blush they recommended. They all voted this one. They picked out which color goes best with my skin, and showed me the perfect way to apply it. It's only 13 dollars, and it lasts forever! I'm still on my first one, and I use it every day.

Allie's Tip:

My friend Taylor taught me a really good way to apply blush. Starting at your temple, then going to the apple of your cheek, then ending at your jaw line, make a number 3 with the blush. It leaves a really natural look! Just be sure not to apply too much at first until you are comfortable with how much looks natural. 

Sephora Collection: Pro Blush Brush #49

What it is:

This brush applies blush and powder beautifully, and makes contouring and highlighting effortless.

What is does:

The angles bristles fit perfectly over the cheekbone, which makes pronouncing your cheeks especially easy. The anti-bacterial bristles are made of nylon and resist residue so you don't have to clean the brush as often as you would with natural fibers.

Allie's Review:

I bought this brush the same time I purchased the blush, and let me tell you; it is amazing! It's definitely the most expensive brush I have, coming in at $32, but it was totally worth it. It is by far the best brush I have ever used and it makes a lot of difference with how your result looks.

Allie's Tip:

Two words: Brush Cleanser. It's really important to use brush cleanser on all of your brushes at least once a week. You put a lot of money into these guys, so it's essential to keep them nice! Some people think that using rubbing alcohol is okay to clean them, but it's not because it eats away the bristles and the glue holding it together! I really like MAC brush cleanser. It's about $13 a bottle, and it makes a lot of difference with your brushes. They look brand new after a two minute cleaning. All you need to do is lay out a napkin, pour a little cleanser on it, and rub your brushes back and forth and it, finishing by rubbing them on a dry napkin (be gentle!). Let them dry for about 5 or 10 minutes. That's it! It's so easy and it makes your brushes last a long time.

Benefit Cosmetics: Benetint

What it is:

The original (and still the best) rose-tinted cheek and lip stain.

What it does:

Benefit Benetint is a kiss-proof and waterproof, indelibly sheer tint. It gives an innocent yet provocative glow to keep everyone guessing, "what has she been up to?"

What else you need to know:

It's the sexiest flush you can get from a bottle.

Allie's Review:

This stain is awesome because you can wear it on your cheeks, or on your lips. It smells like roses! It's $29 a bottle, but it lasts forever! I'm talking years! 

Allie's Tip:

When applying it to your cheeks, draw a line or a circle on each cheek. Let it sit for a few seconds, and then rub it in. This makes sure that it will last longer on your cheeks as oppose to on your fingertips. But be careful with this. If you let it sit as a line or circle for too long before rubbing it it, it will be hard to get the shape off your cheek!

Tea Time!

I love, love, love to go to tea parties. My best friend Taylor and I would do this all of the time in high school, and we soon became obsessed. I remember the first time I went to tea when I was a little girl. My grandmother took all my girl cousins, my aunts, and me to the Windsor Court in New Orleans. I loved how exquisite and beautiful the tea cups and the food all were. Today, I still drink tea a lot and now know that there is more to it then just a fun tea party...it's great for your health, especially green tea. Here's some information about different kinds of teas that I got from Vianne's Tea House, one of my favorite tea places back home.

White teas are named for the silvery white down that is on the small young leaves when they are plucked not for the cup color. White tea has the least amount of processing and contains the most antioxidants.

Green tea is usually steamed and does not go through a full oxidation process. Green tea is known for its healthful benefits and antioxidant properties.

Oolong Teas are “brown” teas semi-fermented between a green tea and black tea and hence the most complex of teas to produce.

Black tea goes through four stages of production – withering, rolling, oxidation and drying/firing. The hearty, rich flavor comes from the fermentation or oxidation and firing. Black tea has the most caffeine, but half the amount of a cup of coffee.

Rooibos – pronounced “Roy-boss” commonly called “red tea” or “red bush tea” is from the “Aspalathus Linearis” plant. It makes an aromatic tea. Rooibos is grown successfully only in Cedarburg, just north of Capetown in South Africa. Naturally NO CAFFEINE!

Fruit Blends are the equivalent of botanicals. They consist of dried fruits, herbs and dried flowers. They contain no caffeine or tea.