My new skin-care regimen I’ve been reading quite a bit online about the healing benefits of raw honey. For instance, did you know it can be used on cuts to disinfect the wound? Cleopatra herself used to take baths in honey. I found this website (http://m.voices.yahoo.com/the-end-acne-finally-1031935.html) that actually talks about using honey as face wash, and how it kills the bacteria that causes acne and moisturizes the skin as well! I thought I’d give it a try: I’m ditching my current skin care regimen and replacing with honey for two weeks. Straight honey (about the size of a quarter) on the face in the morning, and honey + baking soda at night as an exfoliant & makeup remover. The website above also mentions using oatmeal powder to soothe/calm the skin, and coconut oil to moisturize. I’ll let you know how it goes in about 2 weeks! High-res

My new skin-care regimen

I’ve been reading quite a bit online about the healing benefits of raw honey. For instance, did you know it can be used on cuts to disinfect the wound? Cleopatra herself used to take baths in honey. I found this website (http://m.voices.yahoo.com/the-end-acne-finally-1031935.html) that actually talks about using honey as face wash, and how it kills the bacteria that causes acne and moisturizes the skin as well!

I thought I’d give it a try: I’m ditching my current skin care regimen and replacing with honey for two weeks. Straight honey (about the size of a quarter) on the face in the morning, and honey + baking soda at night as an exfoliant & makeup remover. The website above also mentions using oatmeal powder to soothe/calm the skin, and coconut oil to moisturize.

I’ll let you know how it goes in about 2 weeks!

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the littlest things make you happy? There are three things that I keep in my purse at all times because of just that: 1. l’occitane hand cream. The Desert Rose or Cherry Princess scents are my favorites, because they do more than just moisturize; they also smell fantastic and feminine. I get compliments every time I wear them! 2. Lip/Cheek stain. It’s another of those multi-taskers that’s easy to carry and can add a bit of color to an otherwise dreary day. If my makeup has worn off and I’m feeling a bit pale, this is the solution! 3. Chocolate. I call it my “Emergency Chocolate” and every girl should have some in her purse! Chocolate makes the roughest days seem better, even just one or two of these little pearls can do the trick! GET SOME! You know, in case of emergencies. What items do you need with you at all times? High-res

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the littlest things make you happy? There are three things that I keep in my purse at all times because of just that:

1. l’occitane hand cream. The Desert Rose or Cherry Princess scents are my favorites, because they do more than just moisturize; they also smell fantastic and feminine. I get compliments every time I wear them!

2. Lip/Cheek stain. It’s another of those multi-taskers that’s easy to carry and can add a bit of color to an otherwise dreary day. If my makeup has worn off and I’m feeling a bit pale, this is the solution!

3. Chocolate. I call it my “Emergency Chocolate” and every girl should have some in her purse! Chocolate makes the roughest days seem better, even just one or two of these little pearls can do the trick! GET SOME! You know, in case of emergencies.

What items do you need with you at all times?

5-Minute Makeup

I once heard it said that if your makeup takes you longer than five minutes to do, you’re putting too much on. My makeup definitely took me 15-20 minutes each day at the time I heard that, so I worked on cutting my routine down. And I think I got it!

Here’s what I use (in order):
- Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm
- BareMinerals Blush in Velvet (but use what works for your skin tone!)
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- Pixi Lid & Line eye makeup in Smoky Blue (available at Target)
- Tarte mascara
- Sephora retractable brow pencil in Rich Chestnut
- Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm in Tigerlily (again, use what’s best for your coloring)

I start with the Beauty Balm. It is a tinted moisturizer, sunblock, and evens my skin tone beautifully. And honestly, since I’ve used it, I feel like my skin looks better even without makeup on.

Then comes blush. I apply it to the apples of my cheeks, and a tiny bit to my nose and chin, just to warm up my face.

The shadow insurance I use lightens my eyelids a bit and keeps my eyeliner in place. If I don’t use it, I get eyeliner in the crease of my eye after a couple of hours. Not pretty!

Next, I use the Pixi Lid & Line. It has a pencil liner, which I only apply to the upper lid, and then a shadow sponge with matching shadow. I apply that to the outer corners of my eyes, and then use the sponge tip of the pencil to smudge/blend it all and give it a smoky look. This is one of my favorite cosmetic items and I keep one in my purse at all times!

After my liner/shadow is done, I curl my lashes and apply mascara. Use whatever mascara you like, but I find that this Tarte mascara from Sephora makes my lashes look full and thick.

Now, I have pretty scarce eyebrows, so I fill them in with my Sephora brow pencil, but if you were blessed with nice, full brows, you can skip this step!

Finally, apply some tinted lip balm to finish the look. Five minutes and done!

This method depends on using cosmetics that pull double or triple duty, so shop wisely! And also keep in mind that this is an every day look. I realize that your makeup will take longer for special occasions. But that’s why those occasions are special, right? ;)

I paint my nails a lot. And by a lot, I mean two to three times a week… Thanks to Pinterest, there are just far too many ideas for me to try! Painting my nails so often means I have to be extra careful with my hands due to drying time… Until, that is, I found this sweet top coat by Essie! It’s called Good to Go and it speeds up your drying time! Not only does it cut my drying time in half, but it’s super thick and makes my nail polish look and feel like quality gel. For instance, I used the teal blue nail polish (pictured) recently, and it was a little dried out and gooey. Sad face! I kept painting my nails with it anyway and finished with my Good to Go - it smoothed out and sealed my old polish into a shiny, even coat. Magic! You can find Essie Good to Go at Target and Macy*s. You’ll thank me later! High-res

I paint my nails a lot. And by a lot, I mean two to three times a week… Thanks to Pinterest, there are just far too many ideas for me to try! Painting my nails so often means I have to be extra careful with my hands due to drying time… Until, that is, I found this sweet top coat by Essie! It’s called Good to Go and it speeds up your drying time! Not only does it cut my drying time in half, but it’s super thick and makes my nail polish look and feel like quality gel. For instance, I used the teal blue nail polish (pictured) recently, and it was a little dried out and gooey. Sad face! I kept painting my nails with it anyway and finished with my Good to Go - it smoothed out and sealed my old polish into a shiny, even coat. Magic! You can find Essie Good to Go at Target and Macy*s. You’ll thank me later!

Kate Spade Le Pavillion iPhone 4/4s Case

Gold Dots!

Ever since I purchased this Kate Spade iPhone case, I have been obsessed with Gold Dots.

There is something delicate and sophisticated about them, especially on white! So here are a few other things I love in gold dots:

1. Noelle Brooke polka-dot swimsuit from Net-A-Porter.com

2. Gold Polka Dot Washi Tape from littlehappythings1 on Etsy.com

3. Rebecha loafers from ShoeDazzle.com

4. This vintage Halls casserole dish on Etsy.com

5. Metro Watch by Kate Spade in gold!

What style are you loving right now?