Mocha Toffee Meringue Bark

It happens pretty frequently that I get a burst of creative inspiration around 10am and I have SO MANY IDEAS and I want to CREATE and the world is full of OPPORTUNITIES and rainbows and sparkels!! (This is usually directly following a particularly strong iced coffee.)  

But I have this little thing called a job.  Annddd it makes mid-day blogging and baking damn near impossible.  I mean, technically speaking, I can fit a KitchenAid mixer at my desk but I get the feeling it wouldn't go over well with management.  

Prime Time Roundup

I have been on quite the primer kick the last few months.  I never used to waste my time with it unless I had a big night out and I knew I needed my makeup to last.  Meanwhile though, I'd come home from work every day looking much worse for wear, like my makeup had taken a trip south.  

I realized primer can be an everyday habit that takes 5 seconds but yields great results.  I've amassed a collection at home to address any skin needs and now I almost never go a day without it.  

Dark Chocolate Ritz Cracker Ice Cream

Apropos of nothing (ok, it wasn't nothing, it was this Buzzfeed article.  I just wanted the say "apropos of nothing" ok?), I started thinking (and I mean really thinking) about dinosaurs.  It's like, duh, I knew they existed and I knew it was long time ago but I never really thought about them.  If I had to estimate how long ago they lived, I would have said 65,000 years ago.  THIS IS VERY EMBARRASSING BECAUSE IT WAS 65 MILLION YEARS AGO.  Million.  

Springtime Pastel Nails

Get ready for some serious Sally Hansen love here.  It wasn't my intention to be so Sally Hansen-heavy in this post but I couldn't resist a few of their adorable pastel shades and they round out my springtime nail lineup.

  

In years past I was a fervent pastel-hater, especially when I was younger, but this year?  Cannot get enough.  

So let's look at the goodies.  

First up, a drugstore steal.  

Sinful Colors in Sugar Rush
Sinful Colors is certainly a hit or miss brand but at $1.99, it's not such a terrible commitment if you you're unhappy with the color.  In this case, Sugar Rush is a creamy pale blue and so lovely for spring.  In two coats you'll have opaque color and sky-blue tips.    

Zoya in Gie Gie 
This is the only pearlescent shade of the bunch but it's a good one.  A flattering ballerina pink is so feminine and all-purpose.  The formula is thick and opaque, a one-coat wonder if you need it.  Zoya really has their head in the game lately.  

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Coral Reef
Here comes the Sally Hansen love!  Coral Reef is a punch of color that's walks the line between springtime bright and summer neon.  It's another creamy formula that is an excellent quality for the price.  This will spend plenty of time on my fingers! 

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Lacey Lilac
Just feast your eyes on this perfect pastel purple.  It screams springtime to me and is such a wearable way to wear purple.  The pale color is so flattering on even the palest of hands (ahem, me) and would look stunning on darker skin tones too.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mint Sorbet
Quite possibly my favorite shade in the bunch!  A mint green is maybe one of the only ways to wear green on your fingers and this shade does not disappoint.  Another one-swipe shade and you're good to go with a new springtime neutral.

What shades are you eyeing for spring?

Momofuku-inspired Salted Frosted Flake Crunch Cookies

Feels like the blog has been a bit quiet, eh?  The fact is, I do much of my blogging on weekends or weeknights since I have a regular 9-5 job.  And most weeks, that works out just fine.  But I've been a bit busier at work lately and I've gotten down to some nitty gritty wedding planning and before I know it, it's 10pm and I've fallen asleep on the couch with my laptop balancing on top of my chest and a blank blog post in front of me.  

Classy.

The Affordable Neutral Palette: Pop Beauty Caffeine Eye Trilogy

Neutrals.  Love 'em.  It's practically all I wear and I usually swoon for almost any good neutral palette that includes some beautiful shimmers and buttery mattes. And if you've followed this blog for any time, you'll know I'm no snob towards drugstore products.  70% of my makeup collection is drugstore.  

BUT.  

Eyeshadows?  Not so much.  I've always found most drugstore selections lacking (Maybelline Color Tattoos and L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows aside.  They're the bomb).  So when I make makeup "investments," I tend to do so with good eyeshadow palettes.  

6 Things Making Me Happy This Week

Images via Instagram @AnniesCtyKtchn

1.  I came across this Instagram account of a little girl who is not only a fashion designer but she also designs everything in paper.  And then models it.  Also, I'm a little bit jealous of her haircut.  And, she's 4.  So congrats everyone, a 4 year old is a lot better at life than all of us will ever be.  Let's just all accept it.  

2.  So in the fantasy version of my life, I live in England and someone pays me to bake all day and I'm the kind of person who takes baths.  I follow a lot of British beauty bloggers and they ALL take baths.  Religiously.  (I'd like to point out that I bathe, but I don't take baths.  Showers for me.  Glad I cleared that up).  And I've done it a few times at home but I'm not quite comfortable, my tubs have always been quite small and shallow, and no matter how much I clean, I'm always positive that I'm sitting in a gross tub.  So ANYWAY, my whole point is, I found this DIY Epsom Salt Spray which is genius!  It's the benefits of an Epsom Salt bath but you don't have to be living your fantasy life in England.  Perfect!

3.  This tutorial on blue eye shadow has made me think that maybe possibly someday somehow I could pull off blue eye shadow too.  A girl can dream.  (Also, that gif picture?  Genius).

4.  Avocado Hollandaise.  Uh yeah.  You read that right.  I could eat the hell outta that.  

5.  LOVE these Chocolate Chip Cookie Energy Bars!  I've made my own Clif Bars with a similar technique and I loved the flavor and super chewy texture.  Plus, hello, they're no bake and practically one bowl.  Duh.  

6.  This Jimmy Fallon bit with Tina Fey is entirely stupid but so hilarious that I could barely hold in my laughter (because maybe I was at my desk at work while watching).  We all already know that Tina Fey is a perfect goddess and Jimmy Fallon is perpetually 22 years old so how could you not like it?  

So what's making you happy this week?

Lime Goat Cheese Guacamole AKA "Chubby Guac"

So take the goodness of guacamole: healthy things like avocados and limes and onions and cilantro.  What a healthful treat!  Cool and creamy, full of "good" fats and maybe packed with some veggies.  

Ok that's great and all (and really I mean that.  Guac is GREAT) but let's add more goodness.  Like cream cheese.  And goat cheese.  Oh goat cheese, how I adore you.

February Beauty Favorites

Here we are again ladies (and gentlemen?)!  Monthly favorites.  While I experimented with a few new products this month and found some gems, I found quite a few misses too.  Thank goodness for a generous exchange policy at Ulta!  Aside from that, I'm still loving nearly every one of last month's favorites too.  

So without further ado, let's get at it.