Awesome & Awkward: Musicals, Gift Cards, and Sweet Tea

I've been looking for a way to incorporate regularly themed posts on my blog, and I got the idea to start this series, Awesome and Awkward, from Erin over at Living in Yellow.  Because let's be honest, I'm truly a methodical and logical girl at heart, so having a routine will be great for me.  Every other week, I'll be sharing moments from my life that fall into these two categories.  The "every other" part to that will be a different recurring theme that I can't wait to start!


So for this second week of June, let the awesomeness and awkwardness begin:


Awesome: Seeing The Book of Mormon on a date with a new boy.  Seriously, this musical was hysterical and I'm not ashamed to admit that I've been listening to the soundtrack at work this past week.  If you ever have the opportunity to see it, I highly recommend it!
Awkward: Running into your ex's rebound-turned-ex-wife at said musical.  And she was with a new random guy, who was wearing his sunglasses backwards around his neck.  I can't make this stuff up, people! 


Awesome: Realizing you have a enough rewards points to finally redeem them for something fun, a Sephora gift card to be exact.  Hello shopping trip that I have been waiting to have for a whole month.
Awkward: Almost throwing that gift card away because it came in the mail in an American Express envelope, not one from my bank, and I thought it was just junk.  And I called the 1-800 number to figure out why the heck it was taking so long to get to me.  Turns out, I had it the whole time.  Oops.


Awesome: Having an after-work Target and dinner date with Chelcey.  We wanted our delicious half sweet tea half lemonade from McAlister's, but at the same time we wanted Mexican food from Salsarita's.  They're next door to each other, so what do we do?  Buy our drinks from McAlister's and take them over to Salsarita's.  We have no shame.
Awkward: Wanting to take the girl working at McAlister's under my wing and teach her how to use makeup properly, and to enhance her features.  I don't want to be too mean, but let's just say that if you have very fair brows and eyelashes, please do not rim your eyes in black liner and dark brown eye shadow.  That is all.


Here's to many more awesome and awkward moments to come!  PS - Be on the lookout for part two of my recurring series next Sunday!


What are some awesome and awkward moments in your life from this week?


xoxo,
Amanda

Product Review: Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Last Saturday,

Chelcey

and I headed to the mall for some shopping and girl time.  I knew going in that I wanted to find a new foundation to try, and I was really curious about the Estée Lauder Double Wear formula.  I had been having trouble with my current foundation breaking down and separating on my face by the end of the day, and that wasn't going to cut it any longer.  Lately I've been having a lot going on after work where I have to get somewhere without going home first, so I really needed a foundation that would last all day without any touch-ups.  Plus, I'm not really one for touching up my face makeup during the day anyway.

After hitting up Anthropologie and Von Maur, we meandered into Macy's and over to the Estée Lauder counter where I actually ran into a relative who works there - perfect!  Insert thumbs up emoji here.  I was always hesitant about going to makeup counters because I didn't want to feel pressured to buy a bunch of products that I didn't want or need, but I knew Hayette (my dad's cousin's wife from France - love her!) would take great care of me.  She promptly set me down in her chair and proceeded to remove my makeup and find my perfect shade match for the Double Wear foundation, all while multitasking and helping other customers who came up to the counter at the same time.  Seriously, she's awesome.

After about an hour of learning about new products, problems with my skin and how to correct them, and finding the perfect match I was all set to go (with my Lily Pulitzer tote and freebies, too).  She even threw in an extra lipstick and gave Chelcey one too because we were so patient with her.  This was hands down the best experience I have ever had at a makeup counter, so I really hoped the foundation would live up to its potential.

I wore the foundation for a full work day on Monday, plus after work errands and grocery shopping.  Basically, I had it on from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM (the 12 hours it claims to last) when I got home and could look in a mirror up close and see how it was holding up.   I was actually very pleasantly surprised to see that aside from a bit of shininess in my t-zone, the foundation itself hadn't separated on my skin that I could see.  Also, I hadn't used any kind of primer or setting spray to help in the lasting power, because I wanted to see how it performed on its own.  I'm sure that if I had used those the products, the shininess would be at a minimum.  Not to jump the gun, but this stuff has real holy grail potential!

Some of the other things I love about this product are:

• Wide range of shades and perfect match for my complexion (I was matched to Ecru for reference)
• The consistency of the foundation is thin enough that it offers the perfect full coverage without looking thick and cakey
• A little really goes a long way
•  It is easy to blend and build the coverage to how you want it
• There is no SPF (which is good for the purpose of photography and not wanting flashback or a white cast on your face)

And the cons:

• There's no pump, which makes it tougher to control the amount of product you use.  I try and get around this by dotting the foundation all over my face and blending it out with my Beauty Blender.
• The price is a little high, but I've definitely purchased ones that were more expensive

I think this product will definitely be on my vanity from now on, because so far I absolutely love it!  If you've tried this foundation, what did you think about it?  And if not, what's your holy grail foundation?

According to Amanda: Closet Cleaning and De-Cluttering Tips

A couple of weeks ago, The Brunch Club held a yard sale to raise funds to attend the Maiedae Mixer in September.  Not only was it wildly successful, but it also gave me the chance to purge a lot of stuff that I had been

hoarding

holding onto for too long.  The majority of this was clothes, shoes, bags and other accessories which were cluttering my closet.  And since I'm moving to a new apartment in a little over a month, it couldn't have come at a more perfect time.  For the most part, I'm pretty good about not saving things I don't need that just take up space, but for some reason clothes have always miffed me.  I've learned to get over the idea that "I might need this 10 years down the road for such and such occasion" and embrace the purge, and I wanted to share my tips and tricks for doing so.

1. If you're completely re-organizing the arrangement in your closet, I suggest removing everything and sorting it into piles by type (long sleeve shirts, short sleeve shirts, dresses, flats, clutches, etc).  Then, you can put everything back in it's new place, section by section of items.  This also allows you to see which things you have more of and what will require more storage space.
2. Ask yourself, "Have I worn this in the last year?"  If the answer is no, it really should go.  Don't get caught up in the what-ifs, because chances are if you haven't reached for it in the last year you probably won't wear it in the year to come.
3. If it doesn't fit, toss it.  The idea of buying clothing a size small as motivation usually doesn't work.  Instead, it's really best to buy for the body you have, not the body you want.  Otherwise, you have wasted dollars hanging in your closet.  In the same regard, don't hang onto things that are too big.
4. If tags are still attached, and it's been several months since you bought it, get rid of it.  This is something I was really guilty of because I would buy clothing and other things just for the sake of buying something.  Now, I'm much more aware of purchases and things I buy so that usually doesn't happen.
5. Is the clothing item a trend that was from three years ago?  It's probably time to ditch it because chances are that trend won't be back.  No need to hang onto something you'll most likely never wear again.  Ever.
6. Use the method of turning your hangers backwards, and then as you wear an item of clothing put it back the right way.  After a few months, you'll be able to see what you're wearing and what you haven't touched.  These are things to get rid of.  It might be hard to see so much go at once, but just think of all the room you'll have for new things!
7. Keep a designated basket or area where you can accumulate things you want to get rid of as you notice them in your closet.  That way they don't get buried in the back of your closet never to be found again.
8. Have a yard sale, sell items to a consignment shop, or donate what you don't want anymore.  You can make some extra cash, or help someone else in need, which is always a great thing to do.
9. For every item you buy, pull something to get rid of.  This will keep your closet from getting too crowded with things you'll never wear.

I've found that really, purging and getting rid of things is more in your head than anything.  Once you can get past the idea that you need to keep everything, you'll be throwing things out left and right.  It's kind of liberating when you think about it! 

I hope you find these tips helpful and can use them to clean out your closet.   If you have any other tips and tricks that you like to use, I'd love to read about them in the comments below!

May Favorites

I can't believe May is over!  That means I get to go shopping again.  I'm going to be honest, I placed an order on BaubleBar on June 1st as soon as I woke up.  Now, if only it would hurry up and get here!  Otherwise I haven't really gone hog wild with the splurges, so be proud.  To cap off a successful no-buy month, I wanted to share my favorite products for the month. 

Bite Beauty Lipstick in Fig

I hauled this new lippie back in April as part of the Chic Week sale at Sephora, and I've worn it practically every day since then.  It's the perfect everyday pink.

Maybelline The Rocket Mascara

I'm a total "wet mascara" type of girl, and this stuff takes the cake.  I'm also a lash perfectionist and this gives me volume, separation and length in just a couple of coats.

  The only downside is that it is a little bit difficult to remove.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light

Have I mentioned that I'm fair skinned?  As in, I burn within 10 minutes of being outside.  This powder gives a gorgeous glow all over without looking fake against my complexion.

Urban Decay De-slick Makeup Setting Spray

With winter long gone, my oily skin has resurfaced.  Just a few mists of this to set my foundation and I'm good to go for the day.

St. Ive's Apricot Scrub

I've tried several higher end exfoliating scrubs, but I keep going back to this.  It smells wonderful, it leaves my skin soft and smooth, and is gentle enough to use multiple times a week.  Plus it's from the drugstore.  I can hear the glorious sound of money-saving cha-chings now!

It's a 10 Leave in Conditioner Plus Keratin

This product is great for those of us with thick, frizzy, or coarse hair.  It's also very easy to use, with the spray pump feature, which is a huge bonus.  I like to spray this onto my towel-dried hair before blow drying.

Revenge - TV Show

Ok, this isn't a product, but I seriously love this show!  The current season ended in May, and boy is it getting juicy.  Emily has

the best

style and I love how

there's always a new twist (spoiler alert - David is alive??!)  If you have Netflix or Hulu, I highly recommend you binge-watch this show.

 And now, we're on to June and a new list of favorites.  Someone please explain to me how this year is almost halfway over?  What are some of your favorites for May?  

My Ombré Hair Experience

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and it couldn't be more perfect.  While everyone is off to the lake or hitting the pool, I am happily dog-sitting for my parents and sitting out in their backyard, soaking up the sun and embracing the unofficial start to summer.  As much as I love traveling, I so needed this weekend to just relax.  I've got some crafty ideas floating around in my head that I want to try out as well.  Anyway, the real reason I am writing today is to share my experience with adding ombré highlights to my hair.  It's been about a month since I did, so I have had time to get used to it and know that I absolutely love the look!

Earlier this year, as soon as we had the first glimpse of warm weather, I got this itch to change up my hair and do something different.  I hadn't been to a salon since before Christmas, so my bangs were grown out and my color was pretty faded (I had been in a ritual of coloring my hair every couple of months). 

Chelcey

made the jump and went ombré, and seeing hers in person sealed the deal for me.  I'll be honest, I was pretty nervous to have any kind of blonde in my hair, seeing as the one and only time I had highlights in 8th grade was

awful

.  For that reason, I didn't want to commit to full blonde at the bottom, but instead some subtle highlights to start.

This is the picture I brought with me...

And this is what I ended up with...

I actually really love the way it turned out, and I am ready to have more blonde added in as soon as possible.  I think starting off subtle helped so that I didn't go into complete shock when the stylist turned me around to face the mirror for the first time.  The ombré look has really grown on me - get it,

grown

on me - and I love it!  And even though I totally felt like I was being prepped for the Hunger Games at the salon I went to (probably because it was my first experience at a true, full service salon - total organized chaos), they did a fantastic job with it!  They really listened to me and what I wanted and knew the right questions to ask, because obviously my inspiration picture really looks nothing like what I walked out of there with.

So, the moral of the story is, if you're considering going ombré or making a change to your hair color, just know exactly what you want so that the stylist can do it for you.  Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if you have a picture of inspiration to show them.  And if you are weary of a huge change at once, start off subtle like I did.  It's probably easier to add more later than to strip it and start over.