My Favorite, Holy-Grail, Eyeshadows

about 2 months ago, I purchased 21 individual eyeshadows from Makeup Geek. after hearing everyone rave about them on youtube, I figured I should give them a shot even though i'm usually pretty reluctant to buy something without swatching it (which is why ulta and sephora get soooo much of my monies) but, i'm so glad I did! for only 5.00 a shadow these babies are a STEAL!

when I got the package in the mail, I filmed an unboxing video for you cause I was sooo excited. I muted the audio during the unboxing because my little girlish screams were so annoying -I truly was that excited- then, after opening them, I decided I needed to include a little tutorial, and give my first impressions to see if they were worth the hype. and they did not disappoint! watch the video, here's a link.

it's taken me 2 months, like i mentioned earlier, to get this video up onto my youtube channel, BUT... that just means I can give even more of an in-depth review for you. these shadows are officially my favorite. they have replaced all of my other eyeshadow palettes, my top 3 favorite shadows thus far are...
Peach Smoothie
Cocoa Bear
Grandstand

and of course, you NEED a z-palette to put them in, they have 3 sizes, small, medium, and large. i'd suggest getting a large, cause it's not that expensive and you can put any brand of shadows in them, just google de-potting that kind of eyeshadow and i'm sure there will be a tutorial online showing you how to do it. i've de-potted all of my individual mac and nyx shadows into another z-palette that i was given for christmas last year. it's awesome!

Fledge Feet Fotographer

one of my dearest friends has started her own successful business, she is doing so well in fact that she's had to come up with some ways to lessen the load she has acquired from so much business. she and her mother came up with the design for the most awesome looking high top shoes for babies and toddlers. bayli got one of the first pairs and wore them to the ground. well, we were also the first to try out the new t-shirts that she has designed, i was lucky enough to be the photographer for bayli and her best friend eden: the beautiful blue eyed blonde who is also the daughter of the creator of the shoes, which lets you guess just how beautiful her momma is. :)

anyway, the shoot was so fun, and the t-shirts are so awesome and i just couldn't help but share some of the cute pictures!! if you'd like to purchase some t-shirts, shoes, or headbands for yourself, you can check them out on her website: fledgefeet.com

No Thigh Gap Necessary

|Shirt: Old Navy|Pants: Vintage from Urban Renewal|Shoes: F21|Purse: Aldo|Jewelry: Nordstrom Rack|

Lets get something straight... I am not a fashion blogger.

I did this post awhile back because I wanted the free dress and because I seriously thought the company was worth sharing. NOT because I wanted to become a fashion blogger.

You're probably wondering why I did this post today if I am not trying to be a fashion blogger. Well, to answer that I have to tell you a few other things about myself first.

-I had a baby. That baby made some of my skin have stretch marks, and made other parts flabby, and other parts bigger. The only thing that really got smaller through the process was my self confidence.
-I didn't have the perfect body even before I got pregnant.
-When I was in middle school, before I found out that I had a thyroid disorder, I was one pretty big kid. But even back then my favorite part about myself was my legs, for some reason I just didn't gain weight there.
-I have stayed the same pant size since 7th grade. A size 0. Even the day I delivered Bayli I was wearing my size 0 pants.

So... this year when I heard about the "thigh gap" and realized that I didn't have one, and that I have never had one, even when I weighed a mere 110 pounds in high school. I still didn't have that oh so coveted thigh gap. I started to hate the one part of my body that I have always loved: my legs.

For months it has been this internal hate, stewing. Nothing that I shared with anyone, nothing that I really even complained about. I just was so depressed realizing that I didn't like a single area of my body. If I wasn't spending my time wishing I had a thigh gap I was thinking that my feet were too big and my toes are just gross, my arms can look like sausages if the shirt is too tight, my rib cage is way too broad and big, my hips don't give me any curves, my hair is too thin and won't grow, my freckles look like acne under the right lighting, my smile is crooked because of a scar I got in high school, even my pointer finger looks like it's been broken and points in the wrong direction, and don't even get me started on my belly. I had constantly been thinking this way about myself until...

A few months ago when Garrison and I started talking about when to get pregnant again. I came up with all these reasons to wait to get pregnant, like work, money, vacations, etc. But when he came up with solutions to all my worries, I finally had to admit that I was nervous about getting pregnant because I wanted to lose more weight, and get that "perfect body" first.

Well, I could talk about how much my husband told me that he loves every inch of my body, and how he thinks I already have "the perfect body" but I'm not going to. I'm going to talk about Bayli. The girl who was created by my body.

It's for her.

That's the answer to your question about why I am doing this cliche' fashion blogger post today. I am doing it for my daughter Bayli, and for my future children that this body will create.

I did these pictures with my second day, unwashed, no extensions, hairstyle. I'm only wearing blush, mascara, and lip gloss. I literally threw up hours before the pictures were taken (tmi?). These pictures are a reflection of me on an everyday basis (minus the throwing up). I am doing this post so that she will look back and realize that having a thigh gap wasn't necessary to my happiness. It isn't keeping me from posting these pictures all over the internet. I have flaws, we all do, but not having a thigh gap isn't a flaw.

I don't know what the "thigh gap" of Bayli's generation will be. Maybe everyone will be wanting stick straight hair, or defined arms, or knocked knees, or blue eyes, or smooth soft elbows. But just like the thigh gap, whatever trend is popular and desired in her generation I hope she learns from her momma's mistakes and realizes that it's nothing to waste your time thinking about wishing you could change. And, if you do, as soon as you've accomplished it, the trend will move on to the next thing. Instead focus on trying to become more kind, or confident, or honest, or helpful, or smart, or spiritual or just learning to be herself, whatever that may be.

As much as I wish I could say that I had this change of heart because I realized that I didn't need to fit the fashion industry's mold of perfection all on my own, I can't. I had this change of heart because I recognized that I am someone's mother. And as I type this with tears in my eyes I know that in a few years, she will want to be like me. 'Cause that's what daughters do, they look up to their mothers. I am determined to become someone that she can look up to and be inspired to be better, not feel depressed because of something as silly as she doesn't have my soft elbows.

So... this one's for you Bayli. I love you, you are becoming such a wonderful woman. Always remember, you are beautiful, don't let anyone, (especially not the fashion industry) tell you otherwise.

*******************************************************************

If you'd like to read more on this subject, here's part two.

Customized Shopping with eShakti

Hat: tai pan trading / Dress: c/o eShakti / Earrings: etsy / Shoes: forever21 / Lipstick: nyx "630 pumpkin pie"


do you feel like your body fits the perfect mold that stores create clothing by? do you have a tiny waist,  long legs, skinny defined arms, big boobs, curves in just the right places and flat everywhere else? if you answered yes then please do not read this post. cause that's not me. not in a million years. and while i will admit that i have moments where it is hard for me to accept the fact that i do not have a perfect body, for the most part i am comfortable in my skin. but, that said... the moments when i feel the worst about myself are usually in the dressing room when i try on an item of clothing that i hope and pray will fit right, yet somehow one of my "curves in the wrong places" shows up and says hello.

when eShakti contacted me, and told me about their business, i was instantly hooked! the concept is that each dress is customized to the individual shopper, first you shop from their hundreds and hundreds of dresses/skirts/shirts and then once you've picked the one you like, you enter your measurements, you can either stay basic like standard dress sizes (0-32) or do the ultra specific option where you measure every part of your body like arms, waist, bust, etc and they customize it perfectly for you. for free!!! that way, if your like me and have a HUGE ribcage, but tini hips, i can make it fit perfect! and it gets better!!! after you enter your measurements you chose if you want sleeves, and their length. you choose if you want pockets. (POCKETS!!!) and the hemline length. this is truly a modest woman's dream come true!!!

this is what my dress looked like originally. i made adjustments with the sleeve and hem length because i wanted to be able to bend over to pick bayli up from off the floor and not worry about flashing everyone, also, i wanted elbow length sleeves to hide the chub on my arms and bring attention to the waistband. of course, if there is ever an option of pockets, i will always choose them! with certain dresses on the site you won't be able to put on long sleeves, or turn it into a maxi dress due to the structure of the design, but for most dresses those are options! i was very surprised by how well made these dresses are, from a seamstress' point of view i was honestly shocked to receive such a well made item with so many customized adjustments, and yet still so affordable.

 i do not own anything in this color, and while i love this color in summer as a bright pop of color, i also cannot wait for it to be fall so that i can pair this dress with some boots and make the bright orange seem like more of a pumpkin shade by throwing a brown cardigan on top. the worst thing about this dress is how pale i look in comparison to the warmth of the orange. i really needed to put on some fake tan before the photo shoot. oh well, like i said. today im being comfortable in my own skin, i'd have to be in order to post these pictures of myself on the internet.

lastly, can i just say that these dresses would be PERFECT for bridesmaids. the customize-able options would make fitting all of your friends body types a breeze. for those women in your bridal party who are confident in showing their shoulders or thighs, do it! and for those who want a little more coverage, it's just as easy to do that as well, and with no extra cost! that way, you still get the uniform look in your pictures, but have the individual needs met of each woman in your bridal party. and with sewing and delivery time of only 3 weeks you should have more than enough time! especially knowing that you won't need to alter anything after it's delivered.

I seriously cannot say enough good things about this company and their vision for how shopping should be. i wish more companies would follow suit.

THIS is my mothers day present

it's mothers day, and all i asked for was the time to sit down and write this blog post. no joke. that's my present. mostly because i took these pictures the day before we left on our cruise last week (that post is coming next) and so i spent all last week getting excited to write it all down and share the good news with you guys!

i LOVE a good before and after picture. but, because of my knowledge in editing and Photoshop from taking classes on it in college for years, i am very critical. if i see one thing out of place, i basically discredit the entire product review. so... with that said, let me give you a few disclaimers: no, i did not edit these pictures. but... a few things have changed between the before and after picture -besides my makeup- mostly the lighting in the room from my living room window was changing because instead of this routine taking me about 15 minutes like usual, it took me over an hour to finish because i had to take all the pictures with my tripod and remote as i went. so... the sun was starting to set as i finished. also, if you notice, my hair looks a bit darker in the second picture, that's just because i brushed out my curls right before i took the before picture, so they look lighter and fluffier. in the after picture, those curls had settled. i tried my hardest to stay in the same pose, with the same expression for all of the pictures. my sister says i look angry, but i promise i'm not, apparently this is just the face that's easiest for me to replicate picture, after picture, after picture.

now that we've got that covered, let's get onto what i did in order to evoke this transformation!

i skipped all of the moisturizers and primers and just started right in with the new bareMinerals bareSkin pure brightening foundation serum. you guys, this stuff is a dream. today i am wearing the shade "07 bare natural", it is a little darker than my natural skin color but that is on purpose since i have fake tan on my neck and body for the summer. (the fake tan i use is st tropez) i haven't even touched any other foundation since first trying this. it goes on so smoothly, and looks so natural that it even has my husbands seal of approval. he loves that it doesn't look cakey even from his up close view. he is a man that openly admits that he would rather see me in jeans and a tee shirt, with no makeup on and my hair in a ponytail. (sooooo not my style) so his approval is a big deal! i would highly recommend getting their foundation brush as well, it works perfectly when paired with their new serum. the "well" in the center of the brush makes the application of this product so easy and smooth. to apply this product, you just shake the container to mix, and start by dropping two drops into the well of the brush, buff in circular motions starting in the center of your face, or where you feel you need most coverage, and add more product a few drops at a time until you achieve your desired coverage. 1-2 drops is light coverage 3-4 drops is medium coverage and 5-6 drops is full coverage. i use 6 drops because i am slightly changing the color of my face to match my tan. if i was using a lighter color i am sure i would feel like i had enough coverage with three drops. also, some have asked if i use a powder to set the foundation... no, i do not. only because i haven't felt the need for it. the foundation dries pretty matte and i have normal to dry skin. if you have oily skin i would recommend setting this foundation with bareMinerals mineral veil. or, if you found that this product didn't stay all day like you wished, try using the powder to see if it helps. i have had absolutely no complaints about this product and so i haven't tried changing anything.

 ^^gotta love that my camera remote got it's 10 seconds of fame in this shot.

next i added some blush and bronzer. using bareMinerals bronzer in "warmth" and their buffing brush i created a subtle line in the hollows of my cheek from my ear to the center of my cheek and along my hairline. next i apply their blush in "beauty". using their flawless application face brush directly to the apples of my cheek and sweeping upward towards my temples.

 next i pencil in my eyebrows. i use anastasia's brow wiz skinny brow pencil in brunette. i love it because it is so easy to use. i have heard good things about the bareMinerals eyebrow pencil, but until i run out of this anastasia stuff, i feel no need to try anything else. i apply this with soft hairlike strokes along my eyebrow and use the spooley brush on the other end of the pencil to soften and blend any harsh lines. after filling in my brows, i highlight my brow bone underneath my brows and the inner corner of my eye with the anastasia brow duality chubby pencil in "camille sand". i have also used the bareMinerals eyeshadow color in "snow" to achieve this same highlighting effect in matte.

 next i do my eyeshadow. this vary's from day to day, i love to change up my eyeshadow looks depending on what activity i am going to do that day, or what i am wearing. today because i am going for a more natural look, i used my naked palette colors "naked" and "buck" in my crease to create some definition and draw attention to my eyes without the use of shimmer.

next i put on eyeliner using a light hand so that it is not too dark or too thick and one coat of mascara using bareMinerals lash domination. if i am going for a natural look i do only one coat on the top lashes, and if i want to show off the length of my lashes i do 2-3 coats. letting my mascara dry completely between coats and one coat on the lower lashes to balance out the eye.

lastly, i put on some lipgloss. the moxie lipglosses are by far my favorite lipgloss. i currently own 6 of their colors, -it's become quite an addiction- but, my current favorite for a natural look, and the color i am wearing today is the shade "rebel" it's a soft pink with no sparkle. my lips are pretty darn huge, so i need to stay away from sparkle if i'm wanting a natural look,  if your wanting some sparkle, my favorite is "spark plug"

^^i'm a deer in headlights, it's awesome.

makeup is one of those instant self esteem boosters for me, i love wearing it, but i love it even more if people don't instantly recognize that i have any on. this look is by far my most complimented makeup look, and i hope this helps you to create your own natural look!

 ...and now for a picture of me actually smiling to show how happy this makeup makes me feel!!! :) Happy Mothers Day!

My Daily Make-up Routine

first i start with a clean face. i like to use aveeno's clear complexion cream cleanser as my face wash that i use whenever i shower, and daily i use neutrogena's makeup remover cleansing towelettes for my eye makeup, and neutrogena's alcohol-free toner on a cotton pad for my face makeup. being a mom, i don't have  the time to do a huge beauty removal routine in order to get in bed, i just want to crash, so these are super quick and easy for me.
to moisturize i use one pump of aveeno's clear complexion daily moisturizer, mixed with one pump of bare minerals prime time neutralizing primer. i use this lotion because it came with  my face cleanser and I've seen good results and enjoyed both, and i use this primer because it is tinted yellow so it helps with my uneven red splotchy-ness.
i forgot to mention that daily i apply a coat of LiLash eyelash serum when my face is clean to make my eyelashes grow. it works amazing, and i will be doing an entire post on that product soon.

Before

before my moisturizer has dried completely i apply my foundation. i use bare minerals pressed powder in fairly light. i have been using bare minerals for about 5 years now and love it. just recently i was introduced to their pressed powders and i'm never going back. i like that they appear a bit lighter than the loose powder because i'm one extremely white girl. and i always felt like the same shade in the loose powder was just a bit too dark, but now i love it. for my acne spots, and under my eyes i just apply more layers of the foundation. but, if i really feel the need to cover them up seamlessly, then i use nyx's concealer in 01 porcelain. although i have heard amazing things about the bare minerals concealer and will probably be switching to that once my nyx runs out.
next i apply my bronzer for some contouring. i like to use the victoria's secret bronzer in gold crush. i feel like it is more brown than orange and so it gives a more natural look with my skin tone. i love that it is highly pigmented so i don't have to layer on the bronzer, this only works well if you have a great brush to apply it with though, so if you find that it doesn't blend well, or appears streaky, then invest in a good bronzing brush.
the blush i used today is a coral colored one by mac, technically called style (frost) but, on the days when i am rushing out the door i use a bare minerals blush called the confession to do both my bronzing and blush, it is a brownish-rose color and so i find that it will do both jobs well in a hurry.

During

finally i pencil in my brows with the e.l.f brow kit and an angled brush, then apply my eye shadow which changes daily but today i chose to use my mac woodwinked for all over the lid, and mac mulch for the crease. i always do some sort of highlighting below my eyebrows on my brow bone, and in the inner corners of my eye with a white/pink shimmer loose powder from the company "pur element" but it is extremely hard to find, and difficult to apply, and i am looking for a new one. i'd love your suggestions!
next is mascara on both upper and lower lashes. i use they're real by benefit. it's a new product to me and i have been using it because of so many people's suggestion and good reviews, but, i'm not 100% sold on that either. i think i might try lash domination by bare minerals next.
then lastly, i apply my lipstick or lip gloss. today i used bare minerals marvelous moxie lip gloss in maverick. i will be doing a more in depth post all about lips soon.

After

i try to stick within one company: if you didn't notice, i basically use bare minerals exclusively with only a few products of aveeno, mac, and neutrogena. i love that when you stick within one company, your skin rarely flares up and generally feels healthier. i know that during the company meetings they are trying to make sure that all the vitamins and minerals your skin needs are found within that one company. it's not like they say, "oh well, hopefully the customers are using that other company's product to get that vitamin" that's just stupid. so, unless i find something terrible about one specific product, (like the fact that i HATE loose powders for eyeshadow, so, i don't use bare minerals for that) then my first stop for something new is a counter/aisle i have shopped from before. i find that if your skin like's one product, they will probably like the rest. and same goes for the reverse: if you find that your skin doesn't react well to a product, then honestly, i would stay away from their entire line, and try something else.

*these photo's have not been edited, and the last two pictures were taken after a few hours of makeup wear. this is not a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.