Insecure Me: That One Thing, Part 1

That One Thing

Everyone has things that they are insecure about.  Some insecurities might upset us more than others but everyone also has that one thing that really bothers them about the way they look.  It might be their weight, their nose, the size of their bust, thighs, arm flab, et cetera.  The list goes on for pages.  For the past twelve years, the one thing that has really made me the most insecure is my smile.  That really hurts, because I am a very happy and smiley person.

My smile before braces

 It started when I was sixteen and I went to the dentist.  I had not been there in a few years (Thanks, Mom and Dad) and the dentist was shocked when he saw two baby teeth still in my X-rays.  He referred me to the orthodontist, who informed me that my adult canine teeth were impacted and I would have to have the baby teeth surgically removed and would need at least two years of braces followed by two years of retainers to correct the problem.  Sadly, my family did not have the money to pay for the braces I needed and I certainly did not want to be walking around for most of high school in braces or retainers.  So I did not get the braces and I spent the next twelve years avoiding the dentist, terrified that they would try to convince me to be an adult with two missing front teeth and braces.  Yet I also spent the next twelve years feeling ashamed and absolutely hating my smile.

Have you ever had an experience where someone pointed out something about you that was flawed that you had never even noticed before?  I had no idea that I did not have a great smile until that day at the orthodontist but ever since that day, it has been my biggest insecurity.  I always notice when someone else has a lovely smile and straight, white teeth and I am so jealous of those people.  Why couldn’t I be one of them?  And then I thought, ‘Maybe I could…’.

Last year, I finally decided that I could not hide from the dentist or the orthodontist anymore and I got up the courage to get the braces that I need.  I was tired of hating my smile and was finally ready to take the plunge to fix it.  After all, two years is pretty short when you are an adult, right?

My smile with two missing teeth

 A month later, I had the surgery to remove the baby canine teeth and bond the impacted adult teeth.  I am currently missing my two front canine teeth and I have never felt worse about the way I look in my entire life.  When you take something about yourself that you are already insecure about and make it even more obvious, it can be rather soul crushing.

Manicure Monday: Topaz

What have I done to anger the Polish Gods so??  My last pedicure was a huge failure and when I painted my nails here, it looked horrible too so this manicure should not be a surprise.  It seems nothing I paint works out lately.

This was two coats of L.A. Colors Nail Lacquer Hardener in Topaz.  I picked this up at Dollar General for $1.00.  This picture was taken just a few hours after painting my nails, and as you can see, the polish was already wearing at the tips rather badly.  Also, the application was streaky and uneven.  The color looked much prettier and more opaque in the bottle but was actually much more sheer and much more orange in person than in the bottle.  Disappointment all over.  Needless to say, this manicure didn't even stay on for twenty-four hours.

I am officially done trying this line of polishes from L.A. Colors.  I like a lot of other products from this company, but two fails out of two polishes is enough for me.  I'll stick to my Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes, which I love, and only cost $2.50.  Xtreme Wear is much better quality in my opinion.

A Giant Pedicure Fail

I have been feeling pretty uninspired lately with my fingernail and toenail polishing.  Short winter days have made me lazy and it seems that lately all I want to do is snuggle under the blankets on the couch in my sweats.  Six weeks had gone by without repainting my toes, they were looking pretty rough, and I was feeling pretty blah about painting them.  I quickly picked out a pretty color of polish and a glitter topcoat and tried to get that polishing over with.  I should have known better.  What I created turned out to be a giant pedicure fail.

I quickly trimmed all the nails down to a manageable length (since I hadn't trimmed or filed in six weeks either, ew) but didn't bother to even file them so I ended up with a lovely pointed big toe nail.  Creepy.  Then after a base coat, I slapped on two coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Going Green.  I've never tried one of the Xtreme Wear polishes and not loved it, and this one was no exception.  Great formula, great dry time, and a beautiful color.  This is a really pretty kelly green creme with just the most subtle hint of shimmer, which you can see in the bottle shot below.  It is honestly a pretty color but on my pasty white feet it came off looking like alien nails.  Not attractive.  I think I'll stick to using this color on my fingers.

Then I used Jordana's Pink Hearts glitter polish.  This is basically a clear base with some fine multicolored glitter and large pink glitter hearts.  Let's just say I'll be putting this polish in my treasure box for some sweet eleven year old girl to take home.  Kids would love it but for me, it's crap.  The fine glitter barely showed up and the hearts were just about impossible to get out of the bottle.  I literally had to use the brush to scoop one out and plop it and a pile of clear polish onto my nails.  I put three hearts on each of my big toes.  Disaster.  I should just stick to stamping on hearts or heart stickers because they would be so much easier and look so much better.

I pretty much hate the way this turned out on me and I will definitely be changing it again soon, especially considering that in my haste of polishing I missed half of my pinky toe.  *Sigh.* At least it isn't sandal season.

New video! 2011 Favorites: Lips and More

This is the final video in my 2011 Favorites.  It includes favorite lip products, tools, skin care, and hair care items.  Enjoy!

Insecure Me: Acne, Part 2

Trying to Solve the Acne Problem

In Part 1 of my Insecure Me Acne post, I discussed how acne has plagued me for most of my adult life, despite having clear skin as an adolescent.  To read the entire post (and see embarrassing pictures of me), click the link here.


Before my last post, you might have been thinking that you have never noticed in my photos that I have acne, but I have a secret about that too.  I airbrush those suckers out.  It is not hard; I just use the airbrush tool in Microsoft Paint and pretend they never happened.  So I have included some pictures  so that you can see my real skin, since this series is about facing my insecurities with honesty.  (For pictures of me with NO makeup on, click that link above.)

Left side: no touch up.  Right side: Retouched with MS Paint.

I had left off by telling you how last week I decided I was tired of this acne and was ready for a change.  Let me explain what triggered this and what I am doing about it.


At Christmas of this past year, my acne got worse.  Over Thanksgiving weekend, my ill father had finally gotten the liver transplant that he needed.  I spent the next two weeks on the phone with my mother every day, waiting to see if he would start to recover or if he would reject the liver and get even worse.  (He is doing great now!)  I stressed and worried and did not care much about something as trivial as skin, compared to the health of my dad.  Then we spent a hectic Christmas visiting with family in Pennsylvania.  When we finally got back to Florida, and I got back to focusing on me, my skin had broken out and it has not been clear for a single day since.  It has been about six weeks of constant acne.


For a person who spent nineteen years with lovely skin, this is very difficult.  I thought I had solved this problem twice before and here I was again, dealing with this now daily acne.  It took a toll on my self-esteem, along with several other issues I will address later in this series.  Again, I had enough.  I am tired of this acne.  I am tired of hiding my skin under concealer, foundation, and powder.  I went looking for a new solution and I am hoping that this time, I have found it.


I do not remember exactly where, but I heard about acne.org on YouTube and I thought it could not hurt to check it out.  I was expecting a more expensive version of Proactiv, promising more amazing results if you just shell out half your paycheck for their product.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case.  What I found was thorough instructions (called The Regimen) on how to treat your skin, including how to wash and dry it and product recommendations for inexpensive drugstore skin care items.  I was blown away by the simplicity of this very different acne solution.


The founder, Dan Kern, simply explains that he cleared his skin by changing the way he took care of it.  I am not buying completely into everything on the website because I really do feel like the products I am using have helped my skin.  However, I have made some changes based on The Regimen.  I am now washing my face much more quickly and gently, as well as drying my face more gently.  No longer am I trying to scrub my acne away.  Additionally, I have increased the amount of 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide that I use.  The Proactiv kit had said to use only a thin layer but in The Regimen, Kern says you will need to use more BP if you are continuing to have acne.  As of today (only about a week into my skin care changes), my skin is peeling like nobody's business but I swear, it seems like it is clearing up already.  After a few weeks, my skin will build up a tolerance to the new amount of BP and will stop peeling.  It is definitely too soon to tell, but I really feel like my skin is getting better and at least I have hope.  I have noticed that my T-zone is much less oily at the end of the day and although I had a pimple pop up yesterday, it never got very big and it is already healing.  I am hopeful that this will finally be the solution to my acne but I will be sure to keep posting about any progress or problems along the way.  Until my skin is clear, I will continue to trust my Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer for those pesky spots and I will continue to airbrush them out of my photos.

Insecure Me: Acne, Part 1

My Acne Story

Me at age 18 with NO makeup on.

If you did not read the first post in this series, you may want to go back and read New Series!  Insecure Me.  You'll learn more about me and why I decided to write in depth about something very uncomfortable.


I had this lovely, smooth porcelain skin speckled with soft, youthful freckles and accented by warm rosy cheeks.  Not too oily, not too dry but just slightly glowing and nearly always perfect.  That was my skin growing up.  I barely ever wore foundation in high school and there were girls who envied my perfect skin.  I was proud of it and didn't want to cover up my flawless skin with makeup.  Then I turned nineteen and my skin changed into a temperamental monster that I've been dueling with ever since.  I'm pretty sure I'm losing.


At first, I thought it was the stress of college that was making these lovely giant zits randomly pop up on my chin.  College brought changes like procrastinating work, studying, a new diet of crummy college cafeteria food, making new friends, pledging a sorority and transitioning to a relationship with Brian that was no longer long distance.  Basically, it was a lot of change at once.  Then in December of freshman year, I started on the birth control pill and the hormones threw my skin a whole new curve ball.  But after a few months, things settled down and my acne pretty much went away before the end of freshman year.  Very rarely, a pimple would pop up but they were usually few and far between and not that big or noticeable when I did get one.  And then I moved to Florida.


Once again, there was a lot of transition in my life.  Within three months, I graduated from college, got married, changed birth control pills, moved 900 miles away from home, and started a job as a first year teacher.  Any of you who are teachers know how much stress that can be on its own.  The pimples started again and just seemed to get worse as time went on.  Three years after we moved to Florida, I had finally had enough.  I counted twelve active pimples on my face at once, along with many other inactive ones that were left behind and healing.  I was tired of feeling ugly and I wanted a solution.  A friend of mine had suggested that I try Proactiv, as it had worked well for her acne so I ordered the starter kit and had it rush delivered.

Me at age 28 with NO makeup on.

The Proactiv worked to an extent.  I have never had as many pimples as I did on that worst day, but my skin was still not clear like it was in high school.  (Later, I switched to the Walmart generic brand of Proactiv and found that it cost way less and had the same effects.)  After a while, I started to level out again with my life and birth control and so did my skin.  I realized that I was now only getting one pimple a month.  One giant white headed enormous volcanic pimple on my chin that showed up on the third Wednesday of every monthly cycle and lasted until Friday morning.  It was only one pimple but now that one pimple was so big and prominent and I still felt horrible.  I didn't even want to leave the house on those days.  I talked to my OB-GYN and she said it was cyclical acne and there was nothing I could do about it.  I refused to believe that was a true answer.  So I decided maybe it was the birth control that I was on.  Seeing a new doctor, I once again, switched birth control from pills to the shot, thinking maybe if I didn't get a period, I wouldn't get pimples.  For awhile, this worked like a dream.  I was still getting acne but I would get several very small and hard to notice pimples each month.  I could handle that!  At least no one else really noticed.  I finally felt like I was getting back to my old self.  But then eventually my skin went right back to making big white headed nasty zits that could not be ignored and now there were more than just one.  So that's where I was last week when I decided something had to give.

New video! 2011 Favorites: Eye Products

The second of three videos on my 2011 Favorites.  This one is all about eyes.

New Series! Insecure Me

Everyone, no matter how beautiful on the outside, struggles with their own insecurities inside.  Some of us are better at controlling it than others, and all of us have the occasional meltdown or the random down day.  I am usually a rather confident person and I try not to let silly insecurities get to me.  However, for the last few months I have been having some low self-esteem issues, which I have never really had before in my life.  (Did you catch my post last yearabout one of my worst experiences with feeling insecure?)  I have always had my insecurities but I feel like I have never had so many at once for so long of a time and I am starting to not feel like my happy self anymore.  I am feeling alone and hopeless.

Yet, I know I am not alone in this woman-versus-self battle (or man-versus-self battle) and I know those of you reading this post are not alone either.  I have decided that I will be honest with myself and my readers and share with you some of my most personal thoughts and feelings about what makes me insecure and how I try to overcome that emotion.  I hope that in writing this series, I will not only begin to understand myself better and conquer this negativity, but also provide you with a sense that you certainly are not alone and perhaps help to give you hope that things can change for you.

This series will be raw and honest and most certainly embarrassing for me.  My insecurities are something I have only discussed with my closest and most trusted loved ones and here I am about to publish them on the Internet, for the entire world to see.  By the end of this series, you will know exactly what I worry about when I look in the mirror.  But you know what?  I find the idea of this experience strangely cathartic.  This is who I am, good or bad, and I have always been happy with the person I am inside, no matter what the outside might look like.  It is what is on the inside that counts and every time I think that to myself, I am reminded of these powerful words from one of my favorite children's books.

 “If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it. A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” ― Roald Dahl, The Twits

Manicure Monday: Diva Girly Fabulosity

This manicure was so absurdly girly and sparkly I had to name it something ridiculous.  It was not my usual style but I really enjoyed it while it lasted!

I started out with a base coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Grip.  I then followed with three coats of Wet N Wild Wild Shine in Tickled Pink.  This is a light barbie-ish pink creme shade but just like many light shades, this goes on rather streaky at first but by the third coat is opaque.

I then added on two coats of N.Y.C. Long Wearing in Starry Silver Glitter.  This is a beautiful glitter with small bits of holographic glitter along with larger lavender and royal blue glitter.  The large glitter is hard to distribute evenly, as you might imagine but not too horribly difficult.  You can see there is much more large glitter on my index finger than any other one.  After the glitter, I topcoated with Seche Vite.

Check out how pretty the glitter is in this picture!  Complete Diva Girly Fabulosity.  This was a really pretty look but within twenty-four hours, the many layers of polish were peeling pretty badly.  All in all, this manicure was exactly what I expected: sparkly and girly but chipped as fast as you would thing two layers of glitter would.

Downsizing My Collection: I Gave EVEN More Away!

This one was actually sort of luck.  My neighbor is interviewing for a great job later this week.  She doesn't wear makeup every day and just realized that she somehow lost her makeup bag.  Since she doesn't wear makeup often, she asked if she could borrow just a few things for the interview so we went through my makeup collection quickly to find her some items that would work with her skin tone.  She wanted to borrow a powder foundation, some blush, lipstick, and a few eyeshadow and face brushes.  Of course, I had extras of all of these things.  I ended up giving her several items to keep, since she needed them, and I wanted to get rid of them.  It worked out really well for both of us.  In addition to the brushes, I gave her a Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Foundation, Covergirl Cheekers Blush in Golden Pink, and Wet N Wild Wild Shine Lipstick.  The foundation was too dark for me anyway and I hadn't used the lipstick or blush in months so I didn't mind parting with any of it.  Once again, I am happy to have downsized my collection and helped out someone else who will use it!

Project 10 Pan: Replacements

This week I finished several Project 10 Pan items so I thought I would share with you what I have replaced them with, as some of the items I chose were not in my original plan.  The top row in the photo are all items that I finished, and below is what I am replacing each item with.  I've also compiled a list of all the items I am working on and what I have finished so far.  I feel like progress is going pretty well but I also know that this week is probably not going to be a week where I finish very many items.  I think maybe the only thing that I'm close on is my Softlips Vanilla Lip Balm.  I am saying strong, though and using this time as an opportunity to really research some items to try out after my Project 10 Pan is over.  I'm really hoping to find some more Holy Grail items to add to my list of loves.

Pictured above:

Top row, finished items: Cover Girl Aqua Smooth Foundation, N.Y.C. Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara, Wet N Wild Clinical Mascara, e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick

Bottom row, replacements: Cover Girl Ultimate Finish Liquid Powder Makeup, Essence Longlasting Eye Pencil in Hot Chocolate, Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof Mascara, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Washable Mascara, N.Y.C. Liquid Lip Shine

Complete List of Items for Project 10 Pan/5 Bottle:

Project 10 Pan Items:

1. Covergirl Aqua Smooth Foundation in Ivory

2. Covergirl Ultimate Finish Liquid Powder Makeup in Ivory

3. Physician's Formula Healthy Wear Powder Foundation in Translucent Light

4. N.Y.C. Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny

5. Maybelline Fit Me Bronzer in Sunlight

6. Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder

7. e.l.f. Natural Radiance Blusher in Shy

8. Wet N Wild Clinical Mascara

9. Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Washable in Classic Black

10. Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof in Glam Black

11. Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof in Very Black

12. Neutrogena Moisture Shine Gloss in Glimmer

13. N.Y.C. Liquid Lip Shine in Sungold Pink

14. e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Perfect Pink

15. Palladio Herbal Tinted Lip Balm in Golden Pink

16. Sally Girl Eyeshadow Single in Champagne

17. Pixi Brightening Peach Correction Concentrate

18. Essence Longlasting Eye Pencil in Almost Famous

19. Essence Eyebrow Designer in Brown

20. N.Y.C. Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Mink

21. Essence Longlasting Eye Pencil in Chocolate

22. e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

23. e.l.f. All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade

24. Softlips Lip Balm in Vanilla

Total Items Used: 5

Project 5 Bottle Items:

1. Victoria's Secret Body Mist in Amber Romance

2. Victoria's Secret Body Mist in Love Spell

3. Victoria's Secret Eau de Toilette in Amber Romance

4. Redken Align 12

5. Garnier Fructis Flexible Hold Hair Spray

6. Beyond the Zone Rock On Flexible Hold Hair Spray

7. Up and Up Eye Wise Serum

8. Johnson's Baby Lotion

9. Warm Sugar Cookie Body Butter

10. e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set

11. Body Essence Cucumber Melon Hand Lotion

Total Items Used: 3

2011 Favorites Videos FOTD

If you were wondering what makeup I'm wearing in my 2011 Favorites Videos, everything I used is listed here!

Items marked with an asterisk (*) are Project 10 Pan Items.

FACE:

- Hard Candy Sheer Envy Face Primer

- CoverGirl Ultimate Finish Liquid Powder Makeup in Ivory*

- Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in Ivory (blemishes)

- e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (prime undereye)*

- Pixi Correction Concentrate in Brightening Peach*

- Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light

- Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear Powder Foundation in Translucent Light*

- Maybelline FIT me Bronzer in Sunlight*

- N.Y.C. Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny (contour)*

- e.l.f. Natural Radiance Blusher in Shy*

- Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzer*

- Essence Eyebrow Designer Pencil in Brown*

- e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set (set makeup)*

 EYES:

- Too Faced Shadow Insurance

- Hard Candy Kal-Eye-Descope Baked Eyeshadow Duo in High Maintenance (dark shade on lid)

- Cover Girl Eyeshadow Single in Brown Smoulder (crease, lower lashline)

- Sally Girl Eyeshadow Single in Champagne (highlight brow & inner corner)*

- Essence Longlasting Eye Pencil in Almost Famous*

- N.Y.C. Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Mink (top lashline)*

- Maybelline Colossal Volum’ Express Washable Mascara in Glam Black*

 LIPS:

- Revlon Colorburst in Baby Pink

- N.Y.C. Liquid Lip Shine in Sungold Pink*

NAILS:

- Wet N Wild Wild Shine in Tickled Pink

- NYC Long Wearing in Starry Silver Glitter

2011 Favorites: Face Products

If you were wondering what my favorite face products were for 2011, check out this video for lots of products I love.

FOTD: Last Week

I took these pictures last weekend and promptly forgot about them until I found them hiding in a folder on my desktop.  I thought I would share, as I think the makeup turned out nicely and I had actually remembered to write down what I used.  Of course, this is another look using Project 10 Pan items.

Items marked with an asterisk (*) are Project 10 Pan/5 Bottle Items

FACE:

- Hard Candy Sheer Envy Face Primer

- CoverGirl Aqua Smooth Foundation in Ivory*

- Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in Ivory (blemishes)

- e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (prime undereye)*

- Pixi Correction Concentrate in Brightening Peach*

- Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light

- Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear Powder Foundation in Translucent Light*

- Maybelline FIT me Bronzer in Sunlight*

- N.Y.C. Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny (contour)*

- e.l.f. Natural Radiance Blusher in Shy*

- Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzer*

- Essence Eyebrow Designer Pencil in Brown*

- e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set (set makeup)*

 EYES:

- Too Faced Shadow Insurance

- Ulta Mineral Eyeshadow in Gleam (lid)

- Ulta Mineral Eyeshadow in Cinnamon (crease, lower lashline)

- Sally Girl Eyeshadow Single in Champagne (brow and inner corner highlight)*

- Essence Longlasting Eye Pencil in Almost Famous (waterline)*

- N.Y.C. Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Mink (top lashline)*

- Physician’s Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio in Nude Eyes (black shade on tightline)

- Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof Mascara in Very Black*

 LIPS:

- Too Faced Lipstick in Free Love

- e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Perfect Pink*

FOTD: Silent Treatment

Yesterday I finished my Cover Girl Aqua Smooth Foundation so I had to decide on a new foundation to work on.  Living in Florida, I decided to try to use up the last cream foundation that I own.  Some time ago, I purchased several cream foundations to try out before I figured out that the formulation of them just does not work well for me.  If I don't use this product up before March, it will be too hot and humid here to use it again until next winter, as I find that cream foundations just can't stand up to the summer climate here.  I've now added into the rotation as a Project 10 Pan item to use up.

Items marked with an asterisk (*) are Project 10 Pan/5 Bottle Items

FACE:

- Hard Candy Sheer Envy Face Primer

- Cover Girl Ultimate Finish Liquid Powder Makeup in Ivory*

- Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in Ivory (blemishes)

- e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (prime undereye)*

- Pixi Correction Concentrate in Brightening Peach*

- Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light

- Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear Powder Foundation in Translucent Light*

- Maybelline FIT me Bronzer in Sunlight*

- N.Y.C. Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny (contour)*

- e.l.f. Natural Radiance Blusher in Shy*

- Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzer*

- Essence Eyebrow Designer Pencil in Brown*

- e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set (set makeup)*

 EYES:

- Too Faced Shadow Insurance

- Wet N Wild Color Icon Trio in Silent Treatment

- Essence Longlasting Eye Pencil in Almost Famous*

- N.Y.C. Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Mink (top lashline)*

- Maybelline Colossal Volum’ Express Washable Mascara in Glam Black*

LIPS:

- Too Faced Free Love Lipstick

- e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Perfect Pink*

FOTD with Smashbox Click You're It Palette

The palette

Brian bought me this palette for Christmas and I've used the shadows before, but never the eyeshadow look cards.  Today I thought I would try out a face of the day with the "Everyday Smoky Eye" card.  Biggest lie ever.  This look was the furthest thing from "smoky" ever!  It was still a pretty and wearable look, but I would call this more of a barely there look.  I know I didn't use the same liner as they suggest, but I really don't think it would have changed the outcome that much.

Directions for this look

Items marked with an asterisk (*) are Project 10 Pan/5 Bottle Items

FACE:

- Hard Candy Sheer Envy Face Primer

- CoverGirl Aqua Smooth Foundation in Ivory*

- Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in Ivory (blemishes)

- e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (prime undereye)*

- Pixi Correction Concentrate in Brightening Peach*

- Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light

- Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear Powder Foundation in Translucent Light*

- Maybelline FIT me Bronzer in Sunlight*

- N.Y.C. Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny (contour)*

- e.l.f. Natural Radiance Blusher in Shy*

- Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzer*

- Essence Eyebrow Designer Pencil in Brown*

- e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set (set makeup)*

EYES:

- Too Faced Shadow Insurance

- Smashbox Click You’re It Eyeshadow Palette: Everyday Smoky Eye Look (see photos above for further description)

- Essence Longlasting Eye Pencil in Almost Famous (waterline)*

- N.Y.C. Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Mink (top lashline)*

- Maybelline Colossal Volum’ Express Washable Mascara in Glam Black*

LIPS:

- Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Baby Pink

- e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Perfect Pink*

Update on 2012 Goals

I've never made resolutions before, but for some reason this year on New Year's Eve, I felt compelled to get on the bandwagon and set some goals for myself for the new year.  (Click here if you missed the original post.)  This post is an update on my goals, after about two weeks.


Goals for Change:
1. exercise for fifteen minutes, two times per week
     I knew this would be the hardest thing for me to do and that has definitely been the case.  I did great the first week of January and actually exercised twice that week for more than fifteen minutes.  Last week I totally pooped out and didn't exercise at all.  I was feeling exceptionally tired last week and had that sort of "I think I'm getting sick feeling" so I ended up going to bed about an hour and a half earlier than usual every night.  I didn't end up with a cold (yea!) but I didn't work out at all either.  And this week isn't looking good so far.  :/  I need to find some kind of exercise that I enjoy, but so far that hasn't happened in my 28 years of life.
     As a teacher, I thought I would rate my success with report card grades for each goal.  Report Card: D
2. complete a Project 10 Pan without cheating (see post with rules here)
     I am really proud of my progress on this!  So far the products I have completed are: Wet N Wild Clinical Mascara, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara, Johnson's Baby Lotion, Victoria's Secret Amber Romance Eau de Toilette, and Redken Align 12.  I still have a long way to go but I haven't cheated at all and I feel good about it!  I don't even really feel tempted right now, as it just feels good to see progress in those items I'm working on.  I'm pretty sure I'll be finishing a few makeup items before the week is over too!  Report Card: A

Items I've finished

Item's I'm almost done with

3. spend some quality time at least 30 minutes once a week with my husband

     Brian and I have made this a real priority over the last few weeks, even if we just go to bed half an hour early and watch TV and cuddle.  The funny thing is, the more time we spend together, the more we want to spend time together.  So our thirty minutes has been way exceeded each week.  I've really enjoyed feeling close to him and I definitely have felt happier lately because of our extra time spent focusing on each other.
Report Card: A
4. clean the litter box every day
     I have done really well with this during the week but I'll be honest and say I've slipped up on the weekend.  I've now made it part of my workday routine, just like changing my clothes after work.  I now come home and the first thing I do is clean the litterbox.  But the weekends don't always have a steady routine like weekdays do for me so I definitely need to work on making it a part of my weekend routine too.  The first weekend I forgot one day and this weekend I forgot two days out of three.  No good.
Report Card: C+
Goals to Maintain: 
1. Continue to post videos on YouTube regularly
     So far, I have released five (I think) YouTube videos in January.  That's better than I even expected!  And I have several that I'm working on editing right now as well.
Report Card: A
2. Continue to write blog posts regularly
     I have blogged almost every day in January (sometimes twice in a day) so I am really happy about this accomplishment.  But more important than the amount of posts, I have really been enjoying blogging and writing.  I've always enjoyed writing both creatively and informatively and as an adult, I haven't had a lot of opportunities for my outlet.  Five years ago, I taught fourth grade writing and that was amazing because I really enjoyed it but now I teach fifth grade and writing isn't emphasized as much in fifth grade in Florida.  So my blog has restored my chance to put thoughts in writing and there have been days where it's been downright therapeutic.  To say the least, I greatly writing this blog.Report Card: A


Did anyone else set goals or make resolutions for 2012?  If so, I'd love to hear how it's going for you!

Manicure: Cotton Candy

To say the least, I was extremely disappointed in this nail polish.  This was two to three coats of L.A. Colors in Cotton Candy.  I had high hopes for this polish, I really did.  In the bottle, it looks like a lovely sheer light pink with lots of gold shimmer.  (You can see the shimmer in the bottle.)  I didn't expect this to be opaque, but I also didn't expect it to be so difficult to work with.  I found the formula very hard to get to be even.  You can see on my index finger how it is much lighter at the cuticle than at the tips.  Also, dry time was pretty slow on this which was frustrating when I was trying to just get a quick look.  At $1.00, at least I don't feel like I wasted a lot of money.

For this manicure, I used Sally Hansen Insta-Grip Base Coat and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat.  I definitely don't think the top coat is fast drying.  Fifteen minutes after top coating, when I went to get a drink, several of my nails smudged pretty badly, which you can see if you look closely at the index and middle fingers.  Overall, this was just a crummy looking manicure and I think a good deal of the issues may have stemmed from my impatience in waiting for things to dry.  I'll give this polish another try someday before officially declaring that it's awful.  Has anyone had good luck with L.A. Colors polishes and have any wisdom to offer?