Beginning of the week catch up!

Hey Everyone!


So sorry I've been MIA for the past few days. I had a very busy week nannying and then a great weekend with my fiance and his sister! This week I'll be nannying again, but I'm going to do my VERY BEST to keep up with my beauty channel and blog posts. Marianna, a fellow blogger (and future sister) under the name of thelifeofmars.blogspot.com, is a fellow fashion and beauty passionada (my new word). She came up this weekend and we exchanged beauty tips, blogging ideas, and video topics. So I have quite a few up my sleeve here over the next month or so.
While Marianna was up, we discussed the importance of beauty. A lot of people would probably argue that life is simply too busy to feel beautiful; that taking time for oneself and spending money on beauty products is frivolous. But Marianna and I agree that beauty is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. For a woman, confidence is the gasoline she runs on. If we don't feel pretty, we doubt everything we can do. Half the time we won't even try new things or pursue our dreams and ambitions because we don't have the confidence we can accomplish them. However, when a girl feels confident, she can take on the world and come out on top. Nothing boosts her morale like feeling, clean, shiny, and new! With this current economy, it's worth spending just a few dollars extra on feeling beautiful (obviously don't go broke for it. That's what bargain shopping is for!).
OHMYGOODNESS. It is SO hard to save money, even as a beauty guru on a budget...I just want to buy everything. Makeup has become my obsession. I wanted to go to school for aesthetics, but I think I might become a makeup artist instead. It's so much fun. I love playing with makeup because I feel like I can be anyone I want to be. It reminds me of playing dress up as a little kid when I was younger. And the more makeup I buy, the more I feel like my world is coming together. The purchases I make only push me closer to my goals in life, which inadvertently justifies spending money on it...I'm just sayin'.


Have a great day lovelies!
-GG <3

Stay Happy!

Hey Everyone! (What a dopey face! ^ LOL)

So a while back I started a series of videos titled "Secret to Happiness". I was inspired to do this because a lot of people I knew were down in the dumps, and you know when your friends are grumpy you just wanna squeeze them and say "cheer up!"? Well, this is my way of doing just that! These "secrets" are things I've learned through my own mully-grubby experiences and wanted to share with you. We all lose sight from time to time of what's truly important and that can make us miserable. So my hope is that these little videos will not only cheer you up, but help put things back into perspective and see that life isn't so bad if you make the most of it! Stay happy my friends!

<3 GG

A Colorful Life.

Hey Everyone!

So i got my bhcosmetics palettes! *does happy dance* And ever since, I have not been able to do just regular old makeup. My SHM time (shower, hair, makeup) has extended itself from an hour to two hours because I get so caught up playing with my makeup! Today I had a dentist appointment at 11am and I had started getting ready at 9:30 thinking I'd have plenty of time, but at 10:50 I hadn't even started on my hair. So I had to run out the door with wet hair and come home to fix it afterwards. Definitely got to learn some time management with this makeup obsession of mine!
Anyway, besides my epic fail this morning, I thought I'd share some of my makeup looks with you. I've had so much fun with them. It's important to keep in mind that you have to balance your makeup: you need to do a look that you love, even if it's a little crazy; but you don't want to be a fashion "don't" with overdone raccoon eyes! Have fun but apply responsibly :P

This look is actually my breast cancer awareness look, featured in my first makeup tutorial!

This is an electro-pop look that was inspired by some photos I saw on xsparkage.com

I tried two variations: yellow to green on the right eye,

and blue to yellow on the left!

Which variation do you guys like better?

This look was a jewel-tone, peacock inspired look. I tried to fade the blues into the grays to sort of soften it up. What do you guys think? Too much of the 80s? Or i it wearable (because I totally wore it to the dentist!)

So have you all tried any crazy makeup looks? Post some pictures for me :) And let me know what colors you'd like me to try next. Have a great day friends :)


<3 GG

Update!

Hey everyone!

So I have a lot of videos coming up soon for you. I'm currently uploading my first makeup tutorial (it's pretty long, but cut me some slack, I'm new at this :). Some videos coming in the near future include: how to apply liquid eyeliner, hair care, comparison and contrast of certain products, best ways to get a close shave, Forever 21/Bath&Body Works Haul, and a Q&A video.
For my hair care and Q&A videos, please send me your questions and I'll respond to them. I'd love to interact with everyone and make my videos super informative and helpful. So please, give me feedback and let me know what you like best, what you'd like to see, etc. I look forward to hearing from each of you!

<3 GG

Secret Obsession: Pullip Dolls

Okay, so I know probably not one of you has ever heard of these, but I'm in love with them. They are a Japanese doll that you can move almost every part of. They are much more flexible than Barbie, and they have such neat features. They are Pullip Dolls!

I have searched and searched for them on the internet. They're price range is from $100 and up. Apparently, they are only available in Japan, so they are very rare finds here in the United States.

You can buy all kinds of clothes and things for them. They're just beautiful dolls. I know, I know, I'm acting like a kid, but what else is new? I think they're awesome. I seriously want to collect them. But I'm poor and obsessed with makeup, so that will never happen.

So have any of you heard of these? Do you own any? Because I'll be super duper jealous!

Acne Prevention

Hey everyone!
Hope you guys are having a fabulous day :)
So in my video "How to: Prevent Pimple Pop-ups" I gave you about eight different ways to keep your skin clean and clear of acne. In this post, I want to reiterate those ways and add a few more that I didn't put in the video so that you're fully prepared to fight the Battle of the Bumps!


1. Drink plenty of water. Your body's entire weight is made up of about 60% water. Through urination, sweating, and even breathing, you excrete most of that throughout the day. To replenish your water supply, it's necessary to drink about 8 cups of water a day (or more, if you can). This cleans out the toxins in your body that cause acne and keeps your skin cells healthy. It also adds a nice glow to your skin!


2. Eat healthy and take your vitamins. Ohmygosh, this one is SO hard to do. Pizza is amazing and I can never ever remember when to take my vitamins (plus they taste disgusting). But this step is so important to keeping your skin clear. Eating healthy and taking vitamins keeps your body balanced, which prevents it from over-producing oil. Oily foods don't sit well with your body, and in an attempt to clean your body out, that oil goes straight to your pores, blocking them and causing pimples. Taking vitamins helps regulate the body's oil breakdown and cut back on how much is produced in the first place.


3. Exercise and take time to unwind. It is nearly impossible for me to drag myself to the gym. I don't like feeling out of breath or the sensation that my arms and legs are about to fall off, but exercise is such a good way to not only maintain your body, but to clean out your pores. Sweat is your body's natural cleanser and it works harder than any store bought cleanser could, pushing out the oil from the inside (just make sure you shower after working up that sweat!). And since exercise is a great stress reliever, it kills two birds with one stone!


4. Get at least 8-10 hours of sleep a night. I know with schedules it is so hard to find time to sleep that long. But sleeping time is when your skin cells repair acne, fill in wrinkles, and slough off the dead stuff. If you cut that time period short, you're cheating your skin of extra time to heal. So the term "beauty sleep" is actually true.


5. Use oil-free products. If it isn't obvious enough yet that pimples are caused by oil clogging your pores, then let me re-establish how utterly important it is to reduce the oil that's IN and ON your skin. It's  pretty easy to find cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and eye makeup removers (yes there are pores near your eyes) that are all oil-free. But finding foundation and powder that's oil-free can be extremely challenging. Most brands have oil-free foundations available, but some of my favorites are from CoverGirl and L'Oreal. Make sure you use a loose, oil-free powder instead of a pressed powder, that way you aren't pushing the powder into your pores, but rather dusting it lightly on top.


6. Use makeup brushes and cleanse them regularly. Please, please, please don't apply makeup with your fingers! I know, it's easier because you have more control and those little sponges pack on so much foundation, but both fingers and sponges also carry TONS of bacteria. Brushes are easily washed but sponges just soak up everything and then transfer it all to your skin again and again. Find a good set of brushes to apply all of your makeup with and wash them every week or two. Also, apply your powder with a brush so that you aren't loading bacteria on the puffy puff (I can't think of what they're called...) and gliding it all over your face.


7. Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize. I can't say this enough. Wash your face TWICE daily, use a toner at least once a day, and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. I know it seems more logical to remove moisture so that your pores aren't as oily, but it's actually the opposite. When you cleanse your face, you strip it of all oil and dirt (which is a good thing), but you have to replace that oil with something so that it doesn't overcompensate its loss. Using an oil-free moisturizer replaces that necessary moisture without clogging up the pores. Also, toning tightens up the pores before you apply the moisture so that bacteria doesn't get into the pores. Try to use products within the same line because some products can react with another product and cause your skin to become irritated.


8. Never sleep with makeup on. I'm serious guys. Don't do it. While your poor skin is trying to repair itself, you've blocked it with oil and makeup, making the job nearly impossible. Don't be surprised if you wake up the next morning with a bright red honker on your nose! Cleaning the skin before you sleep is essential to preventing acne, plus you'll feel so much better without all that junk on your face.


9. Don't touch your face. Yes, it's hard to do. Half the time I don't even realize I've touched my face (but then I edit my videos and am amazed at how much I do!), but it's a natural reflex since we are all fluent in body language. However, try your hardest to keep your hands below your neck so that you aren't transferring oil and bacteria from your fingers to your pores. If you have to touch your face, make sure you wash your hands (with water AND soap) before you touch your skin at all.


10. DO NOT pick or pop your zits. OMG. This is my biggest challenge. I'm such a clean freak that when I have a big old zit or blackhead on my face, I just want to get it out so I feel fresh! I will say that cleaning out a blackhead, when successful, is actually the best thing you can do. But you have a 50% chance of causing the clogged oil and dirt to be pushed into the area underneath the skin, and then voila! You have a new zit. So half the time it isn't even worth it to me to try and get the blackhead out. Popping actual zits doesn't even have a 50% chance of turning out well. All it does is spread the oil and bacteria to the other pores around it, clogging them up and making an army of zits out of one. It's like the mythological hydra, cut off one of its heads and it sprouts two more! So don't do it. Use acne cream to dry the zits up, use pore strips to pull the blackheads out, and just wait it out!


11. Exfoliate. Like I said before, at night your skin repairs itself and sheds skin cells, but unfortunately your skin doesn't have a way of picking up the dead cells and tossing them in the trash. Instead the dead skin just sits on your face. So you need to exfoliate. Exfoliating scrapes off all those dead skin cells, and over time, can actually clear up any acne scars you have. Any exfoliating cleanser will do the job, just make sure you only use it once or twice a week because it will dry your skin out. Using an exfoliating scrub will also help get rid of those difficult little whiteheads, just be careful using the product around your eyes because that skin is much more sensitive and thin than the skin around your t-zone.


12. Get some oil removing wipes. I recently discovered these little babies and they are awesome! These packs come with about 50-70 wipes. You can run them all over your face and they won't remove the makeup, just the oil. That way your face isn't shiny and covered in oil all day.


Well guys, that's about all the tips I can think of right now. Comment below and add any tips you have as well. We're all in this battle together and there are so many simple ways to fight acne if we just try. Hope you guys find this post helpful.


-GG

Peace, Love, & Beauty

Hey Everyone!


This is a blog of all things beauty; all things happiness; and all things thrifty! I want to share my fabulous finds with you on here, even if I don't necessarily purchase them myself. I hope to give you many tips and tricks to feeling beautiful and staying happy, even if it's just the simple reminder that having life itself is beautiful.
If you have any questions related to the topics, feel free to ask them or send me an email.


Hope you all enjoy,
GG