One of the most important things in my life is my relationships. Of course that means my relationship with my husband as well as my kid, but another set of extremely important relationships are those with my girls.
As a wife and mom, I feel as though society expects a lot out of me and, in turn, I expect a lot out of myself. In addition to my very full time job, I am expected to take care of my family’s health, do chores like cooking and cleaning, run errands, take my son to his various activities, and generally keep a positive attitude. While I have no problem doing these things most of the time, there are times where I just want to say enough’s enough and go out with my girls.
I try to schedule one extracurricular activity weekly whether that’s going to a concert or a broadway show, attending a movie, taking a painting class, or just meeting for dinner. I have a few groups of people I spend time with and try to rotate through them so I get to see all my favorite people as much as possible.
Last night, I did something a little out of the ordinary, but extremely amazing. I went on a girl’s trip to Louisville to see P!nk!
First we met at a salon to get manis and pedis. The best part about the salon we went to is they had a bar! I got to try a new drink: vodka and orange juice with a splash of cranberry. It was delicious!
Then, after a quick bite at Panera, the six of us piled in a van and headed south a few hours. The whole commute was filled with laughter, jokes, and a ton of humorous conversation.
We got to Louisville with enough time to primp, but when they told us the room wasn’t ready, we had to set up camp in the lobby! Of course about 10 minutes after we had everything unpacked so we could do our hair and makeup, we received the call that our rooms were cleaned and ready to be used.
The caravan loaded up the 6 million bags and headed to the twelfth floor. If you think 6 women would overpack for less than 24 hours away from home, you would be right!
Once dolled up, we headed to Doc Crows, a restaurant recommended by my bestie. There, we met Billy and Carolyn for dinner and drinks before all of us went to the concert.
My tip to you: if you ever have a chance to see a P!nk concert, DO IT! I saw her twice this tour and she didn’t disappoint either time! We were a little concerned she was going to have to postpone her concert due to the flu, but she rallied like a trooper and KICKED ASS at her Louisville show! I thought maybe she would tone down the acrobatics, but she didn’t at all!
We weren’t ready to wind down right away after the show, so we walked over to Fourth Street Live! to check out Howl at the Moon. Guys, this place was SO FUN! I had seen several of these in various places I’ve visited, but I’d never been to one. I was amazed at how talented the band was on the stage. Each musician played every instrument as well as sang their asses off. I loved it so much! We danced and sang our hearts out until we could barely stand up anymore.
We called it a night around midnight and headed back to the hotel where we goofed around for a bit, snacked, and laughed even more before bidding each other good night.
The next morning, being moms, we were all up early and got on the road by 9a. I haven’t laughed this much or this hard with a group of ladies in a long time and I’m counting the days until we can do it again!
#badmoms #protour #part-a
One of my new, must have onhand at all times, favorite things is Sephora’s Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover ($14). This is what a makeup guru would call a “holy grail” makeup remover. I wear a decent amount of eye makeup (shadow, liner, mascara) and I don’t like to stand at my sink for ten minutes each night taking off my makeup. I used to use Bliss Lid+Lash Wash Makeup Remover and I thought it worked great. Then, last month when I went on vacation, I took my travel sized Bliss remover instead of my Sephora remover and I was cursing myself every day! Note to self: pick up a travel sized bottle of the Sephora remover before my next vacation.
I’m sure there are hundreds of different bronzers that work just fine on most skin types, but I’m partial to this one. NARS Bronzer in Casino ($39) has been my go to bronzer for several years. It’s on the pricey side, but it’s worth it. It’s got just a hint of shimmer and it’s the perfect shade if you’re slightly darker like me. There is a different shade called Laguna that flatters more people’s skin tones. Whichever you choose, it’s awesome!
Speaking of NARS, I have a weakness for their shadows, even though the price tag gives me heart palpitations whenever I think about it. That being said, NARS Eyeshadow in Kalahari ($35) has been my favorite “quick and easy eye shadow day” look for years. I love it because all I have to do is prime my eyes, add the light shadow all over my lid, add the darker shadow in the crease, then line my eyes and throw on some mascara. Quick, easy, and gorgeous!
And since we’re on the subject of primers, Urban Decay’s Primer Potion ($20) has been in my makeup drawer for at least ten years. Ever since I started going to Sephora, I have been picking up this little beauty. A primer evens out the skin tone on your eyelid, covers any bluish veins that might be visible, and provides an even surface for the shadow to glide onto. Their original shade (pictured above) has been what I reach for most, though I have also used Eden, which is a gorgeous warm bronze color. It’s beautiful if you want to achieve that goddess type look, but isn’t my favorite for an everyday primer. Sunday, I didn’t see the original so I purchased Minor Sin, which is sort of a mix between the Original and Eden. I’m not sure if I’ll love it as much as the Original, but we’ll see.
My new favorite liner is Stila’s Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner ($22). Now, I am NOT one to purchase liquid liners or mascara from Sephora or Ulta. They dry out too quickly and I don’t feel like I get my money’s worth. This is especially true with mascara. I love my mascara and end up going through a tube every 3-4 months, which is good because you’re supposed to throw them away after 3 months anyway. However, I received a “best of” kit for Christmas last year and this eyeliner was included. I’m kind of picky with my liquid liner, but this baby definitely knocked it out of the park. I love it! It glides on smoothly, is dark black (instead of grayish black like some liners), and stays all day like the name says. (A close, cheaper version is Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto.)
While we’re on the subject of eye makeup, these Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencils ($20) are pretty awesome too. I like to pick vibrant colors like Vice (pictured above) to add a little pop of color to my eyelid. I draw on a kind of thick line over my shadow and follow up with a thin, black line on top of it. It gives my eyes a little hint of something special on days I’m feeling a little feisty. I also have Woodstock (a hot pink color) and Deep End (turquoise). These liners glide on super easy and, like the Stila liner, stays all day long.
It’s not makeup, but something I purchased a couple times now is Tory Burch’s self titled fragrance ($68 for 1 oz). It is my favorite scent currently. It smells like Neroli, Grapefruit, Cassis, Bergamot, Peony, Tuberose, Jasmine Sambac, Vetiver, and Sandalwood (per the Sephora website). To me, it’s very woodsy and citrusy, not too sweet, and perfect for everyday wear.
Another fragrance I’m in love with is actually a recent discovery. I feel confident it will be purchased again and again though. Clean Fragrance in Skin ($38 for 1 oz) is…well…clean smelling. It’s notes are Honeydew, Lotus Blossom and Fresh Air Accord, Dewy Petals, Aquatic Notes, Blue Rose, Musks, Amber Wood, Vanilla. It’s kind of like walking along the beach on a warm, breezy day.
A list of my favorite Sephora items wouldn’t be complete without Urban Decay’s Naked Palettes ($54). There are four of them and, honestly, I can’t really pick a favorite. Depending on the time of year, I rotate through all of them. The most recent palette, Naked Smoky, is the one I’ve been reaching for first lately. I need to research more ways to play with the colors so I branch out from my typical application, but overall I love this palette!
Last but not least is the Beautyblender makeup sponge ($20). This little sponge is a miracle beauty product! It gives your foundation the look of an airbrushed application. It smooths everything out, fills in your pores, and removes any excess product from your skin. To use, you simply wet it and squeeze out the excess water, then blot on your skin. Sometimes I rub my foundation into my skin first and then use the sponge to blend it out. Sometimes I apply dots of foundation over my skin and use the sponge to achieve a thin layer.
One Girl's Taste On Life 