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Día de los Muertos Makeup (with Kiss Ever PRO Lash Starter Kit)

Hello World,

I haven't blogged for too long!  It just feels as though I have no free time lately. I did have time to go out this last weekend in my Halloween costume though. I was a sugar skull, from Day of the Dead.

I was originally going to be a lion, but I never got around to sewing a costume together. My favorite part of Halloween is makeup, so I thought I would make a costume that mostly focuses on my face. I was on Pinterest and came across multiple sugar skull pictures, so I decided to try it out.


I didn't have white face paint, so I tried to cover my face with cheap white eyeshadow and foundation that was too light, but it didn't really cover my original skin color. I used liquid eyeliner for most of my face, and random eyeshadows I had in my stash.  I also had a really old tube of roll on glitter that I layered over my blue eyeshadow. 


I also used liquid eyeliner on my lips and it didn't come off when I drank through a straw or munched on a bagel. 



I received some free Kiss lashes complimentary of Influenster in my latest Beauty Blogger VoxBox to test. I really liked how dramatic and large they were, and they stayed on all night! 

The included glue didn't hurt my lids when I removed the lashes, and it didn't leave a weird residue either. The Starter Kit came with an applicator, but it didn't help me with applying the lashes because I am used to applying false lashes with my plain fingers. The tool would help beginners though.

You can find more lashes here: Link. They are only like $4.99 at Walgreens!  



Braided Cinnamon Roll

I was only trying dinner items from Pinterest, and I finally tried a dessert recipe.  I made this Braided Cinnamon Wreath I found and it was pretty decent. I would recommend baking it less than it says because mine turned out a little too firm.



I heated up some leftover frosting in the fridge and then poured it on top of mine to really make it taste like a cinnamon roll.


Influenster Naturals VoxBox

Hello World,

I know I usually only post DIY tutorials, but I joined a great program and I just had to blog about it!  I came across Influenster while browsing through Bath & Body Work Facebook page a few months ago. People were commenting and uploading pictures of full-size fine fragrance mists they received for free.  Being a lover of free things, I decided to investigate.


Basically, Influenster wants social-media driven trendsetters.  You have to earn badges to show how active you are in different online communities, and if you qualify, they send you a VoxBox full of free goodies to try, review, and share. The more influential you are, the more likely you are to receive free goodies in the future.


I received my first VoxBox a few weeks ago full of natural products.




I received a bunch of goodies to test and review, including:


Some items I love and will continue to use, while others were just okay. Check out the pictures and reviews below:



This is one of the items I received I really like and use a lot now. I usually shove everything in the dishwasher, but after my new dishwasher busted/melted some items, I've started handwashing some more of my dishes. This drying mat doesn't let water seep across the counter like ordinary towels do. It also isn't distracting in appearance and blends in well with my countertop. This company also makes microfiber towels, cleaning gloves, and other kitchen products available at Bed, Bath and Beyond. 



Influenster sent me two packets of this all natural sweetener plus a coupon to buy some more. Nectresse is from the makers of Splenda, except I think it tastes better than normal Splenda. I feel it tastes more like regular sugar, but unlike sugar, it has zero calories. 

I tried it straight by dipping my finger in the packet, and I also tried it in a cup of coffee. I like my coffee really sweet and it tasted pretty good to me. The packets all come with unique facts on them which are a cute touch. Not sure how it would do in baking since many recipes call for granulated sugar due to its chemical makeup- but I'm sure it is worth a try.





This was my favorite product in the VoxBox.  I keep it in my purse now and use it daily. I have been using it as the first step of my makeup routine. I apply it to my lips first, so foundation doesn't stick to my lips, and by the time I get to the last step of my routine (lip stain) my lips have absorbed it and the lip stain color is more consistent. 


The menthe smell isn't overpowering, and the lipbalm isn't the slightest amount sticky. I haven't had to reapply it often- I can feel it on my lips even after eating. (Must be those magical Swedish bees lol) This tube is going to last quite a while- I feel it is at least 1.5-2 times bigger than a standard tube of chapstick and the packaging is very gender neutral. 


Isn't the little bee slider just adorable? You can find this lipbalm at your local drugstore for less than $3. 





I received this product, but I think my hair was TOO damaged for it to help me.  I use curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers. It has been red, brown, pink, highlighted, and now all over blonde. It needs a lot of help.


I tried this product on both wet and dry hair. I tried it with a blow dryer and with air drying. It helped momentarily with frizz, but didn't last very long. This product smells amazing though. It make your hair smell like a delicious pina colada. It actually helped to mask my burnt-hair smell and I could smell it in my hair the morning after I used it.


I'd say it is perfect for those with virgin or slightly processed hair. My hair is just so shot that only intense conditoners can help with breakage. I did use it on my boyfriend's curly, long hair and it did help his to reduce his frizz.





This was one of the products I received that I wish I could love. I have been looking for a natural deodorant because certain chemicals in standard deodorant are prone to cause cancer, but it did not last 24 hours as it claims it should.

The smell as soon as you uncap it is very delightful and fruity and I wish that smell lasted all day. I work in retail, and I started to smell myself after 3 hours of just stocking shelves and running a cash register with this deodorant. This deodorant didn't stain or streak the inside of my shirt and didn't leave a sticky residue. 

If you are not super active or naturally have little-to-no body odor- this deodorant might work for you though. 




EBOOST is a natural energy supplmuent that also is meant to boost your immune system.  It has 1667% daily value of Vitamin C plus a ton of other vitamins and minerals.  I have tried competitor products, and I'd say the taste level is equal to EBOOST. 

I personally am not a fan of energy supplements- they taste too much like vitamins. This product had a great foam that formed without any stirring and tastes best with ice cold water. I think this product woud be better mixed in a smoothie than just by itself. I did feel an energy boost and did not feel a crash when I used it.




I liked this product as well. I used my CleanWell wipe after working a long retail shift. My hands were feeling grimy, and afterwards they smelled clean and felt not the slightest amount sticky. These smell way better than those cheap 'lemon' wipes we've all seen at restaurants and the wipe material was very soft. 

There was a little moisture left in the wipe after cleaning my hands, so I used the wipe to clean my iPhone screen. It removed all the fingerprint/greasy hand buildup without damaging the device. I only used this product on my hands and did not try it on my face because I didn't want to remove my makeup with it. It didn't dry out my hands and it didn't have the sting like regular hand sanitizer when it got in a papercut I had on my hand. 


Overall I was pretty happy with the VoxBox I received and encourage anyone to request an invitation to Influenster. It's a completely free program and is a great way to be the first to try new products. Also, if anyone is really interested in becoming a member, contact me via the tab at the top of my blog- I have 5 invitations to send out and would love to see your blogs as well!

NOTE: All opinions are my own and I received all products complimentary of Influenster.






Halloween- Last Year

Last year, one of my friends had the idea that we should go out on both Friday and Saturday of Halloween weekend- so we could wear two different costumes.  We decided on scary/sexy for the first night and cute/fun costumes the second night.

I DIY'd both of my costumes. I was a vampire the first night and a firefly the second night.


For my vampire costume, I made my cape with 2 yards of cheap velour from Joann's and some leftover black, glittery, stretchy fabric.  I was having a really hard time finding a cape that wasn't over $30 so I made mine for less than $10 (I used a coupon).  

For the body of my cape, I cut 2 huge circles - selvedge to selvedge of 60" fabric - each with one yard of the velour.  I cut a smaller circle in the middle of each circle for a neckline.  I measured the circumference of a tshirt I wear as a guide. With these two huge circles, I cut up the radius of each circle and sewed up one edge of each piece together. (This created one HUGE body piece that had a lot of volume. Using one circle would also work to create a cape.)

To make the huge collar I actually cut out the shape from some corrugated cardboard with the corrugation in the vertical direction. This way my collar would curve around my head, not over it.  I then cut out two pieces of fabric the same shape of my cardboard cutout with an additional inch of seam allowance added to each side.  I sewed the top and side seams together creating a pocket shape and then sewed this to the body of my cape.

To sew the collar to the cape was quite the task, since I had cardboard in the collar.  I did not sew through the cardboard at all. I sewed the final seam very close to it, trapping it inside the collar cover and attaching it to the center back of my cape's inner circle.

I sewed the black glitter fabric around every free edge in a bias-tape manner. I also attached two long strips of fabric in the front of my cape so I could tie it closed, but my collar was so heavy it fell backward with a simple bow.  By criss-crossing the ties under my bust and knotting in the back, there was enough tension to hold the collar cape up.

I wore a corset that was on clearance at Hot Topic in March, black lace tights, and a glitter tube top actually as a skirt. The necklace I have had since I was 18, and I can't remember where I bought it.

I bought my wig from Joann's on clearance and it originally was wavy.  I draped it over a bucket and poured boiling water over it in my shower to straighten it. I let it air dry and then gave it a little trim.

The cape was my favorite part and it kept me warm even in the chilly Idaho Halloweens.


For my second costume, I really wanted a costume that lit up.  I instantly thought of a firefly. Making the abdomen for my firefly costume was a... learning process. 

I basically made an open ended pillow that tapered to a small circle end.  I cut out long strips of fabrics and trimmed the sides so they were each a trapezoid. I sewed these trapezoids together and end up with one elongated trapezoid with a ton of seams.  I sewed the final angled sides together and sewed a small circle of fabric to the tip end to create a 3D shape.

I then created shorts and sewed the huge abdomen to the butt of the shorts.  I then cut the 'crack' of my shorts open and shoved polyester batting into the firefly abdomen making it full in shape. Because I cut the 'crack' seam of my shorts open, I was able to push lights into the firefly bottom.

I used two tap lights from the Dollar Store, but I think glow sticks would have been better and more reliable.  In the picture above, one of my lights had died, leaving my butt half-illuminated. The lights did not get too hot and thankfully my butt did not light on fire.

I created my wings with two metal hangers, electric tape and a ripped pair of fishnets.  I used the waist bands from the fishnets as the straps for my wings. I created my feelers with a Dollar Store hard headband, pipe cleaners, electric tape, cardstock, glitter and Mod Podge.

I love makeup, so I drew organic swirls on one side of face in yellow, green, white and black eyeliners. People were confused by my costume and kept asking me if I was a bee or a wasp all night, but I would just hit my butt light on and they would understand. I couldn't sit on anything but stools all night, but it was still fun!

This year I am going to be a lion. I want a huge MANE.  What are you going to be?