Makeup Monday: Surprises and wedding countdown

So, I did it.

I completed another semester of graduate school and *humble brag* I did it with straight A's. Not quite sure how I did it, but I'm not going to argue with my professors either. I've already been done with school for almost two weeks and I can't believe how fast time has flown by. There's only a little over 10 weeks left until my wedding and to say I'm freaking out would be an understatement! I've been looking at wedding stuff today, making lists, and got back on the clean eating train after a weekend full of indulgences. I paid for them by feeling gross and bloated; after a day of clean, paleo eats, I am feeling like myself again. I wasn't really very hungry today, so I just had some coffee, bacon, an egg, and chicken and veggies. Nothing exciting, but I have to strut my stuff in a wedding dress in 10 weeks. Boring = effective.

Chase and I picked up some more of our shower gifts this weekend and it is killing me that we agreed not to use anything until after we're married and all moved in. So for now, all of our gifts are stacked up in my apartment and tempting me daily. One of the gifts we picked up is our Kitchen Aid mixer and I absolutely love the color. It took us forever to decide on it, but the matte black is perfect.

I think I'm going to gain 20 pounds after we get married, because we received a lot of neat things for the kitchen and I'm going to be cooking, baking, and eating up a storm. Good thing there's a gym at our apartment I guess!


I received my first assignment today for a new writing job I have and am excited to get started, even if the type of writing is not my forte. But, I get to do it while sitting at home in my pajamas drinking coffee, so I can't complain too much I guess.

I've decided I'm going to devote an entire day of the week to one of my favorite topics: MAKEUP. I talked to my mom on the phone for an hour and a half last night, and over the duration of the call, I instructed her on nutrition, healthy snacks, and which foundation she should buy. She also tells me that I should have been a nutritionist and a makeup artist, but I chose the path of a writer. Sigh. I guess I will have to settle for writing about nutrition and makeup.

Anyways, today will be the inaugural posting of Makeup Monday. Basically, I will discuss a few of my current faves. Feel free to leave your own in the comment section!

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 I. love. this. foundation. I usually wear L'Oreal True Match, but I wanted to try something new. I went to Makeup Alley, one of my fave sites, and read some reviews about foundations. This little gem of a foundation scored very high, but I was still skeptical, as I am a makeup snob and this is Covergirl. I did a little more digging and makeup gurus were raving about it, so I decided to try it. I usually wear the first or second lightest shades, but since the ones for this foundation were very pink and I have golden undertones, I went with the third. Covergirl boasts that this foundation is "All-in-one foundation with a long-lasting formula that fuses primer, concealer, and foundation in one easy step! The 3-in-1 formula provides a flawless look that lasts all day long." I would have to agree! I've been using this foundation for about a month and I love how easily it slides on my skin, how it covers without looking cakey, and how it really does last all day. I tend to have very dry skin, so I do use a bit of BB cream underneath and I don't use any powder on top. I'm interested to see how this foundation holds up in Oklahoma's notorious smoldering, humid summer heat. 

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This moisturizer was a bit of a splurge that was purchased shortly after Christmas (Christmas money is the best). When I was a teen, I had that annoying skin that was broke out, yet still dry. It was a vicious cycle of using drying products to clear up breakouts, then over-moisturizing to clear up dryness. Thankfully, I've learned the virtues of drinking water and a healthy diet (when I slack on water consumption or consume too much gluten or sugar, my skin shows it!), along with getting older and I only have to deal with the occasional breakout. My skin has, however, become drier, which means that all of those fun fine lines that show I'm a living, breathing human being, i.e. laugh lines and expression lines, show up more. Maybe it's all in my head, but I swear that this moisturizer has helped make the lines less noticeable. It's not as creamy as my usual nighttime moisturizer (L'Oreal Youth Code), but leaves my skin looking smooth and fresh when I wake up. I haven't tried the original Hope in a Jar, but I highly recommend this one!

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OK, so I just realized I said I would be writing about makeup and technically, my last item wasn't makeup. Neither is this one. Forgive me. Just let me say, I despise facial cleansers. I'm not sure why. I guess I feel as though they really dry skin out, or they burn my eyes. Even though I usually use coconut oil to remove my eye makeup, sometimes I'm just tired and want my cleanser to do the job. The term "cold cream" usually evokes images of old women in rollers and housecoats with a face covered in white gunk. I was hesitant to try this product due to those horrific images, but Internet reviews convinced me to give this cult fave a try. I'm so happy I did! Like I've mentioned, my skin is dry, so this may not be best for you oily-skinned gals, but I love it. My eye makeup slides right off and the cleanser leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturized. It does leave a slight film on your skin, but the instructions say that you don't have to use water when washing the cold cream off, so I just liken it to extra moisturizing power! Pond's also makes a Cucumber Cleanser that is in a container like this one and it claims to be light and non-greasy. I have yet to try that one though. 

I could talk about makeup all day! I'm afraid I'm going to be an old lady wearing bright blue eyeshadow and shockingly pink lipstick. 

What are some of your makeup favorites?