March Beauty Favorites

I decided I am going to copy other beauty bloggers and share my favorite products on a monthly basis. I plan on featuring 5 or so products in these posts, so it doesn't become long-winded.

Let's talk about my favorites this month!

March Beauty Favorites

ELF Cream Eyeliner

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I gotta admit, I am not ELF obsessed like many of you are. I find it to be very hit or miss. I know the price tag is great, but I think some people get too caught up in the good price. I guess you get what you pay for. I've tried quite a few ELF products and I overall just think "Meh." I have even returned a few things. BUT! This cream eyeliner is great. I decided to try it after Tara was raving about it on her blog, and I am so glad I did! I am a huge fan of gel eyeliners, in fact, it's almost all I use. I find this eyeliner is almost comparable to the likes of MAC Fluidline and Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner - my two faves! The brush it comes with is useless and pretty terrible, but the product goes on amazingly with my eyeliner brush!

Benefit Watt's Up

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I actually bought this when I had a Sephora coupon, and I totally forgot to review this. I adore this highlighter. It is just as lovely as my beloved High Beam, although I find it a bit easier to use. The coloring is more "candle lit" or warm, while the High Beam is pink.

L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes (Waterproof)

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I picked this up on a whim. I did a lot of hanging out at Target during maternity leave and I believe this was on sale. It usually takes me a little while to really love a mascara (I like to use it a little while and let it dry out a bit), but this one I liked almost immediately.

Make Up For Ever Duo Mat Powder Foundation

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Another one of my purchases with a Sephora coupon. I hadn't used powder foundation in a really long time (I used to be a devoted Studio Fix user) but I wanted to try it again. It has really been my go-to foundation while on maternity leave, as it takes little effort to apply and looks pretty darn flawless! I think I will continue to repurchase as I run out.

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer

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This stuff is legit, y'all. Yes, you have to go to Walmart to get it (the only place they sell Hard Candy cosmetics), but if you can endure the.... lovely experience of Walmart, this is worth picking up. It was designed as a tattoo concealer, but dang does it cover up just about anything and everything! I haven't used this stuff under my eyes but it is great at covering up acne marks and discoloration. My only complaint is the color selection. The light one is too light for me and the next darker shade is a little too dark. I went with the lighter one as I feel I can use bronzer to warm up my face. You get a ton of product that is going to last forever, and it's only $6!

What have you been reaching for and loving this month?

Ask Me Anything

Just because I know you are ALL so very curious to know more about me, I've decided to do a Q&A post! And if I'm being completely honest here, I am at a loss for blog posts lately. Cop out? Perhaps. I'd like to think I was famous and that you are all sooooooooooooo intrigued my by exciting life.

Sorry to be redundant with this picture but it is just too funny not to post again.

Ask me weird questions, funny questions, makeup questions, mommy questions, Dexter questions! Nothing is too weird. It takes a lot to get me uncomfortable.

So. Yeah.

I plan on answering your questions in vlog and text form.

If you ask me something, I'll make sure to give you a shout out.
So you better get creative.

Baby O. in Photos (volume 5)

You know that Friday is the time to showcase my darling little girl! Let's see what little Kennedy has been up to lately...

How adorable is this little shirt?

Those. Lips.

Oh haaaaaai.

Playing on her activity mat

With her aunt Christine (my sister)

Baby Face Time with her pal Gracie!

Dexter has officially claimed this spot in her bassinet. I laid a blankie down for him... why not?

Tummy time

Perhaps the funniest picture of us to date.

Happy Friday!

You Know You're Back from Maternity Leave When...

Yep, I've almost survived my first complete week back at work. It's bittersweet. More bitter than sweet, but whatever. It's good to get back into a routine, to see my students and coworkers, and contribute financially. I would definitely rather be at home with Kennedy and I miss her like crazy, but it is what it is.

Nevertheless...

You know you're back from maternity leave when:

• You keep hearing over and over, "Aww, do you miss your baby?" Nope, not at all, people. That's why I had a baby - to never love or miss her. Grr.
• You have to schedule your pumping times like it's a science. Much harder than you think, especially with students in a classroom. Not like you can just take a 15-minute break when you want to.
• Students almost walking in on you mid-pump. Whew.
• Kids are complaining about how you left them.
• Hearing "wow, you're not pregnant anymore, Mrs. O!" 
• Your desk and classroom is a complete disaster and the OCD organized person in you just about has a heart attack.
• You get emails from your principal regarding some of the things your sub did. 
• You are still playing clean up with grades, papers, and your disaster of a classroom.
• You look at the clock every five seconds just to make sure an hour hasn't passed.
• 5:30 a.m. never seemed so early.
• Text messages with pictures of your baby makes your day.
• Getting to pick up this sweet, drooly girl and take her home is the highlight of your day.

Celebrating Spring

Today marks the first official day of spring! I gotta say, though, we've been seeing spring-like temperatures here for a while now. I'm already in spring mode. I'm going to celebrate the first day of spring by reminiscing on spring break and wishing I was off work with my sweet babe!

How I celebrate spring:

Flowers

My mother-in-law and I got a little crafty and sewed on some little flowers onto headbands!

Kennedy's other grandma (Mimi) got her some Stuart Weitzman's! This kid already has better shoes than me.

Fro Yo

'Nuff said.

Friends

I wish every day were spring break so we could be the ladies who lunch. I heart me some Megan, Michelle, Breanne, and Savanah!

Sperrys

My BFF, Katie, made me buy these and I don't regret this purchase one bit! Not only do we have matching purses, shirts, phones, and wallets, now we have matching BFF shoes. That's just how we roll.

Shades

I think she's ready for some sun.

Happy Spring!

How are you celebrating today?

3 Months

Today little Miss Kennedy is 3 months old! She is appropriately celebrating her 3 month birthday with a little green for St. Patty's Day. I guess her bear got the memo, too.

This Month:
- Kennedy is becoming more and more talkative. She smiles so much and tries to be a part of the conversation.
- This little one never wants to be put down. She always wants to be held and a part of what's going on. I am working on getting her to be able to play by herself or be in the swing alone, but everyone keeps telling me to soak this moment up and not worry about it (and it's impossible to spoil her at this age). I mean, yeah, it would be nice to take a shower or get a few things done around the house, but I do love holding my baby. I don't really mind it. I just bought her a little activity mat/gym to stimulate her motor skills so I hope it works out to where she can play on that when she is away from me during the day and her babysitter needs to tend to her own needs!
- She is reaching more for objects and discovering her hands more.
- She is also chewing on her hands and drooling quite a bit, which makes me think that teething isn't that far in the future for her.
- She has having less trouble taking a bottle with expressed milk and was so great during the day while I was at work!
- I have only been back at work for two days and then I had the entire spring break off. I am enjoying being with her again this week but it has gone by way too fast!
- She is still a great sleeper, although she started waking once in the middle of the night ever since I started back at work. Apparently change messes with babies' schedules but I hear she'll get used to it.
- Speaking of sleeping, she is not much of a napper. I have been trying so hard to get her on a napping schedule because by the end of the night I know she is just overtired and is super cranky as a result of it. Any napping tips? Please throw them my way! I am hoping she can take at least one long nap when I am at work and then another in the late afternoon.
- Kennedy went through this phase where I was the only one who can calm her down, and sometimes she is still the same way when she is overtired and hungry. Poor Greg thought his daughter hated him. Again, another phase.
- She is still gaining lots of weight! I can't wait to see what she weighs at her check up next month.
- Kennedy is still wearing 3 months clothes, but can fit into some 6 month clothes. Granted they are a bit big on her.
- I love this little girl so much and she is getting more and more of a personality each day. I hate leaving her but it makes the end of the day so much brighter!

Let's take a look at how Kennedy has grown!

What a little angel, I must say! Hope y'all are having a great weekend and Happy St. Patty's Day!

Stella & Dot Giveaway Winner & Special Discount for YOU!

Many will enter, one will win....

Congratulations to:

Krystal from Krystal's Kitsch!

Go ahead and email me and I'll pass you onto Chasity!

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!

Haute Mommy is offering 15% off all orders placed through her! All you need to do is visit her Stella & Dot site HERE, pick out the items you would like to order, and then email your order to Chasity at hautemommyblogger@gmail.com. She will then send you an invoice and get your goodies shipped to you! You will not be able to apply the discount by ordering through her website, so please be sure to email her! This offer is good for 24 HOURS ONLY, so you have until 2:45 p.m. tomorrow (March 16, 2012) to place your order.

Kennedy and I give that a HUGE THUMBS UP!

(even though it looks like she's more fascinated by the computer screen...)

Happy Shopping!

Understanding Color Correcting Cosmetics

I have a little makeup lesson for y'all today!

One of the most important makeup lessons I've ever learned was how to color correct. When I say that I mean how to take away red spots, conceal dark undereye circles, mask hyperpigmentation, etc. When you create a flawless face, everything else just looks better.

I've heard tons of women say that they can't find the right concealer for underneath their eyes because nothing seems to work. Or nothing covers up their redness. There could be some simple adjustments you can do to really give you some results!

In order to understand where I'm going with this, I'm going to take you back to art class and basic color theory. Let's take a look at the color wheel, shall we?

Every color has one directly across the wheel from it. That color is it's complementary color. For example, across the wheel from green is red. Not only do those colors look fantastic together (maybe that's why green and red are Christmas colors), but one can cancel out the other.

Now let's apply basic color theory and how it can help your complexion. I'm going to address some real problems you might want to fix and offer some solutions and product recommendations.

The Problem: Blue Under Eye Circles

The Solution: Peach Corrector

Product Recommendation: Bobbi Brown Corrector in one of the Peach tones (I use Light Peach)

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This is me to a "T." I have bluish under eye circles, and I was using the wrong product all along. I was using "brightening" products that were formulated with a pinkish undertone that really didn't address the color correction I needed. As soon as I started using something with a peach undertone, it completely fixed my problem! The theory behind using these Bobbi Brown correctors is that you use it underneath your concealer to correct the color first. I find that I don't really need to add a layer of concealer over it because it does that great of a job of masking my under eye circles. You can see another review I did of the Bobbi Brown corrector here. This is my HG (Holy Grail) under eye concealer. I will never stray from this!

The Problem: Brown Under Eye Circles

The Solution: Pink Corrector

Product Recommendation: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Treatment (in Brightener)

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Many people don't realize that the circles under their eyes actually have a brown-ish tint to them. Look at yourself in natural light and really analyze the color. If you see more of a brown color, you ought to go with a concealer/corrector/treatment with a pink undertone to it. I actually own this product and I feel it doesn't address my needs of color correction. However, I find that when I use it under my Bobbi Brown corrector, it does a great job of brightening up my eye area. I sometimes use this all around my eyes for a nice brightening effect. They also make a Bobbi Brown corrector in Bisque, if you are interested in using that.

The Problem: Redness

The Solution: A Green Primer/Concealer

Product Recommendation: Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer

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Perhaps those cheeks are a little too rosy for your liking, or you are dealing with a skin issue like rosacea. Using a green primer will definitely help neutralize those problems. You can also find a green concealer for spot treatment. I have used a green concealer on fading acne scars with much success.

The Problem: Yellow-ish, Sallow Skin

The Solution: A Purple Primer

Product Recommendation: Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer

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This product will probably work best for ethnic skintones with yellow undertones. If you find yourself looking a bit sallow, you might consider using a purple primer or corrector. This does not apply to me, as I have skin with a pinkish undertone to it. However, I have used purple shampoo to cancel out the brassiness/yellow in blonde hair and it works wonders! If you have had success with purple-based primers/correctors, let me know!

The Problem: Skin Dullness

The Solution: A Yellow Powder

Product Recommendation: Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder in Pale Yellow

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What I like about Bobbi Brown's setting powders is that they all have a yellow base to brighten the skin. That's one of Bobbi's things - she really believes in putting a yellow base in a lot of her face products. While that may not work for everyone, it sure does work for me! Dusting this over your face to set your makeup will give it some extra oomph in the process! This powder is finely-milled and has lasted me forever.

Problem: All of the Above

Solution: Make Up For Ever Camouflage Cream Palette

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This palette addresses just about every need you might have when you want to color correct. Maybe you just weren't blessed with the most cooperative skin tone and coloring. That's okay, because you can fake it! I have not used this palette, although I have used quite a bit of Make Up For Ever's products (including concealers) and I trust the quality and color payoff of their products.

So there you have it!

If you have any additional tips or product recommendations for color correction, please leave them in the comments! I would love to hear your input!

Considering Sponsorship - Are you interested?

Hello my O. SO LOVELY readers!

Miss Kennedy and I wanted to run something by you.

I am considering blog sponsorship. Either you could display your blog/etsy/business button/ad for a low monthly rate. Or if you're a blogging pal of mine, perhaps we could do a button swap! If I opened this up, would you be interested?

My blog gets 25,000+ pageviews a month and around 600 pageviews per day. This could provide you some great exposure to a big audience!

If you are interested, leave a comment or email me at meg@oismeblog.com


I look forward to hearing from you!

Baby O. in Photos (volume 4)

Well, my dear friends, I survived my first day back at work. My students and coworkers were happy to have me back. It felt pretty good to successfully complete a work day. However, I will say that it was rough leaving her yesterday morning. Katie and I had a little cry together.

Saying bye bye to daddy

Trying hard to keep it together

But apparently my little girl was good yesterday (despite a poop explosion...ha)! I think I was more worried about how she would behave away from me than anything else. I hoped at the end of the day my best friend would still want to be my best friend. Thank goodness she was a great baby! She even had fun playing with the Toddler.

Let's hope she keeps this up! In the meantime, let's take a look at some of my last couple of days of maternity leave.

Gotta love those spiky hairs in the back - she looks like a mad scientist

She loves to play airplane

Helping us do some yard work

I dare you to keep a straight face. My mom went to Eastern Europe and picked her up some "cultural" clothing. Greg woke me up and he was holding her and my poor daughter was wearing this. I happen to think the gloves are perhaps the creepiest thing I've ever seen.

Me and my girl

Catnapping in the swing

Having our last little "morning talk"

Playing on her bear

Story time!

Happy Friday, friends!

I've got a whole week off for Spring Break (I told you, baby steps) and it's back into transitioning to the work routine.

ALSO! Don't forget to enter my Stella & Dot Giveaway!

Go away, congestion!

Go enter the giveaway stat, people!

$50 Stella & Dot Giveaway!

Never you mind I'm going back to work tomorrow-- we're going to focus on something happy... like free jewelry!

The lovely Chasity from Haute Mommy (who is also a fellow Houston blogger) offered to sponsor an awesome giveaway for you guys!

She's giving away a $50 Stella & Dot Gift Card! 

How amazing is that?

I am in love with Stella & Dot. This jewelry is beautiful. They have such a wide range of pieces, from classic, to vintage-inspired, to preppy, to trend-setting! They even have jewelry for little girls (you bet Kennedy will be sporting some baubles once she's big enough)! Not only do they make fine jewelry, but they carry great handbags and tech cases!

Let's take a look at a few of my favorite pieces. I love classic, simple, and feminine jewelry.

Interlock Cross Necklace

purchase here

Signature Clover Necklace

purchase here

Moondance Stretch Bracelet

Purchase here

Serenity Stone Drops

Purchase here

Aren't they all just lovely?

Wouldn't you like some of your own?

Enter to win using the Rafflecopter Widget Below!