My Minimalist Makeup Essentials

I classify myself as a pretty low-maintenance girl. No mani-pedis,, blow-drys or high-end department store makeup for me.  I wash my hair, let it air dry and head out the door, BUT I do try to take care of my skin, cleansing it every night and wearing sunscreen moisturizer every day. I also have some makeup essentials that I use pretty much all the time. They are easy enough to apply that I can put on my "everyday face" in less than five minutes. Here they are:

1. BB cream- I jumped onboard the bandwagon for these right away. Light coverage, moisture AND SPF in one fell swoop? Yes, please. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Medium/Deep is my current favorite because of its semi-matte finish and high SPF (30!), and, at around $8, is one of the most affordable current drugstore brands. I've also tried Garnier's brand , and I like it better for summer because the Medium one is a deeper color and gives a dewier look.



2. Tinted lip balm/gloss- I found my Holy Grail of tinted lip balm, and I can never let them go- Covergirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm. Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, moisturizes my once chronically chapped and peeling lips better than these. And I love that they have SPF 15 built in. My favorite colors are the sheer gold-tinged wine of Pinot for warmer months and the rich brownish tint of Clove for fall and winter.


3. Pixi Beauty Endless Silky Eye Pen- This is another of my can't live without products. I love, love, love the way these liners smoothly apply with nary a tug on my delicate eye area. And their richly pigmented colors show up on me like nothing else. My favorite colors in constant rotation are Straight On Til Morning, a rich khaki green with just the perfect, flattering amount of sparkle, and Deep Plum, which reads on me like a deep brown with just a hint of purple.


4. Blush/bronzer- Last, but not least, I do always try to apply some blush and/or bronzer to wake up my sallow, sometimes sleepy complexion. It really is the perfect finishing touch, and gives you just the right amount of oomph. I'm actually currently using a cheapie find from Target that just does the job. It is the e.l.f. Blush and Bronzing Powder in Turks and Caicos which comes with a warm. peachy coral color with just a smattering of sparkle, and a warmer, deeper toned bronzer. I have included a link from amazon below just to get the picture in but I found mine at Target for just $3.

I'm curious to know what are your everyday makeup essentials?

I Didn't Know You Could Do That!

Happy Monday! Did your kids drive you crazy trying to get out the door this morning? No, really? Yeah, mine neither...not.

For today's post I'm sharing some helpful household hints that I've gathered from various sources, hope you can benefit from them:

1. How to get those lingering garlic and onion cooking smells off your hands:
Your leftover-from-the-holidays Bath & Body Works Candy Cane Bliss hand soap isn't even going to the trick but what will is if you rub your soap-laden hands along the length of your stainless-steel faucet tap before you rinse. Now, I once fell for a marketing ploy and bought a soap-shaped piece of steel just for this purpose, but when I lost it in one of my family's various moves (we are a mobile Army family) my mom suggested this idea and, what do you know? It's free, and it works.

2. You can replace your baggie clips with cheap, old rubber bands:
I loved baggie clips but when one breaks, on its own or purposely taken apart by your curious four-year-old, you have to buy new ones. I tried to buy the cheap ones you can find in the dollar store, but those break in an instant. I know that extra clothespins can easily double for this purpose, but I haven't had the luxury of hanging my clothes out to dry...ever, so I don't have any of those lying around. What I do seem to find around the house all the time are rubber bands. You can stretch those babies around most chip/cookie/cracker/salad (you know I had to throw something healthy in that mix for good measure) bags, and you're good to go. Plus, you don't feel bad if they break because you can get them super cheap (I saw a box of 425 for $1.98) or for free, like from a bunch of yummy asparagus (well, I think it's yummy but I'm still trying to convince the kids.)

3. Heat up leftover pizza in a skillet/frying pan:
If it were just me eating, I would scarf up that pizza straight out of the fridge. I love cold pizza, BUT the rest of the family does not. So, take those slices of pizza and heat them up in your frying pan on medium heat. The crust will get a little crisped up again, and the cheese will get melty. Mmmm...pizza.

4. Empty food containers are great organizing tools:
Maybe you've already seen a crafty example of using a purposefully cut cereal box into a magazine file but did you know you can also use it to rally your boxes of sandwich and freezer bags, plastic wrap and foil together? I did this at home, and you can, too. Find out how to make by clicking right here.

Also, if you need a canister for holding onto your cooking utensils, may I suggest using an empty oatmeal box? You can get super crafty and decorate it with Mod Podge and pretty paper, if you like.

5. Simple Shower/Tub Cleaner Idea:
Does anyone else hate scrubbing out the bathtub? I know I do. But this method I saw at Joyful Homemaking sounds pretty easy and doable. All you need is vinegar, (Dawn) dish soap and a soap-dispensing dish-washing wand, and you can do it while you're already in the shower. I'm trying this out ASAP.

Friday, Yummy Friday- Spiced City Cake (Dairy Free!)

Sometimes you look at the ingredients for a recipe, and you can't believe that it will turn out right. That's how I felt when I saw the elegant Indian chef known as the Spice Goddess prepare this lovely spiced chocolate cake on Cooking Channel. The emperor has no milk, eggs or butter, folks! I could not believe how moist and tasty this confection is. I happen to have a niece and nephew with dairy allergies who I am eager to make this for, but as for my dairy loving little ones- they loved it!

Recipe Notes:
*You can make a dairy-free glaze or frosting for this with powdered sugar and some sort of liquid like lemon, orange or other citrus juice or even water and some flavoring like vanilla extract but I used a cream cheese and powdered sugar glaze for our cake
*Feel free to kick up the spices if you like, or reduce them, but I thought the given amounts were perfectly balanced
*Recipe calls for cardamom but I used cinnamon with great results
*I just used an 8 or 9-inch round pan instead of the less common 6x3-inch round pan

Spiced City Cake from the Spice Goddess

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (*see Notes above)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 6-inch by 3-inch round cake pan (* see Notes).

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, fennel, and cardamom and whisk to combine.

In another bowl, whisk together the water, vegetable oil, and vinegar and then add to the dry ingredients. Mix well and pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 hour. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Cool on a rack and serve.

 

*If you'd like to check out the Spice Goddess whipping up more delicious Indian treats on Cooking Channel, please click here.