Drugstore Makeup All-Stars

I'm a drugstore makeup lover. Having four kids and a modest makeup budget means I have to find the best for less. I think drugstore level cosmetics have come a long way in the last 20 years. I remember when they were much lower pigmented than the luxury brands. Now, you really get far more for your money. I browse a lot at superstores but I buy most of my makeup from Amazon. Prime allows me to get it quickly and the prices are just as good as brick and mortar stores if not better. I also really like reading reviews and knowing that these products are rated highly. I supplement this with goodies from my Ipsy box subscription. Here are some of my current drugstore favorites:

My current foundation is Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse. It doesn't have sun protection but I use a moisturizer that has SPF30 so I don't feel I need it. It goes on super smooth. I use a beauty blender type sponge from H&M and it blends great.

This blush is so cheap, lasts forever and is amazing! It has a luminous finish and leaves a soft glow.

I have this Burt's Bees lip gloss in Fall Foliage because I love soft neutral lip colors. This moisturizes and lasts long. Great over a lipstick or by itself.

This is a great eyeshadow palette I bought from Amazon. It is a copycat of that popular but pricey palette from Urban Decay. Great assortment of colors.

I saw this mascara in a review in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and couldn't resist based on their reviews. They were right! This mascara really lengthens and thickens! I love the curved brush and that I only need one quick coat.

I'm usually not a liquid eyeliner fan but this one won me over. The title says it all. It is so precise! It's like the finest point marker you can imagine and then it blends very well.

This concealer gets great reviews and it is easy to see why. It works great to illuminate under the eyes and works well to cover the redness I have around my nose. I don't know why but I love getting a new one and cranking it until I can see the liquid rise to the surface of the applicator. It's the simple things people!

This powder has a beautiful finish. It is great if you just want a sheer foundation alone or also nice over a liquid foundation. I let my tween wear it and it has a great finish.

What drugstore finds are you loving right now?

Perfect Marriage Artwork with Freebie!

I went to a painting party the other day and decided to make something I could use in combination with my Silhouette machine. My master bedroom is in yellows and grays so I made this simple bird painting and left room for a quote I love about marriage.

I will be honest and confess that forgot how hard it is to get vinyl (Oracal 651) to adhere to canvas. You have to go slowly, burnish hard and I think using a blow dryer helped a little. I am adding the free file of this quote here: perfect marriage (studio3 file)

This would be a beautiful wedding gift on a mirror, shadow box, or anything for the newlyweds!

I love this quote because it states so much truth. We are imperfect and the best marriages are between people who know that about themselves and walk in humility. I'm currently reading this book by Dave Harvey and it is a great picture of how we need God's grace but also need to give that grace to our spouse. We are going to make mistakes. We are going to have rough days. As Christ followers though, we can remember that we are far from perfect and ask for forgiveness. Each day is a new opportunity to love and live better.

“A great awareness of one’s sinfulness often stands side by side with great joy and confidence in God.” 
― Dave Harvey, When Sinners Say "I Do": Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage

French manicure freebie

When I saw white nail polish at our little store, I decided I had to try a homemade french manicure. I didn't see a kit with the little stickers strips and I knew it would be horrible if I tried to freehand so I designed some strips for my Silhouette machine to cut. I used a scrap piece of Oracal 651 vinyl and cut. I applied the strips, painted the white, dried, removed the strips and did a coat of sheer pink. I then sealed with Sally Hansen Hard As Wraps. I find it is a great top coat that lasts for quite a while.

Here's a free file for 10 strips you can cut with your Silhouette machine to try your own french manicure!

French Manicure Studio3 file

Rebooting my blog and my body

I've neglected this blog badly after focusing on our adoption blog for the last 2 years. I'm still going to keep writing about our journey over there but this blog will be more for crafts, recipes, tips and other ramblings unrelated to adoption.

In writing my first new post over here in 3 years I thought I would focus on what's new with me. I'm on a 6 month journey on the other side of the world and while I miss my family terribly, I decided to make the best of where I am. I've been here for over 4 months and in that time I've lost 20lbs with about 7lbs to go before I come home.

I did it by the same method we were able to pay off our debt after attending Financial Peace University. I have a food budget on MyFitnessPal and I pay attention to what I'm eating. Winning with money is about spending less than you make and having a plan and losing weight is the same. I burn more than I eat and plan out my food. MyFitnessPal is free and the majority of my workouts don't even require a gym membership. I have mostly just been running or walking outside.

I set MyFitnessPal to lose 1lb/week and I've lost that or better every single week I've been here. I am a huge fan of "prelogging" my food the day before. That just means that I put in what I plan the eat the next day. I pick mostly healthy options that I know will make me feel full but make sure there is room for chocolate.

I've also been running more than ever. I have run a 5k each week since Easter and because of the encouragement of my coworkers, I ran my first 10k last week. I'm hoping to run another one in October in Texas.

Now the big question...how will I keep it off when I come home? I will apply the same methods of how we have stayed out of debt and recently purchased a 2015 van with cash: I will keep paying attention. It may mean that using MyFitnessPal is a daily little task. Some people would balk at the idea of using an app to track their food forever but it seems like a small chore in comparison to feeling great and being healthier.

More pics to come but here is my post-10k glow...okay the reflective belt is really glowing but safety first night runners: