New posts are coming!

I've been so busy lately, I've not had much time to post. 

So here is a shot of my daughter and I showing off some fall outfit ideas. As you can tell, we have a lot of leopard print things!

Hopefully your fan of animal prints too, if not well this might not be the blog for you. ;)

Monday nails

Dark purple OPI and another Sephora jewel topcoat are getting me into the fall and Halloween mindset!

Glitter nail polish freaks rejoice!

For Mariah Carey, queen of glitter has given us a line of holiday nail polishes. They are practically begging for you to party while belting out the greatest Christmas song of all time.
Thank you Mimi, Thank you.

Right now I'm planning on picking up it's Frosty Outside and All Glittery and Gold. I've been looking for a new opaque glitter polish that I can use for some nail art I've been dying to try. These look perfect.

There is all liquid sand in them which is a formula I haven't tried yet. Of course I'm excited and it may be October but I want to deck my halls!

You can buy a set of the minis for a really great price on Amazon. If you've tried anything from Mimi's line for OPI tell me what you think!

I also want to link a really great blog post that shows off all the colors!

www.makeupandbeautyblog.com 's post about Mariah's Holiday polish

Outfit snapshot hangover chic

Moto jacket by Old Navy

Floral dress by Forever 21

Black tights

Black Combat boots American Rag

Black wayfarers

Comfortable with enough badass to keep people away.

This is what I really want this week.

First Week of October want List by lujackcity featuring rock and roll t shirts

Even though fall is here I'm still lusting after florals. I want my closet to look like a mix match of grandma sofas. I want to blend in with old wall paper. I just love a vintage floral with all my heart. 
I'm also in the market for a new coat and I'm feeling a new coat with a faux fur collar. It's so 50's movie star, how could you not feel glam?
The rest of my wants are a total mix of pajamas, Ramones tees, hair pins, a very expensive crossbody bag, and plates. Those were my impulse wants that I knew I couldn't live without. 

Now if I could only find my new very rich and very old husband to fund my pretties. Just kidding...kind of ;)

If I hit 1000 pageviews this week I'll be doing a fun giveaway next weekend! 

Glitter hands!

 I love a good manicure more than most things on earth. It's been a lifelong love of mine.
Those $0.99 bon bon nail polishes were my jam as a small child. I had and still have a nail polish collection that can rival most salons.

My problem is once again poor and busy (theme in my life) so I do it myself. I have amazing product recommendations and a few tricks to give you a salon quality manicure at home.

First tip, I like short nails. I think they're easier to work with and keep clean. So I always start off by trimming my nails.

After trimming I do a swipe of polish remover even if I don't have polish on to remove oils and make polish stay better.

Next is a good base coat, I really love CND sticky base coat. I think it's a super important step that can really make polish last longer.

     

After that it's time for polish! This week's polish will be Cocktail Bling by Essie which is a great lilac grey color and my accent nail will be Till the Glitter end a chunky silver glitter, bought super cheap from Sephora. (All their jewelry topcoats are on sale pick them up while you can!) Here's a link to the sale while I'm thinking about it.
Sephora Jewelry top coats sale!

My color

 Now on to the polish!

I always start with a stripe down the middle, It makes it so you just have to add in the side and you have a center to work with. I don't worry about getting polish on my cuticles because after polish dries I usually shower and the hot water will take all polish off your skin. (TRICK!!!)

 

Most polishes require 2-3 coats to really get that thick salon look. I usually do 2 unless it's a really sheer color and I go over a 3rd time.

Ok, once my main color is on I go over everything with my all time favorite nail product Seche Vite topcoat. I swear, you put it on your nails and they dry and are rock hard in 5 minutes!!



After my top coat

Once your top coat it dry I think about my accent nail, I like to do this because I'm addicted to all things glitter. I always make sure I have a topcoat on pre glitter polish because it makes my life easier when I decide to take of the impossible to take off glitter.

I usually accent my ring finger but choose whatever nail you want if you decide to try out the accent.

Accent Finger

Finally I top coat the accent and let my nails set for 15-20 minutes and then shower or take a bath to get any excess polish off. You don't have to do this but it's a great lazy girl trick.

The finished product!!!!

There you go you have an amazing manicure and you saved $25!


I just joined Julep's Maven nail polish subscription and I have a link that will get your first month for $3.99. I LOVE their colors and the formula is amazing. Plus $3.99 for 3 nail polishes is such a great deal.

Link
Julep's Maven box  Code Freebox

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For more of my favorites and style ideas you can follow me on pinterest here!

Why I can't resist Walgreens, or some of my favorite drugstore beauty buys.

Hi my name is Allison and I'm a Sephoraholic. I can't resist the bright aisles of bright colors, tubes, general sparkle. In fact I cringe a little when I see yearly total spent. As much as I die for Sephora there are a few things that I've never topped that can be found at any drugstore. They're not just cheap, they're AMAZING. Here is a list of some of my drugstore must buys!



 1. My favorite lipstick of all time. Rimmel London Lasting Finish lipstick by Kate Moss in 001
This is the best red I've ever used, it's universally flattering and always the color I recommend when people want that perfect red lip.
The formula is also perfect, it's creamy and can stay on through multiple drinks and enough shots to knock down a full grown man.

 

2. My paleness in addition to my two kids waking up with with the sun means I've got eye bags that carry their own luggage. More like eye steamer trunks.

 I'm incredibly lucky that I haven't needed to think about anti aging products yet. However, I've always dealing with eye bags and have tried everything under the sun spending a small fortune trying to cover them up. 

So when I saw Maybeline's instant age rewind undereye concealer brightener I figured for $7.99 I could give it a shot. I was seriously blown away by the coverage and how natural it looked.  I had previously been using and not really loving Benefit's Oh La Lift and spending a cringe worthy $22 on it. So trust when I say I was beyond excited when I found this and I use it almost everyday. 

3. & 4. I've got a serious case of the Irish kid ruddiness. Red face is not a compliment to red hair. Some days it was bad enough that no amount of foundation would cover it. I actually have two products I'm recommending for this. First Boots Expert Anti Redness serum, I apply this in the morning and at night. As long as I keep up the routine it really does keeps the reds at bay. 

The second product I love for redness is L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Color Correcting Anti-Redness primer. It's green tinted and neutralizes the red giving you a nice clean slate to apply makeup to. 

*A little goes a long way and don't be scared off my the tint, it goes away once your other makeup is applied. 

5. The last on my list today is a hair product, Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Sea Salt Texturizing Spray. 

This product rocks the hell out of my naturally wavy hair. It gives that sexy "I had a little too much fun last night" bedhead I love so much. It also has a drool worthy smell I love. 

I spray it on damp or dry hair give it a little scrunch and I'm done, I get texture and a nice hold for way less than Bumble and Bumble's Surf spray!

I want to marry this skirt, or my working on the weekend outfit.

Hello again!

Today I want to tell you about my love affair with this awesome orange chevron skirt I bought at target over a year ago.
I've always loved skirts, I have a very hourglass figure so having something that nips in at the waist gives me the opportunity to play bombshell for the day.

The Skirt.

I love the the way the vintage shape mixed with the modern pattern look together. The skirt is also bold enough that you don't need a lot of frilly extras. 

I had to work this Saturday so I tamed it a bit with a basic black tee from American Apparel, find it here. 

In the past I've worn it with black or grey tank tops, a button down chambray shirts, and a black and white polka dot sweater. It's actually pretty versatile for such a loud skirt. 

I finished off the look with a pair of forrest green suede wedges I bought at goodwill for $2.

I'll show you a few more angles and how I styled my makeup today, once again I was working so I like to keep it a little on the mild side. 

Here are a few more fun skirts you could try to give basic tops a little something extra. 

Skirt options by lujackcity featuring a sequin mini skirt

A poor girl's guide to basics, and not so basics.

Mix and Match essentials by lujackcity featuring old navy jackets

Dress / Forever 21 brown woven belt / H&M short flare dress, $24 / Forever 21 america shirt / Old Navy top / Cardigan / Forever 21 long sleeve denim shirt / Old Navy jacket / Levi s / Forever 21 safari skirt / H M tight, $11 / H M tight, $9.57 / Product Detail | H&M US


To start this post off I will fully own up to my rather restricted single mom clothing budget. I've been known to scour TJMaxx racks for hours trying to find the hidden gem in the sea of ill fitting see through dresses.
Sometimes my bargain shopping turns out well, (Score Michael Kors sweater at goodwill for $3!) and sometimes I get the turds that trick me in the dressing room.
FYI online shopping at Forever 21 usually results in said turds.

I set out today to put together a foundation for a wardrobe that doesn't include the weird shirt that only goes with one pair of jeans or the dress that can only be worn one season.
Almost everything shown can be mixed and matched to create endless outfits and could be built on when time and money allow.
All of the items in the picture can be obtained for $254.12. That's not a ton and (let me explain later) I feel like most of these pieces are easy and will stand the test of time.

But, what about the leopard print mini skirt, how is that even remotely easy to mix and match? First, I consider leopard a neutral. Second here are a few ideas.

Pair it with black tights, the green tee shirt top and you have a fun lunch date outfit, throw the grey cardigan over that and you have a perfect fall day outfit.
Next tuck in the black tank top throw on the faux leather jacket and you are a badass, you are Michelle Pfeiffer sneering at all the non cool riders.
The Last outfit I'll plead the case of the leopard mini is the blank tank with the chambray shirt knotted at your waist. Another awesome fall outfit with a little sass given by the leopard.

The rest of the outfits are a fun mix of adding a plaid button down knotted over a dress or really anything, be the master of your own mix and realize it doesn't take a lot to make a very versatile wardrobe.

XOXO,
Allison

What I wore- Mixing Patterns

This is actually a day late, but I wanted to talk about my mixing of patterns and my absolute favorite jeans ever!


To start, here is my outfit.

I'm wearing a plaid button down from Old Navy, this is from last year but a similar one can be found here. Plaid Button down.  

Under the flannel I'm actually wearing a a dolman sleeve navy polka dot shirt I got two years ago at Forever 21. I love the print on the shirt but it's a really awkward length so I can't really wear it on it's on. If I were buying again I would try it with something like this. Polka dot top. I feel like that length would be more versatile and could stand on it's own. 

Moving down to the best jeans ever, totally affordable and the fit like a glove. 

Levi's 535 legging jeans

These jeans, goodness girl. They lift your butt and manage to keep even the jiggliest bits in place. I'm also in love with the fact they keep their shape, so many jeans are baggy by lunch but these bad boys stay nice and snug even after a few day's wear. (Shut up we all wear our jeans multiple times without washing!)

My shoes were a mega steal from Ross, I got them for $0.50 no shit. They were on mega clearance. I love the edge they give outfits, they're so dainty and BOOM metal spikes. They make me feel like a tough punk chick. 

I also have on an enamel octopus necklace from Etsy that was a Christmas gift 3 years ago. It's an old favorite for when I want to add interest to an outfit. 

I'm a huge fan of pattern mixing to add a little interest and depth to outfits, I get off on mixing things that shouldn't necessarily go together but in some crazy way do. 

Here's another example of pattern mixing going right. 

Everyday by lujackcity featuring a vintage collar necklace

The 5 Minute Face

First off I want to thank everyone for all the visits yesterday! I'm so excited to start this project and I wouldn't be doing it without the support of some awesome ladies.

Remember if you have any questions or suggestions I'll try to stay on top of all comments and emails!


I'm going to be honest with you, I am lazy and I am a procrastinator. My favorite time to get dressed for work is 10 minutes before I need to leave the house.
So, I thought my first tutorial would show you fellow procrastinators or busy moms how to throw on a full face of makeup that only takes 5 minutes to do.
I'll link to all the products I use when I show pictures.

This is my before and after, I'm on 3rd day hair. 

This look is very warm and natural, it's my normal work look because like I mentioned, I'm always running late and this is easy and always looks put together.

Step 1 

Oscar Blandi Powder dry Shampoo

I hate washing my hair, it takes forever to dry and it just dries everything out in general. I usually try to go 3 days between washing, so dry shampoo is one of my most used products.
Oscar Blandi's dry shampoo powder was a game changer for me. I usually sprinkle it on and fluff my hair a bit and let it sit for awhile to really absorb the oil. Then a shot with the hair dryer and I'm left with a lot of volume, clean looking hair, and a nice lemon scent that all the Blandi dry shampoos have.

Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo

Step 2 

BB Cream, I'm usuing Rimmel's 9-in-1 skin perfecting BB cream today because it's a really good price and it works for a quick makeup job. I just apply with my fingers and rub it on almost like a moisturizer sometimes doubling up on areas I need more coverage. I use another that I love but that's another post. 

 

Rimmel London 9-in-1 BB Cream

Step 3

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind under eye brightener 

I have mad bags under my eyes, and this product is another game changer. It's perfect. One trick I've learned in hiding my bags and circles is to go down a bit onto my cheeks and not just under my eyes, really blend the product down so you don't have tanning goggle eyes. 

Maybelline Instant age rewind

 

Steps 4&5

Bronzer and Blush

 

I use bare mineral's warmth all over my face and neck, it gives me a fantastic glow and well, a warmth that my skin is usually missing. I apply with a big powder brush and trust me a little bit goes a looong way. I've had this little pot over a year and I've barely gone through half of it.
My blush is Tarte's Amazonian Clay in Amused, it's a BRIGHT pink but goes on like a flush from a cold day. I apply to the apples of my cheeks, down the bridge of my nose, and across my forehead.
Make sure you go bronzer and then blush to give yourself a natural glow that looks amazing on anyone. 

Bare Minerals Warmth   

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush

Step 6 - Eyes y'all

I am absolutely crazy about my eyemakeup. I don't scrimp on products, I have incredibly sensitive eyes so once I find something that doesn't give me crazy burny eyes I stick with.
The best makeup purchase I've ever made happened a little over a year ago. More than game changing, it was earth shaking. 

Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette is possibly the best $50 ever spent.  I've used it at least 4 days a week the past year and it looks almost new. Trust me run don't walk and invest in this fantastic set.
For my rush job makeup days I wear NYC brown eyeliner, very simple and gives a nice definition. I just line my upper and lower lids, it's smudgy enough that you don't need to be precise. 

Finally my mascara, the light of my life, my desert island beauty product, Bare Mineral's Buxom mascara. Great volume, great staying power, NO CLUMPS!

Eye shadow instructions

Naked 2

Buxom Mascara 

Eyeliner 

I start off with the bisque color foxy all over the lid and brow, it makes a nice base and evens out the skin tone. I then use suspect, a golden beige on my lid, and the add a little Half Baked in the center of the lid to give a pop. I finish by adding a little verve in the inner corners of my eyes to make them appear larger and under my brow bone to give a little highlight.


This all seems like a lot, but it probably take me under five minutes, rush days mean makeup I know, I don't mess with lots of brushes or tricks I aim to look put together and healthy.

Do you have a makeup routine you can do in less time than it takes to make a microwave dinner?

Introductions

Hello, I'm Allison and a single mom in my late 20's.
I'm also slightly addicted to beauty products and trying everything under the sun in hopes of finding a new game changer.
I grew up with a single father so I spent hours pouring over various fashion magazines trying to learn how to work all those products I'd been eyeing at the drugstore or my Mecca, the makeup counters at Famous Barr. The various pots, tubes, and brushes sang a siren song that I crashed my ship into as soon as my father finally gave in to my pleading because all the other girls wore makeup.
I saved my allowance for 3 weeks the summer before 8th grade started. With $20 in hand I purchased a clear mascara, the green cover girl powder compact, a mauve blush with the world's tiniest brush, a lovely maroon/silver Jane lipstick, and a set of three silvery frosted eye shadows.
I was set, and that is how the addiction started.

These days I've cast aside the frosted look for what I like to call my Courtney Love meets Rupaul makeup routine. I'm forever and always a champion for lipstick and a good cat eye.

I hope I can help everyone out there feel a little more comfortable with makeup and maybe even catch a little of the passion I have.

Keep reading, it will get better I promise,

Xoxo, Allison