My Favorite Things - Beauty Edition 2018

I decided to put together a list of some of my favorite beauty products that I am using right now.

Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer with SPF 30 (Not in Image).
I have been using Olay's moisturizer with SPF 30 for over 15 years every day. Before using this, I used Pond's moisturizing cream for years, but unfortunately it did not have SPF. Olay's Moisturizer with SPF is not only moisturizing, but it is also light, so I don't feel like it is clogging my pores. I use it as soon as I finish washing my face in the morning. I wait about 15 minutes and then apply my makeup over it.  It also has Vitamin E, B3, aloe, and it is oil-free and my face feels so soft.

OleHenriksen Truth Serum.
Olehenriksen truth serum contains vitamin c, collagen, orange, and green tea extracts. Since using it I noticed my face looks brighter and more hydrated. I use it right before I put my Olay Moisturizer on and I also put it on after I wash my face before I go to bed.

Peter Thomas Roth Hydra-Gell Eye Patches.
These Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-Gel Eye Patches come with 60 patches (30 pairs) are so hydrating and cooling. I only use them about once or twice a month or when needed. These eye patches are perfect for hydrating under the eye, crow’s feet, and under-eye darkness. It contains ceramide NP, collagen, and marshmallow root extract to help smooth and soften the look of fine lines. Caffeine helps de-puff the look of the eye area. Arnica helps diminish the appearance of dark circles. 

Kopari Coconut Melt.
I heard great things about Kopari's Coconut Melt. It is 100% pure, organic, and unrefined coconut oil.  And I use it for pretty much everything. I use it as a hair mask, my skin, cuticles, lips.
And I love that it is sustainably source, hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, and organic.

Essie Nail Polish.
Essie's brand of nail polish is one of my favorites. I found a great deal on some of my favorite colors for my hands, such as Limo-Scene, Ballet Slippers, Mademoiselle, Vanity Fairest, and Marshmallow. I usually wear light colors on my hands and dark or fun colors on my toes.

Coola Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion. 
It's an ultra-moisturizing lotion that uses organic aloe vera and lavender oil to defend against environmental aggressors and calm sunburns. I do my best to be very careful when I am out in the sun to avoid sunburns. I wear hats, sunscreen, long sleeves, but sometimes, even I get burned on certain areas that I missed. I use Coola's Radical Recovery After-Sun lotion right after and have found that I have quicker recovery and it hydrates the skin.

Becca X Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette.
This is a limited-edition palette, created in collaboration with model Chrissy Teigen.
I love that it is for the entire face, there is a highlighter, blush, and bronzer.  The are two Pressed Highlighters, one in Rose Gold (subtle gold with rose) and the other is Beach Nectar (bronzy apricot with gold). The Blush is Hibiscus Bloom, which is a golden-pink coral color. The Bronzer is Malibu Soleil, which is a medium amber. I use this palette almost every day and absolutely love it. I might get one more to have as it is limited edition and I don't want to be without this one.

Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara. 
My absolute favorite mascara. I have tried countless mascaras and this one is the best one I have ever tried. It elongates, thickens, and curls my eyelashes.


Not Your Mother's Blonde Moment Treatment Shampoo. 
During the summer months I lighten my hair a bit and this is a great shampoo to neutralize brassiness and hydrate. It is infused with dark violet pigment to prevent brassiness & and gives a cooler tone to brassiness that happens to my hair.

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal Breakfast

Almost every morning for breakfast I make the yummiest treat with organic oatmeal (1/2 a cup) that I put in the microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes with water (I just eye it and make sure that all of my oatmeal is submerged in. Next, I add the toppings.  

My current favorite toppings are Trader Joe's Crunchy Peanut Butter with Flax and Chia Seeds. It is not as sweet a traditional peanut butter and I love it.

Next, I add a half of a banana, dab of honey, shredded coconut, fresh fruit (if I have any), and top it with chocolate granola.

I buy Target's Archer Farms "Double Chocolate Chunk" granola.  It is so delicious. I look forward to breakfast every morning. Isn't that what life is all about, enjoying what makes us happy and this my friends bring a smile to my fave every morning.

It is very filling and has lots of protein and fiber. I have tried quite a bit of granola and many times my stomach hurts a bit after eating it. I don't have that problem with this granola.

My Favorite Things - Summer 2018

It's time for another round of my favorite things. And these items have been my go to this summer:

Grace and Frankie and Santa Clarita Diet TV Series. In my spare time I have been finishing up on the Waylon biography that I have been reading off and on and catching up on some tv series. A few of my favorites are:

Santa Clarita Diet stars Drew Barrymore, and she is an absolute doll and love her in so many things, like Miss you Already, 50 First Dates, Wedding Singer. Drew Barrymore plays Sheila, and Timothy Olyphant plays Joel, they are married realtors, and have a teenage daughter in Santa Clarita, California. Their life is picture perfect, until Sheila goes through a sudden and very scary change, causing her eat human flesh. I know it doesn't sound like something you might want to watch, but it's very funny, clever, yet gruesome. If you like a good scare, not afraid of obscene amount of bloods and a little dash of human flesh and body parts eating, then this is the show for you. I will be honest, I watched the first episode and wasn't so sure if I was going to love it, but I gave it a second chance and watched the second episode and they got me hooked. I really enjoyed all the characters, I especially loved the character actor Skyler Gisondo is playing, he plays the "nerdy" teenage boy next door. He is so funny, and his comedic timing really is spot on and he is very fun to watch, he is absolutely adorable. I am really looking forward to seeing Season 3, which is coming out sometime in 2019.

Another show I binged watched was Grace and Frankie. I never really understood binge watching until I found some amazing shows that you just can't stop watching at one episode. I would watch 3-4 at a time. Grace and Frankie is an amazing show. It really is one of the best out there right now. It reminds me of Sex and City meets Golden Girls. And I absolutely adored the Golden Girls and this. It was funny, sad, and sweet all at the same time. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, you laughed and sympathized with the characters and they really made you love them. Grace and Frankie star Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin (They both also starred in 9 to 5 together).  The show starts with Grace and Frankie learning that their husbands have fallen in love with each other and leaving them both. Frankie and Grace are complete opposites, from their personalities, to their wardrobe, to the way they live their lives, sharing absolutely nothing in common accept that both of their husbands are leaving them for each other. The show revolves around how Frankie and Grace's relationship grows after they are both thrown together after the news.

Benefit Cosmetics Dandelion Dew Liquid Blush. Dew Baby-Pink Liquid Blush is not only my favorite summer blush but my go to blush all year round. It is a liquid blush and it's a flattering light baby pink, it's the perfect flushed colored and I think it would work for various skin tones. It is very natural looking. I also use it on my lips.

LaLaVaVa Zip Front One Piece Swimwear. I have been looking for the right swimwear and honestly I have never found one, until now. I had a strapless black bathing suit, but I kept having to pull it up. I have a trip coming up and wanted something I could throw on and not even think about, so I knew I needed wider straps. I also knew I wanted a zip front, just because I like the sporty feel and look of it. I knew I didn't want to go to the store to try a million of them on. My sister recommended that I find one on Amazon, which I didn't even think about. I quickly found one, read the reviews and looked at the pictures countless times and decided to get this one. The price was ridiculously inexpensive, so I bought two, one in black with pink and one in black with aqua blue and I love them. They arrived 2 days later and I tried them on and love them. They are super flattering and comfortable.


Target's Universal Thread Tie-Front Dress. There was only one of these dresses in a size too big at the store, but I loved it when I tried it on. They were sold out online and everywhere near by, I happened to find one as I was browsing. While it is a little big on me, I still love the way it feels and looks. This is definitely on repeat for summer dinners and strolls.


Urban Decay Born To Run Eyeshadow Palette.  I try not to buy too many palettes because I end up only using a few shades, but the Born To Run Eyeshadow Palette offers so many beautiful colors to pass up. It has 21 shades and a full-size mirror, but unfortunately doesn't come with a eyeshadow brush like their other palettes do.

The colors range from jewel tones, neutrals to fun colorful shadows. It is very versatile with shades of pink, purple, orange, neutrals, blues and greens, and I have already been using it on repeat everyday.


J.Crew Aviator Sunglasses. These are my favorite go to sunglasses. I have always loved the aviator style, thank Sylvester Stallone. I have high cheek bones and the bottom of the aviators always touch my cheeks, so it has never worked out for me, until I tried these on. These were the perfect size and super comfortable. Unfortunately, they are sold out at J.Crew :( but Here is a similar pair.


Target's A New Day Michaela Block Heels. I have these in beige and black and wanted to find them in a fun summer color. They also come in sky blue, lavender and red. They are super comfortable and have a 2.5” block heel. I bought the black and beige pair in my size, but I decided to go up a half size in these and I think going up a half size is more comfortable for me as these squeeze a bit in the toe area.


Nubian Heritage Deodorant. I am all about all natural deodorant with no Aluminum. I saw a documentary about the correlation between breast cancer and deodorant and there is just too much data out there that it is not worth the risk. I have tried quite a few and most of them I started out liking, but then they weren't holding up. This Nubian Heritage Deodorant is one of the best of I have tried out there. It is all natural and  made with vanilla extract, coconut, and papaya. When I have this on my underarms smell like coconuts, the more I sweat the more I smell like coconuts, not a bad problem to have at all.


So these are a few of my favorite things right now. All of these things have been putting a little smile on my face, and I can't urge that enough, it is important to do and be surrounded by things that you like and love.

Bunny Pinata

Happy Spring!! Easter is right around the corner and I was inspired to make this bunny pinata by The Art Dream. It is so cute and sweet,  and I needed a new friend to add to my Pinata pals.

He isn't too hard to make, as he is mostly one large oval shape, the hardest part for me was figuring out how to cover the top of his ears. To get started you need:

• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Tape
• Glue
• White Crepe Paper (Streamer paper)
• White, Pink, Black paper

First, cut out the bunny shape in the cardboard, two pieces have to be identical in shape/size.

Next, cut out long pieces of cardboard, all of these pieces must be the same width, about an 1.5 inches, this will be the width and sides of your bunny. Tape these cardboard strips all along the two identical cardboard cutouts. Here is a video of me creating a skull pinata, it will show you how to tape the two pieces together. Next, you will want to begin gluing the streamer paper.

Using white streamer paper cut small slits on the bottom side. I usually roll a bunch together and cut the little slits, this saves a lot of time. I then glue the strips starting at the bottom until you go all the way to the top.

Next, using pink construction paper cut out two large bunny ears, a nose, and two circles for the cheeks.  I then cut out a smile (half circle) and eyes with black paper. Lastly, I cut out strips of white paper and two teeth and I glued them on. Your bunny pinata can look however you would like. So feel free to change his face up.

I won't be filling him up with candy, he is just going to be my companion and bringing a smile to my face. I am thinking about giving him a little bow tie.

I hope you get a chance to make this little guy. He stands about 2 feet tall with his ears, and you can make it larger or smaller. And these would also be super cute as mini ones to give as gifts on Easter. Enjoy!!