A Welcome Baby or Babies DIY

Hello Beauties!
A miraculous thing happened last Friday. Four of my best friends from college had their babies on the same day!! Not 4 babies!...that would just be otherworldly! It was two babies. Two couples. Two sets of college sweethearts. My friends, Pat and Cailin welcomed Seamus Patrick to the world at 2:01 a.m. and Matt and Lizzie's baby, John Robert (Jack), followed at 3:18 p.m. It was really crazy. Cai and Liz were roommates all four years in college and they both had their baby boys on May 17 in the same hospital! It felt like a weird deja vu experience. It was like we were in our college dorms, except with babies and less alcohol (there may or may not have been a 12 pack of Stellas smuggled into the hospital room). We were in Cailin and Pat's room visiting with Seamus and Matt and Liz walked down the hall from their room and wheeled their baby in. We were all hanging out, crowded into an abnormally small room with unhumanlike small beds, just like in college, except there were two wittle hunnies staring up at us.
Anyways, I am so thrilled for their arrivals and I can't wait to watch them grow. Now, onto a really easy DIY to welcome a baby or (in this case) babies into the world. So, the DIY part of this is something you can do when you get the news, but the gift part (if you want to do that) you'll want to order online in enough time for it to come before the due date or around that time. Another thing is this craft works for friends you went to the same college with. If you did it for a friend from work or from home, you could do a "welcome baby" flag, but it wouldn't be as fitting.
Okay, so I really am not a huge plan ahead type... kind of more like a "fly by the seat of my pants" person...  But my friend Melanie and I were hanging out one night and decided to go online to the Providence College bookstore website and ordered two little baby beanie hats and two little stuffed animals with "Someone from Providence College Loves Me" written on their shirts. Then we ended up on another random web-site and got two gender-neutral (light green) PC onsies because our friends did not find out the sex of their babies in advance.  Now, if you are a procrastinator and your college is not too far away, you could haul a$* to the bookstore at some point. But then you risk running into a care-free freshmen whose biggest concern is how he/she is going to sneak their 30-pack past their R.A. This might ruin your whole day, so I would opt for ordering online in advance. 
For the "welcome baby" flag, you will need to remember your college's colors. Providence College's colors are black and white. Here are the materials you would need if you wanted to do this:


2 sticky back felt sheets for flag
1 sticky back felt sheet for accent line on side of flag
1 bag of felt stars
1 small (in circumference) wooden dowel
1 glue gun w/ glue sticks
1 ruler or straight edge
1 pair of scissors
sticky letters for putting the time of birth and weight on the felt stars


Once you have the materials, it is pretty easy to figure out. Cut the two felt sheets of the same color (in this case, black) into a triangle/flag shape. Take the ruler and set it in the middle of the flag where you want the baby's name to go, peel the sticky back off of the felt letters and use the ruler to help keep the letters lined up. Then write the middle name below that. Put the date the baby was born at the bottom of the flag, and I also put "Go PC" but you can obviously do whatever you want!... Especially if you didn't go there ha-ha. Now place the felt stars where ever you would like. Use the black letter stickers to write the time the baby was born and how much he/she weighed on the stars. It is a little tricky to get the letters to fit, maybe you can find some smaller letters than I did. Now take the "accent color" felt sheet and cut about a half inch piece for the border on the side of the flag. Take your dowel and affix it onto the backside of the first felt triangle about a half an inch in, use your glue gun because even though the felt is sticky, the glue gun will make it that much more secure. Press the two triangles together. If this was a little hard to follow, let me know about any questions you might have. Here are some visual aids to help you see what I am talking about.

Ruby Tuesday

No!- I am not talking about the chain restaurant. From now on, (according to this blog) Ruby Tuesday will be the last Tuesday of the month. A ruby is a red, precious gem. I am Red and I will be choosing two potential "gems" that I have heard some hype about or read good reviews on, for us (anyone reading this who wants to!) to try during the following month, in this case June. I think I will go with two choices and you obviously have the next week or so to get your hands on one or both of them. Then you will take the next month to use the pick or picks and form your opinion. You will decide if it is indeed a "ruby" or a "corundum". Corundum is the synthetic, lab-created version of a ruby, so I thought it would be fitting to use that term to refer to products that aren't the Real Deal Holyfields, but are instead, CRAP. Or we could just say it is "good" or "no good" :) Then I will post our  collective thoughts. I really want this blog to be interactive, so I would LOVE it if people wanted to participate!! When the month is up, I will ask for your feedback via e-mail, since the whole commenting thing seems to be an issue. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, my friend Greg is working on fixing the glitches in my blog, but he is also working on his PhD... so I know it may come as a shock, but my beauty blog isn't quite his first priority. RUDE!!

Anyway, after careful deliberation, here are the picks for this month:

Cover Girl Lash Perfection Mascara

The next is a set of things, that supposedly, when used all together make for a beautiful at-home manicure. The base coat claims to really strengthen and fortify your nails. The top coat is supposed to extend the life of the polish, help with chipping and be super shiny...We'll see about that! Right girls? RIGHT? No pressure though... It is the Revlon ColorStay base coat, top coat and nail polish.

I have to admit, I have already started my "trial period" of this! I bought the shades Calla Lily (a creamy white with a beautiful gold sheen) and "Rain Forest" (a unique forest green with the same color green shimmer). I used the base coat and then I had to do about four coats of the "Calla Lily" to get the opacity I was wanting... but the finished product, with the top coat is REALLY nice. It is a beautiful neutral look without opting for the pale pink shades one would usually use for more "demure" nails. You definitely would not have to use that many coats with the colored polishes, but the Calla Lily is just really sheer. I will say that this polish's formula seems really easy to work with because it didn't get all goopy and weird when I was applying multiple coats. But that is all I will say for now! I am saving my comments for the end of the month!

Okay so if you want to just try the Lash Perfection, I would say to just pick it up at whatever store you seem to find products at their cheapest. But if you would like to try the nail picks too... There is a great deal going on at CVS. Each polish is marked down to $4.99 and for each bottle you purchase, you get $3 in Extrabucks Rewards...and don't be skrrrrd to ask the cashier to make more than one transaction. Have you seen those savages on Extreme Couponing? They make like a hundred and eight transactions. Just hide behind an aisle and wait for the line to die down, then jet to the counter. Purchase the nailpolish (base coat, top coat and any color you like). Get your receipt with $12.00 in Extrabucks and use it to purchase the mascara! With the few bucks you have left over, grab yourself a candy bar or a bag of Skittles. You deserve it!! 

Please e-mail me at ktduggan919@gmail.com to let me know if you want to participate in this little monthly beauty trial club. I would be psyched to hear from you!! Just put "I am trying out" in the subject and then which product or products in the body of the e-mail.

xoxo

Red
P.S. You don't have to participate every month if you participate this month. You can pick and choose based on whether or not you are interested in trying the picks :)

Some tips from Red and Redbook

I hope some of you ladies were able to score some of those theBalm gems on Hautelook.com. I just signed up for Hautelook recently. It is totally free to become a member and they have great sales daily. TheBalm was started by Marissa Shipman who bought 11 books on how to make make-up on Amazon.com. She started mixing in her kitchen! 

I am now feeling really inspired to buy some books and start mixing up my own concoctions! I hope Chip isn't reading this. One day he will just come home and I will have a periodic table printed out and crap everywhere! Can't wait 'til I am feeling better. Chemistry wasn't my best subject, but I also wasn't that lab partner that you prayed you didn't get stuck with... Or was I? I am a revisionist historian.

 I also wanted to share a link that supports the idea that you can weave neon into your wardrobe at any age... Tim Gunn shares what he calls "the biggest trend of the season" on The Revolution. There is a really annoying ad from Martha Stewart at the beginning so try and skip over that if you can.

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-revolution/video/PL55157412/_m_VD55202314

Okay, now here is an article from Redbook magazine that I thought had great advice and I just wanted to elaborate on a few of the points that I think are the most noteworthy. There are 17 tips and I am going to expand on 5 of my favorites. Even though I think it is all good stuff!

http://www.redbookmag.com/beauty-fashion/tips-advice/makeup-tricks-beauty-advice#slide-1

Tip #3 Always wear your sunscreen was advice that I did not heed in my teens and twenties, but now that I am in my 30s, I really want to be vigilant about wearing the sunscreen! Not only because of the risks of skin cancer, but also because I don't really want to look like Magda when I get older. One problem with me and sunscreen is I hate the way it feels and the way it interrupts my beach day. I have flashbacks of being on Grey Neck beach in Cape Cod. My Mom would call me up from my sandcastle, way more often than the other kids that didn't have a red head. She would glob it all over my body and I would run back with gobs of it flying off into the air... sand would be cemented to the back of my legs from the gooey crap and what was left of it would go dripping into my stinging eyes. Sorry Mom, but you really did never rub it in!! Here is a photo that my Aunt Jody sent to  me. It is circa 1986. How bad is that mullet? I think my Mom strategically cut my bangs at an upward slant in order to expose my forehead so she could smother as much "block out" (as she calls it) as humanly possible onto every last freckle on my face 

Now, there are gems like Neutrogena Wet Skin spray that I wish were around when I was little. For the face, I am loving Neutrogena Pure & Free Liquid with SPF 50. It is waterproof, sweatproof, greaseless and just sinks into the skin. You can easily layer your make-up right over it because of its weightless liquid formula.  

Tip #7 Re-order your Make-up Routine This is a great tip that I have to remind myself to do because I have always started with my face make-up first and ended with my eyes... More often than not there is "fall out" from your eyeshadow, eyeliner or mascara. So rather than clean up a smudge or smear which makes your foundation streaky. You can tend to this or that black blip before you "put on your face". Also, some of the "crud" that falls from your eye make-up like shimmer, sparkle or black flecks might not be visible to you in the mirror, but when you get into the light of day... guuuuuuuurl- you can see that schmeg all up in your grille...Whoops!! Gross!...I just looked up "schmeg" in the "Urban Dictionary" (just in case). I used to love calling people "dingleberries". I thought it was just a funny word...until I was told what it actually referred to!! Horrifying.There are 3 definitions for "shmeg" and I am ABSOLUTELY referring to the third definition: "Unidentified disgusting substance that is somewhere that it doesn't belong"

Tip #8 When in doubt-wear peach make-up  I love this tip because I definitely agree. Peach is a very wearable shade for any skin tone. I just didn't know the science behind it. Now I know, thanks to this article. Everyone has either warm, cool or neutral undertones to their skin. In order to figure out what you are, just think: If your face was running by you really fast, what color would you see? Pink or yellow?...No just kidding, but seriously: do you look better with gold or silver jewelry? In brown,orange and ivory or  jewel tones like blue, purple and green? If you look better in silver and jewel tones you are cool toned. If you look better in gold jewelry and the other colors I mentioned, you have warm undertones. If you look equally good in both (lucky you :)-you are neutral. If you are still confused here is an article that goes into more detail.

http://www.mineral-makeup-reviews.com/Cool-or-Warm-Skin-Tone.html

But either way, like the article says: Peach brightens up any skin tone. Here are some peach gems to try: Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush in "Peach Satin" and Revlon Colorburst lipgloss in "Peony."

Tip #12: Don't neglect your face scrub: I just started doing this and I am definitely noticing a difference. If you don't exfoliate once or twice a week, the dead skin cells clog up your pores and there is no room for cell turnover which makes way for new skin cells. This wise nugget of information is something I was not aware of until recently and so I saw exfoliating as unnecessary. I am really happy with the scrub I have been using since my "exfoliation enlightenment". It is the Alba "Even Advanced Sea Algae Enzyme Scrub."

Tip #13: Learn how to contour. This is definitely not necessary, but it is really interesting to me because it deals with the light and dark shadows of the face. It reminds me of art classes and studying the composition of the human face. Just by shading the sides of your nose, you can make it appear slimmer... Or by shading the hollows of your cheeks, the ones that appear when you make a "fish face", you can make your cheekbones seem higher and by using a highlighter on the tops of your cheeks, temples and down your nose and chin, you can create the illusion of light (a.k.a that J. Lo glow). If this is something that gets you excited (like me!) then you are a sad, sorry individual. No! Just kidding! Then you should watch this video from one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE make-up sites. Makeupgeek.com

http://www.makeupgeek.com/tutorials/how-to-contour-your-face/

Please let me know which piece of advice from the Redbook magazine was the most helpful/your favorite or what is the piece of advice that you agree with most.

xo,

Red 

   

Another Amazing Deal EyesLipsFace!

If you haven't tried E.L.F cosmetics and you think they are too cheap to be good! I beg to differ. I think  I have mentioned this before, but I have turned three of my friends that are hair-stylists and make-up artists onto the brand. It doesn't take much for you to change your mind about E.L.F. My friend Kristen owns a hair salon and is presented with top make-up and beauty brands by industry representatives on a weekly basis and she reaches for her E.L.F stash constantly!! So I wanted to share a link with you. The sale is going on tomorrow afternoon between 11 a.m and 2 p.m. and if you follow this link and enter the code MAKEUP at checkout, you will get the E.L.F. Complete Makeup Artist Collection for $30.00 instead of $75.00. I promise you will be happy with this set. I would even go so far as to say that even if you are a strictly Bobbi Brown or MAC girl-you won't be disappointed. I can definitely appreciate the "finer" things in life, but there really are a lot of gems from E.L.F. It also makes a great gift for a guru, intermediate or novice! It is perfect for someone who loves make-up, but also a great "starting out" set for anyone who is just getting into it. The set includes the following:

Studio Makeup Artist Brush Belt

Studio 100-Piece Endless Eyes Pro Eyeshadow Palette

Studio 11 Piece Brush Collection

Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

Studio Defining Mascara

Essential 4-Piece Shimmer Gloss Set

Studio Makeup Mist & Set

Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths

Lotion Wipes

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/collections/sets-and-palettes/sets-and-kits/complete_makeup_artist_collection?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Promo:CoffeeBreak(V4.2)(MAY2012:2xBuyers(Purchasedin12Months))

Enter:MAKEUP at check out

SSS, LLL
Red

Did you ever write that on your elementary or middle school notes with a big "S" encompassing the words Sorry, So and Sloppy? or a big "L" for Longer Letter Later?
I can only type with my right (&non-dominant) hand right now, so I actually want to say: sorry so short and longer blog later!!

Deal of the Week! theBalm on Hautelook

Hello Ladies!
I am sorry that you haven't heard from me in a few days! I just wanted to share with you a great deal for this week and then I will be posting something new A.S.A.P! I have been hearing great things about "theBalm" Cosmetics line and today several of their products are on sale on hautelook.com! If you aren't already a member, I think you can just sign up but if you have to be put on a waiting list, let me know and I will give you my member information. Most of the products are almost half off!!
xoxo
Red

Get Your Ne...On

I don't know about you, but I LOVE neon. It makes me think of the jelly shoes and hyper color t-shirts of my childhood. It makes me happy. It is like color on steroids and I can't get enough of it. Do you remember those rubber neon belts that looked like a telephone cord or did you ever loop your long t-shirt into a side ponytail through a little neon gadget? What about those acid washed jeans with neon paint splatters? Here are some visual aids:

These days it might be a little much to sport neon from head to toe unless you are going to an 80's themed party, but I love a little pop of it to add some bright color to your life...I am in LOVE with a nail polish that came in my Allure Spring Beauty box. It is Orly's Nail Lacquer in "Beach Cruiser" It is so pretty and I got so many compliments on it. It is not obnoxious, just a beautiful, opaque bright pink, which I probably would have never tried had it not come in this box, but I'm SO glad I did! This one is my favorite of the three nail polishes in neon that I have.

The next one I want to tell you about is Sally Hansen's Insta-Dry Nail Color in "Brisk Blue". First off (I think I mentioned this before) I love this formula because you can literally get away with just one coat. This is a bold, creamy cerulean blue. I think it would look great on the toes.

This next selection was a FAIL!! Even with three coats it looks horrifying!! I am talking about "Zealous" from Revlon. It was one of those effers that looks great in the bottle and when you actually try it out...it just disappoints the hell out of you. Sort of like a gorgeous man that looks so intriguing and ends up having the personality of a lawnmower. PISSED!! To make a long story short, I was driving my husband to work this morning and he said "Hun, what is that? It looks like snots"

 Here is a pic:

Maybe it would look better on darker or olive skin tones? My beautiful, Puerto Rican roommate Jourdan is coming to visit this weekend, so I think I will hold her down and swipe the "snots" on her nails and see how it looks. Sidenote: I love when I type "Jourd" and it auto-corrects to "Gourd"... like in an email: "Hey-is Gourd gonna be there" It gets me everytime. I am chuckling to myself right now.

Okay, another way to get yo' ne...on is to add a pop of color to your lips or eyes! Matte lipstick is definitely "in" right now and although I prefer lipgloss to lipstick, there are some new Wet N' Wild matte shades that are beautifully vibrant and for $1.29 they are worth a shot! I just don't know if I can pull them off. If you can pull off red lipstick with no problem (note to my cousin Marykelly!!)...then I would DEFINITELY check these out. The top tangerine color is like the new "red lip". The color payoff and texture of these is so nice. The shades are "Purty Persimmon" and "Pinkerbell":

Scarlett Johansson and Rihanna can definitely pull this bright lip look off. I think that you can only fall into one of two categories for this one, either it looks FABULOUS on you or you look like you got drunk and got into your Grandma's lipstick stash. I think I definitely fall into the second group. Figures.

Now if you are thinking that you might want to try some bright neon shades on your lids without investing too much money, then I would recommend a line that I have only spotted at Walgreens. It is called Profusion Beauty. My little sister introduced me to this line. Some of the shades can be a little chalky and don't have the greatest color payoff, but the palettes are so cheap that even if you only find 5 or 6 gems in a palette, you will still be happy. I think I paid either $5.99 or $7.99 for this. It is the "Profusion Essential Beauty Kit" and looks like this:

Here are some that I've swatched on my hand, that would be great for creating a bright, neon inspired look. You definitely need a primer for these shadows though! 

I know, I know...my photography could use some help or maybe I need a better camera? Nah...pretty sure it's me.

Last but not least I LOVE the look of neon accessories. You could just be wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt and pair it with a neon scarf, stacked bracelets, or earrings. I found all of these "LOVES" on Etsy.com.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/99336367/neon-colorblocks

http://www.etsy.com/listing/99131785/neon-earrings-geometric-the-fontaine-in

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pieceofart?ref=seller_info

How good would those bracelets look all stacked up, with a fresh "Brisk Blue" manicure...?! Love it all!! I could stay on Etsy.com for days!

Sooooooooo....GO GET YOUR NEEEEE....ON!!

xo,

Red

Let's Talk about BB Cream

I have fallen in love with BB Cream... There are conflicting stories about its origin online, but all sources seem to agree that it was first introduced in Germany in the 1950s, as an "aftercare" treatment for people that had undergone laser procedures or surgery. The original formulation created by Dr.Christine Schrammeck had anti-inflammatory and soothing properties and also provided light coverage of scars, and other blemishes. The BB originally stood for blemish balm, blemish base or beblesh balm, but now it is commonly referred to as Beauty Balm. BB creams became extremely popular in the 1980's when it was touted as the secret to Korean actresses' flawless skin. Now BB creams have hit the U.S. with the same vim and vigor as they did in the Korean marketplace. It seems like all of the major make-up companies have their own version of one including: Stila, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Too Faced, Smashbox, Boscia and Mac.
   Today's BB creams come in a variety of formulations, with varying claims about their antioxidant properties and skin care benefits. However, all seem to be a time and money saving solution because they act as a primer, moisturizer, sunscreen, foundation and concealer all in one tube. It can definitely be used on its own, but it you like/require heavy coverage, you can also use it as your primer under foundation. The one I have been using is by Garnier and is located with their skincare products at the drugstore, not in the make-up aisle. It is called the Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector (and according to Garnier USA www.garnierusa.com/BB-Cream) it addresses skin concerns such as "discoloration, dullness, blotchiness and dryness" and it combines "intense moisturizing skincare and immediate skin perfecting coverage for skin that looks naturally more even, radiant and smooth".
Okay so do you want the good news or the bad news?!...
I'll start with the good news! I love this product. The coverage is totally build-able...so for those of you that use a tinted moisturizer~just a dab would be perfect. I like a little more coverage, so I squirt some out of the tube, apply it on my face, let it set a little and then I smear a little bit more on my hand and blend some more on, almost like I am layering it. I always set it with a powder, but you definitely don't have to. My friend Nicole just sets it with her bronzer and she is out the door. The other great thing is that the color really does just seem to adjust to your skin tone. There are only two colors to choose from: Light/Medium and Medium/Dark. If you are light skinned, but plan to get darker as the warmer months come, you could buy both shades and custom mix the two to your exact complexion as it tans. Rite Aid is having a "Buy one, Get one 50% off" on Garnier products this week. This product covers really smoothly and has a dewy, radiant finish rather than a cakey finish that some foundations leave. It is lightweight on and it seems to reduce any redness in my skin and even out my complexion.
Now for the bad news!!... and I am so sad to have to report on this, because ignorance truly is bliss and I would have gone right on using this product daily without giving it a second thought!... But since I have really been trying to investigate the ingredients in things lately, I was having some suspicions about all the stuff listed on the tube. Okay, I am going to take a 20 second time out on the field: IF you are loving your Garnier BB Cream and don't care about the hidden skin agers in it- read no further! Have a great day beautiful :)

Now, if you have decided to read on, then you are wondering about what is in this BB cream that is harmful to your skin. The alcohol!...I got this information from a blog called "A Touch of Blusher"
http://www.atouchofblusher.com/... it is in reference to Garnier's BB Cream:


"- The product contains a significant amount of alcohol. It is fifth on the ingredient list, and the amount is too much to be ignored. It also contains a small amount of polyvinyl alcohol, which can be a skin-irritant. This large amount of alcohol in a product that is supposed to have skincare benefits is inexcusable.

- The product contains fragrance (parfum). It also contains other scenting agents, such as linalool, limonene, geraniol, and citral. I would say this drawback is less serious than the one above (especially considering the fact that this is a mass-market B. B. cream), but I still maintain that a well-formulated B. B. cream should ideally be free from these ingredients. Overall, this is not a well-formulated product, especially as a product marketed as a B. B. cream. (It should not be marketed as such.) Based on the significant amount of alcohol, I would hesitate to recommend this product (as a B. B. cream or as anything else) to anyone."

Hmmmm...Does this mean I am going to discontinue use of this product? Probably not. I used it yesterday... but it does mean that when I have used it up, I am going to be looking for one with better ingredients. I mean what would be the point of trying to use skincare without harsh chemicals and then slapping on make-up full of alcohol everyday?! Right?

Boscia's BB cream seems to be a better alternative. It claims to be a "gentle, botanical formula". It is also oil free and contains a higher SPF than the Garnier one. It is formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs and Triclosan. Of course, it is also more expensive, $38.00 versus $12.99. 

I have also been very interested in Tarte's Amazonian clay line. I LOVE Tarte products. You can read here about the Tarte philosophy: http://tartecosmetics.com/welcome-letter.php
 I am thinking that although it is not called "a BB Cream" the Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Tinted Moisturizer w/ SPF 20 has all the great qualities of one. Basically, the difference between a BB cream and a tinted moisturizer is that BB creams contain added properties and antioxidants that are beneficial to the skin and the Tarte Smooth Operator does contains all of this good stuff: 
http://tartecosmetics.com/skinvigorating-glossary.php
What do you biddies think? Do you care what is or isn't in your make-up as long as it looks good? I would love to know if you would rather be ignorant and blissful or in the know about what you are putting on your face and is potentially seeping into your body? 
Thoughts/questions/comments?... Is this thing on?

Here is a picture of Felicity's (Keri Russell) make-up looking flawless and she is wearing none other than the Tarte Smooth Operator. I would love to get some of her luminosity up in here...up in here.