Homemade Makeup Brush Cleaner(s)

Did you see this post at TipNut? 

I think this is a great alternative considering the cost of these cleaners at a makeup store.  And who knows what kind of chemicals are in them either.

Here is the post from TipNut  http://tipnut.com/:

Homemade Makeup Brush Cleaners: 7 Recipes

Recipe #1

1 cup Distilled Water
2 TBS Rubbing Alcohol
1 TBS Baby Shampoo

Recipe #2

1/2 cup Warm Water
1/4 cup Vinegar

Recipe #3

1 cup Warm Water
1 tsp Liquid Castile Soap

Recipe #4

1 cup Warm Water
1 TBS Baby Shampoo

Recipe #5

1/4 cup Warm Water
1 TBS Woolite

Recipe #6

1 cup Warm Water
1 TBS Liquid Dish Detergent

Recipe #7

1 cup Warm Water
1 TBS Baby Shampoo
1/2 tsp Tea Tree Oil

Directions For Each Recipe:

• Fill a small bowl with your chosen recipe. Swoosh the brush around in the mixture to clean, rinse with water to remove all traces of soap.

Have a “Cleansed” Day!

 

Makeup Tricks

I found this list at Blisfully Domestic: http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-style/five-10-second-makeup-tricks/  and thought they were great tips.  Here they are and don’t forgot to check out that blog!

Five 10 Second Makeup Tricks

September 11th, 2008 by Finn

Just because you’ve been wearing makeup for ages doesn’t mean there isn’t something new for you to learn. Something that can freshen up your everyday look or give you an entirely new one.

Here are five simple (really) tricks you can try; they’ve worked for me, they just might work for you.

1. Set your lash “curl”
Before you put curler to lash, prep with a coat of mascara. It will act as a setting lotion and help hold the curl. Follow with a second coat after curling.

2. Whiten (and brighten) your eyes
A quick and easy way to brighten your eyes is to line the inner bottom of the lid with a white kohl pencil. Surprisingly, it does last.

3. Tame your eyebrows with.. lipstick?
Yes, there are eyebrow gels out there, but if you don’t feel like adding another item to your beauty shopping list, try something you probably already have: lip balm. Make sure it’s a waxy type like Burt’s Bees. Doubt me? Have you ever heard of mustache wax? Just dab a tiny bit on brows and then use your brow brush to comb them in place. An alternative is to use your hair spray-just spray it on a cotton swab or your finger (not in your face!) and apply to the brow.

4. Open up your eyelids
A quick trick for making your eyes look bigger: Use your pinky finger to tap a dot of a light-colored shimmer powder or highlighter on the center of your lid. Be sure to blend it well by tapping it in until it’s barely noticeable.

5. Make your own lip stain
If, like me, you like to play with some color on your lips but don’t really like a very bright mouth, try this: Apply your lipstick, then blot. Then do it again two more times. You’ll end up with a nice lip stain that actually lasts. Add a little lip conditioner or balm on top to keep lips moist because the blotting soaks up the emollients in the lipstick.

This also works with lip gloss, taking off some of the shine so you can wear your favorite shade right into fall.

An extra 10 seconds is all you need to give your face an extra boost!

Aren’t those great tips?

Have a “Gorgeous” Day!

 

Oregon – California

As I stated before I could go on and on about Southern Oregon.  If you ever get a chance to visit, do so!!!  It’s beautiful.  And let me know so I can send you even more info 🙂

I am going to move on to California:

– Jelly Belly Candy Factory Touris a really interesting.  It’s free but most people, like us, end up buying a few things in the gift shop of course.  We try to only buy a little and succeded for the most part.  I will say this, don’t go to the cafe unless you want to drop a lot of cash.  That must be where they make most of their $$$.

– Of course San Francisco has so much to see that I could never cover it all but make sure to go through the Golden Gate Park and see the Windmill.  It is currently getting restored and my brother knows the contractor so we got to see the process it is going through.  When it’s complete it will be wonderful!

The Pacific Ocean.  Go early in the morning to pick up Sand Dollars.

-While in the San Francisco area stop by Lunardi’s Markets.  The fruit is excellent and they have a cinnamon bread that is to delicious to explain.  It’s good toasted or not. 

– Although we didn’t get there this time, try to head over to Half Moon Bay.  It’s just Southwest of San Francisco and has a wonderful small town quality to it.  There use to be a sandwich shop there that had lines out the door.  It was YUMMY!  Not sure if it’s still there or not.  I use to live near there and even as a teenager appreciated it.  And head a little more south to the town of Pescadero for some pie.

Tomorrow we will head south.

Have a “Scenic” Day!

 

PART III -OREGON

First of all:

GO TO OREGON!!  I MEAN I LOVE OREGON!!!!!!!!!

OK, now on to the recommendations:

– Eagle Rock Lodgejust East of Eugene/Springfield, OR.  This was one of the splurge options for us but can you say worth it!!!!!!!  The lodge itself is amazing.  It sits right on the McKenzie River.  The property is breathtaking.  We stayed in the Damsel Fly room and it was perfect for our family.  We had a separate room and the boys slept in the living room on a hide-a-bed.  They were big on making sure to do all the wonderful touches that make a big difference.  For example at night they have smore buckets and a nice cozy fire by the river, fuzzy socks to wear around the room, and fresh cookies to greet you as well.  And then came breakfast!!  Oh my!!!  Fresh baked scones and fruit, followed up by an egg dish with a homemade peach mango salsa I believe.  Anyways it was delicious.  If you get in this area you have to stay here.  My husband was ready to move in.  And the owners were as friendly as can be!!!!

(This is a covered bridge just a few miles west of the lodge.)

Here is their website if you ever want a chance for a great getaway!!

http://www.eaglerocklodge.com/

Since this review was so long, I will continue with Oregon tomorrow.

Have a “Berrylicious” Day

 

As Promised…

OK, I am just getting back to a little, and I mean little, routine right before school is going to start to throw me back off again.  So before things got crazy I promised some recommendations of places that we experienced while on our trip.  Today I will start with Utah……

–Arches National Park was pretty.  You can see arches along the way and then into the park there is a long route or you can go just part way in to see a few.  The information booth was very helpful in finding the best places to go with the amount of time you had.  The boys had a good time climbing after being in the car.

– Didn’t enjoy the Sheraton in Salt Lake City.  This is the first time I ever had to change rooms as it smelled completely like smoke.  This is weird since the whole building is suppose to be smoke free.  We went to another room and it wasn’t as bad but still smelled of cigarette smoke.

-Utah Olympic Park was wonderful.  You can do as much or as little as you want to.  The tour is a good price and informative.  There are many things to do and see there.  I would highly recommend the Quicksilver Alpine Slide!!!  Great place for all ages.

–Antelope Island at the Salt Lake was full of bugs!!  Not sure if it was just a bad time of the year to go there but we were ready to move on quickly. 

Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will cover Oregon recommendations.

Have a “Promising” Day!

 

I broke the law and the law won..

I was on MSN this morning and found this article regarding 12 makeup mistakes that women make.  I am sure I have broken all of them at some point..maybe all on bad days.  Here is the list for you to check over.  Maybe I will see you in makeup jail too 🙂

(Taken from http://lifestyle.msn.com/beautyandfashion/makeupandskincare/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8621979&GT1=32001)

The Dirty Dozen: 12 Makeup Mistakes You May Be

Making

By Sally Wadyka

In an ideal world, you would have all the various makeup products you want, have the time and money to update them each season and have the skilled hand necessary to apply them flawlessly. But even if that’s not the case, there are simple fixes you can try to help correct the most common beauty wrongs. “Makeup is a wonderful tool to enhance your look, but used correctly, it should never look fake or like you’re wearing a mask,” says New York City makeup artist Jessica Liebeskind. Here, the makeup mistakes many women routinely make, plus how to do it right.

1. Wearing too much (or too little) makeup.
“Your makeup should be time and place appropriate—so what looks perfect for a big evening event shouldn’t be the same as what you put on to go to the grocery store or the gym,” explains Liebeskind. When you consistently overdo your makeup, you run the risk of looking like you’re trying too hard. Toning it down a notch—for a more natural look—will be a better option for every day. On the flip side, Liebeskind cautions against being so afraid of looking fake or overdone that you skip makeup altogether. Her prescription for the perfect minimal makeup: A good moisturizer, under-eye concealer, blush, curl your lashes and add a sweep of lipstick or gloss.
2. Never updating your colors, products or techniques.
Still using the same eye shadow, blush and lipstick shades you fell in love with when you first started wearing makeup? Well, unless that was just last year, chances are you’re long overdue for a trip to the makeup counter. “Just like you pay attention to which jeans are currently in style—and feel outdated if you’re still wearing bootcut when the look is straight-leg—you need to pay attention to makeup trends,” says Liebeskind. That’s not to say that you have to toss and replace all your makeup every season, or that you have to wear bright red lipstick just because that’s what the models were sporting on the fashion runways. You can find ways to make the trends your own (perhaps swapping your circa 1990s brown-toned lipstick for a wine-colored stain if reds are in fashion) so that your face looks as stylish as your wardrobe.
3. Using the wrong color foundation.
You could have beautiful skin and perfect application technique, but if you’re wearing a foundation that doesn’t exactly match your natural skin tone, the results are going to look awful. By picking a shade that’s an exact match, you’ll make it very easy to get a flawless looking face. To find the right one, Liebeskind suggests trying on three—pick the one you think is the closest color match, and also try one shade darker and one shade lighter. Go to the makeup counter with no makeup on, and swipe the three shades in stripes that run from your cheek down to your neck. As you blend each one into your skin, look for the one that blends so effortlessly it literally just disappears. That will be your perfect match.
4. Over-tweezing (or ignoring) your eyebrows.
“The brows are such a central and important feature on your face,” says Liebeskind. “And when they’re well groomed they can enhance your eyes and your entire look.” If yours are out of control, it’s worth the time and money to let a professional take tweezers to them. Get a referral from a friend in order to find someone you know will do a good job. The worst thing you—or a pro—can do is to take off too many brow hairs. “As we get older, the brows naturally become more sparse, so if you tweeze your brows too thin, they might never fully grow back,” warns Liebeskind. If you follow your brows’ natural arch—but clean up the areas over, under and between brows—you’ll find the best shape. Visit a pro for a tune-up every few months and you should be able to keep them groomed on your own in between.
5. Wearing a rainbow of eye shadow shades at once.
Just because your compact came with four or more colors packaged together doesn’t mean you have to paint them all onto your eyelids at once. In fact, Liebeskind recommends using no more than three shades at a time—a medium shade on the lids, a lighter one to highlight the brow bone, and the darkest as a liner for the top and bottom lids. For a simpler, everyday application, you could skip the liner and just use a single light shade all over the lids up to the brows.
6. Not caring for your skin.
All the makeup in the world can’t compensate for skin that isn’t well primed. In order for makeup to go on smoothly and look its best, you need to think about your skin before you start to reach for your foundation or concealer. “If the skin isn’t properly hydrated, your concealer will look cakey, your blush splotchy and your foundation won’t spread evenly,” explains Liebeskind. For dry skin, slather on a rich moisturizer or a face oil before applying makeup. Oily skin will look best if you start by washing your face with a cleanser that absorbs oil and then use a lightweight, oil-free lotion that will hydrate the skin enough for makeup to go on smoothly, but won’t make the skin greasy or shiny.
7. Choosing the wrong makeup for your skin type.
Just as using the right skincare will help your makeup look better, it’s important to be sure you’re using the right makeup formulas to enhance your skin. If your skin is on the dry side, avoid powder foundations and blushes. Creamy formulas will blend better, and if you have any fine lines or wrinkles, a cream will help smooth them over (as opposed to powders which can settle into lines and make them appear more obvious). Normal to oily skin should stick to oil-free liquids and powders. And it pays to reassess your choices every so often to make sure you’re using the right formula for the skin you have now: You may have had oily skin since your teenage years, but if you are now over 40, chances are your skin is starting to shift toward the dryer side.
8. Going to bed with your makeup on.
“If you’re going to take the time to put it on, you’ve got to also take the time to take it off,” says Liebeskind. Leaving your makeup on overnight can clog your pores (not to mention getting your pillowcase dirty), plus, if you’re not removing your makeup, you’re not caring for your skin by cleansing and applying an appropriate night cream. To make a clean sweep: Use a makeup remover pad first to get rid of eye makeup and anything else that might not come off with your face cleanser (like a long-wearing lipstick).Follow with your usual facial cleanser to finish the job.
9. Paying too much attention to one feature on your face.
There’s a fine line between enhancing your favorite feature and overdoing it. “You don’t want to overcompensate so much that instead of seeing your bright, pretty eyes, all people notice is your elaborate eye makeup,” says Liebeskind. The trick is to play up your eyes more subtly and then add a little makeup to the rest of your face. For instance, just because you don’t want to call attention to your mouth doesn’t mean you have to leave it naked. Use a pretty, natural pink lipstick or gloss so that it still looks well-groomed, if not eye-catching.
10. Trying to draw on larger-than-life lips.
You’ve probably read advice from a makeup artist who suggested lining your lips outside your natural line in order to make your pout look fuller. “It’s not that it’s bad advice, but most women don’t have the technique to pull it off without looking silly,” says Liebeskind. A more foolproof approach: Apply your lipstick or gloss first and then take a pencil (in the exact same shade as your lipstick or gloss) and draw a light, thin line just at the outermost edge of your mouth. “The goal isn’t to make your lips look like you got silicone injections, but just to create the best version of what your lips can be,” she says.
11. Attempting to create contours that don’t exist.
Using darker shades of blush to try to brush on an optical illusion of more prominent cheekbones or a less prominent nose is a trick best left to professionals making someone up for photography or film. This is one technique that rarely works in the real world. No matter how skilled you are with the makeup brush, it’s nearly impossible to use dark colors that aren’t glaringly obvious when viewed in person, especially in broad daylight. Focus instead on pretty, soft makeup that plays up your best features.
12. Confusing concealer with cover up.
They may sound like they are intended to serve the same purpose, but according to Liebeskind, there is a big difference between the two. Concealer is what you use under your eyes to disguise dark circles and brighten the skin. It should be creamy in consistency and should be one or two shades lighter than your perfectly-matched foundation. Cover up—which should be used to camouflage blemishes or other flaws—needs to be exactly the same shade as your foundation. In fact, unless you want a treated cover up (designed to help dry up pimples), your foundation can double as your cover up. Use a small foundation brush to dab the product onto the blemish and set with translucent pressed powder.

 

Sally Wadyka is a freelance writer whose work appears regularly in Shape, Runner’s World and Real Simple.

 

Help…I need somebody..Help..Not just anybody

This summer we are planning a road trip.  Now I love to collect travel info (as some may know), but you know that if you live there you have the best knowledge of the area.  So that’s what I am looking for. 

If you live in or around –

• St. Lake City, UT
• Boise, ID
• Eugene, OR,
• Coastal CA

Please send me your tips.  We can use road tips, cheap and yummy cheap eats, places to stay that are economical but maybe a little different then a regular motel, etc.  We actually did most of our hotels via Priceline (LOVE THAT SITE!!) but send me anything you got.

Do you have anything for me?

 

 

75% of our world is water…

….can you swim? – Author Unknown

Swimming lessons for the boys (and a neighbor friend) start today.  I get to attend water aerobics at the same time 🙂 

We are very blessed to live close to a community pool.  We get to go every summer and take swim lessons for $6 every two weeks.   We are hoping one, or both, of the boys will take advantage of the swim teams at some point as that can lead into life guard positions as they get to working age.

Maybe someday we will be able to put in our own pool but for now we feel blessed to have this one so close to us.                          

Tip  Alert – It’s a sad reality, especially in our state, that children and pools (water) can have a deadly combination.  Make sure to check into swim lessons for your children if you, OR ANYONE YOU KNOW, HAS A POOL.  I have known situations where children have died at friends or relatives homes.  So keep your kids safe and get them lessons and watch them around water.                                    

For the ladies – Do you know that in most cases you purchase a swimsuit one size bigger than your normal size?  Go ahead and do it and if you don’t like the number on the tag, but see the suit fits great, just cut it out after you purchase it.  You will be much happier!

Have a “Swimming” Day!

 

Z for Zebras :)

Drum roll please…..

My final tip is on Owning a Zebra.  There was a lot of concern when 101 Dalmatians came out (the newer one) as people were giving dalmatians as a gift and then finding out that the animal didn’t fit in with their family.  This got me to thinking about the movie Racing Stripes. 

 ( picture from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_Stripes)

If you haven’t seen it, it’s about a Zebra who got left behind from his circus family and adopted by humans.  The zebra was then confused about who he was and wanted to be a race horse.  I thought to myself ….

So did this movie create the same issue?

Are there Zebras in the pound waiting for a home? 

Confused Zebras not knowing what kind of animal they are? 

If it did I, found this info helpful in case you did get a Zebra or want to:
(taken from http://www.geocities.com/zedonknzorse/wantzeb.html)    🙂

               So You Want A

Zebra

First
Know your zebras. Many people purchase zebras “for fun” at an auction, and have no idea what type (species/subspecies) of animal they have purchased. The types are easy to distinguish, and there is a vast amount of information about wild zebras available. However, 2 of the 3 species are threatened or endangered & Federal Law of ownership of these animals may come into play.

Second
Why do you want a zebra?  Having read about the behavior of the animals, how they act in a native habitat, what type of roaming / range they require -Are you wanting a novelty pet? Are you going to invest in a breeding program for the species preservation or are you attempting to raise hybrids for profit. If you answered a pet, then please reread your zebra information. Wild animals are not pets. Unless you intend to keep a family herd, trained enough to allow all members to be handled, in a native-similar setting, please do not get a zebra. A zebra without equine companionship is miserable. Equines are herd animals, and to deprive them of normal interactions is to promote depression, frustration & temperamental behavior.

Third
How much equine experience do you have? Never had a horse? A pony? A donkey or mule. We say with all sincerity Do not endanger yourself and a zebra by owning one of these animals. It’s  not fair to them. Most of the bad reputation zebra ( and other wild / captive animals) have comes from bad experiences with people starting out uneducated in their task. Even if you have worked around equines – do you like warmblood temperaments or hotbloods? Do you understand about stallion mentality? Have you raised or trained Ponies – Arabs – Mustangs? If not, you still may not be ready to own a zebra.

Fourth
How old will this zebra be? Are you going to purchase a bottle-foal, a 2 month, a weanling? Have you raised foals before? Do you understand imprinting? How will you bond a bottle coat with other equines. If your head is reeling and you are asking why? At this point , please understand we really are trying to help you. We want to save you from getting yourself in a possible situation that could become dangerous. Having reached the point where you can say “I don’t want a pet .I do want to breed hybrids. I understand I may not see a true profit from raising zebra or hybrids. I realize th etie and training involved in a wild animal.” – then you can seriously move on. What kind of facilities will your zebra / hybrid be in?  We don’t want you to be angry or upset and say “These people don’t want me to own a zebra.” Thats not true. We do want you to have a full understanding of what you will be dealing with – the animal itself. It’s mentality, needs and long term care. Would you be ready to  raise & care for a lion? A buffalo? You will be working with an 800 lb. Wild animal. Please stop and think about a worst case scenario. Zebras kept in captive situations should have sturdy fencing board or narrow-gapped pipe. A stud may need a 6 foot fence. A barbed wire enclosure will not do, neither will a small paddock. They need room to move and graze.here to access a list of some breeders of zebras in the US, get to know them & their stock. Talk with them, talk with several, get as many different viewpoints as you can before you take that very big step.Trained but Not Tame
What type of zorses or zebrass will you breed? Is there a market in your area? Can you evaluate bite & conformation? Can you work with the mares & their hybrid foals daily? Will your foals be dam-raised to weaning or pulled off as bottle babies? (Which is a whole ‘nuther can of worms.) Will you keep a stallion for live cover or A1? How does your vet feel about working with a zebra? Will you be able to give basic injections, float teeth, trim hooves? Yes, a lot of questions to answer but very necessary.Zonies
The smallest of the zebra hybrids, the zony is usually a cross between a zebra stallion & pony mare (Shetland or Welsh type). The Grants zebra is most commonly used, being only about 11hh (44″ tall). While there have been the occasional “reciprocal crosses” (Zebret, Zebra hinny) where a pony horse or donkey has sired a foal on a zebra mare. They are uncommon and not recommended. The use of miniature horse mares for breeding exceptionally tiny “zonies” is a highly controversial subject. The height difference (with a very small mare & stallion longear by more than 2hh (8″) could cause serious problems for the mare. In addition – know the market.Zorse
Any horse mare can become a zorse dam, but as with modern mules – don’t choose “throw away” mares to have your foals. In times past, if a mare was’t good enough to throw decent horse foals, she was sorted as “just a mule mare.” That got some ugly mule foals & more bad reputations for mules. Today’s saddle mule is refined & elegant, or stout & workable, with a quality dam, many with pedigrees. Give your zorse the same opportunity to be good and not ugly or mediocre.Grevys Zebras
There are not only chromosomal differences between the different zebra species, but conformational ones as well. (We will talk only about the plains & Grevys zebra, as the Mountain zebra is endangered and there are none known to be available for hybrid breeding or private captive programs.The Plains zebra are most common in zorse breeding (as in zonies), the conformation of the plains zebra is more conclusive to a good horse /cross hybrid. Many zorses very much resemble mules or horses, with the pattern being the most noticeable and out standing feature. Grevys zorses on the other hand are more widely varied and less consistent in conformation. While a few look quite nice, they seem to be the exception. The majority of Grevy / zorse photos all show conformation in common-large Roman – nosed heads, thin necks, high wither mounds, long backs, small legs. The one successful out- cross of a 1900’s breeding, “Juno” was considered so ugly (all of the bad and none of the good) that her conformation along with the percentage of failure in setting mares to zebra stallions brought the project crashing to a halt. Compare an assortment of plain’s cross  zebras/hybrids with Grant’s crosses below.Zebrass (Zedonk)
What will you do with your zebrass? Do you want to ride or drive? Again, miniature donkeys are not recommended (mini donkeys must be under 36″ at the withers. This puts a tremendous strain on such a small mare/jennet.) Standard donkeys (48-54″) or mammoth jennets (54.01″ and up) can all be used for breeding zebrass.Again, use jennets who themselves have good conformation. Yes, the hybrid offspring will be sterile & can’t pass faults along to offspring, but why breed for faults? ( or with faults in an animal).

***Ok, if that tip didn’t help you then try this one.  If you are going to the ZOO call ahead to see what time the animals, that you want to see, are most active.  Plan your day around that.  There is nothing worse then getting there are finding all the animals snoozing!***

The contest ends today.  Get your links to any of my A-Z tips on your blog and let me know today.  I will draw tomorrow for a winner.  Thanks everyone for playing along.

 Have a “Stripes” Day!  (Well not if that means getting arrested!)

 

You..

Who me?  Yes, you.  Couldn’t be.  Then Who?

Today’s A-Z tip is Y for You.

This is an easy one but so easy to forget. 

So often we make lists of everything we need to do.  We also make lists, that keep us up at night, of everything we didn’t do.  How about writing a list of what went well or did get accomplished that day?  

Tonight write a list, try to get at least five, of things that did go well, got accomplished, God restrained you, mistakes avoided, happy moments, etc to focus on before you go to bed.  Thank God for all that He helped you with and end the day right.  Think of a time when you didn’t loose your temper and you usually do.  What about the time you didn’t want to clean a room but when it was done you felt accomplished?  Include everything you can think of and celebrate with God the accomplishments of the day.

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

What do you say?  Are you up for the challenge?

Disclaimer – Of course I realize it’s important for us to confess our sins and this is not to avoid doing such, but I think so much time is focused on what didn’t go well that our motivation goes south and then we are discouraged.  I think He wants us to realize the good that He does through us.  That in the end is what keeps us doing more for
his kingdom.

Can you believe tomorrow is the last day of the A-Z tips?  You won’t want to miss Z.  Of course that means my contest will be ending.  Tomorrow will be the last day you can enter.  To participate you will need to link any of my A-Z tips on your blog and let me know.  I will enter you.  I will draw soon so hurry up and link up.
Have a “Positive” Day!