3 PRODUCTS FOR THE PERFECT RED LIP

There's something about wearing red lipsticks that instantly makes me feel dressed up, and put together, but it's maintaining it that's the trouble.  Here are three of my tried and true products that I use to get the perfect red lip (and keep it).  Oh and did I mention each product is all under $10?

COLD BREW ICE CREAM FLOAT

Want to acheive cold brew coffee greatness? Add a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream to your brew. Seriously it will change your life. 

DIY WEDDING HAIR

In addition to doing my own makeup for the wedding, I also did my own hair :) :) 

DIY MATCHA GREEN TEA FACE MASK

Today's recipe isn't necessarily an edible one; (well it kind of is all natural ingredients, but it probably wouldn't taste very good) it is, however, incredibly easy to make, and makes your skin look ah-mazing.  Totally worth it.

NO BAKE COCONUT BARS

I have a confession to make. When I was making these I may or may not have taste tested the "batter", and then I decided I was going to triple the recipe. I knew that one cup of coconut was not going to be enough.

DIY GOLDEN GLOBES NAILS

During the countdown to the red carpet for the Golden Globes on the E! Network you probably caught this nail tutorial with Christina Milian and her sisters. Inspired by the Golden Globes I decided to give it a go myself, and I was actually very surprised with how easy it was. Here's how you get the look.

HOMEMADE TURKEY SOUP

Not sure what to do with all those turkey left overs? Why not make a turkey soup? This recipe is super easy, and can be whipped up using things you already have.  Remember that turkey I made for the Christmas potluck I hosted? Well along with making the turkey, stuffing, AND gravy I also made this soup, and it's so easy you can too! 

BETTER FOR YOU EGGNOG LATTE

Synonymous with the holidays eggnog is a must; pair it with some coffee or espresso? I mean, it's next level amazing. Who doesn't love a good eggnog latte? Starbucks certainly experienced an outcry large enough for them to bring it back recently for the holiday season, but your waistline might have different feelings. At an average of 460 calories and 21 grams of fat you might find yourself on the hunt for a better for you recipe. And of course I've got it! And guess what it's vegan.

HOW TO HOST THE BEST BACHELORETTE PARTY

One of my longest and closest friends is getting married this April to her high school sweet heart, and before sending her off to married life we had to make sure to have one last hurrah for her as a single gal.

Typically the maid of honor is responsible for planning the bachelorette party, but because my girlfriend's lived out of town I decided I should give her a hand in tackling some of the responsibilities.

Because the ultimate objective is to give the bride a fun and memorable night, you should make sure all factors in the party planning process are taken into consideration. Enclose in this post are some tips and suggestions for throwing the ultimate bachelorette party! Probably goes without saying, but this post is scandalous in nature, so modest readers beware.

If you're planning a bachelorette party and need some tips look no further I got you covered!  

KALE PESTO PASTA W/ CHICKEN AND VEGGIES (GF)

I made this recipe on a whim because I didn't want the kale I bought for a big batch of smoothies to go bad before I needed to make them again. I was winging it at best, but I never thought the result would be SO good, or that I could use this recipe for so many things. 

HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE PERFECT CHEESE PLATE

Spoiler alert blog reader! There may or may not be another blog meet up in the works. It's been a long time coming, but I think it's fine time we put our best efforts into action. So much of blogging is done behind a computer screen, but it's important for us bloggettes to get out there and mingle! With this in mind I've put together a little post to help you navigate how to assemble the perfect cheese plate because let's face it, a girls gotta eat! 

COCA COLA BY OPI: A REVIEW

OPI recently collaborated with Coca-Cola to feature nine new limited edition nail lacquers inspired by the brand, and I was lucky enough to give them a test drive. 

HEALTHY MEXICAN LAYERED DIP (VEGAN, GF)

Okay okay okay... so it doesn't score highly on the pretty scale, but it is delicious I promise!! While hosting a Mexican themed potluck I made this vegan dip, and it was SO easy and a lot of the ingredients I already had on hand.  I know that personally sometimes I look at vegan recipes, and I'm like who has time for that, but this one wasn't complicated and the ingredients were familiar to me.

HAIRSPIRATION: THE TWISTED HAIR CROWN

image source

Currently I've been finding that my long hair is getting kind of blah, and so I've been looking for different ways to jazz it up. Doing the usual rounds on instagram I spotted this "twisted hair crown" photo by the gorgeous Amber Fillerp Clark of barefootblonde.com and I was intrigued. I had no idea how to do it, but I just kept playing with my hair until I got the look (I think) I was going for. 

SWEET AND SALTY KETTLE CORN

If you're looking for something sweet and salty this recipe is for you! 

How to Apply False Lashes

With the holidays coming up who doesn't love to play around with some nice big false lashes?! If you're not a pro when it comes to applying them yourself this video tutorial is for you! This girl has got it down; she's a pro when it comes to false lashes! Her process is almost identical to what I do to apply false lashes with the exception that I add mascara at the end (just a personal preference)! I think the eyeliner prior to the application, and waiting for the lash glue to get tacky is definitely key! What ever you do, don't rush the process I assure you what ever results is not worth it!

Good Luck Out There! 

Sincerely 

Short Presents

METALLIC EYE MAKEUP TUTORIAL

Since the Christmas music has already starting playing in stores, and the red starbucks cups are out and about I figured this video tutorial should be okay! I love the idea of a metallic eye for the holiday season! 

Would you rock a metallic eye blog reader?

xo

Short Presents

Get Ready With Me: Products I Use For A Night Out On The Town

People ask me all the time what products I use for a night out, and they are always surprised to know that a good makeup application doesn't always need to break the bank! I am the queen on combining high and low, and so today I am taking you through all the goodies I use to put together a good night out look so you know where to spend your dollars. Get your notebooks ready blog reader it takes village haha just kidding !

Getting Cheeky - Makeup Forever 'Artisan Brush Collection' Review

It's no secret that I am a major fan of blush; I think the single most effective way to appear more youthful and fresh is by applying color to the cheeks. There's something about flushed cheeks that makes us look super charged, healthy and ultimately less tired. I am a firm believer that blush is one beauty product that livens up your face instantly and it's one I couldn't live without.

As women we are masters of multitasking and so we need products that are as productive as we are. This is why I love the idea of this Double Ended Sculpting Brush (#158) from the latest Make Up Forever Artisan Brush Collection. Keep reading for a full review of this double ended tool.

Pack the Perfect Picnic

With summer drawing to a close you might find yourself in want of finally making the effort to go on that picnic you've been talking about all summer. Having the right food in your picnic basket can be the difference between fun and food poisoning. I've put together a little list of picnic packing essentials to help ensure that you and your loved one have a great time.