Two weeks ago, I wrote a Makeup Monday blog, to get your opinions on what I should assemble for My Spring 2019 Look. I sent out a request for people to vote on eye shadow and nail polish. Here are the choices.
First, I want to tell you about the other products I will be wearing. I bought a new foundation, a new mascara, and a new lipstick. They are going to complete the look.
Most of the products in the picture have been used before, however, I am sharing a comprehensive list for you. Since there were 2 ties, one for each survey, I got to choose between them. The next Makeup Monday is already being planned…and you can expect to see more new products with the other winning votes on May 20th, two weeks from now. (EDIT: It will be on May 27th, I was not able to get it completed by May 20th). I may be out of new makeup to try after the next Makeup Monday for a while, but I will write more in the future. Make sure you keep watching for new blogs like this in the future.
4 Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Colour 172 Rose Bold WINNER
5 Sally Hansen Hard As Nails with Nylon Top Coat 2700-95 Nude WINNER
6 Purple Blending Sponge
7 Blush Brush
8 Revlon PhotoReady Eye Art 090 Burnished Bling WINNER
9 Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner Expresso
10 Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Curl Mascara
11 Bourjois Paris BB Gloss 02
12 Maybelline Fit Me! Foundation 110 Porcelain
13 Essence Eyeshadow Base Primer
14 Concealer Brush
15 NYX Colour Correcting Concealer Palette
I often wear lip stain, but for today’s spring look, a tinted gloss is just perfect. The only issue with gloss is reapplication, and it is not something I want to have to worry about all the time. For this look, it works. In these first two pics, I am reflecting on the new Spring Look for 2019.
I now have a dilemma.
With the new pics, I will have to choose which one to use as my new profile pic, and which one to use on my Instagram Account.
I am happy with the new foundation. It went on smooth with the blending sponge. The colour suits my skin tone. I am trying this mascara for the first time. I love the brush shape. The mascara is a little flaky, so it will not be my first choice.
Here is the winning manicure picture.
Makeup Monday Spring Look 2019 Nails
There it is! I have fun learning about makeup, and sharing my adventures here. Remember, there is a new one coming in 3 weeks, on May 27th, with my other new look for spring 2019. Got to love a double tie!
What do you think of this look? Please let me know in the comments below.
Issues with weight. It has its ups and downs. On the scale, in the grocery store, with activity…I could go on for days with how many things can affect my issues with weight. I am not alone. So many people have issues with their body image, and if it is something everyone experiences, then we need to take a step back.
Reflection on our body image can be a harsh experience, if we let it. I remember when I was writing about gremlins, a while back, who were whispering so softly I didn’t even realize they were inside my head. One thing we can do to help ourselves is to change the message we are hearing from within. I did not come up with this concept, but I am giving it a whirl.
I have been working so hard on myself and this includes my health. It is tedious to be focusing on it all the time. It could be something to obsess about if I let it. I am not the best at the daily record keeping for this. Why?
I struggle with prioritizing me on my list
What? I have been working on this issue for what seems like the whole time I have been writing in this category. If I was doing this on a regular basis, things would be better. I know it. You know it. Sometimes I have a hard time thinking that I deserve to be on my list. Oh, I have this, and that, and so many things to do that I should do which are more important than filling out the daily checklists which I have taken the time to write down. Am I filling out the paper for time management were given to me to track my time? NO! I am important enough to fit my health and my time into my list. Why can’t I just grasp this concept? It is a struggle, like the title says, with its ups and downs.
Yes. I am writing that I did take the time to make my checklist, and I do have paperwork for accountability to bring to all of my appointments. This is my attempt to get the ball rolling again. For the billionth time. Maybe this time it will work. It has to.
The pressure of letting down the professionals I am working with is not enough incentive. It used to be. When I decided to work on me while I have the time, I was doing the work. I stopped. As a result, I am trying to get back to creating healthy habits. Some days, it is so hard.
I was relying on others to make me do the work
Of course it was easier to get me to do things if other people were counting on me. If others need my help, I am the first one to volunteer. I need to focus on more than just time management. I need to get to the bottom of my issues. What does that mean, really?
It means I have to do the work.
As we all roll our eyes at this, me while I write it, and you when you read it, it is the truth. It isn’t rocket science. Hard work is not easy, and if you fall out of line, it isn’t so easy to get back on track. If doing the work was easy, it wouldn’t be something a lot of people struggle with.
Accountability Groups
I am in a lot of groups on social media. Most of them are not run by me, but one is. It is a support group, of 8 people with weight issues. I do find it is helpful for me to have a safe place to encourage others and myself. It helps me to try harder and to do better. The members help me to change it for the better, which is incredibly helpful. Their input is crucial in keeping it active. I am scheduling the posts a week at a time, so I don’t fall behind. I still interact with the group in the prompts, and for now, I am happy with it.
We do work on meal planning, tips, weigh ins once a week, non scale victories, feedback, spa day, and activity. One topic per day, although sometimes I miss a day here or there. I have added in recipe shares when I find new recipes, or some I have tried already and love.
I do think I can keep improving it, but for now, it works for our needs. Part of the work I need to do is to manage my time more effectively, to become more productive. This will allow me to do more of the things I need to do in more areas of my life.
Finally, I want to ask you about how you think of yourself.
Self-reflection is a difficult thing to do. Start with your positive features, and increase from there to how awesome you are. Especially if you read this blog! š I happen to think my best feature is my blue eyes. Instead of commenting with what you do not like, please leave a comment below about your best features. Let’s share our ups this week, and forget about the scale.
In the last couple of weeks, I have slipped a little on what I have been working on. As a result, I have had to do some serious thinking. I am not losing the battle. I am human, and I have slacked off a little in keeping up with the food journal. It does take effort, and commitment to keep up with it, among all of the other things I am currently struggling to accomplish. I am up to the task, but sometimes you have to find easier ways to attack the numerous responsibilities in your life. I am thinking about starting to use my fitness pal, an app on the tablet I was given by a friend.
Earlier in this series, I wrote about the little spark of light within myself. The part of me that needs to shine, so much brighter than the darkness it is enshrouded in. I have done some reflection on this, and I think it is time for a new perspective.
Stay with me here.
I still believe in me. I still believe in you. And most importantly, I still believe in letting my little light shine brighter than the sun.
What if the reason we struggle within ourselves is because we imagine there are opposing forces?
What if the answer is not to fight so hard? The light will shine from your heart if you let it. It will overcome the darkness. Why do we focus so hard on making things harder than they have to be?
It is in our nature. Everything we experience in life which is worth the outcome is derived from a struggle. For some, it is getting out of bed and dressed every day. Other people fight to get through the weekday hustle to find rest in the weekend. Addiction afflicts many people, more than the individuals who have this issue, it can reach further to attack families and friends. People like me struggle to become more active and lose weight, second-guessing every bite of food they put into their mouth. Others, at the opposite end of the scale, obsess about that bite of food so much that they may not even eat it. Or they appear to be eating regularly but they hide how they remove the food from their body when they are alone.
There has to be an easier way.
When it comes to my approach to everything in life, I am not a quitter. I push and fight. I dig in my heels, yell, and cry. Sometimes, all the effort pays off. I accomplish my goal. But at what cost?
This is what I am getting at. If it is so hard to get to the desired result, maybe I shouldn’t be pushing so hard. What if instead of trying to use my inner light to just be. Let it sparkle and twinkle until it is existing in harmony with the darkness. It is in there, it is inside all of us. We need to believe it can be seen and more importantly, that it should be seen.
When we focus on the struggle, we are expending time and valuable energy on the wrong thing. It is something else when you stop fighting. When you do, don’t let the darkness take over. Let the little light inside reach out to the world.
When you stop fighting so hard, you can believe in yourself fiercely.
It isn’t easy to just change your perspective. I am working on this constantly. There are good times and bad times, just the same as with other parts of life. You need to experience both to learn and grow. One cannot happen without the other. I am here to tell you that you can change the way you think about yourself, and find the confidence you need to make conscious choices every day to make this possible.
There is no war inside your heart. Not if you don’t create it. There is only you. And you, my friends, are meant to step aside with the darkness, so that the world can see the beautiful glow from within. It is there. I am learning to trust in it. You can too.
Let me know how this post or any in this category have helped you. I started writing to help people, and I am still writing with that purpose in mind. Is it working?
It is with great pleasure that I am sharing my newest Makeup Monday Spring 2019 Eyes and Nails blog post with you all. A while ago, I had this idea when a friend recommended a product. While I was planning this post, the idea grew with the addition of more products. As a result, before I knew it, I was going to need time to gather a large number of pics to share this idea here. Let’s get to it!
One reason I kept delaying this post was that I needed to take close-up pics of my eyes.
I love my blue eyes, however, I don’t love the lines and bags under them. So one of the first products I added to the list was the Garnier Skin Active Clearly Brighter Eyes Anti-Puff Eye Roller. It claims to reduce the look of puffiness and dark circles. Brightens and refreshes with Vitamin C, Caffeine and an Antioxidant Complex. Since I am already using the Garnier Skinactive Micellar Water makeup remover for my eyes, when I don’t use the Vichy eye makeup remover, I am trying this eye roller product also.
It is recommended to keep this product in the fridge, so into the drawer it went with my insulin. I keep it in the box, to keep it from rolling around in there too much. The product says when you use it on a regular basis, more benefits will be seen. At this time I have used it twice. Since using it, I am not sure if it is helping or not. Let me know in the comments what you think about it.
Products used. In this pic, note #7 product and the pic of me. I have applied it under my right eye, where the #7 is. #6 is the eye shadow base coat or primer by essence, applied before the eye shadows 1-5 above.
Revlon Photoready Eye Art
I had seen my friend apply this product while we were at work, and I tried to pay attention. She has had a lot more practice than I have had with it. The amount of products I am testing in this Makeup Monday Spring 2019 Eye and Nails post required quantity over quality. Don’t worry, in 2 weeks I am going to write another one based on the votes from this week’s post. It will be a quality based post, for a final look, voted on by you! I really do have a plan here, and it took a while to think it all up before I was able to take action.
I have the pic below ready with the colours numbered as above, 1-5. Here are the product colours and numbers.
1 Burnished Bling – 090
2 Green Glimmer – 010
3 Peach Prism – 060
4 Steel Spark – 110
5 Lilac Luster 020
My pyramid of eye shadow trials.
I love the way it makes my eyes sparkle!
These pics show the base coat and the sparkle paint on top. Using my ring fingers to smooth out the essence primer and the base colour eye shadows was recommended from the videos I watched. I used the brush to apply the sparkle. I watched some YouTube videos and gave it a go. The top pics were taken on a different day, and the bottom 8 pics were all taken today. My eyes are tired, but I learned a valuable tip while watching the videos. Sephora makeup videos have a lot of useful information in them, and they recommend to hold the cotton pad with the eye makeup remover on your lid for 30 seconds before wiping the eye makeup off. I have not tried this with full eye makeup on, no mascara or eyeliner, but it worked really well to remove this product.
Sorry 4 & 5 are out of order in the first pic, I hope it doesn’t confuse anyone!
My friend doesn’t use the base coat, just the sparkles. I like using both and learned to let it dry between applications. If it is on for more than a few hours, my eyelids feel heavy, and after a while, I need to take it off. I would totally wear it for a photo shoot or a night out on the town. I mean, it is sparkly eyes!
Time for a little polish
Since I had 5 different colours of eyeshadow to try, I thought it would be fun to do my nails to match…you guessed it…all 5 colours! I know there are trends in nail art, and I don’t necessarily follow or understand them all.
As an author, I find it adds something to my day spent typing away at the keyboard if my nails are sporting polish. It makes the typing seem more important, more professional, and makes me smile when I see the colours flashing on the keys.
Here is the description pic for the nailpolish. As I am displaying fingers from both hands in this set, my husband was recruited to take these pics. He did a great job, and we didn’t even need any retakes!
Makeup Monday Nail Polish Details
As you can see I had fun with this too. With the Wet ‘n’ Wild sparkles on my right hand, I am giving my own spin to a nail polish trend. Who knows, maybe it will catch on!
The last pic shows the nail polish bottles, and my hands all polished up. It was a lot of fun to work on this blog post, and I look forward to using these products over the spring and summer.
Makeup Monday Pretty Polish for Spring 2019!
Now I need your help, please!
I am planning another Makeup Monday blog in 2 weeks to try out some more ( I used points to get as much as I could!) makeup out. Since I now have so many choices, I would love to know what look you want to see me put together for this post. I am going to create a poll for people to vote on below. There will be one for eyes and a separate one for nails. What do you want to see for my new spring look?
Help me to choose by filling out the following 2 surveys.
I am asking for emails just for my own curiosity. I am not planning to send any emails out to the participants of this quiz. It is just for fun! Please help me choose the colours for my next Makeup Monday Blog post. Deadline is next Monday, May 29th at midnight in my time zone. 1 hour ahead of EST. The next Makeup Monday will be ready on Monday May 6th! I look forward to completing my spring look with your help!
Recently I started working on expanding my writing and blogging skills by asking fellow bloggers if they would be interested in hosting a guest post written by yours truly on their websites. Four bloggers have taken me up on this offer, and soon I will be able to say that I have completed them all. I have one left to write.
Today, I have a different blog to share. I am hosting a book tour for one of the authors I worked with earlier this year, Rita Kruger. This is my second time working on a book tour, so I am crossing my fingers in between typing that I get it done right!
Introducing Angela’s Epistles The Gap Year by Rita Kruger. I just love the cover art!
The Gap
Year
Angela’s
Epistles Book 1
by Rita
Kruger
Genre:
SciFi Action, LGBT Romance
Angela Wright might have everything her
father’s money can buy, but that meant nothing to her on the night of her
twenty-eight birthday. She is angry and a little bit drunk as she flees the
scene of a fight with her mother.
All her life she has done the right thing. But she
is tired of living under her motherās shadow. How can she ever compete with
Margaret Wright, the first Human judge on the Intergalactic High Court?
Within the space of a few days, Angela drops out in
the last semester at Intergalactic Bureau of Investigation Academy, signs a
bounty hunting contract to find the top ten criminals in the galaxy, and kisses
Brenda, her best friend since childhood.
She might be late, but at last she is blooming.
Rita Kruger
lives in Vereeniging, South Africa. She is wife, granddaughter, daughter,
mother, and grandmother. Most of childhood happened within the pages of books.
Stories conspired to carry her away from the world she knew. The places and
people books introduced her to were much more exciting
than her boring existence.
Currently married to her personal MacGyver, she surrounds herself with what enriches her body, mind and soul. Family. Friends. Nature. Great food. Good wine. Mountains of books. She writes novels challenging major themes of her life in the genres of fantasy and gothic horror, which she loves.
Actually,
I was reading a Noir style novel written by a friend. It had a
sarcastic tone, great characters that are flawed and fighting the
good fight. I loved it so much that I thought Iād do something like
it. Mine did not turn out to be a noir, but the badass alpha female
inspired Angelaās character.
Where
did you come up with the names in the story?
When
I write, I usually donāt name my characters. I make a list of male
and female names that would fit in with the type of story Iām
writing. Then I write and every time a characterās name appears,
Iāll insert MC1 (Main Character 1), or MC2, or V1 (Villain 1) and
so forth. It might continue up to chapter three or four.
Angela
told me her name in a dream one night. Bren jumped right in with her
name the first time she appeared in the story. So actually she was
named almost two weeks before I knew the main character would be
Angela..
What
did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I
am addicted to learning. I always do a lot of research for my novels.
There are books that I spend two months in research even before I sit
down to outline.
Tell
us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
Angela
is a bit conflicted in the first two books. She wants to become a
person in her own right, but she has difficulty in walking away from
her mother, Margaret. She also trusts people to easily. She surrounds
herself with people she thinks off as family, but some of them are
not good for her at all.
She
doesnāt have the ability to stop and think. She is very impulsive.
Sometimes that is good, but more often it isnāt.
Bren,
Angelaās love interest, is to opposite. She is very laid back. She
is in a job that bores her, but has no aspirations to leave, because
there is no pressure on her at all. I have been pondering to
write her āside-story.ā
Who
knows, maybe one day?
Did
you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
Oh
yes! I did a lot of research about what life would be like in 2053.
And it was so wonderful to see the concepts that people are working
on for the future. In Canada, for instance, they are working on a
city where all deliveries would be made via tunnels underground.
Buildings would have all the latest tech already installed for us.
And there was this cool bed that I swear could be my future house. It
has aircon, a fridge, internet and stuff controlled by voice command.
The end of the bed will have the largest television screen youāve
ever seen, with surround sound. You can close the sides of the bed
with screens to make it soundproof.
Have
you written any other books that are not published?
This series has six books that are all completed. # 5 and #6 are at the editors as I type this. I also have a Paranormal Romance Trilogy that will be hitting the markets later the year. For 2020 Iām doing a seven book Epic Fantasy series (Voices of the Apocalypse) of which three books are completed, but still need to be professionally edited.
“To thank you all for reading this post, I want to let you know that there is a contest, also a part of the book tour”.
