Make up

Beauty YouTubers

I love to watch beauty videos on YouTube.  I am always looking for new YouTubers to watch.  If you have any good recommendations let me know! I have some of my own recommendations of people to follow.  Here are my top 3…

https://www.youtube.com/user/GlamLifeGuru/videos

Tati Westbrook | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/GlamLifeGuru/videos

My absolute favorite YouTuber is Tati Westbrook of Glam Life Guru.  She is not only absolutely beautiful, but she also makes the most well made and professional make up videos.  If you don’t already follow her, you definitely need to check her out!  I have no idea how she doesn’t have over a million viewers!  Her videos are seriously amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/user/FancyThatwithCandice

FancyThatwithCandice | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/FancyThatwithCandice

You have got to check out Candice from Fancy That With Candice!  She is so cute and has the sweetest personality!  I love to watch her videos because she gets so excited over the smallest things.  Her videos are so well made and enjoyable to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Melmphs  And last, but definitely not least is

Melissa Autry | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/Melmphs

Melissa Autry of Melmphs!  Oh my goodness, she is so funny!!!  I seriously crack up at her videos.  She tells it like it is and gives great product reviews all while being entertaining and hilarious.  She is from Tennessee and her accent and personality are great!  You have got to watch her videos, you will be smiling the entire time!  “Are you ready for the weekend, Baby?” (watch her and you will know exactly what I mean by that 😉 )  Be sure to give me some of your favorites as well!

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

Hi, My Name is Laura and I Am A Food Addict…

Some posts are easier to share than others…

Journey with me From Flab to FAB!

So, from the title you can already tell what this post is going to be about…  While I am not completely serious when I say that I am a food addict, I definitely have a love/hate relationship Eat to Live or Live to Eat |lookingjoligood.wordpress.comwith food.  I  love to eat, yet I hate the guilt that comes along with it.  It is a crazy cycle!

Some people are just naturally fit and thin, while others have to work really hard at it.  Some people are naturally built thicker and curvier.  Some people just naturally don’t like to eat a lot (what is their problem?! :-))  Other people love to eat!  Some people can eat whatever they want while others look at food and gain weight.

Growing up, I was always able to eat whatever I wanted and never gain weight.  Then I got married, and pregnant and then I hit my thirties.  While I am by no means unhealthy or overweight, I definitely have those few pesky pounds that I want to lose.

Just as much as I love to eat, I have always loved to exercise, but… unfortunately abs are made in the kitchen just as much as they are in the gym

healthy-food flab to FAB journey | lookingjoligood.wordpress.comI have tried to “diet” in the past and what ends up happening is that I get stressed out about everything that I eat and obsessed with all the things that I can’t eat.  Usually I end up super cranky and quit without seeing any results.

So, all this being said, I have recently started a healthy eating journey.  It is not always fun, and it doesn’t usually taste as good as ice cream, but it hasn’t been as hard as I thought.  I have been retraining my brain to think about food differently.  It is an everyday decision and it takes a lot of planning.  It doesn’t mean that I don’t still plan on posting awesome dessert recipes (or even eating awesome desserts), it just means that I have changed my way of thinking about dessert.

I plan to share some of my journey with all of you, and if you are interested, you can even join in and take the journey along with me!  Let me know what you think and if you have ever had similar struggles with food.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Beauty Subscription · Make up · Review

September Ipsy Glam Bag

I can’t believe that another month has flown by and it is already time to receive another ipsy glam bag!  If you don’t know what ipsy is you can check out my previous post all about it by clicking HERE. 

As usual, again this month my daughter was very excited about seeing what the ipsy glam bag design was going to look like.  This month it is a gold faux leather bag with a raised texture pattern design with a matching tan zipper. She described this months bag as “really pretty with a ‘leatherish’ feel”.

Here is a picture of what my “glam bag sneak peak” said I would be getting in my bag this month…But it isn’t what I actually received.  Too bad, because I like the items they were supposed to send me better than the ones that I got.  Oh well, nothing I can do about it now.
September Ipsy Glam Bag | lookingjoligood.wordpress.comHere is what I actually did get in my ipsy glam bag this month…
-NYX Cosmetics ipsy Eye Shadow Trio- when my daughter saw this she said “That light shade will NYX Cosmetics ipsy Eye Shadow Triobe great for all over the lid and the brown one will be perfect for the crease.”  That’s my girl!  The black shade swatches a bit patchy but it might be different once actually applied to the lid.

-Formula X Nail Color in Ignite- While it is a perfect for fall dark red shade, this one is going into the give away pile. As I have mentioned before, I actually hate getting nail polish samples.  I get my toes done at the salon and never paint my finger nails at home.

-Crown Brush Oval Concealer Brush (C224)

-Not Soap, Radio Revitalizing Hand/Body Lotion in the scent persimmon + plum (smells quite delightful)
tre'StiQue  lip crayon Nantucket Nude | September Ipsy Glam Bag | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com
-tre’StiQue Mini Matte Lip Crayon in Nantucket Nude- The actual product itself is wonderful, I have a few other tre’StiQue products and I love them .  This lip crayon is smooth and creamy, feels great on the lips, swatches beautifully.  Unfortunately, the color is absolutely horrendous on my lips!  I’ll spare you a picture of it!

I am jealous that this month some people got the NAOBAY Natural & Organic Oxygenating Moisturizing Cream. It is one of my favorites and I just ran out of it.  I still can’t find where to repurchase it, and the site that ipsy sent me to isn’t in English, so I can’t read it well enough to purchase it. *sigh* Nothing wants to work out for me, haha.

How about you?   Did you get an ipsy’s glam bag?  What did you get in yours?  Were you happy with your samples?  Do you get any other monthly subscription bags/boxes that are worth trying out?  Let me know in the comments below.

If you don’t already subscribe and would like to try out ipsy you can use my referral link by clicking HERE!

Fashion/Style · Make up

Liebster Award Number 2, 3, and 4!

Liebster Award |lookingjoligood.wordpress.comI have been nominated for the Liebster Award by the beautiful Hannah Harden at Vogue In Vines, she has a wonderful blog and I am envious of her long legs 🙂
Olivia Blake at Diadem of Beauty also nominated me, as well as Siobhan over at Beauty and the Look.   Thank you ladies, it was so kind of you to choose me. I really enjoyed reading and answering your questions.  Check out their blogs!  You will be glad that you did.  Click HERE to read my previous Liebster award post.

Here are my answers to their questions.

Vogue In Vines questions…

  1. Favorite dessert? I love desserts, all desserts, I have a MAJOR sweet tooth!  Caramel, especially is my favorite!  I can’t narrow it down, pretty much if it has caramel in it, I love it.
  2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Oh, the places you will go…I would love to travel all over the world!  Specifically I would like to go to the city of lights, Paris, France.
  3. What is the best dish you can cook? I am going to brag, get ready for it… I am a really good cook.  I love to eat and therefore pretty much everything I make I want to taste good.I frequently post recipes that are my favorites and specialties.
  4. Favorite restaurant?  As I have said, I LOVE to eat good food.  I also love to try new restaurants so I don’t necessarily have a favorite one.
  5. If you could have dinner with any 3 people, who would they be?  Well, actually, I eat dinner every night with the 3 most important people in the world,my husband, son and daughter.
  6. Favorite perfume?  I don’t personally wear it, but I do love the scent of Marc Jacobs Daisy
  7. What is your biggest pet peeve?  I hate when people are running late and don’t call or text to let me know.
  8. Lipstick or lipgloss? While I love lipstick, but I am totally a nonsticky shiny lipgloss girl
  9. Favorite movie?  Ledges of the Fall 1994 with Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, and Henry Thomas.(If you have never seen it, you definitely should!)
  10. What is something you are really good at? I am really good at talking to strangers.  Kind of a weird “talent”, but it is something that I am good at 😉

Beauty and the Look’s questions are..

  1. What is your favourite book? I have so many favorites.  I will  try to narrow it down to just one…um…I am going to go with A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith If you have ever read it, you know why it is my favorite.
  2. Have you ever had a nickname? What is it?  My nickname is Lua pronounced Loo-ah.  When I was in Nursing School, my chemistry professor had a speech impediment and pronounced Laura without the “r” like Loo-ah.  Even after we were finished with that chemistry class, a few of the girls who hadn’t know me before the class actually thought that my name was Lua.
  3. What is your favourite inspirational quote? There are so many awesome quotes.  One of my favorites right now is “Slow progress is better than No progress!”
  4. What is your favourite item of clothing?  I have this one pair of gap jeans that I love so so so much!  I would wear those things every day of my life if I could. I don’t, but I would if I could
  5. Why did you start your blog? Often I get asked by my friends how I do different makeup looks or techniques as well as what types of makeup and brands I use.  I basically started blogging because I felt as if I had some useful things that I could share with others.
  6. Do you like to bake? What is your favourite thing to bake? I love to bake and chocolate chip cookies with M&M’s are one of my favorites!!! Yum!
  7. Favourite clothes shop? I love Ann Taylor clothes, and the GAP
  8. Favourite song? I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I am really loving Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys (when my daughter sings along with her, it is pretty much the cutest thing ever!)
  9. Favourite season? Hands down Spring!  I love all the sunshine and flowers
  10. Lipstick or lipgloss? While I love lipstick,  I am totally a nonsticky shiny lipgloss girl

Diadem of Beauty’s questions for me?

  1. Whats your go to make up item for everyday? If I could only wear one thing I would wear mascara
  2. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter? Spring
  3. Favourite Foundation?  I am loving the Maybelline Better Skin Super Stay Foundation (If you want to, you can read what I think about it by clicking HERE)
  4. Why did you create a blog? Same as above answer 🙂
  5. Favourite Makeup Guru?  I LOVE Tati Westbrook from Glam Life Guru You seriously have got to check her out!
  6. Ultimate Beauty Must have you think everyone needs?  Everyone needs a great moisturizer. You have got to take good care of your skin.
  7. Favourite Blogger? There are so many great bloggers, I don’t know if I can pick a favorite.  I really enjoy reading Huda Kattan at hudabeauty.com She is not only beautiful, but she has such a great personality.
  8. One top make up tip/Advice you can give your readers.  Always wear sunscreen!
  9. Which Kardashian/Jenner Sister has the best make up? Um, honestly, I don’t “keep up with the Kardashians”…so…Kim?
  10. Whats the most amount of money you’ve ever spent on a make up product?  I think the $72.50 for a 17.6 oz/500gm Borghese Fango Active Mud For Face and Body mud mask  that I wrote about in my weekly highlight last week.

Thanks for reading and go check out Vogue In VinesDiadem of Beauty, and Beauty and the Look.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Make up · Tips and Tricks

Hair Color and Skin Undertones

Hair Color and Skin Undertones | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com Experiencing a good hair day has the power to completely transform your entire perspective! Although I’m unsure of the exact reasons behind it, I can confidently affirm that it holds true without a doubt. Knowing that your hair looks good can add an immeasurable amount of confidence to the way that you feel.

A lot of people are fortunate enough to be born with a beautiful head of gorgeously colored hair. Take my son, for instance, he was blessed with stunning auburn red hair. It’s not uncommon for random women to approach him and express admiration for his captivating hair shade. Naturally, being a young boy, he finds it rather bothersome when they do so. 🙂

Were you aware that, similar to undertones being crucial for selecting foundation, they play an equally significant role when it comes to coloring your hair? (If you don’t know what your skin undertone is read my post by clicking HERE!)

Unless you are going for a shockingly major change, try to stay within two shades of your natural hair color for the best results.

If your skin has warm undertones, it’s advisable to opt for hair colors that have warm tones as well. On the other hand, if your skin has cooler undertones, it’s best to stick with hair colors that have cooler tones. An effortless method to determine the undertones of a hair dye is to observe its name: if it includes “platinum” or “ash,” it signifies a cool-toned color. Conversely, if the name contains “golden” or “mahogany,” it indicates a warm-toned color.

Cool Skin Tones

Hair Color and Skin Undertones | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Here are Hair colors that Cool Skin Tones Should Avoid:
Individuals with naturally cool undertones should refrain from selecting hair colors that incorporate gold, yellow, red, or bronze tones. These warm hues can potentially give the appearance of a sallow complexion and make you look more tired or drawn.
Hair color that Cool tones look best with:
For individuals with cool undertones, the most flattering hair color shades include glossy raven-wing blacks, cool ash browns, and a range of cool blondes spanning from mink to platinum and icy white. When it comes to highlights, opt for wheat, honey, taupe, or ash shades. Stick to neutral, ash, and beige bases when selecting a hair color. Additionally, you have the advantage of being able to pull off many vibrant “unnatural” hair colors such as lipstick reds, burgundies, orchids, and purples, which can add excitement to your look.

Warm Skin Tones

Hair Color and Skin Undertones | lookingjoligood.wordpress.comHair Color that Warm Skin Tones Should Avoid:
To maintain a flattering look, it is recommended to avoid hair colors that have blue, violet, beige, or ash undertones if you have cool-toned skin. These shades have the potential to “wash out” your skin color and may not complement your complexion as well.
Hair color that Warm tones look best with:
For individuals with warm undertones, hair colors such as dark, warm browns, chestnuts, rich golden browns, auburn, warm gold, and red shades tend to be the most flattering. Additionally, highlights in warm tones can enhance your hair’s appearance. Consider incorporating golden blondes, copper streaks, and golden brown shades as highlights to add warmth to your hair color. Colors with a red-orange or gold base will generally complement your complexion well.

Few Guidelines to go by when coloring your hair at home:

When it comes to artificial hair color, regardless of the shade or tone, it’s important to understand that simply choosing a lighter shade will not achieve the desired lightening effect. The general rule of thumb in hair coloring is that hair color cannot lift or lighten existing hair color. While you can alter the tone of your hair, the level or lightness cannot be changed through coloring alone. If you wish to achieve a lighter shade, it may require additional steps such as bleaching or using hair lightening products. It’s recommended to consult with a professional hairstylist for the best approach to achieve your desired result. Go see a professional if you want to lighten your hair.
When opting for a darker hair color, it is advisable to select a warm and golden tone to avoid ending up with an ashy appearance. Choosing a warm tone can help maintain vibrancy and prevent your hair from looking dull or lackluster.In cases where you have grey hair that is appearing too light or if the hair color is not effectively covering the grey, it is recommended to allow the color to remain on your roots for at least 40 minutes or even longer. Grey hair is typically resistant to color and requires a longer processing time for the hair color to fully penetrate and provide adequate coverage. By extending the processing time, you increase the chances of achieving the desired result in terms of coverage and color intensity.
Hair Color and Skin Undertones | lookingjoligood.wordpress.comI recently watched Fantastic Four with my son. In the movie, Jessica Alba, a naturally beautiful actress, portrayed the character Susan Storm with a blonde hair color that may not have been the best match for her skin undertones. Now, don’t get me wrong she is absolutely beautiful, but whoever decided that this was the shade of blonde for her didn’t know much about matching hair color with skin undertones! It seems that the hair stylist may not have taken into account the importance of aligning hair color choices with an individual’s skin undertones. As a result, she appeared washed out throughout the film. It serves as a valuable lesson, no matter how beautiful you are, consider your own skin undertones when deciding on a hair color to ensure a harmonious and flattering overall look. By matching your hair color choice with your skin’s undertones, you can enhance your appearance and achieve a more cohesive and complementary style.
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(These are not my photos, they all came from google)

Fashion/Style

Stay At Home Mom No More…

Well, the end of an era has come!  I am going back to work!
I have been a stay at home mom for the last several years and have enjoyed it very much!  Now that my kids are in school full days, it is time for me to return to the world of the employed.
I had an interview the other day and this is very similar to the outfit that I wore.  The nurse manager that interviewed me kiddingly said that she would have hired me just based on my outfit alone 🙂
When going on a job interview, the first impression you make with the colors that you choose can be just as important as what is on your resume. “Red is powerful and strong. It shows you’re not afraid to stand out, and it gets attention,” says professional image consultant Mary Lin Dedeaux of Wardrobe Perfect.
While not everyone wants to wear red, blue is always a great choice.  Studies show the best color to wear to a job interview is navy blue.  It inspires confidence. You are more likely to get the job when you wear navy blue to an interview than any other color.
Lady in Red

Trench coat
walktrendy.com

Chanel pants
covetique.com

Red necklace
amazon.com

Moschino plastic glasses
$290 – moschino.com

Linea scarve
$9.24 – houseoffraser.co.uk

image

Free/Good Deals · Make up

Full Face All from the Drugstore

You don’t have to spend a ton of money to look good! There are lots of great products at reasonable prices at the drugstore!
Full Face Drugstore

NYX blushing
amazon.com

Milani eyebrow kit
target.com

Makeup primer
eyeslipsface.com

Maybelline mascara
$11 – asos.com

Maybelline lipstick
$11 – asos.com

Rimmel face powder
$6.05 – superdrug.com

Rimmel eyeliner
$8.33 – boots.com

Make up · Review · Weekly Product Highlight

~Weekly Product Highlight~ Borghese Fango Active Mud For Face and Body ~

Borghese Fango Active Mud For Face and Body

Fango Active Mud for Face and Body | lookingjoligood.wordpress.comSometimes your skin just needs a little extra pampering and this Borghese Fango Active Mud For Face and Body mud mask is just the perfect product! It feels so good going on the face. As I apply it I can instantly feel it cooling and tingling on my skin.  After I use this mask my skin always feels extra hydrated, super soft and looks brighter! I also love the smooth texture of the mud as well as the fresh clean smell.  I highly recommend this mask.

While this mud mask is definitely not a bargain at $72.50 for a 17.6 oz/500gm, it is definitely worth every cent!  A little bit goes a long way .  This product is not only amazing, but it also lasts a long time.  It comes in a beautiful glass jar with a sponge to help with the removal of the mask.

How to apply it…
Use on cleansed skin.  Pack on thickly.  Avoid eyes and mouth Rest 2-5 minutes.  Do not let the mud dry.  Remove with wet sponge and rinse with cool water.  Use at least once a week.

Fango Active Mud for Face and Body | lookingjoligood.wordpress.comWhat does the Borghese website have to say about the product?
“Our signature and classic Fango Active is a one-and-only, must-have, mineral-rich mud. It’s a sensational step beyond everyday clean. Derived from traditional Tuscan treatments, its deep-down purifying power purges and minimizes pores. It exfoliates and helps surface cell turnover, imparting clarity. It hydrates and firms reducing fine lines and providing smooth, toned texture. Infused with Sweet Almond and Avocado Oils, this mud detoxifies and does away with dull skin, leaving skin radiant and refreshed.”

Make up · Tips and Tricks

What Is Your Undertone?

What Is Your Undertone? And why does it matter when choosing makeup?

While the color of your skin may change, the color of your undertones will not.  Finding your undertones is the first step in figuring out what shade of foundation and shades of makeup you should be wearing.  It will also help you to determine if you are choosing the correct colors of clothing.

When trying to get a foundation color match, knowing your undertones is one of the most helpful things to know. There are three types of undertones: warm, cool, and neutral. If you have warm undertones, your skin will tend to be golden, peachy, or yellow. If you have cool undertones, your skin will usually be pink, red, or even blue, neutral undertones are just that, neutral a mix of warm and cool.

If you don’t know your undertones, here are a few ways to can help you to determine what your skin’s undertones are…

what is your undertone? |lookingjoligood.wordpress.com
Look at the inside of your wrist
. What is the main color of your veins? Generally, they will look either blue/purple if you are cool toned or green/olive if you are warm toned.  If you are neutral, the veins will be both blue/purple and green. (That’s me, both purple and green veins)

How do you look when you wear yellow or orange?
One of my sisters looks great in peachy corals and yellows.  My other sister looks sickly when she wears them.

What is your undertone? |lookingjoligood.wordrpress.com
Which of these three sets of clothing looks the best on you?

What type of jewelry do you prefer on your skin? Gold (warm) or Silver (cool)?  For me, although I love the look of silver, and although I am neutral, I generally tend to look a bit better in gold jewelry.

What happens to your skin when you are out in the sun without sunscreen?
Do you burn fast or turn pink? Then you are cool toned
You can get a tan but burn if I stay out too long?  Neutral
Do you
 tan? That means warm
(PSA: Always wear sunscreen!)

DeepDark Brown Eyes | lookingjoligood.wordpress.comWhat color flecks are in your eyes?
Golden or hazel (warm) Blue or gray (cool) A little bit of both (neutral)
If you have deep dark brown almost black eyes like me, you probably have no color flecks in your eyes 🙂

So what did you come up with?

Cool
Jewel tones are your friend! Makeup and clothing that are blue, purple, blue-green, green, magenta, and some red shades are for you. You want to choose a foundation with a blue or pink undertone.

It can all be a bit confusing, so if you are still not quite sure as to what your undertone is, take a quick stop on my Pinterest board called “skin undertones”  I have a lot of pins about this subject that can help you!

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

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