God Sees You!
Do you ever feel overwhelmed or lost? Maybe you may feel invisible or alone?
God sees. He is always there, He always cares about you.
Tag: makeup
The Power Of A Smile
Looking someone in the eyes and giving a simple smile and saying hello can do great things for a person! You never know if they may feel invisible. Acknowledging someone might be a small act, but there is great power in a simple smile.
Take time today to think about those around you and share a smile.
I love the message in this song The Smallest Thing by Frances
I didn’t notice the crying man, too busy with me
I didn’t stop for a moment to help the woman on her knees
I didn’t hear the cry for help behind her polite “hello”
I only saw the gentle smile that hid the scars below
I didn’t stop for a moment to help the woman on her knees
I didn’t hear the cry for help behind her polite “hello”
I only saw the gentle smile that hid the scars below
It’s easy when for you the sun is shining
How could I have been so blind?
How could I miss so much?
Just a word from me
The smallest thing
Could have been enough
Why didn’t I give some time?
Why didn’t I spare some love?
Just a smile from me
The smallest thing
Could pick the pieces up
The smallest thing
I didn’t take the time to ask if everything’s okay
When everyone else walked on by, I just did the same
I’ve been counting problems but the truth is I was fine
The people I’ve ignored each day feel pain much worse than mine
It’s easy when for you the sun is shining
How could I have been so blind?
How could I miss so much?
Just a word from me
The smallest thing
Could have been enough
Why didn’t I give some time?
Why didn’t I spare some love?
Just a smile from me
The smallest thing
Could pick the pieces up
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
It’s easy when for you the sun is shining
How could I have been so blind?
How could I miss so much?
Just a word from me
The smallest thing
Could have been enough
Why didn’t I give some time?
Why didn’t I spare some love?
Just a smile from me
The smallest thing
Could pick the pieces up
The Smallest Thing…
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Tip Tuesday #91: How to apply your highlighter.
Here’s another tip for Tip Tuesday:
Today’s tip is about how to apply your highlighter to get the best results.
You may be using the world’s best makeup, but when it comes right down to it, if you don’t use the correct technique it’s not going to look good on you. Here are my tips on how to get the best results from your highlighter application.
- Apply cream highlight before you set your face with powder, and powder highlighter after all of your cream products have already set.
- Using a clean brush, makeup sponge, or your fingers, dip into the highlight,
- Tap away any excess, it is much easier to apply more than to try to blend out too much highlight.
- Sweep onto the high points of the face, as well as the areas you want to draw attention too:
- the tops of the cheekbones
- on your brow bone
- down the bridge of your nose
- on the Cupid’s bow of your lip
- on the inner corners of your eyes
- at the point of your chin
- Blend from the high points of the face out.
When done correctly, highlighting can help subtly enhance your facial features. Another benefit of highlighting is giving a radiant glowing lit from within quality to the skin. Highlighting is the opposite of contouring. Contour creates shadows, highlighting does the opposite, it brings forward the area you apply the highlight.
Two of my current favorite highlighters are:
ESSENCE Pure Nude Highlighter in Be My Highlight 01 $4.50
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter $38 available in 7 shades.
Check out previous Tip Tuesday for correct technique for bronzer application, as well as last week’s post about how to get the most out of your blush application.
Let me know if you try it out and what you think! If you are enjoying these tips every Tuesday you can check them all out by clicking HERE.
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
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Hello, BoxyCharm! January 2018 Box
Quite possibly if you love makeup and keep up with the “beauty community” you are already familiar with Boxycharm. But…maybe you have been living under a beauty rock and have no idea what it is 😉
If you don’t already know, Boxycharm is a $21/month/box beauty product subscription that includes 4-5 luxury and indie brand beauty related products. Instead of sample sizes like some other subscription boxes/bags, each month, Boxycharm has full sized products. It ships to both the US and Canada.
Each month the value of the box is usually over $120. This month’s box has $148 worth of products in it. It is a great way to try out different higher priced brands without spending a lot of money. I’ve received products from brands such as MAC, Tarte, Cover Fx, Becca, Dr. Brandt, and Bare Minerals.
January’s theme is Rock and Roll Soul.
I love that they include a card with the product’s info and pricing on it. There are usually a few product variations each month between the boxes that are sent out. This month there were two different possible boxes. I got variation number two, as indicated by the number 2 in the lower right-hand corner of the info card.
Here is what I got in my box this month:
I have to admit that overall I’m not excited about the products in this month’s box…
Dr. Brandt – pores no more LUMINIZER PRIMER $38.00
“LUMINIZER PRIMER delivers a naturally radiant glow while blurring pores and imperfections for a beautifully illuminated flawless complexion.”
I love Dr. Brandt skincare products. I’m excited to be able to use this primer! It has a slight peach tint to the cream when first out of the tube, but smooths onto the skin clear. It has a light lavender scent, but nothing too overpowering.
This is where my excitement ends…
Grande Cosmetics – GrandeLIPS Hydrating Lip Plumper $27.00
“GrandeLIPS, with active Ingredients Volulip gives you an INSTANT plumping effect within 3-5 minutes that lasts for hours. Results may vary.”
The packaging is super cute, but I have no interest in this product whatsoever. I will be passing it along to someone else so I will not be opening it up and swatching it. I received the shade hot fuschia. Looks like a really bright pink.
“PÜR The Complexion Authority – Bronze and Brighten Cheek Palette $34.00
“An on-the-go highlight, bronzer and blush palette with three skin perfecting powders to create an effortless and sun-kissed glow on every skin tone. Featuring PUR’s fan favorites Afterglow and Mineral Glow along with a new blush shade, Blushing Glow, throw this in your bag and you’re ready to go!
I love that PÜR products are 100% cruelty-free and they do not test on animals. I have a few other favorite products from PÜR. I absolutely love my PÜR Soiree Diaries Eyeshadow Palette. The brand is great, but this cheek palette… what is PÜR thinking with this shimmery bronzer? I would be so excited about this cheek palette if only the bronzer was matte. Oh well, someone else is going to love this!
It Cosmetics – Brow Power™ Universal Eyebrow Pencil $24.00
“Developed with plastic surgeons, IT Cosmetics’ #1 best-selling*, award-winning eyebrow pencil is infused with brow-enhancing biotin, lecithin, saw palmetto, nettle, green tea, antioxidants, grape seed, and vitamins A, B5, C and E, plus proprietary Brow Power™ Technology to give you your most beautiful, natural-looking brows—even if you have none at all. Plus, its universal transforming shade adjusts to all hair colors based on pressure, its exclusive oval tip mimics the look of real hair and it includes a built-in grooming spooley brush for polished perfection! *#1 brow formula for IT Cosmetics brand.”
Ok, so if you don’t like bragging then just skip this section…you have been warned.😉
I’m sure that this is probably a great product especially since it is said to be “IT Cosmetics’ #1 best-selling*, award-winning eyebrow pencil” Here is where the bragging starts… I have been blessed with really great natural brows. If I didn’t want to I wouldn’t have to draw on or fill in my brows at all. I have no need for a pencil like this. I have no interest in this product whatsoever. Once again, I will not be swatching it since I will also be passing this along to someone else that can get some use out of it. (do you see a common theme here…)
Crown Pro – Glam Metals Palette $25.00
“Rock your look with the Crown Pro Glam Metals eyeshadow palette! These highly pigmented, ultra-blendable shadows make smokey eye looks a breeze!”
I love getting eyeshadow palettes from Boxycharm, but I’m not interested in this palette at all.
The packaging is super cute, with its guitar mirror to go along with the rock and roll theme of Heavy Metals. While some of the shades are quite interesting like Punk, Heavy Metal, and Pop Rock, this is another product from this month’s box that I have no interest in whatsoever.
These shadows might be amazing, they might be awesomely pigmented, and super smooth and buttery…but I already have so many similar shimmery shadows that it would be a waste for me to keep this knowing that it will just be added to the pile of palettes that I use a few times and never touch again.
You guessed it, I will not be swatching these shadows because I will be passing this along to someone else. Here are some great swatches from Beauddiction’s Instagram If you are not already following her you really should. She does the most creative swatches I have ever seen! How cute are these guitar swatches to go along with the Heavy Metal theme?!
You win some you lose some…This month was not a winner for me. The box cost $21 USD and the value is $148. While I am not interested in $110 worth of the products, the Dr. Brandt – pores no more LUMINIZER PRIMER has a retail value of $38.00, so at $21 this box is still a winner.
Originally, I was planning to get Boxy Charm for only three months. After loving everything I have received I signed on for another three months. This is my 6th Boxycharm Box, and despite not loving the majority of the things in this month’s box, I don’t plan to cancel anytime soon.
What about you? Do you get BoxyCharm? Did you get something different than I did? Do you get any other monthly subscription bags/boxes that are worth trying out? Let me know in the comments below.
If you are interested in trying out boxy charm I would love for you to use my referral link by clicking HERE or visiting https://boxycharm.com/refer/laura-AJQSTMGQ (I don’t think that I actually get anything if you use my referral link, but hey why not!)
Check out my other recent posts about subscription boxes that I recommend by clicking HERE. I am still thinking about trying out FabFitFun, but so far I haven’t ordered it yet. I’ll keep you posted!
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
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The Harsh Reality of Love
My best friend has been sick recently…
She’ll be 12 soon… Despite my deepest wishes and blatant denial of reality, I do know that she isn’t going to live forever.
I know the reality of the situation, yet still, the thought of losing her makes my heart hurt, real physical pain, the type of pain that grabs your throat and makes it hard to take a breath. The type of pain from wanting to fix something so badly, yet being powerless to change anything.
Some might say “She’s just a dog.” But that is where they are wrong. She is not just a dog. She is my constant companion, my biggest fan, and most loyal friend. She has been by my side for the majority of my adult life. She greets me as if I am the most important person alive and listen to me talk as if everything I say is the most interesting thing she has ever heard.
Yes, she is a dog, but that doesn’t make her any less important to me, she is my best friend, and I love her!
So, while no, I cannot prevent the inevitable, I can enjoy every moment that I still have with her.
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Do You Have A Cluttered Mind? Are You A Hoarder of Information?
Have you ever watched the show on TLC called Hoarding: Buried Alive? So. Much. Stuff. Just watching that show makes me feel anxious!
I love organization, I love when everything has a place to go! I hate clutter! Clutter actually gives me major angst! Usually, if my house and surroundings are cluttered it is a sure sign that my mind and soul feel cluttered as well.
Quite often, when things in my life get hectic, and I have a lot on my to-do list or there are important decisions to be made, I tend to be a hoarder of information. I look for more and more input and advice, rather than less.
During these times, I often put the cart before the horse and start thinking about the “what ifs” and “but maybes” of potential situations… I basically become filled with clutter in my mind. 
Instead, I need to take a minimalist approach to my daily decisions and plans for the future! I need to clean out the clutter in my mind.
While I am in no way a minimalist, I love the idea of minimalism. I recently heard minimalism defined as “not owning nothing, but instead that nothing should own you.” What a simple way to put it!
The Bible says in Ps 46:10 says Be still and know that I am God.
Stillness is to the soul as de-cluttering is to the home. By taking some quiet time for reflection with God’s word, I am making space to quiet my mind, to clean out the clutter, to be still, and hear God’s voice.
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
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Tip Tuesday #90: How to apply your blush
Here’s another tip for Tip Tuesday:
Today’s tip is about how to apply your blush to get the best results.
I love blush! It is one of the magical makeup products that can be applied quickly and simply, yet will instantly brighten your face. You may be using the world’s best makeup, but the truth is if you don’t use the correct technique it’s not going to look good on you. Here are my tips on how to get the best results from your blush application.
- Apply powder blush after all of your cream products have already set.
- Using a clean brush, dip your brush into the blush, tap away any excess, and sweep a small amount onto the apples of your cheeks only.
- Blend the color up, out, and along the tops of your cheekbones.
- If you prefer a bit more of a punch of color, you can also apply your blusher onto the cheeks with a makeup sponge.
By applying your blush to the apples of your cheeks only, you will be drawing the color up giving the face a lifted look. Don’t apply blush below the cheekbone area, unless you want your face to have a drawn down look to it.
Two of my current favorite blushes are TARTE Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush $29 (available in 13 permanent shades and 6 limited edition shades) and the ESSENCE Satin Touch Blush $2.99 (available in only 2 shades)
One of my favorite blush brushes costs less than $2 and comes from the drug store.
The Wet N Wild blush brush is “Designed perfectly for the apples of your cheek, this brush is designed to make you blush! Featuring two-toned synthetic Polymax fibers made of an exclusive thermoplastic polymer complex that mimics the consistency of natural hairs to pick up formula effortlessly. Holds any cream, powder, or liquid formula without absorption. Exclusively designed ergonomic handle fits perfectly in your hand for precise application.”
Check out last week’s Tip Tuesday for correct technique for bronzer application. Next week’s Tip Tuesdays we’ll be discussing highlighter application.
Let me know if you try it out and what you think! If you are enjoying these tips every Tuesday you can check them all out by clicking HERE.
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
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Light in the Darkness
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward. -MLK jr
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
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We Need To Do Better!
I am not a political person, I am not looking for a fight, argument, or a big discussion. I am just so tired of unkindness being the normal thing.
Evil prevails when good men stand by and do nothing! I don’t know what to do personally, but something needs to be done!
Just because someone has a different point of view, perspective, or culture does not give us the right to disregard, look down on, or ignore their presence.
Just because we disagree with what someone else believes doesn’t mean we have a right to treat them insensitively or with anything other than love and kindness.
There’s so much anxiety, unrest, and strife in our world! We have made things all about which side we’re on, you against me, us against them. I’m right, so you are automatically wrong.
When it comes right down to it, we are all people, we are all imperfectly flawed. We all make mistakes.
We are all different. These differences are what make us special. These differences are not what makes us weaker or less than.
It often seems hopeless, as if bad people are getting rewarded, and it seems that hate will win. In the end, doing the right thing is still the best thing to do and being kind is still worthwhile.
So while I cannot change a lot of things about the world, I can be kind to those I interact with. I can smile at, and acknowledge those around me. I don’t want to stand by and do nothing!
What can we all do?
Be a friend.
Smile.
Be kind.
Get over your self, get out of your own way!
Choose happiness, choose joy!
We need to do better! Be better! Be kinder!
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
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Tip Tuesday #89: How to apply your bronzer
Here’s another tip for Tip Tuesday:
Today’s tip is about how to apply your bronzer to get the best results.
I am so pale, therefore, I NEED bronzer! Along with blush and mascara, it is one of those magical makeup products that can be applied quickly and simply, yet will instantly add life to your face.
Here are my tips on how to get the best results from your bronzer application.
- Apply powder bronzer after all of your cream products have been set.
- Using a clean fluffy brush, dip your brush into the bronzer, tap away any excess, don’t skip this part of the step
- Sweep a small amount onto the areas where your skin would naturally pick up sun:
- the top of the cheeks
- on the nose
- across the forehead
- a touch on the chin
- Blend the color up and out along the tops of your cheekbones and forehead.
- Apply more as needed
- Blend, blend, blend!
For shimmery formulas, only apply to the higher points of the face, similar to how you would apply highlighter.
Keep in mind that even if you are using the world’s best makeup, if you don’t use the correct technique it’s not going to look good on you.
Three of my current favorite bronzers are:
- TARTE Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer $30
- The PHYSICIANS FORMULA Butter Bronzer Murumuru Butter Bronzer $15
- The ULTA Matte Bronzer $10.
Be sure to come back for next week’s Tip Tuesday about the correct technique for blush application. The following Tip Tuesdays we’ll be discussing highlighter application.
Let me know if you try it out and what you think! If you are enjoying these tips every Tuesday you can check them all out by clicking HERE.
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
Looking Joli Good 