Make Places Beautiful
Tag: makeup
Meal Planning…A Love/Hate Relationship
Continue to journey with me from Flab to FAB
Do you meal plan? Do you love it? Hate it?
Now that I have gone back to work, meal planning is going to be more important than ever! I used to be able to go grocery shopping whenever I felt like it and take my time. Then all afternoon I’d be planning and making dinner. Not so much anymore.
When I come home from working all day the absolute last thing I feel like doing is taking the time to make a big healthy meal. (Can I get an Amen!) I am starving from running around taking care of patients all day and I want to eat right then! I have to admit, I had a bit of a rough time with sticking to my diet this week. I did awesome during breakfast and lunch, but when I got home and was trying to get the dinner situation figured out, I was so hungry that I snacked before dinner. If you recall, I am a bit of a food addict, and snacking doesn’t go well for me! While I didn’t gain any weight, I haven’t lost any this week either. (que the sad music :-()
This coming week, starting today, I am planning to put my crock pot to great use! I will be following the “Seven Day Clean Eating Slow-Cooker Recipe eBook Brought to you by your coaches and friends at Strengthen You” I have my shopping list all ready and plan to head to the store soon. I will let you know how the meals turn out and if this crock pot meal plan helps me to be more successful this week! (If the food is good, I may share some of the recipes.)
Here is what is on the menu for the week…
Also, if you have a killer crockpot meal that you know is not only healthy but delicious, please share it!!!
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~Weekly Product Highlight~ Bronzer ~Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess~
Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess
While I often try to give recommendations for affordable drugstore products, this is one that I just have to recommend a high end product for… Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave Princess is the best bronzer I have ever used! None of the other bronzers I have tried have even come close to this one! This shade works great for most skin tones. It is subtle enough to give a natural looking sun kissed glow and is not overly dark or muddy looking. Sometimes I will even use it as an eyeshadow, it is perfect in the crease. It is also very long lasting, buildable, and little bit goes a long way.
At $30.00 for 0.32 oz this bronzer is not cheap, but it is so good that it is definitely worth the price. I highly recommend this bronzer!
What does the Tarte Website have to say about this bronzer?…
“Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer is tarte’s best-selling bronzing powder in the iconic park ave princess™ shade.
Product Performance: Want to create that perfect seamless, sunkissed radiance? It’s now easier than ever to bronze & glow™ with tarte’s best-selling, multi-tasking bronzer formulated to blend and build your perfect level of uniform bronze. Available in tarte’s signature park ave princess™ radiant bronze shade, the waterproof formula adds instant warmth and dimension across a variety of skin tones as Amazonian clay helps improve overall skin clarity, texture and tone for an overall lit from within complexion.
Powered By:
• Amazonian clay: nature’s most perfect ingredient for better, longer, truer wear
• vitamin E: natural preservative that also acts as an emollient and antioxidant
• mineral pigments: soothe and soften skin”
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I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!
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In Case You Missed It…
Hello to all those that are new to Looking Joli Good!
I really appreciate you stopping by to read what I have to say! While some have been with me from the start, others may have just joined in! Here are a few of the earlier post that you may have missed…
I love to save money, and one way I do it is making my own makeup remover. Click HERE for an Easy DIY Makeup Remover
Click HERE for the recipe for delicious Creamy Peanut Butter Bars You definitely want to check these out and try them for yourself! So yummy!
Click HERE for a list of all of my delicious recipes!
Did you know about the CVS Beauty Club. For every $50 you spend, you’ll earn $5 ExtraBucks. It is free to join and you don’t have to spend the $50 at once. Click HERE to learn more about the CVS Beauty Club
Each week I feature a product I love in my my “Weekly Product Highlight”
Click HERE for my feature on COVERGIRL & Olay Tone Rehab 2-In-1 Foundation
Click HERE for my feature on Jordana Easyliner for Lips Lipliners and Essence Lipliners
Click HERE for my feature on all of my Weekly Product Highlights.
Thanks for visiting!
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Mini Drugstore Haul
Remember those Maybelline and Garnier coupons I posted at the end of August? Well, I finally used them (and a few others) and picked up a few things at the drugstore today.
As you may remember, I love the Maybelline SuperstayBetter Skin Foundation. During the summer I was a wearing the shade 20, but now that the fall/winter is coming I need a lighter shade so I picked up 15, the next shade down. I love that this foundation has a pump!
Do you keep tabs on recommendations from other beauty “gurus”? I have heard so many great things about the Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless foundation, so I wanted to try it out for myself. I bought the shade 115. I’ll let you know how I like it.
The Maybelline Great Lash mascara is basically like the most iconic of all mascaras. As much as I love mascara, surprisingly, I have never tried this one. I am looking forward to seeing what I think and if lives up to the hype.
I have been using Yes to Grapefruit Daily Facial Scrub for about a month or so now, and I do really like it. I figured I would try out the Garnier Grapefruit version and see how it compares.
The Simple MicellarWater and Aussie 3 Minute Miracle are both product that I have heard so many YouTubers talk about. I figured that since I had a $2 off coupon for both of them, it was definitely worth giving them a try.
As for the Suave lotion, I have been using it for years and know that it is something that I love and will repurchase over and over again. Not to heavy or greasy, not to overly scented.
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~Weekly Product Highlight~ Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge~
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
This sponge is amazing even for full coverage foundation. It hides blemishes much better than a brush giving a more natural skin like finish. The flat side is really good for stippling foundation, allowing you to build up more coverage where you need it and get rid of excess foundation where you don’t. The pointy side is great for application of makeup under the eye area. The sponge can also be used to blend in liquid highlighter and cream blushes.
While you can use it damp or dry, I suggest that you definitely use it damp! When damp, it makes application easy and gives a flawless look. To dampen it, hold under running water and squeeze it until it has almost doubled in size. Once the desired size is reached squeeze it out extra hard to remove all the excess water.
Pros:
The price is great! ($4-$6)
Very close dupe to the Beauty Blend
Give an even and flawless application
Soft and Easy to use
Works for any skin type
Easy to clean when used damp
Cons:
Although the sponge doesn’t seem to absorb too much makeup, I do find myself needing to use more foundation than when I apply foundation with just my fingers.
When used dry it is not as easy to clean
What does the Real Techniques Website have to say about theMiracle Complexion Sponge:
“Optimize your beauty routine with this 3-in-1 multi-functional sponge.
- Rounded sides blend large areas of the face with a repeated dabbing or “stippling” motion.
- Precision tip covers blemishes and imperfections.
- Flat edge for the contours around the eyes and nose.
Its versatile design evenly blends makeup for a smooth, enhanced finish.
Made from polyurethane foam which is latex free.
For best results, replace the miracle complexion sponge every 1-3 months.”
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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Do Detox Teas and Waters Really Work?
Besides a being lover of makeup and trying to look beautiful, I am also a Registered Nurse. I love all the science behind health and wellness and how the body works.
Unless you have been living under a rock, or don’t ever go on social media, I am sure that you have heard about Detox Teas and Detox Waters. Many of these products claim to flush fat and toxins from your body.
While this sounds like a great way to lose some extra weight, generally if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. And… in this case, it is too good to be true. These drinks do not melt away the extra pounds.
While many of these detox waters include cucumbers, lemon and tea, which have a natural diuretic effect (A substance or drug that tends to increase the discharge of urine.) you aren’t losing any actual body fat. What you are losing is just a bit of excess water weight. This water weight will return once you drink fluids or eat again.
Unfortunately, no detox tea or detox water or magic drink can flush out fat or toxins
from your system.
Do you know what can flush out the toxins your system? Your kidneys, liver, skin (and even your lungs do a bit too.) These organs are specifically designed to be constantly removing toxins from your body. If you are a healthy person with properly functioning organs, you can not make them work better by drinking a detox drink.
(You know all those popular cleanses? They can’t do it either. Your healthy body is also designed to cleanse itself.)
Save your money and drink more regular plain old H2O.
Drinking plenty of water provides many health benefits. Some of these include, more energy and improved brain functions. Drinking water before a meal can help you to lose weight due to having a feeling of fullness which in turn causes one to eats less. Consistently drinking plenty of water will also help you to have regular bowl movement as well.
How much water should you drink a day? Well, that depends on a lot of things. Your height, weight and sex, how active you are as well as where you live. The rule of thumb is to daily consume between 0.5-1 oz per pound you weigh. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, that would be between 65 to 130 ounces of water a day. (1.9 -3.8 Liters)
Click HERE for an easy more specific hydration calculator.
So in the end, unfortunately, there is no quick fix to weight loss and health. If you want to lose weight and be healthy there is no way around it, you have to eat right, exercise consistently, get enough sleep, decrease the stress in your life, and drink a lot of water.
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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
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
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 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!
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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 
with 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
I 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.
Looking Joli Good 