What I'm Loving :-)

I've seen a lot of these posts, a.k.a. ups and downs, most used, etc. so I decided I'd do something along the same lines.

End of 2009 loves

1. Leggings

2. Huge scarves

3. Perfume!

4. Chunky jewelry

5. Green eyeshadow

6. Credit cards (finally got one!)

7. Nail art (been painting my nails like crazy!)

8. Boots

9. Fuzzy slipper socks (omg so warm when lounging)

10. Blazing infernos in my fireplace

What were your most loved items of 2009?

PRESSIES!? What did everyone get for Christmas??

I got a flip hd camera from my boyfriend, Brandon. I got some monies from my Dad and my Grandfather... a gift card to the movies from my Aunt, a cute robe, and a cute betty boop shirt. My friend Jess got me a few movies I'd asked for... my friend Cliff got me a sephora gift card... Brandon's grammy gave me this lovely bracelet and his mom got me a lovely pink sweater (the bracelet has a pink heart stone on it that totally matches, hah). Was a good Christmas because all my folks liked their pressies. I'm giving Brandon half of the money for a playstation 3 and I got him some winter gloves (he doesn't have any but always tries to clear off the car with his bare hands). Course, it hasn't snowed since Christmas so they're not getting used and will probably be lost. Lol.

Anyone already starting out on their New Years Resolutions? 

I have! I pigged out Saturday and then started my "diet" on Sunday (we ordered from a pizza place and I got a salad with grilled chicken!). Also, I watched the film "Food Inc." (anyone see it? Sick) and have decided that I am going to try, as much as I can, to purchase more locally grown goods a.k.a healthier food (it can be expensive!) I discovered that there is a farmers' market in Salem! Of course it is between July and October so I missed it. I WILL be sure to visit in July though.  

I've been doing well with the gym too, however, sort of fighting with by boyfriend about it now. He wants to go back to the gym to prepare for the firefighter exam, the physical part, but doesn't want to go after picking me up from work because it is too much back and forth driving. In all fairness there IS a train that can take me from home to work and back, however, it is WINTER! I told him it wasn't fair to spring that on me now in the freezing cold. Then tried to talk to him about a schedule, like I take the train two days, he picks me up two days and goes to the gym after. I even said he could go to the gym after work and THEN pick me up and that when the weather gets better I will definitely take the train. He of course didn't want to talk about it and told me to forget it so... whatever, we'll see. I always try to get him to run with me or go to the gym on the weekend but his excuse is "there's no point in going for two days a week." His way or the highway I guess. I wish my apartment was more sturdy so I could exercise in there without being paranoid I'll fall through the floor and kill myself! LOL! I love winter but I'm yearning for warmer weather these days so that I can really exercise outdoors. I want to get into biking and rollar blading!

I did a little filming with my flip cam but it was charging most of Christmas day... so I got some present opening from Brandon's family and some day after cleanup of my family... if interested the video is here Christmas 2009!

That's all! Hope your holidays were great ladies (and any gents). Still trying to figure out what to do with my hair and for New Years

Winter Review - Aveeno

Aveeno active naturals essential moisture lip conditioner with spf 15 - Can I just say... I hate this chapstick. My lips have been absolutely horrible this winter and I feel like everytime I put this on it gets worse! This says that it has natural oatmeal, jojoba oil, and shea butter and is supposed to "temporarily" protect and help relieve chapped or cracked lips due to dryness as well as helps prevent sunburn. I don't think there's a real risk of sunburn in the winter but this has not worked at all for any of the other things it says it should be used for. I got this for free at the Shecky's Girls Night Out in Boston on August 15, 2009 but hadn't really used it much until now. Pretty plainly, it stinks. Also, it has a weird taste/smell and a really oily feel to it.

Overall: 0 out of 5
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Price: $3.69 on drugstore.com
Size/Weight: 4.2g (0.15 oz)
Would you buy this again? I didn't buy it to begin with but if I saw it in the drugstore, no, I wouldn't buy it nor will I recommend it.

Fantabulous Weekend!

Hello bloggariffic beauties!

I hope everyone is having a great winter/holiday season! I just wanted to update on my weekend because it was glorious!

I'm usually a total luggabed on the weekends and am really one to stick to home during the winter but I was out almost all of this weekend!

I went on a crazy mad shopping spree on Friday night after work with the boy to get all of my last minute gifts for fam and friends and ended up getting a couple of things for myself at Sephora. I went there to try and get their $24 palette that had like 30 shadows, 4 lip glosses, and a blusher and bronzer but they were OUT of ALL the Sephora brand palettes. I ended up packaging my friend a BUNCH of the Nyx trio eyeshadow things I got during one of their sales because I've only used like one of those since I got it.

What I got at Sephora was:

Benefit Cosmetic's My Place of Yours Gina perfume $36- Holy HANNAH! I LOVE this perfume! This scent is sort of spicy and totally sexy. I've worn it for two days now and it is VERY long lasting! On Saturday I went to two parties and sprayed this on about 7pm, went to my first shindig about 8:30pm and then the secont about 10:20 or so and at BOTH parties people commented on how good I smelled. When I got up Sunday morning I could STILL smell the perfume and it was so yummy and almost made me not take a shower again, lol. 

 

I also got Too Faced's French & Fabulous Palette $28.50. I did a look with it on Sunday, just really fooling around, as I've never used anything from Too Faced before. The shadows were a little powdery and not as much payoff as I had expected but still very nice! I LOVE the pale beigy/peachy color, it's a perfect highlight for my skintone or an allover the lid color for a simple everyday neutral look. The look I did was a simple neutral look with the top right color as highlight, the top right as all over lid color, and a combination of the second row left color and the black shimmer color. I have not used the bronzer or highlighter yet but I'll let you know what I think when I do.

I also got two Sephora brand professional brushes; the small synthetic eyeshadow brush #26 for $13 and the blending brush #29 for $15 - now, the only other brushes I have are some eyeslipsface ones as well as a couple bare escentuals ones I got with a get started kit but these sephora ones are GREAT! They are WICKED soft and I've noticed an IMMEDIATE difference in the quality of my looks with them. It is easier to blend, my shadow application is now more precise, and I get less fall out! I think I will be buying more of these rather than continuing to lemm after MAC brushes. :-)

That's all I got. Happy Holidays! So stoked it's a three-day work week for me!

OMG! I also saw the movie Avatar last night (Sunday night) at the IMAX and the entire thing was in 3D. It was AMAZING! I want to go again! The only bad thing I can say about this is that the 3D kind of hurt my eyes for a bit and sitting in the same chair for like 3hrs was a little rough, particularly due to layering for the cold as it got a bit hot. So, if you do decide to go see this... don't dress too warm, or do layers you can really take off in a confined space, lol. I could go on and on about how much I loved this but I won't (don't want to seem TOO dorky, haha)

Last Minute Shopping!

Aghhh! So, I have about three people left on my list for xmas shopping and am going to the mall today after work -shaking knees-

My list includes: my little brother (thinking gamestop/best buy gift card), my dad (no idea!), my bf's mom, my bf's dad, my bf's brother (again, gamestop/best buy gift card), my friend Nicole (her birthday was on wednesday as well!), my friend Cole (no idea!), and my friend Cliff (Harrison's gift card).

Last year I got my bf's mother a gift set from bath and body works but I have no clue whether or not she used it/liked it... he got her a tea set with some tea and may do that again this year. Bah!

I was flippin gout because money's tight and i don't want to get cheap gifts but I just realized I get another paycheck right before my bills are due so it's almost like I got free money! Hehe. I'm going to try try try not to spend a lot and to save most of it because I can never save anything.

Anyone else doing some last minute shopping? Do you all have at least an idea of what you're getting? Does anyone think gift cards are horrible? I feel kind of bad sometimes getting them but then I convince myself they're the best because the card giver doesn't have to stress and the card receiver can get exactly what they want!

Oh, I'm DEFINATELY getting myself something when I go out today... maybe a perfume and a couple bras. Omg. I hate my bras. Any suggestions where to go for bras? Most of my friends say Vic Sec's is not really worth it because the intimates get destroyed so quickly.

Bored Bored!

I've decided that I need a new hairstyle. Right before it became HUGE to have the sideswept bangs I did that and I also put red highlights in my hair which I was a big fan of. However, I'm lazy. Most of the time I have my bangs swept back into a ponytail and when I go out it takes me years to get them to sweep to the side! Shouldn't they, just by their name, do that already? I know I know... I'm supposed to "train them" which involves wearing them swept to the side often (either by blow drying or clipping them there, etc) but I'm so lazy in the morning!

Anyways, that was about 5 months ago and since then I have not even CUT my hair. (hides from criticism). When I died my hair (JUST highlights mind you) it took 2 bottles of product and cost me about $200. So, although I want to die by hair again (it's faded to plain jane brown again) I do not have and do not want to spend that much money.

Do any of you have recommendations for an affordable brand of dye that is salon-esque? I want to go red again and am waffling between doing thick blocks of highlight or doing like an under layer of hair is all red or the over layer of hair is all red thing (in my research I've seen it described as 'scene' hair). What do you all think?


Also, should I keep the sideswept bangs (and commit to actually making them sweep to the side and to wear them this way as often as phsycially possible) or should I hack them off and get all over fringe bangs?

I admit to having a large forehead and believe this will help be cammoflauge the gigantic-ness and give me the feminine feel of bangs without a lot of hassle :-)

Totally off the subject - how are peoples' holiday shopping going? I have about three people left on my list and they're all getting gift cards! Heh. Do people think gift cards are horrible or what? Personally, I like them because it shows thoughtfullness as well as practicality. With a gift card I know you love me and I can get exactly what I want! Win win.

Folks -- This is my IDEAL hair. I know I can't get it exactly like this though because my hair is THICK as a horse's mane. I also don't think I'd get the bangs SO long as to be hanging over my eyes, but it looks super cute and cool in the picture :-)

Here is the "scene hair" I mentioned above - however, I want the peekaboo color here rather than the rockin' hair cut that's rather mullet-ish. I also would not be sporting such a vibrant color (NOT saying at all that this is ugly or bad or anything, just not me).

Random Post

I stole this from Supergirl43837

Name: LaDonna
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 147lbs (booo weight loss isn't going well!)
Age: 25
Tomboy or Girly girl: In between?
Describe your hair: Long and rather wavy
Describe your personal style: I like being comfy and casual, jeans are an absolute staple in my wardrobe, as are cute sweatshirts. I mostly always wear chucks, I like skinny jeans but am hung up on thinking my thighs are too fat - I love long complicated necklaces, big rings, and scrunchies!

What beauty secret did your mother pass on to you? SIT UP STRAIGHT!!! IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. (totally!)
Personal beauty philosophy: Do what makes you happy!

Favorite lipgloss: Not a big gloss person but I have a few sephora brand ones I wear
How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? Most of the time I don't "get ready" but when I do about 20 minutes (gotta wake up early!)
Favorite piece of clothing in your closet: Leggings

Do you spend a lot of money on your hair? When I get my hair dyed I have to because there's so much of it (+$150) but I don't dye it often and am really lazy on getting it cut! Bad
What about beauty products in general? Sometimes I splurge but I've never spent more than $100
Would you ever have plastic surgery? Does lazer hair removal count? I would DEFINITELY get that, f* shaving!
Biggest fashion no no: Wearing a top that's too small/too tight for you with low rise jeans, ick.
What is the trend you dislike the most? Fringe - I HATE IT!
Ever been to a fashion show? Nope
Favorite shampoo: Head and Shoulders
Favorite body wash: Korres
What is your most important beauty product: Moisturizer, does that count?
Would you ever go out in public without makeup? I do it all the time
What size jeans do you wear? 9
Do you like metro sexual boys? I like to look at them but that's about it, hehe.
What kind of toothpaste do you use? Crest
Physical or intellectual beauty? Why not both? Intellectual (I've been in a relationship where I liked the guy's mind more than his face/body)
Favorite makeup line: Dunno, I have several different brands I use interchangeably - I am LEMMING TONS of Mac and Urban Decay though.
Favorite skincare line: I don't really follow skincare lines - I have different products from every one but I can't do without my Clinique dramatically different moisturizer, best thing
Do you look up to anyone in the fashion industry? I don't really know anyone in the fashion industry
Ever want to be a makeup artist? Yeah
Is there anything you absolutely CANT wear? I feel like I got too much junk in the trunk for skinny jeans!
Best quick fix: TAPE OR SUPER GLUE!! J/K ACCESSORIES :] (haha! Agreed!)
Who has great style? Kourtney Kardashian, Reese Witherspoon, etc.
Favorite perfume: Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy!

Any last words?: Feel free to steal this and post it up yourselves!

Thanksgiving - Review

Here is my review of Rimmel London's Stay Matte foundation in the color sand (300) - I've been using this foundation pretty much since the weather got a bit colder and my powder foundation just wasn't cutting it for keeping me moisturized. I'm not a fan of looking "dewy" like many others because I feel like I just look oily so the 'matte' portion of this product's title really grabbed me. I read good reviews on MUA so I decided to pick this up (I also purchased the pressed powder).

First: This is a very THICK and full coverage foundation so it took a bit for me to get used to the feel of it on my skin. I actually add some of my moisturizer to this just to thin out the consistency but other than that I LOVE it. It really does make my skin look flawless and minimizes pores like it says. However, I don't know about this "clarifying" claim. My skin hasn't cleared up. It states that it lasts for 12 hours but I only wear it for about 8 because I go to the gym after work and before I get my sweat on I wash it off. You definitely will need some good makeup wipes with this as I said it is a thick formula and seems pretty water resistant.

I didn't really have any cons with this but, as I mentioned, for anyone who likes that infamous "dewy" look you probably would steer clear of this foundation or invest in a good highlighter/illuminator to put on top.

Thanksgiving just passed! What did everyone do for theirs? I actually got to have TWO Thanksgivings this year - one at my boyfriend's house and then one at mine. Also, I visited my Dad and his side of the family for the first time and it was great. One of my cousins just had a baby boy (2 months old) and I got to cuddle him the whole time. I didn't bring my camera though, UGH! I told my cousin I better get a call though if they ever want to go out. They just live in Lynn so not a huge haul. I told him I'd babysit for free! Haha.

Did anyone go all out for the Black Friday? I got exhausted watching all the commercials for 3am-4am deals and, mostly due to being sick and poor, did not get up at that ungodly hour to shop. I did hit the mall around 10am though but I couldn't find anything I was looking for - it was utter chaos in all the stores I went to with stuff just thrown around. I felt bad for the employees, they all looked so frustrated. Haha. So glad I'm not in retail anymore!

I actually just did a big shop online today for "cyber monday" and knocked out all but 3 on my list, woo! I'll probably pick up a few more things for people before Christmas is here but I'm relieved I got something for almost everyone already! I did all my shopping at Kohl's - They have a 15% off for all orders like $50 and under with free shipping using CYBER15 and then 20% off orders of $100 or more with free shipping using CYBER20, ended up with $30 off my order!

Well, that's all folks! I hope you all had a great holiday and are doing well :-) Thanks for stopping by!

Outfit of the Day :-)

I don't have any pictures (was running late this morning) but here's my outfit of the day today!

Outift of the Day by LaDonnaF featuring Old Navy

Items in this set:
Old Navy dress, $25
Old Navy sweater, $37
Old Navy boots, $30
Old Navy tights, $9.50

These are three of the things I got in my Old Navy shopping spree (an early xmas gift from my Aunt). I got another pair of the boots in khaki, a black pair of the tights, and two sweatshirts in grey and white.

WARNING for any interested in these cable knit tights - get a size above what you'd normally get. The top part of the tights (crotch and bum area) has this odd stitching that gets super tight. I wish I'd gotten a bigger size because it's a litle uncomfortable at the top, particularly when I sit. I regret being too excited about the package that I ripped into everything and then after I'd gotten the grey pair on was like NOOOOO. Hahah.

The dress is so great! I NEVER wear dresses and this is the first probably since 2 years ago when my Aunt on my dad's side got married, haha. I NEVER wear dresses (granted it's with thick tights but whatever!) and I don't feel akward or gross at all. I think this is one of those "shirt" dresses so it is really rather boxy and loose but it has a really cute belt that sits high up on the waist so it cuts a cute figure.

Hope everyone's having a good week and are looking forward to Thanksgiving. Can't wait for the turkey coma ;-)

RANT against Forever21 sizes

SO TICKED OFF!!!!

The blazer I was so excited about that I posted about purchasing online from Forever 21 came and IT DOESN'T FIT ME!!! I got it in a large because I know their stuff runs a bit small (I'm usually roomy in a medium) and this thing wouldn't even button!! I am by no means fat, I know this despite the fact that I often call myself fat, but I am busty. I have a bigger chest but that wasn't even the REAL problem with this thing (it was a tad tight around the chest). I am petite so a lot of shirts and such can be longer on me - this blazer didn't even reach my waist!!! It looked like I'd hacked off half of the damn thing as it came to just below my bust where my ribcage starts, way too high above the waist to even look like it's supposed to be a cropped style.

It was like I bought something from the children's section - WTF!?! Am I wrong in the knowledge that Forever 21 is for WOMEN and young adults??? I'm so pissed. It is such a sucky feeling to buy something in a size up and then have it not fit you. I feel fat and gross and depressed because I had SO many outfits planned with that blazer, lol.

Ok, end rant I guess. The other shirts I got fit. I guess I will have to start hunting for another blazer now. Anyone have any suggestions? I want something between a boyfriend blazer and something more feminine.

Aside from this everything's peachy in my life, lol. I bought some other stuff from Old Navy so waiting for that to get in - some warm tights, a couple sweatshirts, a dress, and a couple pairs of boots (similar to the pair I bought at AMIclubwear). I'm super bummed about the blazer though. This is after I'd just rediscovered a shruggy shawl thing I'd bought from Forever21 that I didn't think fit either but I realized just should be worn with t-shirts :-) One item back in the wardrobe and one out I guess. I can probably give the blazer to my Aunt - She's slimmer than me and it might look right on her taller frame, who knows. I guess one shouldn't buy stuff like blazers and jackets online if you don't really know the shop's sizing in that area.

How's everyone's November going? Struggling with my Lia Sophia direct selling business... no one is booking shows and no one is interested in ordering. Boo. I've set up an online shopping event through my personal web site with them throughout november and into december so I'm hoping I'll get some bites on that.

Urban Decay - Friends & Family Sale 30% off entire order

Urban Decay Cosmetics is having their Friends and Family sale!! The sale starts today (November 9) and goes until November 20 (that's a friday). 

Urban Decay has some really awesome stuff! Their new (sort of) Ink for Eyes has been in tons of magazines lately and I really, personally, want to try their complexion primers. I exclusively use their eyeshadow primer so I'll probably snag some more of that as well. I also want a few of their ink for eyes and the show pony shadow box. What I really, really want is the Book of Shadows version 1. BAH! hehe.


What do you guys want???

Woo!

Hi guys. Yet again it's been WAY TOO LONG since I posted. I think last time I was talking about possibly joining up with Lia Sophia. Well, I did. I just got my first paycheck and I'm stoked about it. My first month went pretty quick and now this second month is going sooo slow and I can't find anyone who wants to throw a Lia party, lol. Wish me luck!

I stopped going to the gym for a little bit and wasn't eating so great so I'm back at 150lbs, ugh. It's so funny though because no one believes I'm that heavy so I guess I hold it well (it's luckily all in my bum I think, haha!) However, I think I've retained the muscle I built up while I was going everyday. I've been back to going everyday for about 2 weeks not (even running saturday mornings!). I'm feeling good about myself again so I'm hoping I won't take another hiatus.

I was on a no-spend for a while despite dying for some fall trendy clothing items. However, last Friday I splurged a bit and got some boots from AMIclubwear and a couple of shirts from Forever21. I got an e-mail Saturday saying they were shipped so I'm hoping I get them today or tomorrow, wee! Oh, I also got a credit card. It's my first one (I'm 24, haha) and those were my first purchases with it. I'm a little nervous but I only spent what I could repay so I should be fine.

Boots from AMIclubwear (12.99):

Shirts from Forever21:

Blazer from Forever21:

I can't wait to get my stuff. I'm hoping the blazer, because it is rather fitted looking, won't be boxy on me. I got another blazer once but it wasn't fitted or styled really at all and it looks horrible.

I went out for Halloween (I live in Salem, haha) as Sally from A Nightmare Before Christmas but didn't take any pictures or anything. It was pretty fun. Started the night out with the bf (he decided to be Joe Dirt and I gave him some chops and he wore a blonde wig) and his friends... then I met up with my friend Jess and her bf and some of his friends. We all ended up splitting up but it worked out for the best I think.

Hmm, trying to think of anything else that's happened since I posted last but, aside from Lia stuff, nothing's new. Haha. I saw Paranormal Activity this weekend, wasn't that great. My bf bought the xbox 360 game Dragon Age and we've been playing that. Lots of fun! We're getting the new Call of Duty tonight and he's super excited, haha. Boys and their video games.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. I'll try to get back to posting regularly again. Trying also to get my friends to let me experiment on them with makeup, LOL! If/when I do I'll put pictures up.

Update - OMG

It's been almost a month since I posted last!

I am really, really, REALLY sorry about that. My life has been a little hectic lately. I am now a Lia Sophia "advisor" so I've been spending the majority of my free time trying to hook up with old friends and convince them to throw parties, haha. 
I've also been trying to focus more on myself and finding fun things to do that don't cost a lot of money (I'm learning how to sew!) so I've been going out more than usual and also just having friends over to watch television, play Wii, stuff like that. OH! And I'm going back to the gym, about two weeks now. I haven't lost any weight yet but, like before, I feel like my muscle definition is getting better. I'm trying to run more on the weekends (before I was only working out during the week) so hopefully I'll be dropping weight soon.



I am SOOOOO super excited that Fall is here. Fall and Winter are my favorite seasons! I've been keeping up with the Fall Fashions through other blogs like Anna from Style4Me
and Dulce from Dulce Candy 


I've really been trying not to spend any money so there haven't been any new buys (besides yarn and sewing needles and my Lia Sophia kit) so my wishlist I posted September 10 is still laaarge, haha. I hope that I can make money with this new thing otherwise I'll probably never get my wishlist! Oh nooo. Hahah.


I went to the movies recently and saw "Zombieland" it was really funny! I also so "Adventureland" but I didn't really like it. The Kristen Stewart girl kind of annoys me.


What have you all been doing lately? Anyone else trying to save money? Anyone interested in some Lia Sophia jewelry? Haha, I hope you all have been well and are enjoying the drop in temperature like I am!! Ohhhhh wait until the leaves start changing! I love the smells too and the sound of dried up leaves crunching under my feet!


I guess that's all for now. Happy October everyone!! OOHHH!!! What are people thinking of being for Halloween? I almost forgot!! I've been watching a bunch of Halloween-themed makeup videos on YouTube and think I might do something like that and just dress warm, haha.

Fall Fashion Wishlist (Picture heavy)

I was inspired by several posts from Ana of Style4Me where she put up pictures of fashion items she wanted for the upcoming season. Since Fall is fast approaching I decided to do something similar, well, really the same. Haha.

I will be featuring items on here from my wishlist on Forever21.com, Statusglam.com, and HotMiamiStyles.com.

First wishlist (in the form of a polyvore set) is from Forever21! I'm really in love with this store but I wish more of the items shown online came in a size larger than small or x-small, haha.

Fall Wishlist by LaDonnaF featuring Forever21

HotMiamiStyles.com - This is a Web site I discovered watching Sonia on Youtube@sccastaneda

1. This gorgeous kimono drape top - I want purple, black, white, and possibly this or the paler pink - $19.99

2.  This lovely black and white striped knit off the shoulder top - $24.99

3. I love this dress but I don't think I'll be getting it - I'm so horribly self-conscious about my legs and this is so curve hugging but it doesn't stop me from wanting it $29.99

4. Black Lace Keyhole Top - $24.99 - Lace came back in a big way and I like that it is a focal point of the shirt.

5. I want a sexy vest so bad! Everywhere I go to look for one (and those slumpy drape cardigans) they are out! Grr. $24.99









My list was a lot longer but the Web site is constantly changing and many items are no longer there. I like the idea of the plaid layered top with what looks like a black sweater on top but I did the sweater layer thing where the sweater is sewn into the top and it just doesn't work.

Statusglam.com

1. Red cherry lashes #106 - $1.49
2. Silver love keychain - adorable bling! $7.99
3. Red glitter peace sign makeup bag with zebra print & matching wallet $7.99 I don't have a makeup bag yet!
4. Audree glass drop earings in black $9.99
5. Crystal hoop earrings $4.75
6. Crystal bulged heart ring $9.49
7. Clear/silver delilah Flower ring $6.99
8. Gold leaf earrings/necklace set $10.50
9. Tinker necklace $3.99 OMG I love Fairies
10. bow charm bracelet $2.99
11. Crystal vine bracelet $14.25
12. lola charm bracelet $13.99

Ugh! I have to stop! LOL!! There's more but I have to get off the computer. Please check out these Web sites if you don't know about them already. I think there is a coupon for HotMiamiStyles related to shipping if you use like sccastaneda or something. Sonia has a video on it (hotmiamistyles review).

What are you all obsessing about for Fall? I also want some boots and some thick tights but I can't find either anywhere! I followed DulceCandy's advice and went to target but they were cleaned out!
4.

Pathetic?

I saw "I Love You, Man" the other day and it really struck a cord with me. If anyone has not seen it yet please do, it is hilarious!!

I spent the majority of my formative years away from my hometown and so lost a lot of friendships. I went to a boarding school for high school and then out of state for college. It is a really weird prospect to think of making new friends when you're technically an adult. At 24 I'm at a loss (as Paul Rudd is in the movie) of how to meet and make new friends, particularly girls. I was never a "girly girl" during middle school and beyond and, added to that, I was painfully shy (couldn't even order for myself at a restaurant, I would hide behind my mom).

Anyways, since about 23 (last year, LOL!) I've grown in my own femininity and decided I DO like makeup and I DO like clothes... I've lost weight and busted out of my shyness (high school and college were good for that) so I am more interested than I was before in having girls to hang out with, go shopping with, etc... but I don't know how to meet them. LOL!

I've explored the Internet and watch a lot of ladies on youtube that make makeup videos and other stuff as well as read blogs - so I have a question for you ladies. If someone read your blog/watched your youtube videos and discovered they live in the same area as you - would you be weirded out if they made an attempt to contact you and set up a meeting.. like to become friends? I mean... say you could read their blog (like mine) and they'd made a couple videos on youtube (like I have) so you can see who they are, etc., and are pretty sure they're not a psycho killer.

I've attempted to contact someone I discovered lived around me but have heard no response and I'm just worried I came off as stalkerish or scary or something. Lol. Oh well I guess right? I have met a few new girls in the past year but they're really not so much my "style" I guess... more interested in going out to bars/parties and meeting guys, etc. I've sort of never been a big drinker and I get pissed off most of the time at parties because drunk people are so inconsiderate and dumb, lol. Looking for someone I can spend time with shopping, doing makeup, talking about fashion, doing nails, etc.

P.S. Now that the four-day work week is done I am headed back to the gym everyday for 3:30-4:40. My starting weight for this back to the gymness is 150lbs. My goal for calories burned is 600 (I was hitting about 550 before).

Bored!

Hey everyone,

It's Monday, Labor Day, and I have the day off but all my friends are working so I'm chilling at home with nothing to do. However, I gotta go to the mall as it's my boyfriend's birthday tomorrow and I still haven't gotten him anything.

I don't want to go to the mall though because I am severely wanting to buy some things for myself and I know I don't have the money. My willpower is so horrible when I'm alone. Lol. I need a bodyguard to guard me from spending on myself.

I've been pondering a part-time job to supplement my income at my regular job (just isn't enough with my dang bills!) but have been unable to find anything that offers nights/weekends, everything I've found part time want early morning shifts or overnight and I just can't do that with my full time job. So! I've been looking into sales stuff like being a rep for Lia Sophia jewelry. Does anyone know this brand? There was a rep. at my work last Christmas and I got a couple things from them that I still really like and when I went to Shecky's Girls Night Out in Boston they had a table set up there and me and my friend Jess decided to host a party (Sep. 18, Salem MA [send me a comment if you're interested in coming, the more the merrier]). So, I've been talking to the two reps who are involved in helping me set up the party and being a rep. sounds like a pretty good deal. You pay $150 for a start-up kit that includes like $1000 worth of jewelry (you keep this no matter what) and you decide how many hours each month you will give towards having parties, etc. The reps also said Lia Sophia sends them free stuff now and again and you get a percentage of what's earned at each party you throw. I really like the idea of setting my own hours for a part-time job, I love jewelry, and I think it would be cool to be able to make money just looking at jewelry with a bunch of ladies, lol.

What do you all think of that? Anyone else do that kind of sales work? I know Avon Mark or whatever does a similar thing but I don't know much about that (though I do like the idea of being able to sell makeup & accessories rather than just jewelry).

If any of you are located in MA and interested in meeting sometime shoot me a line. Gawd, that sounds so pathetic. LOL! I went away to school from high-school to college so I don't have that many girl friends around in MA so wouldn't mind a new shopping partner or something.

Mini Drugstore Haul

Hey everyone!

I made a pact with myself not to spend a bunch of money on makeup anymore and to focus on using what I've already bought, however, before this went into effect there were a couple of things I wanted to get at the drugstore!

I bought:

Covergirl Lash Blast in black, finally! I LOVE this. The bristles, or lack thereof, were kind of intimidating the first time I tried it but I've been using it about a week now and I love how it coats and seems to separate my eyelashes.

L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow duo in gunmetal. This one is mischief but I couldn't find a picture of gunmetal on Walgreens.com. Gunmetal is a green duo with a really dark sort of grey gren and then a lighter golden green. I've been using this a lot and I LOVE the dark green, it makes my brown eyes pop!






I also got two L'Oreal HIP eyeliners which I cannot find on Walgreens.com either. In the display they were marked as new. I forget the exact colors I got but I think one was called violet flash (purple) and the other is a metallic green (goes perfect with the darker shadow in the gunmetal duo!)

Lastly I got two nail polishes. I wanted to get the Revlon Colorstay foundation but decided against it as I already have two foundations at home and wanted to focus on things I DON'T have (didn't have ANY green eyeshadow or colored eyeliners in pencil form). The polishes are Sinful Colors in greenbean (I think) and Old Gold (again, I think). I've had greenbean on my nails for about a week and the formula is a little weird. I had to work to get a good coat of polish on there without see-through spots and I feel like the color sort of jumps between a dark green and a light goldy green, which I think is awesome! I haven't tried the gold polish yet.

I've tried to take pictures with my phone but it is horrible and you can't really see the colors of the shadow or polish in addition to my face looking a hot mess so. :-)

Happy hump day folks! What all have you guys bought recently from the drugstore? I think I might grab a couple more of the L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow duos.

I got tagged! Photo Tag via Rosamond

Rosamond of Beari's Beauties tagged me to do this photo tag

What you do:

1) Open your first photo folder

2) Scroll down to the 10th photo

3) Post that photo and story on your blog

4) Tag 5 other (or more) friends to do the same

Ha! This is a photo my boyfriend and I on halloween in 2007, about a month after we met. I've never been a big fan of taking pictures of myself and this is one of my first few attempts (hence the retarded angle and extreme close-up). I apologize for the snogging, we did a lot of that the first few months. HAHA!

Well, that's all for that. I'm going to tag a couple of people as well.

1. Holly!

2. Ella!

3. Courtney!

4. Stephanie!

5. Denysia!

Hope you had fun reading - anyone is welcome to do the tag as well, have fun!

Dolly Tag - The List

Holly started a Tag about 5 celebrities you'd be allowed to cheat on your significant other with, lol.

I figured I'd do it because it seems quick and simple and I've been missing blogging (if you read my last post you'll know I'm unable to get on the internet at home now)

1. Mark Ruffalo



How frickin adorable right!? Personally, I think he looks a lot like my bf (or my bf looks a lot like him) so I feel very blessed because Mark is my ultimate celebrity crush - He's cute, he's funny, and he's a total family man.

2. Gerard Butler



OMG I love him! He's handsome, intelligent, talented, and just seems like an all-around great guy. I try to watch EVERY movie he comes out with.

3. Jake Gyllenhaal



Another cutey! I think a lot of folks were crushing on this celeb until Brokeback Mountain came out. For me, he's still in my list.

4. David Beckham


How can you NOT mention David Beckham in a hot celebrity list!? He's gorgeous AND he plays soccer, which is my fav. sport. I think Beckham is my longest running celebrity crush but he's dropped down in the list as I'm not really a fan of Posh... but who am I to judge right? She's beautiful and I'm sure she's a wonderful lady and mom. :-) Their kids are adorable too.

5. Eduardo Verastegui


Classic model/actor - the guy is just drop-dead gorgeous. He was on an episode of Charmed and I tracked him down through google. Very nice to look at, haha. I wouldn't say he's much of a celebrity though, yet.


Ok! That's it. I tag anyone who wants to do this - Holly wanted folks to comment to her blog with your post doing the tag so if you do it let her know too. I put a link to her blog in the "tag"

UPDATE!

I'm sort of MIA from blogging right now as the only time I have available to be online now is at work and I can't really use it for personal things. The Internet cable that was connecting my boyfriend's computer to the Internet in my house was shredding (we were searching unsuccessfully for some thick electrical tape to combat this as my Aunt's door [Internet goes through her modem] was shredding the wire casing) and I think my Aunt got fed up and took the cable out and put it into the hallway where the dog ended up chewing it so the tiny clip piece is off now, a.k.a it won't stay in the modem.

I haven't really had anything to blog about lately anyways - money issues have made it so that I've decided I will not be purchasing any makeup (save for perhaps a few drugstore products I want to try) or clothing. I'm really needing to save and with my current income-to-bills ratio I can't be spending much AND be able to save. Sad, I know.

I think I am going to be focusing on beefing up my makeup skills (practicing more on myself and friends, when they let me, lol) and getting some good use out of the makeup I've already purchased. Hopefully I will get the cable fixed soon (it is REALLY long so I think we can just go somewhere to get it clipped and have the clippy part replaced).

Until then... I'll miss you! Feel free to follow me on Twitter (@ladonnaflynn) and I may try to figure out this blogging through my phone thing.

Cambo Soup Giveaway!

Cambo Soup is having a Giveaway!

I've linked ^ to her post and blog there but here are the rules and what to do as well.

Basic Giveaway Rules:

1. You must be a follower of my blog

2. If you have a blog, please mention my giveaway in a post and link me. TY!

3. The contest ends August 28, 2009 (11:59 p.m. Pacific Time). I will judge entries over the weekend and the winners will be announced the subsequent Monday. If it gets too hard to make a decision then a random number generator will be used. You guys have about two weeks to do this!

What You Have to Do:

1. Make an awesome outfit/collage on Polyvore (people/makeup/clothes all OK)

2. Post the outfit on your blog on the same entry where you mention my giveaway

3. Leave a comment on this entry saying you want to enter and leave the url of the post where you mentioned my giveaway/ posted your Polyvore outfit in your own blog.

4. If you do not have a blog, please take a snapshot of your Polyvore outfit on your screen and email it to me at applegrace (at) gmail (dot) com.

What a cool contest huh!?! I'm really excited to enter just because I LOVE Polyvore and am in there quite often making fantasy outfits, haha.

Anyway, here's my entry and I hope you guys sign up to her blog, it's pretty cool!

Casual by LaDonnaF featuring Converse shoes

Urban Decay Friends & Family Sale - 30% off entire order

Urban Decay is having their Friends and Family sale which means you get 30% off your entire purchase at check out by using the code FNFF1

The sale ends on August 20.

I HAD been planning on getting their massive Book of Shadows palette as it is normally $45 and I haven't had the money (when I remember I want it) to get it. However, I was told on their Twitter that it sold out on Aug 7. FML!

I'm really sad about that and it ALMOST makes me not want to spend my money on anything else but, who am I kidding, there's still stuff I want from their line.

I want:

a refill of their eyeshadow primer potion

their pore and brightening complexion perfection primers

their ink for eyes in binge, empire, and pyrotechnics

their naked and jailbait lipsticks

their score blush

and ALL of the heavy metal glitterliners!

Hmmmm, all of that would be like $205 (without tax) so with the 30% discount that's like $143 (again, without tax) but that's like $60 off!

What do you all want to get? Did you already get something?? Share share

Obsessions Tag! Your 5 Latest Obsessions

I got this tag from Aquaheart who tagged anyone who wanted to do it, heh.
The thing is to list 5 things that you are currently obsessed with so here goes!

1. MAKEUP! (picture is [not my makeup] curtesy of necessarymakeup)


I am so totally gaga for makeup that I have to really make a point to not spend all my money beefing up my collection! Haha. I'm currently saving up to get some more brushes but will be getting a few things at the drugstore that I've heard are really good and comparable to high-end brands, woot!


2. Nail Polish and Nail Art! (picture is [not my nail polish] courtesy of Karen's makeup and beauty blog )


I have started collection nail polishes (in addition to makeup) and doing my nails WAY more than I ever have in my life! Haha. I want to get some acrylic paint and brushes to start doing some of the awesome designs I've seen on youtube. Crafts stores/sally's here I come!

3. Blogging/Twitter (picture is courtesy of Toothpaste for Dinner and Zeugma)


I've always been on facebook and myspace and stuff like that but never have I been as active and happy about it as with Twitter and Blogging. I enjoy Twittering because it's just like ...whatever you want, whenever you want, and there's so much you can learn about on there with the trending topics, etc. With blogging I've discovered an avenue to be a little vain, talking about myself and what I like, and I've also learned a lot too. I can go to other peoples' blogs and discover things about products I never knew/might have wanted to try/will buy, etc. I've discovered places where I can get things inexpensively, etc. It's just a great arena to learn and express yourself and I'm so glad I found it/them! (wow I'm only at 3, haha!)

4. My Phone


Woohoo! I love my Blackberry (I hate AT&T though, lets not go there). I originally got the blackberry just because my Aunt's work was going to pay for it, LOL! Then that plan fell through and I ended up paying for it so I changed my plan to the bare minimum. However, I recently switched it back so my Blackberry does a bunch - I go on the internet, twitter, facebook, check my e-mail, etc. I love it.

5. Coffee (photo courtesy of [Dunkin Donuts!] energyfiend)


I LOVE coffee! When I was younger I stayed away from the stuff like it was the devil (I'm short and I had heard it stunts your growth, and lets face it... it stains your teeth!) However, when I started my full-time 7:30-3:30 job it was like, the cool thing to do/everyone was doing it (drinking coffee). So, I started having a cup (like 6oz) from the fast brewer in the little coffee room at work. Within no time I was in that coffee room like three times a day. Then I decided I would stop drinking it because caffeine is not that great for you and I wanted to whiten my teeth. I stopped drinking it for about a month and now I'm back to drinking it everyday, just two cups now. But, I've started buying different brands (dunkin', folders, green mountain) and experimenting with brewing. Ugh. I bought an expensive machine for at home and now I need it all the time, even on the weekends!


Alright, well those are my current obsessions. I hope you guys enjoyed reading!!

What are all of your current obsessions? I tag everyone who wants to participate, particularly
1. Holly (DollyMix184)
2. Ella (Ellacinderella)
3. Dulce (Dulce Candy)
4. Courtney (escourtn3y)
5. Sonia (sccastaneda)

Thanks so much for reading my blog!

Upcoming MAC collections and wishlist!

MAC Nail Trend F/W 09 with Jin Soon Choi Aug. 27, 2009 (picture and info from temptalia.com) -
Nail Lacquers ($12.00)
-Cool Reserve*
-For Fun
-Dance All Night
-Rich Dark Delicious
-Dry Martini *
-Beyond Jealous


MAC Magic, Mirth, and Mischief Collection Oct. 15, 2009(photo and information from temptalia.com) -

Lipstick ($14.50)
-pervette
-utter fun
-surprise me
-total wow!

Dazzleglass ($18.00)
-she-zam
-jingle jangle
-phiff!

Cremsheen Glass ($18.00)
-Ever So Rich
-Partial to Pink
-Boy Bait

Soft Sparkle Eyepencil ($14.50)
-Iris Accents*
-Night Sky

Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo ($19.50)
-Devil may Care
-Under your spell
-mayhem
-midnight madness
-its a miracle*
-blue sorcery

Mineralize Blush ($21.00)
-su perdu pernatural*
-conjure up

Nail Lacquer ($12.00)
-$$$ Yes
-Lucky number



MAC Make-Up Art Collection Aug. 20, 2009(picture and info from temptalia.com) -

Reflects glitter ($19.50)
-copper
-rust

Glitter ($19.50)
-gold
-fuschia

Pigments ($19.50)
-cocomotion *
-brash and bold
-heritage rouge
-push the edge

Lipstick ($14.00)
-front lit
-high strung
-lovin' it
-hold the pose
-full body

Eyeshadow Quads ($36.00)
-photo realism (greens)*
-skintone eyeshadow(neutrals)
-private viewing(pinks and purples)

Eyeshadows ($14.50)
-crest the wave
-off the page
-maira's magic
-haunting
-purple shower
-violet trance

Technakohl liner ($14.50)
-colour matters*
-obviously orange
-artistic license*
-full of fuschia*
-graphblack

Blush ($18.00)
-the perfect cheek
-notable


All together I better be saving around $190 for everything I want. ACK! (my math doesn't even seem right, haha.) Plus tax it is probably like $300 or something.

I probably won't get everything I want. I'm trying to save up to get my own place (cross your fingers my Aunt gets the job she wants soon) and that means not spending all my moneys on makeup or clothes.

What do you all want from the above collections, or just from MAC in general?

T-shirt giveaway!

Nicola Ticola is having a contest where you can win a cool punky t-shirt.

Here is the contest information - Join In

To enter the contest you must be a follower of her blog (there's a link in her name, Nicola Ticola) and leave a comment on the blog post.

Also, you can post about her contest in your blog and that counts as another entry.

I can't wait to get some more followers so I can have a contest. So fun!

Happy Thursday!

I felt like doing an update. I started this blog mostly because I was interested in blogging in general but also as a means for tracking my weightloss and such.

So, as my readers know (or you should!) I'm involved in a 4-day work week at my job where I work 4 10 hour days and then have a day off during the week. Well, it has been hard for me to figure out a time for exercising (I was going to my work's gym at 3:30 when I got off of work and then getting picked up by my boyfriend after he got off of work at around 4:40). Well, now I get out of work at 5:30 and get the train at 5:57 and get home around 6:30. My boyfriend now goes to the gym after work at like 4:30 (even though I begged him to wait so we could go together and share his membership at Planet Fitness, lol) because he doesn't want to hang around the house for like 2hrs. So.... by the time I get home I'm tired, hungry, and just want to eat dinner and go to bed. Lol.

I'm TRYING to motivate myself to go for a run when I get home... dinner will be there when I'm done but lately it's usually ME cooking or it is psychotically hot and I'd probably pass out.

Last night (aug 4) it was AWESOME out.. not too hot and there was a breeze but GUESS WHAT!!!! I get a call from Brandon (my boyfriend) at 5:55 while I'm waiting for the train that he got REARENDED!!! I freaked. I had had to take the car to the dealership on Saturday because the brakes/tires were really squeaky and it sounded dangerous and ended up having to pay $314 to get the front brakes replaced ($218 for LABOR) and then Brandon gets in an accident on Wed. OMG!

The damage is not really that bad... I'd already backed into a fire hydrant so there was a dimple in the (PLASTIC) bumper in the back and now there's a BIG crease in the bumper, a bunch of scratches (and red paint transfer from the stupid lady that hit him) and the bumper is sort of disconnected on the left side from the rest of the car. Also, when he got hit from behind our car was forced into the car that'd stopped short in front of him so there's some squishing of the plastic thing that holds the front license plate.

Anyways, the lady told Brandon she would pay for the damage but that she doesn't want to go through any insurance companies. I feel like I should... like, why should I do her a favor to make her insurance not go up when she HIT my car because she was being a dumby?! Brandon was upset with me because he thought I was freaking out about the accident too much and it wasn't that bad... I don't know.


Back to weightloss though... I'm 155 so staying steady despite not exercising, lol. I'm pleased with that but I want to be LOOSING weight and I feel like the definition I'd gained during my good working out period is gone.

Hopefully life will calm down, go back to normal, and I can start exercising again. I was just too upset/stressed last night to take advantage of the nice weather.


I hope everyone is doing great!! I probably won't be having many posts of late with new clothes/makeup or anything but I DID get in a MAC order I'd purchased before and some KORES guava body stuff I'd gotten from hautelook. I got 3 eyeshadows from MAC (trax, mythology, and retrospeck) as well as a 15 palette ... I swatched them and am totally in love but haven't used them yet (feel their too bold/sparkly for work, haha).

Makeup Collection August 2009

I've seen billions of videos on youtube showing the youtuber's makeup collection and I wanted to participate. I will probably do a video myself once I figure out how to upload and edit using my camera rather than my boyfriend's built in webcam. I'm hoping I can get some editing software for free from somewhere (if you all know something about this lemme know please!)

Anyways, here's some items in my makeup collection that I use on a regular basis, that I love, etc.

ELF, eyeslipsface.com





Elf's all over color stick in pink lemonade - usually use this as a blush








Elf's all over face brush - I use this for bronzer mostly and powder foundation. Using it less though as I got a kabuki brush from natural minerals or something.






ELF's brightening eye color in drama - omg I used to use this ALL the time for an awesome silvery smokey eye when I was going out. I use the light silver pretty often as an inner corner highlight still.



Bare Escentuals

mineral blush in crushed velvet (couldn't find a picture of it, came inthe Get Started Eyes, Cheeks, Lips kit, tan-dark)



I also use the brushes from this kit (except the lip liner), the lip plumping gloss is a little too intense for me in terms of the tingling effects.










Coastal Scents

V~ I LOVE the 88 piece makeup palette and I use it pretty often, the shadows are a little powdery but work nice.









Urban Decay


I use this palette a lot more than I did when I first bought it (after watching a tutorial from Fafinettex3) because I've learned more about color combination and what looks good on my eyes, with my skintone, etc.













this primer potion is the holy grail, however, I've never used any other kind of primer. I think I will pick something up (probably drugstore) just to be able to compare in my mind and feel more happy I have this. I also want to try their new pore minimizing potion!









MAC



The MAC graphic garden fresh cut palette from Nordstrom - I JUST got this Friday but I've already used it a bunch of times; I think my new obsession are the last two colors, poppy noir and fresh cut.











Alright, I think that's all I'll put up here in the blog post so I don't kill everyone with pictures. If you're interested to see anything else I can post something in comments or whatnot, like what I use for foundation, etc.

I also recently placed an order with MAC for three eyeshadows and a palette for my growing (slowly) collection. The shadows are 'mythology', 'retrospeck', and 'trax'. Super excited to try them out when I get them. I also own a quad with 'amberlights', 'honeylust', 'nylon', and 'saddle' along with the lipsticks 'blankety' and 'brave new bronze'.

I had to get the two front brakes on my car fixed ($300) this weekend so I won't be purchasing any new makeup for a while even though I REALLY want some new brushes (was looking at ELF's studio sculpt line and/or Coastal Scents) a couple palettes from Coastal Scents, and I want to try some drugstore stuff I've been hearing rave reviews on (some stuff from Revlon and Rimmel).

Ah well. Here's to saving up!! I will probably posting up some grumpy blogs soon about not being able to do anything, lol.

Shopping

Hi again!

I've discovered it is impossible to focus solely on work when you're sick!! So, I decided I'd do my shopping trip to Delia's post while at lunch (don't have much of an appetite)


I grabbed a couple pairs of jeans (buy one get one half off AND I had a $10 gift card) - two boot cut jeans in a vintage wash and a dark blue wash and a pair of skinny jeans (I forget what color).
















I also grabbed this awesome plaid tunic, sort of like the drop waist ones but it doesn't really have a defined waist (there's a bit of cinching in the back)












Last but not least I bought this lovely cami with lacing in a pretty beige color and a great brown belt (my new favorite outfit!).

Yikes! Been a While

Hi!

I know it's been quite a while since I blogged but I've been rather crazy lately. I went of a family vacation to Syracuse, NY to visit more family :-)

Here are some pics from my trip! Was like a 6hr drive and we also went to Niagara Falls which was a 3hr trip as well! Lots of driving.


<~Here is a photo I took during one of the stops (I drove almost the whole way up, ugh!) Those are my sister's dirty legs in the backseat. [New shirt/tunic from Delia's]







<~Here is a photo of all of us in front of Niagara Falls. My Grandmother, my Uncle Roberto's wife Mari, his son Felix, my Uncle Roberto, my sister June, my Dad Nelson, Ruben, my brother Nathaniel, Marco, me, Alex.








<~A shot of Niagara Falls - the mist was awesome!








<~We also went to the zoo. Was pretty fun, haven't been to a zoo in a long time.








So that's all for now. I'm trying to get back into the swing of work. I'm on the 4-day work week program so I'm here for 10hrs a day. Also, been sick so I've mostly been working and sleeping, haha. I did a little shopping before my trip at Delia's so I'll have another post soon showing all that I got.