Where did 2015 go?

Seriously, where did 2015 go? Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away and Christmas advertisements are starting to appear. Why is it that the older I get the faster years pass by.

I’d like to share a few products that I greatly enjoyed throughout 2015.

Not sure what was going on with my skins this year, but one product that helped is the Derma-e Microdermabrasion scrub. Every time I used it my skin felt amazingly soft. Don’t let the microdermabrasion scare you. It helps to remove any dead skin while being gentle enough for sensitive skin. You must try it!

https://instagram.com/p/8JG60mydnj/?taken-by=kitty5289

 

I love waterproof mascara but taking it off at the end of the day is no fun. I used to use cleansing oil but I recently discovered makeup wipe that do not irritate my skin nor do they sting. The PONDS makeup wipes are wonderful and they even smell good.

https://instagram.com/p/9mZb6ySdnM/?taken-by=kitty5289

P.s. I did receive the package featured for free for review by Influenster. More about Influenster.

 

Okay, time to get a little more personal… I have oily hair. Well, I used to have oily hair. Thanks to Jason Normalizing shampoo I no longer suffer from excessive oily hair. Yay! Plus, it is a natural product. #WinWin

https://instagram.com/p/42Zyt8ydrF/?taken-by=kitty5289

 

One more product I could not live with (well, I could but I don’t want to): Burt’s Bees chapstick! The regular one. I did not like the other scents.

https://instagram.com/p/5GFZ7-Sdhh/?taken-by=kitty5289

 

Back to makeup, I absolutely LOVE the Loreal True Match Concealer in medium. I have gone through so many of these little tubes. It blends well and the color matched my skin well. Go get you some, you will not regret it.

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I could go on forever, so I will stop now. Follow me on Instagram (@kitty5289) for more on my favorite products.

Thanks for visiting!

Adventures of an Influenster

The adventure began about three years ago. I recall reading a blog post here on WordPress, I registered and took a survey on Influenster.com, then a few months later I got an email letting me know I was selected to receive my first #VoxBox. I have been hooked since then!

“Influenster is a community for social media hotshots to share news, products, and reviews.” I have been working with Influenster for nearly three years and I love it! Through Influenster bloggers and social media “hotshots” get to work on campaigns ranging from beauty products to food or home goods. In the past I have worked with brands such as CoverGirl, Palmolive, Rimmel, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Hawaiian Tropics, Dove, and many others. Currently, I am reviewing a Vidal Sassoon products.

Each campaign has a clever name like #CalienterVoxBox, #UniVoxBox, #VioletVoxBox are just a few of the ones I have received. Oh, did I mention that all of these products are FREE! Yes, all products are free for review. Each campaign has specific Tasks – the more you do the more points and Badges you get. Also, depending on the campaign and brand there are bonus activities such as creating a YouTube video or a Vine, etc. Plus, there are contest activities where if you are one of the first  50 or 100 individuals to unlock a badge you have a chance to win a brand box. Earlier this year I won a P&G Everyday voxbox. It was full of products that I already use, such as Secret deodorant, Olay moisturizer, a Gillette Venus razor, and a few CoverGirl products.

Influenster always has multiple campaigns going on. Individuals get to participate on a campaign if you qualify depending on the demographics the brands are looking for.

 

Why I love Influenster:

1. Each time I receive a box in the mail I feel like I am part of an exclusive club.
2. I get to review and share my thoughts on specific products.
3. Oh, did I mention they’re FREE!
4. I’ve been introduced to products and brands I’ve never heard of before Influenster.
5. Lastly, it is FUN! I love trying new products and telling others about them.

Want to Join the Fun?

Influenster also has an app found on iTunes, which if full of product reviews and useful information.

#InfluensterNation is great and if you can’t tell, I LOVE it! Join the adventure and have fun trying great products and working with awesome brands.

Check it out, visit: Influenster.com.

Thanks for visiting,

CAT

Lovely DIY’s

I love Pinterest! I pin recipes, home décor ideas, inspiration quotes, workouts, healthy goodies, and DIY’s. My favorite boards is  “Lovely DIY’s,” which provides endless inspirations for arts and crafts projects.

I’D like to share a few projects that I’ve been day dreaming about:

Upcycle Wine Bottles: Twine or colored yarn is a simple solution to covering up old wine bottles without much effort. For this project, all you’ll need is the yarn of your choice and a strong adhesive like fabric or craft glue. – See more .

Starbust Mirror:  Starburst mirrors are so chic in metallics and I’m really loving gold accents lately. I wanted to create something for our bedroom that replaced an old art piece that wasn’t really working and that also added more light to a dark corner in that space.  See more.

DIY Headboard: Super cute and chic! See more.

Don’t these Lovely DIY’s look fun? I think so.

What are some your favorite Pinterest boards, let me know. To view my DIY’s board, click here.

How To: Repurpose an Old Mirror

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I love repurposing old items, such as picture frames, mirrors, or empty candle jars. Call it frugalness or craftiness, either way I am okay with both.

About five months ago, Ryan and I purchased our very first home, which we love. We moved from a one-bedroom apartment to a three-bedroom home with an extra workshop room in the backyard. We have a lot more space, yay! However, the one thing our home does not have is large walk-in closets, which our apartment did. Anyway, I took over one of the extra bedrooms and turned that into my “Wo-Cave,” aka office and closet. Ryan got the workshop room in the back, which will be his “Man Cave.” We’re both happy with that arrangement.

I envisioned my Wo-Cave being a serene and Zen like space where I could be inspired to write, read, and get ready in the mornings for work. It was supposed to be a place where I could get lost in time and just be free to do whatever I wanted. I wanted the décor to be feminine yet not too girly – hot pinks were not an option. So, I decided I’d paint the walls white to match the furniture and then have an accent wall with white and grey vertical stripes. A sunshine “happy” yellow would be the accent color in the room.

Something like this:

Five months later, the room is plain white – everything is white – furniture, walls, curtains. Everything!

Here’s where the mirror comes in, initially it was supposed to be a pop of color on the accent wall. BUT, I had no idea painting a room was so much work! It took me about three days and multiple trips to the home improvement store to finish painting the walls. After that experience, I did not want to add stripes to the wall, which it’s why it remains white. Initially I wanted the accent wall to be white with grey stripes and the mirror frame to be a “happy” yellow – pop of color on that wall. Scratch that idea!

Now, the mirror is white, on white with more white.

Here’s how I repurposed the mirror giving it a new and more modern look.

You will need spray paint, painters tape, old newspapers, and the piece you’re going to repurpose.

1. Cover the mirror glass portion and secure it with the painters tape. Create two layers to prevent paint from bleed through the paper and getting on the glass.
2. Spray your paint on to the piece you’re working with. Give it several coats of paint to make it one solid color. I did three layers of paint.
3. Let it fully dry for at least 24hours prior to hanging it on your wall.

That’s it, super easy way to repurpose an old mirror!

How I Clean and Dry My Make-up Brushes

Do as I say, not as I do – clean your make-up brushes often.

For several years, I’ve been cleaning my brushes by using the same product and method. I’ve tried others, but this is what works best for my brushes and I.

Before finding Mrs. Meyer’s, I used baby shampoo. However, I was never happy with the results. I always felt like my brushes were not completely cleaned. After seeing a YouTube video about “How to clean your make-up brushes,” I decided to try Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap. Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap is all natural, gentle on the brushes, and I love the Lavender scent. It’s a win, win, YAY!!

As you can see, my brushes are dirty!

Here’s how I clean the brushes, super easy.

First, I squirt a pump of soap on my palm. Then I wet the brush head to moisten all the old make-up residue, YUCK! After, I swirl the brush in the hand soap until I see the gunk come out of the brush, as seen below. I usually do this wash and rinse method twice, once per small brush.

Wash, swirl, rinse and repeat if necessary. That’s it! Quick and simple way to clean your make-up brushes.

Next, how to dry your brushes… super easy!

You will need a few hair ties.

Take a hair tie, make a “C” shape wrap on your towel drying rod, and insert the brush handle through the loops.

It should look something like this:

This method totally works! You must try it next time you clean your brushes.

It even works with Kabuki brushes, which is awesome!

For smaller brushes I just doubled them, two per hair tie. It works great!

Anyway, give it a try. If you do, use the hashtag #CtoC so I can see your results. Have brush recommendations? Let me know what are your fave’s.

Here are my clean and yummy smelling brushes. Want to know how I made my beauty tray? Visit: Easy DIY Tray tutorial.

Thanks for visiting C to C,

CAT

Our Favorite Beauty Products of 2013

Cat’s Favorites

LORAC – Perfectly Lit Powder in Spotlight. I heard so many YouTube Beauty Guru’s raving about this product and they were right. I love the soft shimmer providing healthy glow to my cheeks. This is usually more of a summer product, but I have been using it year-round.

LOREAL – True Match Super Blendable Crayon Concealer in light/medium W4-5. I’ve used up several of these concealer crayons during 2013. I absolutely love how creamy and blendable they are. I usually use it for under the eye bags concealing, but I’ve also been known to get carried away and used it to cover sunspots and blemishes. Plus, if you get your hands on a darker shade it can me used to contour, that’s on my “To Do” list.

Maybelline – The Rocket Volume Express waterproof mascara. This mascara is awesome! It provide volume, it holds my curl and it black! I mean, really black. However, most importantly, it does not cling on to my lashes. You know how some waterproof mascaras just cling on to your lashes, even with makeup remover you wake up with “smoky” look the next morning. Well, The Rocket Volume Express does not do that and it doesn’t get flacky either. I absolutely love it.

STILA – Convertible Color in Peony.
 RIMMEL – Lasting Finish in Santa Rose.
Blushes, oh blush, how I love thee! I do, I really do. I could not choose just one, so I picked these two. Stila’s Peony is a cream blush in a very natural pinky mauve color. The reason why I love this blush is because it’s blendable, hydrating and easy to wear. Plus, the “convertible” part of it means it can be used as a lippie, which I also love. Rimmel’s Santa Rose is a lovely cheer pink color, it’s very natural and wearable year-round.

TOO FACED – Chocolate Soleil. How can one go wrong with CHOCOLATE?! First this matte bronzing powder smells like CHOCOLATE. Yes, chocolate! Secondly, it is super blendable proving a warm and healthy glow to your skin. Absolutely love it.

REVLON – Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Sweetheart and Rendezvous. I mostly wore these two lip balms during the summer. These two are so vibrant and vivid, perfect for those warm summer months. Plus, these balms have a yummy minty taste and smell that make my lips tingle. Recently Cover Girl came out with a new line of balms, but I have not tried them yet. Anyway, these two are beautiful colors perfect for all skin tones. Go get you some!

ESSIE – Good To Go! If you don’t know yet, I have a minor obsession with nail polish. I love nail polish! So, in order to keep your polish looking nice, shiny and last a while you will need a good top coat. Guess what? Essie’s Good To Go is awesome!!! This top coat makes my nails super shiny, it makes the color last longer and it helps prevent chipping. Love, love, love!

JULEP – Bare Face Cleansing Oil, melts make-up off my face. Bare Face Cleansing Oil makes it so easy to take off waterproof mascara without irritating my eyes. I absolutely LOVE IT! According to Julep.com, “This lightweight, antioxidant-rich cleanser gently and thoroughly dissolves makeup, dirt, and excess oil without over-drying skin, then rinses clean with no oily residue. Recommended for all skin types.”

I got this product through my month Julep Maven subscription. I invite you to check out Julep, click here.

BLOW PRO – After Blow finishing spray.  I was introduced to this product through one of my subscriptions and I immediately fell in love with it. First, it totally tames my flyaways hairs. It does not leave residue and it doesn’t leave my hair feeling crispy or super hard. PLUS, it smell great! I found my full size bottle at TJMaxx for less than $10. Go try it!

Cristy’s Favorites

Mary Kay – Timewise Anti-Aging Moisturizer. Finding a moisturizer I love has always been a challenge for me. You see the ones for oily skin always cause me to break out, while the ones for dry skin over-dry my skin to the point of peeling. I was a bit skeptical when I purchased the Mary Kay moisturizer as I expected it to be just like all the others. I was more than pleasantly surprised when I discovered that the Timewise moisturizer not only makes my skin feel silky soft, but it doesn’t make it oily and it looks and feels a lot more fresh and youthful.

MAYBELLINE – Nouveou Age Rewind Concealer. Finding a good concealer posed to be just as difficult for me as finding a good moisturizer. Most concealers I have found leave a chalky residue and typically don’t cover all that they are supposed to, so when Cat featured the Maybelline Age Rewind concealer in her favorites last year, I decided t give it a try and I LOVE IT! I suggest you all give it a try.

Too Faced – Chocolate Soleil Bronzer (medium). (So Cat just raved about this roduct above, but I love it so much I thought I would toss in my two cents as well) Contour, contour and contour seem to be the latest craze right now…but finding the correct bronzer is quite the challenge. I can confidently say that I have about 6 different bronzers in my makeup box, none of which do the trick for me…either they just blend in or they have too much shimmer. About three months ago I went into Sephora on a mission to find the perfect bronzer and tada…I did 🙂 While it cost me a pretty penny ($25) the Too Faced bronzer is now my absolute favorite. It is worth every penny. Not only is it matte, but it lasts all day. Not to mention it smells and tastes like cocoa. If you are on the market for a good bronzer I highly recommend it…I believe it comes in three different shades.

ELF – Eyebrow Kit. I used to darken my brows with a dark eye shadow, but I would find that sometimes they would turn out too dark or the fill would fade away after a few hours. During a vacation trip, a friend of mine had this in her makeup bag and allowed me to use it. To my surprise I was quite impressed that for a mere $3 the ELF Eyebrow Kit gives brows a very natural look (not too dark) and lasts all day. I give it two thumbs up.

Batiste – Dry Shampoo. Just like a good bronzer, finding a good dry shampoo that does the work and doesn’t make my hair look like George Washington’s tanned twin has also been a challenge. I have gone through my share of dry shampoos…from simple baby powder, talk based shampoos and aerosol ones, they all either don’t blend well, don’t absorb the oil or smell bad. Originally I had purchased a regular Batiste dry shampoo and I loved the way it absorbed the oil but I was not too keen on the smell of roses it left behind. One day while at Marshalls I saw a Batiste bottle for dark hair! I was so excited I had to buy it. The dark hair one blends in perfectly and it smells great. I recommend all brunettes out there give it a try. 🙂

21 Tips About Painting Your Nails

Hello, my name is Cat and I am a nail polish addict. I love nail polish. True story.

In past Cristy and I have shared our favorite nail polish by season, check them out:

Fall 2013

Summer 2013

Fall 2012 part 1

Fall 2012 part 2

As I said, I personally have a minor obsession with nail colors, still don’t believe me? Check out #TipsyTuesday  or #Beauty.

Okay, I think I’m making point clear. I even shared an Easy at Home Manicure and a DIY Nail Strengthener.

Recently, I stumbled upon an article that totally supports my addiction. The article is available on Cosmopolitan.com and was retweeted by Huffington Post, check out the full article, click here.

Here’s a quick recap of “21 Things You Absolutely Must Know About Painting Your Nails.”

1. Three strokes are all you need.
2. Always use base coat.
3. Repurpose your old lip brush to help tidy up the edges of your nail.
4. Find the right white (I would also include the right nude).
5. Stay away from quick-dry nail polish.
6. Swipe on cuticle oil religiously.
7. Hold your hands under cold water post-paint job.
8. Make your neon polish pop.
9. Apply thin, not thick coats of polish.
10. Keep your paint in a cool, dry, dark place aka your fridge.
11. Thin out too-thick nail polish with thinner.
12. Never shake your nail polish.
13. Never cut your cuticles.
14. Only bust out the nippers when you have a hangnail.
15. Never saw your nails back and forth when you file them.
16. Stay away from hot water.
17. Use non-acetone nail polish remover whenever possible.
18. Go for glitter.
19. Use a cotton ball to help remove your glitter polish.
20. Always use three-free polish.
21. Always use a top coat.

What’s nail polish color(s) are you currently addicted to? Lately I’ve been all about greens! Greyish greens and earthy hues.

Thanks for visiting C to C,

CAT

 

Easy DIY Tray

How to make your own tray from a picture frame. This is a really easy project and you only need a few items.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Picture frame
• Spray paint
• Fabric

Let’s begin.

Step one: select a frame. I bought mine at a thrift store for $4. I selected one with a “fancy” ornate frame.

Step two: spray paint the frame (be sure to remove the glass prior to painting). I needed my frame to be neutral so I went with all white. To get full coverage on the frame you may need to paint it with multiple coats… My frame was originally a dark wooden color and it took about four coats of white spray paint before it was solid white.

Step three: select a piece of fabric. This fabric will be the background of your tray. The size of the fabric should be one inch bigger than the length and width of glass of your frame. For example if your piece of glass is 8in. by 10in. cut the fabric 9in. by 11in.

Step four: once the paint is dry place the glass back on the frame and the fabric on to the frame. Be sure to secure the glass, fabric and any backing in the frame.

Step five: enjoy your easy diy tray.

The tray sits on my dresser, here’s what it looks like.

Thanks for visiting,

CAT

 

C to C’s Fall Nail Polish

Hi all! It’s that time again for us to share with you our favorite fall nail colors. Hope you enjoy 🙂

Cat’s Favorite Fall 2013 Nail Polish:

Essie – Smokin’ Hot (pictured darker than actual color). According to the Essie website this is, “a stone-cold fox gray that burns hotter than any flame.”  I absolutely fell in love with the color when I saw it at my local Target.

Wet n Wild – Through the Grapevine. A beautiful fuchsia almost like a dark red wine color with a hint of pink. I love the Megalast line of nail polish, they last a long time, they are inexpensive and the colors are awesome. View more of my collection here.

China Glaze – Dress Me Up. Is a brownish mauve color, very neutral and great for fall.

NYC (New York Color) – Fashion Safari. Is a beautiful milky tan color. Once again, a beautiful neutral color great for fall and perfect for the office.

Julep – Florence. Is a creamy milky ivory, once again, perfect for the office. This is part of the “Classic with a Twist” Julep collection. To learn more about Julep and to become a Julep Maven click here.

Cristy’s Favorite Fall 2013 Nail Polishes:

O.P.I. – Malaga Wine. What can I say, I’m a fan of the reds, so it’s super fitting that one of my favorite fall colors is a deep wine red.

O.P.I. – Skip the Gift Wrap – Green is not typically a color I gravitate to, but this polish is so rich and deep that I’m a bit addicted to it.

O.P.I. – A-taupe the Space Needle – Ahhh the good ol’ brown fall color. Always a favorite of mine. This might look very similar to one of my favorites from last year, but this one is much deeper and reminds me of cocoa milk :).

O.P.I. – Suzi Takes the Wheel. Last but not least and probably my favorite for the season. A gray with a slight brown/rustic undertone.

 

C to C’s Fave 8 Summer Nail Polish

Welcome to C to C Friendspirations! We’re really excited to share our favorite summer nail polish, thus far, with you all.

Check out Cristy’s: 

Sinful Colors – Innocent. A lime green polish with a close resemblance to DID IT ON EM from the OPI, Nicki Minaj nail polish line. I typically use this one on my toes, but whenever I feel like being a bit wild, I definitely break out my Innocent polish.

L.A. Girl Disco Brights – Dance Craze. The picture does not do this polish justice, Dance Craze is more of a peach color with strong orange undertones and it is by far my favorite of the four. I’ve been rocking this most of the summer.

Orly – Crush on You. A muted tangerine color. Typically I avoid orange polishes as they remind me of Halloween, but this one hits the spot for me. It’s a muted orange and it has a very fresh and summer feel.

ORLY – Passion Fruit. A bright,  borderline highlighter pink polish. Not only does it dry super fast, but the color just makes me feel happy, not to mention it does not chip easily.

Cat’s faves: 

Sally Hansen – Barracuda, a beautiful milky blue. Barracuda is definitely one of my top 5 favorites of all time.

Essie’s- In The Cabana,  a deeper teal. I recently purchased this one and I absolutely love it, but be sure to wear a base coat because it stains.

Rimmel London – Mintilicious. The picture does not show its true color, it dries to a gorgeous teal leaning more on the green side.

Orly’s – White Tips. A plain white, nothing super special about it, except for when I wear it I feel crisp, clean, and tan. It would not be summer without a little white polish in the mix.

As you can tell, we’re polar opposites!

Feel free to share your favorite summer colors with us.

– Cristy & Cat