Sephora

I saw this on Facebook and thought it'd be cute to post. The original "answers" posted on their site are a bit gag-worthy. Totally un-subtle "I hope you're too dumb to realize I'm shilling" advertising annoys me.

Welcome to Sephora's 25 Beauty Confessions! You know the drill - if I tagged you, it's because I want to know how you really get so gorgeous! Copy/Paste this list on a new Note in your NOTES application. Tell all - then tag your fellow beauty addicts. Don't forget to tag the person who tagged you.


1. What is the 1 product you'd grab if your house was on fire?
As big of a beauty junkie as I am, the last thing I'd be thinking about saving as my house burned down would be a tube of lipstick. I think that's their overly dramatic way of asking what my fave product is. If that's what they mean, I think I love my Stila eyeshadows the most.

2. Which friend would you let make you over?
Ummm, none. No offense. ;)

3. What celeb do people think you look like?
I get Reese Witherspoon and Amy Adams a lot. One guy I dated swore up and down I looked just like Beverly D'Angelo.

4. What beauty product do you save for date night?
I just do my regular makeup, but a bit heavier. More eyeliner, or a true smokey eye. I'll wear anything anytime (in an appropriate form, of course).

5. Which of your guy friends takes longer than you, to get ready?
Hubby has been known to take his sweet time getting ready... :)

6. If you could create your own miracle beauty product, what would it be?
I would really love a body lotion with a high spf that didn't smell synthetic/chemically, sinks in quickly, and actually moisturizes. I want to be able to apply it, then go on with my other morning preparations and not feel like I'm getting ready to head out to the pool. I am tired of smelling bad and feeling all gummy. And I want to be able to buy it at a drugstore for under $12 a bottle.

7. How many different Sephora stores have you been to (and in which cities)?
Wow...just the Orlando store, I think! I feel so unworldly, all the sudden. My sister did take a picture of the store in Times Square when she visited, just for me. She knows what I care about, ha.

8. What's your best beauty tip?
Wear sunscreen! Don't smoke! Blondes--lay off the heavy black eyeliner, you look trampy (are you trying to look like Tara Reid after a bender?) Blend your eye shadow! Exfoliate!

9. What beauty products do you love to splurge on?
Philosophy skincare and bath/body products. "Love" isn't the word so much as "worth it", regarding their skincare. Foundations and concealers are also worth spending a bit more for, especially if you can get a nice sample first.

10. Which of your girlfriends would you bring on a Sephora shopping spree?
When I go to Sephora (or even Ulta) I need solitude. Or at least someone who is just peachy with me spending 45 minutes in deep thought and general silence as I browse the isles, smudge products all over the back of my hands and (9x out of 10) leave without purchasing.

11. What is your signature scent?
Philosophy Pure Grace or Amazing Grace. I also love Stella McCartney's Stella and DKNY Red Delicious for night time. RL Romance is a standby fave too.

12. I am on an endless quest for the perfect _________.
Taupe eyeshadow.

13. How old were you when you were allowed to wear makeup AND how old were you when you actually started wearing makeup?
Sixteen (both allowed and started). My mother was a lot smarter than the others, there was no use trying to snow her. I will allow concealer (ie, the one product that would have made middle school more bearable), appropriate mascara and gloss for my kids once they're 13, but no heavy foundations or eyeliner.

14. How many beauty products does it take to get you ready?
::counts:: 15 In my defense, that's hair, makeup and fragrance.

15. What lipstick/lip gloss is in your purse right now?
I try to only carry one lip product in my purse at a time...right now it's Revlon Glossy Rose Super Lustrous lipgloss. A great "my lips but better" color, and cheap!

16. Who is your celebrity beauty icon?
Reese, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman

17. Where is the craziest place you've ever applied your makeup?
Probably an airplane...generally, I think anything more than a lipstick touch up or a pat of powder from your compact should be done in private.

18. Who of your tagged friends is ALWAYS camera ready?
n/a

19. Name the beauty brand you'd most love to be a spokesperson for?
Philosophy--because I could say fabulous things about the line and be able to be 100% honest (except Kiss Me lip balm--that stuff is awful)

20. If you could name your signature nail polish, what would you call it?
Kate (it'd be a bright and summery PINK with a purple duo shimmer to it) Zoya has a "Kate", but it is a hideous "mom mauve". Do I own it, regardless of how barfy the color is, just for the name? You betcha.

21. Out of your tagged friends, who's the most Sephora-obsessed?
n/a

22. Fave mascara right now?
Cover Girl Lash Blast or L'Oreal Voluminous. I refuse to buy high end mascara, only to toss it after 3 months.

23. The last thing you bought at Sephora?
I used to live 10 minutes from the mall with Sephora. Since moving, my damage has been online only. My last order was 1/5/09: Sephora brand dry oil (tangerine grapefruit) and Bliss "The Big Orange" set (Blood Orange & White Pepper body butter and body wash).

24. I try never to be seen without wearing _______.
I always wear makeup when I go out (meaning a bare minimum mineral powder foundation, blush, concealer, a wash of shadow, liner, mascara and gloss). At 8 am Sunday morning I might run to Publix bare faced, but that's it. Call me vain, fine, but it only takes 5 minutes and I feel better when put together.

25. One beauty product you recommend to ALL of your girlfriends?
The Ped Egg!

Philosophy

Whoa, nelly! Forgive me, Father, for I have shopped.

There are few things in the world I enjoy more than a great bath. One of my favorite things about our house is the big (but not too big) garden tub in our master bathroom. I love lighting my candles, pouring a glass of wine and soaking in a bubble bath. Along with my love of baths comes a love for bath & body products, namely Philosophy. I'm obsessed. I love everything they do: fragrance, bath, body, skincare. My mom enrolled me in QVC's (don't judge, I love "the Q" too) auto-delivery program for their 3-in-1's, so I have....um, a few. Maybe more than a few.

So what do I do? Buy more, of course. (It is really not my fault, Philosophy caught me at a moment of weakness and lured me with a "gift with purchase" offer...)

Wanna see the damage? (I've gone back and put in my reviews!)


"The Soda Fountain": I was originally going to get the full size of only the Root Beer (it smells just like A&W), but when I read that Fruit Punch smelled exactly like Hawaiian Punch I decided to get the trio. (I haven't smelled Cherry Cola, but the reviews are good...and as a Cherry Coke fanatic, I feel like I can't hate it)
3 winners! Root Beer is definitely the best, but the other 2 are fabulous as well. Cherry Cola is a dead-ringer for Cherry Coke, and Fruit Punch is delish--maybe a bit closer to say, MinuteMaid Fruit Punch than Hawaiian Punch, but that's fine.


A friend of mine loves this. When she uses it, she says she feels like a pink cupcake. It's a not-too-sweet vanilla with a hint of berry.
This reminds me of the Strawberry Shortcake cake my mom made for me as a little girl. Pink-tinted vanilla cake with strawberry icing, topped with sliced strawberries. Happiness!


I love wearing citrus fragrances, and this will be perfect for summer. I used to have their regular Lemonade scrub, and it wasn't Pledge-y at all. Their body butters are incredibly moisturizing and soak in super fast.

I am returning the product, so no review. I bought this on eBay from a very reputable seller with impeccable feedback, but it arrived in anything other than the "brand new, mint condition" promised on the seller's page. Obviously opened and most likely used. I know y'all probably think it's beyond gross that I purchased lotion from ebay, but I felt safe buying from a reputable, established seller. I figured if it's sealed, who cares where you buy it from? Anyhow, lesson learned. The seller has promised me a refund.


This smells just like a green apple Jolly Rancher! I love sweet-tart. And there are no better scrubs in existence than Philosophy's salt scrubs.

Like I said, a Jolly Rancher in a jar. Fantastic!


Since they're such awesome scrubs, I decided a little variety isn't a bad thing.

This smells like a homemade coconut cake, it is heavenly! And both scrubs perform 100%--I had Green Apple on one leg and Coconut Icing on the other, I couldn't pick just 1 to use the night they arrived!

My free gift was a 4 oz. tube of Pure Grace body butter (a $22 value, ooooh). I also picked some samples of products I'd like to try in the future.

The good thing is that since our bathroom already looks like a Philosophy store, Hubby won't notice a few more bottles. Plus, how can a husband object to his wife spending money on looking good? (Honestly, he has no problem with me treating myself--it's me that's feeling a bit guilty and trying to justify things in my own mind, haha)

I should probably mention for those who are not familiar with Philosophy and their 3-in-1's: the scent only lasts through your shower, it does not linger on your body and make you smell like a bowl of icing all day. Because that would be foul.

Best Dishes

*I am still in shock over my Magic's heartbreaking losses over the past 2 games. I think the entire city is dazed over last night, especially*

I buy books faster than I can read them. I just can't "do" library books. I need to be able to mark it up, keep it for future reference, or loan it (cautiously) to someone I think will appreciate it as I did.

Today I ordered Paula Deen's latest, It Ain't All About The Cookin', from half.com (no brand new cover price for this frugal freak, "very good condition" and $5.76 shipped is more like it!)



Yay, Paula! I think this book will immediately jump the other 54 or so on my "to read" list. It makes me a little sad, because my mom always bought me Paula's new stuff when it came out, that was our little tradition. "I've got some new Paula for you!", she'd say. So this is the first book I've had to pick up myself. I hope I haven't missed any! If I have, darn, I'll just have to buy them....oh no. Ha.

(Oh, and I think we've settled on taking our original road trip this summer. It turns out my Annapolis family will be out of the country the week we're able to travel. So it all works out in the end! Either way: Paula, here we come!)

Decisions

Little Miss Indecisive needs to make up her mind about what to do for our June vacation (I know, poor me, right?)

I'd mentioned that we were planning a road trip up through GA, SC, NC, across TN and back down. But I got an email from one of my aunts last night with an invite up to visit the family (dad's side) in Annapolis. So now I need to pick.

On one hand, a solo getaway for Hubby and me would be nice (though we are going on a cruise in September, so it's not like we're missing our only chance). Sometimes vacationing with family is not really a vacation, ya know (and means I will "owe" Hubby a trip to visit some of his crazy family).

On the other, it'd be nice to get to spend some time with family that I never see. I don't know them as well as I'd like, but they're great people. I absolutely love Annapolis, and I know my aunt would be the Queen of All Tour Guides (she is the perfect Southern hostess and a major Type A personality, I'm envious sometimes). Plus my cousin, her husband and their little girl are there too. Mom's only sister (who is not speaking to us after mom's death, but that's a whole other pot of drama I've yet to figure out) lives nearby and we might be able to attempt a visit. And...I could see my beloved Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yard. (Plus we would stay at my aunt and uncle's house, which is much cheaper than hotels...)

Hmm....sounds like I have my mind made up, huh? Hubby said he'd be happy to go anywhere, so long as he's with me (awww). Tennessee will always be there for us to go see, right?

(And just so everyone knows, the path to both destinations takes us through Savannah, so visiting The Lady & Sons is a sure thing no matter what).

Mother's Day

I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day and shows their mom just how much she means.

This is my first Mother's Day without my mom, and I miss her so much.

I know it's trite, but you never know how long you have with someone. Never take anything for granted, and never pass up an opportunity to tell people what they mean to you. You just never know what the future holds, so never let there be any doubt.

The Lady & Sons

Hubby and I have decided to spend a week or so this summer road tripping through the South. My main goal was to visit Memphis, my mother's birthplace. We'll take a round-a-bout route of getting there, but I will in fact get my pork BBQ and blues experience. As we head out of Florida, we are also planning a stop in one of America's most beautiful cities....Savannah!

We'll leave out of Orlando early Monday morning and hopefully roll into Savannah by late morning. We were thinking of walking the streets and seeing the gardens and homes, as well as having lunch before heading up toward the mountains of western NC and eastern TN.

Well, as you can guess from this entry's title I am a HUGE Paula Deen fan. Seriously, I adore her. She reminds me of my mom in many ways. Eating at her restaurant (The Lady & Sons) would be the experience of a lifetime for me.

From what I know, people start lining up to get on the reservation list well before they begin taking them at 9:30am. Getting into town at 11 won't work. Plus (despite the fact the waiting is for what just has to be amazing food) I'm not sure how hot Hubby will be on waiting so long. We could always do our "walking tour" while we wait, right?

But who knows? My sister and her husband stopped in last fall on their way back from Charleston and were seated in less than 10 minutes. Could we get that lucky too? I am trying to convince myself that the wait will be shorter on a weekday, but with how popular Miss Paula is....?

Has anyone been there lately to tell me if it's "worth" the wait? I know "worth it" is a very personal thing, but for someone who loves Paula but is also a practical person, is this going to be a stressful way to start our trip? Are there better/similar places to get some fantastic Southern food?



Another "Go Magic" P.S.! We'll practically be in the rafters, but we'll be in the O-rena to cheer on our team!

Small Victories

As I mentioned earlier, I survived our first (and hopefully last) garage sale. I hate garage sales terribly. Hubby is a natural businessman, so I let him run things. Truth be told, he did an excellent job and got us a pretty penny for our junk. We also got the vast majority of the Great Garage Abyss sorted and found out exactly what was out there. (Do you own 3 turkey basters? We do.) Best of all, there is now room for my car in the garage!

The other good news is that the guest room is cleared out and I can now start decorating. The bad news is the guest room is cleared out and I can now start decorating, haha.

My "craft room" is officially overwhelmed with stuff. What kind of stuff? Well, nearly all of my clothes. My purses, accessories, and jewelry. The overflow of my book and cookbook collection (we need more shelving). My makeup. My nail polish collection. All of the stuff I took from mom and dad's before the renovation project started (all stuff I cannot dream of parting with). An old wobbly entertainment stand. Oh yeah, and my (massive stash of) art/craft supplies.

I thought the garage being messy was overwhelming, but now I'm ready to pull my hair out all over again! The super-overwhelming part is knowing that getting the room organized is only the first thing to conquer. Our house has 4 bedrooms (yes, and I'm about to whine that we don't have enough room): the master, the "office", the "guest room", and my "craft room". Guess which one will be converted to the "nursery" when the time comes? Yup. Where is all that stuff going to go? (The office bedroom is really small, otherwise I'd tell Hubby to move over and make some room for me) We need one of those HGTV makeover/organization shows to swoop in!

Umm....we don't really need a guest room, do we? That just encourages bad things, like guests, right? :)

Monday Mishmash

...because it's that kind of Monday. :-p

A good weekend it was! We had a garage sale on Saturday and managed to unload a ton of crap gently loved belongings on our neighbors. Let it clutter your garage! I'd had visions of doing a great Derby Party this year, but somehow the first Saturday in May totally snuck up on me. Ooops. Further proof I am not Martha. Hubby and I still made mint juleps. Growing all that mint wasn't for nothing (plus, we have a summer full of pool parties and mojitos to look forward to).

Sunday was our cousin's graduation, and it went extremely well. Gainesville was just as I knew it to be as soon as May 1 rolls around: searingly hot. Roughly 20 family members assembled to watch the ceremony and go out to eat afterward and, to my knowledge, no blood was shed. I had my token "why did my son marry this crazy liberal hippie?" moment from my Mother in Law when I did not immediately and enthusiastically chime in with her to agree that sex ed should not be taught in middle schools. Oh, and again when I had to defend myself for not pledging a Sorority. (PSA: there is no satisfactory answer for a woman who was president of her sorority in college, so don't even bother trying to explain.)

My sister is holding a birthday BBQ for her hubby the weekend after next, so I am already planning what to bring. Parties of any sort are an excuse for me to bake cupcakes. I think I'm going to go with these:


Tie Dye Cupcakes



Aren't those fun?! I think my brother-in-law and the other guests will love them. They even look fun to make. It'll be a shame to frost them!



PS: Go Magic! Round 2 starts tonight, beat those Celtics!

Graduation Day

This will be a great weekend for our family, on Sunday I'll have a cousin who is not just awesome, but a college grad as well!

She is actually Hubby's cousin, but I love her enough to claim her as my own, haha. She'll be getting her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the greatest university on earth (me, biased? no way...), the University of Florida. We are the only Gators in a family full of 'Noles, so we must stick together. She's worked really hard and has totally earned this degree. I'm really proud of her.

I just love graduation. When ever I hear "Pomp and Circumstance", I get a bit teary eyed. I'm a sap! I'm very excited to be back at my alma mater to see a new class of Gators enter the "real world". It will be especially cool to me because my cousin's graduation ceremony will take place six years to the very hour after I graduated myself. Wow, six years. How can that seem like both yesterday and eons ago? I've come a long way, baby.

Hopefully she'll have had the chance to go Gator Stompin' (a UF tradition: basically a bar crawl for seniors) and do all the other things a Gator should do before leaving Gainesville. I remember my "...one lasts" and how bittersweet it all was.

Now all I have to do is decide once and for all which dress to wear (a very important decision indeed) and figure out how to keep flowers fresh through a 2 hour car ride and 2 hour ceremony!

University of Florida Alma Mater

Florida, our Alma Mater,
thy glorious name we praise.
All thy loyal sons and daughters,
a joyous song shall raise.
Where palm and pine are blowing,
where southern seas are flowing,
Shine forth thy noble gothic walls,
thy lovely vine clad halls.
Neath the orange and blue victorious,
our love shall never fail.
There's no other name so glorious,
all hail, Florida, hail!