Merry Christmas + Special Thanks + ANNOUNCEMENT

Hey guys! I just wanted to say thank you for all your support over the last two years. I started blogging for fun and never thought it would become something I can do as a job. And I own it all to you guys!

I also wanted to wish you guys a....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I realize that it is not Christmas yet but I will be on a family vacation next week and won't have any access to internet. I hope you guys have a great holiday season filled with love and of course plenty of food!!! 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

To kick off the new year, I will be starting a new series called Keeping It Together January. With a new year comes with new exciting things happening as well as fear of what the year is going to bring. My Keeping It Together posts will provide you guys tips and tricks on how to start off the year right. 

JINGLE JINGLE- Kickin' it Up Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is the classic winter/holiday drink. But it can get boring in terms with the flavor year after year. Here are some ways to kick it up a notch for you and your family to enjoy this holiday season! 

1.) The Grasshopper

Whisk in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract (Be very careful, this stuff is potent)

2.) The Chillah

Put in a pinch of cheyenne pepper & cinnamon

3.) Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Scrape the seeds out of a 1/2 a vanilla bean and put into cocoa. Add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese and mix till smooth.

4.) The Coco Lime (For those tropical people)

Add some lime zest and a couple tablespoons of cream of coconut. You can also replace your regular milk with coconut milk for a more intense flavor. (Make sure you are not using coconut milk from a can if you choose to replace milk. The milk in the can is very thick and is normally used for cooking. Try Almond Breeze Coconut Milk) 

5.) The Elvis

Put peanut butter into hot cocoa and mix until dissolved. Add half a smashed banana and blend until smooth. (This one also makes a great frozen hot chocolate) 

Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick

If you guys are familiar with Apple TV, Amazon's Fire TV Stick is pretty much Amazon's version of it. Digital content has significantly increased over the last couple of years especially when it comes to TV shows and movies. The Fire TV Stick is a device that streams your online content directly to your TV.

The Fire TV Stick comes with...

-Fire TV Stick

-Remote

-USB cord + outlet extender

-2 AA batteries

-HDMI port 

The Fire TV Stick takes no time to install and so easy to use. The only issue I had was opening the battery compartment which you will need a small knife or screwdriver to help you open it.

You do have to have good internet connection in order to use this otherwise it will just buffer continuously. 

As you can tell the Fire TV Stick streams many different platforms such as Netflix, hulu+ and etc... Compared to Apple TV this device is much more affordable ($39). It also includes a 30 day Prime Trial. Personally I don't recommend this device if you don't have an Amazon Prime account. (If you don't have an Amazon Prime account you will have to register the device when you receive it. If you directly purchase it from your Amazon account it will be already set up for you. With Apple TV you have to register it yourself no matter what.) Many devices like Apple TV and smart TVs already have digital platforms like Netflix already installed. Amazon Prime is the only digital platform not available to these devices. I really like this device because I prefer streaming my movies and shows from Amazon rather than iTunes. I save a lot more money and don't have to worry about paying extra for storage space which Apple tends to charge. It is also great for gaming (you can purchase a separate gaming remote). It is easy to travel with thanks to its small size.

Fire TV Stick will be available on Amazon.com on January 6, 2015.

JINGLE JINGLE- Quick & Easy Cran-Orange Apple Sauce

A quick and yummy favorite of my mine during the holidays. This stuff tastes so much better than the can stuff and is so simple to make.

What You Will Need:

-1 Large Naval or Honeybell Orange (The sweeter the better)

-1 LB of Fresh Cranberries

-1 Granny Smith Apple (This apple holds up really well when cooked, if you want something a bit sweeter try a pink lady apple.)

-Water (Enough to cover the fruit)

- One to one and a half cups of fine white sugar

How To Make:

1. Wash all your fruits

2. Grate your orange for orange zest (Make sure you don't get any of the white part.) and the juice the orange. Keep the peels

3. Peel and cut your apple into tiny cubes

4. In a small sauce pot pour in your cranberries and just enough water to cover them

5. Add your apples and orange juice and throw in the orange peels for extra flavor

6. Add sugar (Just eyeball it but usually around a cup and of course depends on your sweetness preference

7. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for about an hour or so until the cranberries pop and it begins to form a sauce like consistency. 

8. Pour into a pretty bowl and serve! 

The Legend of Korra (Finale)- Thoughts & Stuff

Yesterday was a truly heartbreaking day,,,, The Legend of Korra has finally ended. Obviously I knew that this day was going to come but I am still currently trying to register it in my brain. I am a HUGE Avatar fan all the way from the start. It is definitely one of the best shows Nick has ever done. This is one of those shows where no matter how old you are it is something everyone can enjoy.

The Legend of Korra finale was definitely something for the ages. Instead of doing a full on review I want to share with you guys an article from Vanity Fair. This article not only contains a review of the finale but they also wrote about the modern perspective that this show brought. It covers pretty much every topic from religion to race to censorship to even sexuality. It is so well written and something I think you guys will really enjoy. But here are some quick little thoughts I had about the finale (WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD).

1. Varrick & Zhu Li

I knew that Nick was going to have at least one couple getting together at the end and I personally was rooting for Korra and Mako however I was so happy that they married Varrick & Julie. I even teared up a bit when he proposed to her and also their wedding at the end. 

2. What happened to Toph, Katara & Zuko?!?!

I was hoping that they would show more of the original Team Avatar especially at the end of the show. I had so many questions like whatever happened to Zuko's mother? Who was Toph's baby daddy and what happened with him? The list is endless. I am glad that they were able to bring back some old characters. My favorite throughout the show was when they brought back Uncle Iroh. I gotta admit I bawled my eyes out when I watched that episode.

3. Asami & Korra?!?!

I think everybody was pretty much surprised at the ending. But I personally thought that Nick made a pretty bold move but at the same time it changed things up a bit. Most of us myself included wanted Mako and Korra together. My personal thought about Asami and Korra is their remarkable friendship. These girls been through so much together even dating the same guy but in the end it only made their relationship stronger. I wish women today could be more accepting like them. Think about all the drama we could've avoided haha. 

You guys can still watch the finale as well as the other episodes on Nick.com. You can also watch on other platforms such as iTunes and Amazon prime. 

xoxo

Si 

Weekly Playlist- SPECIAL EDITION- Favorite Old School Christmas Albums

1.) NSYNC Home for Christmas 

This is a CULT classic. You can never go wrong with a little NSYNC during the holidays. It is actually a great excuse to break out the old album.

Favorite Songs: 

I Never Knew The Meaning of Christmas

I Don't Wanna Spend One More Christmas Without You

2.) A Charlie Brown Christmas

No explanation necessary, A Charlie Brown Christmas is the ULTIMATE Christmas classic.

Favorite Songs:

Greensleeves

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

3.) Mariah Carey Merry Christams

The only time really acceptable to listen to Mariah Carey.

Favorite Songs:

All I Want For Christmas is You

O Holy Night 

4.) Nat King Cole The Magic of Christmas

This is probably as old school as you can get. I may be in my 20s but I find Nat's voice really soothing and classic which is something you really don't get with today's artists.

Favorite Songs:

Deck The Halls 

The First Noel

Movie Review: Rogue

I am a horror movie addict... actually addict may be an understatement. I honestly cannot live without horror movies in my life. I love the feeling of adrenaline rushing and anticipation that horror movies bring. Some of you may think i'm crazy but hey being addicted to horror movies is A LOT better than being addicted to crack... just saying.

My favorite type of horror movie are creature features. What can I say I am a hardcore animal lover. But I gotta admit that there really aren't a lot of decent creature features. The cgi is always wack and they are always some porn scenes. Like seriously focus on the freaking animal. Given this I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed Rogue. 

Rogue is an Australian horror film based on the true story of Sweetheart, a giant crocodile that attacked boats during the 1970s (She actually never killed anyone in real life). It starts out introducing a group of tourists who are taking a boat tour around Australian wetlands. The group ends up taking a detour when a flare is seen in the air. After the group finds the location of the flare, they see an empty boat in the water and are soon attacked up and unseen creature (obviously the croc). The rest of movie shows continues on with the people fighting for survival. Overall I gotta give some major props to this movie. First the cinematography is amazeballs!!! The scenery in the wetlands shown was absolutely stunning. I kinda felt I was on the tour with them (thank god I wasn't though). Everything was very lifelike and none of those cliche sceneries. The cgi croc wasn't too fake looking and the directors didn't overdo it by showing the croc too much. Secondly they actually made this movie about the creature and not into some porno. There was a mild bit of flirtation but nothing raunchy. And lastly, they actually had a pretty decent cast, like actual actors that we know about like Michael Vartan (Alias), Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Sam Worthington (Avatar).I did wish that they gave Worthington a bigger part because if you haven't heard this true born Australian accent you are definitely missing out! 

OVERALL

4.9/5 

elf Cyber Monday Haul

Hey guys I know that this is a bit delayed but Fedex once again screwed up my delivery. I don't know why but Fedex has never been reliable for me when it comes to packages. Well anyways here is my 

Cyber Monday haul. Everything on elf (www.eyeslipsface.com) was 50% off plus a free kabuki brush with every order. Elf is known for their very affordable makeup. There will be reviews on some of these products in the future.Everything except the Kabuki brush which was free is still available online at full price.

Blush Dios in (from Top Left, Top Right, Bottom)

Antigua

St. Lucia

Turks & Caicos 

Retail- $3.00 (each)

Sale- $1.50 

Blush Palette in Dark

Retail- $6.00

Sale- $3.00

Single Blush in Mellow Mauve

Retail- $3.00

Sale- $1.50

Left: HD Mattifying Balm 

Retail- $6.00

Sale- $3.00

Right: Clarifying Pressed Powder

Retail- $1.00

Sale- $0.50

Smudge Pots in Crusin' Chic (Left) & Poppin Party (Right)

Retail- $3.00

Sale-$1.50

Long wear Lipliner + Sharpener in Bitter (Left)

Retail- $1.00

Sale- $0.50

  Powder Brush (Right)

Retail- $3.00

Sale $1.50

Slanted Kabuki Brush

FREE!!! 

Retail- $6.00

Review: Bare Minerals- Bare Tutorials Smoky Eyes

Bare Tutorials Smoky Eyes

PACKAGING:

The kit comes in an aluminum tin that can be reused. It contains the following...

- 3 miniature Bare Minerals loose eyeshadow in Celestine, Soul & Graphite 

-Lash Domination Mascara (Deluxe Size)

-Dual Ended Brush

-Tutorial Sheet

This kit is limited edition and available where Bare Minerals products are sold. The kit retails for $29.50. But remember Bare Minerals eyeshadows usually retail around for $14-$15 each and they last for a very long time. These small sizes will also last you for quite awhile. The mascara on its own full size retails at $22 and if you were to buy the brushes (it only comes dual-ended in the kit) it will set you back another $30 ish dollars. So great deal you guys are getting here not to mention great Christmas gift idea for makeup lovers! 

There is also a natural look kit that features pressed eyeshadows.

FORMULATION:

Eyeshadows:

Bare Minerals mineral eyeshadows are some of the best mineral eyeshadows out on the market today. They are nicely milled and super pigmented. But they are messy to work with if you don't have any experience with mineral makeup. I do recommend using an eyeshadow guard or foiling (a technique that blends your shadow with some type of liquid like a mixing medium, eyedrops or even H2O to help the shadow not only adhere to your eyelids better but also brings out the color even more) your shadows when applying on your eyelid to help with fall out. I love the colors in this kit. When you think of smoky eyes you probably think of black or brown. This set gives you a unique twist on the classic smoky eye and looks great with pretty much any eye color. You can either follow the tutorial provided or just do your own thing.

From Left to Right: Celestine, Soul & Graphite

Celestine- Light copper brown (shimmer)

Soul- White beige color (matte) 

Graphite- Soft black with green undertones (matte)

Top Left: Celestine
Top Right: Soul
Bottom: Graphite

 Lash Domination:

I been wanting to try out this mascara for some time now and thanks to this kit I finally get to try it without shedding out $22. This mascara is awesome. I have tried other Bare Minerals mascaras but didn't like them so much. This one gives me great full looking lashes without it looking clumpy. The formula is semi wet so not too dry nor too wet. It wears for a couple hours but does tend to flake at the end of the day. But remember everyone has different lashes so what may or may not work on me may or may not work on you.

The only issue I have with this mascara is that while the wand is rubber it isn't flexible and if you are a klutz like me accidentally hit your eye while applying it can hurt. 

 Dual- Ended Brush:

I am not a fan of mini brushes that comes in kits. I find them pretty much useless because it is very difficult to have full control. This brush however isn't that bad. If you are familiar with Bare Minerals'  brushes you know that they have small handles. I'm not sure why they do this. Their brushes are awesome but I prefer longer handles to get more control (Yes, I do realize there is a dirty joke in here... get your head out of the gutters people). 

The hair on this brush is super soft and you can use both ends to get a decent look. 

JINGLE JINGLE- Hot Toddy Recipe (For those 21+)

I have been really into mixing drinking lately. It is amazing to see how different flavors incorporate together to make delicious things. Mixing drinks is a great way to explore without the hassle and mess of cooking and baking. Here is another delicious holiday drink that is perfect for those days where you want to cuddle up by a nice fire. This isn't your traditional hot toddy but it is just as delicious or maybe even more! 

What You Will Need: 2-3 servings

2 tablespoons of dark Agave Nectar Syrup (DO NOT GET LIGHT)

1 cup of hot water

1 tsp of orange liquor 

6 Tablespoons of your favorite Bourbon (For this recipe I recommend Jim Bean but any type will do, this isn't one of those drinks where you need to splurge.)

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp of Nutmeg

2 long peel of mayar lemon (I like the flavor of the mayar lemon but go ahead and use what you have)

2 long peel of orange (You can use whatever type of orange you like)

How to Make:

In a large cup or bowl mix your agave nectar syrup into hot water until it completely dissolves. Then mix in the orange liquor and nutmeg (you can leave this out if you don't like nutmeg). Next get two mini mugs and divide your bourbon (3 tablespoons per mug) and top each mug with your hot water mixture. Garnish each mug with a lemon and orange peel. Top it with a cinnamon stick and enjoy!!! 

NEW! CoverGirl Ultra Smooth Foundation + Applicator

PACKAGING:

The foundation comes in a plastic case along with a plastic purple applicator.

Contains .84 fl oz of product

Comes in 12 Shades but may vary store to store (I am in 825 Buff Beige)

Pricing varies depending on where you purchase. 

Average retail at drugstores and drugstore retailers 

$8-15

FORMULATION:

Cover Girl has been stepping up their foundations. Less than 6 months after their release of their Ready, Set, Gorgeous Foundation, Cover Girl has launched another one! What caught my eye with this one was of course the hair smoothing it claims to do. I don't think I have ever seen a beauty company advertise a foundation as something as hair smoothing. The design behind this formulation is that it claims to help tame facial hair on the face. Now you might think that is odd especially since it is geared towards women however even us ladies get a bit of facial hair now and then on our faces. 

The foundation is very smooth and moisturizing and goes on very nicely. I personally found the applicator to be completely useless. It ended up not only streaking the product on my face but actually ended up wiping off most it before it got a chance to blend in. I gave up trying after a while and just used my foundation brush. Although I could be biased because I have been using a beauty blender sponge which is an amazing beauty tool. 

The texture is not too thick or too thin and offers a natural look with medium coverage. For my dry skin it also set pretty nicely. I have had this product on for about 6 hours and even then it looked great. I even sweated a little and it didn't budge. I do recommend a primer underneath to assure the long lastingness. 

As for the hair smoothing claims, I honestly didn't find anything different with this one compared to my other foundations. I have a little problem with facial hair underneath my nostrils. This foundation really didn't do much different.

But overall despite its claims this is a great foundation.

Overall

4.9/5

(This would have been a 5/5 but the applicator sucked)

Current Reading List- December 2015

I have not posted one of these for a long time. Between work and graduate school applications I have had no time to read for pleasure. I was meeting with a client the other day and we were next to a Barnes & Noble so I decided to pop in really quick to get some new reading material. I have a vacation coming up so I thought I can squeeze in some reading (I have actually started reading a little  already as I am typing this post.) I have started buying more books on my Kindle because they are usually cheaper and take very little space and also Audible so I can listen to books while I work, but there is nothing like holding an actual book (Yes I am a book nerd and proud of it!)

So here is what I chose :D

Queen of The Damned

By: Anne Rice

I have been a fan of Anne Rice for a long time and I do know that there is a stigma to some of her writing especially when it comes to homosexuality. But for me I think she is an amazing writer and I am one of those people who could really care less of what others think especially when it comes to MY reading choices. What brought upon me to get this was after watching the Aaliyah movie I went back to listening to some of her old stuff and also stumbled upon some of her old movies. One of those old movies happened to be Queen of the Damned which is based on Anne Rice's novel. The movie itself wasn't particularly great compared to other Anne Rice's novel adaptations like Interview with a Vampire which was amazeballs but compared to Twilight this one was a hoot. After watching the movie I saw a lot of comments saying that the book was much better. And that is how I ended up choosing this novel. Queen of the Damned is part of Anne Rice's famous Vampire Chronicles series which details the lives of various vampires. I have read a couple of them not all and this one being not read. But to keep this short Queen of the Damned is about Akasha who is the mother of all vampires. She has risen from a 6,000 year slumber and wants to take over the world and such. I can't go into too much detail and not because I haven't read all of it but because there are connections with her other books hence these books being chronicles. But so far it has been pretty decent. I am not one of those crazy vampire lovers, but I do have a love for the supernatural and once in awhile I do read some stuff like this, and whether or not you are interested in vampires or other supernatural creatures you should check out Anne Rice's books. She is brilliant.

When We Met

By: A.L. Jackson, Molly McAdams & Christina Lee

I have always been a sucker for a cheesy romance novel especially when it comes to the author Molly McAdams. Her love stories are more realistic and relatable to the average woman or man. When we met tells the story of 4 girls and their problems they are currently going through. Each girl's story is written by a different author (basically an anthology). I love books like this. It introduces me not only to different styles of writing but also new authors to explore. 

I hope you guys enjoyed this little post and try out one of these books! Both of these are available at bookstores nationwide as well as digital form. Prices will vary depending where and how you purchase.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS <3