Remember a few weeks ago when I told you what I was packing for my beach vacation? Well, vacation happened, and it was amazing!! Costa Rica is a beautiful place with beautiful, wonderful people. Highly recommend. I tried some new things on this trip, so I thought I would let you know what worked and what didn’t. Here we go! Continue reading Faves and Fails: Beach Edition
Month: March 2017
First impressions: Girlfriend Collective leggings
I’ve mentioned before that I rarely go on Facebook. Maybe once a day. And I certainly never click the ads when I’m on FB. But then there was this “free leggings” ad. Free leggings from Girlfriend Collective. The ad looked nice, pleasing to the eye. The leggings pictured looked flattering and actually like they could be kind of expensive – like the original Nike legends or Lululemon wunder unders – both of which I have had in the past and loved. But ok, free? What’s the catch? So I clicked. I proceeded to read all about these free leggings. They’re eco friendly (made from recycled plastic bottles.) High waisted (12 inch rise that sits above your bellybutton). Shaping with a perfect amount of compression, but comfortable as the fabric responds to your body heat and molds to your body. All this with a high end look and feel. Ok, but still what’s the catch? Their retail cost is $70, but during this pre-launch campaign they’re FREE with a shipping cost of $19.95. Ahh…. ok. So, not free. Why $19.95 shipping though? Because this pre-launch batch of leggings is coming directly from their factories in Vietnam. Ok, seems legit. I was intrigued, so I kept reading. They have a serious amount of very specific information on their website! And I suddenly found myself convinced that they were going to be the best leggings I’ve ever owned. And what’s 20 bucks anyway? Add up the cost of all the stupid leggings that I’ve gotten from Target and Forever21 that fit like crap and are faded and gross…. and that equals WAY more than $19.95. So I pulled the trigger. The thing is though, it would take about three months to get them. So three months went by, and yesterday I finally got them! And I wore them last night to yoga. Not to practice yoga but to teach, so basically I was walking around in a hot room wearing them. Having worn them for only just that one time, allow me to share my thoughts and feelings….. Continue reading First impressions: Girlfriend Collective leggings
First Impressions: the battle of the cream shadows!
As regular followers of Everything & Nothings know by now, the Maybelline Eyestudio® ColorTattoo® 24HR Cream Gel Eye Shadow is a holy grail product for us. It made its first appearance in Jess’ drugstore favorites and most recently in her quick bold lip look tips. I’ve included it in my makeup when you’re feeling sick and my brush reviews. (Pamela would probably include it more if Jess and I weren’t constantly talking about it!)
So I was curious when I saw this display at Walgreens announcing Revlon had come out with a new line of similar products. How would they compare against our old favorite? I needed to check them out, immediately.
Continue reading First Impressions: the battle of the cream shadows!
These TV Shows Need To Come Back Already!!
I have no shame about the fact that I love television. As a young kid, I had a very specific attention span to get through an hour long episode of Sesame Street, followed by the soothing kindness of Mr. Rogers (unless the Purple Panda was on- that shit was terrifying!!). As I got older, the Justice League taught me lessons in truth, justice, and not to chew on pencils, Lynda Carter spun into my heart as Wonder Woman, and I would lose my mind if the opening credits to Batman included Batgirl’s motorcycle rolling in. We would have smorgasbord dinners Thursdays while watching The Cosby Show, and we loved the poorly drawn Simpsons interludes during The Tracy Ullman Show. Point is, TV and I have always been tight.
Did you know we’re living in the Golden Age of Television?? It’s a real thing, happening right now! There has never been a time with more quality content, yet my TiVo has tumbleweeds blowing through it. Why? Well, because shows take their sweet time between seasons now that we get our entertainment without the confinement of traditional television broadcasting rules. And this is driving me mental.
Some of my favorite show are taking FOR. FREAKING. EVER. to return to the airwaves. Specifically:
First Impressions – Glossier Cloud Paint
As you already know, I am in love with Glossier. Everything about the brand….. the products, the colors and formulas, the packaging… all of it. So when they released information stating that they were going to be developing a blush, I was beyond excited for it. Then I found out it was going to be a gel formula and was even more excited! The day it went live I ordered two of the four colors (they currently have a code for buy 2 for $30, so I had to get 2 – no brainer), and I can tell you after just using it for the past couple of days…. I reeeeally love it!
The colors I chose are Beam and Puff. Beam is a peachy coral and Puff is a light pink. I’ve always been a fan of cream blushes as I sometimes feel like powder blushes look too chalky or, er… powdery on my skin – I don’t use setting powders ever for that very reason. Basically, my skin can use all the extra hydration it can get, and with specific ingredients to hydrate the skin, the gel-cream formula is plumping, lightweight and super blendable. It looks just like a natural flush, and is very buildable. I really want the other two colors now, actually. I’ll stay strong and hold off, using these two for a while, but for who knows how long??? Of course I would highly recommend trying at least one (BUT there’s that code for 2 for $30!) PSSST!! Use this code for 20% off your first purchase!
To strike or not to strike
Jess and Pam and I talk mainly using social media. (Snapchat—primarily—because who doesn’t want to talk to each other while looking like a dog or with a fancy headband and perfect lighting.) Since Pam lives in Appleton and Jess and I live in Madison, sadly, we only see each other in person a few times a year. But because of technology, we are able to keep up with each other in a way that is quick, easy and admittedly fun.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, we started this blog as a forum to extend those conversations we were already having with each other through social media and open them up to more women we knew—and those we don’t. We wanted to have ways to share ideas and tips and reviews of the things circulating through our lives. Women supporting other women. (sometimes to make purchases on things they don’t need, but I digress…)
Aside from our overall concept, we don’t really have a plan, necessarily. Or an editorial calendar we follow. We meet monthly and talk out some ideas and create a posting schedule. But our general operating plan is to write about something that grabs us in the moment, share the posting duties between the three of us and get two posts up on the blog a week.
All of this back story is to stay—today is my day to post—and I just found out from a friend over Facebook Messenger this morning (seriously, how would we have any social interactions in our lives today without technology?!) that it’s International Women’s Day and there is a Women’s Strike planned. She wanted to know my plan for the day.
No Time For Love, Dr Jones: Here’s a Quick Bold Lip Makeup Look For When You’re Tight On Time
You guys! Reader and friend of the blog, Liz, wrote to us today to ask a question that I can 100% relate to:
I don’t usually wear makeup to work, because I have to leave the house by 6:45am, and I am NOT a morning person. I’d love to wear bold lipstick to work, but I feel that if I’m wearing lipstick, then I should probably put makeup on the rest of my face.
Do you have advice for how I might QUICKLY do makeup for myself? Like, what are the quickest and most effective ways I can look put-together enough that a bold lipstick will make sense? I’m talking between two and five minutes of application. I worry that if I slap makeup on, it looks too fakey. I also am getting to a point where I want to focus on minimizing the look of wrinkles and under-eye circles and other evidence that I’m in the latter half of my thirties.
Giiiirrrrrrlll, I feel this! I EXTRA DOUBLE suck at mornings. They are the worst, and I usually waste more than a little time staring into space, wishing an “oh no! A water main broke and the whole world is closed! Please go back to bed!” email would come in. So far that has not happened, so usually I also only have only 2-5 minutes to apply makeup on my early morning days.