OOTD | For an Interview + Announcement

Hello, Everyone!

So, as you may know I left my job of a year and a half on October 15th because I was just sick of it and wanted change.

About a week later I started freaking out because I've had a steady and reliable income for all of these months and now I'm just kind of floating...

Until Friday.
 I got a job interview, dressed up real nice, showed up to the place, heard what they had to say, and ended up declining their offer and returning home.

In that moment I remembered how I felt in my old job and I imagined what my attitude would be if I worked there, and I came to the conclusion that accepting that job offer would have been like throwing away all of my personal pep-talks and my desire to want MORE in life.

I got home touched up my make up and shot an OOTD because when in doubt... Blog.

This outfit is very versatile- I chose to wear it to an interview because I didn't want to look like everyone else with the standard black pants and white top so I mixed up my choices a little bit and decided to trust Fat Amy: Business at the top, party at the bottom.

I love this outfit because you can wear it day or night, accessorize it up or down, and you can change it up with vibrant colors or keep it muted with black and white.

 

This was created with a business purpose in mind, but after the interview had finished I didn't want to change out of it because it made me feel really empowered and that is what we want after all, right?

 

I hope this post helps you all on your business days, regular days, or fun nights out!

 

I know I don't usually post on Saturdays but I only posted once last week and I didn't want to wait until Monday to show this outfit to you!

 

Regular posing schedule will be back Next Week- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

 

AND ALSO HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT:

 

I have started a Youtube Channel for the things that are a bit harder for me to show via Photographs so If you would like you can go check me out and subscribe, Hopefully I'll be posting every Tuesday and Thursday.

You can look me up with my standard Blogging name which is LiveLizLove

 

Here is my First Video:

 



I will see you guys next time xxx

A Few Ways to Organize Your Life

1) Purchase a Planner/Day Runner

Something that I will always and forever preach about is investing money into a planner; whether it cost you $7 at Target or $50 custom made at an online shop I highly suggest you purchase one. I never knew the difference they would make in my life until one of my 10th grade teachers made it a requirement in her classroom and ever since then I can honestly say, that I haven't gone a day without one.

Inside my planner, I write down my work schedule for the week (for obvious reasons), my bills for that week, and any other miscellaneous responsibilities that I have to look forward to. I have built a routine for myself in which I separate my bills into two lists, one for the first paycheck of the month and the second for the other; This allows me to not get super overwhelmed, yet always keep track of what I can and cannot spend. Being a blogger is especially overwhelming because we tend to crave innovation, we're always looking for the next best thing which can be highly useful for our blog yet increasingly problematic for our wallets which is why I set up monthly allowances for strictly 'blogging' purposes.

Speaking of Blogging, Does anyone else consider this to be like the coolest job/hobby ever? This leads to my second tip:

2) Don't lose contact with what brings you joy for the sake of sticking to a schedule

Sometimes it's hard to find a balance between considering this a job or a hobby simply because in my head it's a hobby that I want to turn into a job. One of the most efficient ways of keeping my sanity is pre-planning the topics that I want to talk about but never pre-writing them unless I really, really have to. This helps me consider this a job due to my strict posting schedule of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday yet also consider this a hobby by continuing to serve the excitement that I feel every time I write up a new post.

I would be lying if I said that on some Tuesday nights I don't sit on my bed, scratching my head, while trying to come up with SOMETHING for the following day because lets be honest, it happens. Something that has really helped me is planning topics ahead of time which requires writing them down in a list formation, and whenever I feel a little lost I can go to my notepad and pick something from the list that most excites me. If for some reason I don't feel particularly motivated to post then I just wont. I never want to give anyone something that I didn't think was 'ready' or 'good enough' and this applies to all aspects of life and career paths. Giving myself 'in-between' blogging days as well as weekends gives me time to refresh and come up with new ideas, I've been writing for enjoyment since I can last remember, believe me when I say that I know what writers block is and it ain't pretty.

3) You can't buy any more time, so be a little selfish and invest the one you've got in yourself

Yes, I understand that it's easier said than done but actually separating time for yourself is a big part of organizing your life. Remember that it is YOUR life, YOUR sanity, and no one knows your happiness or weaknesses better than you do. I am a strong advocate for pamper days/evenings- alone or with a close friend (but mostly alone). Use your time wisely by relaxing and meditating on your own persona, once you clear your own mind, you can tackle outside demons but it's hard to think straight with other things clouding your judgment.


                                                                                              4) Don't overwhelm yourself

It's really, really hard to admit that we CAN'T do something (especially as women) but sometimes we really just can't. I'd say it's actually within our nature to feel like we can conquer the world because I suppose that if we really tried we actually could but in reality we're all just human and if we couldn't beat a battle it doesn't necessarily mean that we lost the war. Admitting to ourselves our own weaknesses is a huge STEP to organizing our lives because we're weeding out all of the bad and simply trying to cultivate the good.

Obviously I'm no life expert and there's a million other ways to go about this process but through trial and error I feel as though the steps mentioned above are the ones that have worked best for me. The first one is obviously technical while the others focus more on inner peace and strength.

Everyday Work Makeup-Look | Tutorial

 

 

 

First off, this is technically my first time showing my bare face to a wide audience- so stay with me I know it's scary, But I wanted to show you all a step by step picture, makeup, tutorial- type of thing about my REALISTIC everyday workday makeup.

 

Yes I do realize that I did not use a primer or a setting powder because it's really easy to forget when you're rushing for work and as I stated above, I'm aiming for reality here.

 

First thing I do is apply a good foundation, especially if I know that I'm going to be at work for 8+ hours and I need something reliable. So today I used my Maybelline Super Stay Foundation in the color 'nude'. I hear that this is their most popular shade, because the range only has about 5-6 colors to choose from and this one is the most versatile. I completely agree, this blends into my skin beautifully covering up some imperfections yet still allowing my skin to breathe.

Second thing I do is tame my brows. I use a regular dark brown eye shadow- this routine changes constantly but my brows pretty much always end up the same. On occasion if I have an extra minute I'll go over them with Maybelline's brow gel.

For shadow I'm using a standard NYC eye quad that consists of neutral colors which are what I tend to lean on most when I have to go to work. These colors are not extremely pigmented but lately I've just been reaching for this palette like crazy because it just gets the job done.

To complete my eye look I trace my water line with a black eyeliner pencil from a company called 'Starlet' and then apply one coat of both Maybelline's Mega Plush & Colossal Mascaras.

A step that I barely ever miss is concealing/highlighting. Again, the concealer used to do this process changes all of the time but for the past couple of weeks I have been OBSESSED with Maybelline Instant Age rewind in the lightest shade. It gives me extra coverage AND highlights all in one.

Next, I bronze and color my cheeks with Benefit Hoola (I use this everyday and I still  have not hit pan on it, Amazing right? ) and NYX blush in Mauve.

Lastly, what I consider to be the most important step: my lips. I line a little outside of my natural lip line with MAC's Whirl and then fill them in with MAC's Cosmo. This lip combo is perfection and long wearing.

And, voila I no longer look like a corpse!

Elma & Sana | My Skin Care Power Couple

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lately I've been trying to pay a closer look at all of the products that I am applying on to my face, making sure that the amount of ingredients on the label isn't more than the amount of items on my families grocery list.
I had a small .03 oz sample of the Josie Maran Argan Oil and absolutely fell in love with it! The formula, the results, everything- was just amazing. BUT, the price was NOT for me. So, I did a little searching on Amazon and came across the Elma & Sana 100% Argan Oil for just $10! Now, I know that the price is near dirt cheap which is making you believe that the product isn't any good but I promise it is better than what I am describing, Part of the reason why the Josie Maran Argan Oil is in the $40 range is because 1) It's a well known brand whose prices inflate as its fame spreads and 2) Although it was luxurious, the smell is artificial which makes me believe that it is not as pure as they make us believe. This Elma & Sana Argan Oil has the exact same texture and effects with the exception of the smell which is 100% odorless.

While looking at the Argan Oil I saw that the Rose Water was among my suggestions at the bottom of the page. Elma & Sana claims that it:

Soothes skin tones and leaves skin feeling soft like silky rose petals

Ant-wrinkle and anti-aging

100% pure Moroccan rose water

It is suitable for all skin types including dry skin, oily skin and aging skin

No artificial ingredients and is renowned as the most traditional of all facial cleansers

Although I don't think it is strong enough to cleanse my skin from a long day out I do think it is a great toner, keeps my skin feeling fresh, and brightens my skin tone.

I do have a set daily skincare routine that these two are not a part of because I don't think my skin is that sensitive at the moment to the point where I need to use these extremely gentle products but I do however use these 1-2 times a week when I have actual facials. After I've steamed, exfoliated, and masked my face, I will take a cotton round and gently dab the rose water all over my face and neck when I know my pores are still slightly open and the skin is fresh. I feel immediately rejuvenated; maybe it's the smell or the actual formulation but I feel so relaxed and luxurious after using this that I consider it to be liquid gold. Not much is needed, and there's no need to rub on the skin.

After Applying the rose water I like to just cool off my face with my hands for a minute or two just to make sure that the rose water is sticking to my skin and then I'll apply about a nickel sized amount of Argan oil to my fingertips, warm it up in my hands, and pat it on my face and neck. This is an amazing moisturizer for after masks and exfoliation because your skin is left pretty raw without natural oils therefore it is in need of some momentary substitutes.
- Aside from using the Argan Oil on my face I also enjoy using it on the ends of my hair, on my legs, and when I do manicures. It is truly a multipurpose product and that is what I love most about it.

If any of you all are interested in some organic products I would Highly recommend Elma & Sana who can be found on Amazon. I'm actually looking into purchasing one of their clay masks next :)

MAC Haul | June 2014

So a few days ago I found myself lounging in bed with a Laptop on my... Lap lol and I was forced to do some online shopping. I mean really, who spends the entire morning watching beauty videos and reading about reviews and DOESN'T cave in???

It's impossible for me, although I have been good for a longtime-Especially with MAC.
The last time I bought anything from MAC was a year ago about two weeks after my graduation, I went on a trip to Naples and found myself in a CCO. If you don't know what that is it's basically where you get high end makeup for a bit cheaper due to there being too many at the local store or Limited edition collections didn't sell that well. Anyway point is I spent around $120 and bought A LOT of stuff so I didn't really find the need to until recently.

I do have a lot of eye shadows and lipsticks but I find that the ones that I go for the most are MAC. Not because I intend to just because I feel like they finish off my look better than others.

Surprisingly though I found a semi empty MAC quad the other day (the day I was peer pressured to buy more) and I had completely forgotten about it. They were the first MAC products I had ever purchased about 3 years ago a long with the limited edition Wonder Woman Blue palette and I just buried them and never really played with it.

So, I decided to start filling it up slowly with another shade that is equally as beautiful and make it into a customized  "shimmer" palette which you will see down below. (Excuse the extremely old packaging... I did tell you it was buried)

The new Color I bought was the green shade called "Swimming" and the one that was previously owned is called "Trax".

Along with wanting to grow my MAC eye shadow collection I also wanted to grow my Lip Collection and these two products I had been eyeing for a verrrrry long time. "Heroine" lipstick and "Whirl" lipliner- which is said to be what Kylie Jenner wears on her lips and we all know we want lips that look like they were sculpted by God himself, so I caved.
P.S- You can tell I was really excited about getting these in the mail because My lipstick still had sweat around it from being inside the delivery truck.

 

 

And lastly, I couldn't possibly buy anything without taking a peek at the Kelly Osbourne collection and the only thing that really caught my eye was the brow duo in "Morning Mister Magpie" because the colors were perfect for my brows BUT I could also use them as eye shadows if i'm running short on time and need something quick to take with me and use on-the-go.
One down fall that I will say is that the packaging reminds me of the plastic they used to use on Barbie things like her bags and shoes- I know weird comparison but it's nearly impossible to open and I don't recommend doing so with freshly painted nails. Maybe it's just mine and other than that I am extremely pleased :)