Off Brand vs. Name Brand: Bikini Zone Shave Gel

I am always up for saving a few extra bucks, and almost always opt for the cheap brand of most of the products I buy. In most cases, it pays off and the products are virtually identical. So recently, in an effort to make a new bargain buy discovery, I tried the CVS brand version of Bikini Zone Shave Gel (which I actually use for my underarms, since I'm uber-prone to razor burn). Unfortunately, CVS's version of this product did not measure up at all. It was actually quite frustrating, because the gel is so thick that it clogged up my razor so bad that I had to rinse it thoroughly between each sweep, with little luck getting all the goop out. I got so aggrivated that I decided to give up and had to go back to the store and grab the real thing. I'm sure there are other off-brands of this product, and I will try to get ahold of them and see how they stand up sometime in the near future. But for now, those of you who are faithful users of Bikini Zone, stick with it!

Spice Up Your Candle Holders

Hanging Monogram

So, I am a self proclaimed Pinterest addict. If you haven't checked it out, you NEED to. Especially if you're into crafts. I saw this splendid idea for a hanging monogram and knew I had to try it out.

Since my new color scheme in my living room is going to be coral and pale blue/mint, I chose to theme the monogram in color and white colors. It actually turned out really cute! Here are the supplied I used to make it:

Cardboard large letter (you can find them at most craft stores

Decopodge

1/2 inch brush to apply decopodge

Ribbon

Decorative flowers

Twine or hemp string (somewhat thick)

Gorilla Glue (not pictured below)

Below, you can get an idea of how I started the application of the string. Your strategy may differ from mine as each letter differs. To secure the ends of the string, use Gorilla Glue, as it has an extremely strong and durable hold. As you apply the string, brush decopodge underneath it to secure and hold it. Don't worry about how the back of the letter ends up looking, it will be against the wall. The back of mine looked pretty haggard.

Once you're finished applying the string, you can then attach the flowers and ribbon. The flower I used had pins on the back, so I just stuck the pins in the letter and also secure them with a little Gorilla Glue on their backs. I used thumb tacks AND Gorilla Glue to attach the ribbons to the back of the letter. Then, just tie a pretty bow in the ribbon and you've got yourself a beautiful hanging monogram. Your hands will be tired and covered in glue, but it will be worth it!

Recent "I Can't Wait For Spring" Purchases

In my recent excitement about the coming of spring, I made a few purchases :)

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All items purchased at American Eagle Outfitters.

Pin Me Up.

I have always had a love for 50s nostalgia and style. I was recently inspired to create such a look on myself, and couldn't pass up the opportunity. I must say, this look was a challenge for me, since I can't seem to get my hair to hold a curl to save my life. However, the method I ended up using was a pretty successful one. I can't imagine these curls would have held if I had worn them all day, but they did stand the test much better than any other curling method I've used. This was such a fun thing to try on a boring day off work, and I definitely plan on trying it again for an actual night out.

(click on image to view larger)

Achieving this look is rather simple. All you need are bobby pins, a curling iron (preferably 1 inch), and flexible hold hair spray. Take the back and bottom part of your hair in sections and curl as you normally would (lightly spraying each piece with flexible hold hairspray), but as you release the curls, gather them immediately and bobby pin them flat to your head (one bobby pin per curl should do, unless your hair is thick and heavy - in that case you may need two). Once you reach the top and crown sections, pin the curls "long ways" as you see in the photos above (like the hair is wrapped around a curler on your head, only there will be a hollow area where the curler usually is. This is great, because you get the heat of the curling iron, but with minimal damage to your hair. Allowing the curls to "cool" in the position you curled them will lengthen their life.

After all your hair is pinned in place, spray lightly with the flexible hold hairspray. Now we wait. This is a perfect time to do your makeup. For this look, I kept the makeup very simple, as the dames in the 50s would have done, with a pop of color on the lips. Perform the foundation/powder routine you would on any given day. Next, sweep a light creme eyeshadow on your lids and line ONLY the top lid with liquid black eyeliner. I added a tiny wing to the outer corner of each eye with the liner. This will make your eyelashes appear longer and more dramatic toward the outer corners. For mascara, I used two different kind. One for separation and length - Avon Super Magnify (my favorite mascara!), and one for fullness - Maybelline One By One Volum' Express (a close second favorite! Both pictured below). Pay special attention to the upper lashes, and use minimal mascara on the lower lashes. For the eyebrows, I used a damp eyeliner brush dipped in a brown eye shadow close to my natural brow color. Filling in and defining your brows will make this look more authentic and dramatic, but don't go too far! - (Making your eyebrows too dark will cause them to be the focus of your face.). For blush, you want to keep it simple (as not too compete with the red lips), but enough to give a rosey glow. I have recently discovered a neat trick for blush. Use an old tube of lipstick as a base for your powder blush! Dabbing on the retired lipstick and blending it underneath your soft rosey blush will definitely lengthen its life. (I use this trick every day now.) The last part is simple. Just choose your favorite red or deep pink shade of lipstick to finish off this vintage look!

Back to the hair:

Styling these curls is so easy! Just release all your curls from the bobby pins and comb your fingers through them to soften them. Your curls should fall right into place. Once you've gotten the look you want, spray your hair with the flexible hold hairspray, and you're done!

I hope you will try this and enjoy it as much as I did! Feel free to send me photos of your vintage looks!

100% ALDI Meal

I'll be one of the first to tell anyone that ALDI is one of the most magical places to shop. There are not many things that trill me more than delicious food combined with a good deal. Although some may turn up their noses at the thought of shopping at ALDI, I must say, the quality of their selection is quite impressive. I can't remember a time I have been dissatisfied with a product I've purchased at this place. The fact that their prices are astoundingly low makes it a no brainer! One night after work, I was feeling an Italian vibe and decided to prepare this quick and easy meal, and boy was it delicious!

Every item included in this meal was 100% from ALDI.

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Ingredients are as follows:

Entree:

Priano Ravioli with Porcini Mushroom Filling

Priano Vodka Sauce

EdenVale Creamy Havarti Cheese (block)

Side:

Season's Choice Extra Fine Green Beans (frozen)

Caprese Salad:

Grape Tomatoes

Fresh Mozzaralla Cheese

Carlini Olive Oil

Stonemill Essentials Basil

Beverage:

Winking Owl Cabernet Sauvignon

(I apologize for not remembering the brands of some of these items, but there is usually only one choice for each item at ALDI.)

The preparation is pretty self-explainitory, but in case you need it:

I made the Caprese Salad ahead of time. It's so easy! Just cut the fresh mozzarella into bite size pieces (about the same size as the grape tomatoes). Throw the mozzarella and tomatoes in a bowl with a few tbsp's of Olive Oil and a few dashes of basil, stir together, and it's finished!

Cook pasta and green beans as directed (they both take about the same time to cook, which works out great). Begin heating the Vodka Sauce in a saucepan on medium heat while the pasta and beans are cooking, stirring all items occasionally. Once pasta and beans are strained, pour a tbsp or so of Olive Oil on each of them. I sprinkled the beans with Stonemill fresh ground sea salt and pepper. When you're ready to serve, just pour the sauce over the ravioli and top with grated havarti cheese.

It's no gourmet meal, but it was pretty fantastic for such inexpensive ingredients. The whole thing took me no more than 20 minutes to prepare. I hope you all start shopping at ALDI more, I promise you'll love it!!