Friday, July 25, 2014

Madeline Cookies

I haven't baked in a long time. It's been a hectic few months for me with lots of ups and downs. A few nights ago I came home from my internship and decided to just bake. I made a batch of chocolate raspberry macaroons and these Madeline cookies. I have to say that I am very proud of myself. I have been getting pretty good at knocking out French treats on my first try. 

Here is the recipe to make these delicious cake-like Madeline cookies. FYI you do need to buy a Madeline pan for this recipe or they wont turn out. You know a cookie is fancy when it has its own baking pan :)

 
Ingredients:
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup all- purpose flout
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup butter

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Melt butter , on the stovetop or microwave, and let it cool to room temperature.
  3. In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla and salt at a high speed until light.
  4. Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted. This can take anywhere between 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. Sift the flour into the egg mixture 1/3 at a time and gently fold in the ingredients after each addition.
  6. Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around the edge of the batter. Quickly but gently fold the butter into the batter.
  7. Spray your Madeline pans with non- stick cooking spray. Spoon the batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.
  8. Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
  9. Once the cookies have baked, flip the pan over onto a rack and let them cool before enjoying.

Monday, July 21, 2014

L'Oréal Collection Privee: The Perfect Nudes

 
I was at CVS pharmacy the other day, just browsing around, when I spotted the L'Oreal Privee collection display. I must admit when it comes to makeup I do tend to steer away from drugstore brands however this collection was so intriguing that I ended up making a purchase. The collection is a collaboration between L'Oréal  and their celebrity ambassadors. With the help of these beautiful celebrities, L'Oreal created "The Perfect Nudes," a line of 6 nude lipstick shades customized for every skin tone.
 
 
  • Doutzen's Nude: A light pink color, meant for blondes with fair complexion.
  • Julianne's Nude: A light peach color meant for very fair and rosy complexions.
  • Jennifer's Nude: A great true nude shade meant for brunettes with an olive complexion.
  • Eva's Nude: A golden nude meant for dark brunettes with a golden based complexion.
  • Frieda's Nude: A refined lavender meant for brunettes with amber complexions.
  • Liya's Nude: A medium brown color meant for darker skin tones.
 
Swatches from L- R:
Doutzen, Julianne, Jennifer, Eva, Frieda, Liya
After swatching all the colors, I have to say that Eva is my favorite. Jennifer matches my lips to a tee however with Eva you can at least tell that I have some color on my lips. I also feel as though these color run true to skin tone recommendations. The first 2 colors (Doutzen and Julianne) just did not work on my light/medium skin tone.
 
 

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Darby Smart: Make Me Sweat Mystery Box

In late June Darby Smart released 4 mystery DIY boxes for purchase. The boxes were catered to different levels of crafters.

Get Wild $24.00
This box includes a project that unlocks your creative juices!
Easy Breezy $10.00
Dab your toes in DIY with this simple project. A mystery box created just for beginners.
Down the Middle $10.00
For the every-so-often crafter, this mystery box gives you an on-trend DIY project that will challenge your creative bug ever so slightly!
Make Me Sweat $10.00
For the masterful maker, this mystery box comes chock full of DIY supplies that you will be challenged to combine into a project.


After June's box I decided that I was going to take a break from the Darby Smart For DIY subscription. The boxes, although always fun, have been hit or miss for me however I couldn't stop myself and ended up ordering the "Make Me Sweat" mystery box for $10. The box ended up being the "Going Stag Jewelry Holder" project that Darby Smart sells on their site for $29.
 
The included supplies:
  • Wooden plaque
  • 2 Krylon Spray Paints (Turquoise & Gold)
  • Sawtooth hangers & eye hooks
  • Steel wire
  • Craft gems
  • tube of e6000 glue
  • 3-in-1 pliers

* I am excited to do this DIY however I have to set aside some time for it. Once I complete the project I will update this post with pictures of my awesome jewelry holder. 

If you want to peruse the website and learn more click here: Darbysmart.com
Promo Code: "HOWDYDARBY" will take $10 off your first box, making it only $9 shipped.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Too Faced Cat Eyes Palette

"A Cat Eye is so right Meow!"
The timeless Cat Eye just got sexier. From ancient Egypt to the mod ’60s and punk ’80s to today, it’s always been an iconic beauty essential. This classic has been updated for Fall 2014 with nine matte, shimmer and glitter textures in warm and cool tones. Included are three wet-and-dry formulas for intense precision lining and a perfect wing tip. This Cat Eye Collection comes with Too Faced's signature Glamour Guide with three looks in it (Day, Classic, & Fashion) to get you started.  
Day Look Colors from L-R

  • Purr: pale icy nude
  • Tiger's Eye: bronze metallic
  • Leopard: (wet or dry) chocolate brown with gold glitter
Classic Look Colors from L-R

  • Meow: matte nude
  • Pussy Cat: lilac shimmer
  • Jungle Love: (wet or dry) dark purple with pink glitter
Fashion Look Colors from L-R

  • Kitten: light pink with silver sheen
  • Kitty Glitter: silver metallic
  • Panther: (wet or dry) matte jet black

Top with flash/ Bottom without Flash
L-R: Purr, Tiger's Eye, Leopard, Meow, Pussy Cat, Jungle Love, Kitten, Kitty Glitter, Panther
 
* If you would like to pick up your own Too Faced Cat Eyes Palette it is still available for $36.00 on the companies website. Click here: http://www.toofaced.com/p/eye-shadow-palettes/cat-eyes/

Thursday, July 10, 2014

July 2014 PopSugar Must Have Box

It's my favorite time of the month when all the subscription boxes start to ship out again. I received my PopSugar box today and I couldn't wait to open it. I was good this month and tried to avoid all spoilers. 

Inspiration Card
Here are the contents of this month's box:
Must Have Fashion
     $48.00
Must Have Home
    $12.00  
    $7.00  
Must Have Beauty
    $11.99
    $7.99
Must Have Fitness
Must Have Food
     $ 3.00
Must Have Extra
     $6.79

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $108.77

* This month's box was not a 100% hit for me. The most expensive item, the Michael Stars hat, is not something I see myself using plus I have already received the Coconut Chips from a different subscription service months ago and never opened the package. The box was a little random to me this month but at least there are a few items I will end up using.

If you are interested in joining PopSugar click on the link: popsugar.com

Promo Code: "Refer5" this code will take $5 off a monthly box 
 

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Obsessive Complusive Cosmetics Lip Tar Test Tubes

I started a short summer internship at an organic baby clothing company a few weeks ago. Prior to starting, I had written a few blog posts and had them saved up so that I could "update" my blog in a timely matter. Last week I noticed that I was down to my last saved blog post which could only mean one thing, I needed to buy some new products to review :)
Today I have for you 2 out of the 3 OCC Lip Tar Sets that were just released at Sephora.  I bought the Champagne and Pink lip tar sets and ended up skipping the 3rd set because it contained a crazy blue lip tar that I could never see myself wearing. These sets each contain three mini lip tars which can be worn alone but are designed to be mixed together. Each set retails for $19.50. Also, in case you weren't aware, all products produced by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics are cruelty-free and PETA-certified as 100% vegan.

Champagne Shores Set colors from L - R:
- 0.08 oz Lip Tar Primer 
- 0.08 oz Test Tube: Metallic in Pris (champagne metallic) 
- 0.08 oz Test Tube: Matte in Trollop (pinked coral) 
- #010S Short-Handled Precision Lip Brush 

Pink Prism Set colors from L - R:
- 0.08 oz Lip Tar Primer 
- 0.08 oz Test Tube: Matte in Lovecraft (pink/lilac metallic) 
- 0.08 oz Test Tube: Matte in Pretty Boy (super rich fuchsia) 
- #010S Short-Handled Precision Lip Brush 

* I loved both of the colors in the Pink Prism set and the matte coral color from the Champagne set however the metallic shade (Pris) just seemed so unwearable to me. The formula for both of the metallic colors was very thin and did not cover well. In addition to that the metallic colors both left behind a huge cluster of glitter. The matte shades on the other hand were great. They were very pigmented and both looked gorgeous on my lips.These are good tester sets if you don't own any OCC lip tars but I would recommend passing on them and just purchasing one color from the collection that you really love.

If you are interested in purchasing your own OCC Lip Tar Test Tubes set, all three variations are available at Sephora. Click the link for more details: OCC Cosmetics