MYO Trail Mix

MYO?

Make Your Own!

I love the concept of trail mixes. Sweet, mixed in the savory, all in one big bite - YUM!

Problem is, I have not found a mix that has EVERYTHING that I like! Some, I love the nuts, but I don't like the generic chocolate M&Ms, or I don't like the nuts, but love the dried fruit.

So what happens when you can't find something you like? You MYO!

And that's what I did when I made a quick trip to Trader Joes. For my first attempt, I bought:

Dry Roasted & Salted Almonds
Dry Roasted & Salted Pistachio Nutmeats
Super Cranberry and Pomegranate Blend (with raspberries, cherries and black currants)
Dried Cranberry

and the bonus item?

Cadbury Mini Eggs (that I bought around Easter)


Oh.Emm.Gee.

How can this go wrong? All my faves? I'm in heaven!

MYO - and tell me what you would use! :o)

xo

my *go to* lipgloss duo

I, along with many of my fellow beauty loving lovelies, LOVE lipgloss. We just can't get enough of it. Right now, as I am sitting at my desk, within my line of sight, I can count 7 lipglosses of all varieties. Sheesh, was that outloud?

Well, I'm here to share my newest and greatest lipgloss combo to you today. The first is Lush Flush Lip and Cheek Stain in Rose. It is a very light frosted stain, the pink shows up just enough, without looking too 'blah' against my skin tone. I also love it because it has a very cool sensation when I put it on. Not tingly, just cool. I like to let it dry, or at least, it will feel like it's drying, king of like how paint dries. Remember, it's a stain, so you don't need to layer it on too thick.


In the picture, I did put it on pretty thick though, because it was on my hand and I couldn't gauge what it would look like. When it's on your lips, you can start light, and then build.

If you're not a fan of the gloss, you can also wipe some off, like in the picture below. As you can see, there is still quite a bit of color that becomes embedded. Good to know that this color will stay and give my lips a healthy pink tone, even after my lipgloss has been eaten off!


Next, I apply Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Midnight Cowboy for the gloss look. This is where you get the tingly sensation, kind of like a lip plumper, but it's not advertised as so. I love using this alone too - it tastes and smells sensational! Hard to explain and believe, but it's definitely one of my faves of all time.


Here they are, so happy together :o)

Thanks to my lovely F6, I was able to get pampered with a mani/pedi before her big day! It was then that I had my first GELLISH nail color experience. I wished I took pics of it when I first got it, but considering that this pic was taken 2 weeks the initial application, this is ultimately the picture worth posting!

I did love it, it didn't take much longer than a regular finger painting session and was only an $10. A few things I'd do differently:

1. Have the nail technician apply at least 3 coats. Otherwise, mine ended up chipping and I'm a picker, and peeled the whole thing right off! This will actually end up striping ur natural nails, as opposed to doing it the correct way - soaking it in acetone.
2. Pick a color that you don't mind living with, for TWO weeks! Luckily, I did get sick of this gorgeous dark eggplant color, but it is a pretty big commitment to ONE color!
3. They are pretty resilient, but try not to pick at them!! You'll do more harm and not worth the fun. My nails feel a little bit thinner, but I'm not sure if it's because of the chemicals, or because I peeled off the polish. Either way, don't pick!

I had a similar color, in the Essie brand, on my toes. They didn't last nearly as long and already started to fade and chip after a few days. GELLISH definitely killed the competition!

Btw, this is coming to you from my first mobile blog! Whoohoo!

xoxo

dry skin remedy - Vitamin E Oil

you don't have to live in Chicago to know/hear how awful the winters are.

my face has suffered the most when it comes to dryness. i tried applying double moisturizer, and use facial scrubs to help get rid of dead skin cells, but i still have that pesky flakiness, especially after I'm done putting my powder and foundation on.

FINALLY, i found something that works wonders for me! Vitamin E Oil! it's not rocket science, but i have a mix of dry and oily skin, so i've always been a little aprehensive. but let me tell you, this stuff is perfect for the winters.

you can find this at any store, but I found mine at the $.99 store when i was home in California over the holidays. i'm not sure if they have it at DollarTree, just keep your eye out for it! you can also use those Vitamin E caplets and poke a small hole. it's probably not the most ideal, but it does the trick.

my Brushguards are here!

and i've never been more excited to clean my brushes!

i'll take pics and share my journey, of course! i'll be following Michelle Phan's tutorial - cleaning them with a combo olive oil/dishwashing detergent and then use my new Brushguards to dry them.

did you can keep them on, while you're using the brushes too? this will help me NOT lose them! but you have to be careful to not pull it the wrong way - take it all the way off and pull it through, as you would be try them. just stop before it touches the bristles.

i'm thinking about cutting them in half so I can double my brushguard inventory. we'll see if my thrifty plans work :o)

here's another review by Wayne - super excited!!!

sweet, yummy....BEER?

oh yes, my friends. it DOES exist, and you will love it!



it's called Lindeman's and received an A grade! It's also considered a Lambic, which is a distinctive type of beer brewed only in the Pajottenland region of Belgium. It's unusual fermentation process gives the beer its distinctive flavour: dry, vinous, and cidery, with a slightly sour aftertaste.


they come in the following flavors:

* Peach
* Apple
* Black Cherry
* Raspberry

you can find these, usually the Raspberry and the Peach, at Trader Joe's, CostPlus World Market, BevMo, Binny's and even at smaller liquor stores.

while they are a little on the expensive side ($8.99 - $9.99) for 25.4 ounces, it's sooo worth it!
when you order from restaurants, they usually sell them for the same exact price, but in the little baby bottles.

if you live in Chicago, Piece has it on tap for $5 a glass! it's not a full size beer glass, but still hits the spot. i usually get two :o) fabulous pizza, Piece brewed beer for my guy and Lindeman's Framboise (raspberry) can you say, happy place?

thank you to my F5, who first introduced me to this, back at her first Cali home in Pomona!!

hi, my name is marii, and i am a water snob.

my favorites are either Evian or Fiji.
my least favorites are Dasani and Aquafina.

i swear, i can taste the difference! but in all honesty, if the water is cold, then i can't really taste the difference. but, i'll still make a 'yucky-face' @ Dasani or Aquafina, even when it's cold! :oP

because i hate to have my water (in a cup/water bottle) get to room temperature too quickly, i like to put some ice cubes to make it last longer. i try not to use too many water bottles and my cups are too small sometimes.

VOILA, i found the perfect solution!

check out these glass water bottles from Precidio! how stinkin' cute are they? the ones that i bought are different than the ones that are available on this site - but seriously, they are all adorable! i actually bought mine from Marshalls, very randomly, for $7.99! and luckily, Precidio has a tiny little logo, which i then used to hunt them down for this blog. this site sells them for $9.99.

i love it because the mouth is big enough that i can put regular ice cubes in it. also, it rarely 'sweats'. i've had it do so on occasion, but as i'm typing this, my waterbottle sits comfortably without a coaster.

the lid/lip is also very interesting. it's got the lid that you screw, but there is an additional screw in the middle where you can turn it to control the water flow. i don't know why i'm such a klutz, but on several occasions, i've spilled all over myself. so now, i drink with the lid completely off. the lid is magnificent though because i've traveled with it on occasions and it has not ever leaked!

Love Love Love.

you will too! Be green and drink cold water :o)

iPhone 3Gs case - cute, under $10 so it won't break your heart, WHEN they crack!

i've been on the lookout for a new case, ever since i cracked my first one - super cute, huh! and cheap too!

sorry, this first one isn't under $10, but it's only a dollar more!

@ $11, this autumn flower case has a rubberized feel

$4.99 for each!!
the quality is not too shabby, both are nice and sparkly.
i've already had 2 rhinestones fall off my zebra, but only because
i was pretty rough with it. the heels is really girly!
and @ $4.99 a pop, i won't be too sad to let them go.
just buy 2 at a time!

it's a company in Hong Kong, so it took about 2 weeks to get my new babies.
and i think shipping was free!
ithrough.com


so colorful:

$7.99 at Buy.com


how about this one:



black and white marble
$4.95


love this, too:


line flower
$7.95

mariiLang designs - baby bag collection

it's official! mariiLang designs has expanded into the baby loving crazed world! :o)

check out my album on facebook, but here is a teaser:

LashCard

not too long ago, my friend V and his partner in crime, Alice, asked me to give them some feedback on their package design for a product called LashCard. i'm honored to have helped in that process and am so proud to share about them!

less than 6 months later, they have launched this amazing new product that is getting featured all over the place! on February 11th, Alice was featured on TV in Hawaii (KHON Wake Up 2Day) check out their facebook page for all their other features: LashCard. Don't forget to "like" their page for me, too!





i LOVE using this and at first, wasn't sure if I was doing it correctly. then, i realized that the white backgroud helps me see and control my mascara. plus, the LashCard helps me avoid 'accidentally' getting any mascara on my eyelids.

**be the first 10 friends to leave a comment below and get a free 10-pack of LashCards for yourself!**

to order, visit their website: LashCard - $5.99 for a 10 pack (two sizes on one card, so you could technically use both sides and double the usage!)

V & A - i'm so amazingly proud of you!!

Clean Brushes + Clean Makeup = Beautiful Skin!

i'm super ready to press the pigments (loose form of eye shadow) that my friend KM graciously gave me samples of from her ginormous collection. I also have some "shattered" eye shadows that can now be saved - yahoo! so last night, i did some research on how to "press" your own eye shadow on youtube.

there are a ton on youtube, but this is the one i found by oMISSMLEo:



i also found some empty eye palettes on ebay for $4.99! great price, but shipping is $7.99 and it may take 2 weeks to get here. oh well, patience is a virtue. one that i must practice! :o) i can't wait to get started!

while i was quite excited about converting/saving my eye shadow, i was even more excited to stumble across this youtube video by Michelle Phan on how to clean and store your make up brushes.



at first, i was SO confused when Michelle talks about how it's best to dry your brushes with the bristles facing down . i've always laid them flat, but now i know it's a no-no. you'll have to watch the video to see what i'm talking about. but, to fast forward a bit, i can't wait for my brushguards to come! i especially love their 'story' (on their website) and how they have partnered up with Community Gatepath to help with their packaging.

"The Brush Guard is packaged by the members of Community Gatepath, which has provided vocational services for developmentally disabled adults for over 90 years"

hooray for clean brushes!!!

Yummies for my HAIR!

all my life, i've struggled with my hair. when it was long (past my waist), it was so thick and heavy, I always had to tie it back. when i cut it short, i'd have to have my stylist "thin" it out so much that it would feel heavy again in less than a week.

i've come to terms that i have stubborn hair that looks terrible without any products. but i have not given up the idea that my hair could look fabulously shiny and feel super soft! so, on with my mission to find the perfect products.

i'll start with my newest favorites:

1. Macadamia Natural Oil
* i've only used the deep repair masque and LOVE it! it does say to only use twice a week, but for those 2 days a week that i can use it, i can totally feel the difference! I found them both at Ulta, but they also have their own website, Macadamia Natural Oil.

they also have an oil infused comb and brush - i'm totally intrigued!


















another new favorite:

2. Organix Coconut Serum: i bought this at CVS for $5.99. if you're lucky, CVS will have a buy 1, get the 2nd one 1/2 off.

• Indulge your senses with this exclusive blend of organic coconut milk to nourish your hair.
• While ultra whipped egg white proteins add strength and elasticity.
• Along with weightless coconut oils to add hydration and balance.

it smells SOO good and while it feels a little heavy when you first put it on, it doesn't feel heavy.

don't worry about it being too shiny when you first put it on. that is actually the only thing i wish was different. it looks soo shiny when you put it on, but the look does not last. i'm hopeful that my hair just sucked in all in, since my hair can be that selfish sometimes :o)


i'm kind of shocked at how much i do love Ulta now. i never understood it and thought that it was just a replica of Sephora. it kind of is, but with lower end and affordable face care, but also high end hair care. it's quite the pluthera of products. you should try one out, i think you'd be pleasantly surprised, too!

wow. it's been awhile!

how did time fly by so quickly? i just checked and my last post was in July! you blink, and voila, it's a brand new year!

one of my 'goals' this year was to start blogging again. for those of you who don't know, this started off as a way for my F5 (favorite, fantastic, fabulous, fearless, funny, etc. we alternate the 'f' adjectives all the time) to keep in touch, since for the past 4 years, we have been separated by over 3,000 miles. we used to share all our beauty secrets with each other, and before we knew it, we were getting mistaken FOR each other (my cute grandmother would start talking to J in Vietnamese, when she only saw J's back, thinking that it was me - lol!)

anyways, it would be great to have new readers to share and comment, but if not, these "hai femmes" are having a blast with each other! :o)







i've been using Victoria's Secret "VERY SEXY" lotion (and perfume, too, but sparingly) for the last 2 years and have loved it very much.

and then I found and loved Aquolina

because it smelled so much like cotton candy - YUM!







and now, i'm ready for something new! my good friend
Shannon and I share a love/obsession with lotion and bonded
instantly as soon as we found out we both loved Vaseline's Cocoa Butter!

sure enough, she brought over her newest find to share with me! it's this big ole bottle of Vanilla Butter by: c. Booth - it's super sweet, so it might be too strong for your palette. it's just perfect for me, though!

the first time i used it, i could smell it all day. now, i can smell it in whiffs, now and again and it makes me so happy. i still love it and haven't grown sick of it at all. but, my husband has teased me about how it smells like I dropped a "lotion bomb" in the bathroom after i put it on! good to know that it could be an excellent room freshener, too!

they have other scents as well: Coconut Fig and Lemon Sugar.

I bought mine at Ulta, but you can buy it on Amazon, too.

Cost = $9.99 for 32 fluid ounces.
It's a monster of a bottle!


Simple, natural, trusted.

Why should faces get all the special treatments?
c.Booth believes in equal rights for the skin below the chin.
Take a close look at yours and see if it doesn't deserve the four fabulous benefits of this extremely busy lotion:
4-in-1
A potent combo of alpha hydroxy acids works tirelessly
to ditch dead skin cells and even out skin tones so even sun-damaged areas
look healthy and happy.
Sweet almond, apricot kernel and shea butter oils work in perfect
harmony to hydrate needy skin.
Vitamins and minerals perform like superheroes, valiantly fighting
off the dastardly deeds of the harsh environmental forces that threaten our skin.
Caffeine firms and tones less-than-taut skin, making it feel youthful, revitalized and wide awake.

i want to try all of their other stuff too, like the body scrubs...fun!