Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Wednesday OOTD


Happy Hump Day Peeps!!

I thought I would do an outfit of the day post and share what I wore to work today.

I have been very against pants lately... all I want to wear is tights and dresses. Maybe
the warmer weather has something to do with it, maybe I'm ready for spring, or
maybe it's just my thang right now. Who knows.


Sorry for the awkward chair poses!! ha. I really need a tri-pod and a 101
session with Rach.

Dress: Xhilaration from Target (last fall)
Brown Leggings
Camel Belt
Boots: Chocolate Suede Jessica Simpson

I just love this overall look right now. It's so versatile. Work appropriate.
Date night. Night out. It just works in a lot of settings and I don't really have
to think about it. It's easy!

What have YOU been wearing lately?!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Lent AKA No Shopping

So, Happy Ash Wednesday. Or, for those of you that are giving up something
for Lent... Happy first day of sacrifice and suffering! ha!

Let me preface this by letting you know that I am not a Catholic or Presbyterian or any
other domination that actively push their members to give something up for Lent. I am
not one to give up something for Lent every year. In fact, I think I have only done
this one other year in my life. I grew up in a Nazarene church... aka Church of the
Nazarene. What is that you say? Basically we have the same theology as the Baptist Church
with just a few differences. Our church broke off from the Methodist church due to wanting
to be more missional. I'm actually a PK. What is that you say? It stands for Preacher's
Kid. Yes, my dad is a minister and being a preacher's kid is SO MUCH FUN!! ha.
Sarcasm?! Never! No, it's really not that bad... yes, people tend to hold you to a different
standard and expect you to know the whole Bible because I mean come on your dad
went to seminary and is an expert... why aren't you!? But, despite that I have had a great
experience being a PK. Lots of wonderful families with great hearts who have loved my
family and I as if we were their own.

But, all of that is really beside the point... just wanted to give you a little background into
my life. This post is really to open up my heart a little and share with you why
I have decided to give up shopping for Lent. I am not one who is an excessive
shopper or spender... I don't have a lot of credit card debt... I tend to think I live within
my means and am a responsible person. Well, at least by the "world's" standards.

As a proclaimed Follower of Christ I have been called to live much much differently than
what the world calls normal or ok. Christ makes it very clear in His word that to be one
of his disciples our mission is to care for the poor/needy/widows/orphans and to use
our resources and blessings for the intention of others. Jesus says in Matthew that is
hard for the rich to get into Heaven. That is is easier for a camel to go through the eye of
a needle than for the rich to enter Heaven. WOWZA! Have you ever stopped to think about
that and what that means for us as Americans? You may not consider yourself rich, but if you
have food and a roof over your head you are richer than most in our world. We have more
resources at our fingertips than half the world. And while half the world is starving
and living on less than a dollar a day we are spending our money on new cars, bigger
houses, nice clothes, fancy purses, make-up, and anything else you want to insert
in the blank.

The Lord has been convicting me of how I spend my money lately. The world would tell me
you deserve this or that... you work hard, you make good money, your single... go enjoy
that stuff while you can. Right? But, Jesus Christ tells me something completely different
and I have done a wonderful job of shutting my ears and being disobedient to His
call in my life and what His word commands in my life. So, this has led me into deciding
to give up shopping for Lent. It is a step in the direction of evaluating how I spend
my money and learning to cut back for the sake of things with Eternal value.

My prayer during this season of Lent is that the Lord would change my heart through
his Spirit. I am unable to change myself and my desires. I can't try hard enough to make
myself better. To make myself less materialistic or more compassionate for the poor
and lost. I am not capable of it, but there is someone who makes that possible. Someone
who loved me as well as you SO much that he went to the cross and bore the weight of
the world's sins and satisfied the wrath of a Holy God so that even though I am a wretched
sinner that is CONSTANTLY in need of grace and mercy he makes it possible for for me
to have relation with the Father.

I pray that God will make me more and more like Christ every day and that my life
bring Him glory in everything I do.

This may sound intense, but I'm not trying to be... I just wanted to share a piece of my
heart and what God is doing in my life.

So, here's to a 6 week journey of no shopping. I'm not allowed to buy new clothes,
shoes, make-up, etc. Only necessities. If I run out of toothpaste, deodorant, or shampoo
then I can obviously purchase. In my moments of weakness when I really want a new
shirt or dress for Easter or some fabulous new make-up my goal is to pray and draw
closer to God. To confess to God that more than I want a new dress, or this new blush,
or new spring lipstick I want YOU!!

May Christ be enough for me and you!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Weekend Rewind. What's in my Bag?

Happy Monday and start of lent week for those of you who will be
practicing this year.

This will be my last "What's in my Bag" post for about 6 weeks because I have
decided to give up SHOPPING for Lent this year. AGHHH!! It is going to be
SO very challenging and I'm not sure I can do it, but I think it's what I need to do. I'm going
to do a post this week on more details of why I decided to give this up for Lent and my
guidelines for what it will consist of. So, look for that if your interested.

So, a few things I picked up this weekend are as follows:


I had a gift card to Macy's left over from Christmas and decided to finish it off with
a few Clinique items. My pores around the apples of my cheeks have really grossed
me out lately. Maybe I just haven't payed attention before, but I feel like they
have gotten bigger. Anywhoo, talked to the lady at Clinique counter and she
recommended this to me and said it can also serve as a foundation primer.

The good thing about the serum is it not only conceals the size of your pores when
applied , but it actually has ingredients in it that treats the problem as well. So, in
6-8 weeks the sizes of your pores should be reduced. yay!


I have been using the Philosophy skincare line after getting for Christmas and am
loving the Purity facewash along with Hope in a Jar moisturizer. When talking to
the Clinqiue lady about my pores she asked me how often I was exfoliating?! And
I really haven't been. So, she said you need to bump up that to 3-4 times a week.

To keep things consistent with the brand I am already using I decided to jump in
Sephora and grab the Philosophy Exfoliating Wash. OH. MY. WORD. do I
love this wash!! It is one of the most gentle exfoliating scrubs I have ever used
on my face. It feels amazing and has a very light clean smell.

This retails for $25 in the 8 oz container I picked up, but if you aren't interested in
paying that much Aveeno has a Skin Brightening Daily Scrub that I think
is very comparable and can be bought at your drugstore.

Lastly, is the Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in this Eggplant color
called Aubergine. I don't think I have ever used a gel liner and decided to try
this brand after being so impressed with their new Color Tattoo shadows. I thought
this eggplant color would be fun since purple looks so good on brown eyes.

This liner also comes with a brush applicator.

If I like I may grab this is some other shades. (of course after Lent) :(

Have a wonderful day and Happy President's Day!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Friday Face of the Day

Happy Friday Chick a Dee's.

I have another Face of the Day (FOTD) post for you and I hope you enjoy this
look that I sported for a Valentine's date night.


Here is my face in regular lighting.


And again in natural lighting. I have to say I love this look and makeup
used Tuesday night. Lovin the smoky grey eye with light pink lip.

I feel like it's dramatic enough for a night out, but also something you can
sport around the office or wherever your everyday may be.

FACE: (See previous post for pictures)

Foundation: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour
Concealer: Estee Lauder Double Wear
Blush: MAC Cream in LadyBlush (as seen below)

Bronzer: NARS Laguna
Highlighters: MAC Cream Color Base in Shell (cream) applied first to top of
cheekbones and then set with MAC Soft & Gentle Powder.

EYES:


NEW PRODUCT!!
Clinique lid smoothie in Sassy Fras was applied all over lid as a neutral
taupe/gray to serve as primer and color base for other shadow.


NEW PRODUCT!!
After letting my lid smoothie dry I then applied this Clinique Stay
Matte shadow in the shade Slate.

It's a gorgeous matte gray that makes for a great smoky eye without being
too dark or harsh.

After applying the lid smoothie and matte shadows from Clinique I put
my NARS bronzer in my crease to warm up the look a bit and added a light
shade under my brow for a highlight shade.

Last step was adding Urban Decay Black Liner and several coats of Revlon
Photoready 3D Volume mascara.

LIPS:

I wanted to keep the lips light and neutral, but with a pop of color since
my eyes were darker.

I applied Estee Lauder lipstick in Crystal Pink and then added Revlon gloss in
Pink Pop.

Have a very happy weekend!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine's Face of the Day (FOTD)


Happy GALENTINE'S Day!!!

I hope you all are having a wonderful day filled with love from those closest in
your life.

I wanted to post my Valentine's day look as a "face of the day." I think these
are kind of fun and it gives me a chance to play with new looks and new colors
for you so I'm not putting on the same makeup every day.... cuz let's be honest you
guys know I have drawers full of it.

So, this is a day look... what I wore to work. It's a little more glammed up with the red
lips and would not be my typical every day work look, but wanted to play up the
red a bit. I may do a separate post on how I do my night look. Stay tuned.


In regular lighting.

Natural lighting.

Products used on face:
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour foundation (not listed)
Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer under eyes
Nars Laguna Bronzer
MAC blush in Plum Foolery
MAC Mineralize skinfinish in Soft and Gentle (highlight)
MAC cream color base in Shell (highlight)

Products used on eyes:
Urban Decay Naked Palette

Browbone and inner corner I used shades:
Virgin (far left)
Sin (shimmer pink next to it)

Center of Lid I used: Toasted (far left)
Outercorner I used: Hustle (middle)
Lined upper lash line: Creep (far right)

New Product Alert!!
For mascara I used Revlon Photoready 3D Volume.
I like it so far... I find it's lengthens and separates more than a ton of volume.

For lips I used:
Merle Norman lipstick in Sienna
Merle Norman gloss in Sheer Kiss

It's not really a true red lip, but something that gives you a hint of pink/red
in a more wearable everyday look.

And last, but certainly not least my own little Valentine this year!
My sweet 4 pound maltipoo, Millie! She is my love.

Happy Valentine's Day!!
XOXO

Friday, February 10, 2012

Friday Face of the Day

TGIF!!!

I wanted to start doing some posts featuring MY face (just for you Val) along with
the products that I used for that look. Friday seems like a puuuurfect day to do this.

I'm always fond of neutral looks, but lately it's really been my go to. Neutral eyes, cheeks, lips
the whole nine yards. I have a few new products that I haven't had the chance
to talk about and feature so I am going to do that today.

So, here's my face.... oooooo, ahhhhh.



May not be the best lighting for actually seeing the color of products, but
I decided to do this last night and had no natural light. Sorry!

So, here are most of the products I used. Forgot my mascara and
Revlon lip butter. ooops!

Foundation: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour (sample I am trying)
Bronzer: Nars Laguna
Highlighting: MAC skinfinish in Soft & Gentle (powder)
Highlighting: MAC cream color base in Shell (cream)
Blush: MAC Gingerly
Eyes: Wet n Wild Silent Treatment
Mascara: Mally Volumizing
Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait



New Product Alert!!
I think I have talked about how my new favorite thing in my
make-up routine is highlighting my cheekbones. If you want an easy step
to make your skin look fresh, healthy, glowy, and luminious then highlighting is where you
need to be. : )

This is a new product I bought this week and have been eyeballing it for a long time.
This is MAC skinfinish in the shade Soft and Gentle. As you can see it's a brown/pink
powder that has shimmer to it when applied to your face that just gives a very
healthy glow to your skin. LOVE it!! I'm obsessed with using it.

Retails for $29. Seems a bit pricy, but seriously I think this will last me a lifetime!

New Product Alert!!
Another highlighting product from MAC. Again, have had my eye on this
cream color base for quite some time in the shade Shell.

This is a cream product that can be applied under or over foundation with a brush
or fingers to the top of your cheekbones for a little healthy shine.

This color is a light neutral pink with a little shimmer and retails for $17.50.

New Product Alert!!
Yes, I know... I've gotten a little carried away lately.

This is MAC blush in the color Gingerly. This is not really a shade I would have
gravitated to on my own, but was named a top product of 2011 by the lovely
Amarixe on Youtube. I cannot even begin to express how obsessed I have been with
this blush. She was spot on when she said it is the perfect every day blush that
warms up your cheeks and gives a healthy look.

It looks a little scary orange in the pan, but it is a gorgeous terracotta warm coral
shade that retails for $20.00

When I googled images of this blush... look who I found!!

Awwww snap Ya'll. Article said MAC gingerly is one of Kim K favorite
blush! Makes me love it even more now! Ha.

I recently did a post about how I love the new Revlon lip butters and if you haven't
tried them you should really get your hands on a few. They are so pigmented and
moisturizing.

I finished my look off with the shade on the far left which is my favorite for every day.
Peach Parfait is the shade and it's a lovely peachy/coral shade with a bit of
shimmer.

Hope you enjoyed this post and it was somewhat informative and you have
a GREAT weekend!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Tuesday Trends

In honor of the month of love and Valentines I went ahead and painted my
nails a sassy sexy red! I love red nails. LOVE them. I've done a post before
on how that can literally transform my mood and personality.

Mom got me a couple Butter London polishes that I had requested for
Christmas and one of them is this gorgeous red called
"Come to bed Red."
Sassssssssssssyyy!!!


These polishes are sold at Ulta and retails for $14. Yikes, I know... a lot
for a bottle of nail polish. I do really like the way they apply... I feel like it's
more watery which makes it kind of glide on easy without getting too thick.

But, all in all probably not worth $14 unless someone is getting them as a gift
for you as a special treat.

Nail swatch.

BAM!! Sassiness.

Happy February!!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Weekend Rewind. What's in my Bag?

I don't know about you, but I am getting to that point in the winter season
where I am so over cold weather, pasty skin, and sinus infections!

Last week I had a terrible sinus infection and honestly today is the first day I have felt
human again. This thing literally sucked the life out of me. So, Friday I had a GNO at
Flip Burger here in Birmingham at the Summit and I needed something to give me a
good pick me up.

I had a credit at Sephora and after hearing my friend Alison raving about how much she loved
the St. Tropez Self Tanning foam I knew that's what I wanted.


This is the mit they sell for application. Keeps hands from getting too dark while applying.
Retails for $6.

They have 4 and 8 oz bottles. I bought the 8 oz since I had the credit and it retails
for $40 and the 4 oz is $30.

Sephora Details:

Self Tan Bronzing Mousse St. Tropez Tanning Essentials
VIEW ALL PRODUCTS BY ST. TROPEZ TANNING ESSENTIALS

Self Tan Bronzing Mousse
What it is:
A super-lightweight, easy-to-apply, velvety mousse that dries in 60 seconds and delivers a rich-bronze tan.

What it does:
This lightweight mousse delivers a rich-bronze tan and is infused with conditioning aloe vera. You will get a perfectly natural looking, streak-free tan that dries in 60 seconds. The innovative Aromaguard™ fragrance technology eliminates the tell-tale self tan aroma by a minimum of 70%.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Phthalates
- Triclosan

Sephora is the exclusive beauty retailer for this product.





Before application.


After application.
Woo hoo for a healthy glow!

Full face on... ready for my GNO at Flip Burger!!

Seriously, I love this stuff already. I can't wait to apply again this week. This is
going to be my go to product for instant results!!
About Brooke


What’s The Story, Brooke?

I'm Brooke. Brooke Story to be exact... hence the title of my blog. I'm southern, still barely in my twenties, and have a few too many lip glosses in my purse.

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Munchkin Land Designs


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