Mascaras - Branching Out

So this isn't really a "newfound obsession" per say, but I recently branched out and tried different mascaras. I used Cover Girl mascara all through high school, but I didn't really fuss with makeup a whole lot. I had a standard eye shadow routine, and that was about it.

In college, I started using the Maybelline Great Lash mascara in Blackest Black. Everyone seemed to love this mascara and it was mentioned as a favorite in several magazines. I used the waterproof version once, and I wasn't thrilled with it at all. It didn't coat my lashes very well, and it honestly looked like I hadn't put on anything. It also flaked off and ended up as little black dots under my eyes. Not a good look...

After watching AllThatGlitters21 on YouTube rave about Loreal Telescopic mascara, I decided to give it a shot. I was used to having the actual brush, but with Telescopic, there was a spiky rubber applicator. I tried it once and instantly fell in love with it. It didn't clump or flake, and it thickened my eyelashes. It was lovely!

After having such a great experience with a new mascara made me want to try something else: I wanted to find a good waterproof mascara. Now, the reason I needed it was quite morbid: I knew I would be attending a funeral...and crying was inevitable. I made a trip to Ulta with one of my friends to start my search. I didn't have to look around long because Maybelline caught my eye. The new Define-A-Lash mascara had a similar applicator as Loreal Telescopic and there was a waterproof version. I was sold.

I brought it home and tried it immediately. It worked wonders! My eyelashes were super thick and really long. It lasted for a really long time. And yes, it did withstand the gruesome funeral test. I cried, wiped my eyes, and the mascara stayed in place. No smearing or running whatsoever.

I've heard that wearing waterproof mascara all the time isn't good for your eyelashes because it dries them out. I may go back and get the regular Define-A-Lash for every day use. Until that happens, Loreal Telescopic is still my everyday mascara.

The best part is that the mascaras I use are cheaper than the high end ones. Ulta usually has some really good sales on mascaras (buy one get one free, etc), so they're the perfect place to go to try new formulas and brands. Plus, if you watch in the newspaper, they'll include a $3.50 off coupon that applies to a $10 or more purchase. I signed up for the Ulta Rewards card and I get another advertisement too. I never shop there without a coupon and it actually saves a good amount of money!

So to recap: I used to like Maybelline Great Lash...and then I branched out. Loreal Telescopic is my second favorite mascara for every day application. My new waterproof mascara of choice is Maybelline Define-A-Lash. I still carry around Great Lash in my purse for touch ups, but other than that, I don't use it.

Pictured left to right:
Maybelline Define-A-Lash Waterproof Mascara
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Blackest Black
Loreal Telescopic Mascara

Coffee Cups

If you know me really well, then you should know that I love coffee cups. If you know me really well and you didn't know that, don't feel bad. It's a closet addiction.

My boyfriend and I went to Kohl's one day, and we went back to look at the cookware. I saw the coolest coffee cup, and I knew I couldn't leave without it. It was on sale too!

It's not your typical coffee cup. It's a Food Network coffee cup! I absolutely love the Food Network, and this cup is a culmination of two of my obsessions. It's still available at Kohl's for $9.99. (Click the link to go to the page)

When I got this, it was still cold outside and it was always filled with hot coffee (extra milk and sugar, of course). Now that it's summer time, I fix my coffee and let it sit for a few minutes. Once it's cold, it tastes oh-so-yummy. Is that weird? It's just like a Starbucks drink, but it's a lot cheaper.

Stay tuned for more obsessions...

O.P.I. Nail Polishes

Lately, my newfound obsessions have been scarce. However, I realized I had a new one when I opened my purple glitter Caboodles case that I've had since middle school.

About six months ago, I got frustrated with my nail polishes. They were all old, dry, goopy, and well...blues, blacks, greens, and very odd colors. Not very big-girlish if you ask me. So I chunked them. Threw them all out.

This left me with a pinky clear, white, gold, and a duo chrome light blue and purple color. Not a lot to choose from, eh? After watching YouTube (hey, that seems to be a newfound obsession too!), I saw some nail polish colors I really liked.

I made a trip to Ulta with one of my friends, and they had those nail color sample things in the shape of a fingernail. I saw a bright pink that I fell in love with. Of course, it was a limited edition collection piece and it was sold out. They were having a buy one get one 1/2 off sale, so I wandered around and got a couple of O.P.I. polishes.

I've never been one to try the salon quality "higher end" nail polishes because well, they're nail polishes. They chip, and then you have to redo them in a day or two, and it's never been worth the effort.

Ok so back to the purpose of this entry: my newfound obsession is O.P.I. Nail Polish.

Go figure!

I opened my Caboodles case and realized I have seven recently acquired O.P.I. polishes. I've become a lot more picky about my beauty-ish products, so I always want to make sure I have the right colors that look good with my skin tone. I mean, I am spending about 3 times as much on these polishes.

I like them because they apply smoothly, are vibrant in color, and they actually last a while. Quality is definitely better than quantity...even though my quantity seems to be rising. Hmm.

These are the colors I have:

Shorts Story (Paige Denim Collection)

I had to special order this one online because I couldn't find it anywhere. I ended up getting it from eNail Supply. It's a gorgeous bright pink color with a tiny twinge of purple. I've always been scared of bright pink colors because they make my skin look really pale, even if I'm tan. This color accents my skin tone perfectly!

In My Back Pocket (Paige Denim Collection)

This is a bright orange color. Not neon orange, but a good vibrant lighter orange. I haven't really worn this color yet because I'm still not sure if I like it or not. This one also came from eNail Supply.

Princess Rule! (Princess Charming Collection)

I was a little bit iffy about this color because it's super bright and sparkly. I know we've all worn the polish that had the glitter chunks in it. I had different colors on all the time, but when it came time to remove said chunky glitter polish, it was a nightmare and it took forever. This color: no so much! It's a pretty girly color, it goes on smoothly, and it add a little extra pop of shine to any color you're wearing. It's transparent enough to let the bottom color show, but there's still a little bit of a pink base to it. You just have to see it. It's gorgeous!

Bright Lights-Big Color

This is my absolute FAVORITE color right now. It's orange with yellow duochrome. It's such a pretty summery color. It's been my "go-to" color if I'm not going to a wedding or if I have to dress a bit more formal.

Melon of Troy

This is a perfect melon color, for lack of a better description. If you don't like pinks, I would try this one for a more formal occasion. It has a shimmery quality to it, but it's really subtle. My ongoing trend seems to be oranges and pinks. How strange! If you don't like the bright colors, but you still want a happy, spring/summer look, I recommend this color. It's not too girly, any it still gives you some color.

Suzy & the Lifeguard
This is the color that started it all. I had a nail polish from Maybelline (I think) that I loved, and it got dried out. I couldn't find the same color anywhere. I scoured the city to no avail. And then, there it was. It was on a display shelf at my local Ulta. The perfect dupe for my Maybelline color. And I found it while O.P.I. polishes were on sale. It was a sign. It's a really nice light, light, light pink color with some shimmer to it. I love it for weddings, dinners, date nights, and those days where you just want to feel, "polished." Hah.

Second Honeymoon

This color is very similar to Suzy & the Lifeguard, but it doesn't have the shimmer factor. It's more of a really light matte pink. It's still shiny, like all nail polishes are, but the glistening factor is significantly less.

INs and OUTs

Ok maybe I'm being a little lazy, but here are my INs and OUTs since I can't think of anything else to talk about at 2:00 in the morning...


INs -

1. The Young and the Restless (Soap Opera) - I love this show. I'm on Team Sharon, how about you?
2. The Queen's Fool (book) - By Philippa Gregory. Her series follows the Tudor family in England (King Henry VIII, Boleyn sisters...)
3. Organization - I cleaned out three of my desk drawers today. Just chunked a whole bunch of...stuff. I feel so much better! Oh, and I organized my makeup. This saves me SO much time in the mornings.
4. Peanut M&Ms - my weakness. I got a 45 oz bag for Easter!
5. This quote from Theodore Roosevelt: Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

OUTs

1. Cold Weather - I'm so done with days that are below 70 degrees. I want it to be warm! I hate bundling up to go somewhere. I want to wear cute summer clothes!
2. Waiting - I ordered MAC makeup remover wipes and some skincare products from BeeRoyalProducts.com. Now I'm waiting for them to arrive at my door. My skin needs you! Hurry up!
3. Lack of Sleep - I know I have to work tomorrow, yet here I sit...blogging at 2:00 in the morning. I do this quite frequently (the staying awake, not the blogging) because my mind is thinking of random things and keeping me up.
4. A Basket Full of Dirty Clothes - Laundry, how I loathe thee. Need I say more?

Camping!

Ok I admit, when I was in Girl Scouts in elementary school, I despised camping. I hated the hiking, the dirty outdoors, the bugs, and not to mention, the cold temperatures. I was the complainer who never wanted to do anything but sleep. You can imagine my attitude when my boyfriend announced that it would be fun to go camping with a friend. Our destination: Pickwick Dam.

I was reluctant at first, and in all honesty, I thought I would back out. But I didn't. I prepared for the worst, and hoped for the best. You know what? It was fun.

I went to Wal-Mart the night before we left and got a new sleeping bag. They didn't have pink, so I got a blue and gray one. I did find a bright pink mini MagLite flashlight though. I also found a pink toothbrush holder, mini Herbal Essences shampoo, travel sized contact solution, and a mini toothpaste tube. Whilest shopping, we headed back to the camping section where I found a little pack of toilet seat covers and wet wipes. I was set!

The tent we used was an older one by Coleman. My grandmother bought it for me at an estate sale because she thought I may want to go camping one day. She was right! It was really easy to set up and take down. Plus, all the parts were there.

I had a great time. I didn't miss my computer or the TV. We had cell phone reception, but I hardly used mine. It was really peaceful and the campfire kept us warm all night. We also got a great campsite. It was near the bathrooms, and it had electricity and running water. My boyfriend's friend brought a coffee maker, his grill (even though there's one at each site), an outdoor light, and a water hose to hook to the site's water faucet. He's a smart cookie, that one.

The only thing I would recommend: bring an air mattress. I'm serious. Maybe that's a "Duh, Stacy" kind of statement, but I thought we'd be ok by layering thick fur blankets and sleeping bags. Wrong. I had to keep shifting to avoid getting sore, and my neck was all twisted. Oh well, lesson learned.

We stayed for three days and two nights which was just enough to enjoy the camping experience without getting tired of it. I highly recommend camping...at least do it once in your life.

I think we're going to check out some other nearby state parks for our next camping trip. But before we go, I'm buying an air mattress and an outdoor light.

Happy Camping!

Spring/Summer Tote

Spring is here and summer isn't far behind. This means two things: warmer weather (yay!) and carrying more stuff. By stuff, I mean water bottles, swimsuits, changes of clothes, extra makeup, suntan lotion...things like that.

I have a cute cherry tote bag I got from a local store called Jun Lee in Memphis. It's more of a wholesale company with super cute stuff. Everything is priced really well, but you have to spend at least $30 when you check out. That's not a problem if you go with a group.

Well, I've had my cherry tote for a long time and it's a little scraggly. When we got a new shipment of merchandise at work, guess what was inside those wonderful cardboard boxes? New MudPie™ Initial Totes! Apparently, the style for this year is patent leather. We started pricing them, and we had them out on the floor that day. After staring at them for five long hours, I decided I couldn't leave without one. We only had two of each letter, so I grabbed an "S" for myself. I love this bag! I've used it several times already, and I'm going camping this weekend (yes, we can all laugh at the thought of Stacy going camping), and I'm going to use it to carry stuff. Not sure what stuff that will be, but my tote will be full of it.

The outside is black and white patent leather with pink piping along the bottom. An initial is stitched in the middle of the bag. The inside is really cute: white fabric with little black polka dots. The only drawback is the lack of pockets on the interior. I would have loved a pocket or two to keep smaller objects in, but it's not completely necessary.

The shoulder strap length is perfect and is doesn't rub or irritate my shoulder. It fits well on my side too. A lot of bags either hang down by your hip and swish back and forth when you walk, or they sit right underneath your armpit. Both of those options aren't very comfy for me.

The initials they make are: A, B, C, D, E, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, and W.

So far, it's pretty durable. I haven't done anything hardcore with it yet. I know it's been folded, smushed, and creased, but it pops back to normal every time.
If you want to purchase one, we carry them at the store I work for: Southern Event Planners or you can do a search online.

On a side note: Yes, I'm going camping. With a tent. On a lake. Luckily there's running water nearby (you know, besides the huge body of water that will be next to me). I'm excited about making s'mores though. And reading. Nerd, much? =)

Inspiration Part One

Hi all!

This is my first blog posting (obviously)! I love talking about random things, and sometimes, friends just aren't in to the same things I am and their interest feigns. So I'm turning to the next best thing: a blog. This isn't a personal blog by any means. You won't find any deep thoughts or philosophical conversations here. I've created Newfound Obsessions to talk about random things I've come to love and things I'm excited about. Hopefully you'll get excited about them too!

I'm not writing this blog for endorsements. I work for a company that prides itself on finding inspiration. It's a key word we use, and I think I'm starting to live by it. My obsessions change frequently, so I'm pretty sure I won't run out of things to talk about. I always give credit where credit is due, so you'll know where I got the ideas, products, and information.

For my first post, I want to talk about the Coastal Scents Ultra Shimmer 88 Eyeshadow Palette. I first saw it on Suzy's blog (MacNC40) and I was curious about the price. I found it online and was amazed. I started doing more research about it (as I always do), and I came across tutorials from Elle (AllThatGlitters21). Now, I think Suzy is super talented when it comes to makeup, but her skin tone isn't like mine at all. She has dark hair and dark eyes, and I have blonde hair with blue eyes. When I found Elle's tutorials on YouTube, I was ecstatic. A fellow blonde! I saw that she had a blog, and she wrote about some cool things (products and such). Hence my inspiration!

Anyways, back to the eyeshadow. A few months ago, I bought the Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow Box from Ulta and fell in love with it. The colors are fabulous and they blend really well together. I discovered I can layer them, so if the blue is too bright for one outfit, I can add one of the browns on top of it to tone it down. This also gave me a chance to try the Urban Decay Primer Potion. Suzy recommended it to me because my eyeshadow always creases. I tried it once, and it's been on my lids ever since. This prompted me to try more Urban Decay shadows, and they haven't let me down. After playing with the colors and getting out of my eyeshadow comfort zone, I started looking for other palettes.

That is what lead me to Coastal Scents. I'm about to click the order button and I'm so excited. The majority of the reviews have been really positive. I mean, you get 88 colors. And from what I've seen, they're vibrant...not the light colors you have to apply 50 times to get the right shade.