LoveBLENDnBeauty

WHATiLiKEtoEAT: Chicken Noodle Soup - Down Home Style

2012-02-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

Homemade chicken noodle soup, in my opinion, is so hard to find. It's hard to find one that just gets you right here *points to heart* and makes all those sickly worries disappear. The kind that only your Nanay makes and it's the only one that makes you feel better.

I finally perfected my Chicken Noodle soup recipe. It's not too broth-y, there's hardly any fat bubbles floating at the top, it's not loaded with all these shenanigans -- it's just simple, homestyle, chicken noodle soup.

I've added a thing or two from other recipes to get the right "soup" consistency and the right taste so my recipe is basically my Lola's (grandma's) recipe with the modern help of some of my favorite chefs.

That being said .. this soup will bring a warmth to your heart and tummy that will put you straight to sleep and not even trip about being sick. :)

Lola's Chicken Noodle Soup - Modernized

What You'll Need:

couple TBSP of Butter
EVOO
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped/minced
2-3 celery stalks, cubed
2 large carrots, cubed
3-4 tbsp all-purpose flour
6 cups of chicken stock (low sodium, preferably)
1 1/2 cups skinless chicken breast, uncooked and cubed
1 1/2 cups egg noodles (twisty kind)
1 bay leaf
worcestershire sauce
s & p to taste, some garlic salt if you're feeling fancy

Side Note(s):

Chicken Stock: what kind you use is totally optional -- i used 2 different kinds, 3 cups of each. This gave me the best flavoring. If you don't want to be like me (lol), use Low-Sodium chicken stock, but i personally got the best results using 3 cups of Low-Sodium and 3 cups of UnSalted. I like to flavor my own broth and typically just need the "chicken" part. And honestly, if you're majorly old school like my Lola, you'll make your own. ;) In which case, you'd just boil some chicken and voila!

Veggies: If you want to keep it old school, stick to the carrots and celery. You can add other veggies that compliment the same hearty flavor like potatoes or peas, but this soup is pretty hearty with the noodles and chicken added in. If you nix the noodles, i'd add more veggies. :)

Noodles: if egg noodles aren't your thing, i suggest Farfalle (aka Bow Tie pasta) or Rotini (the spiral kind) pasta. Egg noodles are more filling and the taste is similar to dumplings, which just kinda goes along with the comforting factor of the soup. Your noodle choice is totally up to you! :)

What to Do:

Prepare all your veggies and set them aside so they're ready to go.
Prepare your chicken -- after cubing, season with s & p, garlic salt and a touch of smoked paprika if you have it. Let this "marinate" while you're cooking everything else.
Using a big pot (preferably one that retains heat well, lol), melt a couple tbsp of butter. Once melted, add about a tbsp of EVOO.
Add all your veggies (except the garlic) and saute until soft. Make sure to season with salt & pepper! (This helps your veggies "sweat" -- yummy juices to follow).
Add your garlic and saute for another minute, stirring frequently.
Add 3 tbsp of flour and "cook" until it's a soft paste -- DO NOT BROWN! Make sure it stays a nice, golden blonde color. If it becomes a brunette, you've cooked it too far and it WILL taste different! Lol, you're basically making a thin blonde rue.
Whisk in your chicken stock, 1-2 cups at a time. Check for lumps! Make sure it's smooth!
Add your bay leaf and a dash of worcestershire sauce and stir. Season with salt & pepper to taste. I added a dash or two of garlic salt w/ parsley just for fun; totally optional.
Simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring at least once or twice so nothing cooks unevenly.
Add your chicken and noodles of choice and stir evenly; reduce to medium-low heat and simmer gently for another 10-15 mins. I went for 15 for taste-sake. (Anything further than 15 will cause your chicken to be tough, so check it at 10 mins first and continue in 5 min increments at a time until chicken is tender and cooked through. By this time, your noodles should be soft, not al dente)
Taste it .. add seasoning as needed, but for me, it was perfect. :) If you want a little kick, add a dash of hot sauce (Tabasco preferred) or cayenne pepper.
Pour it in a bowl and enjoy ... duh. :) .. add crackers or bread if you're extra hungry. ;)

NEW Steez :: Wet'n'Wild ColorIcon Single Eyeshadows (new shades!) - Photos & Swatches

2012-02-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

Hello my darlings :)

I wish i had more of the shades to share with you, but unfortunately, not all of them are available in my area (most of them sold out) and i know there are 2 shades i didn't care for. These were the 4 that i was able to find without any issues -- although i noticed that at Rite Aid, they were packaged differently?? The 2 that you see that are packaged (Golddigger and Stagedive) came with mini ColorIcon eyeliners while the other 2 (Sellout and Panther) were packaged single-y at Walgreens. ODD.

L to R: Golddigger - Sellout - Stagedive - Panther

The mini eyeliner that came with Golddiger and Stagedive are smaller than my hand -- you can see below a comparision.

It's nothing special, just your basic black eyeliner with mediocre wear time. It's good for touch-ups or if to throw in your make-up bag since it's tiny.

Golddigger

yellow, champagne gold

Sellout

fuschia pink w/ shimmer

Stagedive

royal blue w/ glitter

Panther

matte black

L to R: Golddigger - Sellout - Stagedive - Panther

Bottom: ColorIcon liner in Black

Did any of you pick any of these new WnW singles up? Which ones? :)

NEW! from Benefit Cosmetics - Sun Beam: Sunshine in a bottle!

2012-01-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

This product came out early-to-mid January, so it's not so "new" anymore to me, but i just haven't had a chance to post up the pics and swatches as soon as i got it. I got it the day our counter received our shipment, but it should have been available online since early January.

Nevertheless, i have to take some time and rave about this product -- i'll be doing an in-depth review by video pretty soon, so just stay tuned for that. For now, here are some photos and swatches. :)

L: Swatched

R: Blended

GAWWWJUSSSSS ... for my tan skin, at least. ;)

I'm not sure how much you can really tell, but i mixed it in with my Sonia Kashuk tinted moisturizer in these pictures. I also blended a little on my cheeks for an added glow.

Seriously, i'm in love with this stuff, especially since winter makes my skin so dreary :T This definitely wakes my skin back up to it's summer color. HOLLER. ;) lol.

Did you pick this up? If so, how do you like it and what are your favorite ways to use it?

Photos & Swatches :: Maybelline's Color Tattoo 24-hr eyeshadows

2012-01-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

I only own 7 of the 10 -- i don't own Painted Purple, Pomegranate Punk or Tenacious Teal (which i'm trying to find unfortunately). I'm very happy with the 7 that i own, although i would love to make it 8. ;)

I have to say, these are amazing. My review is up on YT if you wanna know my thoughts.

Top: Bold Gold - Audacious Asphalt - Too Cool - Bad to the Bronze

Bottom: Edgy Emerald - Fierce & Tangy - Tough as Taupe

Top: Bold Gold - Audacious Asphalt - Too Cool - Bad to the Bronze

Bottom: Edgy Emerald - Fierce & Tangy - Tough as Taupe

Bold Gold

Audacious Asphalt

Too Cool

Bad to the Bronze

Edgy Emerald

Fierce & Tangy

Tough as Taupe

Packaging compared to Benefit's creaseless cream shadows (on the RIGHT). Maybelline gives you 4g of product, while Benefit gives you 4.5g, but for some reason Maybelline's packaging is slightly taller.

L to R: Bold Gold - Audacious Asphalt - Too Cool - Bad to the Bronze

L to R: Edgy Emerald - Fierce & Tangy - Tough as Taupe

Do you love these as much as i do? Which colors did you pick up?

New Love :: e.l.f. Blushes

2012-01-16T00:26:00.000-08:00

It's refreshing to know that this wonderful drugstore find only costs me $3 a pop ...

HOLLER.

Now i know i'm a little tardy for the party here, but sue me -- i own SO many blushes, it's ridiculous. My one blush drawer is becoming 2 blush drawers. I always hear so many good things about e.l.f. blushes but just never picked up too many of them. These are the 3 newer ones to my collection, but i also own Peachy Keen and Giddy Gold (my favorite out of the 5 i own) :)

L to R: Fuschia Fusion - Pink Passion - Mellow Muave

Fuschia Fusion

Pink Passion

Mellow Mauve

L to R: Fuschia Fusion - Pink Passion - Mellow Muave

I think my favorite of these 3 is Fuschia Fusion -- it has a touch of glitter when swatched and in the pan, but it doesn't reflect as much on the cheeks when applied. Thank god. LOL. I just find the pink of it to be a touch more wearable and less chalky than Pink Passion. Mellow Mauve is a favorite of some people, but i don't care for it that much. When applied it's very subtle on my cheeks. But still, for $3, i still like these blushes. I owned Candid Coral and Tickled Pink at some point and somehow they've wandered into my sister's make-up collection instead of mine. Hmmm ...

Mini HAULAGE :: MAC Naturally Collection

2012-01-05T21:37:00.000-08:00

I only got 3 things from the MAC Naturally collection, unfortunately. Nothing else really interested me. I really wanted 2 lipsticks from the Iris Apfel collection, but of course .. SOLD OUT. :( I swear, every MAC Store in my area? SOLD OUT. I'm sad, but what can ya do ... i know there are other lipsticks out there that are pretty much the same, but honestly, the pigmentation in those lipsticks are bananas!! Crazy pigmented, Matte and SO GORGEOUS. ugh .. i'm devastated ... *cries to self*

Nevertheless, i purchased a few items that i DID want from Naturally, so i didn't walk out empty-handed... ;)

Overall Review of the Collection

I only purchased one eyeshadow and 2 blushes -- nothing else really jumped at me. I didn't care for the 2 MSFs in this collection or the lipglasses. The lipglasses are so easily dupe-able and the lipsticks are just "ok". They aren't the best for tanner skintones like mine, but A Perfect Day and Pillow Talk probably would have been my 2 picks, if i had to choose a lip color. A Perfect Day is luckily an Amplified finish, so it swatches well and translates well on the lips. Pillow Talk WOULD have been much prettier if it were also an Amplified, but it's a Cremesheen, which makes it less pigmented and more sheer. Not my cup'a tea, unfortunately. If you like softer lipcolors, however, it's a great shade. I've personally found other nude lipsticks that wear better on me, however. But i wouldn't completely X these lipcolors out, especially if you have a small lipcolor collection unlike me) -- i just don't think they're all that special.

L to R: Summer Haze e/s, Early Morning blush, Subtle Breeze blush

Summer Haze

This one in particular i purchased because it would make an amazing cheek/face highlighter. It's really an eyeshadow, but i didn't see it that way when i swatched it, lol. They should have made this a full-on Mineralize Skinfinish instead of repromoting Blonde and Redhead -- which, by the way, aren't that impressive anyway. LOL. The champagne and bronze blend together to make a gorgeous champagne peach shade.

Early Morning

The darker of the 3 blushes, i didn't think i'd like this one at all. It swatches darker than it is in the pan to me, but my skintone is different. The thing i like about this blush is when it's swatched, it's SO pigmented. And then when you blend it? LOVE. It's a super pretty darker peach-toned blush with a hint of red. And it's not all that shimmery either -- another thing i love about the mineralized blushes in this collection.

Subtle Breeze

The pinker of the 3 blushes in this collection, this one's up your alley if you're looking for a soft rosey shade with a hint of petal pink and mauve. It wears well on the cheeks and swatches just as lovely as the others with minimal shimmer. I'm expanding the pinks in my collection, as i tend to lean towards peachy blushes more.

Swatches

L to R: Summer Haze - Early Morning - Subtle Breeze

I ALMOST got the Fresh Honey blush ALMOST. It swatched so beautifully on my hand (just as pigmented as the other 2), but when i blended it, it was almost nonexistent on my skintone. Sadface. It was more of a subtle highlight on me, which i didn't find as attractive as the other 2. I do like it, so i'd still check it out if you like peachy-toned blushes. I have something very similar to it and hardly wear it, thus i didn't see the point in purchasing it. :)

What did you purchase from this collection?

Anything from Iris Apfel?

(if so, you're such a lucky bitch. LOL)

Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Pencil Stash - $34 to $19

2012-01-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

i got pretty excited when this set went on sale .. these sets are great ways for you to try different colors of shadows and liners with Urban Decay. They're always decently priced, and occasionally, like right now, they go on sale!

It's originally priced at $34 and was dropped to $19. I got it for $16 with my extra discount, so that was even better!!!

I've always wanted to try these, but i find them as pricey as the liners. I hear good things about them, so i planned on getting the set instead to try them out and see how i personally liked them. Lo and behold, they went on sale, so it was perfect timing!

I've noticed it's only in Macy's and online. Not really sure why?! I stopped by both Sephora and ULTA one time and neither of them had it on sale? Either that or they just didn't say nothin, lol ..

The stash comes with 5 wonderful colors -- 3 neutrals and 2 brighter/bolder colors. It's a good way to try them out to see if you like them, then you can decide what other colors you want.

These seriously stay on for hella days tho, no joke. My eyeshadow doesn't crease, fade or nothin!! They work great as either bases or liners or as eyeshadows. They're super creamy and glide on easy too, which makes it easy to apply without tugging on the lids.

L to R: Delinquent, Rehab, Juju, Sin, Clash

If you can get your hands on these, i would! For the price, it's like the price of ONE full-sized one. And you get 5 .. even though they're smaller. What gives, how fast are you gonna go through them anyway?! lol ... so far, my favorites are Clash and Juju, but they're all so pigmented that almost any shade would be pretty.

Have you tried these yet? What are your thoughts? :)

NEW Steez :: Maybelline Dream Bouncy blushes!! :)

2011-12-28T20:02:00.000-08:00

There are soooo many new things out in the drugstore, it's like a playground for me right now! lol .. out of all the things that i saw though, this was a must-have for me because the product itself is SO unique!!

I mean BOUNCY blushes ...?! really..?!?! Damn, Maybelline. MY BAD. LOL.

L to R: Orchid Hush, Peach Satin, Candy Coral, Hot Tamale

Orchid Hush

Peach Satin

Candy Coral

Hot Tamale

Swatchy swatch!

L to R: Orchid Hush, Peach Satin, Candy Coral, Hot Tamale

These were the only 4 i purchased, they're about $6-7 each, so i would have bought them all, but not all of them caught my eye. Out of the 4 i chose, i like Peach Satin and Hot Tamale the best, as they're also the more pigmented of the 4 i chose. I see a lot of other colors in the collection being just as pigmented as those two, but i'd choose wisely. Don't be afraid by how bright they look in the pan -- the brighter they are, the more pigmented. Orchid Hush looks gorgeous in the pan, but it's hard to swatch. It's a very soft lavender shade, so it's still pretty to me, although not as pigmented as i would like. It wasn't as hard to apply to the cheeks, but i'd probably use it over or under a blush because i feel like it could be more intense. I thought Candy Coral could have been more pigmented cuz it looks so bright in the pan, but it would be pretty over another peachy or orangey-coral blush.

I haven't quite figured out the best brush to apply these with, but i'm thinking a duo fibre brush will be too flimsy to grab the product, a blush brush wouldn't even dig into it and it would look ugly to dig into it ... it's looking like the best way to apply it would be with your fingers .. dot it on and then blend (either with your blush or fingers)? Something like that .. i'm going to experiment with them more and then do an official review, how about that? :) I'm sure a lot of you will be curious about these ... LOL.

Overall, i'm happy with them. The texture of them is SO interesting. If you've tried Maybelline's Dream Mousse blushes, they're like that, but .. harder...? lol. They literally BOUNCE when you press into them! It's like pressing on a freshly baked cookie! lol ... i guess that's why i wanted them -- the uniqueness of it. No brand that i know of has something like this, but correct me if i'm wrong! :)

Side Note: I also purchased 2 more Revlon lip butters -- based on my previous post, i wanted Creme Brulee and another pink one. I got Strawberry Shortcake. Super happy with my 4 lip butters now, i don't think i need anymore, LOL ... i just really like the texture of them, but 4 is enough for me. :)

As for these blushes, i think i'm gonna stop at these 4. :) Unless they come out with a fuschia one .. which i didn't see. LOL. So, if you guys spot one, holla at yo girl! ;)

Mini Revlon Haul - New Lippies!

2011-12-27T10:03:00.000-08:00

I keep hearing about these damn Revlon Lip Butters but they were completely sold out everywhere around me and they JUST restocked sometime late last week so i jumped at the chance when i found them. Every drugstore has limited quantities and colors -- i bought mine at Target. I happened to swing by Rite Aid yesterday and there were none AT ALL there, just an empty display, lol. There are about 2-3 other colors i want, but these 2 were must-haves for me, since i love my brights and bolds. :)

L: Lollipop

R: Candy Apple

L: Lollipop

R: Candy Apple

Lollipop

Candy Apple

I also got another Color Burst lipgloss. I only own 2 (Sunset Peach and Lilac .... Crystal...? something, lol). There were 2 others that i wanted, but the name on this one caught my eye: Rose Gold.

Swatchy Swatch ..

L to R: Lollipop, Candy Apple, Rose Gold

I'm happy with the 2 lip butters, but i want Peach Parfait, Creme Brulee and another softer pink one that i can't remember the name of at the moment ... Cotton Candy..? something or other, i don't even know, haha. So far, i like them, they're very hydrating. :)

Benefit's Hervana :: Good Karma in a box?!

2011-12-18T09:48:00.000-08:00

This is only up for sale online on ULTA, Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics, but it's not in stores yet! It won't come out until January :( Boooo, i know! But you know i'll let you guys know when we have our event, right? ;) Cuz it's gonna be way more exciting than in the past -- this time we'll have half-dressed (half naked....) Male Models dressed as Devils while the rest of us will be dressed as Angels .. HAYYYY! ;) lol!!

Anyway .. here's a preview to the product, cuz everyone loves Benefit's boxed powders/blushes and this is the newest addition to our collection. :) With the discontinuance of Georgia Peach and Thrrrob, we came out with a new one that's a lil different than the others. This one doesn't have as much shimmer, it's softer on the cheeks and you can use it all over as opposed to JUST the cheeks.

LOVE.

downfall: SO hard to read the back of this box w/ that gold label ... LOL

I do think the concept around the blush is really cute .. the name, the theme, everything. The packaging is HELLA cute in my opinion. :) Benefit always gets me with the damn packaging ... LOL

Another different thing w/ this powder is it comes with an ANGLED brush, all the box powders typically come with a rounded square brush.

I love that it swirls together 4 different colors!!

I'm not sure how much of it you can really see on my hand, but it wears on the cheeks REALLY nicely. I'm wearing it in a future tutorial and on my skintone you'll see that it's a soft peachy pink orchid shade .. it literally is a swirl of all the colors that's in it... peach, pink, lavender and a soft highlight.

I promise you guys will love this one ... :)

I'll keep you all posted on the upcoming event for it in January, too!

theBalm's Shady Lady Vol. 3 Palette + Swatches

2011-12-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

I was SO excited to find this palette for a deal @ Marshall's cuz the typical price tag on this is $39.50. I found it for $12.99! ;) SCORE.

A lot of these colors can be found in other palettes or as singles, but i just felt like it was easy to have it in one palette, especially since i'm always traveling. All-in-all, the colors are pigmented and soft, smooth to the touch and super easy to blend, so for me, it was worth the buy. But if i had to buy it for $39.50, i probably wouldn't. for $12.99? Hell yeah! LOL. Just saying.

The palette comes with 9 wonderful shades -- a good mix of bold and soft and all the colors compliment each other so there'll always be a combination you'll love. Only thing is every shadow is either a shimmer, glitter or satin, no mattes. At least one matte shade would have been nice, but the shadows are soft enough to not be too overpowering on the eyes if you WERE to put them all together.

Lusty Lee - Envious Erin - Racy Lacy

Safe Bet Annette - Runaround Rebecca - Come-Hither Heather

Open to Offers Olwen - All the Way Annie - Guilty Gwen

Lusty Lee - Envious Erin - Racy Lacy

Safe Bet Annette - Runaround Rebecca - Come-Hither Heather

Open to Offers Olwen - All the Way Annie - Guilty Gwen

Overall, i'm glad i have the palette, it was totally worth it. I'd check TJ Maxx or Marshalls for it, they always have some good deals on theBalm products.

Wet'n'Wild LIMITED EDITION Holiday Color Icon palettes + Swatches

2011-12-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, before i start .. can i just say that i have ALWAYS been impressed with Wet'n'Wild's new revamping of their product line in the past year or so?

Agreed?

Okay.

Last year, i didn't get a chance to swoop on the Limited Edition Holiday palettes and i feel like i missed out. So this year, i hopped at the chance when i heard they were being released as a Walgreens exclusive.

I'm a little disappointed.

I'm sorry you guys, to all of you who LOVE these and adore these ... they are WONDERFUL, don't get me wrong. For their first attempt at baked eyeshadows (another reason i was excited for them), they did really well. I just feel like for baked shadows, the color payoff should have been better :T I do, however, notice a much better color payoff when i use a concealer or primer underneath when i actually wear them on the EYES, which is much more promising than basing my opinion off a swatch on my hand. So that's the main verdict for me, is that they swatch weak on the hands, but wear SO MUCH better on the eyes. I guess i had such high expectations since i LOVE WnW's Color Icon eyeshadows to begin with. :( But overall, they're definitely worth the buy if you can still find them!

Time for the swatchfesssst. :)

This is probably the only thing i don't like about these palettes (above) - there aren't any name labels on the actual palettes! Unlike the original Color Icon palettes, there's a small label at the very top on the front. With these, the names are on the packaging (see below) only.

WAHHH.

Baking a Cake

As you can see already, the color payoff is mediocre when swatched on the hand. I promise it comes out better on the eyes.

Each palette also comes with a "Shimmer Eyeliner" in a color that compliments the palette.

Bake-off Contest

Baked, not Fried

I don't really have a favorite out of the 3 .. i like certain colors out of certain palettes, LOL .. i'll probably do some holiday looks with these though, so stay tuned for those on my YT Channel. :)

WHATiLiKEtoEAT: Garlic Shrimp & Corn Chowder

2011-11-21T12:21:00.000-08:00

This was my first attempt at making corn chowder and it came out pretty damn good .... lol. Me n Momz couldn't figure out what to make for dinner one night and she was craving corn chowder while i wanted Shrimp Scampi ... so hell .. put them muthas together, ya'll ... ;)

Garlic Shrimp & Corn Chowder

What You'll Need:

4-6 slice of thick-cut bacon
1/2 lb of shrimp, deveined and butterflied w/ tails off
1 medium onion (preferably YELLOW or VIDALIA), diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
10 gloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
16 oz frozen corn or 2 cans of whole kernel corn
1 bay leaf
s & p, to taste
garlic salt, to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional if you like it spicy!)
dash or 2 of paprika, to taste and for garnish

Side Note(s):

For your bacon -- i prefer thick-cut SMOKED bacon of some kind .. hardwood smoked or applewood smoked always works the best in my soup/stew/chili recipes, but whatever thick-cut bacon you can find will work just fine. It's up to you on how much flavor you really want, so if you like flavor, i'd go for a smoked bacon if you can find it.

For the onion -- Vidalia onions would be best because they're sweeter, but a normal yellow onion will do. :) as long as when you saute them, you get a good caramelization, you're good. :) I'm all about flavor, so i chose a Vidalia onion.

For your corn -- frozen, canned, fresh, it's totally up to you. In the future, i plan on using some fresh roasted or grilled corn, i can imagine it'll kick this up a notch. But for my first time, i used canned corn to be on the safe side.

Cayenne pepper isn't necessary, but if you like a lil kick, put a lil in there. ;) Why the hell not ... my mom can't take food that's too spicy, so i stuck with the paprika for this first time, but i did add a dash of cayenne in my own bowl just to try it out.

What To Do:

Chop up your veggies and garlic and set aside.

As well, chop up your bacon.

Heat up a pot to medium-high heat and saute your bacon until crisp. Remove from pot/pan with a slotted spoon and leave the bacon fat in the pot to use as your "oil."
Throw in your onions and 2 tbsp of garlic (from your 10 cloves), add s&p to taste and let them "sweat" until your onions turn slightly clear (not all the way).
Add in your chopped bell peppers and continue to saute all your veggies until soft.

Add in your flour and stir -- allow your flour to completely cook out before the next step.

Throw in your bay leaf and add in your chicken stock, whisk gently to combine everything and make sure there's no flour lumps, then allow it to simmer for at least 8-10 min on mediium heat.

Add your heavy cream, stir gently to combine. Again, let it simmer a bit (another 8-10 min so the "soup" gets a lil thick) under medium heat.

While it's simmering, you can work on your shrimp scampi. This is relatively easy, so there's no pictures for the process. Here's what ya do: Season your shrimp w/ salt, pepper, paprika and garlic salt. Then, throw in 2 tbsp of butter into a pan under medium-high heat and throw in the rest of the garlic. Allow the garlic to lightly infuse into the butter while the pan is heating up completely. Lightly saute your garlic until soft (don't let it brown, you'll regret it, lol). Throw in your shirmp and saute for about 5-8 mins or until pink. Remove from heat and set aside.
After your "soup" has simmered for about 15-20 mins, throw in your shrimp .. adding the "flavored oil" from your shrimp is totally optional, but i did it for more flavor.
Throw your bacon back in -- don't waste it! ;) It makes this soup SOOO much better .. as bacon is known to do for almost everything, lol.

Combine everything and simmer for another 10 min to let the flavors marinate annnnd you're FINISHED! :)

mmmmm ....

You can add that dash of paprika if you want, it's totally optional though. If i had a basil leaf, i'd use it for garnish, but well .. we can't have everything, can we? ;)

Hope you enjoy this as much as i did!!!

It tastes bomb with some french or focaccia bread by the way ... :)

[ EXTREME COUPONING ] :: Target

2011-11-18T22:28:00.000-08:00

This wasn't exactly "extreme couponing" where i got a ton of shit for free. This was just me finding some really good deals. :) Unfortunately, i live in a state that doesn't double up coupons, which makes it 10x harder to get "free" stuff. Honestly, the best way to get free stuff is to STACK coupons: Store coupon + Manufacturer's coupon. And especially do it when the product(s) you want is/are on sale. Otherwise, it's just a waste.

That being said, couponing at Target is kinda hard since they don't double coupons. They do, however, allow you to stack store coupons and manufacturer's coupons, so i'd definitely do what you can with that. This time for me, i had no store coupons, so everything i used were manufacturer coupons -- still, i found great deals, so i thought i'd share. This is more like "realistic" couponing, haha. Cuz let's face it .. not everything in life is FREE. ;)

Schick Quattro Disposable Razors (3-pk) $5.89

- BOGO Coupon on any Schick Quattro M/W Razors (MC)

FINAL PRICE: $5.89 for 2

Carefree Pantiliners (20ct) $0.99

- $0.50/1 Any Carefree Product (x 2) (MC)

FINAL PRICE: $0.98 for 2

Garnier Make-up Remover Towelettes $4.49 (In-store Sale)

- $1.00/1 Any Garnier Skin Product (MC)

FINAL PRICE: $3.49

Aussie 3-min Miracle $2.84 (In-Store Sale)

Herbal Essences Mousse $2.84 (In-Store Sale)

- $1.00/1 Aussie or Herbal Essences product (x 2) (MC)

FINAL PRICE: $3.68 for both

Pantene Mousse $3.79 (In-Store Sale)

Pantene Spray Gel $3.79 (In-Store Sale)

Pantene Shampoo $3.60 (In-Store Sale)

Pantene Conditioner $3.60 (In-Store Sale)

- $3.00/2 Pantene Products (x 2) (MC)

FINAL PRICE: $8.78 for all 4

Oral-B 3D White Toothbrush $2.84 (In-Store Sale)

- $0.75/1 Oral-B Toothbrush

FINAL PRICE: $2.09

(Side Note: Ignore the "Shoe Goo" ... i forgot that was in the picture haha....)

GRAND TOTAL: $24.91 (not incl. Taxes)

SHOULD HAVE BEEN: $41.55 (not incl. Taxes) - includes In-Store Sale Prices

TOTAL SAVINGS: $16.64 (not incl. Taxes)

$25.00 sounds WAY better than $41 to me .. JUST sayin. that's almost half off! In essence, it was like i got a lot of products "BOGO" with all the diff coupons i had. If Target doubled their coupons, i'd have gotten hella shit for free, haha! I have a tendency to have at least 3-4 of each coupon, so that would have been amaze-balls.

These are things i tend to stock up on: Shampoos, hair products, feminine products, etc because they never really expire (or have a long shelf life) and they're things i use pretty often. I seriously have enough shampoo to last me through the next 6 months to a year thanks to my last haul, which you guys actually didn't see, but i don't mind sharing if you guys are curious. :) I got a ton of Tresemme and Suave products at "BOGO" prices, including in-store deals. Tresemme and Pantene as well as Herbal Essences are some of my favorite drugstore brands for hair products, so i was pretty happy about that last haul, LOL.

Adore Me officially launches today! ;)

2011-11-17T23:38:00.000-08:00

I cannot tell you how excited i am for this new site's launch .. I'm a fan of the whole "Monthly Subscription" thing, since it makes shopping online super easy .. i'm excited to see how this turns out, since every other monthly subscriptions service is shoes, purses, clothes, etc, but i have yet to see one for LINGERIE.

In short, this is what Adore Me is all about:

Adore Me is a subscription based eCommerce website that offers women a personalized selection of lingerie, picked by professional Stylists each month! Price is a steal at only $39.99 per lingerie set -- plus FREE Shipping and FREE Exchanges.

Just like other monthly sites, you don't get charged until you make your first purchase and of course, your selections are based off a personality/style quiz. I'll give you more info as soon as I do a review, but for now, i at least wanted to give you guys a heads up on the official launch of the site!!

Start Shopping! ;)

MAC Glitter & Ice - Holiday 2011

2011-10-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

MAC's Glitter & Ice Holiday Collection 2011

Release Date: Thursday, October 27, 2011

The time we wait for almost allllllll year is for MAC's Holiday collection to come out .. i know i know ... this means spending hella dough right before Christmas or even Black Friday, but shit .. ya'll can either get it now or cry about it when you DEFINITELY can't get it just before Christmas. ;) It's been awhile since i personally fell in love with a MAC Holiday collection, it's been pretty ... eh. A Tartan Tale (2010) was just not my thing and Magic, Mirth & Mischief (2009) was just okayyyy .. Red She Said (2008) was pretty cool and Antiquitease (2007) was one of my last favorites. For awhile, MAC repromoted what looked like the same ol' shit for awhile and then when they did A Tartan Tale, i was just like "oh, no they didn't ..." lol. If anything, i've loved the pigment sets because they included reflects glitters and what not in them, but other than that, nothing completely blew me away. I'm not saying this year blew me away either, but the packaging is simple, cute, with just the right amount of dazzle. Nothing too over the top, nothing too boring. You'll find at least ONE thing you like, i'm sure. :) With that said, these were my picks, with the ** RED ASTERISKS ** (that i personally presold for today) along with some commentary on everything else i saw and swatched today with Myra (my MAC girl at Nordstrom Sac -- tell her i sent ya ;) )

Mineralized Eyeshadows

$21.00

Okay first of all -- $21.00?! Shit. I SO wish i got my PRO discount on this shit, lol ... they're lucky the quality improved otherwise i'd totally look these over. Overall, the texture of these are swell if ya ask me -- much more smooth and pigmented to the touch, i'm very impressed with how much MAC has improved with their Mineralize Eyeshadows. I'm a huge fan of Mineralize Blushes and MSFs, so i hated being disappointed in the eyeshadows. There are no darker colors here (i.e.: Venomous Villains status), they are all kind of "icy" -- which can be good or bad. After all, the collection is called Glitter & Ice. ;)

Fresh Ice

I almost got this one. This can be described in a super pretty manner, but out of complete honesty, it's really just a super frosty white with a touch of pink. It's pretty, but not a must-have. I'm not a frosty white eyeshadow fan to begin with and this wasn't an exception. If it had just a little more silver in it, that would have changed my mind. It will, however, be a pretty base under some silver glitter or reflects glitter of some sort, so if i wanted to spend an extra $21, i'd cop this, but i liked the other shades better, personally. :)

Frozen Blue

A frosty bluish grey, this one's not a favorite either. I find other colors from MAC in this family much more compelling, like Suave Intentions (Love Lace Collection), which is so much more wearable. I don't wear colors like this often, even when i'm inspired, so i guess i just naturally didn't gravitate towards it. It's pretty though, just not a personal favorite. If worn improperly, it may result looking 80s make-up gone wrong. Wear it tastefully, dahling.

**Snow Season**

I'd cop this color if you're into Neutrals. It makes for a great inner tearduct color, lid color AND highlight color because it has that nice champagne color to it with some gold and pink mixed in. This is one of the more versatile shades of the bunch, it's super easy to wear and can be worn daily without "doin too much". It can be worn natural or dramatic, totally up to you. :)

Winterized

I didn't care for this AT ALL. lol. It's not that i'm not into plum shades .. it's just that .. i'm not into plum shades with too much brown in them. If that's your thing, go for it. For me, it looked pretty in the pan, not so pretty swatched. At least not on my skintone. :T

**Hold That Pose!**

If you like taupe-y shades, you'll like this one. Think .. Satin Taupe and Shale with less purple, more grey and a touch of mauve. This looks a bit metallic in some lights, which made me like it more. I see this being worn in both neutral looks and smoke eye looks, either as a lid color or a blending color fading through the orbital bone (the part above your crease).

**Shimmermint**

I think this one might be my favorite. Only because i don't own many blues that are in the Tiffany blue family. I feel like it has a hint of sparkle to it too, a little silver "glitter" in there. It's a really pretty Tiffany blue (aqua with some grey, softened a bit with some baby blue) and would make a great lid color or lower lashline color with some silver glitter.

Technakohl Liners

$16.00

The only Technakohl liner i like is Graphblack. But i'm biased because i don't own that many. LOL. I think i own 2 other ones, but they're like a Cyan color and Fuschia. I've never had the best experience with Technakohls but overall, they're great liners. They usually pack a good punch of color and last at least 8 hrs on the waterline, so they wear even better on the lashline. The ones in this collection aren't favorites. To be honest, i only got one and not because i was trying to be frugal. ;) The pigmentation is .. questionable in these and they kinda tug a bit. They don't glide as easily as i'd like, i went back and forth a few times just to get a good swatch and applied a fair amount of pressure, with the exception of about 2 of them, Practice Makes Perfect and Smooth Maneuvers (sp?).

Going for Gold

I had my hopes up that i was gonna love this one, but it's so effin dry that i can feel it tugging on my eyelid as i swatch it on my hand. It's a darker gold, sort of similar to Milani's Liquif'eye in Gold, although i much prefer Milani's over this one, hands down. The texture reminded me of an old shadestick that needs to be warmed up before you apply it. This would make a good eye base, but a shitty gold eyeliner. You can definitely find better!

Silver Skates

Worst silver eyeliner ever. Same shit as Going for Gold -- tugged when swatched. Pigmentation is EHHHH ... it's your basic silver with a wannabe metallic finish -- falls short. Again, Milani's Liquif'eye wins, their Silver is way better and it won't cause more wrinkles for me when i apply it. hmph.

**Smooth Maneuvers**

Not my favorite, but i think i like it cuz it's black. This didn't tug as hard as Going for Gold or Silver Skates, but it wasn't the darkest black i ever saw either. It's a TOUCH softer than Graphblack and has some sparkle to it, but definitely not as opaque in pigmentation. Not a must-have, didn't blow me away, but the texture was definitely better than the others.

Fancy Moves

one of those eggplant shades that aren't my favorite. I like purple liner so long as it's got a little plum in it, even a little fuschia. Eggplant purple shades are just not my thing. Same as the others, dry and tugs. Wahhh.

**Practice Makes Perfect**

Think Plumage eyeshadow in pencil form. :) Pigmentation was one of the best out of all 6, although the texture is still kinda dry. I see myself holding a lighter near this to get it warm before applying, the same way i do my shadesticks, lol. I only got this for the color, as i don't have an eyeliner like this at all. I have a lot of teals and a lot of blues, but not quite a dark teal blue. :)

Seasonally Spicy

Boring ass brown, more on the cocoa side with a touch of burgundy in it. Good texture with good color payoff, but the color itself is what bores me. LOL. If i wanted a brown eyeliner ... i mean, i'm just sayin. *shrug*

Lipsticks

$15.50

All these shades are limited edition, but none of them have that "gotta have it" quality to it. If you're into Red Lipsticks, you'll definitely fancy Such Flare!, but it won't kill you not to have it if you missed out on it. I wanted the white packaging and it was the only lipstick i liked, so naturally i gravitated towards it. My 2nd choice would have been Whirls & Twirls. Only 2 shades are Matte/Satin, while the other 4 are Frosty. Honestly, a lot of the lipsticks in this collection remind me of that frosty ass lipstick cholas used to wear with the dark ass lipliner, actin like that shit was cute.

NO.

No, no annnnnd NO. ;)

But shit, if you're into that ...

Double Spin

Pearly pink, super pale. *Gag*. You need a really warm lipliner to make this work and even THAT won't make this wearable in my opinion. It's supposed to be a Cremesheen finish, but it's an utter fail if you ask me. Pop this on dry lips and you'll reget it...

Eloquent Air

First off ... what's with this name?? It's like they couldn't find a way to describe the color to make it sound like a pretty color, LOL .. tryin too hard, yo. Let it go. Lol. It's basically a silver lipstick .. think MAC Bubbles, but less flattering. MAC Bubbles is actually wearable if you can wear it right.

**Such Flare!**

My fav of the 6, obviously. Need i explain why? It's red. It's matte. It reminds me A LOT of MAC's Russian Red, but it's deeper. Color payoff is great, but since it's a matte finish, make sure your lips are moisturized, Tyrone.

Whirls & Twirls

This was pretty, but a bit to shimmery for me. I liked it for the color, but again, it needs something to warm it up. It's the 3rd most wearable shade of the 6, if you ask me, but if you have pale lips, this won't do anything for you. It's more flattering on rosey lips and it's wearable cuz it's a little sheer.

Soft Sable

All i can say is that i wish this was an eyeshadow .... LOL.

What Joy!

Another wearable shade, but nothing that popped out to me. This would be great on women of color, as it's got that nice berry undertone to it. I've found other dark lipsticks that i like better, so this one is just "okay" to me.

Dazzleglasses

$19.50

6 Shades total with 1 being a permanent color (Love Alert) and another being a repromote (She-Zam). These are all more glitter than pigment so if you're not into sparkle, pass these up. These glosses are for those of you who like flashy lips .... *raises hands* ;)

Love Alert

I swore i owned this one, but i haven't used it in awhile, so if i have it, i lost it. If i did lose it, i'd get the permanent version because the packaging on these weren't that amaze-balls anyway. But i like this color because it looks amazing on both red lipstick and pink lipstick. It just makes it a tad bit more flashy. If that's not your steeze, then i guess you can steer clear of this one, but i personally love it. :)

Dressed to Dazzle

I like this one in the tube, not so much swatched or on the lips. If you have naturally pink or rosey lips, this won't do much for you but add gloss and glitter. It's basically a pale pink with some silver glitter. I prefer Baby Sparks over this one if i were to use a soft pink glitter lipgloss.

**Pleasure Principle**

My personal favorite. :) It has multi-colored glitters so this one's the most flashy. They didn't put this one in the DAZZLEglass collection fa nothin! ;) I also bought it for the name .. Hayyy JANET! ;) lol ..

**She-Zam**

Silver glitter lipgloss doesn't sound all that appealing but you'll thank me when you slap this on red lipstick on NYE .... juuuust sayin. ;) This one's a repromote so luckily i have it already .. you can also find it at some CCOs if you're lucky. :)

Spanking Rich

This kinda reminded me of Amorous dazzleglass, but with more raspberry than dark berry wine in it. But as pigmented as it looks in the tube, don't be fooled. It's actually hella sheer when worn on the lips ..

Glitter & Ice

This one's pretty if you're a nude lipstick kinda gal, although it's not that nude if worn alone. It's pretty sheer, but just like Dressed to Dazzle, it offers DAZZLE and gloss without really doing much.

Paint Pots

$18.50

Morning Frost

It's like a silvery brown grey .. ish. with some taupe in it. It's not bad for you neutral folks, but i personally didn't care for it. It reminded me of Benefit's creaseless cream shadows in Birthday Suit mixed with RSVP.

For Effect

I do like this one, especially if you're into smoky eyes. Only reason i didn't get it is because it reminds me SO MUCH of Benefit's creaseless cream shadow in Strut (color-wise), which i already own. It's like a dark charcoal blue-black with some glitter in it. I also didn't like how the glitters changed the texture - it made swatching a little interesting. I always expect paint pots to be so creamy and smooth, but it was a little hard to get a good opaque swatch without having to pack the color on my finger before swiping it. Color is pretty .... payoff is not.

**Let's Skate**

it's a gold pinky shimmer with a slight amount of silver glitter. This one's backwards than the others: not as glittery when swatched as it is in the pot. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but i liked it because it wasn't too glittery and not too shimmery either, but still noticeable on my skintone. It'd be a great tearduct color actually ...

Beauty Powders

$24.00

How Beautiful!

This could act as a bronzer on the fairest of skintones but on someone as tan as me? .... either nonexistent or it's like adding a soft, subtle shimmer powder all over my face. If you're tan and like a little glow all over, you'll like this ..

**Snowglobe**

I chose this as a highlighter, as it's a pale shell-like shimmer on the cheekbones. It's not highly pigmented so you can control how intense the shimmer can/will be on your face which can be a good thing or a bad thing. For those who don't like MSFs because they're too "shiny", you might prefer this one, as it provides a soft shimmery glow without doing too much. It could also -- just like How Beautiful! for darker skintones -- be a nice all-over shimmer for more fairer skintones. I copped this for the packaging too, let's just be honest here .. LOL.

Nail Lacquer

$16.00

I'm not gonna go into detail about any of the lacquers since there's only 3. Out of all 3, my favorite is Uconditionally Fabulous, which is the multi-colored glitter one with different glitter shapes. It has a little bit of a light gold shimmer in it, but it's mostly glitter. Some say it's comparable to China Glaze's Snow Globe, but only swatching will truly tell. :) The other two are so easily dupe-able in my opinion. A muted greyish purple and a dark red -- nothing spectacular. The packaging isn't that awesome either, but whatevz. I thought MAC would go more "bam!" with these, but i guess not. LOL. I still can't bring myself to spend $16 on a MAC polish though ... they're trippin. *smh* I remember when they were still $9!!! .. PSH. Get outta heeaaahhhhhh!

FYI: This is just the main chunk of MAC's Holiday Collection. They still have the face sets, brush sets and also have eye sets as well as the lip/nail bags -- all of which are cool to get if you're just starting out in make-up or looking for gifts. The Face sets are pretty cool, featuring a blush, lipstick, lipgloss, eyeshadow and more. The brush sets are usually basic, but this year they have a special Duo Fibre set (Mineralize Brush Kit) that i personally think is worth getting. I have a shitload of brushes and didn't feel the need to get any brush sets this year, but that Duo Fibre one is pretty damn cool, as is the Special Edition one, which features all WHITE brushes. :) One of those "cool to have" type of things, but nothing necessary. I couldn't see myself spending $50 on a brush set with only 4-5 short handled brushes, LOL, but i'm not gonna front, they're pretty damn cute. That clear glitter handle desigm? .. SWAG. ;)

Later i believe they will be releasing the Pigment Sets and Lipgloss Sets as well as Nail Lacquer sets .. the "Minis", as they call them ... so make sure you take a good look at all the stuff in Holiday 2011 before completely splurging!!! The Minis always go for about $25-36 a set and are a good way to build your pigment or lipgloss collection. ;) Lol ... just sayin. They always have limited edition shades in them. :T Makes it so hard to resist ... haha!

Did any of you presell?? What are you getting??? :)

Sephora Friends & Family Sale Commences .. NOW! :) (10/20-11/2)

2011-10-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh, the time we've all been waiting for ... Sephora's F&F Sale! The wonderful sale where you get 20% off your purchase (before taxes and S&H) -- because we all know it's rare to get discounts on high-end makeup, right? :)

Sephora's doing it a little differently this year, but don't fret my pet .. you'll get your code.

Rather than doing ONE universal code for EVERYONE to use, (it got a little out of hand last year .. and that's an understatement), they are giving you your own personal code via your own email address. There's only one rule really ... only 5 codes per computer, 1 code per email address. Last year and the past years (with the YouTube craze and Beauty Blogger craze both increasing), people were using the same code for multiple orders with different email addresses and shipping addresses, etc etc etc. I mean, all that just for 20% off? .. eh. LOL. But to make it easier on themselves, they did it this way. All you gotta do is click HERE and enter your email address and your personal code will instantly be provided. It expires on 11/2/2011 -- use it wisely. :)

I recommend picking out a few things that you know are pricier in the long run -- aka, anything over $30. You'll save more that way. You'll only save a few bucks if you buy something that's like $20, even if it's something on your wish list. Unless you're adding it to your overall purchase, saving those few extra bucks won't be worth it, trust me. Whatever you choose, take advantage of free shipping and any holiday sets (they're all REALLY good this year!), as well as the Clarisonic Mia or GHD Flat iron (if either of the 2 are things you've been lusting over) and brushes (as those tend to be on the pricier side, although worth every penny). Also, i suggest the Urban Decay Naked or 15th Anniversary palettes if you haven't gotten either of those yet. :)

I'm not sure what i'm buying yet, but i doubt it'll be much. I actually fancy the MAC Glitter & Ice Holiday Collection this year and might splurge on that instead. :) MAC Holiday has been boring me lately ... thank god they came out with some better shit this year. ;)

Happy Shopping! ;)

[ EXTREME COUPONING ] :: Rite Aid

2011-10-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

This week's couponing at Rite Aid was good, but not. In essence, it was a success, but had i earned $4 in +UP rewards, that would have been better. I didn't realize til later WHY i hadn't received them, but that's my fault for not reading the fine print and getting too excited. So FYI to those of you who are like that -- make sure you read the fine print.

Either way, i paid approximately $4 outta pocket for about $16 worth of stuff so that's still good to me. :)

I split this up in 2 transactions so i could earn a $2 +UP reward, but in complete honesty, i could have done it all in one transaction. My mom ended up wanting something, so that's why i ended up going back for her nail file, lol. In turn, i found a nail polish i liked. :) Originally, i was just getting the mascara, haha. FAIL. ;)

Transaction #1:

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara $7.99

- 40% OFF All Revlon Eyes, Lips, Nails & Beauty Tools

_________________________________________

Sale Price: $4.79

- $2/1 Revlon Grow Luscious mascara (In-Store Coupon)

_________________________________________

TOTAL Price (after taxes): $3.19

+ $2 +UP Reward Earned

_________________________________________

GRAND TOTAL Price: $1.19 - ESSENTIALLY

Transaction #2

Revlon Nail Enamel $4.79

- 40% OFF All Revlon Eyes, Lips, Nails & Beauty Tools

_________________________________________

Sale Price: $2.87

- $1 OFF Revlon Nail Enamel (In-Store Coupon)

_________________________________________

Final Price: $1.87

Revlon Emery File $3.19

- 40% OFF ALl Revlon Eyes, Lips, Nails & Beauty Tools

_________________________________________

Sale Price: $1.91

- $1 OFF Revlon Beauty Tool (MC)

_________________________________________

Final Price: $0.91

TOTAL Price: $3.17

- $2 +UP Reward

_________________________________________

GRAND TOTAL Price: $1.17

All in all, i was still happy with my overall purchase, although if I had gotten $4 +UP Rewards (thanks Rite Aid Coupon Policy, haha), i would have gotten it all for FREE. That's why (refer back to my last post) it's important to read each store's Coupon Policy because there is always FINE PRINT. Sometimes Rite Aid will allow you to get more than 1 +UP Reward, but in this particular case, Revlon products only yielded 1 +UP Reward per household. The only way i could get around this would be NOT using my Wellness+ Card and purchasing on different days or even using alternative payment methods, which will yield other consequences like less stock of any items you want and losing out on your Wellness+ Card points. It was too much of a hassle for me personally to go through all that, lol. But if you're down for that, go for it. ;)

Happy Couponing! :)

[ EXTREME COUPONING ] :: Coupon Policies

2011-10-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

I can't express enough how important coupon policies are when you're couponing. It's such a huge deal because it's different for every store. Not every store will honor "overages" and not every store will price match a competitor price. It's important to know the different coupon polices ... that way you don't look stupid at the register with a fat line behind you and you look like the crazy coupon lady. LOL. I'm just sayin. ;)

For those of you who are unaware of the different coupon policies, my girl Kitty over at Coupon Divas has one of the best comprised lists of the updated coupon policies. Keep in mind to stay updated on them because with the Extreme Couponing phase, a lot of the policies change at least once (even twice) a year. And they'll change like ONE line or like one minor thing that could screw your whole transaction up.

Coupon Policies

Some stores vary in what they allow or don't allow so while these are the universal coupon policies, make sure to ASK if you're unsure or if you're wondering if your store in your area does things a lil different. ;)

I print out the policies to all the stores I shop at the most and stick em in my coupon binder so i don't have to keep going online to check. It becomes a pain in the ass when i just need to know like, ONE thing. LOL.

Happy Couponing! ;)

WHATiLiKEtoEAT: Cheesecake-stuffed Strawberries

2011-10-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

I caught a craving for Strawberry Cheesecake sometime a few weeks ago and wanted to try something fun, so i looked up a few recipes and found this one off The Sweets Life (who found it through Nutmeg Nanny) and just HAD to try it! Both recipes are exactly alike, although Nutmeg Nanny makes a suggestion to try different extracts instead of Vanilla. You can do Almond, Lemon, etc. And i'd even say Hazelnut would be super yummy. Since it was my first try, i went the OG route and just used Vanilla. :) I can imagine these would be amaze-balls if i snuck a little fresh vanilla in there scraped straight from the stick, but now we're just gettin too fancy, lol.

You guys saw this post and loved it, as did my Facebook friends, so here's the recipe, from my chubbz to yours. ;)

Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries

What You'll Need:

1 lb fresh strawberries (aka 1 "box" lol)
8 oz block of cream cheese (Fat Free version is NOT an option ;))
3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (depends on your sweetness level)
1-2 tsp Vanilla extract
graham cracker crumbs
sandwich-sized ziploc bag or piping bag

Side Note(s)

I suggest getting your strawberries from Farmer's Market if you can -- the ones at the grocery store aren't as sweet since they're not in season, but they'll make do if you really have no choice. If they're not sweet enough, you can't compensate with sweetening up your filling because it won't balance. So just be careful there ..

For your cream cheese -- do NOT use FAT FREE cream cheese. I'm not saying this so that you'll gain an extra pound or two from eating a buttload of these (cuz trust me, you'll plow through them pretty fast), i'm saying it because it doesn't taste as good with Fat Free. You CAN use "1/3 less fat" cream cheese if your waistline is desperate though. ;)

For your "flavoring" -- Vanilla extract is suggested, but it's not required. Shit, try some Almond in there, i'm sure it'll taste amazing. I did use more than the recipe called for and added an extra tsp to balance out my extra tbsp of powdered sugar. Just know your ratios and you'll be fine. :)

What To Do:

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temp before working with it. LOL. This is really just a tip, but some people seriously just pull it outta the fridge and realize they can't mix it properly cuz it's too solid. :)
Rinse/Wash your strawberries. Remove the top w/ the stem and hollow them out. Let em hang out upside down on a paper towel so the excess water drains out. (If they're soggy when you stuff them, your filling will slip right out.)
In a mixing bowl -- beat the following together: cream cheese, powdered sugar, extract of your choice. Beat until creamy -- similar to a Cool Whip texture, just not as "airy."
Fill either a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the cream cheese mixture. (Warning: Snip the tip off if you're using a ziploc bag, otherwise your "piping" will not occur..... Just sayin!)
Pipe filling in each strawberry ... one by one ... til they're all filled. ;) Duh.
You can either dip them in graham cracker crumbs or sprinkle the crumbs -- your choice. I find that sprinkling them was easier so that my filling didn't squeeze out of the strawberries.
Eat every single one til your heart's desire .... or share with loved ones. ;) Again, your choice .... *ahem*

I hope you enjoy these as much as i did!! :)

L'Oreal's Project Runway Collection + Swatches

2011-10-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

Mind you, i don't have the entire collection .. there are 2 products i still want, which are both from the Watchful Owl part of the collection -- the blush and the eyeshadow quad -- and i also purchased another polish, Owl's Night, but it's not pictured because i purchased it separately on another day and have no idea where i put it .. shame on me, LOL.

This collection is quite hard to find in my area, i was going nuts. I had to search at least 3 different Walgreens and 2 ULTAs because not all of them had the collection. Rite Aid never had it and select CVS stores carried it. Not all ULTAs have it either, so i'd call ahead. In Sac, only the one off Arden had it, but not the one in Natomas. BOO!

The thing i don't like about this collection is that in every store there are literally LIMITED amounts -- they weren't lyin when they said this collection was Limited Edition! There is seriously one or two of each thing -- 4 at the most -- and since i was late on getting this collection, that made my hunt even worse. :(

Eh, whatevz ... i was happy with what i got anyway :)

L to R: Raven's Dream - Raven's Strength - Amazon's Flare - Amazon's Flash

AUDACIOUS AMAZON

Amazon's Flash

bright gold - shimmer finish w/ flecks of glitter

Amazon's Flare

hot pink - creme finish

SULTRY RAVEN

Raven's Dream

soft petal pink - creme finish

Raven's Strength

black pearl - shimmer finish

CHARMING COCKATOO

blush

soft peachy pink w/ slight gold shimmer

SULTRY RAVEN

blush

soft neutral pink w/ slight shimmer

Lipsticks

L: Audacious Amazon's Pout

R: Sultry Raven's Pout

AUDACIOUS AMAZON

hot pink - creme finish

SULTRY RAVEN

soft nude pink - creme finish

SWATCHES!!

L to R: Raven's Dream - Raven's Strength - Amazon's Flare - Amazon's Flash

L: Sultry Raven's blush

R: Charming Cockatoo's blush

L: Audacious Amazon's Pout

R: Sultry Raven's Pout

Overall, i'm happy with everything i picked up, especially the nail polishes. I'm venturing out of my Essie, OPI and China Glaze issues and finding other nail polish brands out there. I hear good things about L'Oreal polishes, so i wasn't afraid to invest. I own 1 or 2, but now i have 5 new ones i'm excited to try. :)

As for the lipsticks, the colors i picked up were the only ones i wanted -- i can never turn down a hot pink or a nude pink lipstick. Audacious Amazon's Pout has been rumored to be literally an exact dupe of MAC's Girl About Town, so expect a future post on that from me since Girl About Town is one of my fav lipsticks from MAC. Sultry Raven's Pout was kinda hard to find for me, it was sold out everywhere i looked and i finally ran into it at Walgreens. If you love L'Oreal's Fairest Nude, it's pretty much almost the same but with more soft pink mixed in it.

Blushes -- i didn't care for Audacious Amazon's blush -- it looked pretty in the packaging, but i couldn't imagine it swatching pretty on tan skin, i felt like it wouldn't show up that well on me. I like soft pink blushes when i wear smokey eyes, so i figured these two were good choices to stray away from my usual peachy-toned blushes. I desperately want Watchful Owl's blush, as i've heard it's the most pigmented of the 4. If i can't find it in store, i may have to result in ordering it online, LOL.

Price points are important of course, so just to give you an overview, these are the price ranges to expect, depending on where you find them:

Blushes: $9.99-11.99

Lipsticks: $8.99

Eyeshadow quads: $8.99

Nail Polishes: $4.99

Some of these are relatively a bit pricier than your normal L'Oreal products, but it's because it's Limited Edition AND Project Runway, lol ... if it's any consolation, the blushes are worth the $10 to me, they have as much product as Rock & Republic blushes! Which we all know (if you own one) are HUGE. I copped my stuff when Walgreens was having a BOGO so i got everything for Buy ONE get ONE 1/2 off -- great deal if you really want these. I believe that BOGO sale ended, but a lot of other drugstores are still having that BOGO sale, so if you can find a drugstore with the collection, i'd hop on it if you really want it. :)

In retrospect, none of these products are "MUST-HAVES" -- these are colors you have seen before probably with another brand, but what makes it special is the packaging and the name on the collection as well as the pricing. None of the quads are must-haves, but i found the Watchful Owl one particularly pretty out of all 4. The blushes are a great buy for a drugstore blush, although i still love my Milani baked blushes and they're close in price range, if not cheaper. I still prefer Maybelline and Revlon lipsticks out of all the drugstore lipsticks, but i adore how creamy some L'Oreal lipsticks are, so i couldn't say no :)

Anyway ... if you can find this collection, COOL! If not .. nothing to cry about. ;) .... unless you're a sucker for packaging and Limited Edition shit like i am ... lol.

Happy Hunting!!

[ FOTD ] :: Blue Spark

2011-10-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

This FOTD was from awhile ago .. but because i did a very similar FOTD Video on YouTube, i decided to do this one as a blogpost instead. The video was with teal liner, this one's more of a blue liner .. not a huge difference, but it's very similar.

[ Eyes ]

Clinique's brush-on cream liner in True Black

Red Cherry Lashes (forgot the #, sorry)

L'Oreal's HiP Chrome Liner in Blue Spark

NYX Glitter Liner in Lavender

Benefit's High Brow (as a brow highlight)

[ Cheeks ]

Laura Gellar Blush-n-Brighten in Honey-Dipped

Benefit's Bella Bamba blush

MAC's By Candlelight MSF

[ Face ]

Laura Mercier's TM in Sand

MUFE Duo Mat in #209

MAC's StudioFinish concealer in NC42

MAC's ProLongwear Concealer in NW25

BareMinerals Well-Rested

[ Lips ]

Benefit's Mod Squad l/s

Benefit's Kiss You l/g

WHATiLiKEtoEAT: Fried Stuffed Pork Wontons

2011-09-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

This one's an oldie but goodie for me -- as a girl of Filipino descent, it's typical that at a family party, there is always lumpia. Like, ALWAYS. Doesn't matter what else is on the menu either, lumpia HAS to be on the table. LOL. It's like chips and dip for us, basically. But sometimes, i want something a little different. Everytime i go to a Chinese restaurant, i order these fried wontons and they're not the regular kind where they fry JUST the wonton itself .. these have meat in them! Usually it's ground pork or ground chicken (if you go to a Thai restaurant) and even ground beef, but out of all of them i like the ground pork ones. They're easier to flavor, much like Lumpiang Shanghai (the little ones with just the meat in them, not the fat ones, lol) This recipe is for the more simple version of fried stuff wontons -- you can't ever go wrong with this one, especially if you have the sweet chili sauce to dip it in. I'll give you guys more recipes for wontons in the future, but for now, this is just the basic one so you can guys can give it a go. ;)

Fried Pork-Stuffed Wontons

What You'll Need:

Wonton wrappers
1 lb lean ground pork
1/2 a medium sized yellow onion - finely chopped
2 tbsp chives or chopped green onion (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp Garlic Salt
1 large egg
water (to seal wontons)

Side Note(s):

One pack of wonton wrappers is equivalent to 1 lb of ground meat so that's enough for a party if you ask me. If you need to make more, that's the ratio: 1 to 1. :)

For the pork, i suggest lean ground pork. If it's too fatty, it will cook that way and you're already deep frying it, so that extra oil is unnecessary. Lean ground pork has its own flavor, so you just need to add a kick or two with your basic seasonings to bring it out more. Salt, Pepper and Garlic Salt is all you need. I've spiked it once before with Cayenne Pepper or some Paprika but if you want some spice, put it in your dipping sauce rather than the meat. That way your guests (or whoever eats it ..) can at least have the option between spicy and not spicy.

What To Do:

Put together your meat stuffing: ground pork, onions, seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic salt) and your egg.

Mix everything ... LOL. Make sure everything is evenly mixed before moving on. You want everything evenly distributed of course. Just like meatloaf. ;)
If you decided to throw in some green onion or chives, save that for last. So after you mix everything, that's when you want to add in your green onions/chives.
Stuff your wontons! On the back of almost every wonton wrapper package, it shows you how to stuff it. If not, this is how i do it: 1) Align the wrapper so it's not a square in front of you, but more like a diamond. In other words, the "points" should be on top, bottom, left and right. :) 2) Place about 1/4 tsp worth of meat stuffing in the middle of the wonton wrapper. 3) Dip a finger in some water and run your finger across the border of the wonton. 4) Join the bottom tip and the top tip together and seal it! Make sure there's no air pockets!! Otherwise your wontons will fry up unevenly and more like 3D Doritos ;) lol ..
You can either fry these in a deep fryer or a pot with 1 in. worth of oil in them. It sounds like a lot, but you want your wontons to have room to "float" as they're cooking. Fry them in 350 degree oil until brown. :)

They should look like this!

FOTD :: Frenched

2011-09-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

This FOTD is super simple -- it was one of those days when i was too lazy to care about doing my eyeshadow or a full face of makeup in general .. working in cosmetics seriously can put a damper on your cosmetic creativity or it can encourage it. Real talk tho, it was like my 7th day working in a row, so i was just too tired to think ... what better than a bold lip and lashes to help me get over that, right? :) Simple, chic and still looks like i worked on my makeup, lol ..

I apologize now for all the Benefit products i'm about to list .. i kind of don't have TOO much of a choice, you feel me? ;) lol .. SO everything is from Benefit unless otherwise stated ..

[ FACE ]

POREfessional primer

YouRebel tinted moisturizer

Boi-ing concealer in #3

[ CHEEKS ]

One Hot Minute bronzer

Bella Bamba blush

10 blush/bronzer duo

[ EYES ]

Magic Ink liquid liner

badGal Waterproof liner in Extra Black

ELF's "Dramatic" lashes

[ LIPS ]

BeneTint lip balm

Frenched silky-finish lipstick

That NEW NEW! - JulieG's Nail Polish Collection! (c/o Jesse's Girl)

2011-09-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

So i actually went to Rite Aid to see if they had the Wet'n'Wild Dream Weavers collection .. which, by the way, i haven't been able to locate ANYWHERE, so if any of you find it, PLEASE let me know! :T I obviously didn't find it at my Rite Aid (or the one closest to me), but i found something ellllllse. :)

JulieG's Nail Polish Collection! :)

For $3.99 a pop, i had a cop quite a few of them, if not ALL of them. There are 8 in the collection and i only got 5 of them. I didn't get Girl's Night Out (royal blue), Party Dress (red orange) or Beauty Guru (Dusty Orange) -- hahaha, go figure. I love all the names but i don't wear any of those colors too often (nor do i own any of those in my collection) so i didn't care to get them. I may change my mind because i collect nail polishes in general and i wanted the whole collection, but i'm happy with the 5 that i chose for now. :)

L to R: Stiletto, All Things Girly, Cupcake Frosting, Fashion Friday, Mermaid's Lagoon

Stiletto

muted taupy grey (slight shimmer)

All Things Girly

soft peachy coral

Cupcake Frosting

fuschia

Fashion Friday

bright purple

Mermaid's Lagoon

bright teal (slight gold shimmer)

SWATCHES!

Out of the 5 i got, my favorites are Cupcake Frosting and Mermaid's Lagoon. :)

Did any of you cop these (or find them)?? :) Ya betta!!! ;)

[ REVIEW ] :: HANAair Professional Hair Dryer (c/o Misikko.com)

2011-08-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

This review is LONG overdue; I received his hair dryer back in April and have just now been able to take my time to write a proper review for it. I feel that it's well deserved. :)

John of Misikko (who by the way is an effin sweetheart!!!) gave me the opportunity to review one of their best products, the HANAair Professional Hair Dryer. When i received the box in the mail, all i could say was "holy moses!" because it was HUGE! I thought to myself .. "oh lawwwd don't tell me this dryer is bigger than my head!" lmao .. to my surprise, the humangous box was filled with goodies and more love than i've gotten from any other company. On top of that, John made the inside note personal -- VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, John!!

First things first .. Customer Service @ Misikko is above and beyond -- i can't express how amazing it is. Communication is key when it comes to a business relationship and right from the first email, it was already present. Now THAT'S a real sponsor! ;)

On top of that, shipping was incredibly fast. I had no idea i'd receive it that quickly.

Disclaimer: All pictures were taken with an iPhone 3GS because my camera is currently not working :( Sadface.

GOODIES! :)

LOVE Paul Mitchell stuff :)

That thing to the right with the fake flower wrapped around it is a heat proof pouch (for a flat iron or curling iron) which doubles as a heat proof pad to lay any hot tools on without burning a surface -- SO needed one of those. My bathroom countertop has a few burn marks from my hot tools :T

Monkey! I named him Hana :) lol ... for HanaAir ... tahah. i know. Lame. But i thought he was adorable! He's holding a Corioliss comb, which you'd use when you're straightening your hair.

Inside the actual dryer's box you get a small white pouch that has the extra nozzle and the Hana Shine Shield serum and of course, the dryer itself. DUH. :)

I don't typically use the nozzle unless i want my hair SUPER straight, but this is what it looks like with it ON.

I love the super sleek design of this iron, it's simple but still hella clean. Not all fancy schmancy n shit with buttons i don't even understand or too many controls ..

It literally has 3 buttons -- Temperature, Speed and a Cold Shot button.

So salon-like with that little loop lol .. it comes in handy when you're doing hair because it hooks to stuff, makes for easy storage while you're doing hair and avoids clutter.

This is basically Hana's Brand Commitment Statement, it's on the back of the box. :)

Okay, let's get down to the nitty gritty cuz i know ya'll are waitin ...

Features (taken from misikko.com):

Ion Technology -- conditions hair and reduces static electricity
Tourmaline & Titanium Oxide Technology -- natural ions promote healthier hair
Silver Nanotechnology -- for antibacterial protection
Scratch Resistant shell w/ black metallico finish adds durability and is easy to clean
Long-life motor with low noise level
Gyroscopically (WOW, right? lol) balanced for easy handling
Fiberglass concentrator
Italian Design

Additional Features (taken from misikko.com)

Adjustable Heat - 2 Fan Speeds, 3 Heat Settings + Cold Shot
Ceramic Heater - Infrared Ionic Heat
Comes w/ a 2-year warranty
2300 Watts, Low EMF (makes it Environmentally Safe)
12' Extra Long Cord (it really is super long tho ... that's what she said. LOL)

RETAIL PRICE: $314.99

ON SALE NOW FOR: $194.99

Now ... what do I have to personally say about this dryer?

Well first of all .. this thang dries my hair HELLA fast. I'm not even joking .. my hair's not even thick, but my Conair hair dryers and even Panda's mom's Remington dryer can't keep up with this baby. I'm not gonna front, i seriously timed myself drying my hair from WET to DRY and i couldn't believe that it literally said 6 mins (and some seconds).

WTF?!

My bad, "Professional Hair Dryer"!

I usually take about 10+ mins to dry my hair if it was really wet (fresh out the towel kinda wet) to get it to be full-on DRY. I was like "whaaat?!?"

Second thing ... i'm a sucker for packaging so i appreciate how sleek it looks in my bathroom. :) It also makes me look more professional at my gigs when i do hair and i actually have a REAL hair dryer that i can professionally use and not look like a dork with my Late 90s Conair that doesn't even have ion technology in it. Let's face it .. the damn thing is pretty. :)

Third thing .. it's so simple to use. 3 buttons, that's it. Some hair dryers have like, 4 buttons .. what the hell for?! One for temperature, one for speed, one for .... something else ... and another for .. another something else .. and THEN a cold shot button. I don't know what all that shit is for, i just need a power button, a temp button and a cold shot to finish and i'm good. Easy Peasy. :) Some brands try to complicate things .. *smh*

Fourth thing .. it's so quiet!! I'm so used to my Conair blaring in my ears in my echoing bathroom that when i turned this baby on, i was like "oh nice .. i could actually talk during a tutorial then .."

Last thing i noticed was of course, MY RESULTS. :) My hair is naturally on the curly/wavy side so blowdrying my hair straight is an effin challenge. But with this hair dryer, it simplifies my life while keeping my hair healthy. Ever since i started using Argan Oil and taking better care of my hair, i've been so adamant about using hot tools on my hair but this dryer actually IMPROVES the look of my hair when i straighten it. It's definitely working well with my Argan Oil and Joico Hair products and my hair couldn't be happier with how it's been treated the past 4 months. :)

But okay, i gotta be honest .. it's not as "Gyroscopically" (is that a fancier word for "ergonomically"???? lol) designed as it says it is ... i don't know if it's just my hands or what, but i like to hold my hair dryer by making a fist around the handle. You know, to get a good grip on it so i can maneuver it all over and get a good "hair dry" session goin. With this dryer, i kept pressing the buttons and shutting it off or making it go faster or making it too hot or turning the temp too low and accidentally hitting the cold shot button with my thumb.

Dammit.

My hands are fairly small, so i'm not sure what the problem is :T I find that it's easier to use on OTHER PEOPLE because i don't grip it the same way i would if i was blow drying my OWN hair. When i blowdry my own hair, i hold it around it's actual handle. Again, as i said, like making a fist around it. When i'm blowdrying someone else's hair, i actually hold it from the end where the air filter is, kinda wrapping my hands around the actual barrel of the dryer (the bigger part), like a normal hair stylist would .. if that makes sense. In that sense, it's perfect. I blow my clients away (literally...) with how amazing my hair dryer is, but i feel dumb in my own bathroom, LOL.

Only other gripe is that it's pricey. I mean, regular retail price is 3 bills, yo! CotDAYUM! *sigh*, the price you pay for beauty .... Luckily it's on sale for a little less than 2 bills, but i still wouldn't invest my own money into it unless i knew it'd last me forever. And so far so good! So if this dryer lasts me longer than any of my Conairs combined, then i'd say it's definitely worth the $200 ... but that's just me. :) I'm the type of person who would use it for everything, both personal and business use, and i'd be satisfied all around, so it's useful to ME. To the average consumer? Probably not. Not unless you believe in professional tools that will last you a lifetime. But if you're okay with paying for a new one every year or so, then this dryer ain't for you. If you're the investment type, then it is. :)

In short ....

PROS:

Easy to use
SUPER fast results
Hair has actually been healthier and shinier
Sleek, professional packaging
Quiet (not loud and blaring in my ears, especially in a bathroom because it echoes naturally)

CONS:

Pricey
NOT "Gyroscopically" made, in my opinion. At least not for me.

In essence, this is still an amazing hair dryer. It produces great results for me and makes my life easier. It literally cuts my Hair Straightening process in 3/4s (aka MORE than by HALF) and has become a vital part of my hair's health .... i'm just sayin. ;)

But for the price? eh ... it's up to you if you think you could pass. But for me? I'm stretchin that $200 baby!!! ;)

Have you tried this hair dryer?? Do you love it as much as i do? :)

You can find this Hair Dryer @ Misikko :)

I can guarantee you'll find their service more than just accommodating. :)

P.S.: Misikko also sells Flat Irons!! :) Including the T3 which the lovely Saaammage has actually raved about herself to be one of her favorite flat irons. :)

[ HAULAGE ] :: Napa CCO

2011-08-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

This was awhile ago, but i thought i'd share anyway cuz it's been a koo minute since i took a trip to the CCO .. this was too small of a haul to do a video, so i thought i'd do a blogpost instead since i haven't been as active as i used to be on here :(

Free to Be eyeshadow

$10.25

Limited Edition - Liberty of London

Silverthorn eyeshadow

$10.25

Frozen White pigment

$13.75

Morange lipstick

$10.00

i was SUPER excited about this one -- for some reason, everytime i hit up my MAC store, this damn color is always sold out :T I finally got my hands on it .. and for $10, no less ;) HOLLER. :)

Made with Love lipstick

$10.00

Limited Edition - Graphic Garden (Nordstrom Exclusive)

SWATCHES!

L to R: Free to Be, Silverthorn, Frozen White

L to R: Morange, Made with Love

I'm glad i copped the pigment in it's original packaging -- the Napa CCO still has some pigments in original packaging but i can tell it's starting to get phased out. Only limited edition pigments or discontinued pigments or glitters are still in their original packaging, everything else is in the new one. SO not happy about that. :T

I'm getting bored with the CCO, but it's always a hit or miss -- sometimes you get some good stuff, sometimes you don't. Unfortunately, most of what i'm looking for, they don't have. Lately neither the Vacaville or the Napa CCO has any MSFs, let alone any MSF Blushes -- SO disappointed. :(

Anywho .. hope you enjoyed!!

I'll post up a new blog soon .. with more substance. HAHA.

Miss you guys <3

NAILS DID :: Turquoise Tips

2011-08-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

So i wanted to do some kinda design but i just couldn't figure one out and i was having a road block in my brain and had a loss of creativity, sooooo ... i stuck to your basic french tip and just spruced it up a bit with some color and glitter. This isn't really nothing new, i just happened to like the color combo. :)

The turquoise part is by Sinful Colors and it's called Love Nails .. which i think is a funny name, hahaha .. it's also really sheer, but i stuck to 2 coats even though it really needs 3 .. and then i just used a gold glitter nail art polish for the gold lining. Nothing serious ... :)

Kinda Sexy.

2011-08-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

So MAC's Kinda Sexy is ... well .. kinda sexy. haha.

Kinda Sexy

Matte finish

Neutral Pink with slight brown undertones

Swatches

I can't tell you enough how much i adore this color. If you've ever tried Revlon's Mauve it Over, this is VERY similar, but instead of being in the mauve family, it's more in the neutral family, making it a warm nude pink to wear with literally any make-up look. The color will differ depending on your lip's pigmentation, but i've seen it be more flattering on rosey lips or lips that have a big of light brown (or straight on NUDE) pigmentation to it. The color just comes off better. If your lips aren't in any range of those pigmentations, then i suggest muting your lips out with concealer, something like MAC's Lip Erase or even Benefit's Lip Plump so that this color has something to really grab onto. This is the kinda color that'll hug your lips and make them really pop. :)

This is me wearing it alone .. it's a matte finish, but with a little lip balm underneath, it'll keep it from caking up. If you like the super matte look though, that's all you, girl. :)

This is one of those lipsticks that really bring out the natural beauty in your lips and your facial complexion. As if you just rolled outta bed and your lips are super plump and ready to be smooched! ;)

For experimental sake, i popped on one of my favorite lipglosses at the moment, Benefit's Nookie Nookie. It just gave it a little OOMPH! ;) But i like the lipstick both ways ...

Definitely a favorite in my book .. and FYI, it's STORE ONLY. :)

NAILS DID :: Sunset Orange

2011-07-23T00:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, this was actually 10 days ago and i totally forgot to post up the blog when i should have, so shame on meeee ... :(

I actually did my nails this color on Wed the 13th. It's the 22nd now, or the 23rd in some areas, and about 9-10 days later, i suppose i can confidently say that Rimmel's Lasting Finish PRO polish DOES last for at least 10 days or so .. it doesn't quite CHIP, but it wears off a bit. Not in a bad way either, you could still get away with it without looking stupid with chipped nail polish ;) lol

Anywho, the color caught my eye while i was searching for some shades for a homegirl of mine and being that it's one of the main colors of the season, i had to cop it. I'm really feelin corals and oranges right now and especially this summer all around. Not to mention, we had an event at work last weekend and the theme was to wear coral/orange for our new product that released last weekend. :) I didn't even know we were supposed to wear coral/orange, so it worked out ;) haha it was my "accessory."

I do have something to say about this polish in particular. I HATE the formula itself. It took at least 2-3 coats to get it to look this opaque and there's no gloss to it whatsoever -- i needed 2 different topcoats to help it out.

Other than that, it's still a super pretty color ;)

[ EXTREME COUPONING ] :: Target and Walgreens

2011-07-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we all know how crazy "couponing" seems, but let's face it .. this economy fukn sucks and i'm the type of girl who tries to save as much money as she can. That's just real. :) For as long as i can remember, my mom was the best bargain hunter and negotiator i knew until i seen them beezies on Extreme Couponing and was like "whaaaa?!?!"

I'm not that crazy .. i don't have a hidden Costco in my basement or anything like that -- but hey, a dollar here, a dollar there, few cents here, few cents there? it all adds up. :)

So every week or so -- when there's a good deal or when i need something that just so happens to have a good deal on it -- i take me a trip to Safeway, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid. Not all in one shot -- but these are my main "drugstores" and "grocery" stores that i hit up to get my best deals. These are all the stores around me that have the best coupon policies and don't fuss with me when i show up with a stack of fukn coupons and needing like, 3-4 transactions to happen.

LOL.

So i figure .. ima start posting my "Deals of the Week" posts as i do them .. this week, i'm featuring my best deals from Target and Walgreens. :) I'm gonna provide a breakdown of everything so you guys get an idea of how certain things work. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! I'll be posting videos on couponing soon enough because as i've tweeted and tumblr'd pics of my purchases, a lot of people have flooded me with questions on how i coupon. :) hehe.

Target

Wheat Thins $2.50

$1/2 Nabisco Cookies/Crackers (MC)

Crackerfulls $2.40

$1 off Crackerfulls (Target Coupon)

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $3.90 for both

Softsoap 1.00

$1 off any Softsoap item (MC)

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE FREE!

Venus Embrace Razors 5.99

$2 off any Venus item (MC)

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $2.99

Rimmel Nail Polish x 2 3.41 ea

BOGO Free Coupon (AllYou Mag Coupon)

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $3.41 for both

Sally Hansen Nail Polish 3.99

$1 off Sally Hansen item (Target Coupon)

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $2.99

Garnier Fructis Hair Wax 4.04

$1 off any Garnier Fructis Styling Product

Garnier Fructis Shampoo 2.69

$1 off any Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner

Garnier Fructis Conditioner 2.69

$1 off any Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $6.42 for all 3

Tresemme Dry Shampoo 4.00

$1 off any Tresemme Hair Care product

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $3.00

Wet Ones wipes 1.29

$0.50 off any Wet Ones item (15ct or more)

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $0.79

Sharpie Perm. Markers 1.00 for 2-pk

$1 off any Sharpie item (Target Coupon)

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE FREE!

Carefree Pantiliners $0.94

$0.50 off any Carefree item

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $0.44

GRAND TOTAL $23.94

TOTAL SAVINGS $14.41

Now in this particular Target transaction, i can't say i was happiest, but i still got some great deals. The problem in this particular case was that "everything added up." And that can happen sometimes, which is still okay, because not every time you go "extreme couponing" do you have to end up with a $6 dollar transaction or in a case i had a few weeks ago, a 50 cent transaction .. YES, 50 cents. On about $30 somethin dollars worth of stuff. But the things i purchased are usually more than what i spent on them. The Garnier stuff usually runs about $3+ or so at Target and i got them for $1.69 or $3.04 (the hair wax is more expensive, obviously). I caught them while they were already on sale, which was great because otherwise, they'd be around $3-4 dollars each.

The Softsoap hand soap and the Sharpies were FREE -- which saved me at least $4, which to me means a Grande cup of Starbucks coffee. ;) lol. Which i could easily grab on my way out or on my way in while shopping, since my Target has a Starbucks inside. ;) Holler.

So, in essence, saving $14 or so bucks was great to me -- my total savings was $20 including additional in-store sales that were already going on. I'm only showing you what i COUPONED on, not everything. :) I really spent somethin around $75 when i should have spent $95 and some change, which means my ass is closer to spending $100. Goddamn Target. I swear, that store makes you wanna walk out with effin EVERYTHING!

Walgreens

Transaction #1

Sally Hansen Eyelash Curler 9.79

$2 off any Sally Hansen Beauty Tool

Sally Hansen Brow Shapers 5.99

Sally Hansen Tweezers 8.99

$2 off any Sally Hansen Beauty Tool

Additional 30% off all Sally Hansen Beauty Tools

$4 RR reward earned w/ purchase of $10 or more of Sally Hansen products

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $14.85 (incl. tax)

$4 RR earned

GRAND TOTAL $11.85 - ESSENTIALLY

Transaction #2

EOS Lip Balms 2 for 6.00

$4 RR earned w/ purchase

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $6.00

Colgate Cavity Toothpaste 1.00

$0.75 off any Colgate toothpaste

____________________________________________

FINAL PRICE $0.25

TOTAL PRICE $5.86

$4 RR used (earned from Transaction #1)
$4 RR earned

GRAND TOTAL -$2.14 - ESSENTIALLY

TOTAL SPENT about $9 n some change out of pocket

This transaction was small, but still worth it in my eyes. :) In essence, i spent like, $9 on everything -- which is the price of that Sally Hansen Eyelash Curler, isn't it?! .. YES. I was like "oh, nice!" .. I mean don't get me wrong, a few weeks ago, i bought a few cleaning supplies and some body wash and some razors and spent like, $0.50 so i was SLIGHTLY disappointed in this transaction, but c'mon now .. it can't always be like that, LOL. In my eyes, saving money is saving money! See, Walgreens has this "Register Rewards" program where you basically earn money back as you spend it. It's like getting an instant rebate. This only works on certain products and their weekly ads will tell you which ones. In retrospect, it helps to do your transactions in a specific order so that you can use your RRs as you get them in the next transactions. That's really how you get the best of your savings. In this particular case, both transactions were going to yield a $4 RR regardless so it didn't matter which way it sent. My goal was actually to earn an additional RR from a 3rd transaction by using my $4 RR from Transaction #2, but that was a fail because they didn't have the product i wanted in stock. This will happen pretty often, so i suggest shopping at Walgreens on Sun or Mon if you want the best deals of the week before everything sells out. You can always ask them when they're going to restock on things also because sometimes they restock on Thurs or Fri when people think they're already gone and they're not, they're just not on the floor yet. :)

I prefer shopping at Walgreens over CVS because of the prices, but it's really all the same -- it just depends on who has the best deal during that week. Walgreens for me has better deals than CVS and they also yield higher RRs. Rite Aid to me has the worst rewards program, but can still be great on certain items like Household stuff and snacks. But for Health and Beauty related stuff, i like Walgreens. and CVS is great for Make-Up sometimes as well. :) They also sometimes have a better selection. ;) hehe.

I'm sure you have questions ... ask away! ;) lol.

FOTD :: Blue Spark Glitter Pop

2011-07-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

On my first official day working for Benefit (yessss, i'm a Benefit Beauty Advisor now :) lol..), i had no idea what to wear make-up wise .. not even joking, i know how to use a lot of Benefit's make-up and i've played with a lot of it before, but i don't actually OWN a lot of Benefit make-up, especially the eye stuff. So i kinda had to "fake it". LOL.

[ Face ]

MAC StudioFinish concealer in NC42

Garnier Nuctris Anti-Puff concealer roller .. thingie. LOL

Sonia Kashuk Tinted Moisturizer in Tan

MUFE Duo Mat powder in 209

Maybelline DreamMatte powder in Medium Honey

[ Cheeks ]

MAC Blush in Blunt

MAC MSF in Cheeky Bronze

MAC LustreDrops in Pink Rebel

[ Eyes ]

Urban Decay NAKED Palette

Sin

Creep

Buck

Gunmetal

L'Oreal HiP Chrome Liner in Blue Spark

NYX Glitter liner in Lavender

For my lips, i put on my lipgloss later on at the counter so i could wear our actual products, lol .. i believe i used a sheer coral shimmer shade in Spiked Punch, which is GORGEOUS, btw. :)

Victoria's Secret PERFECT Lipstick :: Pics & Swatches

2011-07-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

I've wanted one of these for the longest time, but i never got around to getting it .. i'm glad i waited til the Vicki's Semi-Annual sale though, because they're originally $14.00 and i copped each of them for $2.50 each!

HOLLER. ;)

TELL MEEEEEE how cute this packaging is! :)

I dunno about you, but i seriously cannot get enough of it .. i wish i had ALL the shades JUST for the packaging! :)

ONLY downfall .. packaging is SLIGHTLY flimsy .. like .. PLASTIC-Y .. if that makes any sense? It feels like if i dropped it on tile it would crack or shatter or dent or something ..

Pretty, but weak.

HAH.

Otherwise ... STILL cute. :) <3

L to R: Instinct - Heartbeat - Pulse - Heated

Instinct

muted nude with grey undertones

Heartbeat

soft peach

Pulse

sheer candy pink

Heated

wine berry plum

SWATCHES! :)

L to R: Instinct - Heartbeat - Pulse - Heated

My personal favorite is Heartbeat. It's a beautiful light peach shade that's very sexy on the lips. 2nd favorite would be Pulse, which is a happy pink shade, but would be much more flattering on medium skin tones or those less tan than me. Heated is a great shade, but looking at it in the tube, i saw it being a much more pigmented shade than how it swatched. On the lips, it's buildable, it can be worn as if it were lipstain or you can layer the color over and over until it builds up to a deeper wineberry shade. Instinct was definitely my least favorite of the 4 that i got because it's so nude on me that it comes out a bit ghostly. it's easy to warm it up with a warm brown lipliner, but it's definitely too light for my skintone worn alone.

That's the main thing about these lipsticks that i was UNDERwhelmed by -- the color payoff. The consistency and texture is like that of a MAC cremesheen finish -- which is GREAT, but that kind of bothers me because in the tube, they look as if they'll come out much more pigmented. I do like that the color is buildable, but i wish i didn't have to do like 4-5 layers just to get the color payoff i want.

Otherwise, if you like sheer color with a lil punch, i think you'll really like these. ;) and c'mon now .. that packaging is too cute to pass up! ;)

VEGAS SHOWDOWN :: BEST Summer Pool Parties

2011-07-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

I'm 26 .. sadly turning 27 soon .. and i can tell you that i've been to Vegas a time or two since i turned 21. In fact, i've been to Vegas so many times that at some point, i felt BORED of Vegas. But see, that's the best part .. is you could never be bored of Sin City. :) If you ever DO get bored .. i'd say YOU'RE the boring one .. not Vegas. lol. Just sayin.

Everyone knows that summertime is one of the best seasons to hit up Vegas .. and one of the best things about summertime in Vegas?

POOL PARTIES.

Daytime AND Nighttime.

YAAASSSS.

Here are my Top Favorite Pool Parties Vegas has to offer ... i guarantee you won't be disappointed. :)

#1: Encore Beach Club

Located in one of Vegas' most lavish hotels (Encore), this is hands down, one of the best pool parties Vegas has to offer right now. Ever since it opened, it's been CUH-RACKINNNNNN nonstop. For almost 2 years now, Encore's ruled the Vegas pool parties. Wet Republic and Rehab used to also be top pool parties in Vegas, but i'm telling you ... Encore shits on all the others.

First off, some of THE BEST DJs come here for some of the best sets i've ever heard at a Vegas "club" -- energy is constantly pumping. You could spend your entire day here and STILL not wanna leave. It does turn into it's own nighttime party (sans the pool aspect, it turns into "decoration" at nighttime -- which is still pretty sick to me because you can't get to the other side of the nightclub without crossing the pool anyway, lol), which is also one of Vegas' best nightclubs. During the daytime? We're talkin fat ass cabanas that open to the infamous Vegas Strip, VIP sections that have their own pool "slash" jacuzzi that YES you can swim in, outdoor casino, multiple bars, indoor "official" dance floor plus the entire pool area AND its surrounding area as a humANGous dance floor, food bar, amazing music, etc.

I'm fukn impressed.

If you know people like i do, you'll never have to wait in line. And let me just warn you .. you WILL have to wait in line. Even if you're a girl. Yes, i know .. devastating, isn't it? I mean, females don't wait in line in Vegas, yo .... LOL. But being a girl in line at Encore Beach Club DOES make life easier .. you'll get in faster, but you'll still have to wait. :) If you can spend for a cabana, i definitely would -- for experience sake. You won't be disappointed, i promise ... you'll feel like a mutha-effin KING (or QUEEN ..) chillin in one of their cabanas ..

Although Encore Beach Club isn't my "favorite" -- i'll explain why later -- it's still one of the best parties i've ever been to in Vegas. It screaaaams Vegas DAYlife. If you come to Vegas and you miss out on coming here? I don't know why the fukk you left ... :)

#2: TAO BEACH

This one's an oldie but goodie. The reason i rank it #2 is because after sooooo many years, it's STILL just as crackin as when it first started. One of the main reasons is because it's at one of the best hotels in Vegas -- The Venetian.

I've been coming here since my rookie Vegas days and now that i'm a Veteran, i can still tell you it's one of the best spots to come to. The music is always a great mix of genres, celebrities are always here (i touched Brody Jenner ... *screams like a little girl*), the VIP service is amazing (fresh exotic fruit? yes, please.) and the drinks are hella good -- bottomless Strawberry Mojitos? Don't mind if i muthafukn DO! :)

Did i mention that they also have some hot ass bartenders?!? Juuuust sayin. :)

TAO Beach unfortunately has a little ass pool -- which is a good thing and a bad thing. It's only bad because not EVERYONE can get in the pool .. but it's good because when you ARE in the pool with everybody n they mama? It's a muthafukn PARTY, homie. This is the epitome of a "pool party" at its finest, if you ask me. You know -- the shit you used to see on MTV's Spring Break? People in the pool, DJ blastin some bangin ass music, people chillin in private poolside cabanas, drunk dancing everywhere .. That's TAO Beach .. just smaller. :)

It's also great if you wanna meet people -- because it's small. And i can guarantee you'll see most of these people at TAO at night later on .. still drunk as fukk, just wearing different clothes. That's probably my favorite part about this spot (aside from the Strawberry Mojitos) -- the people. The crowd is just so diverse and everybody is literally having a good ass time. I remember last year, it go SO crackin when a Bay song played and helllllla heads from the Bay were suddenly in the pool gettin hyphy. Girls were on dudes' shoulders, champagne showers, oh lawd! See, Encore turns me off a bit with their crowd because alot of the club goers there are kinda ... snooty. Not all of them .. but most of them. TAO Beach has people from all over and "it's all love" over there .. i've met some cool ass party friends at TAO Beach .. makes for good hook-ups in Vegas for the future too .. fukk waiting in line, fukk paying for VIP -- i got that shit for FREE, son! ;)

FYI : most Vegas pool parties are the best on Sundays .. but TAO Beach's best days are Friday and Saturday -- especially Saturday.

#3: Marquee Day Club

Not a huge fan JUST yet because it's still pretty new, but the atmosphere is kinda different for me. It's a lot more "grown and sexy" which is what i like these days (since i'm a lil older yenno, lol). It feels a lil more private to me, but still fun. Which is nice when you wanna enjoy a day pool party, but just not have to be party hard-ying in order to enjoy it. It's a lot more "lax. :) This one's fairly new also, so i don't have TOO much to say about it since i've only been there once, but i do know it's growing in popularity. :)

#4: Rehab

Sundays at Rehab are literally that .. REHAB. LMAO .. After 2-3 days of nonstop partying, you might be ready to just kinda REHABILITATE yourself back to fukn life because by Sunday you should feel halfway (or almost) dead by then. :) If not, you didn't enjoy Vegas .. haha. In which case, you're a fukn square bear. ;) haha. jk jk ... sorta.

Nah, but in all honesty .. Rehab's an oldie but goodie also .. one of the older pool parties that was created after TAO Beach when Daytime Pool Parties became a huge trend in Vegas. Just expect good music and an enjoyable crowd. Another place that's never boring. :) You'll like it here .. but i can't say you'll LOVE it. :)

#5: Wet Republic

Another Sunday pool party, but not my favorite. They usually have some fun stuff going on though -- bikini competitions, famous djs, that sorta thing. So it's just another "cool" party to hit up, just for some variety. You have your choice to lounge (cuz you're probably hungover) or drink more (because your liver hasn't given up yet) -- which makes it a nice lil atmosphere because you're not FORCED to party, but you still get to kinda be at one .. just for the sake of partying in Vegas .. haha.

Not a favorite, but it was fun when it first opened. Now, it's kind of one of those "regular" clubs, where it's still fun to go to, but not super crackin as the newer ones.

If you ask em .. hit them ALL UP. :) And figure out what you like the most .. i'd start with TAO Beach on Friday or Saturday .. slip into Marquee on a Saturday too .. then hit up Rehab, Wet Republic and Encore on Sundays, depending on how much energy you have left .. DEFINITELY make sure you make Encore Beach your first priority on Sunday. :) You'll get a taste of everything. :) It's just like normal club hopping on a weekend -- certain clubs are best on certain days. So although Encore Beach beats all the other clubs to hell, its best days are Sundays. Which means you can hit up TAO Beach on Saturday and still be able to enjoy the other two if you feel like club hopping ..

Also, look out for NIGHTTIME pool parties -- some spots have them, although they're not as popular. It's usually for a special event, but it's nice to experience a little night swimming in Vegas. :)

I'm actually kinda bummed now that i can't go this year .. ughhhhhhh. Ohhhh how i miss Vegas. :T

FOTD :: Nighttime for Daytime

2011-07-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Similar to my last FOTD post, i did another day of JUST BareMinerals products and again, yet another success. :)

This time around, i went with a smokey blue with a soft earthy brown in the crease and a silver on the bottom lashline -- definitely more of a nighttime look, but the day before (Springtime Smokes) i went with something brighter so i figured i'd switch it up to try the versatility of BareMinerals eyeshadows.

[ Face ]

(All BareMinerals unless stated)

Prime Time ORIGINAL Face Primer

MATTE Foundation in Golden Tan

[ Eyes ]

(All BareMinerals unless stated)

Dragonfly

Phoebe

Queen Tiffany

Queen Linda

2000

[ Cheeks ]

{All BareMinerals unless stated)

Warmth

Tropical Radiance

[ Lips ]

Pretty Amazing Lipcolor in Free Will

WhatiLiKEtoEAT: Shepherd's Pie .. MY WAY. :)

2011-06-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

I meant to put this recipe up DAYS ago, but i just never got around to it, LOL .. SORRY! :) A lot of you wanted my dessert recipes first, lol, so i posted those up before this one. :)

This is my famous Shepherd's Pie recipe that everyone DIES for .. no joke, anyone who's ever tried this from me tells me it's Comfort Food at it's finest. Lol, of course there are a ton of other different styles of comfort food for other people -- this is a recipe that's adapted from an original British or Irish peasant dish. Some people like it traditional, but i've changed it each time i've made it and this is my official perfected recipe. :) We're talking cheesy, gravy-covered goodness, ya'll .. without further ado .. this is by far one of the best Shepherd's Pie recipes i've ever made .. and tried. :) and i'm not just saying that cuz it's my own recipe ... i have a big head about it because people blew up my confidence in it. :) haha ... no forreal though, i really think you'll love it. :)

Best Shepherd's Pie ... EVER.

(without gravy)

(smothered in gravy)

What You'll Need:

(For the Shepherd's Pie)

1-2 lbs Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 medium-sized Zucchini
1 cup chopped baby carrots
1/2 medium-sized Onion, chopped. (Save 1/4 of it for the gravy, see recipe below)
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped (save half for mashed potatoes)
1 lb ground beef
1 large block of Pepper Jack cheese, cubed
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (for topping)
1 stick of butter
Splash or 2 of milk
Salt & Pepper to taste
Garlic Salt to taste

(For the Gravy)

2 tbsp of butter
1-2 tbsp flour
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 of chopped onions from earlier
Salt & Pepper to taste + a little Garlic Powder :)

Side Note(s):

For the ground beef: you can choose any type you want, but i suggest ground chuck and around 80% lean or so. It has better marbling and will produce better "juice" :)

Gravy is OPTIONAL. I suggest it because it makes this SO MUCH BETTER. But i used to make it WITHOUT gravy and it was still super yummy. If you're lookin for a bad case of the itis, i'd make the gravy. ;) It will make the most out of this recipe, i promise you. :)

For the mashed potatoes: the reason i suggest YUKON GOLD potatoes is because they retain cheese and butter much better than your normal ol' spuds. It has a much creamier texture as well, which of course is a huge deal with mashed potatoes. So if you like your mashed potatoes rich like i do, use YUKON GOLD -- you'll thank me later. :)

What to Do:

Wash your potatoes and cut them in half. The smaller ones (about the size of a gumball) can stay uncut -- you just want the potato pieces to be the same size so they cook evenly. Cook the potatoes until they are fork tender.

Chop your zucchini and carrots into small "cubes".

Chop your onions and your garlic as well. Remember to save 1/4 of the onions for the gravy later and about 1/2 of the garlic for the mashed potatoes later also.

Heat up about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat.
Saute your onions and half of the chopped garlic. Season w/ salt & pepper.

Add in your ground beef and cook until browned. Season with salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste.

Add in your carrots and cook halfway. Then add in your zucchini.

Cook everything only until veggies still have some "bite" to it. It shouldn't take very long -- this will have an additional 25 mins to bake in the oven, so you don't want to overcook them.

While all that is cooking, you can work on your mashed potatoes. :)
Add 1 stick of butter (I know i know i knowwww), splash or two of milk, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt (all 3 to taste) and other half of chopped garlic (from earlier) -- mash everything together.

Evenly lay your beef/veggie mixture in a 13x9 pyrex/glass baking dish.

Evenly distribute your cubes of pepper jack cheese over the mixture like so.

Layer your mashed potatoes on top of everything.

Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar on top of the mashed potatoes. Bake for 25 mins or until cheese is evenly melted (don't brown it!).

While your Shepherd's Pie is baking, you can work on the gravy if you chose to make gravy. :)
Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a small saucepan and saute the rest of the onions.

Add the mushrooms and saute until soft.

Add about 2 tbsp of flour and stir until "cooked" (until the flour isn't "powder" anymore and it's absorbed).

Add 1 cup of beef stock. Allow the flour to absorb and then add the 2nd cup of stock. Whisk often and cook on medium heat until thickened. Add Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder to taste.

Your shepherd's pie should look like this once it's "done"!

This is what your gravy should look like ..

You can serve this WITHOUT gravy ...

Or make the most of it and serve it WITH gravy ... :)

I hope you like this as much as everyone else does ... LOL. I can honestly and safely say that this is one of my most requested dishes from all my friends and family .. among other things, hahaha. :) But this shit will put you in a major food coma with a bad case of the ITIS! :)

ENJOY!