Eyes, Aquariums, & the Jackpot

Hola amigos,
     I wanted to do more of a lifestyle post today!  But first I'll share my OOTD.

I'm not the best photographer :-/

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

Bare Minerals Glimmer in Desire all over eyelid

Fyrinnae Polar Bear patted onto the middle of the eyelid and inner corners

Brown from the e.l.f. Baked Eyeshadow Palette in crease

White from the e.l.f. Baked Eyeshadow Palette on browbone

e.l.f. Black Liquid Liner

VERY old Stila eyebrow product on my brows

I wore this look yesterday when I went out with friend to the aquarium in my town and the arcade:

1) shark and stingray food

2) giant shrimp

3) my friend took this picture of me trying desperately to touch the fishies

4) creepy looking ocean worms

5) evil moray eel

6) feeding the stingrays

7) shark eggs

8) giant (hermit?) crab (I used to have one about this big as a pet!)

9) zebra moray eel

10) hit the 500 ticket jackpot!

You'd think 500 tickets would get you more than candy...but nope!

It was a super fun day ended with pizza and chatting about light dinner topics like gender inequality :) (only kidding!)

I hope you enjoyed this random post,

Thanks for reading!

~NomiGirl~

XOXO

How to Lose That Darn Weight.....Healthily! (Surely that is a word!)

Hola amigos,
     I'm here to talk to you all today about dreaded WEIGHT LOSS and BEING HEALTHY.  It makes us stressed out, unhappy, tired, and cranky!  But guess what....I've been happy, healthy, full, and losing weight recently. :)  And I've had ice cream just about every day!

NO this is not about becoming anorexic or not loving your body.  HOWEVER, if you have a high BMI (body mass index, the ratio of fat you have on your body) that is not healthy.  This is why I really wanted to start losing weight.  I loved my body then, I love my body now, but now I can love it and be content knowing that it is healthy on the inside and out. :)

So, how can this be done?

It's called MyFitnessPal.com!

It's a calorie counter website that is free. FREE. FREE!  

Don't cheat, put EVERYTHING into the program...your true height, true weight (no one peeking over your shoulder!) and all of the sweets and chips you eat.  You'll be surprised to see how much everything adds up to, even if you think you are eating true to a healthy lifestyle.

I am 5'2" and I used to weigh 150.  That might not sound like much to you tall ladies but on a shortie like me, that is quite the amount.  I am now down to 126, 1 pound away from my goal and I couldn't be happier.

No I'm not getting paid by the site but I just think it's a fantastic option.  My mom's doctor even told her about this and she mentioned it to me and I had already been using it. :)

Now let me see if I can find any "progress" type pictures...

(I'm on the right!)

I'm holding my stomach in as much as I can in that picture as well.  I just don't look healthy :(

And here is a more recent picture

Quite a few less lumpy bumps!

And this picture isn't even the most recent. :)

YES you can lose weight with only diet but it's no fun!  I have a major sweet tooth and I absolutely have to have some kind of chocolate or ice cream every so often (ok...every day) so I also added running into my routine.  I run 2 miles as fast as I can then 2 miles at more of a jogging pace.  This adds a decent amount of calories to my day so I can "afford" to have something sweet. :)

What do you guys do to keep fit and stay healthy?
Thanks for reading!

~NomiGirl~

XOXO

July Birchbox Review

Hola amigos,
      Sorry I'm a little bit late with this! And I haven't tried all the products yet; but I wanted to share my thoughts on a few of the Birchbox products:

Coola moisturizer: This is an awesome product if you don't mind the smell!  It smells like sunscreen trying to be covered by eau de cucumber.  While I do like many scents, the scent of a cucumber is not my favorite!  I put this on after my shower and before my makeup and it was very moisturizing.  The main reason this product was pretty amazing for me was that it didn't leave my face slimy like my usual lotion!

3.5 out of 5 stars

N. 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect: Let me fan girl for a moment: omg guys!! This product is fantastic!  I absolutely hate combing my hair after a shower because so much of it gets ripped out (I am not gentle...I am too impatient) and it is just SO difficult to get through.  I sprayed this maybe twice on the underside of my hair and once on the outside and instead of 50 slow brushstrokes from the bottom up...it took three.  THREE brushstrokes and I had not a single tangle.  It also helped my hair feel a little softer.  I'm excited to see if there are long term results/repairs!

One downside: It smells like awful chemicals :(  No pretty scent here.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation in Champagne:

First, see this picture: (sorry for bad skin)

(Toasted Beige, Beige, Champagne-the color I was sent)

Like I have mentioned before: Champagne is NOT my color...it is far too light!  Currently, to match my very tanned summer skin I am Toasted Beige (having graduated from mixing it with Beige).  So instead of wearing Champagne I wore Toasted Beige but I will nevertheless review the foundation!

Hello Flawless foundation is smooth and lightweightish.  It went on quite patchy but I think that is because I used a not-so-fantastic elf brush to buff it.  I went over it with my fingers and it seemed to fix right up.  I wore it over the POREfessional primer also from Benefit (reviewed below!) and it wore quite well.  As the evening came closer, my foundation seemed to slip a bit, but it was also 104 degrees in my city.  I am sure this could have been fixed if I had my powder on me and some blotting papers!

3.5 out of 5 stars

I also wanted to do a quick review of the POREfessional primer from Benefit:

I have learned from watching Melmphs on YouTube that you must pat primer onto problem areas and THEN you are free to smooth it around the rest of your face.  I feel as though patting not smoothing or rubbing is a technique for most makeup products and even washing up afterwards!

First of all, the POREfessional smells HEAVENLY.  It smells citrusy-sweet..I think. (I am awful at describing scents!)  It is also SO smooth.  I pat it onto my t-zone and then run my fingers over my face and it feels like soft baby skin.  My pores definitely look minimized and when foundation goes over the top, I certainly see improvement.  So as a pore filler this product is great.  As a primer, as I said above, my foundation had slipped a bit later in the day but if I hadn't been wearing this primer I would have been shiny all over...before I encountered primers you could have used my face as a mirror!

4 out of 5 stars.

Thanks for reading! What did you guys think of the Birchbox if you received it?  I love getting things in the mail! Even if I did have to pay for it ;)
~NomiGirl~
XOXO

Birchbox Unveiling!

Hola amigos,

     Are any of you receivers of the Birchbox?  I love getting things in the mail, and I love makeup so this was a must for me. :)  And I love surprises!

I thought I would do a little unveiling and exlaination of each item and then tomorrow or the next day I will give a little review of the items in the box.

Here it is!

This month's theme is Power Play.  The ladies from the show Suits

helped to choose the items inside! 

On the back of this card is the list of the items in the box and

the prices of the full sized items. I didn't look at this until after though

because I wanted to be surprised!

On the back of this Benefit card were two scratch offs in which I "won" a free 

chacha tint or sunbeam highlighter with a $25 purchase. I'm interested in 

the highlighter because it gives a "golden glow"!

This sheet is a list of more things that the two ladies from Suits chose,

Donna Paulsen and Rachel Zane. I don't watch the show but I've heard it's good!

Here are the ladies

Items!

I'm excited for this! It's a leave-in conditioner from N4 High Performance

Hair Care that also features a detangling power.  It provides color protection as

well as sunscreen power for hair.

I don't have colored hair but I know that items for colored hair

are always more gentle and softer.

Next is this Coola moisturizing sunscreen in Cucumber. It's SPF 30

and is specifically for the face.  It's also organic!

I am a horrible person and I never wear sunscreen because

I am too brown...I never burn! One of the perks

of being half Mexican half Portuguese. :)

Next is the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation from Benefit

Unfortunately it is not in my shade :( I have received samples

of the foundation before and I am Beige/Toasted Beige

while this sample is Champagne!

Inside the little Birchbox envelope were these amazingly cute bobby pins

As well as this perfume...er Not a Perfume by Juliette Has a Gun

(super cute name!)

It has only cetalox in it which is a base ingredient for perfumes.

The designer thought it needed it's own spotlight!

I can't wait to try these products!  I'll let you know what I think about them. :)

Thanks for reading

~NomiGirl~

XOXO

Ways to be Frugal

Hola amigos,
       I thought you guys might like to hear about some different ways in which I save money, mostly so that I can just go out and buy even more! :)

*Find a consignment shop near you!
          I go to Plato's Closet and Runway Exchange and in my area we just got a new one called IsaBailey's, which I haven't tried to sell to yet.  Wash all of the clothes that you don't want anymore, put it all into a trash bag and they will sort through it and give you quite a few $$ for your old things!  They might even give you more if you choose store credit over cash.

*Re-make your clothes!
          I did this here with my bleach and dip-dye shorts.  I had bought some thrift store jeans and had also been given a few pairs by my friend.  I decided I was bored of them and instead of buying brand new shorts, I simply found some inspiration online and started dyeing!

*Have a yard sale!
          This is actually what inspired this post, I am sitting in my front yard in the 104 degree heat trying to sell my stuff!  It is quite hot but I've made a bit of money. :)  I'll be doing it again tomorrow!

*Trade with friends!
          When I was in college my friends and I would put together a pile of clothes that we no longer wanted and we would get together and trade.  You can factor in brand, style, etc. but we usually just did item for item.  It's super fun and because the item you traded for wasn't your friend's favorite, no one has probably seen them in it (not that it matters anyway!)

These are just a few ideas!  Do you have any of your own?
Thanks for reading,
~NomiGirl~
XOXO

Macadamia Deep Repair Masque for Hair Review

Hola amigos,

      Today I'll be reviewing something that has to do with life or death: the life or death of my split ends that is!

The Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque!

The directions are to comb the masque through clean damp hair and leave in for at least 7 minutes.  I washed my hair then got out of the shower to comb this through while I shaved my legs. (TMI?) I got kind of impatient though and barely made the 7 minutes! I had wanted to leave it in for a little longer but anyone that knows me can tell you that I can't wait for anything.  Oops :)

Results:

I didn't get a picture of my split ends before! RRRRG.  But here is what they look like now:

At first I wasn't impressed with this masque because while my hair felt veeeery soft in the shower, I didn't notice too much of a difference after I blew my hair dry afterwards. 

 But I looked at my split ends and while they are not healed, they are SO much less noticeable!  Also, I noticed that in pictures, my hair is shinier than I have ever seen it:

Before my hair was dead and lifeless, and the ends of my hair felt like a bad wig.  Seriously.  But it has been revitalized!

I rate this product a 4.5 out of 5.  I'm tempted to go out and buy a big pot of it!

Thanks for reading,

~NomiGirl~

XOXO

Clothing Haul: Dillards, Forever 21, Ross, Rue 21, and Plato's Closet!

Hola amigos,
      Just going to do a quick clothing haul for you guys!  No I'm not a super rich megastar, but I have a bit of money to spend at the moment, and you can't tear me away from great deals!

Let's start at Forever 21!

Spiderman is my absolute FAVORITE superhero as you might

already know. I had to get this! ($12.99)

I had tried this dress on before but they only had a medium which was

a bit tight on me. I found this large for only $11.99 on sale.

It needs a couple darts in the back so that it can really show off my

figure but those are easy to do.

On to Dillard's!

Amazingly bright neon yellow/green dress for only $15.99 on sale! 

This one is also a bit large so I will put some darts into the back.

I've never thought about this kind of "flowy" short before

but they were only $10 and I think they will also go well with

my Spiderman top!

Next is Rue 21! 

I only got one thing here, this sparkly mint sweater dress for only $3!

Next up: Ross!

Super cute top with cheetahs (leopards?) on the front and spotty print

on the back!  Only $10.  I think it will look awesome with a

bandeau and black shorts or tights in winter.

Rose pink maxi skirt with a more opaque shorter skirt inside ($10).

This is what I'll be wearing today! I'll do an OOTD on it.

This HOT pink sweater (my favorite color!) was only $3

I've been looking for a mint maxi everywhere (yes it's mint not blue) and this 

one was only $10, couldn't pass it up! Plus it makes my bum look quite nice ;)

Next up is Plato's Closet, a store that buys used name brand items and resells them! 

I brought in some of my clothes to sell to them and so I got the following items ALL for only $6! :)

Bought this for tucking into skirts

This as well

With my new mint maxi? :)

White shorts and gold jewelry!

Reminded me of a sailor.

And finally a gold chain which I have been looking for! (And it wasn't an arm and a leg!)

I hope you enjoyed this haul post, thanks for reading!

~NomiGirl~

XOXO

Tarte Amazonian Clay Concealer Review

Hola amigos,
       Like many many people all over the world, I am a naughty girl when it comes to acne.  I poke and prod the spots on my face until they retaliate in defiance and turn the ugliest red you've ever seen.  Then they scar!  I then suffer from hyperpigmentation that up until now I have been unable to cover or conceal.  I took a trip to Ulta (which I posted about here) and the lovely Ulta lady gave me two concealers to try.  Today I'll be reviewing Tarte Amazonian Clay concealer in the color Tan.

Here is my horribly marked skin

It's actually much worse than can be shown with my awful camera!

I moisturized with my Lubriderm lotion (the only thing that doesn't break me out!), then applied the POREfessional primer from Benefit (which I have yet to review), added a little Hello Flawless benefit foundation in Beige mixed with Toasted Beige (I am unmatcheable with one color it seems), smoothed on a little Tarte concealer where I needed it and powdered my skin so it would all stay in place!  And here is the result:

Marks all gone!

      I was so impressed with this concealer!  It is super smooth and feels amazing on my skin.  I used my finger to apply it (maybe not the best of practices) but it reminds me of incredibly healthy clay, a very interesting texture.  It covered all of my blemishes with just one or two pats and feels light on my face.  

      While I was in Ulta they also tried Dermablend on my face, both the heavy and medium concealers and they just felt so heavy..like I had to use a knife to scrape them off my face afterwards.  (Dermablend has been marketed to cover tattoos, so a heavy consistency is a good thing for that!)

      If you remember from my Ulta haul I was also given a little sample of Benefit's Playstick concealer in Jumprope.  I will be reviewing and comparing that soon!

Thanks for reading,

~NomiGirl~

XOXO