Natural Look created using only September's Ipsy bag

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(There may or may not be some spelling, grammar or punctuation errors but hey, I'm human.)

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Thanks for stopping by The Messy Vanity,
Kat

NAILED IT or FAILED IT! My first attempt at vintage pin curls

Ok. So by now, those of you who have been following my 30 Day Bun Challenge on The Messy Vanity Facebook Page know that yesterdays challenge was a bit of a BUST to say the least. Why? Well the answer is kind of comical.

On August 12th, Day 12 of the 30 Day Bun Challenge, I was quite honestly getting a little sick of "bunning" my hair. I thought that since August has 31 days, I could use this day (the 12th) as sort of an "off" day. This was the perfect opportunity to try something that I've been wanting to try for a while now but never had the time.... PINCURLS! I love the vintage glam look that pin curls can bring and after watching a couple of amazing tutorials by two of my favorite You Tube pin up girls, The Cherry DollFace & of course PinUp Doll Ashley Marie I decided that this would be the day. (These ladies are amazing by the way. I highly recommend watching their tutorials especially if you're interested in creating a "pin up" look.)

Here are the 3 videos that inspired me to try this look.

Video 1. This one is the one I followed to a T.

Video 2

Video 3

A Day with Healthy Sexy Hairs' Soy Renewal Beach Spray

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Check it out!

Myself & Pop & Locke Pinup along with Brooke Lynn Rose are published on Page 22 of The July issue of Delicious Dolls vol. 18. 

This is very exciting!

 

These are a few of my favorite things...

So often I am asked about products I use and recommendations. So I decided that since its been a while since I posted a "These are a few of my favorite things" blog, now would be a great time. Its crazy to see how different the first one was compared to now. I only use 1 of the products on the first list regularly and that is the Milani Brow Fix Kit. I don't use the Line Stiletto as much anymore simply because I have been trying out so many different liners, I haven't really thought about picking another one up. It's still a great liner and I almost always recommend it when someone asks for a felt tip liner recommendation. This just goes to show how fast things can change. With so many products out there, it's bound to happen... and often.

These are a few of my favorite things to use right now. Things I use almost everyday no matter what look I am creating. My "go-to" products  (at least for now) and here's why:

•  Con Air Detangling Hairbrush - I never thought I would love a hairbrush as much as I love this one. My daughter had basically hoarded all of my brushes for herself when I decided that I was going to get a new one and keep it under lock and key. This one is definitely the best spur of the moment buy that I've gotten in a while. It can be used on wet or dry hair. What I really want to say is "cuts like butta" (in my best mob guy voice). I never feel it snag or pull and it does a great job of removing any loose hair. I've definitely noticed my "shedding" is down to a minimum and I credit it to this brush for sure! I got it at K-Mart for less than $10!

• Essence I Love Extreme Volume Mascara - Now you all know how much I love Avon's SuperShock Max Mascara and I'm not saying I don't still love it but I have found myself passing up my SuperShock and heading towards this I Love Extreme Volume Mascara. I mean seriously... who doesn't love extreme volume on their lashes? This mascara has a perfectly balanced formula, not too thin, not too thick, not too wet, not too dry and best of all NO CLUMPS! The brush is fat in some places and thin in others making it pretty versatile. It separates your lashes and coats each one without clumping or getting too thick. It dries pretty quickly so if you are like me and like to put on multiple coats while it's still tacky, you kinda gotta work fast. I bought this online at Ulta.com for only $4.99! 

• Wet n Wild COLOR ICON™ BLUSHER in Mellow Wine - I try lots of blushes all of the time but no matter what look I'm creating, this blush seems to do the trick. The COLOR ICON™ BLUSHER line comes with 4 shades to choose from (Pearlescent Pink, Heather Silk, Mellow Wine & Berry Shimmer). I've tried all but Pearlescent Pink only because it seems too light for my skin tone. I'm convinced that the 3 colors that I have tried are pretty much perfect for any skin tone depending on the look you are going for. Mellow Wine seems to be perfect for my light skin in the winter and my tan skin in the summer. 

• Mirabella Colour Sheer Lipstick in Daydream - I love love love this color! I got this in my May Ipsy Bag and I love it! I use it almost everyday. The texture is so smooth and it wears almost all day. It actually has a Mango Butter base which makes it feel light on your lips. It looks like its a purpley pink color but actually goes on looking like a natural pink that enhances your actual lip color.

• Mica Beauty Gel Eyeliner - You guys have all heard me talk over and over again about how much I love this liner. Whether you're creating a thick wing or a skinny line to enhance your lash line, this was another Ipsy bag favorite that I got in February and I've been using it ever since. Highly recommend this to everyone!

Last But not least. This is the product I use multiple times per week. I've tried tons and tons of others but these are, in my opinion, the absolute best. They are the:

• Revlon Compact Slant Tip Tweezers - Are you surprised I didn't say  TweezerMan  or Sally Hansen? I've tried em both and neither does the job that these Revlon tweezers do. You all know how obsessed I am with getting the perfect brows and these tweezers are the ones that do it! They grip even the finest of hairs without making me bleed and they get up and under the hairs to help me get the best arch I can without completely massacring the rest of my brow. Each time I misplace them, which is often, I immediately run out to get new ones because the others I have just won't do. I'm not even sure why I keep those other tweezers around.

Keeping Up Appearances

Fashion.

Shoes.

Electronic Devices.

Activities.

Parents! HOW DO YOU DO IT?

As a parent of a teen and a tween, I'm really having a hard time keeping up with the trends. I find myself wondering how in the world some parents do it? I am by no means wealthy. We are just ordinary, hard working parents with full time jobs and bills to pay.We live in a 3 bedroom home with no special bells or whistles, the predictable "mommy" mini van and 2 dogs. To me, were an ordinary family. But after paying all of the bills and paying a little over $300 a month on cell phones (I know. It makes me cringe just thinking about it) , we have little money to spend on dozens of pairs of Levi's or the latest Jordans and Vans! HOW DO YOU DO IT?

It seems every week, my 10th grader comes to me asking for money for shoes or clothes or new phone cases and it seems every week I tell him "We don't have it right now" and do you know what his response is? Its, "well my friend is getting it" or "C'mon mom, they're cool now!" And I think to myself, "Geeze! That kid has it made!, how does his mom pull that off?" Now, my kids are pretty good kids. They help out around the house, make good grades, they're involved in school activities, and they really do deserve to be rewarded for things. With that said, a reward in my eyes is, a trip to the movies or 20 bucks, not a pair of $200 shoes or $50 Levi's. I feel like this generation feels a sense of entitlement and as much as I try to teach my kids that they have to earn what they want and the value of a dollar, I can't help but feel bad for not being able to get them the things they really want. It's like wanting a Snickers but all you can afford is a Hershey's Kiss. They're both good but that Snickers really would have made your day. I'm not saying I don't "splurge" for my kids every once in a while, I'm just simply wondering, how do some of you other parents manage to buy the latest and greatest every time? Between the clothes, shoes, gadgets and activities with friends, I'm having a hard time figuring out what to buy and when to buy it. It makes my head spin! 

Kids these days can be so cruel and I try to teach my kids that its not what you have, it's the kind of person you are when you have them. Lets be realistic though, kids don't care about that sentimental crap, my kids could be the nicest kids on earth (which they're not) but if others aren't, its going to cause a problem. The pressure is on once children get to middle and high school and being "cool" is a big deal to them. So it's no wonder they want those new shoes or most high tech cell phones, their happiness within their peer groups depends on it. For goodness sake, you can barely even communicate anymore without a complete data package on your cell phone. 

So I ask you, how do you keep your kids and your wallet happy at the same time?