What I'm Currently Watching

After my other TV inspired post, I figured I share the shows I'm currently obsessed with watching.

Scandal:

I know I'm pretty late to the game on this one, but i am currently on season 3 and loving it.  They are all terrible people and there is just so much drama, but I LOVE IT!  The characters are very interesting and I love that you see how torn some of them are about the bad things they have to do, while others don't seem to have any remorse.  Plus Olivia Pope's wardrobe?  To die for! Seriously, I need who ever does costume design for them to pick out my work outfits.

Project Runway Junior:

I'm obsessed with Project runway.  While Junior isn't my favorite spin-off, it's still fun to watch between the regular season. All of these teens are ridiculously talented though.  i'm always amazed when I see the runway shows.  i also feel like i need Tim Gunn in my life, for real though, who doesn't.  he is so sweet and encouraging.  the perfect mentor.  I'm also loving Christian Siriano and Kelly Osborne as judges.  Can't wait for All-stars to come out in February though, love me some Dom.

Fresh Off the Boat:

This show is hilarious!  If you aren't watching it, you should be.  I think it's probably the funniest thing on TV right now.  Each member of the Huang family is hilarious and has there own little shtick.  If you're looking for a funny 30 min sitcom, look no further!

On my "To what" list:

• Making a Muderer, - all almost anyone seems to be talking about, I need to get with the program here.
• Chelsea Does- This netflix docuseries looks both hilarious and thought provoking.  I adore Chelsea Handler's stand up and books, so looking forward to seeing a more serious side of her.
• Angie Tribecca- As a huge Office and Parks and Rec fan this is a must see.  Everyone i know who watched it liked it.

Pippa: Surviving A Blizzard With A Puppy

Welcome to my first Pippa post!

"Finally a post all about me?"-Pippa probably

We live on the East coast, Philadelphia to be more specific, so Pips and I got to experience the joys of Jonas this weekend.  the timing was a little less than ideal, but when is inclement weather ideal? we were supposed to go to Rhode Island this weekend for a girl's trip with my roomie, her pup Pickles and out other friend. As driving 5 hours away on Friday proved to be unwise we decided to have a little weekend long slumber party at our place instead.  Even though we were all sad to not be enjoying a little beach trip, I think we ended up having way more fun.

While it wasn't Pippa's first time playing in the snow, it was going to be the first time she'd be seeing a lot of it for multiple days in a row!

What is this stuff?

 Here's what I'd recommend you have on hand:

• Warm Clothes
• I didn't have a snowsuit per say, but I made sure to layer her up whenever we went outside. She wore a onesie with a coat on top.

  

  Making snow angels

• I'm seriously considering investing in a snowsuit though, she loved to frolic but got cold quickly!

  

  From Amazon

• Towels and a bowl of water waiting for you
• Wet dog + house = huge mess, enough said really
• I recommended a bowl of water too because I made sure to thoroughly clean off Pippa's paws when we came in.  Rock salt and animals do not mix.  Don't want to take any chances and my sink is on the opposite end of our row house. 

  

  Bedtime after a day playing in the snow

• Snow boots would probably also solve this issue, I might need to order these from amazon(plus how cute?!)

  

  From amazon

• Plenty of dog food and treats
• Grocery stores are always a mad house right before a big storm with people stalking up on supplies, don't forget your pooch in the rush!  A trip to the pet store may not be possible for a few days.

  

  Pippa watching the shoveling

• Plenty of toys
• Inside entertainment is going to be pretty crucial.  We're fans of Kong's low stuffing squeaker toys and any kind of ball

  

  From Pet Smart

• Optional: Pee pads
• This might be a controversial one in the dog community.  I don't personally use them on a daily bases but it's nice to have them on hand for situations like this.  Before we managed to shovel the side walk completely and a place in the backyard for the pups to go it was nice to put this up on our covered porch.  Makes clean up easier and you aren't risking any accidents inside.

  

  Pickles trying to find a safe spot

What are must haves did I leave off the list?  East coast friends, how did you survive?

Book Review: Funny Girl by Nick Hornby

Funny Girl is set in London in the 1960's.  The story is primarily set around a young, beauty queen from Blackpool, Barbara, who suddenly moves to London with the hopes of becoming the next Lucille Ball.  There she discovered by a surprisingly non-sleazy agent who promptly changes her name to Sophie Straw.  We follow her rise to fame and get to know the writing staff and her co-star of the show that will thrust her into the spotlight "Barbara and Jim".

I adore Nick Hornby and "Funny Girl" did not disappoint.  You instantly fall in love with Sofie/Barbara and the rest of the crew.  The writing was excellent and touched on some of the hot-button issues of the 60's.  The little peeks of the behind the scenes at the tv show seemed spot on with memoirs i have read of people in the business and created a unique backdrop for the story.

My biggest and probably only complaint with this book is that I didn't find it very funny.  Not really an issue, but with a title like "Funny Girl"  I did expect a few laughs.

Overall a great read with a variety of characters you will love.

4/5 Stars

Any other Nick Hornby fans out there?

Product Review: Hello Sailor

I had been eyeing this for a while now.  I think I stumbled upon the product page when I was browsing on Ulta and thought it sounded really cool.  Who wouldn't want to try a blue lipstick?

What is it?
"Hello Sailor" by Lipstick Queen is a BLUE lipstick.  The blue color is supposed to actually appear as a berry shade on your lips that adjusts to your natural color.  They also claim it will make your teeth appear whiter.  The Lipstick contains vitamin E that is supposed to be super hydrating as well.

It retails for about $25.  I bought mine on Birchbox, but a lot of other places carry it as well.  It's available in lip-gloss form too, if that is more your style.

What did I think?

Packaging:
5/5

While this obviously doesn't necessarily mean much for the overall product, its important.  Hello Sailor comes in a cute little box, classic Lipstick Queen, but blue with a cute sailor pinup on one side.  The tube is a nice solid metal tube in a pretty metallic blue.  I loves how good of quality the tube feels.

Product:
3.5/5

I'm not sure if my expectations were just a little too high for this, but I was a little underwhelmed.  The color was surprisingly sheer. It's a lipstick so I thought the berry color would be more opaque, however it really was more like a tinted balm.  The color it produced was very pretty though and very flattering.  It also made my lips shiny and look healthy.  It definitely feels very moisturizing.  I also loved how easily it slides on your lips.  You can feel the quality.

At $25 this product was more of a "splurge" for me, especially for a lipstick. So I'm not sure i'd buy it again, but I'll definitely be enjoying my tube for now.

What's the "craziest" beauty product you just had to try?

What TV Show Would You Want To Be In?

After Lauren over at Lot 48 gave her answers, she had me inspired.  Loved her and her husbands answers!


So, which of my favorite TV shows would I want to be in?


30 Rock

While in real life some of the antics would probably drive you up the wall, I think it'd be wildly hilarious!

Friends

Probably the cheesiest answer, but c'mon!  Who wouldn't?! Living in New York with hilarious, beautiful and sweet friends?  Sign me up.  Bonus if I woke up looking like Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, or Lisa Kudrow.

Hart of Dixie
This is 100% a guilty pleasure show for my roommate and I.  It's so ridiculous and cheesy that it is good. Blue bell seriously looks like the most beautiful small town in the world!  It's filled with some of the quaintest stores, cute businesses and lots of characters.  Sounds like a good time to me, maybe minus all the love triangles though? Maybe Zoe would even let me borrow some of her amazing clothes!                                  

Bonus:
My Favorite shows I wouldn't want to live in:
Orange is the New Black, Scandal and Game of Thrones, I think for obvious reasons...

What tv show would you like to be in?

How To Apply Fake Lashes

In my last post I told you about my Jingle VoxBox and mentioned I got some fun falsies to try.  I thought it'd make sense to do a little tutorial on how to apply them.  It can be a little tricky and took me a few tries before I felt comfortable with them.

I don't wear them very often, but sometimes you just want a little oompf to your normal make-up routine.  False lashes are a great way to get that!

I received these lashes for free from Influenster for reviewing purposes.  All opinions are my own.

You'll need: Lashes and Lash Glue.

I'm using the Kiss Strip Lash Adhesive w/ aloe in clear &  Kiss True Volume lashes in Natural Plump

For the sake of the tutorial I have no other eye makeup on, but you'll want to apply ALL of your eye make before putting on your falsies.


Step 1:
Place the lash on your own lash line to see if you need to trim any excess. If you do, trim away! The lash width should be a little shorter than your natural lash line to look the most natural.  (This will help them fit better and look a little more natural)

Step 2:
Apply a thin line of glue along the lash line of the falsies and wait.  I usually let them dry for about 30 seconds.  (This lets the glue get a little tacky and not so "wet" which will help them adhere better)

Don't blow on them though!  This just introduces bacteria which you certainly don't want on your eyes.

Step 3:  Place lash on the part of your lashes at the lash line and tap them down to the skin.

Step 4:  Adjust until just right and wait a second for it to adhere.

Step 5:  Enjoy the extra drama!

Add more mascara, if your natural lashes don't quite match.

Here are some YouTube videos I think are great resources too:

Product review: Influenster Jingle Jam box

Who doesn't love getting free stuff in the mail? I know I do! So I was beyond excited when I got this lovely red box on my doorstep.

If you don't know what Influenster is, I recommend you go check it out now! Basically it's a review website/online community that acts as a middleman between consumers, you, and all kinds of companies trying to sell you things. Every once in a while they'll send out products for you to review on all your social media platforms.

All that to say, here is what I got in my Jingle Vox Box and what I thought of it:
Please note:  I received all of these items for free in exchange for my review.  All opinions are my own though.


-Kiss True Volume eyelashes in "Natural Plump" and Kiss Strip Lash Adhesive in clear (retail for $2.98 and $3.99) 5/5 stars

Impression:  I was really excited to get these.  I love trying out falsies.  Was pleasantly surprised by how natural these looked.  Perfect for a night out, when you want a little more oompf, but don't really want the over-the-top drama normally associated with fake lashes.  The glue was good, just a normal eyelash glue as far as I could tell.

Here is what they looked like on:

I don't have any other eye makeup/mascara/liner on in either pic.

- Olaf Itty Bitty from Hallmark (retail for $6.95) 5/5 stars

 An action shot of Pippa


Impression:  I've seen these at the Hallmark store and think they are super adorbs.  They come in all kinds of characters. (Check out the really cute star wars ones.  Chewbacca, Yoda, Han & Leia.)  a nice, little gift idea or stocking stuffer.  Quality seems pretty good and they are about 4 inches tall.

-Biscoff Cookies (retail for $5.99) 5/5 stars

Impression:  Most people have probably seen these around.  They are speculoos cookies, a spiced, Dutch cookie along the lines of gingerbread, but a little bit different.  (great description, I know).  They are pretty yummy.

-Cetaphil Moisterizing Cream (retail for $12.95) 5/5 stars

Impression: Another thing I was excited to see!  I actually own this in full size, so the sample size will go straight to my purse.  This cream is perfect for the dry Winter months.  So thick, but soaks right in your skin.  I also use Cetaphil face wash daily and the facial lotion with spf in Summer.  My dermatologist turned me on to the brand years ago.  I have sensitive dry skin and all their products are so gentle.  Highly recommend. 

-NYC Cityproof 24hr eyeliner in Black (retail for $..) 1/5 stars

Impression: I actually really hated this eyeliner.  When I first pulled it out of the box I was excited to try it.  The packaging looks a lot like the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners which are pretty awesome.  The NYC version?  Not so much.  Went on well enough but about 10 min later the line has already smudged all over my eyelid.  Within 2 hrs it was completely gone. Not a fan.

-Pure Ice nail polish in Home Run (retail for $2) 3/5 stars

Impression:  Immediately after seeing this, I liked the color.  This is probably my favorite color right now, so that was a nice bonus.  Went on like expected, one layer was more opaque than most inexpensive nail polishes but it still needs that second coat.  It wore off pretty quickly, but for the price?  A good grab.

Bonus:  I got a coupon for a free bag of Tater Tots!

Has anyone else gotten any Influenster boxes?  What was your favorite thing?