Tutorial Tuesday - Packing Makeup for Vacation

So today's Tutorial, isn't really a tutorial.  It's more how I pack my makeup for my long trip but you may be able to take some of my ideas and use it for your next trip!

This is all I use for all of my make up needs.

Here is all the makeup I take with me:

• Acne treatment cream
• Medicated eye drops for itch relief
• Ulta Face Primer
• Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion
• Maybeline Fit Me Foundation
• Colorscience Face Powder
• Benefit Boi-ng
• Benfit Hoola
• E.L.F. Shimmery Bronzer
• Makeup Sponge
• Maybeline Blush
• Mary K Blush
• Laura Geller Blush
• MARK Blush
• Sephora Gel Liner
• E.L.F. liquid eyeliner
• Bare Esscentuals Brow Filler
• MAC Kohl Pencil
• Marbella Permanent Eye Liner Pen
• Blinc Mascara
• Sephora Anniversary Palette - The best thing to do when travel is bring a large palette like this. That way you are not having to bring a lot of little palettes with you.

I use the smaller makeup travel bag to place all the little items in.

I use the large makeup bag to hold the large palette just in case it gets tossed around.  

Are you all wondering where my lipsticks are?!?!?  This is how I pack those (and some other things).

I bought this plastic container from the dollar store.  It use to hold (as you can see) cotton items such as, cotton balls, and sticks.  I dumped those out and filled it with these:

The top closes and it allows for all these little items to have a place with out moving.  It helps them travel very nicely!  (P.S. I also have some correction sticks in there too!)

And there you have it.  What little tips and tricks do you use to pack your makeup for the sake of space and safety?

Motivational Monday - You Only Live Once

Happy Monday Revolutioniers!  Today is July 30th and today is also my (& my brother's) birthday.  The older I get the more I feel the need to appreciate my life, what I have accomplished, what I have left to do, and who I have become.  I am proud of what I have accomplished and I have large ambition of what more I want to do with my life.  More importantly, I am proud of who I am and what I have become as a human being and a follower of a higher power. But there is so much more to do in order to continue my journey in life.

With the recent shooting in Aurora, CO I have to remind myself that our time is precious with each other.  We only have so much time in this world to spend with the people we love. With that I am also reminded of the lack of time to spend doing things that I want to do before I die.  So, for this Motivational Monday I am starting my bucket list.  I have all these ideas but never write them down.  Without them written it is so easy to forget or write them off.

Today I am motivating you to join me in creating your list.  Leave your links to blog posts or just simply tell me what you want to do.  We are only getting older and we only live once.  We should embrace this time and be happy doing it!

My {Beginning} Bucket List

1. Witness my daughters grow up
2. Witness my daughters graduate high school
3. Witness my daughters graduate college
4. Witness my daughters get married
5. Learn to sew
6. Get over my fear of flying (long flights mostly)
7. Go to Europe
8. Move to New England
9. Be able to have a job that I love that still allows me to be with my family as much as possible
10. Obtain "premium" VIB status with Sephora
11. Adopt a child

Sunday Spotlight - Fashionable Unicorn

This week's Sunday Spotlight it brought to you by....Fashionable Unicorn!!  Enjoy Revolutioniers!


Hi! I'm Michaella and my blog is Fashionable Unicorn. I'm a freshman in high school and I've loved fashion since I was little. My style is very girly and I love vintage. I'm also obsessed with quirky jewelry. I've been blogging since July 2011 and I love sharing my outfits with the world.

What I'm wearing: DKNY vest, Vera Wang tee, bleached shorts, and black wedges from Forever 21.

I love this magnifying glass necklace! 

Thanks Michaella!

Tresemme Dry Shampoo Review

So I have been desperate to find a dry shampoo to use since I went back to being a brunette (and 1/2 red head...post soon to come!) For some reason my hair looks really oily ever since I have made the change and  it can be rather embarrassing.  Before I used to shellac my hair in a pony tail or wave it....either way it doesn't really hide it all that well.

Then I saw the Tresemme "Dry Shampoo" commercial {sounds of bells...much like the ones you hear for angels...begin ringing in my head}  Have I finally found a solution to my dreaded hair problem?!?!?!  The next day I immediately bought it!  I was so hyped, super excited, and was hoping for the best!

The claims {straight from their website} "Transform limp, lifeless locks into healthy, full-bodied hair when you skip a shampoo. The Mineral Clay and Citrus formula removes oil and odor that weighs hair down, so you can have instant salon-quality volume without a drop of water."

I have used the Tresemme dry shampoo every other day for two weeks now and the result is....It doesn't work.  Boo!  So disappointed!

I noticed a difference for about 1-2 hours but after that it goes right back to being oily and gross looking.  No extra body...if anything it weighed it down.  However, it did make is smell beautiful.  So I guess that is a pro.

I was really pushing for you Tresemme...I really was!  But with all your claims and only one...which I find to be a low pro {smelling nice} not proving to be true, with my hair anyway, I find my $6 wasted. hmph!

Back to the drawing board!

I am curious, have any of you tried their new line of dry shampoo? What was your results? Or any recommendations for dry shampoo that any of you use that you LOVE?!?!

Fashion Friday - A Winning Combination!

This Fashion Friday post is getting put up a little later than normal...that is particularly b/c I like to proof it one more time before it goes live...however, as noted in my H54F post earlier, I have begun my vacation today!!! So, I have finally made it to Massachusetts and had a chance to proof and edit it one more time!

As we all are probably aware the Olympics opening ceremony starts tonight (for me anyway) so I thought it would be fitting to dedicate this Fashion Friday to the U.S. Olympic team!  As a former gymnastic coach I'm probably mostly watching for wins there, but I love the excitement of many of the other sports (i.e. swimming....men's swimming! *wink, wink*).  

Here is my winning combination to wish the U.S. team good luck in going for the gold!!  

A Winning Combination by queennicole01 featuring gold heels

I always love pair up a simple tee with sassy stilettos and an awesome bag to jazz up the look!

Are you all watching??  What's your sport to watch?

High Five for Friday

Y'all it's FRIDAY! I'm hookin' up with Lauren again for this weeks H54F link up!  This week is extra special because as you read this I am on my way to the New England coast!! Driving through the beautiful cities from Maryland to Massachusetts then from Massachusetts to Maine! Long freakin' drive but oh so worth it!  That's enough of that! Here's my five!

1. I may or may not have consumed this double fudge chocolate cake the other day...if it was me just know that it was probably delish and a cup of milk was much needed!
2. My newest bag purchase!  Betsey Johnson!  Retail $98....TJ Maxx price....$39  I'm in love!
3. Lunch with co-workers....this sandwich was so yummy!  I may or may not have felt guilty for possibly consuming a chocolate cake previously so I only ate half.
4. I pack like a boss!  Believe it or not there are enough outfits and shoes in here for the 6 days we are in Maine (the 1 day in MA is packed in an over night bag) for both my husband & I....did I mention this is including shoes! Can I get a "WHOOT WHOOT!"
5. SIX WHOLE DAYS OFF OF WORK!

Throwing away clothes?

I heard an interesting concept the other day that both intrigued me and made me angry.  In talking with a co-worker, whom just returned from a trip to Italy with her sister, she explained how the extremely "wealthy" women {that she traveled with} pack their bags with clothes that they will throw away once they have worn them once. Yes, you read that right.

Photo Courtesy of  Inmagine

The story she explained to me was when -let's call her "P"- dropped some sauce from her meal on her blouse.  My co-worker informed her of the mishap and "P" replied "Oh it's okay, I am just going to throw it out when I get back to the hotel anyway."  

Whaaaa????

I couldn't believe that was the answer!  I asked for further clarification and was informed by my co-worker that this is, apparently, a common practice among wealthy women.  When they [these rich women in particular...not trying to stereotype AT ALL!] travel; they pack items that they will wear once and the throw away in order to make room in their suitcase for newly purchased items on the trip!

I searched the internet high and low to see if anyone has ever written or commented about this practice but I haven't found anything.  The first thing I thought is "WTF?!?! You can donate that you idiot! Especially to women in need!!"  Then I thought of my blog and decided to take it here to discuss further.  I am curious if anyone out there practices this or knows of someone who practices this.  Personally, I think it is completely absurd!  But then again I'm not wealthy and I have never lived that lifestyle...so maybe I am a little one-sided on this argument.

What do you all think?    

Tutorial Tuesday - How to apply your Falsies!

Ready for another round of Tutorial Tuesday?  So often I get asked how do I apply my false eyelashes and how do I manage to have them stay on all day long!  There are a couple of variations of how to apply your lashes but this is what works for me.

1.  Put a small glob of eyelash glue on the back of your hand.  Let it sit for one to two minutes to let the glue get a little sticky.

2.  Using a pair of tweezers slide the eyelashes across the glue and let it get even more sticky on the lashes.  I sometimes even blow on them to make the process go a little faster.

3. Still using the tweezers I press the lashes on my lash line starting from the middle working my way outward.

4.  Using the flat end of the tweezers I continue to press along the line to secure the lashes.

5.  Let it set for a few minutes; I usually keep my eyes closed for about a minute.

And Voila! Gorgeous lashes!

In case your wondering I use Mod Lash Demi Whispies for the Most part w/Lash Grip lash adhesive! =)

Motivational Monday - Succeeding to Fail

This past week I tweeted about having the opportunity to FINALLY use my master's degree; possibly anyway.  In other words, I had a job interview. It was a promotion within my organization and I was extremely stoked to get it.  The whole reason why I went to school was to continue to progress in my organization, make more money, and finally live comfortably...right?

Once I interviewed, I second guessed my wants.  Sometimes more money, location, and better hours aren't always worth it.  This job would mean no more vacations to Disney World in the fall, no long weekends traveling to and from the dance competitions for Bird, pretty much no leave except during the summer months.  C'est la vie.

My priority is my family. Bottom line. End of story. Period.  I don't want to ever regret missing those dance competitions, screams & thrills from the latest attraction at the theme park, or anything else that allows me to cherish the little time I have with my young family.  They mean way too much to me.

This week let's motivate ourselves to remember what our priorities because success in not measured in the amount of money we make or the jobs we attain.

This Monday I leave you with a quote from Harry Lloyd:

Sunday Spotlight - OpalStar84

Sunday Spotlight is finally kicking off with the very first post coming from my best friend!  Although, she doesn't currently blog she will probably be a regular feature on here b/c I love the work she does with her nails!  Here's her guest post and go follow her on twitter @opalstar84!

Hi! My name is Tina! I’m so excited to be a part of Sunday Spotlight on Nicole’s Revolution! I have been friends with Nicole for probably 22 years, since we have been in kindergarten! Wow, I have never put it into perspective before – that’s a pretty long time! I am an only child so Nicole has been more like a sister to me than a friend over the years!

I found the beauty community on YouTube in 2010 and realized that I had a passion for hair, make-up and nails! I eventually started making my own beauty videos on my own channel which I don’t do anymore. I also kept a blog which I have neglected for far to long! Recently I have had an itch to get back into the swing of things so when Nicole asked me if I would be interested in being a part of Sunday Spotlight I got really excited!

If I had to pick hair, make-up or nails I would definitely pick NAILS! I have loved painting my nails since I was a little girl so I have had a lot of practice! It has turned into my hobby or I might call it an addiction! lol I love experimenting with new nail techniques and tools and I especially love shopping for new and unique nail polish colors!

Okay, enough blabbing! Today I thought I would share one of my favorite nail art techniques with you! It’s hard for me to pick just one but the winner is nail stamping! I first learned about nail stamping where else but on YouTube (another addition)! It is so easy yet it looks like you spent a ton of time tediously slaving away at your nails!

I bought my Konad stamping kit on Amazon. It was pretty cheap – I think I paid around $4 for it but for some reason it’s $7 on there now.  The kit comes with a scraper tool and a stamper.

 

  

There are a lot of stamping plates to choose from  that are sold by different companies such as Bundle Monster and  Shany to name a couple! It’s nice because you aren’t limited to just a few designs. I bought a 24 pack of Shany plates on Amazon for $12.00. I really want to buy plates from other brands to compare the quality! Here are some of mine, I put hearts next to my favorites! As you can see I gravitate towards the full nail designs because I feel like they give a more complete look.

There are also specific nail polishes for stamping which are good if you want a really opaque design but I have found that regular nail polishes can work well as long as they aren’t sheer.

Now, onto how to stamp your own nails! You start off with a base color on your nails. For the leopard print below you can see I started off with a base color of gold. Next, you choose a color that you want to use to stamp with. Paint one layer of that polish over your selected design and swipe it off in one motion with your scraper tool. Take your stamper and firmly press straight down onto your design and lift straight up. No not rock the stamper back and forth because this will not give you a crisp design. Next, roll the stamper over your nail and wa-la! You have a fun design on your nails that looks impressive yet only took you minutes to create! J

These are a few pictures of some designs that I have done! It’s so much fun!

My Glam Bag: You continue to amaze me!

My Glam Bag continues to amaze me with their awesome deluxe samples and super cute bags!  PSDotCom the bags are reusable and will make the cutest gift holders! #justsayin'  Look at all the lovely samples (least favorite to most favorite) of July's Beach Beauty glam bag.

This bag is seriously so AWESOME!! RIGHT!?!?!?!

So what's inside this pretty little bag? Let's take a look!

1. Yes to Cucumbers On-the-Go facial towelettes.  Okay, so I already started using them and...they suck!  First off it says that it gets rid of the makeup...ummm no it doesn't.  They don't feel nice either. On the plus side the smell SO GOOD!

2. Juice Beauty Green Apple moisturizer. I've received this before in my Birchbox.  I'm always down for a good moisturizer and this is one of them. Plus it has SPF 15! Score!

3. Buxom Big & Healthy lip polish.  Need I say any more?  Any new lip gloss, stick, or liner is awesome.  This picture doesn't really show the correct color...it's more shall we say nudish-pinkish-clear...on my lips at least. See!

4. Andrea's Choice Circus nail color in Somersault!  Wha?!?! This awesome yellow color & it is a full size. Can you tell how big that sucker is?

5. NuMe HydroPunch hydrating conditioner.  I still haven't ordered my $100 in free products from NuMe {previous my glam perk!}, but I will soon! I can't wait to try this conditioner!


Oh yeah, and if the products aren't awesome enough, you get a deal on the Pure Remedy products at NuMe and 50% of any products on their website.


Yes Glam Bag! you continue to rock my world!  


Do you subscribe to them? Have you tried any of these products?  What do you think?

Fashion Friday - I Heard You're a Wild One

Another round of Fashion Friday is here and Snooki is the inspiration behind this weeks post.  I am a huge lover of animal print, but I beg the question....Can it ever be over done?  Snook's pride in animal print...specifically leopard print...has become her trademark. Even her twitter profile includes "Devoted animal print lover" in her 140 character statement.  While Snooki's love is a bit extreme for my style {don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan of Snooki...we have the same name for gosh sakes!}, you got to admit some cute clothes have been created with these long lived prints.  And to be honest I think the only Snooki can pull off the wild prints as much as she does! We wouldn't have her any other way.

Wild One by queennicole01 featuring skinny fit jeans

I think as long as prints continue to be a driving force in the fashion industry we will continue to find many devoted Snooki-a-likes continue to patronize the pattern.

What do you guys think? 

High Five For Friday!

Finally another weekend is upon us! Mine was SO fun!! Here's another H54F link up with Lauren!

1. Went to my hometown for their Damascus Days celebration! Watched the parade and some fireworks at the end of the night!  Also got to hang out with some family!  Ahh the simple country life!

2.  This is Mindy Miller. This is Mindy Miller's album on iTunes.  Go listen. She is a phenomenal musician. That is all.


3.  A beautiful butterfly can make the worst days the most joyful.  This little insect was busily working through all the gorgeous flowers in my parents front garden!  Beautiful!


4.  My creative outlet has arrived.  Short story: I requested for my upcoming birthday a new sewing machine.  What was suppose to be a surprise from my husband was ruined by the fact that he ordered from my amazon acct.  They sent me an email confirming the purchase.... haha! I cannot wait to start my sewing projects!  However, he is making me wait to open it! BOO!


5.  My Betsey Johnson sunnies FINALLY came in (I ordered them almost a month ago).  I love them!



How was your week?  Check out other High Five posts over at From my Grey Desk too!  They are wonderful!