THIS IS ME

Being an extremely nosey person I love learning about people. When reading so many blogs, you virtually get to know someone. It's kind of incredible how one can truly know such personal things going on in someones life, just by following their Instragram, blog or YouTube. My husband makes fun of me when I refer to someone I follow by just their first name. He says, so you guys are that close, huh? Well, HA! I mean it's kind of insane how you get to know someone through all of the inter webs. That's why I wanted to put more of myself out there so you can get to know me too….




Me
I'm 28 years old and married to the true love of my life, Michael. We were married January 3, 2015 so still technically considered newly weds. We met in college, started dating December 2006 and the rest is history. I like to pride myself into making my, I will never own a dog, I can't have one, anti-dog husband a big time animal lover now. For instance, we were in a Uber the other night and he struck up an entire conversation with out driver about his dog. On the outside I was nodding my head, contributing to the conversation. On the inside, I was throwing confetti and jumping up and down. It was an exciting moment for me. Mike and I have a 2 year old Maltese/Poodle mix dog named Lilly. She is insanely spoiled but such a little lover.

Without her, I don't know what either of us would do. No matter what my husband says, we would love to get a second dog. It's a bit tricky at the moment. We live in downtown Chicago, in a high rise condo which is 800 square feet. That's including our balcony. Soooooo adding another dog wouldn't be right. But hopefully we can get a little brother for Lilly once we move into a bit bigger of a place.

I come from a very large blended family. I have a Mom & Step Dad and Dad & Step Mom and a partridge and a pear tree. Things can get crazy at times but in my mind I think about people who do not have one parent but I have four. Truly have the best relationship with all of them. I do not know where I would be today without the support of my amazing family.

Wedding

Our wedding was in my eyes, almost perfect. The decor, the food, the amount of people. It was amazing. I cried when we went into the room before we let the guests in. The only way I could explain it was a punch in the stomach, but a good one. It absolutely took our breath away to see all of our hard work of planning come together.

 I should also explain, why I categorized my wedding as 'almost perfect'. Nothing went wrong, everything was seamless. Yes, the weather was the first crummy day of Chicago winter but it was not a big deal to us. What made my wedding a bit difficult was there was a massive loss a few short months before our big day. My Step Dad passed away from a short but beyond heroic battle of cancer on October 15 (my birthday) - just two and a half short months before our wedding. That made things pretty rough. Every happy moment was instantly flooded with guilt and memories of him. But I am a believer of Heaven and I know for a fact he was there with us on our special day. My husband and I are beyond blessed to have such wonderful friends and family help us celebrate and stand behind us on the biggest day of our life, thus far. 

Why Blog?

As far back as I could remember makeup and beauty have always been something I loved. A passion of mine, if you will. As a little girl, I would always be playing with my Mom's makeup as many young girls do. Unfortunately for her, that bad habit of mine never wore off. I would always borrow her mascara, press powder, and eyeliners. Let me briefly explain, borrow to me back then, meant take something from my Mom's makeup drawer and toss it into my makeup drawer. Thankfully I have learned stealing and borrowing from people is not the same thing! 

A few years ago, I stumbled across the YouTube page of Jaclyn Hill. This was the day it all changed for me. In time she became my idol. Such a down to earth girl who is pursuing her dream of beauty. Seeing how far she has come is so inspiring. Good things happen to good people and that's a beautiful thing. When she came to Old Orchard mall in Chicago, I totally geeked out! Sadly, I could not go and I was beyond upset. Hopefully some day I will get the chance to meet her. 

Blogging for me is an escape. After a long day, coming home, sitting on my bathroom counter and digging into my makeup vanity is so fun! I get to see what works and what doesn't. Why not put that onto my Instagram & Blog to show the world. I have been playing with the idea of filming a video so stay tuned :) . 

Fun Fact?

I do voices. My friends and I would always speak in the most ridiculous voices and accents to one another growing up. That has now carried over to my adult life, Mike is not thrilled about it. If you know me well, you know I change my voice... a lot. 

What makes me happy?

My friends & family. I have the most amazing people in my life Yes, people say that all the time. But honestly, I win. They are bee's knees. 

Something that is a current struggle? 

My weight. Simple as it is, I am over weight. But for some reason a light bulb went on in my head a few weeks ago. I can fix this. Weight is not something that's permanent and it's no ones fault other than my own. My entire life I have been a yo-yo dieter or a professional dieter. I just made a promise to my self, I am not stopping this time. As of a week ago, I started Ideal Protein. This is a very strict diet but at the same time mindless. It's very black and white so this will get done and done right. So stay tuned for updates and results. 

Favorite Drink?

Diet Coke - I know…I know. Not good. I'm doing better but it's like crack for me. 

If there is anything else you would like to know about me PLEASE ask. I love the idea of getting to know people so I open up the door for people getting to know me! 

MY MOST REPURCHASED PRODUCTS

It doesn't matter who you are. Everyone has those products that they consider their ride or die, must have, I cannot live with out this xyz product. Silly as it sounds, they make us feel beautiful and ourselves. Without everything below, my beauty routine is not the same. More times then I can count, I have left a crucial piece of my everyday beauty at home on a vacation or a quick weekend getaway. When this happens, I run to a local store. If the store doesn't have what I'm looking for, I just purchase a similar product. However, when doing this, my hair/skin/makeup just is not the same. We have all been there! Here is a list of my most repurchased ride or die products.


 1. Makeup Geek Pan Shadows - Cruelty free

 If you have not tried out Makeup Geek shadows you need to stop what you are doing. I'll wait. Go to  Makeup Geek and buy some products for yourself. They are one of my favorite makeup lines at the moment. The creator of MG, Marlena Stell (who is a makeup goddess herself), has created the most beautiful, bendable, highly pigmented shadows on the market. MG's has hands down some of the most high end shadows one could use, but get this… they are the most affordable products out there. They are cheaper than some of the shadows you could find at the drug store! Shadows range from $5.99 - $9.99. My most repurchased MG shadows are Creme Brule, Cocoa Bear, In the Spotlight & Corrupt. With these four shadows anything is possible. In the Spotlight, is a stunning brow bone highlight. Creme Brule is my all time favorite transition shade. Cocoa Bear, adds the perfect pop in your crease & wonderful warmth to any look. Corrupt, is the blackest, blackest, black shadow you will ever buy. You will never come across anything darker. This is an amazing outer corner color for the perfect smokey eye. It adds the sharpest black line for the lower lash line. These clearly are not the only shadows I use. However, no matter the look I am going for and other shadows that are used, at a minimum 2-3 of these colors are used everyday to complete the perfect eye!

 2. NYX Butter Glosses - Cruelty free

 These little bundles of joy do not need much of an explanation. They are buttery, rich and add beautiful wash of color to your lips. Plus, they smell heavenly, whom could complain about that? You can find these at most Target stores, Ulta and Nordstrom Rack. All of NYX products are very affordable but these little babies range between $2.99 - $4.99. Who wouldn't want every color in the line just due to the price?
NYX Butter Gloss

 3. Macadamia Deep Repair Masque - Cruelty Free

 Like most women, I have a plethora of half used hair products under my skin. I need to toss half of them but I keep thinking, Oh I'll try it again. Maybe I'll love it, maybe I used it wrong the last time, maybe, maybe, maybe. Wrong. Ladies, If you do not like something after the second use, it will not work for you. Get rid of it! Pass it along to a friend, see if yo can return it or toss it into the garbage. There is no need to hold onto things that just do not work for you. Anyway, I regress. I don't mean to toot my own horn but you guys, I have found the holy grail of hair masks! It works and you see results INSTANTLY! The Macadamia Deep Repair Masque is so rich and nourishing for your hair. It will give you shine but not then create grease or weigh your hair down. Each use my hair feels stronger and fuller. I have gone through about 6 of these and refuse to be without a backup at all time. Amazing, amazing, go do your hair a favor and purchase this heavenly mask. Quick side note…This can be found on Amazon for a much lower price than buying it retail at Ulta or Target.
Macadamia Hair Masque

 4. Garnier Makeup Removing Wipes

 Clearly, makeup wipes do not need a full explanation. I really do love this brand, they are not harsh on your skin, the fragrance is beautiful. Although I do not use these nightly, my nightly face washing routine can sometimes take a bit of time. It's great when I do not feel like doing my entire routine that night, I can grab a wipe and know I am not using something so harsh or hurtful to my skin. These give a nice amount of nourishment in each use. My skin has a luminous glow after each use.

 5. Mascra - Too Faced Better than Sex - Cruelty Free & L'Oreal Voluminous 

 When I apply mascara, I always double up. It's a bit ambitious I know. I channel my inner drag queen when mascara is concerned. There are never too many coats as long as clumps are not involved. When I started cocktailing two mascaras it became a game changer for me. It gave my lashes the volume and length I was always searching for. Creating the depth that was never attainable with just one. These are the two of my holy grail mascara's that my lashes can never be without.
Too Faced BTS Mascara
L'Oreal Voluminous

 6. Make Up For Ever Bronzer 

I don't know what it is about the Make up For Ever line but everything is perfect. They must sprinkle angel dust in everything they create. This bronzer goes on so perfectly to the skin and just blends so seamlessly. The new formula they have come up with creates a glowing from within look. needless to say, when I leave home without this, I crumble. When Jaclyn Hill recommended this bronzer, clearly, this lost ranking as a want and became a need to my ever so full makeup vanity. Come on people! What Jaclyn says, goes! I do have to warn you, this is a bit on the pricer side. Almost $40 for a bronzer seems silly. I assure you , once you get home, try this out and see how beautiful this looks on your skin, the sticker shock with seem like nothing but a thing of the past.
Make Up For Ever Bronzer

 I would love to hear about your, cannot live without, ride or die products. Feel free to leave suggestions below.

APRIL FAVORITES

Despite the fact that it's already May 9th, let's talk April favorites! Here's a wrap up of my absolute favorites for the past month.

1. Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette - Not tested on animals

I had been eyeing this product for months and every time (cough..cough..2x a week) I was in Sephora - the sales associate would test out the colors on me and I would always say, this is a purchase for next time around. This kept getting pushed off. One night while browsing the Sephora app, I decided to finally give it a go. 

There is something you should all know about my logic is not always…well…logical. When shopping in a store, I rarely go above and beyond. Things that are purchased, they are reasonable, usually. I tend to get buyers remorse, thinking….Ang, you did not need to spend that much on a dress, palette, eye shadow, purse, etc. However, if something is purchased online, none of this happens. If I am not paying at the counter of a store, I can spend a good chunk of change without the remorse. And if something is purchased on my phone that has my credit card saved and it bypasses the payment process and the website states, pay with last used cc. Hell, I almost feel like the funds are not even mine. Anyway, I regress. That is just a bit of what my husband calls, illogical thinking. 

This palette really can be used by anyone. An expert MUA or someone who is new at the game and learning the art of contouring. The powder blends beautifully with a big fluffy brush. Now with having this, I do not feel the need to reach for a bronzer. This encapsulates everything you could need.

Shade + Light Palette

2. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal - Not tested on animals

This lovely little guy does not need much explaining. I am truly amazed with how much I love the Becca cosmetic line. She has created such beautiful, soft, luxurious products that do not test on animals. Personally, I have been trying very hard to buy from lines that do not test their ingredients or final products on animals. This is a personal choice, but I do not believe in hurting animals for the benefits of people. If you know of any cosmetic lines you would recommend, who do not test on animals, let me know below!

This highlighter creates a soft glow wherever you dust it. I brush it on my cheeks, cupids bow& the middle of my forehead.  It looks like you are glowing within. You can dust it on lightly for a soft sublet glow or you can build this powder with out it looking cake for a bold highlighted look. 

Becca Highlighter

3. NYX Cosmetics Blotting Powder - Not tested on animals

While at work recently, I borrowed a friends blotting powder to fix my breaking up foundation on my cheeks. In a bind, I was not trying to be picky. Asked her to borrow, ran to the bathroom, blotted and fell in love. I was pretty shocked at how well this product worked. It creates an all over matte, without looking too powdery and cakey. Clearly, I needed this in my life. Went to Ulta and now he lives happily ever after in my purse makeup bag. 

NYX Blotting Powder

4 & 5. Anastasia Clear Brow Gel & Anastasia Brow Wiz - Not tested on animals

These 2 babies are a must have for anyone. Throw out your existing products and start from scratch. The Brow Wiz, is such a soft pencil. It's hard to make an exaggerated brow with this at first. It's very buildable pencil, truly fool proof. The lines start off very soft, the more you add, the more intensity that can come to your brows.

Secondly, the clear brow gel, I bought and thought, this is a waste. I can easily use my drug store clear gel - WRONG! This is like super glue for your brows. They.do.not.move. It does not come across as chunky either. The brush evenly distributes all of the gel, making your brows look perfectly in place.

Brow Wiz

Brow Gel

6. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara - Not tested on animals

The same friend who let me use her NXY blotting powder, told me about this mascara. She really has been passing along some serious recommendations my way! When it comes to mascara, this is my do or die product. I need it. I live for it. I have zero concept of too much mascara. Do you self a favor and go buy this product. It transforms lashes from, meh, to oh my god, tell me everything about your lashes. Go! Hurry….I can wait. You need this. 

Mascara

7. Hanae By Hanae Mori

Let me tell you a little story….. about 3.5 years ago, I was at Nordstom (shocking) and I found a beautiful perfume, Hanae Mori No. 4. With needing a new perfume, I purchased it immediately. About 6 months later, I went back to Nordstorm to purchase another No. 4 by HM. They explained to me that this was a limited edition and the perfume was gone. I was so upset. Fast forward to several weeks ago,  I was at Nordstrom and noticed a new HM fragrance. After picking it up and smelling it, the sales associate explained that HM had a series of numbered fragrances over the years and they brought back the one that was most in demand for a permanent fragrance in their line. Hanae is HM No. 4!!!! I am in utopia! It's still as beautiful as I once remember. I have been spraying this on myself non stop. It's a vanilla, orange blossom, jasmine bundle of love. 

Hanae Perfume 

8. Alex & Ani Bracelets

I purchased the above bracelets a few months ago and not a day goes by that they are not on my wrist. The are great alone or great as stackable bracelets. I'm not really a minimalist when it comes to jewelry  so I am person who stacks my wrist. They are such a fun way to add a unique colors, metals and textures to an everyday or dressed up look. The beauty of the Alex & Ani line is, it's very affordable. Each bracelet usually runs around $28. They can be used as great gifts or a great pick me up for your daily jewelry rotation. 

Alex & Ani

MY NIGHT TIME ROUTINE

All of my pre-teen years, high school years and beginning of college I washed my face with bar soap. Dove to be exact. I honestly never thought twice about it. That's what I grew up seeing my mom do and to this day still uses her Dove bar soap - and she has the most beautiful skin - go figure!

One night in college, I walked to the bathroom with my roommate, she saw me top knot my hair, pull out my Dove bar soap and go for my face. She gasped so loud, I jumped! I had no idea what was wrong. She immediately said, you are NOT washing your face with that are you? She went into detail explaining how bad it was for my skin. That's when she passed me her face wash and told me to try it and then to use her night cream. As dramatic as it sounds, I changed the entire nightly routine from that evening forward. Today, I love skin care products as much as I do my beauty products. Without good skin, how can you expect your makeup to look beautiful on you? 

Every night my routine takes about 10-12 minutes. I'm still on the hunt for new products so please let me know if you have any holy grail skin care you want to spread the word about! 

1. I always start by cleansing my face with Purity face wash by Philosophy. This is such a strong but gentile cleanser. It really gets down deep into your pours and removes even the toughest makeup. This is an every night without fail product. It works beautifully on all skin types, which is a huge plus! Also with this product you do not need loads of it. A nickel size poured into your palms will do the job perfectly! A little bit goes a long way.

Purity face wash 

8oz Bottle $24 

2. This next product, I use about 3x a week after my Purity cleanser. This is not placed over my eyes for makeup removal, that's what I use the Purity is for. The Glam Glow thirsty cleanse is such a wonderful, oil filled, hydrating cleanser. I have odd skin. My nose is oily, yet very dry some days. My cheeks are pretty dry and my fore head is a mix of dry around my temples and oily in the center. This cleanser helps even my skin out. I'm not finding that this produces excess oil in my problematic areas, it hydrates without creating a greasy film. The description says it turns into a foam once rubs on the skin - I have personally never had that happen. But that doesn't really make a difference. I attribute my skin looking very radiant lately because of this product. 

Glamglow face wash

5oz Bottle $39

3. For years I have used the Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner, I love it. Wanting to see what else is out there, I purchased the Arbonne Regenerating Toner. It truly has great benefits to it, firming, lifting skin & lots of vitamins. But I am not loving it. It has an odd, unappealing smell and I am not noticing anything great going on with my skin whenever I use it. Once this product is empty, I will not be repurchasing and will go back to the Mario Badescu toner. The MB toner works your skin to provide radiance, glow, minimizes discoloration, and reduces pore congestion. I am a toner fan and feel they really provide great benefits to your skin. 

Arbonne Toner

1.7oz $35

Mario Badescu Toner

8oz $18

4. My under eyes are always puffy and I am trying anything to get them to not look like I just got done crying! The Arbonne Corrective Eye Cream really is a great product I've been using. It has been giving me great results and a little itty bitty bit goes a very long way. 

Arbonne Eye Cream

0.5oz $55

5. Lastly, finishing up with my face cream --phhhew! I recently received 2 samples of the Korres Wild Rose 24-Hour Moisturizing & Brightening Cream. This is a Greek skin care line and they have so many unique products to try out!

Quick side note…. I'm Greek and if anything is advertised as Greek, I will absolutely purchase it. To me, it's wonderful to support who I am and where my roots are planted. OK, rant over :). 

I'm happy to report this product is really wonderful. It's beautiful on the skin. It feels natural, if that makes any sense. With the Korres line, I have not tried a product I do not like. If this face cream is not for you, I highly suggest looking into any of their other products. You will not be disappointed. My local Sephora will see me soon so I can buy the full size of this little gem. 

Korres Wild Rose Cream

1.35oz $38

Please don't let me fool you, there are plenty of nights I am way to exhausted for any of this and I happily opt for my Neutrogena Night Calming Towelettes. That's perfectly ok too! 

As long as we take care of our skin now while it's still healthy, we will be thanking our selves for many more years to come. 

RATE IT | NEXXUS COLOR ASSURE GLOSSING TONIC

Rated 8/10

I have not used a Nexxus product since I was maybe in the 7th grade. My Mom and Step Dad would have copious amounts of the aerosol cans of Nexxus comb thru natural hair spray. Before I had my own stock pile of hair care products, I would run into their room and grab a can. Sadly, they never knew one was missing since they would buy it in bulk - I wish I was kidding about their love for that hairspray !

This glossing tonic was in a clearance bin at my local Target and I was drawn to it from the packaging. My husband makes fun of me all the time - he says, I'm a marketers dream. If something is shiny, I'm like a moth to a flame. He knows me so well! If the packaging of products is appealing, there is a 99.9% chance I will pick it up. I'm happy I picked this product up. Not only was it priced at $5.99 - it appealed to me regarding the glossing factor for the color treated hair. I have recently gone lighter with my hair and was in the process of looking for some good hair care, color protectors. With the price, I didn't think there was anything to loose. After a few weeks of using this product, I like what it's doing to my hair. It does not create any greasy residue and it's seeming to bring out the vividness of my color. This is a pretty good product, not the best I have ever tried but definitely one I will keep under my sink.

Nexxus - Color Assure Glossing Tonic

THE BIG MOVE

My husband and I are currently living in high rise condo, I love it. It's our home. It's cozy, it's sunny, it's everything we love.

 But the one huge problem is, the condo is 800 square feet - that's including our balcony. We are on top of one another, all the time. We are either sitting in the family room or sitting on our bed. We cannot have people over for dinner without someone sitting on the couch to eat their dinner. If one thing is out of place, the condo looks like an absolute mess. When we moved in almost 2 years ago, I thought we can easily make this work. With getting engaged and married in the last year we have accumulated a ton and now we are rapidly out growing out little home (over 80% of our shower gifts are being stored at my parents home - eeeeks!)  This was our first place living on our own, we have so many memories here but it's time to spread our wings and find a bigger place. We are still deciding on where we will land - city….suburbs…. it's currently any ones best guess. But with this all I have been doing is online window shopping. I.can.not.stop!

Frankly, I'm excited to decorate, paint and make something truly our own.

 We, (cough,cough, me) are changing our entire style for this new condo/home. I want clean lines, bright, whites, creams, heather grays, golds, etc. I'm envisioning Z Gallerie + Joss & Main + Restoration Hardware = The Tiu's perfect home. Yay! My online shopping and Pinterest boards have been getting used in over drive lately. Any ounce of inspiration I see, I book mark and save.

Makeup by Tiffany D has beautiful DIY projects and lots of decor inspiration - I have been loving following her blog recently
Tiffany D's Blog

Style Me Pretty has such a wonderful blog. Lots of amazing ideas and inspiration
Style Me Pretty Blog

Alexandrea Garza has an amazing You Tube channel. She has lots of great home decor ideas that I am absolutely holding on to!
Alexandrea Garza - You Tube


I'm swooning over the looks below. Lets hope this all isn't a pipe dream and all can fall into place once the new place is purchased!

Alexa Canister - Z Gallerie

Edessa Pillow - Z Gallerie

Hudson Park bedding

 I am going to continue to love our little shoe box of a condo and appreciate the days we have here. We will never get yesterday back. I have a terrible habit of forgetting to live in the moment, I am always dreaming of the future. For now, I will live each day, appreciate all that I have and savor all the memories we will continue to build in this little home of ours. 

RATE IT | Blissful Body Butter with Kokum and Shea

RATED : 10/10

This absolutely amazing body butter deserves a 10 out of 10 when being rated on the 'do I need this product in my life' scale. 

My skin has always been odd. It's not always dry and it's not always oily, it is true combination skin. One thing is for sure, it lacks radiance and looks ashy. My hands are without a doubt the driest part of my body. They look awful in the winter months. I am constantly applying all types of lotions, moisturizers, creams and nothing seems to do the trick. Now with this body butter I am done fooling around with all of these other products. 

My skin now has beautiful radiance! Do you know how exciting this is for me? Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would look down at my arms or legs and see radiant skin. My hands are smooth, soft, and everything in between has evened out with my skin. Never have I ever owned something like this. I could shout from the roof tops - this is so exciting!

The body butter does not leave an oily residue, this does not create breakouts, it's hand made, all natural, not tested on animals. Everything good I can say about this product, I will!

For every purchase, the owner of The Blissful Body donates a portion of her profits to ministries. This goes towards helping women and children in need. What a beautiful soul. This is the type of company I love to support. All natural, you know what is going into your body and your purchase does good for others. 

Stop by her Etsy shop and pick up some products. Your skin will thank you! 

The Blissful Body