Beauty Tips & Tricks!

Hello Ladies!! 

I am back with some of my favorite tips and tricks I am using constantly throughout my beauty routine! I am always trying to find cheaper, quicker ways to get the looks I want. Check some of these out and let me know if you have used these or have more! :) 

Hair

Suave Dry Shampoo

This is my holy grail of hair products! (Specifically this brand too!!) I get compliments about the volume in my hair and I have to give all the credit to this product. I use it when I'm going a few days of not washing my hair, and even when it is clean. It gives your hair great texture and volume at the roots & througjout. It does come off a white powder like consistency, so if you do not have lighter colored hair, it may look dull or dingy. If that is the case try: 

Batiste: Dark &Deep Brown

(This brand comes in lots of colors to match different hair shades!) 

Slippery Bobby Pins 

Ever have trouble getting your Bobby pins to stay in place? A quick fix is to spray them with hair spray before you put them in your hair. They will get a sticky consistency that will help hold those stray hairs! 

Cheaper High Quality Products

T.J.Maxx and Marshalls are two of my all time favorite stores. I literally buy EVERYTHING there including hair products. They tend to carry a lot of great brands and products, which you should always check out (such as: CHI, Sebastian hairspray, Biolage, OGX etc.) 

Makeup

Want a really great matte lip color but do not want to go buy every shade of lipstick you have in sheen and matte? Well, I have a trick of using face powder/translucent powder over my  lipsticks to give it a matte appearance (and also keeps it on my lips longer!) You can also use a specific eyeshadow color over lipstick to get the same effect + a new lip color from your own makeup kit!

+(Another tip: Translucent Powder is a must for everyone! It helps set all your makeup so it lasts all day. Especially those with oily skin.) 

Wash Your Face! 

It is SO important to wash your face daily! I used to leave makeup on for days, or at least sleep in it every night. Then would wonder why I was so oily/breaking out. Since I have washed my face every night/morning, my skin has been much easier to work with. 

Contour! Contour! Contour!

If you have a round face like I do, you have no features like women with slimmer face shapes. Even women who do not have round faces, still can enhance features with this simple concept. Contouring isn't only the crazy looking pictures we see on Pinterest. It is simply creating shadows on your face to have the appearance of bone structures. A drugstore powder I have been using and very impressed with lately is: 

I have previously used a $40 palette from a higher end company that I thought I lived for until now! This has been the best dupe for that palettes I can find, oh and not to mention its is about $4. I use the one with the yellow (banana) powder in it to set my under eye, then the darker shade to contour! 

*Also, contouring is great to do along your makeup line on your neck to create shadows covering any hint of a double chin! 

Teeth

I have tried a very long time to get gleaming white teeth. Although, I do not believe I have celebrity status whites yet, I am happy with my cheap teeth whitening routine. It is a routine of consistency, which is important. 

First: 

I have tried many different strips and gels for the primary whitening stage. I do really like the Crest Whitening Strips and the Equate brand strips too. BUT my favorite has been this product that only costs about $10: 

Plus White Five Minute Premier Whitening System

This stuff is AMAZING! I have to admit, the guard is kind of big and obnoxious, but totally tolerable for 5-10 minutes of the day! I usually do it before bed or while doing house work. This is the best for getting your smile up to par! 

Next: 

My other secret to KEEPING the whiter smile without having to use this product constantly is: 

Hydrogen Peroxide 

Yes, you are seeing that right. I typically brush my teeth at night, then swish with this stuff. People assume it is only for cuts and scrapes, but right on the bottle it tells you that it is a great oral rinse for cleaning your mouth. On the every brighter side, it whitens your teeth! (Oh and is super cheap like maybe $2?) Check out the back of any whitening product and you'll see the main ingredient is none other than, hydrogen peroxide. (On a side note, be sure to always spit it out and never swallow it)!

I do use a whitening toothpaste as our household toothpaste, but otherwise, this sums up my cheap teeth whitening routine! 

Any other questions, comments or concerns are very welcome! Please let me know if you have more wonderful tips in your makeup bag! 

Yours truly, 

Mrs. Dix

Dollar Tree Style Organization!

Hello again, it's me! 

Today's adventure led us to taking care of our messy, unorganized, extremely frustrating pantry. Living in an apartment that we are renting really limits our ability to make major changes, but we HAD to do something. 

Before

It literally was so pitiful.....(and I had already "organized" it this week once)

We have other storage in our cabinets for cans and such, so this is mainly used for household items, paper goods and snacks. Although it looks like there isn't a lot, it got messy quick especially when we have a house full of food. 

So this is what we did. 

After

Technically, we spent a grand total of $22 on this organization system! We had a gift card to Home Depot for $25 that we spent buying the shelving, which led us to only paying $10 for it out of pocket. Then bought the baskets at Dollar Tree for $1 a piece! 

We have some more to do such as labeling and maybe moving things around but I believe it looks better if I say so myself! :) 

Hopefully this can give you some ideas for some storage in your own home. 

Lazy Girl Hack: Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Well hello again :)

Since getting married, I have expanded my cooking ability. I do use proper measuring instruments, different oils, and even follow recipes to the exact measurements now.

But, the microwave is still my favorite appliance and shortcuts make me smile.  

Hence my hack for making homemade mashed potatoes! :)

When making mashed potatoes, the absolute worst part is peeling and boiling the potatoes. This is where my hack comes into play! 

First put all of your potatoes in the microwave (poke holes in the top with a fork to help shorten cook time). Today I put about 6 medium potatoes in the microwave for 16 minutes. 

Next, lay the potato on a cutting board to prepare to cut in half. Make sure to have a kitchen towel to hold the hot potato in your hand or else you'll be playing everyone's favorite childhood game!

Then, place the potato on its side, and cut in half as equally as possible.

Next, using a spoon, scoop out the cooked potato and place in a pot.

Try to spoon out as much of the inside as possible and tossing out the skins.

After repeating this process with all of the cooked potatoes, you can then finish the process with your preferred recipe!

Today all I added was milk, butter, salt and chives. Then used a hand mixer to get it smooth and tasty! I do believe it was a winner! (And the whole process may take 30 minutes which most of that time is in the microwave and on the stove!)

Now go make your own! 

Review: Too Faced Le Petite Tresor

 Hello gals! 

Today I decided to review a trio product I bought a couple of weeks ago. The main reason I am doing this review is due to the value of the price of the value bundle and my impression. 

          Too Faced Le Petite Tresor

Front left to right: Taffy, Nude Beach and WHAM!

What is this product?

This is a three lipstick trio in a super cute glittery bag from Too Faced Cosmetics. The lipsticks are three of their best sellers in the La Creme Color Drenched Lip Creams line of lipsticks. They are claimed to be the limited edition shimmer versions of the original lipsticks. The colors included are Taffy, Nude Beach, and WHAM! 

What is the value of this set?

These lip colors individually sold are priced at $22 a piece (which for me is pretty steep). This whole set, including all three full sized products and the little glittery bag, is $29. When this is broken down by lipstick, you actually are only paying about $9.60 a lipstick, which I can handle for a GREAT product. 

What do the lipsticks look and feel like wearing them? 

Taffy

The first lipstick (and the reason I bought the set to begin with) is called Taffy. It is a light pink that is noticeable but not vibrant. It has a settle hint of color that gives off a refreshing summer vibe. I do not see much shimmer in this one although it is enough to give a great sheen effect. I cannot wait to have brozed cheeks and rock these cute pink lips when the weather is sunny and 85. Personally, this is my favorite of the whole pack! 

Nude Beach

The second I am wearing is Nude Beach. This is a fantastic nude that still has a slight hint of pinkish plum. This is a nice nude lipstick color that I feel like works all year round with any makeup style you desire! Very versatile lip color that would look great on a lot of skin tones and hair colors. I do not seem much shimmer in this color. Really impressed with this color!

WHAM!

Last, but very much not least, is WHAM! This color is very different than the other two, but such a delightful shade of darkened pink and red. This shade is the one I can see the shimmer in the most! It looks more glossy than it really is due to the shimmer in it. I do not wear many dark colors because I have had a hard time finding the right shade. I really love this one!! I am so happy to finally have found a bold lip color to add to my options. 

Did I mention how much I love wearing these on my lips?! It looks like moisture and feels like moisture! I'm seriously in love all over again. :)

Overall thoughts?

Great value and wear!! I have MAC lipsticks I really like, but at this moment these have taken the cake for me! They are long wearing, and feel amazing on my lips. It feels like a very moisturizer Chapstick that isn't sticky (super plus for me!!). I am absolutely overjoyed with this purchase for the value and quality. I am going to start checking out more of Too Faced lip products from now on for sure!

Shredded Chicken Tacos!

Good snowy morning ladies! 

This morning Jared had to go into work at 5:30, which is very out of the norm for him. I am snowed in while school is cancelled (perks of being a teacher 😊). I decided nothing would be better than a warm yummy crock pot meal for our cold wintery day! Everyone has been sharing a chicken faquitas recipe on Facebook lately which led me to Pinterest looking at different recipes. I found a couple I liked the look of, couldn't decide which one, so I combined them! 😊

The recipe is quite simple. All you need is:

3 Bell Peppers

1 Onion 

1 Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Packet

1 Taco Seasoning Packet 

3 or 4 Chicken Breasts 

2 Cups of Chicken Broth 

Also all of the optional taco topping favs such as sour cream, cheese, salsa, lettuce, guacamole, etc. 

First, cut up the bell peppers and toss them in the Crock Pot. 

Next, cut up the onions and toss those on top of the peppers. (You could also mix the peppers and onions before putting them in the Crock Pot too)

The chicken should be the next layer. I accidentally bought chicken breast tenders which is why it looks like I have more than I mentioned in the ingredients.

Last, but definitely not least, add the seasonings along with the chicken broth! Then turn the crockpot on high for 4 to 5 hours or low at 7 to 8 hours. 

The turn out was awesome! I ended up adding a spicy chicken spice to our final product, just to turn up the heat a little. We truly enjoyed this meal on the very cold day we had Thursday! :)

Enjoy!

Importance of Foundation and Contouring!

Hello ladies!! 😊

Today I wanted to post a couple of pictures to show you all the difference contouring makes when doing your makeup! I know I have a round face and that has always been something I haven't liked very much! When I learned to contour, I fee much better about the structure of my face!! I think it looks like pounds are being erased! 

Here is a picture without any makeup at all. I have blemishes, some bumps and lots of redness. I have never had great skin, but with age and a skin care routine, it has become a lot better! Also, I used to be very oily, but as I have gotten older it's more combination with days that are still very oily!

 This picture is just my foundation (Estee Lauder Double Wear-Beige Ivory) and concealer under my eyes, along the bridge of the nose, my chin, and my forehead (Estee Lauder Double Wear, but I will say this isn't my favorite. It is good but I prefer Urban Decay Naked Skin). I showed this step because the foundation helps for sure, but I still have no shape through my cheeks or anywhere else on my face really.

This is my completed makeup look today (minus lipstick)! The lighting isn't great, but you get the picture! I hope this gives you an idea of a basic contour for the face. My nose looks slimmer, my cheeks more defined and the focus goes toward the middle of my face rather than all over!

If you all would like a more in depth routine or maybe want to know any products used or anything really, please let me know!! :) 

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Tomorrow, Jared and I are planning on making one of our favorite Pinterest recipe finds! Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. Such a great Fall meal. We are going to have a very busy week, so the plan is to make a large batch to heat up throughout the week. We have found that being just the two of us eating a meal, it is hard to portion it properly. Soup though is our go to so we can keep eating on its 

Anywho, I'm posting a link to the recipe below so hopefully you all can enjoy it as much as we have! I would like to say though that it claims for a 25 minute prep time, but it felt like a lot longer when we made it before (but it is SO worth it!) 

Here is the link! :)

 http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/08/creamy-chicken-noodle-soup/