Light His Fire - Chapter 1 Notes

Recently I have been helping my parents clean out their basement (in which we've now removed at least 3,000lb of stuff from the house) and as I was doing as such I stumbled across this book my mom had from 1989 called "Light His Fire" by Ellen Kreidman (I kind of giggled at my mom for having this but when she claimed that it's how she got my step dad to marry her.. I took the bait and actually decided to read a book for a change). Initially, I questioned how relevant this book would be today but as I'm now halfway through chapter 2 it does feel relevant and I think anyone looking to improve their relationship could benefit from this book.

This summer I ended up ending a relationship that lasted over a year and then remorsefully I had bounced into a new relationship that only lasted over a month during this same summer so, I felt that perhaps I could benefit from a book like this right now. I started summing up this book with some notes and decided to share it with you all on here. As I continue reading this book I will try to post more chapter notes on this blog and I would love to hear from you in the comments on if these things have been working for you or if you enjoy reading these notes of mine from the book.

Interestingly enough this book thus far has recently helped me start building a strong connection with someone new (I was pretty shocked to be honest because I didn't think this stuff would work, and you know me... when things do or don't work I will tell you the complete truth about it). One of the things I will mention on here is that I noticed (and this new person noticed because he actually still remarks on it and copies my behavior from it now.. without him even knowing I'm using the methods learned in this book) was when he asked me where I would like to go out to dinner. My response to this was "it doesn't matter to me, as long as I'm with you I'll be happy going anywhere". He laughed and then stated, "I feel like we are teenagers in love"... I was honestly shocked because that's what this book is trying to help couples do and the fact I'm not yet in a relationship with this person was pretty amazing. I will say this... if you have a past relationship and you read this book in hopes of trying to reconnect with an ex (who may have already moved on in a sense) than I don't know that this book will help you regain that relationship status with said person again. I feel like you'd end up doing a lot of apologizing (such as admitting you made mistakes, although don't state to him his mistakes.. just take accountability for your part on how you handle things) and that he may not know how to handle that (call it the male ego if you will), but all you can do after that is possibly wait things out (maybe he'll come around). Without further ado below are my chapter 1 notes, enjoy!

In Chapter 1 this book talks about asking people with good experience in relationships for advice (by good experience it means asking people who have been happily married for 10+ years). Don't ask people who have Ph.D.'s who got everything from a textbook, ask people who have KGFE (knowledge gained from experience). A very important thing to know is that for things to change you have to change and know that we have all the answers within us. For a relationship to survive you have to put thought, time, and effort into it. Perhaps you dont require a walk on the beach but your relationship does... think of your relationship as a business and know that relationships take work. Realize that strife should bring you closer and not further apart. You can't light someone's fire unless you feel good about yourself and come from a position of strength and knowledge... not weakness, subservience, or ignorance (also, there is a "Light Her Fire" book). Understand that our personal life affects our professional life. There's more reason to earn an exceptional income if there's an exceptional person in your life. You can have the relationship you've always dreamed about... one filled with love, mutual respect, communication, romance, excitement, passion, and sex... it's all up to you, you have that power. Get rid of your anger so that you can achieve romance, communication, fun, and intimacy in your life. You may find that you learn more about your partner in doing so. You will then gain the proper tools to improve your relationship from fear, frustration, and loneliness, and see that disappear from your life. You will gain strength that comes from being in love and creating your own destiny. Take full responsibility for your own happiness. No matter who you get advice from you're always better off making your own decisions regarding your happiness. If you focus on improving yourself you'll automatically build a better relationship with your partner. If you try to improve your mate it will lead to disappointment and failure... we can never improve someone else's behavior only our own. If you do some changing your mate will react to the change in you... changes may be subtle but try to lighten up and be kind... in doing so things will improve and when things improve it begins to have a ripple affect not only in your love life but your career and personal life, and the people around you will also benefit from your happiness. You don't have to settle for a mediocre life or a run-of-the-mill relationship and you don't have to settle for weeds when you can have a garden or settle for crumbs when you can have a feast. Before these changes can occur there must be new attitudes and behaviors on your part.

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NKD SKN Pre-Shower Gradual Tan - Review

This product is around $20 a tube at Ulta but may have a tad more product in it than your average cheap drugstore tanner. While the product claims you can put it on for like 15 minutes and then shower it off and get a gradual tan, that may be true but doing that didn't do much for my fair-skinned complexion. However, for most of us looking to replace our regular drugstore tanner, I found I can get similar results by leaving this on for an hour or more instead, which is amazing to me because most tanners take much longer to develop on myself. This product doesn't give you instant color so you if you need help seeing where you're applying the product than this may not be the tanner for you. Although if you're someone on the go and want to get a tan throughout your day without looking like a splotchy hot mess than this may be the tanner for you. After an hour I can see the color actually begin to develop on my skin, but after washing it off at that point I would say it takes roughly 4 hours to fully develop. This product looks like a yellow gel-like lotion and tends to turn a bit olive green on fabric which may make it ideal for an olive skin tone. Overall, I like this tanner and the only con may be the price but even that isn't too bad. This product may cause acne on the face which is my luck with most tanners, but you should definitely give this one a try if you don't like sitting around with a sunless tanner product on your skin for more than an hour or two.

Loving Tan - Review

The first thing about this sunless tanner is that I found I had to order it online so, the fact I can't just walk into a store and get it whenever I'm feeling pale is kind of a downside. It's also about $40 which is much more than most drugstore tanners by 6x and it's also less product. I also had a code to get 2 free mitts which I thought were going to be application mitts and instead they were tan removing mitts (not sure why I'd want to remove my tan unless I made a mistake during application, and those were valued at about $30 each). So I ended up going out to Ulta to find an application mitt for less than theirs at almost $15 (as mitts at Ulta are around $6 to $10) because I found this stuff harder than most drugstore tanners to remove from my hands in particular. Based on its developing time I found I had to leave the product on longer than expected in order to achieve my level of desired tan color although this may be less of a wait time than most drugstore tanners. However, once I washed the sunless tanner off it looked like I hadn't gotten tanner at all and I found after it's washed off it develops more throughout the day so, if you need to be tan by a certain time frame I'd suggest tanning the day before. I also didn't find this tanner to really last much longer than other drugstore tanners (for me that's about 3 days on my face and maybe a week on my body). A lot of sunless tanners I can put it on before bed, wake up the next morning, shower, and I have a nice tan. With this product, I felt I got a splotchy and dry looking tan by leaving this on overnight compared to when I washed it off after 3 to 4 hours and waited for it to develop several hours later. The product does give you an instant color which allows you to see where you're applying the product but if you're hoping to look stunningly tan while out in public you'll just look like you have a very splotchy tanned skin problem (it's the first time I used a tanner and my step dad asked me.. "are you okay? you look sick or something", ugh). Overall, I can't see purchasing this 2-hr express dark mousse sunless tanner again for a fair-skinned individual like myself.

One ‘N Only Argan Oil Hair Color Perfect Intensity - Review

Last summer I started trying out the One ‘N Only Argan Oil Hair Color Perfect Intensity on the ends of my hair. I tried 2 different shades (Pastel Lilac, and Pastel Aqua) and both came out much more intense in color than I was expecting from the shades shown on the box (it says you can leave the product on up to 30 minutes, which I believe that's what I did). Pastel Lilac came out looking like a Barney shade of purple and the color did eventually lighten into a pastel shade after numerous washing's, it also faded into a nice ombre look compared to the other color I tried. Pastel Aqua was also more deep and intense than the box color showed but it faded into a turquoise type shade against my blond hair, and this shade didn't seem as quick to wash out compared to Pastel Lilac nor did it fade into a ombre look like the other shade did.

Pastel Lilac (left), and Pastel Aqua (right)

This hair dye is very drying on my already dry dyed blond hair so I do recommend using a good conditioner with this as this altered my hair texture so much that it looked really fake compared to my natural hair until I washed and deep conditioned it several times to bring it back to life (so to speak). There may actually be a short period of time in which the dye looks the exact shade you may have been hoping for, which you may find disappointing in the long run. I didn't find this dye to come off on clothing or anything once it was washed out. Ultimately I ended up trimming off my colored hair to get rid of the dye completely before last winter rolled around because I just didn't feel it was really going to go away completely on its own so, you may want to be prepared for that hair color dedication if you use this on your entire head or as a highlight color starting at your root. I do find as far as the smell of hair dyes go that I actually enjoy the scent of this dye more than any other hair dye I've tried.

When you apply this dye I do recommend using tight fighting gloves, and a plastic cape. This product can stain your skin and clothing during application, and it takes several washes to remove this from skin (I learned the hard way). When I apply this to the ends of my hair I braid my hair into 2 pigtails and place a thick hair tie right above where I want the dye to go. I then left it on the the allotted amount of time (I think the color may have turned out less intense if I left it on a shorter amount of time than the packaging stated). This dye did not take to my hair when I tried to mute it with a sulfate free conditioner (it wasn't stated on the packaging to do this but it was worth a try to see if it would work) in hopes of getting less intense results.

Pastel Bubblegum

I recently tried their shade in Pastel Bubblegum and got this cute pink color by leaving it on my ends for 15 minutes (5 minutes of that was the application process) although you can leave it on your hair up to 30 minutes according to the packaging. Mom liked the way this shade turned out on me over the other 2 shades I tried last year. I feel like this is the only color in this brand to have turned out the color I wanted, but I also felt a bit more knowledgeable this time around as to how the dye would react on my hair (click here for a picture of my hair inspo).

Lorac Mega PRO Palette 2 - Review

I got the Lorac Mega PRO Palette 2 at Ulta for $59 (before tax) and it came with a free mini Lorac Pro Plus Fiber mascara with this at checkout. As far as the higher-end eyeshadow palettes at Ulta go.. I do seem to love Lorac's the best of all because they're just nicely pigmented and soft with nice colors. This is my second eyeshadow palette purchase from Lorac as I also have the Unzipped palette. I do feel the Unzipped palette eyeshadows are actually a bit better quality compared to this palette.

On my eyes I'm wearing Custard, Sugar, Burlap, Gold Leaf, and Black

In this palette I found the lighter off-white shades not really as pigmented as the medium to darker shades, and most all the shades are either a matte or satin finish (which I love) although Black Ivy really seemed to be the only shade that was matte with a slight glitter in it. Keep in mind what I'm calling a "satin" Lorac calls a "shimmer". The shades with a * I felt were probably my favorite shades in this palette, although I do feel this is a really nice palette of natural earth tone shades.

Porcelain - Light matte off-white shade
Bisque - A bright light off-white matte shade with a pink undertone
Sugar - A slightly more muted version of Porcelain and it's a satin
Moonlight - A satin off-white shade with a yellow/white-gold undertone

Custard - An off-white matte nude/skintone shade
Lavender* - A matte pale lavender shade
Chiffon - A matte pale light pink shade
Seashell - Similar to Moonlight but has more of a pink undertone

Tawny - A matte medium orange-tan shade, almost like a matte version of Peony, very pigmented
Purple - A deep matte medium-dark purple shade, very pigmented
Prosecco* - A satin light taupe shade
Peony - A satin peachy/coral shade

Burlap - A matte medium tan shade with a yellow undertone, very pigmented
Sorbet* - A muted matte medium pink-taupe shade, very pigmented
Soft Plum - A muted satin medium purple-taupe shade
Dk. Sienna - A deep brown shade with a satin copper finish, very pigmented

Melon* - A bright medium matte peach shade, very pigmented
Goji* - A deep medium matte muted burgundy shade, very pigmented
Cinnamon - A medium satin tan brown shade with a gold tint
Penny - A medium satin brown shade with almost an olive undertone and bronze finish, very pigmented

Tangerine* - A bright but muted matte medium orange shade, very pigmented
Cabernet - A deep matte muted purple taupe shade, very pigmented
Sand Stone - A medium satin taupe shade with a silver tint, very pigmented
Olivine - Similar to sandstone but lighter with more of a gold tint, very pigmented

Saddle - A medium matte brown taupe shade
Ash - A medium-dark matte gray shade with almost a purple undertone, very pigmented
Gunmetal - A medium satin silver gray shade
Gold Leaf* - A medium-light bright satin yellow gold shade, very pigmented

Forest - A deep muted matte forest green shade, very pigmented
Black - A deep matte slate black shade, very pigmented
Blue Quartz* - A deep satin watery blue shade with a lighter blue tint, very pigmented
Black Ivy - A deep matte black shade slightly darker than the shade Black with silver flecks, very pigmented

Colors I like together... 

Tangerine and Gold Leaf
Blue Quartz and Gunmetal
Forest and Sandstone

3 Reasons Not to Buy Gel Polish

Cost and Color
Not only do gel polishes tend to be more costly but some are a 2 bottle process (is this a gimmick to make people buy more?). Considering the cost of gel polishes a dupe or better color can often be found for a lower cost. Gel colors really aren't much more unique than regular polishes. For example as I was looking at Sally Hansen's polishes recently I found 4 different formulas (1 being a gel polish) and saw 4 very similar colors available at all different costs (ranging from $2.48-$7.97 at WalMart) with the gel being the most expensive, showing that gel polish can be at least 3x the cost (per bottle).

Sally Hansen polishes

Longevity Fail
The main purpose of gel polish is an increase in polish longevity in which I have heard from numerous people that these polishes don't seem to last any longer than regular nail polish (some only lasting a mere 2 days). Even if the polish did last longer you're still gaining nail growth, and for how long would you want to wear the same polish color anyway.

Comparing Mascara

I wanted to take the time to start comparing mascaras, and in these photos you will see how my blonde natural upper lashes look with each one. There is no additional lash combing, eyeliner, fake lashes, extensions, curling, etc. done to my lashes in these photos, this is just each mascara on its own using the mascara wand it originally came with. I will be applying several coats of mascara (as I see fit) so that you can see the full potential of each product. These images are not enhanced, nor am I being paid to review them, etc. I will probably be adding more mascaras to this post in the future.

Rimmel - ScandalEyes Lycra Flex Mascara

Too Faced - Better Than Sex Mascara

NYC - Big Bold Curl Mascara

Loreal - Manga Mascara

NYC - Big Bold Volume Mascara

Tarte - Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara

Benefit - They're Real Beyond Mascara

CoverGirl - LashBlast 24hrs

Loreal vs. Banana Boat - Sunless Tanner Reviews

I've tried many different drugstore sunless tanners over the years and today I wanted to compare my two favorites. L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion (in 'medium natural tan') and Banana Boat Sunless Tan Lotion (in 'deep dark color').

L'Oreal Sublime 

$10.99

5oz

Banana Boat 

$6.67

6oz

--------------Comparison Review--------------

Cost: With the LS tanner the cost is higher than BB's and the LS is also less product, thus making the LS cost twice the amount of BB.

Bronzing: The BB gives you that insta-bronze when first applied which can help you during application to avoid streaks and missed spots, while the LS goes on looking like lotion so you have to pay closer attention during application. However, the bronzing from the BB can tend to look streaky even after trying to blend it on as evenly as possible.

SPF: The LS does contain an SPF unlike the BB so, the LS will keep you protected if you are out in the sun unlike the BB.

Scent: The LS scent is strong compared to BB's, the scent is not as pleasant as the BB. When the product is washed off the LS scent is still noticeable while BB's scent is actually one of the best I've smelled for any drugstore tanner and I don't find what's left of the scent to really linger at all.

Develop Time: The LS specifies it takes 2-3 hours to develop but preferably 3 hours. BB does not specify when you can wash off the developing product but it does give you an insta-bronze tan once applied. After around 3 hours the developing tanners look about the same on, the BB is still darker than the LS due to the insta-bronzer still being on but once you rinse off the products after they've had time to develop the two tanners look about the same although the BB seems to give better coverage and thus looks a bit tanner on as an end result. Also, BB's streaky insta-bronzer seems to disappear after washing it off and I wouldn't say these products turn you orange... after two applications of the stuff from applying it two days straight my mom thought I was wearing a nice looking natural colored pair of panty-hose, haha.

Lasting Power: For myself I find the LS only lasts around 1-3 days while the BB generally stays on 3-7 days.

Packaging: I find the BB packaging better because the product is forced to the bottom of the bottle unlike with the LS which I ended up having to pound out the product after prolonged use of this, while the BB bottle is also more squeezable in comparison to LS's hard upright-top container.

Dry Time: The LS took longer to dry than the BB as the BB felt dry enough to put on clothing after an hour.

Other: I find that the BB does not breakout my face in acne unlike the LS, neither product actually suggests this to be used on your face specifically. Although I would advise that you wash the product off your face after several hours to reduce any chance you may breakout. Currently the BB actually seems to be more readily available at various stores than this specific LS product.

--------------Overall Winner--------------

It's pretty easy to see the pro's of the BB based on my own personal experiences of both products which is why the BB has now become my #1 choice among drugstore tanners.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara - Review

The other day I 'tweeted' about having received a sweet compliment about how lovely my lashes looked and it happened to be the same day I changed mascaras, and from a perfect stranger. That being said I was glad I found this Physician Formula Organic Wear Fake Out Mascara at Walmart which was a 'buy one get one free pack' at the store so, for under $9 for 2 it was coming home with me.

I would probably compare this mascara to CoverGirls LashBlast mascara's, although I find the PF to be a bit more on the wet side, less eye irritating, and it does remove more easily (for once I was wishing to find a waterproof version of this mascara but it doesn't appear one exists). Since the formula of this is wetter than the CG I find the PF to provide better/easier lash coverage. The main thing you may also like about this mascara is that it is natural, hence "organic wear".

Physicians Formula Mascara after using a Maybelline lash curler

*EyeShadow used is Maybelline's eyeshadow duo in Indian Summer.

For another online review I found on this product checkout the link below!
http://theflaxenowl.com/natural-swap-mascara/

I am a Rebel - Beginners Review

So, this post is super delayed on my end but... those of you following me on Twitter already know that I had a huge choice/debate to make when it came to getting my first DSLR camera. It was a biiiiggg toss up between the Nikon 5100 and the Canon Rebel T3i (aka 600D).

I did a ton of research on both of these DSLR cameras and most people pointed toward the Nikon for photographers and the Canon for videographers. I'm more of a photographer although I have been wanting the T3i for some time now so that's why I ultimately picked the Canon over the Nikon...  not to mention the fact the guy working over at BestBuy told me "Nikon is the soccer mom camera of the two" which was enough to make me not want to get it, lol... although he was referring to the height/grip of the camera, and I liked that it seemed to have more manual functionality which can come in handy for aquarium photos/videos :P My dad on the other hand was pushing me toward the Nikon but... I 'Rebel'ed alright, haha. Other reasons why I didn't pick the Nikon was because the shutter was pretty powerful as it would shake a bit going off and would make me lose position a bit when not using a tripod, the camera body itself didn't seem as nice of quality, it's also only 16MP where as the T3i is 18MP (not a huge difference there), and it did cost $70 more than the Canon (although price really wasn't a major factor for me). The Nikon however may have a slightly better ISO as it's expandable past what it can do and the white balance seemed more true than Canon's (although that may be adjustable and nothing some basic editing skills can't fix later on), ISO may be more important if you're taking night photo's (and I honestly don't know that I'll be taking constant dark/night photos), also one of the Nikon lenses went to 300mm where as Canon's went to 250mm so if you're into really close-up or macro shots Nikon may be the way to go (I hope I don't kick myself in the arse for getting the Canon, lol).

Cost and Bundle info

I got my T3i at Costco which was a huge bundle that was on sale for $730. This bundle came with the camera body, 2 lenses (18-55mm and 55-250mm), 8G memory disk (Dane-Elec Pro200x), battery and charger w/ plug attachment, TV cable, USB computer cable, a huge Canon Rebel camera bag w/ strap, camera neck strap, and 3 CD's of software. Also having bought it at Costco it offers a coupon for 100 free 4 x 6 prints (which you order from there website and pick-up in store) and another coupon for $5 off Custom Photobooks (30 to 100 pages).

What do I think of my new DSLR camera thus far... 

It's much more complex than my Panasonic DMC-FZ28 which was an over-sized point and shoot camera. I actually have to use the view finder to take a lot of the photos rather than just the viewing screen (they're interchangeable on the device), unless of course you're doing videos and then the flip-out screen is awesome and super helpful for viewing. So, I do feel I have to put in a bit more effort into shooting images (luckily I do already have a tripod!) especially since I'm still learning how to use everything. The good thing about having the Canon T3i though is that there are a lot of YouTube videos and tutorials so, hopefully I'll learn how to use this DSLR more quickly in case I do ever graduate to using a different DSLR in the future.

New Lipsticks and Review

I haven't been buying any new makeup lately which is why you've probably seen a lack of makeup posts on here. I just have too much makeup as it is right now, and with school, work, etc... I have little time to do any new looks. However, I did just buy two Maybelline ColorSensational lipsticks ($7.19 per lipstick at Rite Aid) one is Magnificent Mauve #430 which I believe is a new shade in this collection and the other is Sparkling Sand #740.

Wearing Maybelline's 'Magnificent Mauve' Lipstick

Today at work I decided to try out Magnificent Mauve and a lot of my male co-workers were like "ohhh... nice lipstick, what's the occasion" so, positive reactions to the shade as I usually just wear more natural colors. I do really like this color, it's probably my favorite shade of Mauve right now. My past fave shade of Mauve was Maybelline's lipstick in Sassy Mauve although darker and I usually ended up having to blot it down a bit to suite my pale complexion, but Magnificent Mauve is close to perfect for me as it's mostly pink with a bit of blue undertone to it making it a smidge purple although not really what I'd I'd call a fuchsia (because fuchsia shades look yuckster on me, hah). It also has some very fine silver-ish shimmer to it which gives it a bit of shine, and also the ColorSensational lipsticks are a bit sheer so they'll probably look a bit different on everyone, and also my lips are not really pigmented in color naturally (if that helps).

Left to Right: Sparkling Sand, and Magnificent Mauve

Sparkling Sand really doesn't look like much on myself, it just adds a shiny sheen to my lips and is a nude pale shade with fine shimmers, very sheer on the lips.

Liquid Foundation Comparison

I have been wanting to post a comparison of these two liquid foundations for some time now, so finally... here it is! Maybelline SuperStay 24Hr Makeup VS. Revlon ColorStay Makeup.

Not Actual Size

Maybelline SuperStay 24Hr Makeup
Price: $10.99
Size: 30ml
Claims: 24hr Staying Power, Oil-Free
Formula: Micro-Flex
SPF: None
This liquid foundation in comparison to Revlon's is much thicker and dries truer to the bottles color. Since it is thicker it does seem to give better coverage than Revlon's formula although it's not as long lasting. This doesn't contain an SPF so it won't help protect against UV rays like Revlon's however, it also means you won't be getting that SPF white cast on your face which makes this product more ideal for flash photography. This is an oil-free formula unlike Revlon's (which didn't state that it was oil-free or not) so it's possibly more optimal for acne prone skin although, I didn't breakout with either product. I don't find the staying power nearly as good as Revlon's but I did feel this product does start off looking better, dries a bit quicker on the skin and blends better which cuts down on harsh makeup lines. This product is probably better suited for drier skin types since it does turn a bit oily looking on the face after a few hours.

Revlon ColorStay Makeup
Price: $12.99
Size: 30ml
Claims: 24hr Staying Power
Formula: Soft-Flex
SPF: Yes
This liquid foundation in comparison to Maybelline's is much more runny and it seems to dry slightly darker then when it's wet thus drying time takes a bit longer than Maybelline's. Due to it being runny this doesn't seem to give you as great of coverage as with Maybelline's thicker formula although the formula seems to last longer over time (a little goes a long way!) because of its consistency, making the product worth the extra money. This product does contain a small amount of SPF unlike Maybelline's however, this SPF does give you a white cast/glow that SPF tends to do so, this foundation won't be flash photograph friendly when worn by itself (although I always set my liquid foundation with a face powder which does help to cut down on the SPF glare and gives you more of a natural dewey/glow finish). Unlike Maybelline's foundation this brand comes in two different formulas... one for normal/dry skin and the other for combination/oily skin and I would've thought the products consistency may have changed between the two but they seemed the same to me so... I'm not sure the difference. I also didn't find this foundation to really blend into the skin so you do want to try to get the best shade for your skin tone to avoid creating harsh makeup lines. This product also does seem to have decent staying power compared to Maybelline's (Revlon is much more workout/sweat friendly!).

Zumba

This semester in college I got the opportunity to take a Zumba course for my PE credit so, I wanted to talk a bit about that for anyone else curious in this because you can probably find Zumba classes locally in your own neighborhood or gym. I've only had one session of this thus far so I'll just cover over the basics of what I've learned on my own...

My Zumba class is 50 minutes long and it consists of 70% Latin music and the rest is stuff like hip hop, pop, etc... music that makes you move and dance basically (my instructor plays alot of music by Pitbull). You basically are just going to follow along with what the instructor does or tells you to do and at your own level of intensity. The moves mostly seem to consist of 4-count Salsa dance based moves, hip hop, and your typical aerobic type moves. The class isn't really about dance technique as it is mainly free style and trying to work out your body the most effective way possible... so, if you aren't feeling the burn then you may not be pushing yourself hard enough or working your muscles/body effectively. Personally I didn't find Zumba moves too difficult to catch onto as I've done line dance, salsa, and some hip hop over my years... but I do find I get a pretty good workout from this because it can be pretty intense for a lot if not most people out their. Some of the dance routines are more intense than others. Of course be sure to drink plenty of water because you'll probably only be getting quick breaks during the class, bring a towel because you'll more than likely work up a sweat, wear comfortable clothes you can move in, and have on some comfortable sneakers (which will bring me to my next topic).

-----------

I had to get some new sneakers once I experienced what the class was like because my worn down sneakers for work were not gonna cut it. So, after class I headed straight to a local Mall to pick out the perfect Nike's for my Zumba class (however, your shoes don't have to be Nike's but that's the brand I was wanting to go with)... thanks to Finish Line for their awesome customer service as I tried on nearly every pair of Nike's they had but... I found my winner (luckily they weren't $120+ either). I really didn't care about looks or price going into the store, I had a good idea of what I'd be needing in a shoe after the class though, and once I found my shoe I'd later debate the color options. Anyway, I bought the women's Nike Reax Rocket 2 for $70 (the white ones online are currently $50 though), and I'm not certain but the Nike Dual Fusion ST 2 may be pretty similar to these. I'm usually a size 9.5 and ended up getting these in a 9, so you'll more than likely want to try these on before buying them (silly not to, right?). I liked these because they were light weight (as to help aid in making it through my zumba routine), had enough flex for me (for dance movements), were sturdy (to help give my feet support and balance), and gave the front of my foot a wide enough surface space to help balance when on my toes (so I don't crush my tootsie's or fall over). They aren't the cushiest of their shoes but they did have a decent arch in my opinion (if that appeals to you?) and they're a little low feeling in the heel for me but nothing an insert probably couldn't solve. Although, my Zumba instructor wears the $90 Nike Free TR Fit 2, I felt those were the worst possible choice for myself (the most uncomfortable of all the Nikes I had tried on to be perfectly honest)... so, to each their own ;)

Goodluck to anyone looking to join, I hope I gave you some incite on Zumba and picking out some shoes for the class, and if you have anymore questions feel free to ask!

Lady Gaga Fame Perfume - Review

From the HAUS LABORATORIES in Paris. The first ever black Eau de Parfum compounded by Lady Gaga. "It's black like the soul of fame, but invisible once airborne". The bottle design itself is nice in appearance but it's a bit hard to remove the gold claw-like cap from the clear glass bottle as it clicks down into place. It's unique to see a black colored perfume which does spray on nicely as well as clear. The perfume once sprayed onto the skin feels a bit damp and mildy sticky on the skin which doesn't disapate so, I wasn't a fan of that part of this perfume.

I honestly didn't find the scent incredibly unique as Gaga's style usually portrays, definitely not "sweat, blood, etc" as she claimed to have been making in the beginning. The Fragrance notes: Incense, Belladonna, Apricot, Honey, Jasmine Samac, Tiger Orchidea. The scent that first catches my attention is a grape smell which may be the 'blackberry' listed in the ingredients on the packaging although the grape smell disapates quickly and partially morphs into a sterile metallic smell. So it does have a fruity aspect to it as it also contains apricot but that scent isn't visible to myself. There is also some exotic floral notes to this which is possibly the jasmine and orchid listed. It's not an overly sweet scent but it does smell a bit familiar to me and it actually dies down pretty quick (isn't that how fame goes?).

Overall, It's not an overpowering scent, nor is it repulsive, I'd probably wear this everyday, especially during evenings. I wish the scent stood out a bit more and was a bit stronger and better lasting. Also the very light stickiness this leaves on the skin I don't like, but sprayed onto clothing shouldn't be a problem I suppose. The scent seems to stay around you rather than travel to every nose in reach, and this does seem to die down close to the skin. It mostly smells of grape and an exotic floral to me, nothing too complicated in my opinion. For some odd reason I find the scent more appealing when I'm working up a sweat at the gym, perhaps it just works better with my body chemistry?? Well, I hope this quick review gave you a bit of incite on Gaga's Fame and also... there's no blood, etc in this... I blacklight tested it, haha.

Light Fluid Iceberg - Perfume Dupe

I recently purchased this perfume hoping it would be a dupe for Imporio Armani's discontinued scent called White (for her). Honestly it does smell very similar and has the same essence as White (both are a spicy oriental scent) but the story of it is a smidge different. Light Fluid when first sprayed seems to have this quick sting of citrus that shoots out and rapidly turns into a billow of black pepper for the first minute or so (I don't care too much for that part but it does quickly change!). Once the pepper smell subsides it turns into the nice soft scent that White has which is a subtle musk that is soft and a tad sweet, almost like Downy sheets minus any fresh laundry smell (heh). Light Fluid is also less inexpensive than White as I got this 3.4oz bottle on eBay for 15 dollars in total. Some people say that Light Fluid doesn't last that long but I sprayed on several sprays before leaving the house and over 12 hours later I could still smell this on myself so, that's good enough for me! I like that this scent is not one that's overpowering and it just makes me feel a bit more peppier throughout my day ;)

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask - Review

Awhile back I had came across a YT Vid by JLovesMac1 on this product and I FINALLY happened to come across on it an a trip over to Rite Aid so, I snatched it up without a second thought!

This product states it is a "revitalizing hair reconstruction for dry, damaged hair" as well as "produces miracle-like hair rejuvenation" and it's an "intense treatment". So, I am not too sure as to what those claims will do specifically given only those explanations on the container but it should hopefully benefit dry damaged hair and some how rejuvenate it (in other words make it better/healthier, heh).

To use the product you basically use it after shampooing, comb it through wet hair, leave on 7 minutes, and rinse... it also says "don't use more than twice a week". If you're like me than you may be wondering..."will I have to follow it up with my conditioner after rinsing it out?" (I can almost live without shampoo but when it comes to conditioner I'm pretty picky!). For me I definitely did not feel the need to use my conditioner after using this product, it's actually a bit hard to really feel like you've rinsed it all out because it is very hydrating with all those oils in it but it didn't leave my hair oily because it is sooo softening. I do feel that this product would be more beneficial for my hair during dry winter months rather than hot humid summer days because when my hair is too soft it's more sensitive to humidity.

A few of the ingredients in this product are... glycerin, castor seed oil, algae extract, tea tree leaf oil, anthemis nobilis flower oil, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, macadamia ternifolia seed oil, and argania spinosa kernel oil. So, I found most of those ingredients to be really appealing to me. It is also a No Animal Testing/Cruelty Free product. The fragrance in this product just smells like a generic clean shampoo/condish type of smell... nothing offensive or unique in my opinion (some say it smells like Herbal Essences but I think it smells more like Neutrogena's conditioner). A cheap and similar product to this would probably be Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner although I don't find Aussie to smell as pleasant after washing, nor as hydrating. I did like the fact that I could heat style my hair and have my hair still smell like the product where as majority of hair products I've used don't seem to do that and I'm left with my hair smelling like it has just been flat ironed, etc.

Overall, I didn't find that this made my hair any shinier after the first use of this although if your hair isn't over processed with heat and hair dye than you may find it appears shinier. My hair did seem like it was fuller looking after using this but by the next day my hair just seemed to be back to how it'd usually look after a day without washing it. I did find it to be a good and softening deep conditioner as I feel like the ends of my hair feel softer and smooth as well although it may be a little too conditioning for hair sensitive to humid weather (like my naturally curly haired self). After the first day of using this product I could smell the product in my hair which did smell nice although it didn't seem to last into the next day. The fact my hair smells nice throughout the first day of using this I'm feeling a little bummed out that it doesn't smell that way the next day so... I just might have to buy some other products by them which I could use daily although this product alone cost me around $32 (also, Organix sells a possible dupe of this called "Hydrating Macadamia Oil Intensive Moisture Mask" for only $8).

Maybelline Mineral Power Loose Powder - Quick Review

After realizing I had bought Maybelline's Mineral Power Loose Powder in not only there Translucent shade but also in Ivory and now having used both products recently I decided to give my opinion of the product.

First off, I have dry skin that tends to get a bit shiny throughout the day without the proper makeup powder to set my look, this powder did close to nothing for me. I found the Translucent shade a bit odd because as it has a white-pink color to it, it does not appear to look that way once applied (hence it looked a bit translucent on as intended). The other odd thing I found about this shade is that it didn't seem to work as well as the Ivory shade did for me... so, it might be that way with the other non-translucent shades in this. However, both shades did not seem to do anything for me after about an hour or two after application... it left my face looking shiny as though I had never applied it at all.

This loose powder was definitely not what I was hoping for so I'm not going to recommend it to people... unless you like having little to no coverage and don't need to set your liquid foundation or moisturizer. Even the stubby applicator brush got tossed aside when I got this as I replaced it by using my own foundation makeup brush. I didn't think that this powder had made me look cake-y until I had used the wrong makeup brush one day and my mom basically said "your face looks cake-y today", LOL (no sh*t! haha).

Maybelline Baby Lips - Review

I had watched a YouTube review (can't remember who it was) on Maybelline Baby Lips and decided to purchase the recommended shade/flavor called Pink Punch.

It's a cute shade for spring although I'm not sure the color is uber flattering on myself (probably looks best with some pink blush on the cheeks). I do find it moisturizing (lasting well over an hour but not 8 hours as advertised) and it is nice that it has SPF 20. For a chapstick type of product it does have nice pigmentation in the colored ones, especially for being a bit sheer. The scent is of fruit punch although a bit artificial smelling, I can detect some citrus and berry notes in it. The packaging for Pink Punch is pretty cute with its bubble gum pink and yellow lipstick dispenser, very youthful and girly :P I probably wouldn't buy this shade again, perhaps one of the clear shades I might though and then just wear regular gloss/lipstick over top.

Purr by Katy Perry Perfume - Quick Review

I recently tried Katy Perry's Purr Perfume which comes in a cute purple cat shaped bottle with diamond eyes and a silver heart "Purr" charm but that's probably the best thing about this perfume.

 

Purr claims to be "playful and sophisticated" however, I find the scent to be childishly bitter sweet which must be from the vanilla, I did not smell any sophistication at first or really much later but it does almost die down to a pungent old lady smell at times, perhaps that's the rose in it...it is a complicated scent to pin point exactly. It has a soft scent from the musk however, peach scents always seem a bit strong and potent in my opinion as it does with this. I really had to put my nose right up to the scent at first to really get a good whiff of it. I don't really care for this on myself and it gave me headache and a sore throat to be honest. You could probably find a similar cheap body spray at your local drugstore that's full of isopropyl alcohol that will smell similar to this.

Peach nectar
Forbidden apple
Jasmine blossom
Bulgarian rose
Vanilla orchid
Creamy sandalwood
Musk

I believe in 2001 Dulce and Gabbana made Light Blue for women, which has similar ingredients (rose, apple, jasmine and musk to be exact) to Purr but I don't have the DG right now to compare the two.

S by Shakira - Quick Review

I recently tried S by Shakira and I must say, it smells vaguely familar and probably something I might've bought. This reminds me of a more floral version of Britney's Fantasy as it has that similar sweetness to it. It also has most of the same scents that were in my past top 3 scents... I wonder if Shakira also wears these, heh.

This perfume offers enticing notes of ...

exotic fruits
jasmine
gardenia
floral bouquet
vanilla bean
sandalwood
warm amber