2018: A Year In Review

categories: Her

January
+ Did this month even happen? I feel like December of 2017 blended into February of 2018. The only thing I remember is the False Missile Threat we had in Hawaii. It doesn’t help that my immune system decided to catch every bug that was floating around so December 2017 to mid-February 2018 I was sick off and on for nearly a month.

February
+ Pretty sure this month also didn’t occur but it was an interesting month to say the least. Late one Friday I started working on a post about my favorite organizing and planning tips that I had found online. I don’t know why but I had a great time writing that post so I hope others enjoyed the resources that I shared as much as I enjoyed discovering and reading them myself.

March

Celebrated my sisters birthday.

April

Even though things were busy for me I was able to fit in a trip and headed to Las Vegas for a bit to hang out with family and friends. I would really love to make this a yearly thing.

May
I decided reclaim my health and started training with a coach. You can read all about that here. I was focusing on health and wellness and it was one of the best months of my adult life.

June
After making it through my first month of training I felt so strong and like I could do anything. I really had to push myself through many of the sessions that I did but I’m so glad that I made it through the second month.

July
July 10th is my birthday so I just knew for sure this month was going to be a great one. I got a lot of great birthday gifts and I also purged and got rid of a lot of things as well.

August
This month was hot and a blurrrrrr. I spent a lot of time cooling off, hanging out with family and trying to enjoy the final days of summer.

September
At the end of September I moved in with a guy I was dating – something I never thought I would ever do unless I was getting married. It was an interesting experience that I may be more hesitant about doing in the future but I’m happy that I had the experience.

October
Lots of fun time with family and friends this month.

November
This was an interesting month. Thank you Mercury Retrograde. The guy I was dating and living with… I enjoyed most of it because I enjoyed being around and with him. But I quickly found out that we were just travelling on different paths and he didn’t want me along his journey in the same capacity that I wanted him on mine. Welp.

December
Moved into a new place. Not just physically. But spiritually. Into a new place and space. A lot of tears, stress, depression but also meditation, reflection and affirmations. Finally started seeing my therapist again and things started quickly looking positive again.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

29
Dec
2018

My Favorite Perfumes from Scentbird

categories: Her

I wrote awhile back about Scentbird – it is a perfume subscription in which you receive a new perfume (or cologne for men) every month to try out. The subscription to Scentbird that I have offers a 30 day supply for just $14.95/month. They have since expanded their line to include lotions and other body products as well.

One thing that I really love about Scentbird is that you can either search for a scent by name or you can also go through their useful scent finder to find some scents that they think you may enjoy.

(This post contains affiliate links)B

Burberry London: This was one of my favorite perfumes for years and then I had a difficult time finding it locally so I switched to something else. Since I hadn’t used it in awhile I wasn’t sure if my taste had changed so Scentbird was the perfect way to try it again to see if I still loved it – and I do. It is a smokey and spicy feminine scent with hints of jasmine and a bit of lavender. It gives me a cozy feeling which is why it reminds me of winter.
Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina Misteriosa: I remember spritzing this scent at a store once but wasn’t completely sure it was something I would wear more than one time. It seemed too bold for my style but I figured trying it through Scentbird would be a great way to try it out without committing to a large bottle.
Amouge Honour Woman: This particular scent was recommended by others based on the perfumes I currently love and was also recommended by Scentbird for me so of course I had to go ahead and try it. I wasn’t sure I would like it when I first sniffed the bottle because it smelled like a sweet musk (I’m not a fan of wearing musk even though it usually smells good on others), however, after wearing it for a few hours I fell in love. It is sweet, flirty and floral but not too strong. The scent was light and lasted a lot longer than other scents I have tried in the past.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

08
Oct
2018

Product Review: Ruby Kisses by Kiss

categories: Beauty & Makeup

If you knew me a few decades ago you would have known that I was OBSESSED with KISS brand acrylic nail kits. Once I discovered them I ditched all the other press on nails and they were a special treat for me to get. They were my favorite brand of nails for many years!

A few times while walking around CVS (Longs Drugs in Hawaii) I saw that they came out with a cosmetics line called Ruby Kisses. I saw the line a few times because it was prominently displayed on an end cap but I didn’t give it much attention other than a quick look over. Well the other day I noticed that it was sold down significantly and one of the eye shadow palettes that had caught my eye in the past had only a few left so I went over to check it out. Once I saw the prices I got excited!

I love to try new products but if they are expensive I will usually see if anyone I know has tried it or watch/read reviews online to see what other people have said. I was able to find a few reviews that had positive or neutral responses and since the prices were so fantastic (plus I had a CVS coupon on makeup) I decided to grab a bunch of products to try them out.

This is what I purchased:

Ruby Kisses Never Touch Up Matte Finish Setting Spray
OK. I have always been weary about setting sprays because from my experience they often dry with a powder finish – which is fine if your skin isn’t brown which makes it looks like your skin is ashy. However, this spray settled on my skin nicely and really gave my makeup some extra staying power. I sprayed it a little too close to my face the first time so I had to kind of dab it off as it streaked down my face but the next time I used it I sprayed from farther away and gently patted it into my skin with my fingertips while in front of a fan. Love this product and would definitely purchase again.

Ruby Kisses Break of Dawn Dear Diary Series Eyeshadow Palette
Loved the colors in this palette. Nice, smooth texture with decent pigment.

Ruby Kisses Small Eyeshadow Brush
I’m forever buying makeup brushes. I refuse to purchase an expensive set mainly because for some reason I always end up misplacing them and finding them weeks later after I purchased a replacement. This brush did its job and totally worth the price that I paid for it.

Ruby Kisses 24 Hour Eyeshadow Magic Primer
If you like Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, this is a more affordable alternative. My eyeshadow lasted long, not as long as Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, however, it lasted nearly as long. The only thing that made me not like it so much is if I use too much I can see it under my shadow as it doesn’t blend into my skin (color) as well but overall this was a good deal for what it does.

Ruby Kisses Perfect Precision Lip Liner
I have used this lip liner so much that I actually need to purchase another one. Went on smooth and kept my lipstick from feathering. I also used it under a gloss for some added staying power and color and it worked well with glossy formula as well.

Overall for the price and quality of the products they are something I would purchase again. They are affordable, have a beautiful color selection and I found myself using most of the products more than one time. KISS has not failed me yet!

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

17
Aug
2018

Flashback Friday’s: Becoming a Morning Person

categories: Flashback Friday's, Her

flashback fridays hertaintedlips

I am a self-proclaimed night owl. I feel most productive (or maybe my mind is just more active and creative) at night. About 10-15 years ago it was insomnia but I learned to channel all that sort of mindless energy into doing things – reading, writing, listening to music or even watching tv with the timer set so it would turn off after I dozed off.

I have tried many times to become a morning person. Sometimes because I wanted to be one of those productive people that work up early and got so many things done prior to starting my actual day. Other times it was because I had a job that started at 7:30AM which meant I had to be awake early anyways. Let me just say the having to do it because of my job made me not want to do it even more. HA! I now have to leave my house at 7:30AM for work instead of be at work at 7:30AM. Very happy for this.

The past couple of weeks, however, I have been reading a lot of posts and watching a lot of YouTube videos on becoming a morning person. Most people that have tried it say they love how much they get done when they wake up early. The main tips I hear are starting going to bed a little earlier each night and waking up earlier each morning. Also avoiding being too stimulated before bed and allowing natural light to come in during the morning hours is up there as well.

Even though I know the basics on how to become a morning person it is much like my working out and eating (mostly)healthier decision, there have been many ups and downs in this journey.

Speaking of health, wellness and working out… After nearly a month of being sick I finally started training with my trainer again. One of the workout homework assignments she gave me is to start running in the morning so that I have it done first thing and I avoid making up excuses or being “too busy” to do it later. This has worked very well so far. You can read more about my running and training here.

Becoming a Morning Person

This morning I woke up at around 5:30AM even though my alarm is set for 7:00AM. I was going to crawl back in bed after a bathroom pit stop and sipping some water but I happened to glance at my phone and yet another becoming a morning person video was suggested to me [here is that specific video].

After watching the video I was about to lay back down but decided to come and work on the post above and since it was short and sweet I decided to come to this website and work on this post that you are currently reading. It is now 6:38AM and I am still tempted to go back to bed but I am feeling rather successful to get two posts posted in one day prior to 7:00AM and they aren’t even pre-scheduled to post!

As I opened up WordPress I was thinking about this past week and what I have done. I realized aside from working, going shopping, meditating and watching The Sinner or Grace & Frankie on Netflix I have had a pretty laid back week. One thing that really stuck out, however, is that I have been watching an abundance of videos about becoming a morning person and how to be more productive in general.

I’m not sure if this is a subconscious thing or not but I have been waking up unprompted between the hours of 4:30AM and 5:30AM nearly every morning. Usually I will drink some water and fall back asleep but lately I have found myself doing things like following up on emails, reading articles, catching up on global events or even like this morning, working on blog posts. It takes a little self talk to roll out of bed (or at least sit up in bed) and work on some things, however, I am becoming a morning person and it isn’t even because I am forcing myself to become one.

How about you? Are you becoming a morning person?

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

29
Apr
2018

My Current Favorite Beauty Finds

categories: Beauty & Makeup, Shopping, Shopping Deals

Treated myself to a couple of beauty products and thought I would share some of my favorite beauty finds here with you.

Olivia Care Rosehip Oil

Even though I have an oily T-zone I realized over the past 10 years or so that I must not be afraid to put oils on my skin. When I found a bottle of Olivia Care Rosehip Oil Face Serum I just had to try it to see if would really help with my skins appearance. I used it directly on my clean, dry skin since I like to try products on their own to see what they do. Hours later my skin felt supple and so soft. My T-zone got a little oily but not any more oily than it usually would during the day. So far I am enjoying how soft and supple it makes my skin feel. The bottle says to store it in a cool place or refrigerate so I’m sure I will enjoy the refreshing feeling of having it on my skin in the morning.

Ole Henriksen Grease Relief Facial Water

I am so glad I read the directions for this because it says to mist onto a cotton pad and swipe. I thought it was like setting sprays where I spritz it on my face so I’m happy that I didn’t do that because it doesn’t have a soft mist, it sort of foams up a little first.

One thing that I really liked about this product is once I put it on it made my skin look very smooth and satiny. I also liked that even with my skin tone it didn’t leave a white residue – most mattifying sprays and products tend to leave residue or powder because they aren’t formulated for women with darker skin tones. So great job Ole Henriksen.

I didn’t like the the almost medicinal scent. I think the scent sort of bothered me because it reminded me of my teen years of using Sea Breeze Astringent.

Mill Creek Botanicals Aloe Vera Shampoo

If you have been following me online for awhile you should know that I go between having natural and relaxed (permed) hair. One thing that has not changed since I first starting allowing my hair to grow in its natural state and not alter the texture with chemicals is that I rarely use shampoo. I am a co-washer (using conditioner instead of shampoo to “wash”) because I realized every shampoo I have ever tried (even “conditioning” or “moisturizing” ones) always pulled all the oils and moisture out of my hair and once I conditioned it my hair would get soft and moisturized again. Shampoo was stripping my hair of everything. Now I do use a baking soda or apple cider vinegar concoction from time to time or a clarifying shampoo but on a regular basis I rarely ever use a regular shampoo. UNTIL NOW. I was shopping with my sister and discovered Mill Creek Botanicals Aloe Vera Shampoo. I loved the smell and the first couple of ingredients were ingredients I knew my hair actually liked. So I went ahead and purchsed it. It claims to be a “mild” shampoo and it is. It suds up very well and wasn’t harsh at all on my hair. My hair felt so soft and smelled so refreshing after washing it. I almost forgot that I had to condition my hair because it was feeling so soft. I would definitely purchase this again.

What are your favorite finds? Let us know in the comments.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

18
Feb
2018

Link Love: Organizing and Planning Tips

categories: Her, Link Love, Techie

Now that things in my personal life have settled down a bit I have been trying to get more organized and making an effort to plan my life in advance. I notice that when I plan things out in advance things tend to run more smoothly and I have less things to worry about. Since I have been actively working on organizing, planning and cleaning up my to do list and calendars (paper and digital) I have been searching the internet for inspiration. So check out some of my favorite information that I have found along the way.

Top Organizing and Planning Tips

Organizing Tips

I really enjoyed Laura’s post How to Combat Digital Hoarding. In the digital world that we live in we now have many more digital files and without a system they can be a big old mess. Laura shares some of the things she has been working on with some great tips.

Most of my digital files are fairly organized, however, the problem is I need to purge the ones that no longer serve a purpose (and purge more often). I also want to do a better job at naming digital files and making sure they have a home. Another issue I have is that I have things in so many different places – Dropbox, Google Drive (I have my personal one and one that was used for school – they need to be merged) and on my laptop as well as some on my phone.

I really liked how Laura talked about pdf’s in her video. Nearly all the pdf’s I have are in a folder called “To Read”. The problem is, I don’t really get around to reading these as often as I should. I made a promise to myself that I would read a few every month and either archive or delete them. Some are a couple pages are tips and others are manuals, articles from when I was in school or entire books. I don’t need all of these taking up precious space and just need to go ahead and read and/or purge them.

More organizing tips:
+ 101 items to get rid of without regret
+ 3 Steps to Organized Files

Planning and Productivity Tips

I really love watching Nora Conrads videos on planning and productivity on YouTube. Two of my favorite videos are from her Productivity Series called The Brain Dump Method and Scheduling Your Brain Dumps.

I have been doing brain dumps for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that I found that not only did other people do it but there was also a term for it. I used to do my brain dumps strictly on paper but now I do it on paper and also in ToDoist. As Nora notes it helps to clear “mind clutter”. I tried scheduling my brain dumps but sometimes they just happen whenever they want. I know if I don’t write it down or input it in ToDoist somewhere I will probably forget about it temporarily (or permanently on some occasions). I try to make it a habit to go through my brain dumps and make actually create tasks of the information if needed that way it is organized and not just a bunch of words.

Watch all of Nora’s Productivity Series videos

During one of my late night YouTube watching binges I found this GREAT VIDEO from Speaker and Author Amy Landino titled How To Plan Your Day. My favorite part was when she said a to do list is like a junk drawer – it has a bunch of stuff in there (mostly important) but needs to be organized.

Take a look:

When I stumbled upon How To Become A Morning Person & Love It I almost skipped to something else but I really enjoyed the infographic that was in the article and there were some helpful tips there as well. I am totally not a morning person. I have tried (and failed) several times to become one and that is just not part of my genetic makeup. In face, I am up at 1:49am on a Saturday morning working on this post. Does that count as being a morning person? I am almost sleepy enough for bed but I’m enjoying working on this post.

More productivity tips:
+ 30+ Gmail Tips and Tools That Can Boost Productivity
+ Video: 8 Things to Do Before 8AM to Make Your Days Less Hectic
+ 12 Evening Habits Worth Developing

What issues are you currently having with organizing and/or planning your home or life? What are some of your favorite organizing and planning tips? Let us know in the comments.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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Organizing Tips

Planning and Productivity Tips

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