Insomnia

photo credit: HikingArtist.com via photopin cc

I'm so annoyed at myself right now. I passed out like before 9 pm last night. I was exhausted. Then I woke up at 1 am and can't sleep. I'm gonna have to be at work in a couple hours and I probably will get crabby if people get on my case, which is seems inevitable, lol. Feels like I was under a full moon this whole week. 

I'm gonna need to get a humidifier because the air is just too dry. My nose has been stuffy and my throat has been feeling super dry at night, which also caused me not to sleep well. 

I'm pretty sure I'm going to pass out early later tonight and the same thing is going happen again...I can no longer deny that I have insomnia and truth is I don't know how to go about that. 

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that prevents you to fall asleep or stay asleep. It's either a physical or psychological. There's a few good reasons why you should get your beauty sleep, as the term suggest, because lack of it hurts your appearance, your health, and your quality of life. 

• Your skin regenerate itself while you sleep.
• Your body need sleep to recharge. Lack of sleep makes you tired, increases your appetite, and causes you to gain weight!
• Sleep deprivation makes you more irritable and stressed
• Getting enough sleep keeps your mind sharp and yourself more alert during the day
• Lack of sleep may give you more wrinkles, dark circles, baggy eyes...well you get the drift. When we don't sleep well, we don't feel good, and when we don't feel good, it shows on our face.
• Sleep problems are linked to depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health issues.

After reading this list, I guess I'm ready to accept and admit my condition hits pretty much all the bullets. The problem was I didn't want to admit to myself I had another problem...lol. Who does anyways? It's depressing to even think of the possibility of it or add another one to the list. Truth is you can't fix your problem if you don't acknowledge them. So that's the first step. Stop being in denial.

Insomnia is probably one of those things many of us ignore and don't think it's that important. I know I am one of them but if you really stop and think about it. It can be serious. 

Story of my life...Many years ago, I came home really tired from work. I can't remember how long I slept the night before but I was driving home from work and going 65 on the freeway. I fell asleep behind the wheel and my car went off the road and into the median. Luckily, it didn't fall into a ditch, hit another car, or flip, but when I abruptly woke up by the bumpiness, I was able to steer my car back into the freeway and avoiding an accident. I was scared to death thinking I could've died right there and my small children would've been motherless. 

I've had trouble with my sleep habit for about a year and a half now if not more. This was never an issue before and I remember many moons ago, my mom used to always nag me for sleeping too much. She said to me "one day when you get to my age, you won't be able to sleep too." I would sarcastically reply "I guess I better get all the sleep that I can while I still can."  

I don't want to see a doctor and I don't want to be on sleeping pills. I could be wrong but I think that's what they do and I'd prefer to avoid that. I'm beginning to realize that my lack of proper sleep is hindering my quality of life and health more than I realized. 

I'm thinking about how the lack of sleep is hurting me personally. What is causing it and what should I do to make it better? My lack of sleep started about after the end of a relationship. I was hurt, I felt betrayed, and I went to bed feeling this way for a long time so I didn't sleep much. Afterward, I don't know if a habit just developed from there. Other things that could affect my sleep is my job. Around the same time, I got promoted, so I took on more responsibilities. There's definitely more pressure and more demanding. I haven't lost my mind yet but I get a lot of those little annoyance that seems to build up by the end of the day. Some days are just chaotic. I get nothing done and more problems added to the plate. I come home, I'm beat, and I'm thinking geez, I don't get paid enough to deal with all this nonsense. But overall, that's what I love about my job. All this craziness can be overwhelming at times but it keeps me challenged and I like being challenged. 

At night, I seem to only sleep for 4-5 hours and I'd wake up. I have the hardest time getting back to sleep when that happens. So here's my problem. I'm a thinker and I usually have a lot of things running through my mind, small things and big things, for no rhyme or reasons sometimes. The only time I stop thinking is when my brain is exhausted and it doesn't tire easily either. I wished my body was as active as my mind. 

I guess my mom was right. You really do think more and become more restless as you get older. I never thought it would do this to me. 

I've started putting on the pounds with the lack of sleep too. I also avoid taking naps if I can help it. It really messes me up. Naps keep me awake all night so forget it. But still...I need to figure this out and it probably will involve changing some habits and ways of thinking. I don't know...

What helps you sleep? 

Pinky Paradise Haul - Color Contacts Pictures and Review

Hey everyone!

These past few days have been brutal. I don't think I've ever experienced this kind of cold in my life. It was so cold that you could toss a cup of hot water in mid-air and watch it turn into snow.

Check out this video and see it unfold http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/06/boiling-water-snow-midwest_n_4551211.html

Anyways, because of that I had some car trouble. In spite of replacing a brand new battery and having my oil changed very recently, my old car wouldn't start unless it gets a jump. My boss pretty much came to pick me up on Monday because we had reports that were due, some people were out sick, and they just can't afford for me not to come in. Despite of the effort, things just kept running downhill from there. It has been a discouraging and depressing week. Anything that could go wrong, went wrong.

Today, I just wanted to share with you contacts lenses that I purchased through PinkyParadise during their Black Friday sale. The sale was pretty good and I couldn't pass up the deal, they were like 50% off. I received them over a week ago so had the chance to wear them a few times already.

You will receive a free cute and colorful animal contact case with each pair of contacts you order.

EOS Pop C Dark Blue ($19.90, Black Friday sale was $9.95)

EOS Pop C Dark Blue is the perfect blue contacts for me. I am not a huge fan of blue contacts but I really like these because it's a deep sapphire blue. The color is subtle and it blends really well with my natural eye color (dark brown) but if you take a good look, you can definitely see that the contacts are blue. I think it looks stunning on light blue eyes too because it give the eyes more depths and oomph!
The diameter is 14.5 mm, which has a pretty good enlargement effect. Personally, they fit on my eyes very well, don't look alien, don't move around, and feel pretty comfortable.

G&G Big DM 23 Green ($25.90, Black Friday sale was $12.95)

G&G Big DM 23 Green is a gorgeous emerald green colored contacts. I'm a huge fan of jewel tone colors so being able to wear them on my eyes just gets me even more excited. I like the design of the lens and along with the gorgeous color it really make my eyes pop. This is by far my favorite green contacts I've tried.
Diameter is 14.5 mm. They fit well, don't look alien, don't move around, and are comfortable.

Geo Princess Mimi Chocolate Brown ($23.90, Black Friday sale was $11.95)

Geo Princess Mimi Chocolate Brown has a nice warm brown color that makes my eyes look a little more glowy. The transition between the dark color and the light color is actually smoother in person and give my eyes more depth and dimension. The enlargement is pretty big. I mean this is a 15 mm enlargement and at first I had trouble getting them in because I am not used to contacts this huge but I just needed to make sure my eyes are opened wider when inserting them. In spite of the size, they are also very comfortable, blend well, and don't move around. I would prefer them smaller but I like the fact that they stand out without looking freaky.

I am a contact wearer for a long time so my eyes didn't have any problem adjusting to them and since I don't have dry eyes, I am able to wear them for more than 12 hours without feeling any discomfort. These circle lens can be used for up to 1 year.

So far, I am pretty happy with this haul. I love the colors and design of the contacts and I'm pretty happy with how comfortable they are. Shipping and handling was $9.00 for this order, which I think is a bit high for global mail. Took about 4 weeks to arrive from the time I placed my order. They have other shipping option if you want them quicker but I can imagine how much more that would cost.

Anyways, PinkyParadise is a good and reliable place to get your contacts from and they also have a very huge selection of many different designs and colors. Currently, they have a 20% off sale on all their contacts and the offer is good till January 12th so it's a good time to take advantage of the discount to try a few.

Which are your favorite contact lenses? Is there any you would recommend for me?

L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Orange Tempo and Plum Adagio - Swatch and Review

Hello lovelies,

I purchased these new L'Oreal lipglosses at CVS about a week or two ago and they're fairly new. I'm not sure if they are permanent though.

My initial reaction is that they look awfully similar to the Colour Riche Caresse Wet Shine Lip Lacquers, but since new products always tempt me, I picked these two shades to try and compare.

Packaging

• They have a nice shiny metallic gold packaging which attracts lots of finger prints. There's a window on one side of the packaging that indicates the color of the gloss. The label on top and color at the base will also help you determine the color inside.
• They also come with a doe foot applicator. It's shaped differently than the Wet Shine lacquers and has longer fibers. 
• .18 oz or 5.5 ml

Product

• Orange Tempo is a bright tangerine orange with subtle gold/orange shimmers. It's pigmented but not fully opaque either. 
• Plum Adagio is a deep plum with purple and brown undertone with subtle pink/purple shimmers. This shade was pigmented yet only semi-opaque. It settled into lip lines and looked a little more blotchy. You're better off wearing this over a lipstick or blot it and wear it as a stain. 
• The formula feels a little thick and cushiony but it's not sticky. Though not fully opaque, they're definitely more pigmented than the Wet Shine lacquers but the color is also buildable. I also find them quite shiny. 
• They're hydrating and comfortable.
• Aside from the increased pigmentation, I feel that this formula doesn't wear as long as the Wet Shine. It doesn't cling on to lips very well and as soon as you sip some water eat something, it just comes off. I get an average of 2 1/2-3 hours before it starts fading. 
• It has a sweet fruity scents. Kinda smells like mango. 

Final Thought

They have a nice pigmentation without being completely opaque. The darker shade appear patchier. They're hydrating, thick, non-sticky, cushiony, and comfortable but the wear time is just average. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Price: $9.49

Availability: CVS

To view review and swatches of the shades Fuchsia Orchestra and Purple Prelude, click HERE.  

The Perfect Palette Tag

I took advantage of the weekend to stay warm and catch up on some blog posts. I have a lot of post drafted with pictures and needing some words. I'm also running a bit late for the last of my 2013 favorite products. I've seen so many people get on the ball with it already.

I was tagged by Jemimah to share with you my favorite palettes. I thought it would be fun to do because I certainly enjoyed reading other's tag about the Perfect Palette.

Best Packaging

Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. This one got me stumped for a bit, lol. After looking through my palettes for the best packaging, I've come to conclusion that the Naked 2 fits the bill. Generally, I look for practical packaging and quality of product. Hardly do I purchase makeup just for the pretty packaging. I like the fact that the Naked 2 palette doesn't cling on finger prints, has a nice weight, has sturdy and lean packaging. Some of the prettiest packaging I've seen are the Sephora Disney Princess eyeshadow palettes. I thought they were beautiful but sadly, I did not get any of them because I have too many eyeshadows.

Best Color Payoff

Mehron INtense Pro Pressed Pigments Wind palette. Seriously, one of the best and most pigmented matte eyeshadow palette that I own.

Bare Mineral Ready Eyeshadow The Playlist. I couldn't just pick one, I had to nominate this Bare Mineral palette also. The pigmentation and creamy texture is just fabulous!

Most Versatile

Inglot Freedom System Palette. It's versatile because you get to pick and choose the palette and the colors.

Z palette. Ok so it doesn't include the eyeshadow but you can depot and put any eyeshadows that you can fit into the palette, thus why I think it's worth mentioning. 

Best for Traveling

The Balm Jovi Rockstar palette - great colors, nice pigmentation. It's got you covered for your eyes, lips, and cheeks

theBalm Shady Lady palettes. They're small and light, which is great for traveling. The eyeshadows are also lovely. 

NARS Danmari. You got 4 blushes, one bronzer, and one highlighter and they're all great quality. If I take this for my travel, I don't need anything else. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. The best face palette I own. If'I'm going on vacation, this will be in bag as well. 

Biggest Regret

I know Wet N Wild has had some very nice palettes for a very small price but they've been a hit or miss and at this point. I am waiting for people to actually review them before I grab them. 

From left to right: Petal Pusher, Fauna, Flora, Baking a Cake, Bake Off Contest, Baked Not Fried

Smashbox Eye Wish Palette (2009). I acquired this palette before I started my blog and unfortunately do not have a picture to share so I had to improvise someone's link, but I'm so disappointed at this palette. Half of the colors suffered pigmentation and looked muddy when applied. The cream eyeshadow went bad after 6 months. It was just not worth it. Ever since this palette, I refuse to purchase anymore Smashbox eyeshadows, lol. 

Best Color Names

The Balm Jovi Rockstar palette - All these names take me back to the 90's, when I was a huge rock band fan back in the days. 

theBalm Nude'tude palette. I think because the names are clever and coherent with the theme. 

Least Used

Urban Decay Book of Shadows and palettes. Ok, honestly you can't go wrong with UD eyeshadows but I've barely touched these ever since I bought them. Some haven't even been swatched! Call me crazy. 

Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette. It's almost like new still! 

120 Eyeshadow palette. My first multi-colored eyeshadow palette. Some colors work better than others. I lost interest in it as I keep buying more eyeshadows, lol. 

Most Used, Most Loved Palettes

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. Like mentioned earlier, it's the best face palette that I own. The Ambient powders are divine. It's the perfect finishing touch and makes my skin look airbrushed. 

Tarte off the Cuff Blush Palette. Has 4 blushes and a bronzer. All lovely colors with great pigmentation. I reach for it almost every day, I have to remind myself that I have other blushes too. 

Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2. Ok, I think these are some of the most loved, most raved, and most sought out palettes in the whole world. I don't think I need to even explain it. I love them too. Naked 3 will be mine sooner or later. 

If you've already done this tag, please link it, I'd love to read about your palettes. Otherwise, you are more than welcome to join in and participate in this tag as well. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Paint Pomegrenate - Swatch, Review, & Eye Makeup Look

I first spotted these new Rimmel Scandaleyes cream eyeshadows at K-Mart and so far it's the only store I've come upon that has them in my area. They had 6 or 8 colors available. Though the other shades were quite pretty and tempting, I only grabbed Pomegranate because it's the only cream eyeshadow color I don't have.

Packaging

• It comes in a tube with a doe foot applicator. 
• .23 oz or 7 ml

Product

• Pomegranate is a medium dark shimmery burgundy with specks of gold shimmers. Finding some gold shimmers in it was quite a nice surprise. 
• The formula is pigmented and dries fairly quick. In spite of that I didn't really have any issues with the application. I would apply a bit with the wand directly on my eyelids and them use my finger to pat and blend the color. I also found that using a synthetic brush works just as well. You can also add a second layer if you want a more intense color or if you need to even out the application. I was very pleased that it didn't cake on or crack when I layered it. Some similar product have a tendency to do that. 
• I have moderately oily lids and without a primer, I was happy to see that it didn't crease when worn up to 8 hours. There was some slight fading but it wears longer with a primer. 

Final Thought

This cream eyeshadow had a lovely color and nice pigmentation. Though it sets fairly quick, it still allowed me to apply and blend the color evenly. It doesn't cake or flake when you layer it and doesn't crease without a primer. Very good product for the price.

Rating: 9/10

Price: $5.29
Availability: K-Mart

• I'm wearing Pomegrenate on the center of the lid. I applied a medium brown matte eyeshadow on the crease and a dark brown shade on the outer V. 
• For the upper lash line, I created a winged liner with Physicians Formula Eyebooster liquid liner in Ultra Black. 
• On my lower lash line, I'm wearing MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner Industrial 
• I'm also wearing Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon Blacquer on my waterline.

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Icon - Swatch and Review

I hope everyone's having a good weekend so far. Wisconsinites are freaking out about tomorrow's plummeting temperature and by Monday we're expecting windchill down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. All the public schools in the area have already decided to close. I worked a few hours this morning and stopped by Wal-Mart to get some food and it was packed! I hope my car starts on Monday because I still have to go to work. Packer game is on Sunday and apparently I heard my brother bought tickets and is planning to freeze his ass off on the bench watching the game, lol. Crazy!

Anyways...Let's move on to the review...

I was interested in the Hourglass Opaque Rouge because of the color and because I heard that it was long-wearing. There's some mixed reviews out there. Some rave about it and some are dissing it but here's my personal experience with the product.

Packaging

• I purchase the mini tube. Yes, thank goodness for a mini version but it's ridiculously small! It's 1/3 the size of the full size product and almost looks like a toy. It's got a cute curvy shape and comes with a doe foot applicator
• .03 oz. 

Product

• Icon is a blue tone raspberry red. The color is lovely and I love how it looks on me and it definitely makes my teeth look whiter. 
• So I had a few issues with this lip color. First, it's the application. What you'll need to do is apply it on the upper lip and spread the color even with the wand before it dries. Then you move on to the lower lip and do the same. The key is you need to make sure you spread the color evenly and working on one lip at a time is your best bet because the formula sets fairly quickly. 
• The formula is tacky. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT press your lips together for the first 5 minutes after application. If you do, it's going to be a hot mess because the color is going to stick and create uneven patches and it will look pretty ugly. Once you wait past 5 minutes and allow the color to set, you'll still feel some tackiness when you press your lips together but it won't be as much and the color won't budge.
• The formula is very pigmented and dries to a matte finish. I didn't find it drying or moisturizing but I would recommend you wear a lip balm first to keep your lips comfortable. 
• Also, you need to exfoliate and remove any dry patches prior to use because it will cling and clump if your lips aren't smooth. 
• They claim that the colors wears up to 14 hours and I guess that depends on what that means to you. It does wear well but if you are going to be drinking and eating the color is going to fade and look patchy, particularly at the center of your lips. If your food is a little greasy, the fading and patchiness will look more obvious. Whatever part that didn't come in contact with food or drinks will last up to 14 hours. 
• There is a light scent. I can't describe it but it certainly is not unpleasant and fades quickly.

Final Thought

The color is beautiful and what I would consider the perfect red for me but there are definitely flaws in the formula and application so you have to be especially careful when it's freshly applied. The tackiness of the product bothers me a bit. Yes, it wears quite long but while it does that it will also fade unevenly at the center of your lips as you consume drinks and food. Personally, for a lip product at this price point, I expect the formula to be nearly perfect, easy to use, and more comfortable. I'm not getting what I paid for here. 

Rating: 7/10

Price: $10.00 for the mini and $28.00 for the full size. 

Availability: Sephora

Happy New Year! A Glance Back at 2013 and What I Look Forward To For 2014

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Wow, yes Happy New Year to all of you...best wishes and best of luck. May this new year be a lovely, healthy, and successful year for you.

When I look back at 2013, it was a rather sad and depressing year for me. Earlier during the year, one of my worst fear happened. I broke my left ankle during a stupid freak accident. Not only did I break my left ankle but I also sprain my right ankle and injured my sciatic nerve, which caused immense pain for a while. Lack of mobility and being confined at home for 6 weeks made my recovery days feel extremely long.

I had a friendship fall out with someone I used to work with. Her productivity and quality of work suffered greatly and after 2 years, re-training her, and doing a work improvement assessment with her for 6 months, she failed to improve. We had no other choice but to let her go. The perplexity of the situation was that she never once showed concerns or took ownership of her actions or lack of it. She believed it in her mind that we set her up for failure and that she was doing a good job. I don't know. I suppose it's hard to reason with someone who don't think they did anything wrong. I've worked with difficult employees but never with someone who didn't care about their performance. Most people take pride in their work and want to do it well but she wasn't like most people.

photo credit: WolfS♡ul via photopin cc

Aside from my physical ailment and work issues, I've also gained a lot of weight and I pretty much let myself go because my moral, my thoughts, my feelings really hit rock bottom.
I've spent the year battling my demons. I always try to keep a positive outlook no matter what kind of curve ball life threw at me but I suppose for some people, at some point something hits you hard and you just can't go back to being the person you once were. I kept relapsing back into this empty hole. For 2014, I'm gonna have to try to reinvent myself. I need to heal my soul. I need to find some hope and faith.

The highlight of 2013 is that my son graduated high school and went to a local college. I also taught him how to drive. The realization that I had a graduating kid gave me mixed emotions. Happy and proud that he made it and a little sad and scared that his new life goals may take him away somewhere far from home.  His father, as we expected, didn't attend the ceremony. Didn't even send a card. His excuse was that his car broke down and can't make the drive. Anyways, I'll just leave it at that. My kids know who the real parent in their life is and all that matters is that I'm still here for them.


What's in store for 2014?

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I took a hit financially last year because I was out of work for my injury and disability insurance barely paid for groceries. I had to pay for books and tuition that financial aid didn't cover. I spent a lot and didn't get much. I didn't even go on vacation. My last credit card statement makes me want to pull my hair. This year, I will try to spend my money more wisely. I've decided that I'm going to challenge myself to use no more than $70.00 on myself each month. If I stay under the budget, I can carry over the left over money to the next month. If I go over my budget, next month will have a shorter budget as well. I think it's doable and reasonable budget. I really hope I don't fail.

photo credit: 401(K) 2013 via photopin cc

I really dread the thought of exercising but I need to do something about my body. I decided that I'm going to start with looking at my diet first. Perhaps looking at trying healthier recipes and portion control and once it becomes routine, go back to exercising. I know it's going to be hard to stay motivated but I'm gonna have to give it a try. I'm going to start looking at quick, easy, and healthy recipe. If you know of any that you enjoy, please share.

photo credit: Renée S. Suen via photopin cc

I don't like to make big plans. I just rather make realistic goals. I know for sure I'm gonna need to get another car this year. If I can keep my spending at bay, I hope to take a vacation with my kids in the summer.

As far as my blog is concerned, I may not post as often but I'll continue to post regularly, perhaps 2 or 3 times a week at least. The reason is I want to try to stay focused on other personal goals.

I guess that's it. I want to keep things simple and realistic. I know the last couple of years, my life has been hanging in limbo so I'm gonna need a lot of will power and motivation to make this a better year for myself.

Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your favorite memory of 2013 and what you look forward to this new year.