Hukkster

Have you guys heard of Hukkster? This website is literally amazing and will change your life if you're an avid online shopper. I have been using it for awhile and have found it to be really helpful and mostly just awesome.

Hukkster is awesome because when you're shopping online, you can "bookmark" an item you like and when said item goes on sale it sends you an email letting you know. It is also really cool to price check at various website for the same item!

Anyways, I hope you guys check it out because if you want to save a couple bucks on items that are sometimes a splurge, it's a great way to keep an eye out!









(*I am in no way affiliated with Hukkster., I just wanted to share the site because it really is that awesome.)

Smart Lash: Day One

I have been coveting long lashes so much lately. The obsession has only grown since I started hearing about Latisse, and the magic results it produced. But was turned off by the fact that it requires a prescription and costs quite a lot. So instead I'm trying out SmartLash.

This product seems to have pretty good reviews as well as some decent results from clinical trials. It looks like a good option for me right now because it is non-prescription, and you can get it for a pretty decent price from dermstore.com ($30, normally $125).

Supposedly full results will have occurred in 60 days.. so until then.. wish me luck!

Have you tried SmartLash?

xo 

Siobhain

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The Power of Primer

Back when I first started wearing makeup at the ripe age of thirteen, I had not a clue what was what. I also had no help. (I'm the oldest of my siblings by ten years and my mom hardly wears makeup and was never interested in teaching me the basics.) It also didn't help that I was doing competitive gymnastics 30 hours a week, and hardly had the time to wear makeup in the first place.

So, I went for many years only applying mascara and jet black eyeliner all the way around my eyes, and wondering why I looked like a strung out raccoon. I still don't know what I'm doing but I definitely have a better handle on things now that i'm older and (slightly) wiser, which brings me to primers: They are important. They are what keep your makeup in place throughout the day. Without primers, I would be lost in makeup land. Wear them under your concealer and eyeshadow and you will be happy.

#1. Benefit Cosmetics Stay Don't Stray ($26). This primer is my personal favorite. I love it because it works really well as a concealer primer and eyelid primer. It has a little bit of a tint to it, but I kind of feel like maybe it makes it work better. Or maybe it doesn't...perception is reality you guys. (As a side note it kinda seems like they changed the packaging for this primer on their website which is VERY disappointing bc I personally loathe wands.. give me a stick, or a squeezey tube, or a pump or something other than a wand!)

#2. Too Faced Shadow Insurance ($20). I loveeeeddddd this one. One tube lasted me almost a year  and I only needed a teeny drop per eye. One of the major pluses for me is that it is somewhere between stay don't stray and primer potion in terms of overall texture and consistency. I will probably re-buy as soon as my Benefit runs out.


#3. e.l.f Eyelid Primer ($1). If you're looking for something non-commital: Meet e.l.f., your beauty soulmate. Most prices for their products are under $3. Their eye primer is more or less equivalent to Urban Decay's in quality for only a buck. Personally, I don't use this primer a lot, but it's a good one to have in your travel beauty bag because it's super inexpensive and does the job when you're not close to your beauty arsenal.

#4. Urban Decay Primer Potion ($20). It looks like they changed this one too from wand to squeezy tube (If so yay! I repeat: I cannot stand wands).  Works a lot like the e.l.f primer above. It has a kind of smooth and silky texture, but it doesn't cling enough to my concealers or shadows to really be a favorite of mine.

What are your favorite primers? 

xo 

Siobhain

Garlicky Edamame

Living at home can have its downsides (read: having to use my moms decorated dishes vs. my own style dishware). However despite my less than photogenic plates, I can still make something pretty damn delicious.

Recently my boyfriend and I ate at a restaurant in downtown Campbell called Sushi Confidential that featured this amazing trio of edamame, and one out of the trio really stood out. Normally edamame on it's own is perfect and all I need, but throw in a little garlic and shoyu and DANG I'm in! This recipe is pretty close to the one I had at Sushi Confidential and has a nice roundness and zing!

Once I had these I was hooked, and had to figure out a way to repeat this deliciousness at home.. so below is the recipe I conjured up...

You'll need:
1 bag edamame with shells
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tbsp. soy sauce (to taste)


1. Open the bag of edamame
2. Cook edamame per bag instructions
3. In a garlic press (or mince if you're so inclined) 3 cloves of garlic.
4. In a pan sauteé (eyeball a splash EVOO) half the amount of garlic for one minute or less. Do not allow to brown or burn or your garlic will taste acrid. (Basically just warm and soften the garlic enough to take away the zing
5. Mix together cooked edamame, soy, garlic, and sesame oil.
6. Enjoy!

I seriously am a sucker for garlic anything and despite my unkissable breath afterwards, I really don't care.

Which salty snack do you crave most? 

xoxo

Siobhain