Thursday, August 28, 2014

One Year Milestone | Anniversary




Brendan and myself celebrated our one year anniversary on March 14, 2013.

It was more than I could have ever imagined an anniversary to be.
 
It was amazing! 
 


 
 
My relationship with Brendan is the healthiest, most supportive and loving relationship I have ever
experienced.
 
To me, having an amazing one year anniversary was a minimal detail because the past 365 days with him had already been so amazing.
 
But, because I am such a people pleaser, when he did ask me what I wanted to do to celebrate, you could say I was a bit indecisive.
 
Usually, I tend to lean towards doing what others want to do as opposed to what I want to do because of just how much of a people pleaser I am. I put my desires to the side.

One of the things I love most about Brendan is that he wants to do what I want to do.
 
He will sit there until I finally speak up and tell him what I want to do; and I'm glad he does because he knows deep down inside I have an idea of what I want to do but I'll put his wants before mine.
 
 
I need someone like him in my life. 
 
 
What we eventually decided on was to get dressed up, get dinner in downtown Boston, go dancing and stay over night in the city. 

The night was more than I could have imagined.
 
 
...It was like something out of a movie...
 
 
He picked me up from work and we drove into the city.
 
When I walked into the hotel room he let me go first. There were rose petals all over the bed, champagne chilling in the corner and a gift perfectly placed in the middle.
 
 
#PrinceCharming
 
 
 

We quickly got dressed and headed over to what is now one of our favorite restaurants, Abby Lane.
 
Located in the heart of the theater district in Boston, I was taken over by the breath taking view and the lounge-like feeling. 

After dinner, we headed over to a place where everybody knew our names.
 
No I don't mean Cheer's!
 
I'm talking about the Bell In Hand on Union Street.
 
Over the past year of our relationship, Brendan and I would get drinks and dance the night away at the oldest bar in America.
 
Of course, it was a plus that at one point Brendan had about 6 best friends working the doors as bouncers.
 
Regardless, we knew that we wanted to head on over to 'our spot' to end the night.

After a couple hours of dance, kissing, laughing and drinking we walked back over to out hotel room and ended the night enjoyed strawberries and chanpagne and each others company
 

It's true what they say,
"when you know, you know..."
 

Until Next time, 
Ines xoxo


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Liebster Award





Thank you Jasmina Mujagic for nominating me for the Liebster Award. Lets answer some questions!



What is your go-to makeup look for a special occasion?
My go-to makeup look for a special occasion is definitely a defined contour, subtle smokey eye, light dusting of blush, on top of medium coverage foundation and a deep cranberry lip.

Whats your fave season, Summer or Winter?
Hands down summer. Although I'm from Boston where up here in New England the weather is different literally everyday, We get really really harsh winters that I could totally do without. Plus it doesn't help that even in the summer time I get the chills walking outside on a windy day. So winter is just not my cup of tea.

Whats your favorite makeup brand?
Oh, it totally depends on the type of makeup I am using.
Primer: Benefit PoreFessional
Foundation: L'Oreal True Match (W6)
Bronzer: theBalm Bahama Mama
Eyeshadow: Makeup Geek
…to name a few

Whats your reason for starting a blog?
I'm a teacher and this summer I didn't work. I did a lot of traveling. In between traveling I had a lot of time on my hands that I simply didn't know what to do with. And although I'm not a strong writer, I thought this would be a great way to pass the time. I also love giving advice to people and making new friends. This is more than I could have hoped for! I'm having a blast!

You see Leonardo Di-Caprio casually walking down the street, what do you do?
Literally cry historically from FanGirling so hard. Leo is beautiful! I wouldn't be able to contain my excitement!

If there was one makeup look you had to stick with for the rest of your days, what would it be?
I wear normally the same look every day, I just switch up the lip color. I made a blog post about my go-to day time makeup look here. But if I could pick one lip color I would pick cranberry because I can get away with the look without lipstick at all but if I want to dress it up I can add that lip color.

Whats your biggest pet peeve?
My biggest pet peeve is when people are driving and you let them go ahead of you by waving your hand at them to go, and they don't thank you! It makes me want to get out of the car and scream in their face "Do you have manners?"

Who is your inspiration?
Good question. Do you mean beauty wise? I idolize Nicole Guerriero, Jaclyn Hill and CutePolish.

Celebrity Crush?
Oh gosh, that's so hard. Am I allowed to narrow it down to 4? LOL 
1. One of them is absolutely Leonardo DiCaprio
2. But seeing as I'm from Boston I also have to add the Funky Bunch's Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg). 
3. I'm also 100% Portuguese so it's pretty much mandatory for me to include Cristiano Ronaldo
4. And last but not least, I have to add Julian McMahon. He played Cristian Troy in Nip/Tuck & Cole Turner in Charmed. He is the definition of beautiful! 

Whats your favorite TV Show?
They are and always will be (yes, more than one) Friends, Boy Meets World and Charmed.TV Now just isn't the same as it was back in the 90's and early 00's.

Who's your fave Friends Character?
OMG why would you do this to me?! lol. I love all the guys more than I love all the girls. If I had to pick only one, I would have to pick Ross. Everything he does and says makes me pee my pants laughing.




Awesome questions Jasmine! Thanks again :-)
I nominate the following bloggers:




Here are my questions for you ladies:
Green or Red apples?
Do you prefer showering in the mornings or at night before bed?
What is your favorite food?
What is your go-to lipstick?
If you won 1 mil, what's the first thing you would do?
Where are you from?
What is your favorite type of drink?
What is your blog all about?
Do you have any siblings?
In 10 years, where do you see yourself?
Top 3 favorite movies, go!




Don't forget the rules:
1. Link back to the person that nominated you in your post.
2. Answer all questions they have given you.
3. Nominate 11 more bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate for the award.
4. Think up 11 of your own questions for your nominees to answer.



Good luck and have fun!
Until next time,
Ines xoxo







Monday, August 25, 2014

Looking Back on 2 Years

Our two year anniversary was March 15, 2014.

It's hard to believe that more than two years with my wonderful guy have already flown by, so I thought I would take some time and reminisce about our two year anniversary.

For our 2 year, we returned to one of our favorite places! Abby Lane. One our one year, we decided to grab dinner here after I had tried out the restaurant with some friends. We fell in love and of course had to keep the tradition going.

After dinner, Brendan treated me to The Blue Man group in downtown Boston. It was perfect because we were already in the theater district so we only had to walk over one street to the Charles Playhouse.

The show was awesome and my jaw was open on the ground the entire time!! After the show, we quickly moved to the lobby where we snagged a couple pictures with a Blue Man.

The night was magical and my love couldn't have planned it any better. If we had stayed in and snuggled on the couch all night I would have still enjoyed myself because of who I was snuggling with and the wonderful relationship we have.

Until next time,
Ines xoxo


My First Youtube Video


Can you say, CAMERA SHY!

How to apply liquid foundation

So I just recorded, edited, processed and uploaded my first youtube video in under 6 hours.

EEKK.

I don't know what got into me tonight, but out of no where I got the ambition, desire and nerve to do it, so I just sucked it up and did it before that moment passed.

Talking in front of a camera, alone in your room, is one of the most awkward and unnatural things I have ever done.

It definitely helped that I was talking about something I do on a regular basis, like how to apply liquid foundation.

But I absolutely love doing my makeup, and although I am not a professional, I think I'm pretty good at it for self teaching myself a lot of little techniques and tricks.

I also love helping others, that's where my 'teacher side' comes out.

So I figure youtube will provide me with an outlet to combine and express both those areas of my life. 

I'd love to incorporate lifestyle VLOGGING to youtube one day, too.
But I'm not looking that far ahead yet...

I haven't quite gotten the editing down because my background music is louder than I'd like it to be, but I'm very proud of the final product. 

I hope others find it helpful! 


Watch it here 


Until next time, 
Ines xoxo

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Mom's Homemade Pancake Recipe


Today is my dad's 66th birthday.

It was only fitting that my mom started the day off with her homemade pancakes.

Forget that pre maid mix, and in the same amount of time you will be eating better tasting homemade pancakes from scratch.



To learn how to make these from scratch, keep reading!

I N G R E D I E N T S :
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted melted butter
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for greasing skillet)

T O O L S :
Small bowl - for dry ingredients
Medium Bowl - for wet ingredients and combining mixtures
Hand whisks
Large skillet (preferably non stick)
Large ice cream scooper

D I R E C T I O N S :
1) In small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Clean whisk.
2) In medium bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter and egg.
3) Whisk the dry ingredients from the small bowl into the medium bowl. Set Aside
4) Heat skillet over medium heat. (If not non-stick, grease all over with vegetable oil)
5) Dip the ice cream scooper into the batter and release onto the hot skillet. (For larger pancakes, dip the ice cream scooper into the batter again and release onto of the first scoop)
*At this time you can add fruit slices, chocolate chips, etc...
6) Cook until you see bubbles start to burst on the surface. Flip.
7) Cook for 2-3 minutes (until light/golden brown)
*To keep pancakes warm as more cook, place them in preheated oven at 220 degrees F, covered in tin foil.


Enjoy with syrup or your favorite toppings!

Until next time, 
Ines xoxo



Amazing Article! ... Mark Bustos

Every morning I wake up and check through my social media. 

This morning, I came across an article while laying in bed scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed. 

The title read: Hair stylist spends his Sundays cutting hair for the homeless.




The first sentence reads "Mark Bustos spends his only day off offering haircuts for the homeless in New York.  Mark says, 'Every human life is worth the same.' These pics are amazing." (Click here to read full article)



I couldn't help but click on it. 

The article was filled with Instagram pictures taken directly from Mark Bustos's Instagram feed. 

As I kept scrolling I became more curious so I decided to search 'markbustos' on Instagram. 

He was the first one on a long list of Mark Bustos.


...It wasn't long after scrolling down his feed 
that I quickly scrolled back up to follow him





When I find people like this on instagram, I'm instantly drawn to who they are and how they came to be that way.



 http://instagram.com/markbustos




In between all the fashion photos and makeup hauls and cat videos, it's people like Mark Bustos who bring life to my feed and spark my desire to give back to the community.






They're the ones really changing the world….



Just a little something to think about. 
If you have a spare second, check him out on instagram.
Until next time, 
Ines xoxo









Thursday, August 21, 2014

Easy Back To School Makeup Look

When I hear back to school, I think 
new clothes, new makeup, and a new year. 


September marks a new beginning so why not start it off strong!

From the first day of school to the very last this quick and easy look can be achieved in 5 minutes. 

The first two weeks are always the best but slowly the swearpants and tshirt start coming out of storage. 

How do you keep up with the fresh new you while rocking the 'rolled out of bed' look??

This fun and easy makeup will do just the trick! 

With this look, you can roll out of bed, put your sweats on, do your hair and makeup then be out of the door in under 10 minutes! 



All you need is:

3 Eye Shadow Colors
Eye Liner
Mascara
1 Blush Color
Nude Lip Gloss

_______________________________________


1. Eyes:

First, apply a slightly shimmery highlight color to your brow bone. 

Next, pack a light color onto your lid. Make sure you're not going into the crease or too close to the inner corner. 

Finally, apply your darkest color to your crease. Make sure to blend from side to side, all the way from the outer to inner corner.

Now, add eyeliner to your water line and mascara to the top and bottom lashes.

 

_______________________________________



2. Cheeks

Sweet a generous amount of matte blus from the apples if your cheeks, along the cheek bones and back by the ears. 

*Make sure to blend this out. You don't want harsh lines. 

 


_______________________________________


3. Lips

Apply a generous amount of lipgloss onto your lips.

*Don't forget to put it in your back pack for touch ups between classes!


_______________________________________


4. Hair 

To go the extra mile, sleep over night with your normal dried hair in a bun. In the. Morning brush it out with your fingers and add a little dry shampoo for texture. 

 

For days where you are running late, are having a bad hair day, or have practice in the morning, simply pull up your hair into a high pony. 

 


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Have a fabulous first day back to school!
If you found this blog post at all helpful, make sure to share, follow and give it a +1!

Until next time,
Ines xoxo





Tuesday, August 19, 2014

#VoxBox No.2 #VitalityVoxBox


Oh. My. Gosh.
AMAZING


Just received my second Vox Box in the mail and before I even opened it, I was excited.

It was larger than the Vox Box I previously received and a lot heavier. 
So, I ripped into it to check it out. 
Let me tell you, they did not disappoint!




The best part about the Influenster program is that if you quality for a Vox Box, they send you (usually) full sized products to try for free. 


Wait, you don't know what influenster is?!

Influenster is an online website where you can create an account for free, review products and influence others to either buy or not buy those products.

By reviewing products and connecting to your social media accounts, you acquire a score. 
This is known as your impact score.

The higher your impact score, the more people you are able to 'impact' or influence.

Every so often, Influenster comes out with Vox Boxes. 
It's always a surprise until the box arrive on your door step. 

Every box has a secrete theme.
To be considered for a box box, you must have reviewed products on Influenster that fall under that box's specific theme.

Then you'll get an email where you take a survey to confirm how qualified you are.


Once your given the OK, they ship you your Vox Box full of samples

It's up to you to review them on your website and share with your friends on social media.

I don't like change or trying new things.
I also don't like spending money on a new product only to be disappointed.

  Influenster is great because whenever I qualify for a Vox Box, I get to try products I other wise would never purchases. 

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The #VitalityVoxBox is full of awesome new goodies!

This box focuses on living an active and healthy lifestyle.

Let's take a look inside…



I've been on the hunt for a chapstick that softens, relieves AND repairs.
I've sadly come up empty handed until I got this!
The cracks on my lips have disappeared and they are much healthier overall.
I also noticed that after using this product for about a week now, 
my lipstick stays on longer and doesn't dry out my lips



I had never heard of this product. 
I was hesitant to try it because I don't want early signs of aging.
I wash't sure how this would effect my skin.But I decided to give it a try.
You apply it after you cleanse/exfoliate.  
You rub it all over the face and neck and after it dries you can go ahead and apply your moisturizer.
Let me tell you, WOW! My skin looks smoother and brighter and even more even.
I have the most sensitive, acne prone, irritable skin. I was shocked after the first week.
I really want to buy a full size bottle, but it's $60… we shall see once the school year starts back up. 
This may be my first splurge item of the school year ;-)



This I have never heard of, but I'm super curious!
In this little sample size comes two gummies. 
The directions say to chew 2 gummies once daily. 
The back also says that two gimmies provide about 20 mg of caffein, equal to about 1/4 cup of coffee.
What?!
So it's a caffein supplement.
I'm assuming this is suppose to give you energy. 
I already drink a cup of coffee every morning, so I don't see my self purchasing a bottle of these, even though I haven't tried them yet. 
It fails to tell you if you should take them prior to working out, after eating a meal or when you wake up in the morning. 



As soon as I saw this, I got excited.
HA! Weird, I know.
But being as I have extremely sensitive everything and these are 'lightly scented' you can see my hesitation.
So this is exactly why I love influenster.
You don't know how many times I've been at the store with these in my hand, but end up putting them back. 
This is the perfect opportunity to finally be able to try them.

… Love them already. 



I think this is something that every house should have, every house except mine of course.
When I read the back, I went down the list of what this product can treat.
Razor burn was included! YES!
As a dancer, I don't always have time to shave with soap and water, so this past weekend this came in handy and definitely did the trick soothing my skin.



Last, but not least is this pretty bottle of tea. 
When I opened this and saw the bottle wrapped in a baggie and in bubble wrap I laughed.
this bottle is why the box was so big and heavy.
Although I am not a tea drinker, my dad is. 
He's also diabetic so the fact that it's unsweetened was a plus. 
When I asked him what his first impressions were, he said he was happily delighted, but still preferred his other brand of turkey hill tea better.

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All in all, this Vox Box was awesome! 
It was fun trying new products and I love being able to reccoment products to you guys!

Sign up for your free account here: 

Until next time, 
Ines xoxo





"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Saturday, August 16, 2014

My Favorite Products


Click on the picture to be redirected to a website where you can purchase these products!

Happy Shopping & Enjoy,
Ines xoxo


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Perfume
Brand: COACH Signature Fragrance
Price: 1.7 fl oz for $78
Online and In-stores: COACH, Nordstrom, Macy's, etc...

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Nail Polish
Brand: Sinful Colors Polish #920
Shade Name: 24/7
Price: $1.99
Online and In-stores: Walgreens & Target. 
NOT CVS or RITE AID

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Eyeshadow
Brand: Makeup Geek
Shade Name: Shimma Shimma
Price per Pan: $5.99
Online: Makeup Geek Wesite

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Hair product
Brand: Argan Magic
Price: $18.00
Currently Only Available at: Amazon.com for $7.11 + shipping
*Found mine at Marshall's for $9.99

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Exfoliator/Cleanser
Brand: Lush Cosmetics
Product: Ocean Salt Cleanser
Price: 4.2 fl oz for $21.95 OR 8.8 fl oz for $35.95
Online and In-stores: Lush website and counter

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Face Wash

Brand: Bliss
Product: Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash
Price: 6.6 fl oz for $24.00
Online: Blissworld.com
*Sometimes I can find this at Marshall's along with 
other products from the BLISS Spa line.

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Lipstick

Brand: Wet n Wild Fergie
Shade Name: D-Vinely Chilled #A040
Price: $3.19
Online and In-store: Welgreens & Walgreens.com

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Moisturizer

Brand: Aveeno
Price: 18 fl oz for $8.99
Online and In-stores: CVS, Walgreens, Target, Walmart...

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Heels

Brand: Christian Louboutin
Hight & Style: 160mm black patent leather Daffodils
Price: $1075.00
Online and In-stores: christianlouboutin.com
Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcas, Barney's,
*These were a Christmas 2013 gift from my wonderful boyfriend



Last Updated: Nov. 13, 2014
MORE ON THE WAY!
:-)