Setting Goals

I've never really been one to set goals and keep them. And I've never really had a reason to before either. In all honesty, I've always had a rather blasé, go with the flow attitude about most things, from work to relationships to what I'll eat for dinner. Well, I've come to the realization that I've got to get my act together. You can call it a quarter life crisis of sorts. I've always had quasi-goals and passions but what have I done to achieve them? Nothing really. For instance, I've been saying for the past year that I want to run a marathon in the next couple of years. And what have I done to achieve that? Nothing, zero, zilch. In fact, I've actually done more to stop myself from reaching that goal, such as sitting on the coach watching Real Housewives with a cup of Haagen Dazs. The problem is that my goals aren't attainable. Yes, I want to run a marathon but how am I going to set myself up to get there? That's the problem with most of us. We like create things that sound nice in our heads like New Year's Resolutions, subconciously knowing we'll never reach it. Come on, who can really plan a whole year ahead of time? So instead, I'm focusing on baby steps - starting small with goals at are attainable and measurable. Crawl before I walk, so to say. I'm going to document my monthly goals here and provide some updates on how they're going. Something about writing it down makes it feel more real. 

July Goals

• Cook dinner 3 times a week. I've realized that my boyfriend and I spend around $180 a week just on take out. If I can cut this back 3 times a week, I can save $90 a week or $360 a month.
• Exercise 3 times week. So no, I'm ready to run a marathon. But I can at least get my butt into shape. I've been a fan of Blogilates on youtube- anything to make a workout more fun!
• Sign up for driving lessons. I'm a city girl so no, I can't drive. I'm getting to an age where I feel like I need to learn.
• Cut back shopping spending to $200. I've never really budgeted how much I've spend on frivolous shopping but I feel like setting my budget to $200 is a good start. This includes clothing, personal care items, and anything else that it not food/household related.
• Blog 3 times a week. If you look at my archives, you know I'm not a consistent blogger. Yes, I started in 2008 but then there was 2012 were I didn't blog at on. Well, July 2013, I'm getting back on track!

 There you have it, my five goals for the month. Baby steps, guys...baby steps.

Starbucks Adventures

The first and most obvious reason I love Starbucks is because of the coffee. I'm a self proclaimed addict and if I need a little pick me up, there is nothing better to me than a cup of joe (except for a cup of iced joe). Now, the second reason I love Starbucks is for the names they write on the cups. While my name isn't super common, I'd say it's fairly recognizable and easy to spell but the baristas at Starbucks tend to get it wrong about 90% of the time. Nothing against anyone at Starbucks - hell, if I had a line of 20 grouchy people clamoring for a cup of liquid crack every morning - I wouldn't be able to spell either. Anyways, reading my Starbucks cup has become a highlight of my days. Here are a few of my favorites:

Hmm...maybe this needs an accent mark?

Coney..as in Coney Island?

This one put a smile on my face...I might just tell everyone to call me Miss C from now on.

Ding ding! We have a winner.

My Everyday Makeup

I do love playing with makeup but my everyday routine is pretty minimal and dare I say, boring. I change out and test new products every now and then but when I find something I like, I really stick too it. Some of these product have been tried and true for me and others are fairly new discoveries. Here is the roundup (clockwise):

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer I've only started to use primer recently. I never really thought that I needed it. It seemed like just an extra step that made my morning routine longer than it needed to be. However, I really started to like this primer by Laura Mercier, especially in the summer months. New York summers can get hot and humid and this helps my makeup stay on a little longer.

Maybelline Full 'N Soft Mascara This is one of my HG products. I've used this for years and still love it. It gives my lashes that little extra umph.

Maybelline Color Tattoo, Barely Beige I love cream eyeshadows because it is just so easy to put on. One swipe of this across my eyelids is all I need. I love these by Maybelline. I switch is up between Barely Beige and Bad to the Bronze.

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder I'm am pretty fair and this bronzer is just the perfect color to give my skin a little sunkissed glow without looking fake, dirty or orangey (a pale girl's makeup nightmare). It's also matte which is great for some natural color. And the best part? It's only 3 bucks.

Boscia BB Cream I just wrote a review about this so needless to say, this is one of my favorite BB cream. For everyday, I generally wear this and some concealer on top. No foundation needed.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, SC-1 I love this concealer to cover up blemishes (I wouldn't recommend it for undereye though). The compact comes with two colors so you can mix for your perfect shade.

Laura Mercier Lip Glace This just happens to be the lip color I'm wearing today, I tend to mix it up from day to day. I mostly stick to a gloss or tinted balm for day, lipstick for night if I'm feeling bold!

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner, Black I discovered this a few months ago and am still loving it. I like a very thin line so the pointed felt tip is perfect for just that. Also great for a cat eye.

NARS Blush, Orgasm Is there anything I need to say about this that hasn't already been sad? A much loved color by almost everyone. It is shimmery, which can be turn off for some, but I love it.

And there you have it, my everyday routine. I try to keep it as simple (and fast!) as possible. What are some of your everyday products?

Happy (early) Friday | Food for Thought

Happy Friday!

A literal food for thought this time...the perfect summer meal in nyc from luke's lobster. with a little siracha. checkkk it out.

and enjoy the long weekend! happy fourth!

Boscia BB Cream + Other Favorites

By now, I'm sure you know what a BB Cream is (on the other hand, I'm still trying to figure out CC Creams?). For the most part, I use a BB Cream as part of my everyday routine. I'm lucky enough to have fairly good skin, with the occasional blemish, and on most days, I can get away with a BB Cream and some concealer. I have definitely tested out my fair share of BB Creams in my day. Some I loved, some not so much. One that I find myself going back to is the Boscia BB Cream SPF 27 PA+++. Boscia was one of the first with a BB Cream out in the American market and I still do think that it's one of the best.

One of the main issues I have with BB creams is that some aren't really BB creams. The market is really saturated with tinted moisturizers masked as a beauty balm. The thing I love about the Boscia one is that it looks rich and creamy when squeezed out of the tube but the actual feel of it is completely different. Like a beauty balm should, this one has a high water content. It goes on smooth and feels very light, absorbing into your skin quickly like a good BB cream should. It's oil free and has SPF, so you're really all set with this product but you can wear your everyday moisturizer under it if you like.

There is one thing though that I don't love about this Boscia BB cream and its the shimmer. It's not so extreme that it'll make you look like a disco ball and personally, I don't mind it. But it's definitely noticeable and if that's something you really can't stand, then this BB cream might not be for you. This also only comes in one shade, like many BB creams. The tube claims that its a 'self-adjusting shade for all skin types'...which might be true but I'm not sure I buy it. It could work for most with light to medium skin tones but I would be weary to pick this up for those with darker skin tones.

Overall, this is a great product for those looking for something to even out their skin tone and blur imperfections. This is definitely not anything close to a foundation and if you're looking for medium to heavy coverage, this is not for you. But for those days you want to have a little makeup on, this is perfect. This Boscia BB cream retails for $38 and also comes in a travel version at Sephora. If you're looking for something a little more affordable, I recommend the Lioele Water Drop BB Cream (an original favorite from a Korean brand) or Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream (which comes in multiple shades).

Have you tried this? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Little Miss Savvy