Friday, March 27, 2015

Sigma 20% Off Until Saturday March 28th!!!





        For those of you who Love Love Love Sigma Beauty like I do or for any of you who have been wanting to try Sigma makeup and brushes but think they are a little on the pricey side, here is your chance to get your hands on some good stuff from them with a pretty decent sized discount (read below on how to get your discount). I have to say I use their brushes daily and I love them. I also have their Macaroon palette and blushes as well as their Paris palette and I love both of them as well. I just ordered a few more palettes, some of their new Lip Switch lip glosses and some more of my favorite brushes for back ups.



        If you need a few brush ideas, here are a few of my favorites and what I use them for:

        E40- This is the brush I use everyday for doing my transition color. It is soft and gives a wider blend to your sweep, if that makes any sense.
        E35- This one is great as a crease brush if you want a nice blend that is wider than what you would get with the E25, but not as wide as the E40. So a basic crease brush in other words.
        E25- This one I use as a crease brush but for a tighter crease blend. This one is great for those that don't have much room for shadow like those with smaller eyes or those that have less place for color between your brow bone and your crease.
        F82- This Kabuki brush is great for doing foundation and is a must have. I use this daily for all of my foundations and it gives a great airbrushed effect.
        F70- This is a great brush to use with eyeshadows that are glittery or very powdery because it packs on the eyeshadow rather than fluffing it on, if that makes any sense. Great for Urban Decay shadows. Don't let the fact that it's called a concealer brush keep you from getting it. It's also great for precision loading of lid color like when you want a cut crease look.
        E15- Great for pushing an eyeshadow close to the lash line. This gives a gorgeous smokey effect.
        E20- Great for smudging out your liners or getting in the crease with a tight crease color as well as using in the outer "V" for a more defined "V".
        E50- This is a great one for a more concentrated highlighter all over face such as bridge of the nose or cupids bow, but it's also a great brow bone highlighting brush. Also great for concentrated contouring as well like along the sides of the nose.
        P86- I love using this one for setting my undereye concealer, especially when you aren't using powder all over the face but just under the eyes. It fits nicely under the eye and in your inner corner.
        P82- This one is a great one for blurring out your concealer whether it's under the eyes or on the face. I use my fingers for doing this on myself, but when I use concealer on clients this it what I use since you don't want to be using your fingers on a client.


        These are just a few of my favorites and ones that I use daily, but there are so many to choose from. I also like that they now give you choices in color options. Of course I wish that they weren't more expensive, but I guess that's the price you pay for options/choices. lol

        Anyway, now on to how you get 20% off at Sigma Beauty. If you download the Sigma Beauty app they will send you a code for your 20% off. I believe they mentioned that Android users have to use their browser to use the code. I don't know if that means they don't have the app for Android yet, or if it just doesn't work on the Android app. But I do know that Apple users have to turn notifications on to get the discount code sent to them through notifications. But here is a spoiler alert. I will post somewhere on my blog the coupon code that you need to use to get the 20% off. It will be in one of my beauty posts, if that helps any. That is for any of you who don't want to download the app or don't have a tablet or smart phone. I know that seems silly to say, but I know quite a few who don't have either of them, so this is for you all that don't. :)

        So come on back by and let me know what you got or what some of your Sigma Beauty products are. And don't forget to subscribe to my blog so that you get more sale information as well as beauty, cooking and other tips. I would love to hear from you!!! And as usual, Have a Most Serendipitous Weekend!!!


        Hugs Hugs to You All!!
        Jewel S. ;o)





Sunday, March 22, 2015

What Should I do? You Tell Me What Sort of Make-Up Look You Want Me To Do!!!





        Ok, I'm seriously dying to make a make-up tutorial video, but not sure where to begin. I have so many ideas and make-up looks to choose from that I'm almost overwhelmed by what to do first. So, I was thinking about it the other day and thought to myself, I'm not creating the videos for myself, I'm creating them for you so why not ask you what you want to see. So here's your chance to put in your input on what you would like to see as my first make-up tutorial. Is there a certain palette you want to see me use, or a certain color you would like to see, or certain look or something that would go with your eye color, etc,. You let me know!!!

        Also, with my first video I think I'm going to do a give-away!! Should I do one of my favorite palettes? Or some of my favorite polishes? Or just some of my fave products? You decide and let me know. But make sure you sign up to be a member of my blog so you don't miss it.

        I'm excited to do my first video, but do you think I should do a welcome to my channel vid first?!?! Just a vid that tells a little about me and what sort of things you will see on my channel. I don't know, again, you tell me what you think. I'm at your mercy. lol

        I'm looking forward to hearing from you all and seeing your opinions as they truly do matter to me. Wish me Luck!! :)

        Huge Hugs to You All!
        Jewel S.






Thursday, March 12, 2015

My Version of Bourbon Chicken with Brown Rice





        This is my version of Bourbon Chicken which I have been wanting to make for years, but since I'm not a big fan of bourbon, whiskey, brandy, etc,. I never wanted to buy the alcohol just to make it. But I finally broke down and bought some so I could make it. I know normally it's all chicken, but I like to cook as healthy as I can and having all chicken isn't high on the health meter, so I added in veggies. So without further ado, here we go:


Bourbon Chicken My Way with Brown Rice




Ingredient list:

        24oz Cubed Chicken (you can use boneless skinless breasts or whatever you have on hand)
        1-2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
        1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
        4 Large Carrots angle cut about 1/4" thick
        1 Large Sweet or Red Onion quartered and sliced
        1 Each Large Red, Green, Orange and Yellow Pepper 1-1 1/4" cubed
        4 Green Onions cut into fourths
        1 Can Chunk Pineapple drained
        Salt and Pepper to taste
        6 Cups of prepared White or Brown Rice (optional)

Sauce:

        1/2 C Water
        1 1/4 C Apple Juice
        6 Tbs Low Sodium Soy Sauce
        1/2 Tbs Sesame Oil
        2 Tbs Hoisin Sauce
        1tsp Minced Garlic
        1 tsp Ginger Spice Blend (it comes in a tube at Walmart in the produce section)
        1/4 C Brown Sugar packed
        2 Tbs Soy Sauce
        4 Tbs Southern Comfort
        2 Tbs Cornstarch

        Get all your ingredients cut up and ready to go because it cooks quick and you want to add the veggies in order of how long they take to cook. In a bowl mix all of the ingredients for the sauce and let it set until you are ready to add it to the pan.

        Heat up your pan on medium to medium high heat and add in 1/2 - 1 Tbs of your EVOO. Once pan is heated but before it starts smoking add in your carrots. Add in a little salt and pepper and toss them around until they start to brown a bit. Once browned add in your onion and red pepper flakes. I like to add in a little salt and pepper, not much, to each layer that I add. If you add in your salt a little at a time as you layer your cooking it doesn't take as much salt to flavor your food. Of course using spices rather than a bunch of salt helps as well to keep the food tasty but with less sodium. Just when onions start to turn slightly clear but still crunchy add in your red, green, orange and yellow peppers. Once they start to sweat add in your green onion and cook for just a minute or two and then remove from heat and place your veggie mixture in a bowl.

        Next, in the same pan, you are going to turn the heat up to a little higher temp. and add in the rest of your EVOO. As soon as your pan gets hot and starts to smoke slightly add in your chicken. Cook your chicken while stirring every 2 min. or so, so it doesn't burn but does brown a little. Cook it for a few minutes then add in another layer of salt and pepper to taste. Adding in salt after it has seared a little on the outside helps keep from a lot of juice escaping and keeping your chicken from browning. Just when chicken is just about done, pull it off of the stove and place it as well in a different bowl, set aside.

        Now for the sauce. Lower the heat on your pan back down to medium high to medium heat depending on your stove and add your sauce mix to the pan. Let this reduce and thicken for a few minutes and then place in your drained pineapple chunks. Cook pineapple for a couple of minutes and then add your chicken back in stirring it well and combining the chicken juices in the sauce. Once your chicken has reheated then add  your veggies and stir well also incorporating those juices into your sauce as well. As soon as it's all heated thoroughly it's done.




        I served this over brown rice but you can have it over noodles, white rice, brown rice, etc,. or just plain as I usually do because I'm not a big fan of rice. To me the texture is monotonous, but that's just me. So I usually get Chinese and give my rice to my husband. lol I did have this over the brown rice and it was really good. The larger chunks of chicken and veggies helped. :)

        Also remember that I have a rather large family, so my recipes are for 6 or more people. So if you are cooking for two, etc,. you can very the recipe.

        Again, please let me know if you make this recipe and what you think of it. I make it all up as I go along and again I know my family likes it, but I would love to hear from you and hear how your family liked it. I've been seriously thinking of creating a cook book, so any feedback at all would be helpful in making my decision as to whether or not to write one.

        Share your favorite recipes with us if you like, or if you added in your own tweeks to my recipe, I would love to hear that as well. :) Again, I truly value your comments and look forward to hearing from you!!

        Huge Hugs to All!!
        Jewel S. ;o)










Wednesday, March 11, 2015

BECCA Cosmetics On Sale On HauteLook!!!!





        So for any of you who would like to try or have been dying to try BECCA cosmetics, now's your chance for a fraction of the price. I just got my order placed for some Radiant Skin Satin Foundation in Nude, Radiant Skin Satin Concealer in Macadamia and some Ultimate Matte Lip Colour in; Amelia, Eloise and Isolde. They are only a 3rd of the price, roughly, of what they normally are retail, and a few items I almost didn't get because they are running low.





        So if you want to get an order in for the items you want then hop on over to HauteLook and get your order in before it's all gone!!!! And then stop back by and let us know what you got. Also let me know if you want a review of anything I purchased just let me know and I'll be happy to do one for you.


        Huge Hugs to All!!
        Jewel ;o)




Sunday, March 1, 2015

Negativity: How It Can Help, How to Do It Respectfully & How to Handle It





        Let's face it, you can't please everyone and you're bound to run into it at some point on the internet or in the real world. Although probably more so on the internet because on the internet those sitting behind a computer screen are faceless and nameless and think that they can throw whatever they want out there into space and it's OK. Well, it's not.

        Negative remarks can be a good thing, but it depends on how it's done. Everyone needs constructive criticism once in a while. In honesty that is how we get better at what we do. It tells us what we need to do differently to achieve our goals in life. And in that regards, positivity, although we love hearing it, doesn't really help us grow. But it's how it's done that can make or break the deal. If done properly it can help, if done in a brash, hurtful, threatening, violent or destructive way, that can be detrimental to anyone and can damage that person or what they are trying to achieve. I know that you are going to run into people you don't like, or things you don't like, or you don't like how someone does their hair or make-up, etc,. But truly if it makes that person happy who are you to tell them any different? It's OK to say, "Hey! You know that color really doesn't go well with your eyes." or "You know if you do it like this you can get it done faster", etc,. But to down right degrade someone and hurt their feelings over something that in the end is so trivial or minute in the grand scheme of things, who does that really help?

        I have always lived by the rules of etiquette that my grandparents taught me, "Treat others as you would want to be treated". Seriously, would you want someone bashing you and tearing down your confidence? Would you want someone tearing down your dreams and ambitions? No, then don't do it to others, point blank. I know it's easy to do when you are basically anonymous and no one knows who you are, etc,. But again, would you want someone doing it to you? If not then again, DON'T DO IT! It's that simple. It doesn't make you cool or make people respect you for it, and if they do respect you for it or think you're cool for doing it, then those really aren't the people you would want in your life because they will turn around and do it to you in a heartbeat.

        Another thing we should look at is why people would do such a thing. Are they doing it because they are jealous or because they don't have the courage to put themselves out there? Because in all reality, that's truly one of the real reasons behind it, they just won't admit it. Most people that would sit behind a computer screen and call others out in such a malicious way are really feeling badly about themselves and when they see others doing what they wished they could do or had the courage to do they lash out in hateful ways. Or maybe they just aren't a good person to begin with and have issues of their own they need to deal with. And of course that's not fair to those that they are adversely affecting, but they find no other way to deal with their own issues or shortcomings. Those people need to make others look bad to somehow in their mind make themselves look better. And of course another reason could be because people by nature are scared of what they don't understand or don't have experience in. Someone who has been skinny all their life, for instance, has no idea what it's like to be overweight or why, so they make fun of anyone who is overweight because they don't understand it. Everyone thinks that if you eat right and you're active you'll be skinny too. And that is by far from the truth because there are so many factors that cause or create obesity. I wish I could put people in the shoes of those that they hate on because I think it would open their eyes to how the other person feels.  Now there are other reasons that people lash out in negative ways, but these are the most common reasons. So the next time someone hates on you just remember that it's usually because they are not happy with themselves or having other issues in their life that causes them to lash out at others. And if you look at it from that stand point it will help you immensely because you will realize that it's really not you that they are lashing out at. It doesn't make it right, but it'll help ease the pain.

        The biggest thing that people need to remember is to not feed into the negativity. Let those people and those comments be. I know it's hurtful, but just delete it and walk away from it. If you bite back you are truly encouraging them and giving them the power because you are giving them control of the situation. But if you just delete it and walk away, they have nothing. No power because they have nothing to come back with. Oh, they may try to come back at you again, but if you just keep deleting them and not engage with them, they'll eventually give up and move on to someone else. Sad but true. Be true to yourself and do what you need to do to better yourself and make yourself happy. Don't let others hurt you or veer you off your path because you will only be hurting yourself in the end.

        Again, I know that no one wants to be told no, or that you don't fit in or that what you are doing is not pleasing to everyone. But you can't please everyone. There are way too many different opinions, likes/dislikes and ideas out there in the world to please everyone. And I also know that by nature we are pretty much a negative species and need to make a conscious decision to be positive and that it doesn't come to some as easy as others. But if you stay true to yourself and stay on your path to enlightenment and achievements you will succeed and win. And to those that think they are being cool or being respected by others for knocking, hurting or maiming others, you're not. You are only making yourself in the end look bad. Put yourself in that persons shoes and think to yourself, what if it was me? would I want to be talked to or treated like that? Whether you are anonymous or not, it's not OK to hurt others and maybe you should take a good hard look at yourself if you feel you have the need to. If you do however feel the need to share your opinion, because in the end that is all it is "your opinion", then do so in a respectful and non-confrontational way. Do it in a way that will help them in their goals not hinder them as I'm sure you would not want others to do to you. Others will respect you more and you will be able to look at yourself in the mirror and still love and respect yourself. If you help lift others, others will help lift you.

        If it is a loved one in your life that causes negativity in your life, I truly feel for you. I know from personal experience that it's a difficult choice, but you really need to walk away from them and distance yourself from them. If you don't, they will only continue to bring you down. I have walked away from several people in my life because they are ugly people and negative and tried to push it on me or get me involved. But you have to do it for you. You can only make excuses for that person or let them bring you down for so long before you yourself get brought down into their darkness. You can still hold a place in your heart for them. Maybe if you walk away it will also make them question why and can possibly help them in the long run. But you can't change people, they have to want to change and make those changes on their own.

        One last thing, if you do criticize someone in a negative way, don't just do it and walk away. Offer them a solution that may help them in their journey or with their goal. It's one thing to criticize someone, but it's another to try and help them solve their mistakes. This is another way to criticize positively or respectfully. By saying, "Those jeans may not be the right choice for you, maybe try these jeans instead", is the best way to constructively criticize someone. It shows that you care about them and you want to help them rather than tear them down or hurt them. I know this is just an example, but it is criticism that will be better received and will actually help them learn from their mistakes/choices. Just don't get offended if they don't take your advice because in the end it is their decision and they are here on Earth to make themselves happy just like you are.

        I know there may be a lot of redundancy or too much of my opinion in this matter, but I'm trying to get a point across none the less. I truly care about people and always want someone feeling happy/positive when in my presence or when dealing with others. I do believe in Karma and I believe that what you put out there comes back tenfold. If you are nasty to others then bad things will happen to you, but if you are good to others then good things will come. It may not be right away, which I know is human nature to want instant gratification, but patience will bring better things in the end. I just hope this post can help one person either feel empowered or make someone think twice before posting something malicious. That really is one of my major goals in life, to help others. If I can help one person in a positive manner because of my life experiences, advice, encouragement, love for others, etc,. then that is what makes my life worth while. Above all remember, "Only you can love you the best!". Love yourself and positive things will happen.

        As always, feel free to leave your comments on this post whether it is an experience you had, how you handle negativity, or how you feel about the subject. Maybe what you have to say will help someone else. But as always, keep it friendly.

        As Always Huge Hugs to All of You!!!
        Jewel S.