Your Perfect Shade...

Happy Monday! (Is that an oxymoron?) Regardless of how you feel about today, I hope you had a lovely weekend.

I had some fun this weekend trying out a nifty new app: Plum Perfect. (Free from iTunes, I'm assuming it's free for Android as well.)  Have you ever spent your hard-earned money on a new make-up item that looks great in the tube, only to get home and try it on and have it look horrid with your complexion? Or, with all the shopping we do on-line now, buy a color that on screen look like it will be great, then have it arrive and not so much?  With this app, you take a photo of your face (your "I Woke Up Like This" look is good, as you can see below - ha ha), or you can upload one from your phone, and the app will analyze your skin tone, eye, lip and hair colors.  To get the most accurate read, use a photo where you don't have any make-up all ready on (that should be pretty obvious for these purposes) and bright, non-shadowy natural light is best.

After about 60 seconds of "thinking", the app will provide you with your "Color Signature" for your review, and if you think something is way off, you can tweak.  Once you think the color signature is accurate, the app will then make suggestions for eye, face, and lip products are the rights shades for your coloring and complexion.

There are then additional customizations you can make to the search results: skin type, skin issues, product price, etc.  They recommend wallet-friendly brands available at Target, up through Sephora, Macy's and Nieman Marcus (to name a few.)

The app will also provide you with complete color combinations for complete looks: natural, office, or glam; and if you don't like the first suggestion, you can have it mix a new one. 
 

I'm going to try a couple of the budget-friendly product suggestions and see how accurate this fun little app actually is.  I'm always on the look out for the perfect lip and cheek shades, so this should be fun.

The website also shows that you can upload clothing items for outfit ideas, and take room photos for home decorating ideas. I plan on giving both of those a try as well.  Will keep you posted.

Have fun!
 

Friday Favorites - Shopping for a Good Cause

TGIF! Hope the week has been a good one for you, and the weekend even better.

Not to get preachy, but I've been thinking a lot lately - or I'm trying to be continuously aware of - how blessed I am in this life.  I feel like I'm constantly in the "I want", "I need", "how can I have more" mind set, and while those can be self-motivating, I also don't want to forget all that I do already have. Which is so much more than most of the world.  And if you are reading this, you are likely living a blessed life as well (and I don't mean because you read my blog.  But if you are, that's another way I am blessed. Thank you.  ;) )

My favorites for this Friday are companies that are helping those who have much less than all of us.  Our purchases from these companies provide women, both domestic and foreign, with jobs so they can support themselves and their family, and provide food for hungry school children.  And we get to add some great accessories to our closets, which hopefully when we wear will remind us how fortunate and blessed we are.

Your purchase of a fashionABLE product helps create opportunities for vulnerable women in Africa.  fashionABLE works with women to help them start small business coopertives, and partners with and requires manufacturers to employ women with fair wages and fair hiring practices.
 

Clockwise from top left: The ABLE Scarf, Minka holding the Hibret Zippered Pouch, Tizita Bracelets, ABLE Necklace, and Agnes Foldover Crossbody Bag
 

Founded in 2007 by Lauren Bush Lauren, FEED supports the World Food Programme's School Feeding program, which feeds and educates hungry children.  Every product sold has a measurable donation attached to it and, to date, the social business has been able to provide over 87 million meals globally through the WFP and Feeding America.
 

Clockwise from top left: FEED 5 Bracelet (with pouch) provides 5 meals, FEED Diaper Bag provides 1 mother and 1 child with micronutrients for a year,  and FEED 10 T-shirt provides 10 school meals.
 

Better Life Bags is based in Detroit.  They hire women who otherwise could not get jobs, and then rent them a sewing machine and tools while teaching them skill sets that allow them to become a primary or secondary provider in their families.   Most of the women are fist generation immigrants, so BLB provides them with fellowship and friendship.  They have ready-to-ship items, or you can customize with your choice of fabrics.

Clockwise from top left: Laptop Sleeve, Linda, Brynnda, Wristlet Set, and Nesting Pouches with Leather Bands.
 

Links I Love

1. Space-Saving Ideas for your home - If anyone knows about maximizing storage in small spaces, its boat owners (and NYC apartment dwellers, so I've heard.) Everyone always needs more space, here are some good ideas. (apartmenttherapy.com)
2. Eva Mendez for Circa Beauty - The lovely Ms. Mendez has partnered with Circa Cosmetics for an affordable new line.  I'm looking forward to trying out the Ultrasuede Cream Blush. (circabeauty.com)
3. Chocolate Toffee Bars - these look like heaven in your mouth. I can't wait to try this recipe. (myrecipemagic.com)
4. Make your own Disneyland Dole Whip - as the weather heats up, save yourself the $100 per ticket to the Magic Kingdom and make your own treat at home. (sixsistersstuff.com)
5. DIY Jewelry Cleaners - the right items you already have at home for cleaning your varied stones and metals. (finance.yahoo.com)
6. Handpicked Workout Gear - no doubt a cute workout outfit motivates the workout.  Fabletics by Kate Hudson has so many cute styles, and your first complete outfit is only $25! (fabletics.com)
7. How to Get Hair So Shiny it Might Blind a B*tch - the title says it all.  (allure.com)
8. Student Loan Forgiveness - while we're waiting for the government to agree to forgive all student debt, you should check out this list and see if you can start some forgiving under the current policies (since I think we'll be waiting a while for the gov to act.) (yahoo.com)
9. Easy DIY TV Wall Mount - I am going to do this.  Now with baby a toddler, need to move that TV up. (Though its going to require a trip to the hardware store, and should be more appropriately titled "Minimal Cost Way...") (apartmenttherapy.com)

I'm all for anything that makes life easier...

I dread dinner.  Not because I don't like to eat or cook -- on the contrary I love the former and am fine with the latter -- but because it causes me stress.  I have a husband who essentially requires any meal have a substantial amount of protein (read: meat), we like to eat healthy, and a toddler with whom I am trying to build a diverse palate and provide him with enough varied nutrients.  Those requirements must be met in a meal I can prepare and have on the table in approximately 30 minutes, 45 max, after I rush in the house after sitting in traffic and being at work all day. (Not to mention my new mission to reduce waste, which adds a whole new meal planning element into the mix.)

The stress from all those requirements is that I never have any ideas for what to make.  And when I do randomly find recipes to try, I never have them on me when grocery shopping. Yes, I need to get better at meal planning, and shopping accordingly during the week.  That's where this app/website comes in handy: 

Pepperplate keeps all your recipes at your fingertips with an app on your phone, and the home base on their website via the profile you set up.  You can manually add favorite recipes, or import them electronically through websites they've coordinated with, such as: allrecipes.com, Eating Well, Rachel Ray, Skinnytaste (my favorite), Food Network, and many more.  You can add tags to your recipes for sorting and searching (e.g. 'quick dinners') and pull them up anywhere from the app.  

And you can add a recipe to your shopping list and it will automatically add all the ingredients you are going to need. You can check off those items you already have and shop more efficiently because they organize the list by grocery store aisle/department. It also has a meal planning a calendar feature that I need to get better at using. Meal planning needs to be a habit I adopt. I'll add that to my to-do list.

Tuesday Thoughts

Inspiration:

Image borrowed from A Girl, Obsessed via Pinterest