A post with a little bit of everything

So today I guess I have a lot to say haha.  Now since this is supposed to be a beauty blog, I guess I will start off with the makeup portion.

I have been doing so much better wearing color.  I'm proud of myself for getting back into it a little bit more. Still nothing crazy but I've definitely been playing more.  This is just a basic green look that I did.

What I used:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

All eyeshadows by Makeup Geek:

"Poison Ivy" all over lid

"Shimmermint" on inner 2/3 of lid

"Envy" on outer 1/3 and outer v area

"Corrupt" to darken outer v

"Latte" to blend up 

"Bling" as highlight color

I liked this look.  I thought it was pretty and wearable but still had a little punch of color.

Now I don't think I ever told you guys that in January I had a CT scan done.  It's always so nerve-wracking to have one done.  The last thing you want to hear is that they found something.  As much as I felt they weren't going to find anything, especially since I had just finished my IV chemo, you just never know.  So I met with my liver surgeon to go over the results and he came back and said everything is good.  My CT scan review read, "no evidence of metastatic disease."  I was thrilled.  And then he told me that I could continue doing my follow-up scans closer to home if I wanted to and that I could forget he ever existed.  I told him that it is impossible for me to forget he existed one, because he helped save my life, and two because I have some nice scars from him on my belly.  

I'm really self-conscious to do this, but I'm going to show you my tummy so you can see what I mean when I say I can never forget him haha. So here it is:

The top scar is from my liver surgery.  As you can see, it's a pretty decent sized scar.  It goes up a little more than what you can see.  The lower scar is from my left hemicolectomy and that goes down a little farther than my pants line.  And then the random other little scars are either from my laproscopic surgery for my bowel obstruction or they're from drains from the more major surgeries.  I'm lucky that apparently I'm a good healer.  My scars have faded a lot.  The lower scar is a little over a year old and it's really not terribly visible.

I am not embarrassed of my scars or of anything I've gone through.  I'm just not a belly show-er haha.  

Now, on the day I got my CT scan results back, I was so happy.  Until I went on facebook to post about it. There I saw that my husband's cousin had lost a friend to cervical cancer that same day.  It is unbelievably difficult to be happy for yourself when someone else just lost their fight.  And this is something I'm really really struggling with.  I'm so so grateful for being cancer-free but I cannot understand why I am and other people aren't.  Why did I respond so well to chemo and other people don't?  I mean, yeah, I fought, but they fought just as hard as I did.  Yeah, my family needs me but their families need them too.  I almost feel guilty for being healthy when other people who have been through the same thing I have aren't responding the same way I did.

But I am doing everything in my own personal power to make sure my cancer doesn't come back.  As I said in my last post, I've changed the way I eat and have started juicing and drinking a lot of green smoothies.  So I thought I'd share one of my favorite juice recipes with you!  I'm telling you, it's soooo yummy.

What it calls for:

4 oranges, peeled

1 medium sweet potato (you can peel it if you want, but I leave the skin on for the nutrients)

3 stalks of celery

a chunk of ginger

Juice them all up and here's what you get!

Why is this juice good for you?

Oranges support your immune system, combat cancer, protect your heart, and support respiration.  Sweet potatoes protect your eyesight (better than carrots, even), combat cancer, lift your mood, and strengthen your bones.  Celery fights cancer, lowers cholesterol, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, lowers blood pressure.  And ginger fights nausea, maintains normal blood circulation, strengthens immunity.  All of these ingredients do so much more than what I've listed.

And the main difference between juicing and smoothies is that with juicing, you remove all of the fiber.  There are debates all of the time about what's actually best for you.  I do both so there's no debate for me haha.  Juicing helps you to directly absorb the macro-nutrients in whatever you've juiced since your body doesn't have to break it down.  This is great for people who have digestive issues.  One of the benefits of smoothies is the fact that it does have the fiber and it slows the rate at which you absorb the sugars and your blood sugar won't spike like it could with a juice.

One of my followers, Sylvia, suggested I read "Eat to Live" and I fully intend on doing that!  Any other recommendations are more than welcome!  I really feel blessed that I've had support in learning what foods can do for me.  One of my friends actually got her certification in holistic nutrition and she has been incredibly helpful to me.  I'm always asking her questions haha.  I've just been so frustrated with the fact that I specifically have asked all of my doctors and the dietitian at the cancer center if there were foods that could help and they all told me no, that nothing had been proven.  I've learned differently.  I was not looking to substitute the chemo, I just wanted something in addition to the chemo to help my odds.

I want to thank you all for being so amazing to me throughout everything I've been through.  Your support has meant more to me than I could ever explain to you!  Thank you all so much!  I hope you're having a great week!

Where have I been?

Gosh, guys, I suck.  I haven't blogged in about 3 months.  That's not good.  But I have to be honest with you, I haven't been paying any attention to my makeup hardly at all.  Seriously.  If you can see my makeup in this picture, this is pretty much what I look like every single day.

Since finishing my IV chemo treatments, my focus has been on what I can possibly do to make sure my cancer never comes back.  Being diagnosed at 26 and finding out you have a 6% chance of making it to 31 really makes you reevaluate some things in your life.

So what have I been doing?  I have been researching the heck out of what I can eat or drink to make my body as inhospitable to cancer as it can be.  I have watched documentaries like "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead", "Hungry for Change", "Forks Over Knives", and "Food Matters." I loved them all.  After watching all of them and researching a bit online I have come to the conclusion that having a primarily plant-based diet is the way to go to give myself the best odds to keep this cancer away.

I bought myself a juicer ( http://www.amazon.com/Breville-800JEXL-Fountain-1000-Watt-Extractor/dp/B0002VAFVG) and I juice fruits and vegetables about once a day.  I LOVE my juices.  I bought myself a NutriBullet (http://www.target.com/p/nutribullet-by-magic-bullet/-/A-13969043#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=nutribullet) and do a green smoothie about once a day.  My other meal is usually something pretty healthy, I've found myself loving some quinoa.  I eat it all the time as like a substitute for oatmeal with bananas, blueberries, and almond milk.  It's so yummy!  I've started venturing into Hispanic and Asian markets.  I love them.  They have so much more produce than the American markets do, at much more reasonable prices.

So lately my focus has been completely off of the makeup scene and totally into the healthy eating scene.  I just really feel like my health and my family's health needs to be my main focus.  I have learned so much about how food can help or ruin your health and so I'm really trying to practice relatively clean eating.  I'm not going to become a full-on vegetarian or a vegan but I don't mind making more vegetarian or vegan choices.

However, I did do something a little out of my norm today for Autism awareness day.  So here's what I wore today!

It's not anything super special but it's a lot more color than I've worn in a long time!

I would like to get back to blogging more but I'm not sure if my blog might shift focus a little more toward the healthy eating spectrum and little off of the beauty.  I'm not sure.  If you have any questions about what I'm doing, please feel free to ask.  

Thank you, as always, for hanging in there with me!  I appreciate you all so much!

Happy New Year! A fun look and a personal update

I figure I'll start this post off with the look in case you're not interested in the personal stuff.  I actually did this look like a month ago and just never got around to posting it.  I did post these pictures already on facebook so I'm sorry if you've seen them already.  I wanted to do a cut crease look with glitter because I hadn't used glitter in like a million years.  So here's the look

What I used:

All Makeup Geek (MUG) eyeshadows:

Lid: Bleached Blonde

From crease line up to brow bone: 

Bada Bing 

Mocha

Brown Sugar

Cocoa Bear

Goddess

Bleached Blonde

Bling

Then I topped the lid color with NYX glitter liner in Gold.

Eyeliner: MUG gel liner "Immortal" topped with MUG eyeshadow "Corrupt"

Mascara: L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black

Then I used a Makeup Geek Lipstick too in the color "Darling"

I thought it was a fun look, it was really dramatic and I hadn't done anything so dramatic in quite a while so it was a bit of an overload haha.

So now onto the personal stuff.  

I am officially done with chemo IV treatments!!!  The more days that go by of me being done, the more excited I get.  Because I was going every 2 weeks for treatment so when I'd start feeling good again, it was almost time for my next treatment.  But now I'm starting to feel good again and I don't have to dread going for my next treatment because I don't have any more!!  I did find out that my oncologist wants me to take a chemo pill for 6 months though.  The chemo pill is not supposed to be as intense as the IV treatments but there are still a bunch of side effects that could make me feel like poo.  I also could still lose my hair.

If you follow me on facebook, you may have seen that I posted this picture of myself at my final chemo treatment

I posted that on my blog page mainly to let you guys know what was going on because I've been a terrible blogger and haven't updated my blog in a very long time.  I also didn't want to keep changing information on you because my treatments kept getting pushed back.  I didn't want to tell you I'd be done for Thanksgiving and then come back a week later with a "just kidding!"  But anyways, somehow this picture got shared out of control.  As of now it has over 255,000 likes and 3,471 comments.  Completely out of control.  I didn't even know that could happen.  I wasn't trying to let random people know I'm done with chemo, I was trying to let you guys know.

What I learned from this picture being shared so much and with so many comments is that there are some really really incredible people out there who really just want the best for someone they don't even know.  I got so many comments saying, "God bless you" and "Congratulations" and amazing comments like that.  I also learned that people can be incredibly cruel.  While the good comments far outweighed the bad, I got sooo many comments telling me that I should be ashamed of myself for posting this picture because it's fake. There's no way I went through chemo because I still have my hair.  I look "too healthy" to have gone through chemo.  I have makeup on so the picture is fake.  I have jewelry on so the picture is fake.  I had people calling me names.  Some people said the only reason anyone cares is because I'm a, "pretty white girl."  Which is complete nonsense!

My integrity was being called into question, it really hurt my feelings, and I really felt like I wanted to defend myself to every mean comment I saw.  I realize that I don't have to.  But who in the world would make up that they have cancer?  Why would I go to a hospital and be like, "can I sit in your chair and take this picture with my fake sign please?  Oh yeah, can I have a blanket and hospital bracelet too while we're at it?"  It makes no sense.  And I feel like if people educated themselves a little bit they would realize that not all chemotherapy drugs are the same.  They don't all make you lose your hair.  I responded well to chemo.  I'm very lucky and I realize that.  

But people were saying, "nobody looks that good at chemo."  Well you know what?  I was feeling good the morning of chemo so I got up, showered, did my hair and makeup because that's what I do.  I don't go in public without at least some makeup.  I'm sure as heck not going to let my husband take my picture if I don't have makeup on, let alone post it on facebook.  If I had my husband take my picture the next day, you would see a completely different girl.  I would look tired.  I wouldn't have makeup on.  My hair wouldn't be done because that's what chemo does to people.  I have enough time in between my treatments where I get back to feeling like myself again so the mornings of my chemo treatments I feel fine.  It's the next 5-6 days where I feel like crap.

I just needed to get that out haha.  Thank you for listening to my little rant haha.  I appreciate every kind comment so much.  I couldn't understand why these people who have never heard of me or seen any of my makeup before this would care so much and their kindness blew me away.

I feel so lucky and blessed that I get to start 2013 being cancer free with no IV treatments left!  I feel blessed that I get to see 2013 at all because things could have been very different.  I'm going to ask you, as a personal favor, if you ever see a picture floating around facebook and you might think it's fake, please don't make nasty comments because you never know what someone is actually going through.

I wish you all the best in 2013.  I'm so excited to see what it has in store!!

Thank you all for being the best followers ever!!

Makeup Geek Gel Liners

Makeup Geek recently sent me four of their new(ish) gel eyeliners.  I have been playing around with them since I got them.  The liners cost $7.99 for 1.8g of product.  To compare, MAC fluidlines cost $15 for 3g of product, so they're really quite similar in price per gram.  So here are the colors I got:

Immortal:  

What the MUG site says the bottom line about this color is, "A true intense black color with a matte finish."

I think this is a great basic black gel liner.  I've never had any issues with a black gel liner (I've also used L'oreal HIP, MAC, and Bobbi Brown) and I wouldn't necessarily recommend this over the others or the others over this.  It lasted well for me, but I did set it with a shadow as I always do.

 Electric:

"True royal blue with a matte finish."

This color, when used as a liner, does not come across as bright.  Also this needs you to give it drying time.  I used it to line around my eyes and it transferred like nobody's business.  I learned that setting it with shadow before opening your eyes is a very good idea.  This worked well for me on the waterline.

 Fame:

"A dark aquatic teal with a navy undertone and smooth shimmery finish."

My favorite.  I love this color.  It applied super smoothly and it's just the most gorgeous color.  I had no issues with staying power on my waterline.  If you have hazel or gold eyes, you NEED this color.

 Rave:

"A dark metallic golden brown shade with a smooth shimmery finish."

This is like a silvery-brown color.  It's really pretty, I used it as a base, I haven't used it as a liner yet.  But it applied nice and smoothly and it's a really pretty, interesting color.

 Swatches:

And here are two looks I did using these.

A look with "Electric" as the star of the show.

What I used:

MUG "Electric" Gel liner all around my eyes and on waterline

MUG "Neptune" shadow to set the liner (they need a shadow color that better coordinates with Electric)

MUG "Bling" shadow on lid and as highlight

MUG "Stealth" in outer v area

MUG "Purely Naked" to blend up from Stealth

My second look.  Using "Fame" and "Rave"

I used "Rave" as a base on my lid

MUG "Prom Night" on top of Rave

MUG "Latte" in outer v area

MUG "Beaches 'n Cream" above Latte

MUG "Shimma Shimma" as highlight

"Fame" gel liner on waterline, topped with "Ocean Breeze" and blended down into "Mermaid"

I definitely like these liners.  I think they make great eyeshadow bases as well, they don't stay creamy like the NYX jumbo eye pencils do, but I didn't have any issues getting shadow to stick on top of them.  Have you guys tried these gel liners yet?  What do you think of them?

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving!  Thanks so much for taking time out to check this out!!!

Date night smokey eye

I don't know if I have ever told you or not but I ADORE the Naked palette from Urban Decay.  I have both the first and the second ones but I use the first one way more (which I was totally not expecting).  I never thought I would use it as much as I do, but I swear I use it like 5 times a week.  So if you haven't gotten this palette because you think you'll never use it, I think you're wrong and you should get it.  Totally worth the $50 I say.

Today I wanted to do something I thought my husband might like, something good for a date night.  So I wanted dark dark eyeliner and to go relatively simple on the rest of my makeup.  So here's the look I did.

I've done this color combo a million times before, I just tried to make my liner darker by going over it a few times and then going over it with the black shadow from the Naked palette.  The colors I used from the palette are "Creep" (black), "Gunmetal" (grey), and "Naked" (tan).  My eyeliner is Avon's Glimmersticks Liqui-glide eyeliner in "black."  On my lips I have a mixture of "Interlace" and "Femme" OCC lip tars topped by Anastasia lipgloss in "Barely" (great color, HORRIBLE applicator).

So that's my super easy date night look.  According to my husband, "it's cool" so I'm not sure what that means.  But I like it so that's all that matters!  Well, I hope you guys like it too haha!

I have been gone for way too long!

Hey guys!  Thank you if you're still out there and reading this.  I know I've been the world's worst blogger and I do apologize.  If you follow me on facebook, you'll know that I had to have surprise surgery in October for a partially obstructed small bowel (which is NOT a fun thing to have, by the way, I puked my brains out.  I lost 10 lbs of just water weight and it took bags and bags of fluid just to get me peeing again).  But I'm healed from that and am back on my chemo schedule.

After surgery I tend to get into a slump because I don't feel well so I don't really wear too much makeup and then I get used to not wearing makeup so I just kinda don't.  And honestly, my skin has been a wreck so I figure even if I do good eye makeup you won't notice because my skin is so gross.  Darn steroids.  So today I decided for the first time in way too long that I would try something at least slightly artistic.  I don't have many good pictures of it but here it is!

I used all Makeup Geek shadows for this look.  

Product placement:

 

1. Pixie Dust

2. Peacock

3. Ocean Breeze

4. Appletini

5. White Lies

So that's my creativity for the day haha.  I haven't worn this much color or this extreme of a look in a very long while so I feel like I look kinda crazy.  This used to be kind of tame for me too.  Who would have thought the day would come where it would be a struggle for me to wear eyeliner without thinking it looks like I'm overdoing it?

Well that's about all I have for today.  I will try to be a better blogger, but it honestly depends on my energy level and my skin.  Because my skin has been a huge deterrence to my blogging. 

Thank you to all of you who are still sticking it out with me!  My last unhook from chemo is scheduled for Decemeber 22nd so I should be done by Christmas!!  Yay!  I cannot wait for it all to be behind me and for me to get back to my "normal" life!  Thanks guys!

Bright blues and purple using BFTE

It had been a while since I'd worn any real color on my eyes, I honestly just haven't felt like putting the effort in.  Lame, I know.  So I decided I wanted to do something colorful.  When I do looks, I like to use exclusively one brand of eyeshadow (unless there's a specific look I'm going for or if I really need another color) so if you want to copy it you don't have to go all over the world to do so.  So for this look I reached for the sampler set I have from Beauty From the Earth (or BFTE) Cosmetics.  So here's the look I came up with (you've already seen it if you follow my facebook page, I did this look like a week ago)!

The colors I used (all from BFTE) were:

Lid: "Blue Bayou"

Crease: "Blue Bird"

Purple part of crease: "Midnight Kisses"

Purple above crease: "Kastra"

Highlight: "Beautiful"

Liner: Avon Glimmersticks Liqui-glide eyeliner "Black"

Mascara: L'oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24H

And this has nothing to do with makeup but recently I did a 5k to help raise awareness for colon cancer.  I really want people to know that it can happen to young people too (though that wasn't really addressed, they said, "If you love someone over 50, make sure they get screened").  So I have some pictures that my family, who are completely amazing and drove down from New York to do this with me, took so I thought I'd share them with you!

It was called the Undy 5000 where they encourage people to run in their undies to help raise awareness but I'm not really an undies-showing kinda chick so that was a negative for me haha.  I wore leggings under the boxers they gave me haha.

This is the photo of my whole team.  My team came in 2nd place for fundraising, we made $2,248!  The first place team had 66 members so it doesn't surprise me that they won, we only had 9 members signed up to fundraise so I say we kicked butt!

The shirts my family had made up

My adorable niece's shirt

Me, my sister (to the left), and my cousin

Most of the rest of my team

Me at the one mile marker!

Crossing the finish line arm-in-arm!

Me and my hubby!

With the other 19 survivors, I got really emotional and had a hard time not crying.  Who looks out of place haha?  They kept looking at me like wondering why I was standing up there, I think they thought I was just confused haha.

Me and my dad with my "survivor" medal.

It was really fun.  I didn't realize I'd have a good time walking 3.1 miles just to do it but I really had a good time.  And we raised so much money, I'm so proud!  My time wasn't very good but I finished in under an hour so I guess that's not terrible haha.  Good thing I wasn't in it for the race, I was just in it for the experience and to raise some awareness that this happens to young people too!  It is easier to prevent if you're older and get screened regularly but if you're young and something isn't right, get checked out!!  

So that's my lengthy post for the day haha.  I hope you guys are having a great week!  Thank you, as always, for sticking with me through this whole thing.  I promise it'll get better once I'm done with treatments and cancer-free!  Here I am getting treatment number 8!  Four more to go and I'm done (fingers crossed) forever!!

Thanks guys!!!