Oh hey there, beautiful. What is more exciting than new eyeshadow colors?? Maskcara just dropped THREE new colors and I just can't decide which is my very favorite.
Bird ($14)
Winging isn’t just for your eyeliner! Give flight to your wildest dreams with this warm and universally flattering neutral shade that matches our beloved Olive contour.
Cupcake ($14)
Who says you can’t have your cake and wear it too? Bring out your sweet side with this soft and decadent eyeshadow that is the same shade as our Vanilla Dust powder!
Lullaby ($14)
This silky serenade of purple and pink hues is ultra-pigmented and happens to harmonize in perfect pitch with every eye color.
Cupcake, Bird, and Lullaby eyeshadows are available NOW! Aaaaand to sweeten the deal---they are currently being offered in a bundle!! Three new colors + cult classic Pup + dual-ended I Shadow Everything brush + magnetic mirrored compact for $56! That's a $30 saving folks! What are you waiting for? Click here to order!
Lil Miss may look just like her daddy, but her personality is all ME! One of the many things we have in common is how much we love to read. Unfortunately she's also a huge fan of repetition and loves to read the same books over. And over. And over again. Some of the books she loves I can't stand and vice versa. So here are the books we have next to her bed-books she loves that have pretty pictures for her, actual storylines for us, and allow for participation for her too!
Let me preface this by saying my husband is Hawaiian.
Yes that's Spam you see. The first time I ever tried Spam, the then-boyfriend made fried rice and didn't tell me what kind of meat this was until I was finished eating and said how I much I liked it.
Moral of the story: don't knock it until you try it! That being said, you can totally swap a different protein or just omit it entirely.
I HIGHLY recommend cooking your rice the day before and storing in the fridge so you don't end up with a sticky mass.
Use whatever veggies you have on hand!
Add in some sesame oil, soy sauce, and Sriracha.
Top with a fried egg and Yum Yum sauce...soooo good
And bam- an easy and cheap meal! I've added red bell pepper and pineapple in the past-both are delicious!
Fried Rice
3 c white rice, cooked
Half a can of spam, diced, or another prepared protein if desired
Veggies of your choosing
6 TBSP soy sauce (I always use reduced sodium)
3 TBSP sesame oil
Sriracha to taste
Sautee protein and veggies until meat is slightly browned and veggies are softened. Stir in rice, removing any clumps. Warm rice through.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce and sesame soil then add to rice and mix until rice is evenly coated. Stir in Sriracha.
Top with a fried egg and Yum Yum Sauce if desired.
Sooooo I baked a thing this weekend and it was so delicious we didn't take ANY pictures before inhaling it. It says it serves 6-8 people...well the two of us demolished it in two days. This is the second Milk Bar layer cake I've made (the first being the Birthday Cake for hubs' bday) and while it is NO JOKE to make (even less of a joke when you decide to do the whole thing after putting the kids to bed before Hubs gets home) the result is soso worth it. I made this cake in one day- the Birthday Cake I spread out over the course of about five.
I'm one of the laziest people you will meet and the fact that I think this is worth the effort speaks volumes! I'm slowly making my way through Christina Tosi's Milk Bar cookbook-what should I make next?
Milk Bar's Apple Pie Layer Cake
Yield:1 6-inch cake; serves 6
Total Time:14 hours (includes baking, assembling and chilling time)
Ingredients:
apple pie layer cake
1 recipe barely brown butter cake (recipe below)
1 recipe apple cider soak (recipe below)
1 recipe liquid cheesecake (recipe below)
½ recipe pie crumb (recipe below)
1 recipe apple pie filling (recipe below)
1 recipe pie crumb frosting (recipe below)
special equipment
1 (6-inch) cake ring
2 strips acetate, each 3 inches wide and 20 inches long
barely brown butter cake
55 g butter 4 tablespoons (½ stick)
40 g brown butter (below) 2 tablespoons
250 g granulated sugar 1 ¼ cups
60 g light brown sugar ¼ cup tightly packed
3 eggs
110 g buttermilk ½ cup
65 g grapeseed oil 1/3 cup
2 g vanilla extract ½ teaspoon
185 g cake flour 1 ½ cups
4 g baking powder 1 teaspoon
4 g kosher salt 1 teaspoon
cooking spray (optional)
apple cider soak
55 g apple cider ¼ cup
5 g light brown sugar 1 teaspoon tightly packed
.25 g ground cinnamon pinch
liquid cheesecake
225 g cream cheese 8 ounces
150 g sugar ¾ cup
6 g cornstarch ½ teaspoon
2 g kosher salt ½ teaspoon
25 g milk 2 tablespoons
1 egg
pie crumb
240 g flour 1 ½ cups
18 g sugar 2 tablespoons
3 g kosher salt ¾ teaspoon
115 g butter, melted 8 tablespoons (1 stick)
20 g water 1 ½ tablespoons
apple pie filling
1 lemon
300 g granny smith apples 2 medium
14 g butter 1 tablespoon
150 g light brown sugar 2/3 cup tightly packed
1 g ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon
1 g kosher salt ¼ teaspoon
pie crumb frosting
½ recipe pie crumb (below)
110 g milk ½ cup
2 g kosher salt ½ teaspoon
40 g butter, at room temperature 3 tablespoons
40 g confectioners’ sugar ¼ cup
Directions:
apple pie layer cake
1. put a piece of parchment or a silpat on the counter. invert the cake onto it and peel off the parchment or silpat from the bottom of the cake. use the cake ring to stamp out 2 circles from the cake. these are your top 2 cake layers. the remaining cake “scrap” will come together to make the bottom layer of the cake.
layer 1, the bottom
2. clean the cake ring and place it in the center of a sheet pan lined with clean parchment or a silpat. use 1 strip of acetate to line the inside of the cake ring.
3. put the cake scraps together inside the ring and use the back of your hand to tamp the scraps together into a flat even layer.
4. dunk a pastry brush in the apple cider soak and give the layer of cake a good, healthy bath of half of the oil.
5. use the back of a spoon to spread half of the liquid cheesecake in an even layer over the cake.
6. sprinkle one-third of the pie crumbs evenly over the liquid cheesecake. use the back of your hand to anchor them in place.
7. use the back of a spoon to spread one-half of the apple pie filling as evenly as possible over the crumbs.
layer 2, the middle
8. with your index finger, gently tuck the second strip of acetate between the cake ring and the top ¼ inch of the first strip of acetate, so that you have a clear ring of acetate 5 to 6 inches tall – high enough to support the height of the finished cake. set a cake round on top of the frosting, and repeat the process for layer 1 (if 1 of your 2 cake rounds is jankier than the other, use it here in the middle and save the prettier one for the top).
layer 3, the top
9. nestle the remaining cake round into the apple pie filling. cover the top of the cake with all of the pie crumb frosting. give it volume and swirls, or do as we do and opt for a perfectly flat top. garnish the frosting with the remaining pie crumbs.
10. transfer the sheet pan to the freezer and freeze for a minimum of 12 hours to set the cake and filling. the cake will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
11. at least 3 hours before you are ready to serve the cake, pull the sheet pan out of the freezer and, using your fingers and thumbs, pop the cake out of the cake ring. gently peel off the acetate, and transfer the cake to a platter or cake stand. let it defrost in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (wrapped well in plastic, the cake can be refrigerated for up to 5 days).
12. slice the cake into wedges and serve.
barely brown butter cake
1. heat the oven to 350°f.
2. combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.
3. stream in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla while the paddle swirls on low speed. increase the speed to medium-high and paddle 5 to 6 minutes, until the mixture is practically white, twice the size of your originally fluffy butter-and-sugar mixture, and completely homogenous. you’re basically forcing too much liquid into an already fatty mixture that doesn’t want to make room for it, so if it doesn’t look right after 6 minutes, keep mixing. stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. on very low speed, add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. mix for 45 to 60 seconds, just until your batter comes together and any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated. scrape down the sides of the bowl. mix on low speed for another 45 seconds to ensure that any little lumps of cake flour are incorporated.
5. pam-spray a quarter sheet pan and line it with parchment, or just line the pan with a silpat. using a spatula, spread the cake batter in an even layer in the pan. bake for 30 to 35 minutes. the cake will rise and puff, doubling in size, but will remain slightly buttery and dense. at 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger: the cake should bounce back slightly and the center should no longer be jiggly. leave the cake in the oven for an extra 3 to 5 minutes if it doesn’t pass these tests.
6. take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack or, in a pinch, in the fridge or freezer (don’t worry, it’s not cheating). the cooled cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.
apple cider soak
whisk together cider, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved.
liquid cheesecake
1. heat the oven to 300°f.
2. put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. add the sugar and mix for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar has been completely incorporated. scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. whisk together the cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream, then whisk in the egg until the slurry is homogenous.
4. with the mixer on medium-low speed, stream in the egg slurry. paddle for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and loose. scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. line the bottom and sides of a 6 x 6-inch baking pan with plastic wrap. pour the cheesecake batter into the pan, put the pan in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. gently shake the pan. the cheesecake should be firmer and more set toward the outer boundaries of the baking pan but still be jiggly and loose in the dead center. if the cheesecake is jiggly all over, give it 5 minutes more. and 5 minutes more if it needs it, but it’s never taken me more than 25 minutes to underbake one. if the cheesecake rises more than a ¼ inch or begins to brown, take it out of the oven immediately.
6. cool the cheesecake completely, to finish the baking process and allow the cheesecake to set. the final product will resemble a cheesecake, but it will be pipeable and pliable enough to easily spread or smear, while still having body and volume. once cool, the cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up 1 week.
pie crumb
1. heat the oven to 350°f.
2. combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until well mixed.
3. add the butter and water and paddle on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.
4. spread the clusters on a parchment- or silpat- lined sheet pan. bake for 25 minutes, breaking them up occasionally. the crumbs should be golden brown and still slightly moist to the touch at that point; they will dry and harden as they cool.
5. let the crumbs cool completely before using in a recipe or eating. stored in an airtight container, the crumbs will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.
apple pie filling
1. fill a medium bowl halfway with cold tap water. juice the lemon into it. fish out and discard any seeds. you will use this lemon water to keep your apple pieces looking fresh and pert.
2. peel the apples, then halve and quarter them. put each apple quarter on its side and cut a small slice down the length of the apple to remove the seeds and core. cut each apple quarter lengthwise into thirds and then crosswise into fourths, leaving you with 12 small pieces from every apple quarter. transfer these pieces to the lemon water as you go.
3. when you’re ready to cook, drain the apples (discard the lemon water) and combine them in a medium pot with the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, using a spoon to gently stir the mixture as it heats up and the apples begin to release liquid. reduce the heat and simmer the apples gently for 3 to 5 minutes. be careful not to cook the apples so much that they turn into applesauce.
4. transfer to a container and put in the fridge to cool down. once completely cooled, the filling can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week; do not freeze.
pie crumb frosting
1. combine the pie crumbs, milk, and salt in a blender, turn the speed to medium-high, and puree until smooth and homogenous. it will take 1 to 3 minutes (depending on the awesomeness of your blender). if the mixture does not catch on your blender blade, turn off the blender, take a small teaspoon, and scrape down the sides of the canister, remembering to scrape under the blade, then try again.
2. combine the butter and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy and pale yellow. scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
3. on low speed, paddle in the contents of the blender. after 1 minute, crank the speed up to medium-high and let her rip for another 2 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl. if the mixture is not a uniform, very pale, barely tan color, give the bowl another scrape-down and another minute of high-speed paddling.
4. use the frosting immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
T-minus 30 hours until little man is handed his eviction notice! I thought it would be fun to give you a peek inside my hospital bag to see what beauty products I’m bringing with me.
1. Makeup remover wipes- while I don’t see myself as one of those women delivering with a face full of makeup, these wipes are a great way to quickly cleanse your skin and feel at least somewhat refreshed. And their yummy cucumber smell can trick you into thinking you’re at the spa 😉
2. Cute headband- When I was reading lists online trying to refresh myself on what to pack for the hospital, I came across one list that recommended bringing a curling iron. Umm I don’t know about you, but I’m not about to stand in front of a mirror for 20 minutes curling my hair. This cute headband by Pieces to Peaces means I can quickly (and cutely) throw my hair up. And the print even matches a special swaddle blanket I got for baby!
3. Maskcara Clutch- not only is this my usual wallet of choice, it also fits my complete daily makeup stash (IIID foundation, lip + cheek color, eyeshadow, and setting powder), it also has an extra pouch for my brushes, mascara, and lip gloss.
4. Powder Power Brush- double duty brush I use for both blush and setting powder
5. Detail HAC Brush- used in place of the 30 Second HAC brush, its slimmer design makes it ideal for being on the go.
6. Know Your Angles Brow Brush- I use the angled end of this brush to use eyeshadow as both eyeliner and brow liner and the spoolie end to blend and tame brow hairs.
7. I Shadow Everything Brush- the only eyeshadow brush I need for a complete eye look!
8. Tres Leches- because I refuse to go even a day without this miracle skincare line. The older bottles are smaller and great for traveling!
9. Better Than Sex Mascara- it is the best mascara you will ever use. Period.
10. Lipsense Lip Balm- I put this on every night before bed and it keeps my lips feeling so good, even in the dry winter! I think it can withstand even my huffing and puffing 😉
11. Lipsense Gloss in Sand- such a pretty, barely-there nude with subtle shimmer. Super moisturizing, it will give a nice, natural look in photos. Let me know if you'd like to order any Lipsense products!
12. Stay Spray- I stole a sample I made for you guys to take with me! It doubles as a primer and setting powder to ensure I don’t have to touch up my makeup throughout the day. This is the non-SPF spray, as SPF in any product can cause flashback in HD photos.
13. Fave 4 Up for Air Creme- apply to wet hair and let air dry, this baby gives your hair natural looking waves and body.
Do you guys have any suggestions on something to bring I may be forgetting?
When I was younger, I used to be sooo jealous of the girls I knew who had freckles. I thought it just made their faces stand out and added interest, just like beauty marks.
Whether you want to cover up your freckles (the grass is always greener, am I right?), or enhance them, Maskcara's IIID Foundation can do both!
Ask for a FREE color match/makeover to see what Maskcara can do for you!
It's me! I was dealing with a skin irritation and my normal Maskcara routine covered it flawlessly!
One of Maskcara's core philosophies is to enhance natural beauty-not hide it! That being said, we all have one feature that we'd prefer to hide if possible.
Today we're going to focus on redness-whether its rosacea, acne, or birthmarks.
I LOVE to use our highlighters Sunlit, Mango, or June first to counteract redness before applying the highlight color that best matches a client's skin tone.
Instead of applying a whole layer of concealer, dabbing on spots of those highlighters over acne helps your makeup to not look cakey!
Mango is a whiz at balancing out significant redness.
Just look at how happy these beautiful ladies look!
One of the things I love most about being a Maskcara Artist is witnessing all the dramatic before & afters of customers who are thrilled with our products! So I will be starting a series called Makeover Mondays! Today features some beautiful ladies looking to revamp their makeup routine with our IID Foundation.
Wow, you guys it has been a MINUTE since I updated this blog. So much has happened-some of it good, some of it not-so-good. But 2018 is a new year and I am making it my personal mission that it will not suck!
So in (somewhat) chronological order, here is what the Headles have been up to in the second half of 2017.
We moved! When we moved to the Seattle-area in 2013, it was to escape the armpit of America (central Florida). We knew anything would be better than the environment we were currently in but we weren't expecting to find part of our hearts in Washington. For the first time, I felt like I was truly living where I belonged-the diversity, the natural beauty, the political climate, the sheer amount of things to do there...that being said, cost of living SUCKED. It was perfect when we had two incomes but when I decided to stay home with Little Miss, it just wasn't feasible long-term. It truly broke our hearts to leave the PNW to return to Central Illinois but there have been some definite upsides to the transition.
Mainly-grandparents! My parents as well as hubby's mom now live within 30 minutes of us, so free babysitting! And on a deeper level, I grew up a day's car ride from our closest family. When we were in WA, whenever family would visit, Little Miss did not recognize them and always took a couple of days before she'd warm up to them. Now she knows when we are on our way to "Pa's!" house and when she sees my mom walking down the driveway, she sprints towards her. That makes my heart happy.
Since we aren't 100% sure how long we'll be in Central Illinois, we opted to rent a condo for a year before committing to buying a house. Let me tell you, once you own a house, it is SO hard to go back to renting. We hate our neighbors, I hate how far out we seem to be from everything, I hate that I can't put nails in the wall...renting is not my favorite. And honestly, I was just so proud of our house. I never thought I'd be a homeowner at 24 and I LOVED our house-it was new construction with pretty finishes in a nice neighborhood...I was so spoiled. Even though our rental has the same nice finishes, it's not mine. I always wanted our house to look picked up and clean and I honestly couldn't care less how messy this condo is-it's not mine.
(#firstworldproblems)
In July, we got quite a surprise...baby #2 due March 2018! I was very happy with one child and honestly figured with the fertility struggle we had with Little Miss, IF we decided to have another, we'd have to seek medical assistance right away.
NOPE! I am currently 30 weeks with Baby Boy, planning hubby's vasectomy party (HA!)
In October, Little Miss turned two which seems impossible to me.
Thanksgiving was the best as it was the first (and last) I'd celebrate while pregnant. I 100% ate whatever I wanted with no guilt and while wearing maternity pants!
We went a little overboard for Christmas as it's the last one for Little Miss as an only child. Also this is the first year she understood presents so Christmas morning was so fun.
As far as Hubby goes, his current employment situation is up in the air which is stressful...especially being 30 weeks pregnant. He was hoping to start Police Academy with a local department but received word last week he did not get a slot. He is interviewing with all sorts of companies in various locations while also continuing the selection process with local police departments and contemplating re-enlisting in the military. Ay dios mio. For 2018 I want only one thing-stability!
With all these changes, I decided to do a little something for myself- to ease back into the workplace and bring in some extra cash! I discovered Maskcara Beauty.
As much as I LOVE makeup, once I became a SAHM, it kind of fell by the wayside. I'd put on makeup maybe once a week. I just didn't have time and honestly, who cared what I looked like?
I HATE that I felt like that. Of course, not everyone likes makeup or cares about that kind of thing but I did. Putting on makeup makes me feel good. Even if I stay home all day with Little Miss and do nothing productive, hey I put makeup on! Ha.
The day I did my makeup in under 10 minutes in the car while waiting for my Walmart Grocery order with Maskcara.
I love Maskcara for a couple reasons:
1. Price
When I worked for Major Insurance Company, I was miserable. My consolation prize was every payday, we allotted $100 of my paycheck for a Sephora order. You guys, that's like $200 a month. On makeup. Wtf. Our rationale was if it kept me sane enough to continue working my job, it was worth the cost. What I wouldn't give to have an extra $200/month now!
With Maskcara, you order single tins at $14 a pop. In theory, you only need four for a complete look. That's only $56 for a complete face. Literally I spent the same amount of money to sign up as an Artist (receiving the majority of product for the money) that I spent on these ridiculous makeup orders Every. Single. Month.
2. Minimalism
Who would have thought becoming a mom would turn me into a minimalist? That's not to say I don't have stuff-I don't think an actual minimalist will ever accuse me of being one but I cannot stand clutter anymore. If I can use one product several different ways, thereby getting rid of five other products-that's what I want to do! Now I can fit my entire makeup look in my wallet. IN MY WALLET.
Our eyeshadows can be used as eyeliners and brow fillers, highlights and contours can be used as eyeshadow, eyeliner, and brow fillers, blush can be used as lipstick, and all our brushes are double-ended, cutting your brush collection in half without missing out on any usage. This reflects back onto #1-less items means less money spent!
3. Quality
I've tried other makeup companies and honestly was never really impressed with the quality. Either the price was the same as what I'd get at Sephora (I'll stick with Sephora, thank you), or I didn't think the quality was there. I am PICKY when it comes to what I put on my face. My skin is super dry so a lot of makeup doesn't feel good on me. I'm mixed, so my skin is hard to match. Both of these are non-issues with Maskcara. Color matching was a breeze, coverage is amazing, and I can go all day without touching up my face and my skin doesn't feel tight at the end of the day.
My skin doesn't feel dry even in -9 degree weather (I wish that was an exaggeration.)
4. Time
It literally takes me 10 minutes to do my makeup with Maskcara. Literally.
5. Artist program
While I love the product enough to be a customer, I took a look at their Artist program. Hey if I can get the makeup along with financial and product benefits, why not? I had been looking at other direct sale companies for awhile but their distributor programs didn't appeal to me. Either the commission sucked or I didn't like that customers had to sign up and pay to be a "preferred" customer. Bleh. Not with Maskcara! Customers create an online account at NO charge, just like they would with any sort of online shopping. I receive commission on everything ordered and free makeup on top of that. Done son!
For those not yet familiar with Maskcara, I'll wrap this up with a short video introducing you to our main product, IIID Foundation. My goal is to post somewhat-regularly on here, about Maskcara, family life, other beauty products...basically about whatever interests me in the hope it also interests you! Happy 2018 ya'll.
