Dirty Dozen: Favorite Products

24 Tuesday Sep 2013

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Stridex Sensitive Skin Acne Wipes: I got introduced to this by sort of stealing it all the time from my old roommate (Sorry Holls!) and I’ve been hooked on it ever since. I cut the pads in half and swipe it over my T-zone for oil control after I wash my face. It’s never been too hard on my sensitive skin. I then put on a light moisturizer and I’m ready for life!

Paw Pallet: I found this Paw Pallet on beautylish, and I’ll tell you what… it’s amazing. For someone who loves (I mean, LOVES) to play with makeup it’s so much more sanitary than using the back of your hand. You can find information on it here.

Real Techniques Makeup Brushes: I got a set of Real Techniques brushes from Ulta and I have to say they are super soft, super strong (no hairs falling out all over the place) and the most fantastic blending machines I’ve ever had. I love using this one for blending concealer, eye shadow, applying highlighter… the list could go on.

Revlon ColorStay Makeup: I hate makeup that moves. This stuff doesn’t. It’s really that simple.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser (Dark Circles): My mom was using this for a while and I decided to try it because I realized that when everyone was telling me I looked tired it was because I looked tired. Not cool! I’ve found it to be absolutely wonderful, it’s smooth and easy to blend, not to mention the application is as simple as clicking and swiping with the super soft thingy on the top.

Stila “In The Light” Palette: The colors, Duke, the colors! This things has be most incredible colors for a girl who stays in the neutral range more often than not! It has a wonderful light bone color, two pretty sparkle/metallic gold colors, some absolutely incredible rose tones, a denim blue for those fancy days, and the essential darks brown, gray and black. And let’s not forget the fabulously smudge-able dark brown liner that’s included. Basically, I love this pallet.

L’Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara: I have eyelash issues. They are not super long. They are partially blonde. And one side has more than the other. Basically I don’t really focus on them too much. But this mascara makes them so long and beautiful without looking like spiders are squished in between my eyelids! It doesn’t get super clumpy, and it stays on all day.

Make Up Forever High Definition Powder: It sets the makeup on the skin. I couldn’t afford this by myself, I got it as a reward for spending too much money at Sephora. This little sample size has lasted me 9 months and there is still a lot left. Someday I’ll have to invest… scary thought. Make Up Forever has a good reputation because it’s good quality makeup, but the money spent will make me cry.

got2b POWDER’ful: This white powder does something to the moisture in stringy thing hair and turns it into va-va-voom! It’s like magic. And it’s really affordable. It’s sold in drugstores.

got2b Oil-licious Dry Oil Hair Taming Mist: I don’t like oily hair, thankfully this stuff is so light that it doesn’t weigh hair down and make it look oily. I like to call science like this “magic”.

Ion Repairing Oil Treatment: When my hair starts feeling like hay I start running a few drops of this through after I take a shower. It doesn’t weigh my hair down, and it does make it feel super silky and smooth.

Juicy Couture Peace, Love and Juicy: It’s fruity, it’s fresh, it’s light… It’s officially a daily thing for me. And it was, like, $20 at TJ Maxx. So I feel fancy for cheap!

For What It’s Worth

16 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by Meagan Sean in Dirty Little..., Dirty's Reports

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Dirty's Report, Nugget 'O Truth

Let’s talk about gold for a minute.
Gold is not very useful. It’s soft, so soft that in the old days pirates would bite coins to make sure they were gold. You can’t exactly make a sword with it and expect it to cut somebody. I’m 65% convinced that the person’s body heat would make the sword bend around their body.
It’s not good for building houses unless you want to slowly sink into the foundation. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 3 we are told expressly that building a foundation using things like straw, hay, wood, precious stones, or GOLD will lead to some very unhappy homeowners.
I’ve heard the saying “…where the streets are paved with gold” before and recently realized that no one should ever go to that place. For one, what kind of people are in charge of that place? Are they using gold bricks as a road? How could they think that’s a good idea? Also, it will become so soft that everyone will leave foot prints, much less tire marks. Who is paying for all of that gold being replaced when it becomes so dirty and indented that there is no longer a street? It’s a stupid idea.
The gold used in jewelry is mixed with other, stronger metals. If you had even a 85% gold ring it would bend all over your finger and probably break right off. It doesn’t make sense that such a pliable metal is sold for so much money. Why is it so expensive?
Because we decided it was. Back in the day, someone found a rare rock that was yellow and shiny and decided to hold on to it at any cost. They thought it was beautiful. They kept it.
Now let’s talk about God.
He made man to be something that reflected everything that He is, and man went ahead and became something … well, broken. Because of sin there isn’t really a good use for us either. We are horrible reflections of God on a regular basis. We are useless in our own ways, instead of showing the world God’s love and promises we are hateful, deceitful, selfish.
But because God is crafty (hello, the Creator of all) He puts value on us. He found us to be so valuable that His son died for our lives. Through Christ we are worth far more than what we should be valued at. We are able to become new creations. We are no longer broken creations. When we are in Christ, we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We become God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
Basically, if we are to God what gold is to us we can be secure in what He has done and no longer need to find our worth elsewhere. We don’t have to impress anyone, or be the best at our work, or need other people to love us. We can rest, assured that we know how much we’re worth to God.

I made this.

13 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by Meagan Sean in Crafty Little...

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my work, style

I get bursts of craftiness at times, and I had a real hankering for some statement necklaces a few weeks ago… so I made some! I got all of the beads and chain and whatnot from Michael’s, and I put it together while watching Doctor Who. It was actually really easy, and I ended up giving the green one away as a birthday present.

National Suicide Prevention Week

08 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by Meagan Sean in Dirty's Reports, In Memoriam

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Dirty's Report, Human Interest, Lies My Heart Tells Me

There are many logical arguments against the act of killing oneself. Sadly, the desire to kill yourself does not rest on logic. There are so many reasons that people discover in themselves, their lives, their hearts that add to the continually mounting evidence in a case brought against their existence. Often these trials are kept secret, and there are times when the accuser wins. And there are times when that leads to death.
Those who knew someone who committed suicide can find themselves not knowing what to do with themselves. They don’t know where to direct their questions to have actual answers, because the answers are often gone. The world gets flipped upside down an turned back right side up, but in the process someone went missing. Maybe they couldn’t hold on, maybe they let go to fall into the sky.
National Suicide Prevention Week (NSPW) is an annual week-long campaign in the United States to inform and engage health professionals and the general public about suicide prevention and warning signs of suicide. You can find more information here, here, and here.
I think acknowledging and supporting broken people is an incredible way to show the love of Christ. In Psalm 107 there are stories of different people who lose all hope, but in the moment they call out to God they are delivered (v.20). What better way to serve God than to deliver His word to those in despair?
As Jesus said, “go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole of creation” (Mark 16:15). He gave us a job to do, because we have a battle to fight for every life. We are to defend, aid, and relay the truth:
Yes, you deserved death, but you have a savior who has given you the chance to have a new life. He loved you so much that he already died for you (John 3:16). In Him there is no condemnation, and your accuser will be silenced (Revelation 12:10).
So I encourage you to keep the word of God in your heart and to pray for those who are struggling. Pray for the families and friends of those who are already suffering from the silence of unanswered questions. Pray that the body of Christ does not fail to support the heavy hearted, and that Christ will be given the opportunity to take their burdens. dirty

Couscous and Brussel Sprout Salad

02 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by Meagan Sean in Adventures in Food, Crafty Little...

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Food, Human Interest

I’ve never given a hoot about couscous, and for a really long time I thought brussel sprouts were the absolute worst. The reason I felt this way was mainly because I had never tried them, and when I finally stopped acting like a child and pulled on my big-girl pants and tried them… Well, I had been wasting so much good eating time. Such a fool.
A roommate of mine got me into eating couscous because it was a staple in her cupboards, and when I found this recipe for couscous and brussel sprouts salad I basically knew that this was an incredible score. Not only does it have enough girth to make you feel full, but it’s deceptively healthy because it uses a few pieces of bacon to make the flavor out of this world! Ingredients:
15 brussel sprouts
1 box of couscous (I picked a parmesan flavored one)
4 strips of bacon
1 clove of garlic, diced or smashed or whatever
1 TBSP of oil
2 TBSP of water

First you want to put on the appropriate amount of water to boil for the couscous, whatever the box says. When it’s boiling you put in the couscous and flavoring, put a lid of in and set it aside off the hot burner.
Then you want to put the bacon in a pan to fry up while you are washing and cutting the brussel sprouts. I kept the pan at about medium heat through the whole thing. I put in the tbsp of oil with the bacon because you use the oil after you take the bacon out to cool.

After cutting off the ends and yucky leaves from the sprouts you want to quarter them. It makes some of the little leaves fall off, but it’ll be great I promise.

After flipping the bacon once and burning myself badly by flinging oil on my hand/wrist, I took the bacon out and let it cool on a few paper towels. I put my garlic in the garlic press thing and added it to the oil, then threw in my brussel sprouts and tossed them in the pan. Make sure a lot of them are able to lie flat on the pan, they get a great sear from the bacon-grease-oil.

After letting the sprouts saute for about a solid minute, mix the sprouts up and let them saute again on the other side. You want them to get nice and browned on at least one side. Then you add the 2 tbsp of water and put a lid on it for 2 minutes. This lets the sprouts steam up a little without losing the flavor. During that 2 minutes chop up the bacon real quick.

Take the sprouts and the bacon and mix them up in a bowl. Try not to eat too much of the bacon.

Fluff up the couscous a little bit and then add it to the sprouts and bacon. Mix it, mix it real good, and there you have it! I love making this and then having it for lunch at work for a few days. It’s light enough not to make me need a nap but substantial enough to keep me full for a while. And it’s really yummy!