Out of Hiding..

Let me dust the cobwebs off my blog right quick. :)

I've had several questions on what happened to The Pink Leopard.. and to answer it honestly, life happened.  I started getting busier with work, getting ready for the holidays, working on the United Way Silent Auction (that was a SUPER success - by the way) and trying make some time for Chris and I.

I hate to admit it.. but I have barely even been on Pintrest over the last month.. so I am in desperate need for some creative inspiration. Send any cool project ideas my way! :)

A couple weeks ago my cousin Kim and I went to Shreveport to hit up our favorite stores.. Sephora and Ulta.  We both loaded up on lots of goodies. The holidays are always a great time to shop at these places because they offer tons of great gift sets with lots of high-end brands, which provide a variety of different products to sample without breaking the bank.  I will post a product haul later this week featuring all the sets I bought.

Also.. I finally have the time to start spray tanning!  I sprayed a few brave souls and will be featuring before/after photos soon.  For those interested, I am also putting together a brochure with pricing, proper skin prep and maintenance. 

For those of you who dabble in a little bit of everything, like myself.. have any of you tried airbrush makeup?  I have been all over the internet researching it.. as I am a little bored with my makeup routine (it's a vicious cycle) and wanted to try it out.  I've read/watch reviews and tutorials on Temptu, Dinair and Luminess.. but was curious if any of you have ever had your makeup airbrushed, or if you own any of these systems -- what are your thoughts?  If so.. please email me!

Until next time.. feel free to email or FB me if there is anything you'd like to learn more about.. or a product you can't live without.

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

The Low Down on Nail Polish Strips

I love having pretty nails.. what girl doesn't?  But I don't always have the time to paint my nails and let them dry properly.  98% of the time, I bump them on something and mess them up, and they never seem to look pretty after about 3 days.  They start chipping or peeling off, no matter how many different top coats/gel coats I have tried.. so I have ditched my trusty polishes for nail polish strips!

The Sally Hansen Salon Effects dry nail polish strips are to die for.  They come in multiple patterns and colors (my fave is Kitty, Kitty) and they're easy to use.  They last much longer than polish and you don't have to have a super steady hand to make them look good (no more bits of polish all over your fingers!).

Each box comes with a set of 16 strips, for ONE application.  You get two sealed pouches of strips, and once they are opened, after a few hours, they cannot be used again -- the adhesive will be no good.  You'll also get instructions, a dual sided nail file and a cuticle pusher stick.

The strips have two different shaped ends, which enables you to find the best fit for your nail/cuticle shape.  The packaging says to use one strip per nail.. but I never follow the directions, and I actually can cover two nails with one strip.

After shaping and cleaning your nails, hold different strips up to your nails to determine what size you will need, then peel off the clear backing.  Now you can carefully peel the strip off the paper backing and place it onto your nail.  The adhesive isn't very sticky, which allows you to move the strip around for perfect placement.  Once you get it where you want it, smooth it out with your finger or the cuticle stick. 

I stretch the strip out a bit over the tip of my nail and bend it downward to create a crease, then run my nail file over the edge to cut if off with a smooth edge.  I take the cut off portion of the strip and size it on another nail for placement (usually the same finger on the opposite hand). Of course, if you don't have another nail that it will fit on, then toss it in the trash. 

Voila, you're done!!  No drying time at all.. and that's the best part!  You can grab your favorite color or pattern at places like Target, Walmart or Walgreen's.  Although, I find that Walmart is the cheapest, at around $8.50. 

If you are more a visual person.. check out the link at the beginning of the post on the Sally Hansen website, or hit up trusty ole YouTube for a video tutorial on how to apply them.

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

 

Killer Heels

Okay, so I wore some adorable peep toe heels to work yesterday and by 3pm, my feet were KILLIN'.. for real.  So, after work when browsing the isles at Walgreen's I decided to pick up a Band-Aid Friction Block stick.

Why didn't I discover this ages ago?!  This little baby really does the trick. You rub a little bit on the areas that rub inside your shoes most frequently and it instantly prevents the pain.  The product creates a barrier on the skin which protects it from those evil, but beautiful shoes.  It's not greasy at all, and you can put your shoes back on right away - no drying time! 

Since I am wearing peep-toe heels again today, I applied some on my toes because they rub really bad in these shoes.. and on my heels -- a world of difference!  Usually when I wear these shoes, my feet start hurting within 10-15 minutes, but so far, I've had zero rubbing.  It's a miracle! 

You can use it with any shoes that rub.. not just heels.  I would definitely recommend trying this out.  I never have been able to find it at Walmart, so check out Target or Walgreens.  I think it was around $7.

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard



Guilty Pleasures

As most of you already know.. I'm a Jersey Shore addict and a guidette at heart.  I snubbed them when their show first aired, but I caught an episode a few seasons ago, and was hooked.  Sure, tons of people are disgusted by them.. but seriously, I'd have no problem acting like an idiot if someone paid me tons of money too, so as the old saying goes,  "Don't hate the players, hate the game!"  This show is definitely my favorite guilty pleasure.

This summer, Chris and I actually went to the Jersey Shore and got to see the shore house, the 'Shore Store' where the cast works every summer (and Danny actually made our custom pants/shirts for us... so that was pretty cool), eat fried pickles with sexy sauce, walk along the beautiful boardwalk, and get bronzed on the beach.  Overall, I was totally impressed -- the boardwalk and beach were very clean and enjoyable.  We actually had to go to Jersey for Chris' work.. and on the weekend headed to the shore to play -- just incase you were wondering if I was crazy enough to travel there just because I liked the show. Although, we are planning to go back next summer to party!

When we got to the shore house, the MTV crew was actually there breaking down the set, because the cast had just wrapped up filming Season 5 and left the day before!!  Never know, Chris and I could've got our GTL on with MVP. :)

Anyway, the whole reason I am making this Jersey Shore post is because I wanted to share with you the two books Snooki has written.  Stop laughing, yes, I really bought, read and thoroughly enjoyed both of them!

Her first book A Shore Thing is a story about two girls, Gia and Bella (based on her and JWoww) and it's really cute and funny.  The second book, Confessions of a Guidette is all about Snooki's life as well as different beauty product suggestions and tips.  It also has a lot of pictures from Snooki now and when she was little.  I actually finished the book the same night I bought it.. because I couldn't make myself stop turning the pages!  Both of these books definitely satisfy my Jersey Shore addiction since the show isn't on air right now. :)

If any of you ladies need to indulge on your Jersey Shore guilty pleasures check these books out.  You can also view the past seasons online over on MTV's website. No, you probably won't gain much from them other than a few laughs, but isn't that the point?

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

YouTube Addiction..

So, okay.. I got my camera equipment and lighting all set up on my vanity to start doing makeup tutorials, had some good ideas in mind, then never had the time to actually sit down and film & edit them.  Since I've spent countless hours scouring YouTube for different beauty videos, I figured I would just share all of my favorites with you guys, instead of trying to film my own.  Plus, I would just be restating what 123981273 other people have already said. :)

I will post new videos weekly -- makeup tutorials, hair tutorials, and product reviews.  I will also share my thoughts on any comparable products that can be found locally.

I hope you find these vids as helpful as I did.. and learn a new trick or two. To view the videos, just click their YouTube name below.

Gorgeous brows by MissLBailey. -- I came across this video last night, so I haven't tried her techniques yet, but it looks pretty easy.  I am almost out of my Smashbox Brow Tech To-Go, so next I'll try the eyeshadow filler. If you don't already have a small stiff angled brush.. you can get one at Target for like $2.  It's on the back wall in the cosmetics area -- same wall all the nail polishes are on.

How to contour and highlight your face by Petrilude.  Oddly enough, there are better makeup videos produced by guys than girls. Josh (Petrilude) is great to watch and thoroughly explains how to do everything.  To contour my face, I currently use Loreal True Match Powder in C7- Nut Brown (about $8) using a fluffy blush brush I nabbed at TJMaxx for dirt cheap. To highlight I use E.L.F Shimmer powder (about $3) with the small flat dense brush that comes with it.  I got both of these products from Target.

Check back later for more of my favorite videos!

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Exciting News!

Hey lovelies, TGIF!  I have some really exciting news to share with you!  In the next few weeks I will be kicking off my new mobile spray tanning service, AutoBronze. 

Spray tanning is the application of a micro-fine mist of tanning solution with an HVLP (high volume low pressure) machine. Unlike spray booths -aka- "Mystic Tans", HVLP spray tanning is applied by hand (with an HVLP machine, obviously) in half the time.  This provides you even coverage and a natural bronzy glow without the downsides associated with UV tanning such as skin damage, premature wrinkles, sagging and risk of skin cancer.

Even better, mobile spray tanning offers you personalized pampering in the privacy of your own home!  Don’t want to do it alone?  Grab some wine, invite over your girlfriends and let’s have a tanning party! Spray tanning is also great for special events, fitness competitions, or just a fun girl's night!  Depending on how you prepare and care for your tan will determine how long it lasts, but the typical timeframe is 1-2 weeks.

Most all sunless tanning products contain Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is where the color comes from. DHA, is derived from sugar cane, and interacts with the proteins in the outer layer of your skin to give you a natural, beautiful brown color. One key point I must make is not everyone has the same skin type/tone, which means not every spray tan will utilize the same amount of DHA. We’ve all seen those girls (and guys) who look orange, and it’s due to the use of too much DHA.  With my mobile spray tanning services you will receive custom color mixing based on your natural skin tone, which means even the most pale pretties won’t look ultra dark, orange or unnatural. You’ll be absolutely gorgeous with your new sunkissed look.

Not sure what skin type your considered? 

Type 1: Extremely sensitive to sun. Fair skinned with freckles, sunburns easily and not able to achieve a tan.

Type 2: Sensitive to sun. Fair skinned with lighter colored eyes, sunburns easily, but able to achieve a light tan.

Type 3: Most Caucasians fit into this category. Occasionally sunburns, but able to achieve a decent tan.

Type 4: Rarely sunburns and usually tans well.

A typical spray tan session will last about 15-20 minutes, give or take.  This includes preparation of the skin, the actual spray tan application, and drying time.  Can't remember all of this info? No worries, I'll be creating an entire section on this blog just for you bronzed beauties.

Still trying to figure out the exciting part?  In preparation to officially launch AutoBronze, I need a few volunteers for a FREE spray tan!

Ideally, I would like to spray all skin types and ages.  The contingency is, you be willing to be photographed pre and post tan, (day of and possibly a few days later) and provide me with a review of the whole process.  I will feature these photos on here, and potentially for some advertising.

Don’t worry..  I won’t be blasting you in your teeny bikini, if you aren’t comfortable with it.  You will be more than welcome to be photographed in a tanktop and shorts.. just enough skin that will show off your gorgeous tan!

If you are interested in getting a FREE spray tan, please email me, text me, or shoot me message on Facebook with your name, skin type, age and phone number.  I will take requests until Monday, November 7, 2011. I will draw names randomly and then contact you to schedule your spray tan and provide you with all the information you'll need to prepare for your tan.

Look forward to hearing from you.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Genie in a bottle..

Seriously.. I know I've been quiet lately, work has gotten crazy busy, and I've also been gearing up for a little special something of my own, which will be announced later this week. 
I talked about a great concealer palette not too long ago, but I must confess.. I have discovered something 10 times better -- and WAY cheaper! I cannot say enough about the Maybelline - Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser Treatment Concealer.

It's really like an eraser.. no bull.  I use it to conceal everything.. and it blows every other concealer I've used out of the water.  It's a pen shaped tube with a little puff applicator on the tip that the concealer flows out of.  You twist the red ring directly below the puff to make more concealer come out.
A small amount of product comes out of the puff, so when you swipe the applicator across your skin you aren't getting that cakey look. It's very lightweight so you can't even tell you have anything on.

I wish I would have discovered this concealer ages ago.. it is SO awesome.  I love applying it and watching imperfections disappear instantly! 

If you've ever taken my advice on a product.. this is it.. you won't regret it.  The color I use is Medium 130 which looks dark in the tube, but comes out perfect on the skin. You can buy this fabulous concealer at places like Target, Walmart and Walgreens for around $9. 

Hope you lovelies have a great Monday and stay tuned for my big announcement later this week!

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Foundation Frenzy

I don't know about you ladies, but finding a good foundation that works for me has been a HUGE challenge over the years.  I've never had good luck with a liquid that has the coverage I want, doesn't make me oily looking, stays on all day and has a good color match.  Welp, those days are gone!!  A little over a week ago I was browsing the makeup isles at Target and decided to try Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup with SPF 20.

This makeup is absolutely perfect for me! It's affordable, provides medium/full coverage, is lightweight (meaning you don't feel like you even have makeup on) and goes on easily.  I was a little unsure on what color I should try, so I went one shade lighter than what I would've normally chosen (because you can always add bronzer for a sunkissed glow.. instead of having a too dark face and white neck)  Turns out, the color I picked matches perfect and I don't have to do any crazy blending to make my face match my neck anymore!

Some people think liquid makeup is scary.. mainly because they don't know how to apply it properly.  Below is a video I found on YouTube that breaks down different ways to apply liquid makeup, and which one works the best.  Sponge vs Fingers vs Brushes.

Stippling is my preferred method.. and I use is the Sonia Kashuk Hightlighting Brush.  It's a flat top, dense, duo fiber brush (with white and black fibers) -- also known as a "skunk brush".  Keep in mind when using a brush like this.. you only want the makeup to touch the white fibers, so your black ones should never get dirty.

So if you want to try out this foundation, it can be purchased at places like Target, Walmart and Walgreen's for around $12, and the Sonia Kashuk stippling brush can be purchased at Target for $13.

My color is 60 - Natural Beige

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

DIY Makeup Magnet Board

Happy Monday!  I've had several requests for a tutorial on this, but I made mine before I had my blog (so I didn't take pictures of every step) but I will explain how to do it.  This is probably my favorite DIY project that I've done, because I use my makeup board daily.

 

What you'll need:
- Empty frame (use an old picture frame or you can buy empty ones at Hobby Lobby)
- Fabric of any color/print measured to cover the open area of the frame
- Sheet metal
- Hot glue or super glue
- Magnets (I used small and large round magnets from Lowes)
- Spray adhesive
- Makeup

Measure your frame's opening (where the glass is.. or just measure the glass you took out).  This measurement defines the amount of fabric you'll need, and what size sheet metal you will need to purchase.

Put it all together:
1. Spray the spray adhesive all over the piece of sheet metal, then place your fabric directly on top of it.  Be sure to smooth out all the wrinkles and bubbles before the adhesive dries.

2. After your fabric is secured to your metal, you can now place your metal into the frame (just like you would put a picture in a frame).  You can either run a line of hot glue/super glue/gorilla glue along all of the edges before you place the metal in, or do it after.. whatever you prefer.  The glue will hold the metal into place. If your frame has old prongs on it, then you may not need glue at all.. you can just bend the prongs to hold the metal in place.

3. After your glue has had enough time to try, you can flip your frame over and admire your work.  I shook mine back and forth a little bit to ensure I had a secure connection. The metal is a little bit heavy and can wobble a little bit.

4. Now gather all of your makeup, magnets and glue!  For large eyeshadow palettes, I used four large round magnets (1 in each corner) and for everything else I used one or two small round magnets.

5. After all your makeup is magnetized.. add them to your board and hang it on your wall! 

I absolutely love my makeup board.  I can now see all my beautiful palettes, powders, mascaras, etc.. and they stay much cleaner!  I hope this tutorial helped.  I plan on making a few more of these in the future, so when I do, I'll take pictures of each step and revise this tutorial.

Hope you lovelies have fun with this project. :)

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Window of opportunity

Whew! This has been a busy week, and I haven't had much time to blog about new products or projects.. so I just wanted post a few items that I have for sale.  I have a few extra old window panes lying around that I haven't designated for projects yet, so just incase any of you are having trouble finding any good ones, I have three available. I tried to clean the glass panes up on them and get off the excess paint chips that were dangling.

This one is probably my favorite -- a two pane window, and on the top is the metal lock for $15

This one has the perfect amount of paint chipped off and a missing pane in the left corner *which adds more character, in my opinion.* (I have an identical one in my living room -- along with the missing pane) and it also has two ropes on each side and a metal lock on top for $20

This one has a significant amount of paint chipped off, so you could really sand off the rest and paint it whatever color you wanted, and all glass panes are in place, a piece of rope on one side, and the metal lock on top for $20

If you are interested in purchasing any of these old windows, email, text or shoot me a message on Facebook.  Also.. feel free to tell me about any items that you may be on the hunt for.. I'll be glad to help!

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Are you THready..

or not? Stop laughing at my title, I'm just trying to make you grin on this lovely Tuesday afternoon, okay? :)  Today I'm going to hit on the latest eyebrow shaping trend (at least the latest in my book).. Eyebrow Threading!  I was way late jumping on this bandwagon, but I'm so glad I did.  I remember walking through the mall and seeing those little kiosks with girls getting after some eyebrows with tiny pieces of thread, and I always thought "Gee, that's kinda cool, but I have no eyebrows as it is.. so it wouldn't work for me."  I totally thought wrong. 

I finally tried out eyebrow threading a few months ago, and oh my gosh, I love it!!  I have crappy, thin, poorly shaped eyebrows (or at least.. I used to) and I figured I'd fork out a few bucks to see what girlfriend could do, and she worked some magic!  It takes a little longer than waxing, but the results are gorgeous.  She shaped my brows better than any wax ever could have.  I now have an arch, for real.  Granted, I do still use my Smashbox Brow Tech To Go to color in the thin areas, but I no longer have to draw on a shape, if that makes sense. 

They take two pieces of thread and twist them back and forth all over the skin to pull out multiple hairs at once (similar to waxing) but without the heat, stickiness, or potential skin damage.  The sensation is similar to plucking. Check out this YouTube Video for a better idea. (this video is not from the place I go - it just explains how it works). 

If you want to try it out, there is a kiosk at Central Mall, directly across from Victoria's Secret.  It costs $11 for this treatment. 

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Palettes for a princess..

Hello beautiful girls.. I hope you all had a productive weekend!  As you all know, Chris and I were in Nacogdoches, TX visiting his parents for the weekend.. so I didn't tackle any projects, but I did find some great items for future projects!  Nac is antique central, so their prices were crazy high, but we went to a place in Redland, TX called Paul Nerren's Junk Barn.. and the title fit perfectly!  This place was a huge junk pile (literally), but it was the mecca for DIY craft/repurposing projects.  I nabbed a bunch of goodies for minimal moola.  I'll show you what I got later in the week.  Also.. hello, the guys from American Pickers had been there! :)  Anyway.. I have something fabulous to share with you today.

I'm a sucker for eyeshadow palettes, I never can have enough!  My favorites are from Coastal Scents.  They feature 88 color palettes for around $20!  They offer a multitude of palettes (matte, shimmer, bold colors, neutrals, etc) and you can combine multiple palettes for a great price, too.  These colors are all very wearable and offer endless looks!  They stay put and are vibrant on the skin. 

I own the following palettes:
Metal Mania
Mirage
Original 88
Warm

They also have blush, lip and face palettes as well.  I have yet to try any of these.. but I have a few on my Christmas list! :)

I've shopped around on different websites, but I usually purchase directly from Coastal Scents because their pricing isn't any different from what I've found on Amazon or eBay.  So check these palettes out and let me know your thoughts!  As always, I have a link posted under the "Product Links" tab.

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Everyone needs a guardian angel

As you all know, I'm super hard on my hair.. especially with hot tools, and today I'm going to tell you about two affordable and yummy smelling hair products that will help protect your hair from the blow dryer and flat iron.

Got2Be has a line called Guardian Angel which is a trio of heat protectant hair products.  Blow Out Lotion, Flat Iron Balm and another one for curling irons (I've never used it, so I can't speak for it here).  The packaging has changed slightly.. so they may be named something else, but you get the drift.

After you get out of the shower, towel dry your hair then saturate it with the Blow Out Lotion (black bottle) then blow dry as usual.  Before you use the flat iron, spritz your tresses with the Flat Iron Balm (yellow bottle).  Both of these products smell SO good.. I love them.  They are priced well and really work.  You can purchase any of the Got2Be Guardian Angel Trio from places like Walgreens for around $6 a piece.  I can't remember if they carry it at Target.. I've always gotten mine from Walgreens.

The hubs and I are in Nacogdoches this weekend visiting his parents, so hopefully we'll find some good future projects while we're here this weekend.  Keep your fingers crossed!  Hope you lovelies have a wonderful weekend!

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Beautiful brows

Whoa.. where does the time go?  I had a super busy day, so I didn't have a chance to post sooner, so my apologies in advance.  Today I'm going to share with you a great eyebrow product!  I have super thin, patchy eyebrows.. and have tried several techniques to achieve a full, defined look without looking drawn on like those over-glammed up little old ladies (and some young ones too.. don't hate, you all know they're out there).

Smashbox Brow Tech To Go is the way to go.  It comes in a double-ended tube similar to mascara - one end is a brow brush with brow gel and the other end is an angled pencil (that you never have to sharpen).  You use the pencil end to define your brows and fill in any patchy areas and then brush the brow gel through your eyebrows to set everything in place and straighten up any stray hairs.  Keep in mind, a little goes a long way.. so always apply the color lightly so you don't look drawn on.  You can also smudge it a bit with your finger if you get too much in one spot.  I've had my Brow Tech for over a year and it's still going strong!  BT comes in two different colors - Taupe (for blondes or lighter haircolors) and Brunette (which is what I have). You can purchase it at places like Sephora or the Smashbox website for around $26, but it's the cheapest on Amazon (around $16.50).

As always, I will have a link posted under the "Product Links" tab.  Hope you all had a great week.. it's almost the weekend, which means project time! Until then..

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Clear skin is in

Sounds like the WAY overdone ProActiv commercial, right?  Gag me.  Seriously, if you are on the hunt for an excellent and affordable acne fighting agent.. I've got one for ya.  I've never really had "bad" acne, but I do get those annoying-deep under the skin-makes you want to pop them constantly pimples from time to time.  I've tried tons of products and AcneFree Clear Skin Treatments is by far the most effective!

AcneFree is essentially the same concept (meaning the 3 step process) as ProActiv, yet a fraction of the cost, it's available in your local retailers, and it works better.  The downside for ProActiv is the cost, waiting for it to arrive, the auto-refill you get signed up for automatically, and how it doesn't produce optimal results for the price.  AcneFree has two formulas available - the original and Severe Acne - which also comes with a Retinol Renewing Complex lotion that is to be used for serious problem areas.  I've tried both and love them equally.  They're only a dollar or two different in price, so what the heck, I use the stronger of the two, just for that extra reassurance.

AcneFree is a medicated cleanser, toner and repair lotion system.. so you can definitely feel it working.  After a day or so of consistent use (morning/night) my skin started to feel the burn, so I backed off on the toner, and now only use it to get extra clean at night. 

So here's my skin cleansing routine: 
Morning:
1.Cleanser
2.Repair lotion
3. Apply a small dab of Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion on my face, just for some extra moisture. 

Night:
1. Cleanser
2. Toner
3. Repair lotion or retinol renewing complex *this is only available with the Severe Acne kit*.

These fabulous kits are available at places like Target & Walmart for around $17-20 depending on which kit you get.  Another perk is you can now buy the cleanser by itself for $5!  Also, the whole kit is actually a dollar cheaper at Target than Walmart.

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Product breakdown - Eyeliners!

Do you have a love/hate relationship with your eyeliners?  You know, when you do one eye really pretty, but can't get the other one to match?  Maybe you're a creature of habit and have been using the same brand and type of liner for years?  Time to break out of that comfort zone and get your glam eyes on, baby!

Creamy pencil liners are excellent for beginners to use, and ideal for lining your waterlines.  This is probably one of my favorites because it's reliable, easy to use, and great for blending or smudging for a smokey effect.  When you're shopping for pencil liners, be sure it has a creamy texture to it -- meaning it glides easily without pulling on the skin.  Yes, I'm one of those girls standing in the makeup isle with different colors swatched on her hands. :)  My creamy pencil liner of choice currently is the Rimmel Soft Kohl line - color is Jet Black.  Be sure to get the Soft Kohl one, as Rimmel has several choices in pencil liners. It's available at places like Target, Walmart & Walgreen's for around $3.

Gel or clay liners are perfect for getting precise lines and easily creating a "wing" effect for extra drama.  Gel/clay liners are NOT to be used on the waterlines, unless you're aiming for a painful, bloodshot look??  These liners typically come with a brush applicator, if not, you could nab a cheap one anywhere.  I love the Sonia Kashuk Bent Liner Brush from Target, for about $6. 

Using a brush and gel liner does take some practice, but once you've got the hang of it, you'll likely never go back to regular liquid liner.  A while back, I tried the Maybelline Gel Liner and loved the application, but hated the fact that it took a TON of scrubbing to get it completely off.  Unless you're good with gel liners, I would advise against this for beginners, as it dries quickly and is hard to remove.  My favorite is Tarte EmphasEYES Waterproof Amazonian Clay liner.  It's pricy, but it comes with a WONDERFUL double sided brush.  It's available at places like Sephora & Ulta for around $24, but as always browse Amazon and other beauty sites.

The third and final liner is a liquid pen, which is probably for a more experienced user.  Liquid liner is fairly easy to get used to, but definitely requires a steady hand.  Remember, never use liquid for waterlines!  You can create dark, dramatic lines - perfect for a pinup look.  I've never had much luck using a liquid liner for smudging or creating a smokey look, but I've only tried a few times (I prefer pencil for this).  With a little practice, you too will be a liquid lining fool.  I've tried a few different ones, but my old favorite is Almay Liquid Eyeliner.  It comes with a firm felt tip, so it's easy to get precise lines.  I recently purchased Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner Pen.. as it was highly recommended as well.  Either of these liners can be purchased at places like Target, Walmart and Walgreens for around $4.

Hope this helped a little!  Hopefully I will have some video tutorials posted soon.  Be sure to check out the "Product Links" tab for stuff that isn't available locally.

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

The fruits of labor..

Mondays = blah. (but, at least I'm off work today)  This weekend I tackled the old bed that I got from the antique shop, and turns out, it was two separate headboards, not a full bed.  The back side of each headboard was unfinished - you could see the braces and stuff.  I decided I would do them different colors, maybe stick one in my guest bedroom and the other one could be repurposed into a bench later on.. or I could just sell it, who knows?  One is a light yellow (almost white) and the other is the same blue that I did on the vanity.

This weekend, aside from our backyard camping, I got an area set up to record some makeup/hair tutorials, so when time permits, I will start putting some together.  Keep your eyes peeled. :)

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard





Weekend Warrior Princess.. :)

Stop laughing.. my husband is a weekend warrior, so why can't this powertool operating, paint spraying diva be the Warrior Princess? Haha.. It's Friday.. finally!! 

I decided to take off work today and Monday, so I can have a long luxurious weekend full of fun projects.  My mom and I had gone to Uptown Antiques earlier this week and I spotted a bed I really wanted, so the hubs and I went by today to pick it up.  It's gorgeous and has tons of potential..  not to mention, it was a total steal.  We are contemplating colors now, and hopefully we'll be finishing this beautiful piece this weekend.

We were also hoping to have some cooler weather during the evening so we could put up our tent and camp out in the backyard.  Don't laugh, we used to do it all the time at our old house.  It was free, fun and romantic!

With that being said, keep your fingers crossed for at least a nice breeze for me, and stay tuned for pictures of the finished bed.

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Hair Savior

Hey beautiful girls.  So, I have a confession... I'm totally addicted to flat irons and hair dye.  Sounds like no biggie, right?  Wrong.  Excessive heat damage and processing of the hair (dye) can have ugly effects in the long run.  But really, will I ever give up my guilty pleasures?  Highly unlikely! 

So, I turn to my most reliable hair product -- Moroccan Oil.  I have uber thick, naturally curly, dark brown hair.  Like every girl.. I crave what I don't have naturally, which is super straight hair and whatever random color I'm feeling at the moment -- therefore I flat iron & dye my hair like nobody's business.  My hair was crunchy (literally), breaking at the ends and fried due to over processing and way too much heat, so I started playing with different products.

Moroccan Oil conditions dry hair, tames the frizzies and adds instant shine.  Apply a small dab in your palms and work it into damp hair.  Use sparingly, unless you want to look like a grease monkey! (yeah, I've done that a time or two) I have the 4.1oz bottle, and it has lasted me for a year and a half.  I've noticed that if I towel dry my hair really well, then apply my Moroccan Oil, my blow dry time is cut in half!  This is excellent because I dedicate a good 45 minutes or more to blow drying (when I'm not using MO).

I've never been able to find it anywhere locally -- so if you know, please tell me!  One of my girlfriends hooked me up with this bottle, but in the future, I'll probably just buy online.  The cheapest I've been able to find it is around $35 on eBay.

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard

Over The Top!

Looking for a new move to spice up your upper body workout? 

Try "Over-the-tops" (pictured below) for a great core and arm workout.  All you need is a workout step with one base on each side and a pair of gliders (also pictured below). Walk your hands over the top of the step, then walk your hand back over the step in reverse.  Placing your feet on the gliders will allow your body to slide across the floor easily.

Don't have a gym membership?  Do this at home - just find anything around the house that will simulate the height of the "step" and use plastic plates as your gliders.

All of exercises featured here will also be available under the "Fit & Fabulous" section. 

Stay fit

-- Nichole @ The Pink Leopard



Fit, Fabulous and Fighting Fires

It's gettin' hot in here! Oh wait.. no, it's just Nichole!  I wanted to take some time today to introduce a good girlfriend of mine, Nichole, who will be sharing fun new exercises, diet and supplement recommendations and whatever else she feels like discussing!

Nichole is the ONLY female firefighter for the Texarkana, Texas Fire Dept and she is also a Certified Personal Trainer.  Pretty awesome, right?  She moved to Texarkana in 2001 from Ten Sleep, Wyoming; became a fire fighter in 2005, obtained her personal training cert in 2009 through SCW and got her AFAA Instructor cert in 2010.  She also began teaching Vintage Training at St. Michael Fitness Center in March of 2011.

Nichole decided to pursue a career as a personal trainer -- outside of fire fighting, because she truly enjoyed working out (and she had to workout to stay in shape for her job, anyway.. so why not?)  Aside from her busy work life, she's a hip mom of two boys, Trey, 17 and Brady, 15.  She's obsessed with high heels, the Yankees, fire fighting, makeup, cooking (especially her healthy homemade pizzas), watching Biggest Loser, shopping and keeping us lazy girls in line.

Interested in having Nichole as a personal trainer?  Want to join our group of girls for a workout?  Contact her or me for more info.

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard