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

Cheap DIY Earring Holder Frame

Okay, so I've obviously been bitten by the craft bug lately.  Today I decided to finally make an earring holder to hang in my closet.  I seriously whipped this out in like 3 minutes (excluding the time I waited for my glue to dry).  I had a frame that I got on clearance at Target like a year ago, and I had some blank wall space in my closet... so, hello something crafty, right?!  I also had some decorative stick bundles I wasn't using, so I cut them to my frame's width and glued them in, voila!  You could always grab some from the yard, too.

As always, this tutorial will also be posted under the "Tutorials" tab.  Have fun & be creative!

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard



Do it yourself, diva!

Okay lovelies, to replicate the look of my Shabby Chic Vintage Vanity, you will need the following items:

1. Spray paint (this will be the base color that shows through your worn areas) *I used black*

2. Water-based paint (this will be your top coat color) *I used Olympic Premium Semi-Gloss - color Key Largo*

3. Primer *I used Zinser 1-2-3 in the spray can*

4. Minwax Water-based Polycrylilc Protective Finish

5. Antique Glaze *I used Valspar*

6. Elmer's Glue All

7. Water

8. Old rags that you don't mind getting dirty

9. Small paint brush

10. Sponge paint brush

11. Palm/Hand sander *I have the Skil brand*

12. Sand paper *I used 150 grit*

13. Paint sprayer *I have the Graco 2900 Spray Station from Lowe's*

Follow these steps

1. Sand the entire surface

2. Wipe everything off with a damp cloth

3. Spray on your primer, let it dry completely

4. Spray on your base coat, let it dry completely

5. Mix equal parts glue/water, then paint it onto your furniture quickly.  Only paint single layers.

6. Immediately spray on your top coat color, it will start to crackle as you paint (don't use a paintbrush, it will distort crackle effect) 

7.  After paint is dry, take a sheet of sandpaper or steel wool and rub in random areas to create a worn look, feel free to completely chip paint off too. (forgot to take a photo of this)

8.  Pick an area to start "antiquing".  Use a sponge paintbrush an apply the Antique Glaze.  Be sure to really paint it on thick on engraved areas/borders.

9. Immediately wipe it off with an old rag until you reach desired look.  You can also dampen it for a better results.

10.  Let all your antiqued areas dry, then apply a coat (or a few) of Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish. It goes on just like regular paint.

Here are some close ups of my crackle and antique finishes

I hope this tutorial help shed some light on this fun process.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard