Friday, August 31, 2012

High Five For Friday



Yippee! We made it through another week. I don’t know about you, but this was one serious, crazy week. I had a ton to do and my mind is in need of a break, so I absolutely rejoice in the five things below that made my week happy.

Linking up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk for this High Five for Friday post.

1.) What a treat! Tolar had to do some work over at Union Station, which is near my office, so he was able to come join me for lunch on Monday. We went to the new restaurant on our block, Pacifico Cantina, and had yummy tacos. Now that’s a great way to start the week off right!



2.) On Tuesday, I had to get up super early and be at work by 5:45 a.m.! Yuck! It was all for a great cause because our theatre and current production were featured all morning on the FOX 5 (local DC station) morning newscast. If I had to get up early, at least I got some tv coverage out of it. Special thanks to all of my awesome co-workers who woke up early with me to promote the show!



3.) Go ahead and judge, but I love Pretty Little Liars. And this week was their summer finale, which was amazing and oh so jaw dropping! I hope I can make it to mid-October for new episodes.

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4.) My sweet dog JoJo lets me dress him up like he’s my own personal Bruiser Woods from Legally Blonde.



5.) And this is a great thing to celebrate, not only is it Friday, but its Friday before a holiday weekend! Holler!  
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Did you have a good week? Share any fun or exciting moments in the comments section below.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Let's Talk About Makeup


I am so happy that summer is coming to an end. Yes, summer is typically my favorite time of the year, but this summer has been brutal with high temps and INSANE humidity! I’m certainly ready for some coolers temps and I know my skin is too.

I have dealt with battled oily skin on my face almost my entire life. And for the past several years almost all of my 20’s I was on the hunt for a product that wouldn’t make my face look greasy and shiny about 10 minutes after I stepped out of my house (and into the horrible swamp air of D.C.!). Well this summer, I finally found two products that work pretty well.

The first I found through my fabulous Birchbox subscription: Stila’s One Step Bronze. 

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This product will definitely stay a summer product since it is a bronzer and does add some color to my skin, but I liked the results. I put a thin coat of the One Step on under my foundation and applied the rest of my makeup as normal. It didn’t feel too cakey and helped keep the oil under control. Throughout the day I didn’t have to blot my skin/touch up my makeup near as much as normal. 

The second product I got for my birthday and I love it! It is Peter Thomas Roth’s Anti-Shine Mattifying Gel (or as my Dad calls it “a De-Greaser”).

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This product I tried two ways; one day I put it on under my foundation and the next I put it on over my foundation. I prefer putting it on over the foundation, I found that my foundation smudged a bit if I already had the mattifying gel on my face, and applying it over my foundation helped to set everything. The mattifying gel is so light and makes my skin super smooth.  My oily skin was also kept under control and I only had to touch up at the end of the day, not during.

Both products definitely helped keep my face from looking like an oil slick by the end of the day, and weren’t too heavy. While I was happy with the results, I am still looking for a product that will keep me looking completely matte. Who knows if that product even exists for someone with super oily skin? I’m definitely keeping these two products in my beauty bag and I recommend you try them if you have the same problems as me. And if you found a product (foundation, powder, primer, whatever) that you love, feel free to share it in the comments section below.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Polka Dot Fever

polka dot fever

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I am totally in LOVE with the polka dot trend right now. Polka dots are everywhere and I couldn’t be happier.  It’s such a classic pattern that can be worn dressed up or down and is available on virtually any accessory.

Polka dots are just so much fun and make me smile. Lately, I’ve been spotted wearing polka dots almost every day.  I have polka dots on shirts, cardigans, dresses, scarves and even on my cell phone case. My pod mates at work also decided to decorate my desk for my birthday back in July with pink/white polka dot streamers (they know me so well).

It doesn’t matter if the dots are small or large; they still provide a nice sleek look to any outfit, as long as you have the right cut/tailoring in your clothes for your body shape. Truth be told, it doesn’t matter what the pattern is on a piece of clothing: if the clothing is too baggy or too tight, too long or too short, it won’t look good on you.  It’s a simple truth. 

So if you too love the polka dot trend, here’s an awesome little secret (ok, it’s not really a secret, but I’m making sure you know)…Old Navy has got their groove back and they are rocking some serious polka dot action in their current fall options. Plenty of other stores have polka dot options too, but I couldn’t believe my luck when I happened upon numerous polka dot options in Old Navy last week. Go check it out!

And just to illustrate my obsession with the trend, here’s me wearing some dots in this obligatory full length mirror/cell phone photo. (P.S. find me on instagram: @lindsaytolar)






Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Amazon Prime


Do you know about Amazon Prime yet? Trust me, it’s kind of amazing and quite possibly some of the best money Tolar and I have ever spent.
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Amazon Prime is a membership program available through Amazon.com; you get free 2-day shipping on eligible purchases (which includes almost anything on the site not from a private seller) and your packages sometimes arrive a day early – super bonus! Also, if you want your items guaranteed faster than 2-day shipping, overnight shipping is only $3.99 per item. Other benefits of the program: you don’t pay sales tax (at least here in Northern VA) and you also get access to their instant videos, their version of Netflix. The instant video part is what sealed it for me.

Tolar and I are huge fans of Downton Abbey, which we discovered on Netflix. 

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Well Netflix only had Season One and when we finished the last episode of Season One, I definitely felt a little lost (am I being dramatic enough?). I was so stoked to discover that Amazon Prime’s instant videos had Season Two of Downton Abbey. So I get free videos, including Downton Abbey, free 2-day shipping and I pay no sales tax? Um yes please! 

I’m involved in a book club, plus I love to read outside of our monthly reads, so the free 2-day shipping and no tax seems to make this program pay for itself with the amount of books I read. For just $79 a year (less than the price of a yearly subscription to Netflix!!!!!) you get everything I have described above. And no, Amazon Prime isn’t paying me to write this. I just love the program that much!

I haven’t had the need to buy diapers, but some of my friends tell me that Amazon Prime is also awesome for buying diapers because you can get diapers at a cheaper rate and they are delivered right to your door, no having to run to the store in an emergency! Super score. They also have good deals for people who use the Kindle, though I also haven’t tried this aspect of the membership. Yes, I’m slowly killing all trees by buying actual books. With all of these amazing perks, you have to buy the membership.

Check it out here. And happy online shopping with free 2-day shipping.