Strange & Charmed

Too Faced Portable Palettes

You guys! I am a complete sucker for packaging! Okay, packaging and convenience! The other day I was perusing Sephora.com and I came across these adorable little palettes and absolutely had to have them! It didn’t hurt that they were both ultra-portable and pretty cheap, both under $25! The first is the Too Faced Glamour to Go Palette ($22)! What first drew me to this palette as you may be able to guess is the packaging! It is a super cute black glossy compact with an almost baroque swirl design and lovely feminine label.

What I love about this palette is its tiny size, it’s no bigger than a compact mirror, but inside it houses a full face of makeup in a double layer design. The top layer of the palette houses 8 lovely neutral eyeshadows that fit my makeup aesthetics perfectly, and the bottom layer that pulls out like a drawer houses a pinky peach blush, golden shimmery lip gloss and a nice light-medium tone bronzer.

The colors are all gorgeous and after applying a face of makeup with this palette I was super pleased with the results. The shadows are pigmented without being too heavy which is great for me because I am no makeup artist and heavily pigmented shadows usually end up making a mess of my face! The blush and bronzer, however are a bit stronger on the pigment, which totally works because I like a strong blusher and I can mediate the amount of bronzer I use to make sure it doesn’t go on too heavy.The lipgloss is pretty subtle, but a nice natural shade with a hint of sparkle. I used a colored lipliner first and then added the gloss on top of my lips to blend the color out to a nice rosy shimmery pink! Overall, I am very pleased with my first impressions of this palette and I love the look I was able to create quickly using it! Like I said, its super tiny but you get a lot of products so it’s a great little palette to keep in your handbag, even a small one!

Okay, so the second palette I picked up from Too Faced is this Jingle All the Way Palette ($25). Now, I picked up this palette because it was absolutely too clever to pass by! From the front, this palette is a nice compact case filled with 11 eyeshadows, a medium bronzer and a bright pink blusher, but from the back it has a little secret!

It is actually a 2 in 1 makeup palette and iPhone 5 case in an adorable print! I just had to have it! So, basically the palette is just a palette in and of itself and it fits into the iPhone 5 case. You could leave the palette in the case or pop it out easily and use the case on your iPhone. It’s basically the greatest idea for a holiday gift that I have ever seen (well, may not the best I have ever seen, but its pretty close)! The colors in this palette are again mostly nice neutrals, but they also incorporate some lovely colors as well! I love how they actually give you 9 smaller shadows and 2 larger matte colors as a base/highlight/blending color. The bronzer in this palette is a hint darker than in the previous palette, but I can still make it work (I am not big into dark bronzers because I am usually super pale except for in the summer when I am just regular pale!) but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the bright pink blush in this palette! The brighter the pink, the better, in my opinion! Now, this palette doesn’t include a lip product, but that’s fine by me and still an awesome value since you get so many shadows!

So, be honest, are you loving these adorable Too Faced Palettes as much as I am? Have you tried any of these before or any other Too Faced products? Are you a sucker for packaging as well? Or perhaps you love these palettes because of the all in one convenience factor? Let me know in the comments!

tech

Outfit Your New iPhone

It’s iPhone upgrade time! Yep, the iPhone 5s was recently released and although your new gadget may still be on backorder, you are going to need to outfit your new accessory (ahem, phone!) with a few extra trimmings of its own! Here are some must haves that you need to make the most of your new iPhone!

iPhone Case: I am a iPhone case addict, but this Kate Spade NY case is by far my favorite. Its the perfect mix of designer fashion accessory and everyday protection! I have always loved Kate Spade iPhone cases, but I feel like for the iPhone 5/5s, KSNY has really stepped up their game!

Microfiber Cleaning Cloth: Not only is this Toddy microfiber ridiculously stylish in the silver chevron pattern, but its also a must have to keep your iPhone’s screen crystal clear! With one plush side and one silky side, the Toddy microfiber and its antimicrobial coating will mean a few easy wipes will keep your phone clean in more than one way!

iPhone Dock: This Jonathan Adler Smartphone dock is a lovely, yet functional way to charge your iPhone. Although its not a charger in and of itself, it makes for a beautiful piece of functional art for your desk or side table! Read my review of the dock here!

Headphones: The Layla headphones by Frends is a stylish accompaniment to your new iPhone, especially if you sprung for the gold 5s. These feminine cans are the perfect mix of style and sound quality. Ban ugly headphones and pick up a set of these girls instead!

Backup Battery Charger: The Hub 3000 myCharge is a small but powerful backup battery that will charge your iPhone and up to two other devices at the same time! Its built in lightening chord is super convenient so you don’t have to worry about keeping (or loosing) a tangled chord as well!

Did you upgrade to the new iPhone 5s? Which of the three colors did you choose? What are your must have accessories for your iPhone? Let us know in the comments!

lifestyle

My Biggest Regrets from College

I have been out of college now for 6 years (yikes!) and I still often think about all the wonderful things I did and learned during my years there! Like most life experiences, however, I often find myself wondering how my life would have turned out had I made different choices and did things differently. If I had the chance to turn back time and start college all over again, I would most definitely be the embodiment of some college cliché, taking advantage of every opportunity, working harder on my school work and going on more adventures! So, since I know there are college freshman all over the world who have just completed their first few weeks or so of their college experience, I have decided that now is the time to share my biggest regrets from college so that perhaps others can learn from some of my mistakes and make the very most of their undergrad years!

1. I regret that I didn’t work harder! Cliche, I know, but its the truth. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, I have been one of those people who never needed to work hard in order to get good grades. In middle school, high school and yes, college, I just sort of skated by on my natural intelligence, but now I see that had I actually applied myself, I may have been able to do wonderful things. My laziness in college is something I frequently find myself making up for in my life now, as I work myself to the bone at my day job and then with this blog all in the hopes that one day my hard work will pay off! Let me tell you, it’s a much better idea to do the hard work in college because the work you do in those four years can really shape the rest of your life. Don’t skate by like I did, make sure you are putting in 110% to your work!

2. I regret that I got a boyfriend my freshman year. Relationships in college are one of those things that I think most girls are interested in, but they really aren’t the best way to spend your college years. I know that once I found a boyfriend the second semester of my freshman year, I became a ghost to my friends. I spent way to much time with him and doing things he wanted to do and not enough time developing relationships with roommates and hall mates. Since I was also in a sorority, it was especially alienating for me to have a boyfriend during these early college years because I kept feeling like I had to choose between him and them. Of course, I choose him far too often and as I began to feel more alienated from my friends, the cycle continued so that I was inevitably spending all my time with him. Don’t make that same mistake. Boyfriends can wait until after college, they seriously, seriously can!

3. I regret that I didn’t go abroad. College is seriously one of the best times to spend a semester or two abroad in a foreign country. For me, it was something that I considered out of the question because of my finances and of course, my boyfriend! Looking back, I could have afforded it and it wouldn’t have been the end of the world to leave my boyfriend for a few months, in fact it probably would have done me some good! I honestly think that it should be a requirement for certain majors to visit a foreign country before they graduate because it really is such a valuable life experience and it opens your eyes up to the rest of the world outside of your little pocket of the universe!

4. I regret that I didn’t spend more time getting in touch with myself. This is sort of a weird regret, but they say college is the best time to find yourself and I certainly wasn’t spending much time looking! I was more occupied with making sure I got all the classes I needed to graduate and trying to enroll in classes that would fulfill requirements for both of my majors so that I could inevitably save money and graduate early. I wish I had taken more trips and gone on little adventures. I went to college out in the mountains and there were so many things I could have done and tried that I just didn’t bother with because it didn’t fit my narrow idea of what a successful college experience meant. So make sure you spend your days exploring everything you can. Visit the astronomy tower, go on a camping trip, experience the world around you to the greatest extent that you can. It will help you develop character and learn things about yourself that you never knew!

Do you have any regrets from college that you wish you could pass down to younger generations to make sure they don’t make the same mistakes you do? Are you a current college student who has made some of these mistakes and perhaps can learn from them before it’s too late? Let us know in the comments!

Career

Why it’s Important to Wear Lipstick to Work!

Now, before you get the wrong idea I want to make perfectly clear that I do consider myself a feminist, but also a pragmatist! Sometimes you just gotta use what God gave you and say to hell with the rest! You may not think that wearing a little lipstick is going to make a difference either way in your life or career, but it does, and perhaps not in the way that you might assume. You’re probably thinking that I am advocating wearing lipstick to work as some sort of way to please the general vanity of the masses, as though wearing lipstick means that you are trying to make a good impression and make yourself look your very best! It’s true, wearing lipstick probably does have that affect on your co-workers and bosses, either male or female, but that’s not the reason I suggest wearing it! Nor am I suggesting that you wear it to heighten the appearance of your femininity and perhaps make yourself seem more attractive to the opposite sex, thus gaining some competitive edge that usually only works on police officers and speeding tickets!

No, the reason I am advocating that you wear lipstick to work is because it has been scientifically proven to help women get the attention of others during discussions! Don’t ask me where the study is that concludes this, I honestly have never seen it, I have only heard about it! Once, I attended a women’s professional development workshop where the keynote speaker insisted that if you wear lipstick to work, specifically to meetings or during any sort of discussions or negotiations, the people in the room are more likely to give you their attention. It has something to do with your mouth being highlighted by the lipstick so that it draws attention to you and to the value of your words. Pretty interesting I thought! The speaker even went so far as to glance around the room and eventually pointed me out to stand up, saying that my lipstick was so bright (I was wearing a hot pink for sure!) that I got her attention despite the fact that I was seated in the very last row!

I love being made a positive example of, but I really think she was right! For some time before this event I had been wearing bright pink lipstick (in a color that suits me, don’t think I will just pick up any old neon pink I can find!) because I thought it drew attention to me. After all, not many people think they can pull off the color, so most don’t even try. I had been getting compliments on my lipstick for a long while by the time the speaker had pointed me out that day at the meeting, and I have received those compliments ever since. I think that for a long time I had already known what she was telling us, that your lipstick mattered! So make sure you wear it and make sure you pick as bold a color as you can muster! Keeping the attention of a room is a difficult task to achieve, but to think all you need to achieve it is a little bright lipstick and the confidence to wear it!

Do you wear lipstick to work? How do you feel confidence-wise when you wear it? Do you notice that more people pay attention to what you say when wearing it? Has this article inspired you to wear bright lipstick more often? Maybe you think this isn’t true or doesn’t work? Let us know what you think in the comments!

DIY

Starbucks @ Home: Pumpkin Spice Latte

That’s right! I am back with a second installment in my Starbucks @ Home Series, and this time I am tackling everyone’s fall favorite, the Pumpkin Spice Latte or #PSL for the hip among us! To be completely honest, I am not a big pumpkin spice latte fan, although I do generally enjoy pumpkin flavored things! When it comes to the actual Starbucks PSL, the drink is made with a pumpkin spiced syrup that is loaded with sugar and calories and too me is too sickeningly sweet. So, my variation is going to be much fewer calories because I am going to use a pumpkin spice coffee as my base. As always, I have a Keurig so that is what I use to brew my coffee, but you can use whatever means you have at your disposal!

What You’ll Need

A Reusable Starbucks Cup: I bought this simple reusable Starbucks cup earlier this year when Starbucks was running a reusable cup promotion. I believe the cup only cost me $1 and it looks exactly like a regular Starbucks cup!

A Pumpkin Spice Coffee K-Cup: There are loads of varieties of Pumpkin Spice Coffee that you can find this time of year, but since this is a seasonal drink I chose a more wallet friendly coffee brand this time.

Whipped Cream: Whipped Cream is actually going to be a staple in this recipe to help add sweetness without getting too much sugar. In a way, its acting as the creamer. If you don’t have whipped cream you could use creamer or milk I suppose, but make sure to add a bit more than you normally would!

Vanilla Extract: It really doesn’t matter to me if its pure or imitation extract, but you will need about a teaspoon of the stuff to help achieve that lovely spicy pumpkin flavor!

Sweetener: Although the whipped cream adds sweetness to the drink, you will still need a bit of something extra. As I mentioned earlier the Starbucks PSL is very sweet, so to pull this off you need to add some additional sweetener. I use stevia to sweeten my coffee, but feel free to use whatever you’d like!

Cinnamon and Nutmeg: You will need to use a pinch of cinnamon and a quarter pinch of nutmeg for this recipe. I know, those measurements are so precise! Basically you need a tiny bit of nutmeg (because it’s a very strong flavor) and 3-4 times as much cinnamon to help round it all out. Since we are making a drink and not a pie we are using such small amounts its hard to measure out!

Garnish: I garnish this drink with some whipped cream and some cinnamon! You could use pumpkin spice as well, but since the coffee is pumpkin flavored you pretty much have the flavor there already.

Let’s start brewing!

The first thing you will need to do is brew you coffee. K-Cups are super simple, but they do cost a bit more than regular coffee grounds. Obviously, you will just use whatever method of brewing your coffee you have available to you! While your coffee is brewing you need to prepare a few ingredients in your reusable cup first! Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and sweetener to your cup first and mix it together. This is going to act like the “syrup” in a PSL except significantly less sweet (unless you used a lot of sugar as sweetener). Once this is done you can add the brewed coffee and then copious amounts of whipped cream until your coffee is a nice light mocha color (approximately 1 cup whipped cream). Mix everything together until the whipped cream has fully dissolved in your coffee. Next add some more whipped cream on top and then garnish with some cinnamon!

Voila! Top your cup with its lid and take a sip! Delish, I know! And to think, this is so much simpler than standing in line on a cool autumn morning!

Has this recipe inspired you to start making your own coffee-house drinks at home? Have you tried my past recipe? Do you visit Starbucks or your local coffee-house as part of your daily commute to work? Or, perhaps you already brew your coffee at home? Let us know in the comments!

lifestyle tech wallpaper

Inspired By Kate Spade

So if you haven’t noticed, lately I have been really into Kate Spade. This is mostly due to the fact that I am loving some of her more recent prints and designs, especially the new Literary Glasses Print! You may remember that I picked up the 2014 Agenda in the print in August and every now and again I have been getting glimpses of new products that are in the works! Just this last weekend I popped into my local Kate Spade NY Store, yes to visit the Beau, and I walked out with a beautiful new iPhone 5/5s case in, you guessed it, the literary glasses print! I was so excited to find it because I had not seen the case anywhere online. If you get the promo emails from Kate Spade you will know that yesterday they finally released some of their new bookish designs, including the case on their site! So, yesterday I was so excited to see all the new fun accessories that I decided to make some wallpapers based on the print for my devices. I made an iPhone 5/5s/5c background (that I am sure will work on other iPhone models and many other cellular devices) and also a desktop background for my Macbook Pro. After sharing the designs with some friends who also like Kate Spade, I decided that I should just post them to my blog because I know many of the ladies who read here also love her designs as well! I hope you guys enjoy!

Quick-and-Curious-iPhone — Right Click Image to Save Linked File

Kate-Spade-Literary-Glasses-Desktop — Right Click Image to Save Linked File

I should hope this goes without saying, however, the Literary Glasses Print, Kate Spade Logo and Quote are all property of Kate Spade New York. These images are not the creation of Kate Spade New York or anyone associated with the brand. These images are simply inspirational images created by the blog owner to share with those who love Kate Spade!

So, are you a fan of Kate Spade? Do you like the literary glasses print? Do you like the images that I have created? Will you be downloading them for your own devices? Let me know in the comments below!

tech

The Jonathan Adler Smart Phone Dock

Have you ever seen this lovely little smart phone dock from Jonathan Adler? I believe I first spotted it on the desk of Graphic Designer & Blogger, Danielle Moss from The Everygirl and since then I have just been noticing it everywhere from gift guides to Pinterest boards to Polyvore collages! So, a few weeks ago in August I finally broke down and bought it! I purchased the white version, but it also comes in black, and both colors retail for about $48!

The dock is essentially a ceramic shell in the shape of a miniature rotary telephone with a seat for your phone and a cut out where you can insert your charging cable so that it is hidden by the dock. I have seen them on plenty of desks, but I preferred to keep mine on my bedside table where I do the most charging of my phone! It is just absolutely darling in my option and really brings a little something extra to whatever space it occupies. Of course the analog geek in me loves the concept of using such a low tech, vintage inspired dock to charge my hi-tech modern iPhone! Oh and in case you were wondering, the dock can accommodate most cell phone cases, so no need to remove your phone’s protection when it charges!

So what do you think of this smartphone dock? Is it a clever multi purpose desk accessory or do you prefer something a bit more digital? Let us know in the comments!

printables

Free Printable Project Planning Pages

A few weeks ago I tweeted out that I was interested in creating some free printables for Strange & Charmed and after the popularity of my free calendar, I decided that it was time to release some more! This time I have created a line of planning pages that you can use for meetings, notes, project planning and even career planning! I have created a few different layouts to suit a variety of preferences and needs. I hope you enjoy what I have created and as always, if you like these free printables, make sure to leave a comment or send a tweet to @MissTrenchcoat so I know you are enjoying them! If these go over well, I may have a few more things in the works as well for those of you who loves printables as much as I do!

Included in this set are, (2) Note taking page styles for project planning and note taking, (1) Dream Job tracking page, (1) Small steps to success goal tracker, and (1) Multiple Goal Tracker.

Click here to get the full set of printables——–> S&C-ProjectPlanning-Printables

lifestyle

YouTube Series Worth Watching

Last week I wrote about why you may want to make the switch from cable television service to a lower cost alternative like Netflix or Hulu Plus! Going along with that conversation, I thought I would talk to you today about some more great FREE entertainment options. YouTube right now is blowing up with great “made for YouTube” series and I wanted to share with you some of my favorites that I completely recommend you watch if you are looking for some more free entertainment!

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (Channel: Lizzie Bennet)

Yep, you read that correctly, Lizzie Bennet, as in Elizabeth Bennet, the heroine of everyone’s favorite Jane Austen novel, Pride & Prejudice! This amazing series that concluded only a few months ago is basically a 21st century retelling of the novel if Lizzie Bennet were a grad student with a YouTube channel! Filled with all your favorite P&P characters, some with modern variations of their names (ex. Mr. Bingley is Mr. Bing Lee), this long running series is as entertaining as it is endearing.

Make Me Over (Channel: Awesomeness TV)

For those of us who love makeover shows, this multi season series follows popular YouTube beauty guru’s who give regular girls a mini makeover! Solving problems like what to wear to prom, or tackling issues of personal style, this fun series is a great “real life” makeover show without all the fancy designer duds and high budgets we are used to seeing from shows like “What Not to Wear”. Definitely give this a shot if you are into real like makeovers and you may even find some style inspiration for yourself!

Nicko’s Kitchen (Channel: robjnixon)

If its cooking shows that tickle your fancy, you won’t want to miss Nicko’s Kitchen, a highly popular YouTube channel and series all about cooking. What I love about this series is that it covers great everyday recipes that are quick, easy and fun, and they have a great mini series on the channel called Fast Food Friday’s where they teach you how to make your fast food faves from Big Mac’s to KFC Chicken! If you’re an epicurean, this is one series you won’t want to miss!

The Guild (Channel: WatchTheGuild)

If you are more of a fantasy fan, preferring shows like Once Upon a Time or Grimm, the Guild is probably right up your ally. This multi season series follows around a group of online gamers who play a World of Warcraft like MMORPG in the same guild and decide to become friends IRL. Outlandish drama ensues when the awkward gamers try to interact socially, which makes for some hysterical episodes filled with references and lingo fellow gamers are sure to understand and enjoy!

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis (Channel: FunnyOrDie)

If you are a fan of comedy shows like SNL or late night talk shows like Jimmy Fallon, you will certainly enjoy Between Two Ferns. Watch as actors and other pop culture figures are given the most awkward interviews of their careers by the straight-faced, too blunt for TV host! It completely reminds me of Stephen Colbert and his hysterical and envelope pushing interviews with public figures in which you’re not certain if the interviewee knows that they are partaking in a joke or not! Check it out for yourself and you are sure to have a good laugh!

Do you like to watch YouTube? What are some of your favorite series’? Have you ever seen any of these shows before? Let us know what you think in the comments!

tech

Get Fit for Free with these Apps & Sites

I am a firm believer that you do not need a gym membership to get yourself a good workout. Not only are there plenty of outdoor physical activities you can partake in, like running, biking, walking, etc, but technology makes it super easy and incredibly cheap to workout from the comfort of your own home and really break a sweat. How cheap you may be asking? Try Free! Here are some of my favorite apps and websites for getting a good workout. Give it a try, and you may even find that you can cancel your rarely used gym membership and have a little fun working out in the process!

Yoga Studio

I’ll be honest, I have a few Yoga apps that guide you through pre structured and/or self-made yoga routines, however, this App which is currently free as a Starbucks Pick of the Week, takes the cake! Not only are the routines easy to follow with clear images and directions, but I love the DIY routines. Unlike my other apps, Yoga Studio gives the user the ability to choose individual poses and blocks of poses that go together in a series. So, you can add downward facing dog to your routine, or the entire Sun Salutation. This makes creating your own yoga routines a breeze, and when something it easy to use and customizable, it means you are more likely to stick to it!

Blogilates

In case you are not aware, Blogilates is one of the web’s most popular health and fitness websites. Created by Cassey Ho, professional fitness instructor, this website is a mecca of free fitness advice and videos. Cassey covers a variety of workouts and topics on her blog, that include easy to follow videos, meal plans, and recipes to help keep you on track with your fitness goals. If you are someone interested in beginning an entry-level fitness plan, Cassey even includes workout calendars with suggested workout programs that basically make it like you have your own personal trainer! It doesn’t get much easier than that, so check out the site if you are serious about getting in shape!

My Fitness Pal

As most of already know, dieting is really hard, but studies have shown that people who keep track of their diet and physical activity each day have a higher rate of success than those who do not. This is why programs like Weight Watchers are so popular, they give users the tools to track their food intake, weight and exercise to give them an overall picture of how they are progressing, and when users stick to this model, it does work! But Weight Watchers can be expensive with sign on and monthly fees, it can cost you hundreds of dollars a year. Enter My Fitness Pal, a free app that basically does the same thing, but without the Weight Watchers Points System! So, if you are looking for a reliable method to track your weight loss progress, give this app a go and you will find that you won’t need an expensive alternative just to drop some lbs!

Do you use any apps to help you stay on track with your health and fitness goals? Do you workout with the guidance of an app or do you prefer to hit the gym with a real trainer? Let us know in the comments!