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Simple Makeup for Every Woman

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Simple Makeup for Every Woman

In honor of the Holiday Savings Event at Sephora, I am sharing a makeup routine with my favorite products for the everyday woman. There will be options for a light, clean look as well as a more full-coverage look.

I find a brand I love one product from, and then I have to try everything from that brand. Ilia, BareMinerals, and Smashbox are brands I have found great products from, but I will share options across brands I have tried and enjoyed!

Foundations

Ilia True Serum Skin Foundation

Although it is thicker than the tarte serum foundation, this Ilia product goes on so smoothly and provides such great, buildable coverage. I go through fazes where I will use this almost everyday depending on how my skin is doing. It blends really well and leaves a smooth finish.

Ilia Serum Skin Tint

The Ilia Serum Skin Tint is lightweight, and carries SPF so you are protected (although adding in more sunscreen is always good!) and leaves a soft dewy glow. This is perfect for a minimal makeup wearer that is looking to protect and treat your skin at the same time!

BareMinerals Tinted Moisturizer

I have loved the BareMinerals tinted moisturizer since I first tried it. I wear the color Ginger and it creates a good coverage without hiding my freckles and I can just blend it in with my hands, no brush needed here!

Tarte SEA Hydroflex Serum Foundation

As far as medium coverage foundations go, this one is great. It truly is so light but provides a significant amount of coverage. When they say this is a serum, it truly feels like a serum.

Concealers

Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer

Again, I just love this brand. This works so well with their other products and covers any imperfections perfectly and blends well.

BareMinerals Original Liquid Mineral Concealer

This is currently my go-to and I have been using it for over a year. It lightens, brightens, and covers well and gives me that fresh look I’m always trying to get as a tired toddler mom.

Contour

Smashbox Cali Contour Palette

Merit Bronze Balm Sheer Sculpting Bronzer

Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Bronzer

Blush

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Blush

Can you tell I love anything that moisturizes? Living in a high-desert plain I am constantly looking for moisture, even in my makeup products and when I discovered this product a couple of months ago…I fell in love. And the color is *chef’s kiss*!

Merit Flush Balm Cream Blush

Aside from the stunning packaging of Merit’s products, they are so easy to take on-the-go and achieve a beautiful glowy look.

Laura Mercier Blush Color Infusion

Laura Mercier does it again with this powdered blush. Although it comes in different color options, I love the Passionfruit. It is warm and shimmery in the perfect pink color to brighten things up.

Highlighter

Iconic Illuminator

A little goes a long way with this highlighter and it is a shimmery dream! With the ability to precisely dab where you want and blend simply with your fingers, this one is an absolute no brainer.

Benefit Cookie Highlighter

This one is a crowd favorite, and for good reason! Compact, and the perfect amount of shimmer that holds all day!

Eyebrow

Charlotte Tillbury Brow Cheat Refillable Eyebrow Pencil

This is my current go-to. I used to use eyeshadow to fill in my brows but this delivers precision, and hair-like lines to fill in my brows to perfection (my version of perfection).

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo

For the serious eyebrow girl, this is all you will need to create a full, luscious eyebrow look.

Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow + Tinted Volumizing Eyebrow Gel

Tinted gel, perfect for the already full brow that just needs a little lift and tint! So easy, and the brush is perfect.

Eyeshadow

Mario Ethereal Eyes Palette

This is the perfect palette for the upcoming holidays, with sparkles and warm tones you’ll be able to create a beautiful, show-stopping look.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

This is my current go-to palette. With the soft pinks and shimmery complimenting colors, there’s a look for anyone here.

Tartelette In Bloom Clay Palette

This palette is on my wishlist. I mean…those colors are speaking to me and I love the quality of Tarte products!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow Stick

Bobbi Brown has some amazing products and I love a quick, on-the-go option and this eyeshadow stick is a major score.

Eyeliner

Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner

This is the perfect dual end eyeliner so you have both liquid and pencil in one compact unit!

Lancome Stylo Waterproof Eyeliner

For those of you looking for an easy-to-use and long lasting eyeliner in a brown, this is the winner! Such a smooth application.

Lancome Drama LiquiPencil

The look of a liquid liner, with the easy application of a pencil?? This one is a no-brainer!

Benefit Cosmetics They Real Xtreme Precision Eyeliner

Are you a liquid eyeliner queen? Or do you struggle putting on liquid eyeliner? Regardless of where you stand, this is the liquid liner for you.

Mascara

Ilia Fullest Volumizing Mascara

This is my current go-to. No clumping, great volume and lengthens! Doesn’t feel heavy on my lashes and comes off so easily with makeup remover.

Smashbox Superfan Lash Lengthening Mascara

This is one that I come back to over and over again. Great lengthening, never clumps my lashes and gives a clean, long lash look.

Lancome Idole Lash-Lifting and Volumizing Mascara

I personally haven’t tried this one, but after reading all of the amazing 5-star reviews, this one is in my cart!

I like to keep my makeup routine really, really simple. If I can get ready, makeup and hair, in 10 minutes, I am a happy woman. These products allow me to get ready quick and feel ready to tackle the day. There’s nothing worse than feeling weighed down by the amount of makeup you’re wearing, and I can tell you, none of these products will make you feel that way.

Let me know what some of your tried and true products are!

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Things To Do During Deployments

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Things To Do During Deployments

I am by no means an expert in coping with deployments, but over the past eight years I have learned some tips and tricks that help me manage. To clarify, I started out my army spouse journey without kids and have now had two along the way so I can share tips for both situations.

Get a Pet

If you like animals and don’t already have a pet – get one! I got a puppy just before my husband left for his first deployment. It filled a lot of my free time and got me out on hikes, to parks, and dog-friendly restaurants throughout the deployment! I was in a new city and making adult friendships is HARD so anything that helps get you out and about is so helpful!

Gym Membership / Exercise Routine

Get a gym membership. You may not get gung-ho about working out but it is a social place that you can go to and decompress. Whether that’s just jumping on the treadmill (my go-to) or doing a full circuit workout and relaxing in the sauna after is a way to fill excess time that you would normally spend with your significant other S.O. See how I maintain this now with kids below.

DIY / Design 

House projects! I re-tiled our fireplace during our first deployment. It was a PROJECT and one that I had never done before. But, it helped me mentally and physically do something productive. I love DIYing and it is satisfying once you are done. I learned a TON during the process that I ended up getting to teach my husband at our next house when we retiled that fireplace. It was stressful but it gave me a purpose, direction, and killed a lot of time when I would get home from the office.

Work

Get a job! I worked full-time at a doctor’s office as a receptionist while I was waiting to get my MCAT results and decide if I truly wanted to pursue my MD (in the end I decided against it. I will publish a post about this later.) Whether you want to work full-time or just part-time, a job will help you establish your independence, particularly when you have a lot of free time during deployments if you don’t have kids or if all of them are in school already!. Also, and most importantly, it can help you make friends outside of the military! I love my military family, we are very close even with the attrition on my husband’s team, but having a separate group of people to interact with helps you escape the army bubble and get involved in more activities!

Explore Hobbies

Try out new things! You have so much free time, especially without kids. Try not to sit around watching Netflix with all of it. Try gardening, painting/drawing, woodworking, photography, DIY, crafting, scrapbooking…even blogging!

Standing Weekly / Monthly Get Togethers

It is arguably so much harder to find extra time when you have kids during a deployment. You literally never get a break. Even as a working-mom, I find it hard to find time to do even the little things, and activities just take that much longer because you are doing everything. Changing all of the diapers, getting everyone dressed, packing the diaper bag with diapers, wipes, bottles, snacks, drinks, toys…the list goes on. BUT, what I have done for the past couple of deployments is create a standing “pizza night” with my girlfriend whose husband is also on the same schedule as mine. So the guys deploy together and then we get together every Friday night with our kids and hang out, have a cocktail and eat pizza. We both look forward to it and it helps set us off for the weekend. 

Also, my husband is on a team of roughly twelve so we have a small group of ladies to hold get togethers. Typically, during deployments we plan to get together as a larger group with all of our kids about once a month. It helps us all feel a little sane, share information (everyone hears something different usually) and get support with anything you need! So many of the amazing women I have had the pleasure of knowing through this have been so helpful if I need a sitter for a bit, someone to vent to, plan playdates, and we all try to return the favors when we can. 

Church / Weekend Activity

Depending on the time of year the deployment is during (our deployments are only 6 months) filling weekend spaces can be difficult. I try to bring the kids to church every Sunday. That is something that gets us out of the house and is our main activity for the day (sad but true). Taking two under 2 to church by yourself is hard, but the community is typically so amazing and helpful/understanding that you feel an overwhelming sense of support. We don’t make it every week, sometimes naps just aren’t aligning with mass times and inevitably, you will be in survival mode for most of the deployment. Give yourself grace with what mentally makes you feel better. If you can make it one week but don’t make it for 5 months after that, I think that is absolutely okay. Solo parenting is HARD! You can’t always do it all, but taking some time to reflect on what you’re grateful for, maybe read a passage out of the bible, or even listening to a self-growth podcast if religion isn’t your thing! You can find some comfort in feeling like you reflected on yourself, others, your family, as well as things that you are in control of and things you are not. 

Self-Improvement Challenges

While I was pregnant during one of our deployments, I took full advantage of lent and set an exercise and reading challenge. I told myself I had to get on the treadmill for a minimum of 20 minutes every day (I also did a 30-day challenge with my SIL and some of her friends to do a 30-day pregnancy workout challenge) or go on a long walk outside, as well as read every day (even if it was just one page!). I ended up enjoying it so much that I have continued to set 30-day challenges or just general challenges for myself whether it is during a deployment or not.

Wat do you do to pass the time during deployments?

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Bucket List – 2022

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FIVE THINGS TO DO IN 2022

  1. Start a Blog
  2. Negotiate my salary
  3. Earn a title promotion
  4. Try new hobbies – wood burning, water colors, bullet journaling
  5. Prioritize my mental health

What’s on your bucket list?

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Childcare Resources for Military Families

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Childcare Resources for Military Families

For those of you mamas looking for some childcare, whether it be full-time or part-time, on-call, or one-off assistance, there are a lot of options for military families to take advantage of. In my opinion, the best option is always a referral, however, when you don’t have family, and your friends are in the same military family situation as yourself, it can be hard to find referrals for sitters. 

On-Base Day Care

There are several resources for military families. On-base childcare is the main option, with part-time and full-time options available. 

The main sticking point with this is availability, capacity limits, and extremely long wait lists. My two kids have been on the waitlist for about 9 months now and they essentially told me my infant would never make it to the top of the waitlist as infant spots are much harder to come by.

My daughter received a spot but my son was 4 months behind her. Most people, including myself, cannot afford to pay for my daughter to go to daycare and have a nanny watch my son. They don’t bump your second child up on the waitlist either. They basically tell you “tough”.

His first birthday will be here before we know it and then he will be in the next category which, according to the childcare personnel, will make spots easier to come by. 

The main reasons that I have my kids on the waitlist for base childcare is that the costs are significantly lower than traditional off-base daycare options, and the hours are pretty great (6am-6pm – this may vary from base to base). 

Also, I live very close to base so convenience-wise, this is a great option, and I can also count on my husband to be able to drop the kids off when he’s home. 

If both kids ever get off the waitlist around the same time I will let you know how I feel about their childcare!

Off-Base Day Care Subsidy Program

For those that are unaware, the military has a day care subsidy program. If you are unable to get into daycare on base, they will subsidize the cost of the day care program you are paying for. 

It is called, MCCYN Fee Assistance Program and you can find out more about it here: https://public.militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil/mccu/ui/#/mccyn. I had a friend utilize this program. 

Even if you can afford childcare without the subsidy, this is still a great program you can utilize as a military family, regardless of total income. 

Fee-Assistance Pilot Program for In-Home Care

What used to only be available in a couple of states, at a few bases, is now a program that any military family can now apply for. It allows for fee-assistance to families who utilize in-home childcare options. 

There are requirements and you must apply, but this is an option I am looking into further. You have to find a licensed in-home care provider that is willing and able to meet the requirements but this is a great option for larger families or unconventional work hour schedules. 

Military One Source is a great resource you can navigate to find out tons of information on childcare options for military families.

SitterCity.com

If you are looking for childcare in any capacity, full-time, part-time, on-call, one-offs, date nights, etc, SitterCity.com is a great option to find local childcare assistance. If you are familiar with Care.com, this is essentially the exact same thing. 

The perk of SitterCity.com is that as a military family you can utilize the services for free. I have found a babysitter through SitterCity. There are pros and cons but you can vet people very easily and find the price range and experience levels that you prefer and interview individuals. 

Are there any other resources that you have found? Share below!

Why I Decided to Go Back to the Office

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My Personal Story

I wanted to dedicate a post to why I chose to go back to work instead of being a full-time stay-at-home mom. I know this can be a controversial topic with mommy shaming on both sides. I am not here to do that, I am simply going to speak to my journey and decision that overall has been both difficult and stressful but in the end, what has been best for me. 

When I had my daughter it was during COVID and I was working part-time from home. Roughly 20 hours per week, give or take, and that overall was going pretty well. My husband was home for the longest he had ever been without a deployment or TDY (temporary duty station, essentially when they have to leave for an extended period of time for training or a new course). It was glorious. Once my husband deployed right around my daughters 6 month mark, I started taking on some more responsibilities at work that required increased hours. Still doable from home and watching her at the same time. However, once she got a little older, and honestly a little more demanding of my time and attention, managing conference calls and deadlines became a little more difficult. I was at a crossroads. Do I give my notice and just focus on parenting, or do I hire a nanny to help me manage?

I hired a part time nanny, a college student from one of the local universities. My schedule was rather flexible so I had her come anywhere from 0-18 hours per week and I could run errands, take conference calls, workout, go into the office if needed, and it was working really well. But with the added time, attention, and demand at work, my workload increased yet again. My nanny wasn’t able to give me full days to the extent that I needed them in order to travel up to Denver to meet with clients and get some of my business development duties accomplished. My boss was accommodating and didn’t demand anything from me, but my sense of responsibility to my clients (and many now friends) was looming over me. I wanted to be able to give more to my company and clients. I was also pregnant with my son at this point and knew I was going to want to take some maternity leave. But with two, I knew I couldn’t continue to give what I was giving to my job if I didn’t receive more help. 

I started searching for full-time nannies and discussed coming back to the office full time with management and they were more than happy to have me come back. They also accommodate me needing to work from home on Fridays. It really is an amazing company and group that I get to work for and with. 

Ultimately, the reason I decided that it was best for me to go back to work full-time instead of either being a full-time stay-at-home mom, or a full-time mom working from home, was my inability to feel like I could give 100% of myself to my kids all day and all night. When my husband is gone (sometimes 9-10 months out of a given year) there is absolutely no break for you when you are a stay-at-home mom. There is nobody to take over bedtime duties while you shower or clean up after dinner peacefully. There is nobody to watch the kids while you run to the grocery store or go meetup with a girlfriend for lunch or happy hour. I did not have the mental capacity to maintain this level of effort day in and day out for months at a time. I give mom’s who do that with military and traveling spouses the utmost respect because I feel it takes a very special, gifted person to do that. 

All-in-all, after paying my nanny, I really don’t bring much home in the name of a paycheck, but the mental break from parenting, the feeling of accomplishment and pride in an honest days work, and the adult interactions I engage in give me the reset and purpose that allows me to give more of myself to my kids when I am with them. Deployments become less of a survival mode and I can get myself into a healthier routine. If you are thinking about returning to work or just simply feeling overwhelmed by motherhood/parenthood, think about your mental health and what you need to feel refreshed. You are not alone, and your outlet may bring you so much joy and lead you to new adventures!

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