Ins and Outs #2

Ins and Outs #2

INS

Lavender Nail Polish: Obsessed. I love butter london's color muggins. And I found that Seche Vite is the best top coat. Plus, this pretty purple/gray goes with most of my summery outfits. 

Walking the Dog: First of all, I have never had a dog, but my BF does and we brought him in to the vet the other day and they said he needs to lose some weight. I figure this is a win-win situation because he gets a nice, healthy walk and spend time with me! And I can use it as an excuse to get outside and get in a workout!

Chia Seeds: Have you tried these yet? I was quite hesitant at first, but now I love them. Perfect for tossing into a smoothie. I've also had them with just water and a squeeze of lemon or lime. 

Foodie Instagrams: Follow me @beauty_foodie I just started this and plan to keep posting pictures of the yummy food I am eating/making.

OUTS

Counting Calories:  This is just too much work and it makes fitness and nutrition not fun. I'm all about healthy recipes and working out, but this added stress to meet a certain daily intake is just too much.

Shopping for Sandals: I need to stop this! I have a problem. Goal this month is to not purchase any sandals. But does this include heels in general? Hmm..

Pasta Dishes: Now that the weather is hot and there are so many fresh fruits and veggies, I'm straying away from my usual favorite dishes (aka anything pasta, red sauce, and sausage). Not that these won't come back, but for now, they are out.

Fixing Broken Make Up

You know that annoying moment when you reach for your make up, fumble a bit, and realize you just shattered your $30 blush? Let me tell you, it is super annoying. I wanted to try and salvage this one because it is one of my favorites and it was barely used up - so I went to the inter webs and did a little research. Here are the steps I took to restore my beautiful blush! 

benefit blush in bella bamba - from here

STEP 1: smash it up

The first step is to break up the rest of the compact so that the blush (or any make up product) becomes a fine powder. This will help the product stick together when you move on to the next steps and will create a smoother surface for the final product. I just used the end of an eyeshadow brush to do this.

STEP 2: add in alcohol

The next step is to add in isopropyl alcohol 70% to the smashed up powder. I bought this at Target. You can use a dropper or just pour a small amount into the middle of the powder. There is no exact amount but you will want the mixture to stick together enough to form a solid.

STEP 3: press the powder
This step is kind of fun but you get a little messy. Press the powder into the original packaging to cover the bottom of the tin. I had to add a little more alcohol to get a putty-like consistency so that it was easy to form into the bottom of the tin. It may not look completely perfect, but at least it will hold together.

STEP 4: let it dry
Now that the powder is pressed into its original packaging, it has to harden for a day or two. After a couple days, the powder will be solid and you will be able to use it again!

Hope you enjoyed this and I'll try and post more things soon!

XO,
Kirsten

Thoughts on Turning 25

Well, its here. My birthday. I'm turning 25. That seems like a big age. A quarter century. Halfway to 50. The age that my mother had me at.

I'm not where I thought I would be. That is for sure. I had much different expectations for what 25 would be. They included a husband, a baby, and a house in the suburbs. But, for now, that is okay. Because although I'm not where I thought I would be, I'm exactly where I need to be.

I have a job. Not just any job. A fun job. Where I can be myself and work with other highly motivated co-workers. This job isn't one that I even considered while growing up. It just kind of happened to me. But I wouldn't change this happenstance for anything. I've learned so much and realized that work doesn't have to be boring.

I have great friends. Seriously. The best. Each one is special in a different way, but they all make me who I am today. Some are married with kids, some living half way across the country pursuing their own careers. And some I get to see everyday and hang out with quite a bit. Its funny how each one of my friends is very different, but I couldn't imagine my life without them. So if you are my friend and reading this, Thank You for being there for me through thick and thin and helping me become a more amazing person each and every day.

I have a family who cares. I feel like this is a luxury in the world today. So many people only see there families a few times a year and its out of formality, not because they actually want to see them and share their life updates. I'm lucky that I can go home and see them any time I want to and they will listen to me babble on and on about work and friends and all the fun stuff.

This is such a weird age. I don't feel like I'm old, but that number just seems so high. So instead of focusing on what is missing from my life and what I thought I should have by now, I want to focus on what I have already accomplished.

I have a degree. From a great business school. Technically two--Supply Chain Management and Marketing.

I experienced leadership. I was a VP in my sorority and that gave me a lot of experience managing people and managing expectations. This has carried over into my career and I am thankful I had that opportunity in school.

I have traveled. I studied in Australia and in Italy. Those experiences were amazing and only made me want to see more of the world. There is so much out there and so many different types of people and culture that I want to learn about. I want to learn more and more. I can only hope I will have the income to support traveling or the will power to save enough money to go all the places I want to go. I guess that is what the next 25 years can be for.

I've experienced love, and loss. This is a hard one to write about. I wasn't sure if I was really "in love" but I do know what it is like to lose somebody that you love. So it must exist, even if I don't know exactly when I am feeling it. I've also experienced loss. This is also hard to write about but it just makes me appreciate the happy times so much more.

I know what I want. And what I don't want. Each year it becomes more and more clear what path I should be taking and what goals I should set. Its also becoming more clear what makes me truly happy and what I need to do to get to that happiness.

At this point, I can only hope that I keep up the energy to continue pursuing my dreams, following my heart, having fun along the way, and learning more about myself.

Here's to the next 25 years!

K


Image from here.

Product Review: Conair You Reel 1875 Watt Tourmaline Ceramic 2-in-1 Styler

I had the opportunity to review a limited edition hair dryer for Conair. They sent me this product and this is my honest opinion.

First of all, I love that it comes in pink and it has a cord that zips up into the handle (which makes it super easy to store). I like that it is ceramic and tourmaline. This causes less stress to hair and brings out natural shine. The product also comes with 2 additions--a diffuser and a concentrator. The diffuser works to create beautiful, voluminous looks while the concentrator helps create a sleek look.

More product details can be found here

The Review:

Overall, this is a great hair dryer. It is lightweight, easy to store, and it dries my hair super fast. I like using it without either of the attachments, especially when I am in a hurry. I have long hair and it is so quick!

The diffuser didn't really do much for me. I put some "beach" sea salt spray in the my hair when it was damp and then I used the diffuser when it was about 50% dry. It took longer than usual and my hair was pretty straight and not as voluminous as I would have expected.

The concentrator did make my hair appear a light shinier and straight, but it took a long time to dry. I did it in 3 sections. I would do this again if I needed my hair perfectly straight and I had a lot of time in the morning to do it.

I would recommend purchasing this dryer if you are looking for one that is inexpensive and gives you options for drying hair. Also, if you have space issues, this one is great!

Goals

Setting goals is extremely important if you want to achieve something. Without goals, a dream is just a wish. I have made a point to set up some goals for my life and business for the month of September. I challenge you all to do the same thing.

Here are my goals that I want to accomplish by September 30.

1. Add 30 customers to my customer database for Mary Kay. I think this is attainable and I want to focus on adding new people to my list so I have a better base for my business. Right now, I only have 6 people in my database.

2. Have one team member by September 30. In Mary Kay, a huge part of becoming a better sales woman is building a team. I want to have a "running mate", who is someone that I can grow my business with and who will motivate me when I am having an off day. A running mate is a team member, so I would also make money when they are selling product.

3. Shape Up September. I want to hit the gym or do some sort of physical activity everyday in September. I had a meeting until late tonight, but I made an effort to go to the gym at 9:30 in order to get my workout it. When you have a goal, you have to stick to it in order to see progress.

4. Eat Healthy. This is a goal I have every month, but this month I want to take action. This means limiting my fast food intake, brining lunch to work more often, and going out to eat less. I think with Fall, this will help because its the best time to get into a new routine and focus on things like eating healthier.

What are some of your goals this month?

My Favorite Mary Kay Products

My Favorite Mary Kay Products by kirstenmknutson featuring mary kay cosmetics

Mary Kay toiletry bag
marykay.com

Mary kay cosmetic
marykay.com

Mary Kay voluminous mascara
marykay.com

TimeWise Miracle Set (normal/dry)
marykay.com

My New Business!

I'm super excited that I have started my own Mary Kay business! I have been looking for something to do to earn more money and this seemed to come at the right time. I'm very nervous about starting but I think this will be something I am good at. I mean, I love make up and beauty products, so this just seems perfect.

To begin my business, I have been going to Mary Kay meetings and learning as much as I can about the products. I ordered my "Starter Kit" and it came in the mail last week.

Me and my starter kit in the Beauty Bar! 

I am still going through all the information but I have a good idea of what I need to do. Here is my list for the upcoming week:

• Order inventory
• Schedule 8 parties
• Go through online orientation
• Make a list of names/future clients

It is overwhelming, but I think if I take it one step at a time it will be extremely rewarding!

Wish me luck!