Top 10 Summer Beauty Essentials of 2014

Like most chicks, I’ve got a thing for beauty products. Makeup, skin care, hair care, if it comes in pretty packaging, pretty colors, and claims to work miracles, I’m all over it.

This summer I discovered some great hot weather beauty staples that really made a difference in my skin and makeup routine.

1.     Rimmel Stay Matte Primer – I have oily skin and in the summer my skin can turn into a grease slick. I’m talking, I just face planted a pile of fried chicken, oily. So makeup products that claim to be oil controlling really appeal to me. I’m a big fan of the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent (I’ve gone through at least 3!). Now primers can be pretty pricey, so when Rimmel released their Stay Matte Primer (I think I paid no more than $5 for mine), I jumped on it. This primer really works for me! It doesn’t control oil all day, but it controls it for a few hours before I feel like I need to blot.

2.     Blotting Papers – Speaking of oily skin, I could not have gone through summer without blotting papers! I just buy the Target brand and they work just as well as the Clean & Clear ones. I used to think there was nothing special about blotting papers. Why not just use a tissue? Wrong! I was so wrong! They do make a difference because they really absorbed the oil on the skin and don’t disturb your makeup as much as blotting with a tissue.

3.     Dior Ultra Addict Lip Gloss Glow in #256 “Negligee Pink” – Man, oh man! This is by far, hands down my favorite lip gloss. It’s not sticky, feels luxurious and smooth on the lips, and makes the lips look unreal! And do I even need to mention the packaging!?  I pair this gloss with a lip liner that is almost the exact shade of my lips and it gives such dimension and shine to my lips. The color is in the nude family, with enough pink in it to not make the lips look dead. It also pairs wonderfully over nude lipsticks. For those of you who love a bronzed, glowing makeup look for summer, this gloss is the perfect compliment. I need to buy a back up… 

4.     Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Shine in “Pink Cognito” – The formula of this lipstick is fantastic! It is so light and smooth it feels like a balm. It is not fully opaque, which for a shade like this ,works well. Pink Cognito is Dior’s Ultra Addict Gloss #256 in solid form, just a little deeper in color. It’s perfect for no makeup days, light makeup days, or those days when you want to wear a full face of makeup and a dark smokey eye. The pink undertones keep it from being too nude on the lips. And paired underneath the Dior Gloss? Perfection!

5.     NYC Sunny Bronzer – I actually purchased this bronzer a couple summers ago, but didn’t start wearing it almost everyday until this summer. It’s only a few shades darker than my skin tone. I just use a blush brush to apply it on the perimeters of my face and down the sides of my nose. It’s the perfect shade, not too muddy, not too orange and blends easily. It just makes the skin look healthy.

6.     theBalm “Hot Mama” Blush – This has definitely been my go to blush this summer and I don’t think it gets enough recognition in the beauty community. It tends to get over shadowed by NARS Orgasm and Benefits Coralista. Now, I own NARS Orgasm and Hot Mama is extremely similar, and as much as I love Orgasm, there is something I prefer about Hot Mama. It doesn’t appear as pink on the cheeks as Orgasm and the gold sheen in it is finer. It just gives the most gorgeous, sun kissed look to the cheeks. I get compliments when I wear this blush. These type of compliments: “You’re face looks so good! Like a magazine add! I don’t know what it is, but keep doing it!” It’s the blush! It’s always a good thing when people can’t pinpoint what it is, and your cheekily thinking, “that my friend, is the power of a good blush.”

7.       NARS Illuminator in “Orgasm” (old packaging) – I apply this after my primer and before whatever foundation I’m wearing, if I decide to wear foundation that day. I was worried at first that this would look like I wiped glitter all over my face. Mixed with my oily skin, I also was scared that this would make me look like a disco ball. Again, I was quite wrong. This gives the skin such a healthy glow, that “lit from within” look. It keeps my foundation from looking flat and dull, especially since I gravitate towards products that give the skin a matte finish. Orgasm is the perfect shade for summer because the gold shimmer in it gives the skin a warm glow. 

8.     Maybelline Fit Me Powder in 240 “Golden Beige” – I rarely wore liquid foundation this summer. Living in a climate that has humid summers, liquid foundations can just feel down right gross on the skin. This powder matches my skin tone perfectly. It’s light and gives me just the right amount of coverage (I don’t like full coverage anything). First, I just apply a little bit of concealer where needed and buff this powder all over the face and my skin looks flawless, without looking cakey or heavy. It looks very natural and feels lightweight on the skin. Perfect for hot weather.

9.     The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner – This toner is very nice! It smells clean and feels refreshing on the skin. I don’t have a problem with this toner making my skin feel tight and stripped. I even started applying it down my décolleté, and down my back and it has really helped to keep my skin clean and clear. Definitely a summer staple!

10.  The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil - This stuff right here is just. So. Good. I purchased it on a whim early on in the summer. I thought it was going to be too heavy for my oily skin, especially in the summer. However, my skin drinks this up! This serum has really made all the difference in my skin. It has helped to smooth out the texture and tone, and since using this I have had ZERO breakouts, even during that time of the month. I already had a good skin care routine that kept my skin clear, for the most part. But once I added this into my routine, my skin went to the next level. In the summer I strive to wear less makeup because of the weather. This has made that possible because I don’t want to cover up my skin with a lot of products. It’s just made my skin that good.

Those are all my beauty staples from this summer. We still have a few more weeks of hot weather left before it cools down for autumn. I know I’m going to get a few more miles out of these products before I switch up for the upcoming season.

What were some of your beauty staples this summer?

- Alana  

Fashion and Faith

Hi everyone! I hope you all are well =D TOMORROW is FRIDAY. We made it to the end of a work week. 

I learned about Fashion and Faith  in late December. This amazing initiative is a blog hub for Christian women to manifest that you can be fashionable and not "stuffy". Ruby Girl Blog is an amaaazing initiative to showcase these fashionable women with awesome blogs. On each Thursday - the writer is encouraging the fashion bloggers to post photos of their outfits! I was excited when I found out about the first link on August 7th - I unfortunately was on vacation AND the kiddies went back to school two weeks ago.  After getting back into the swing of advising and getting back to my regular schedule I finally have time to do it. wooooot.

My sister gave me a dress (bless her heart) yesterday and I wore it to school. Let's just say - it was a hit. I definitely try to showcase my style and put effort into presenting myself in the best manner. Dressing well really helps me focus and I feel so great. Alana told me a few months back "Girl...you better look like you are blessed" lol. I totally take that to heart!! If God gives us an such a beautifully complex body which houses HIS spirit on the inside - why not let that beauty and light shine through? I am so grateful that my sister blessed me with it<3

I paired the red dress with a black studded belt that came with  my college graduation dress. I don't know what brand this dress is (I think my sister may have cut out the tag.  The blazer is from Express - I bought it from Marshall's for $15 in Fall 2013. My shoes are from Cole Haan - I bought them for from the Cole Haan outlet in late Winter for about 89. The shoes are definitely a bit pricier BUT they are great quality shoes - I've had them for about 6 months and I am glad I invested in a good working heel.

Photos were taken with Canon Powershot SX700- which I bought at Target and tripod.

Definitely check out the other bloggers on the site =D

<3,

Tonyette

Top 5 Spaces and Places of Summer 2014

Hola

You know - I spent a good amount of time traveling this summer. When I actually sit down and think about it - this summer was hands down the most eventful.  I think the reason being is that I didn't have expectations for it ha. I literally thought I would be studying for the GRE all summer (which reminds me .... I need to start that up again) but I embraced just being in the moment. As a result - I was able to appreciate every space and place I inhabited this summer. 

5.)  Haw River Ballroom - Saxaphaw, NC

photo courtesy of Our State

I had the pleasure of seeing Johnnyswim in concert with a friend. This awesome venue is located in the backwoods lol - you definitely should've seen our faces as we wandered into the woods to find this place. The ballroom is the former historic cotton mill. Reasons why I love this space : it took my breath away, it is a building that is revitalized, and the vibe of this place is super comfy and laid-back. I will be talking about this place for a while.

4.) Dome in Meredith College's Math and Science Building - Raleigh, NC.

Photo taken by me :)

I had the pleasure of visiting THIRTEEN NC private institutions this summer in a span of one week. I had the best time learning about so many new schools, meeting professionals with a passion for students, and seeing how unique each school truly is. One of our stops included Meredith College which is an all-female school that prides itself on preparing its students for careers. I LOVED it's motto - Going Strong! I took a lot of photos throughout this week but this is my favorite. Reason why I love this space: this dome is PERFECT. The lighting and energy just flowed in this building. If I were a student here - this would be my study spot. 

3.)Shenandoah Joe and Paracoffee, Charlottesville, Virginia 

Paracoffee

Shenandoah Joe

I am a HUGE coffee lover and I LOVE coffee shops as well. One thing I love about Charlottesville is that there are so really cute coffee shops. I really truly appreciate that these people serve fair trade and I love supporting local businesses. Reasons why I love these spaces: I LOVE COFFEE...duh...Cool vibes, awesome owners, and unique set ups.

2.) Lover's Leap & Mabry Mills, Patrick County, Virginia

These two places are hidden gems in the mountainous hills of Patrick County. I visited them both with my co-worker. I was so glad that she asked me to go along with her. Lover's Leap is overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains and many lovers have sketched their initials into the stone wall that protects us onlookers from falling. Mabry Mills was at one point a community hub for citizens of Meadows of Dan. It operated as a gristmill and sawmill. The people of this community were self-sustaining and it was so awesome to visit the cabin/ walk inside the mill.  Reasons I love these places: Lover's Leap and Mabry Mills truly represent the beauty of nature. Definitely had zero phone service but I was able to just be in the moment. 

1.) New Orleans, Louisiana

I was given the opportunity to visit New Orleans a few weeks ago and it was soooo awesome I couldn't pick a picture, so I will post all of my favorites lol. Reasons I love this place: I loved the French inspired culture, beignets, the gumbo, jazz, pralines, the colorful French Market, the balconies. This place was incredibly beautiful

I was truly grateful for all of the amazing things I saw this summer. Like I said - I didn't pressure myself into having this ideal and amazing summer. I literally just decided to be in the moment. I truly believe that is why this was one of the best summers yet.

<3,

Tonyette

Book Review: Crash the Chatterbox by, Steven Furtick

I thoroughly enjoy reading. For me, it is an escape from my everyday routine. To be able to pick up a book and be whisked away by mere words is something truly extraordinary.

To be able to express my love for reading on this blog with you all is something that I’m really looking forward to!

For my first installment of book reviews I have Crash the Chatterbox by, Steven Furtick. Tonyette suggested this book to me. Now I’m actually not well aquatinted with Pastor Steven Furtick’s ministry. Tonyette simply suggested the book to me, I thought it sounded interesting so I snagged a copy. God has us both in a season of waiting and in a season of waiting I can guarantee you that doubt and anxiety will come at full force. We can both attest to that (most likely more on our waiting stories to come in the future! I can’t spoil all the good stuff now!).

Crash the Chatterbox couldn’t have been published at a more appropriate time for us! It was published in 2014, so it is still quite new. Tonyette kept sending me picture messages of pages from the book that she knew were extremely relevant for the both of us and I knew I had to read it. The tidbits she sent were just so tantalizing; I had to read more and grasp what the book was about in its entirety.

Image Source

The main purpose of the book is to provide the reader with the necessary, biblical tools to learn how to stop the “chatterbox” in the reader’s mind.

But what exactly is the “chatterbox”? The “chatterbox is the “noise” in your mind that negates God’s promises to you. It worries you, discourages you, and distracts you from God’s truth in your life.

I really enjoyed Steven Furtick’s writing style. He is just so candid, down to earth and easy to understand. It was refreshing to read words from a pastor in which he was open with his own struggles and negative thoughts. Whilst reading the book, I felt as if I was simply having a conversation with Pastor Furtick in a Starbucks, sipping tea and becoming oblivious to the moving world around me. You know, one of those deep, heartfelt conversations that you have with one of your best gal pals, where everything and everyone else around you becomes blurred and irrelevant while you’re in their company.

I think what is so great about this book is that it is so simple. It’s an easy read that is engaging and uplifting. It is intended for a Christian audience, though I do think that almost anyone can glean some useful points from this book. If it’s simply how to recognize how your constant negative thoughts are negatively impacting your life, but yet, you are not alone. We all struggle with negative thoughts and anxieties.

I would definitely recommend this book! It’s not something I typically gravitate towards, I’m a sucker for novels 300 pages and thicker (that being said I’m on the mission to broaden my literary horizons).

I always rate how good a book is on this simple question: Would I re-read it? Yes, yes I would!

Noteworthy Quotes:

•       “The voice you believe will determine the future you experience.”
•       “One of the main reasons we struggle with insecurity: we’re comparing our behind-the-scenes with everybody else’s highlight reel.”
•       “You either kick fear out of your heart or it will keep you out of the places God has prepared for you.”
•       “Sometimes the danger of missing out is greater than the risk that comes with stepping out.”
•       “God speaks in the past tense about battles you’re currently fighting.”
•      “Inner conflict is often a confirmation of your calling. The Enemy only fights those who pose a threat.”
• 
  

Have you read Crash the Chatterbox? If so, what did you think?

- Alana

About Me: Tonyette

  Hi Everyone! My name is Tonyette and I am super excited about this blog! I grew up in a small southern Virginia town. I had the pleasure of graduating from the University of Virginia and I double majored in Psychology and Sociology. Since I've graduated in 2013, I am college advising at a local high school. Working with high school students has taught me so much about myself and it is so inspiring. 

 I am IN LOVE with Jesus and I am totally grateful for how my life has     been transformed by His unwavering, unfailing love. Following Him and     finding  my identity in Him has been simply beautiful. My parents and     UVA were definitely key in my journey to Christ. Through a local         Charlottesville church, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship's Oneway, and   amazing friends/mentors - I have really discovered what my purpose       entails as a follower of Christ. Since Summer 2012 - I can't even begin   to explain how my life has shifted and moved in so many unfathomable     ways.

  

  I like to think I am a coffee enthusiat - I make it my business to try   coffee in every new city or state I am in. I am not at all ashamed that   I am a Starbizzy (Starbucks lol) Gold Card member. I am looking into     investing in an Aeropress, Frenchpress, and Chemex 

 (future bday/Christmas gift ::hint hint::). I am a book lover - anything  that is  associated with inspiration or helping people become their best  selves!  Bookstores make me smile and I literally feel right at home.  Give me an iced coffee with milk, a good book, and a cozy space and I am  set! I am a journaler - literally - when I was younger I epically failed  at writing in my diary. But I've been journaling since Summer 2012 and I  have filled several books. This has contributed to my notebook  obsession. Just like Alana - I definitely would love to see something I  wrote on a bookshelf. 

 I adore deep conversation and I love learning about what shapes people  and their identities. I also have a deep passion for creating and  crafting style. I don't think you should have to go out and spend a lot  to be stylish. Style is what you make it - it flows from the essence of  a person. I am all for sales and thrifting lol. I am also a natural -  I've been embracing my curly hair since March 2012 and I decided to chop  it off again in last April. It definitely is getting shorter these days  - I just recently had my stylist cut it in a mohawk. 

In closing - I am a positive person and I try to do everything with a grateful heart and it is my hope that my true self shines through these posts.

A few months back - Alana and I were discussing God-given passion and talents. We both realized that we have something positive to say and we do have a power of words.  This blog is an answer to God's calling and we want to share a piece of ourselves with you all. Thanks for traveling along this beautiful journey with us. 

<3

Tonyette

About Me: Alana

I think it’s actually quite difficult to describe yourself. I had a good friend in the passenger seat one hot Saturday afternoon in late April and she said, “When people say ‘Tell me about yourself’ that’s actually a hard thing to respond to. I’m usually like, ‘Uuuuuh…’”

“Hm, you’ve got a point there. Man, how would I even answer that?” I literally pondered that statement for a good mile and was so engrossed with coming up with an answer that I ran a red light. I ran a red light a block from the police department’s head quarters. Luckily, I got away with that one.

So, what is it that I like people to know about me?

Well, I’m a Christian. I can’t go any further without first laying down the foundation of how I structure my life. Without God, I have no purpose and mission in life. Christianity is the foundation of my core.

I love to read, write, and journal. One of my life goals? To see something I’ve written land on a bookshelf.

I’m an avid sports fan. I take soccer, football, fútbol, whichever you prefer, very, very, very seriously. When it’s World Cup time, Euro time, Confederations Cup time, don’t touch the remote. The TV stays on ESPN! That being said, I appreciate American Football. I can get into it just as much as the next dude and can do so without nagging my male counterparts with questions. “There’s offside in football? What does holding mean?” No, there is none of that. And if I do have a question, I refer to my trusted friend Wikipedia so as to not disturb others’ viewing pleasures.

I’m a nail polish addict. A tea-aholic (no one is getting any work out of me until I’ve had my tea!), a lip-gloss junkie, an avid researcher and I get way too passionate about food. I don’t watch much TV, but Downton Abbey is just. So. Good. And A Different World never gets old. (If you haven’t seen it, please leave, watch it, and then come back).

I’m an introvert, though I am by no means shy. I also have the knack for striking up conversations with strangers.

I have two bachelors degrees; one in History and the other in Sociology from the University of Virginia (wa-hoo-wa!). Why those majors? I liked them. I like to write. I like to research. No, I do not want to teach.

Why did I want to start this blog, you ask? Because one of my best chums, Tonyette, was on the same page as me when we both felt God say, “Hey you two. You’ve got some things I need you to share with the world. And while you’re at it, use this as a platform to share your own interests.” Since then, for the past month and a half I’ve literally heard multiple pastors at church teaching on God given missions and how we need to bite the bullet and do what God has placed on our hearts to do. So here I am. Here we are. Starting a journey that could take us just about anywhere.

Insert shameless Instagram Outfit of the Day selfie here? 

-Alana

Welcome to All Bases Covered!

Hello there and welcome to All Bases Covered! We are Tonyette and Alana and this is our blog.

We met our first year of college at the University of Virginia during our spring semester. It just so happened that we had three classes together that semester and since then, we’ve been great friends ever since.

We graduated from college May 2013. Tonyette (23) now works as a college advisor and Alana (23) works as a counselor for a youth employment program. Unfortunately we live 3 hours away from each other. 

We decided to start this blog as an outlet for our many interests: Christ, fashion, beauty, food, tea, reading, writing health, and everything in between. Literally, all bases are covered.

- Tonyette & Alana