My new favorite cookie!!! You must try it!!!

Hey All,

I wanted to devote this non-makeup related post to a recipe I found for the PERFECT holiday cookie! I swear theyll be more makeup posts coming soon though :) Anyhoo, ever since I moved out I have been cooking and baking like crazy! Ive had my share of hits and misses in the kitchen but this was such a HIT I had to share. They are called Melting Moments and they LITERALLY MELT in your mouth!!! Since theyre so soft and crumbly be sure to have a napkin ready when you eat one! Trust me, its worth the mess :) You can find the recipe by clicking here but heres some of my personal pics of when I made them.

What you need...
(makes 2 dozen cookies, more or less)

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
1 cup of unsalted butter (room temperature...I had 2 sticks and to make it room temp I put it in the microwave for 10sec)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

extra powdered sugar for dusting

How To Make...

1. Start with two bowls:
       - Bowl 1: Sift and mix together FLOUR, CORNSTARCH & SALT
       - Bowl 2: Sift SUGAR the add butter

Bowl 1

2. Take Bowl 2 and cream together the butter & sugar with a mixer (I used a hand mixer) until light and fluffy then beat in the VANILLA EXTRACT

Bowl 2 mixed

3. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least an hour. Before I put mine in the fridge I took a spatula and gathered all the dough up so it would be easier to piece off later. I only refrigerated mine for 2 hours

How it looked when I took it our of the fridge

Now we're ready to start baking!!!!

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees w/ rack placed in the center

5. Spray cookie sheet w/ non-stick spray

6. Form cookies into a 1inch ball shape and place on cookie sheet 1 inch apart

this is all you need for 1 cookie!

7. Bake for 12-14 minutes

Almost finished product!

This is how brown its supposed to be on the bottom

8. Cool on wire rack for 5 min

This is how fragile they are! As I was transferring them to a wire rack one fell and completely crumbled! ...and this was when they were cool enough to transfer by hand!

9. After  cookies have been cooled slightly, roll them in powdered sugar, you dont want them too cooled or else the sugar wont stick as well. They should be slightly warmer than room temperature

I put mine face-down in a container of powdered sugar, closed the lid and shook it up

~ Enjoy!!! ~

I think next time Ill try to add some chopped pecans to this. Hope you guys enjoyed this post! If you have any yummy recipes please share!!! I love trying out new recipes :)

♥ Leah

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Milani Infinite Liquid Liner...MAC liquidlast dupe?

I'm on a MAC dupe roll! ...kinda :). I recently purchased Milani's Infinite Liquid Liner from cherryculture as a part of a haul you can check out here. This was in efforts to save me a couple bucks from always purchasing MAC's liquidlast liner. I swear I go through that MAC liner like a baby goes through diapers. I love it! MAC's liquidlast is the perfect liner! Its very black, and stays that color for as long as your wearing it! Also, it lasts a LONG LONG LONG time (hence the name) through sweat, humidity and even tears!!! Although not recommended, you can sleep with that liner, toss and turn, rub your eyes, and wake up looking EXACTLY THE SAME. Its amazing. The only negative about it is that its $16.50 for .084 oz. Using this almost everyday, one tube will last me about 2 months or less. Towards the end of of usage the consistency of it gets really goopy and hard to work with as well.

So Ive read a lot of raves about Milani's Infinite Liquid Liner and I thought at $5.99, its worth a shot. Oh and if your interested in it as well or any other Milani products, cherry culture is having a %15 off sale!!!

Back to the liner...as you will see in pics, Milani's eyeliner doesn't have a true black color to it, Its sort of a really really dark charcoal. This doesn't bother me though as Ive used this a few times and it looks just as black.

The Breakdown

Can you tell I need a job? LOL. So basically Milani's Infinite liner fufills EVERYTHING that I was raving about on my rant above for the liquidlast liner. It last through whatever, has a very black color and  its less than half the price!!!

One thing to note is that Milani has a more limited color selection than MAC. Again, this doesn't bother me because I only use black. Also, Milani's liner takes a wee bit longer to dry (maybe 5 seconds at the most). 

	MAC’s Liquidlast Liner (point black)	Milani’s Infinite Eyeliner (everlast)
Size	2.5ml/0.084 oz	5ml/0.17 oz
Price	$16.50*	$5.99*
Color Selection	8 available	5 available

* Prices from www.maccosmetics.com & cherryculture.com

 Milani's Infinite Liquid Liner in Everlast

 MAC's Liquidlast Liner in Point Black

 Brush comparisons

Point Black on left, Everlast right

 Swatches, with and without flash

Everlast is in the left, Point Black right. You can see that Point Black dries in a matte finish

 Rubbed after 15 seconds. I think I rubbed the Milani one too quickly, Since the Milani one takes longer to dry, it smeared easy. I will say that I've worn the Milani liner and the lasting power proved just as strong as MAC's

Where to buy

You can buy Milani's Infinite Liner here

You can buy MAC's liquidlast here

Has anyone tried Milani's Eye Tech Liquid Liner? I want to try that one because I like the felt applicator but I wonder if it has the same lasting power as the Infinite one...

Well, thats all folks!

♥ Leah

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MAC Satin Taupe DUPE alert!!!

Hey ladies! I found a great dupe for Satin Taupe! Satin Taupe is a shadow that I use almost every but at $14.50, stocking up on it can get pricey. Ever since I found a dupe for it, Ive been using the dupe for my casual daytime looks and saving the original for those times where I know I may be taking pictures as the dupe does not last as long as the original

MAC eyeshadow in Satin Taupe
You can find the Satin Taupe (ST) eyeshadow at MAC for $14.50 for the eyeshadow single and $11 for the refill pan. Its a great color for blending into the crease. It is described on the MAC website as a "taupe with silver shimmer" Click here to but it from MAC's website.

Picture from MAC's website

My pan of Satin Taupe pictured with and without flash.

As you can see, I use the heck out of this shadow!

...and here is the dupe!!!

Beauty Factory eyeshadow in Exotic

Beauty Factory is a great site to buy cheap makeup from. I have bought a ton of eyeshadows and lashes from there. The only downside is that it takes about 3 weeks to ship if you live in the states, which is not a problem once you see how ridiculously cheap the prices are!!! You can register your shipment and sign for it at the door or pay like $2 or less for regular shipping without a tracking number. Being the penny pincher I am I always take my risk and order it w/o the tracking number...and Ive always received my packages. Oh and they do NOT test on animals!!! Anyhoo, the dupe eyeshadow color is called Exotic and it only costs...drumroll please....$1.70!!! Not to mention you get wayy more product. Ill admit the quality isn't as good as MAC's but it is certainly comparable to NYX shadows. You can buy it by clicking here.

Picture from Beauty Factory website

as you can see it is very dark, I expected to have this color when I purchased it, but in person this is a very very light shimmery taupe color

My pan of Exotic with and without flash...

See the difference from what is picture on the site as opposed to real life?

The Comparison

So is it a dupe? Heres how I rate it:

Color Dupe? Yes!!! when swatched on my arm, there is virtually no difference..BUT I noticed that when I took a picture of the swatches on my arm with flash you can see a slight variation. Exotic has a more brown undertone. I still say YES on the color dupe because in person, trust me, they are identical

Quality Dupe? No!!! ...BUT Exotic is not a bad quality eyeshadow by any means. Satin Taupe has a very creamy blend-able texture, as with all MAC shadows whereas Exotic is very powdery and slightly more difficult to work with (you can see the all the specs of shadow around the pan in the picture of Exotic above)

Overall, I would say that this is a def dupe for Satin Taupe, and at $1.70, its worth a try. I have some other shadows from Beauty Factory, and if anyone wants to see swatches, please let me know :)

Size comparison

Exotic is twice as big and 6X cheaper!!!

In the picture you can see a slight difference, but I swear in person they are exactly the same!!!

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Shark Cage diving!

 I finally developed my under-water camera from when I went to Hawaii in August! Here are some pics of when I went shark cage diving. It was so much fun!!! The only upset was that there was no great white sharks. Theres a place in CA where I can go great white shark cage diving but its like $700 and dont even think that the scuba gear is included! Im still debating whether to save up for that though, its something that is on my bucket list. We only took two pics of each other in the cage, and unfortunately I cannot post them up. I got so violently thrashed by the water in the cage my bathing suit shifted and I was nip-slippin all over the place!!! haha

Also, since Ive moved Ive been doing tons of baking!!! The other day I made some walnut baklava and it was DEE_LISH...but very very sweet, which some may not appreciate.You can find the recipe by clicking here.

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Cherry Culture Haul

The past two days were killer for me!!! I was running on 2 hours sleep yesterday and when I finally got to sleep at 2 (from being awake since 5 am) I didn't wake up until 12:30am! On top of that, I woke up super sore from raking a shit load of leaves from some volunteer work in the morning (which was NOT what I expected to do when I signed up to volunteer at the zoo) It was fun though and I will definitely do it again next month. I feel like shit though because I missed my best friends birthday due to my hibernation. I had the worst feeling waking up. I really didn't expect to be asleep for that long. Im really going to try and make it up though, anyone have any surprise ideas???

On another note, I got my package from Cherry Culture yesterday and I wanted to give you guys a sneak peek of the swatches I will be doing soon. Here's the stash:

NYX Round Lipsticks
- Spellbound
- Louisiana
- Penelope

NYX Ultra Pearl Mania
- Lime

NYX Eyeshadow Single,
- Charcoal Brown

NYX Individual Lashes in #138

NYX Eyeshadow Trio in Copper/Rust/Bronze

Sinful Colors Nail Polish
- Silver Glitter
- California
- Secret Admirer

Milani Infinite Liner
- Everlast

Swatches and reviews coming soon

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Guest Blogger: Dee from MakeupThoughts shares her piece on cruelty free cosmetics!

Hey loves!

This is a very special post to me. As mentioned before, I was approached by Dee from MakeupThoughts to be a guest writer on her blog and write a piece on cruelty-free cosmetics, something we are both passionate about. You can find the piece I wrote by clicking here. She was kind enough to write a piece on my blog about her take on it which you can read below.

What made you cruelty free?

 I love animals...and I love make up! I have a pet Labrador who means everything to me and I can not imagine that someone would hurt these lovely creatures on purpose! For a lipstick?blush?foundation? I don't want to be trendy or beautiful on this condition.

These animals are guilty of nothing but being loyal,friendly and loving...Choosing cruelty free products for me is not rocket science or huge sacrifice at the end of the day it's just make up...it's supposed to be fun...NOT DANGEROUS!!!!!!

Getting Started and what can you do to help?

Start small,all this information can be overwhelming and heart breaking. The first time I saw all the pictures and realized what conditions these little ones live in I cried for days! Talk to your family and friends and spread the word...don't judge anyone EDUCATE them . You can also write letters to companies and ask them to stop testing on animals...donate your time or money to an organization like PETA... 

What are your favorite cruelty free brands?

My favorite cruelty-free brands are MAC & URBAN DECAY.

I just discovered OCC lip tars and I am discovering new exciting cruelty-free brands every single day...

What are some common brands that DO animal testing?

It is so disappointing that brands like NARS,L'OREAL, GIORGIO ARMANI all test on animals...BENEFIT cosmetics for example claim they do not test 'finished' products on animals however they actually do test on products in development...Talk about deceit!

Final Thoughts

When there's a will there's a way!

I just started on this journey and there is so much I have to learn...in the meantime I know that like most things in life this  is a process and it takes time to get used to it...

As a fellow make up addict I understand the temptation- new season collections,holiday gift sets,palettes. Remember that at the end of the day making an effort is what counts!

I also understand that not everyone feels this way and I respect that. I've read many articles and forum posts where people attack and disrespect each other in the name of a cause... Life is too short to spend it judging and hating on others ...at the end of the day no matter how different we are,we are all here in pursuit of love,health and happiness.

It warms my heart that there are women out there like Dee that feels as passionately as I about cruelty free cosmetics. I hope you find her as incredibly inspiring as I do. 

I know that not all of you choose to wear cruelty free cosmetics despite having the knowledge of what is done to make the products, and I do not judge you for that. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and I respect that. Which is why I would love for YOU to also be a guest writer on my blog. I want to hear the other side of the story. I want to know why it isnt a factor for you to buy cosmetics that are cruelty free or not. I will publish whatever you send to me unbiased. Please email me at LSMakeupBlog@gmail.com if you would like to share your story.

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Quick Look

Excuse my weird facial expression or whatever weird thing my mouth is doing lol. This is pretty much my everyday look (as Ive expressed before I dont really like the "natural" look on myself). I recently purchased ELF's blush in Gotta Glow used here as a highlight and I love it!!! I will do a review on that next post.

Face
Revlon ColorStay foundation in 350
Milani Secret Cover concealer in Warm Beige

Cheeks
ELF blush in Glow (as highlight)
MAC Petticoat

Eyes:
ELF eyelid primer
ELF dark gray shadow (came in a set, dont have the name) all over lid
ELF Mineral shadow in Wild on crease
MAC eye shadow in Gesso

Brows
ELF eyebrow set in ash
ELF eyeliner in ash

Lips
NYX Pumpkin Pie lipstick
NYX Lip liner in natural

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ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Swatches (pic HEAVY!)

Hey!!! Guess who found the camera charger! *points thumbs at self* This girl!!! I have TONS of posts to do including a awesome post collaboration I did with Dee from MakeupThoughts on cruelty free cosmetics. She is an incredibly inspiring woman and I am so honored that she approached me about being a guest writer on her blog. Awesome blog btw, you should check it out. Im so jealous of her goodies from the Venomous Villains collection! I totally missed out on it, everything I wanted was sold out :(

Anyhoo I recently took advantage of the %50 mineral makeup sale for ELF and picked up some of their eyeshadows I've been wanting to try. I paid $1.50 for each of these but regularly they retail for $3.

The Colors

Caffeinated - A dark pure gold color. Its goes on surprisingly metallic

Wild - Not as shimmery as it looks but it is still generous on the shimmer. This is a matte plummy-taupe color with gold shimmer

Confident - Metallic taupe color. Color wise this is a dupe for MAC's Satin Taupe which I will do a comparison on another post but quality-wise it is not

Celebrity - A light golden beige, perfect for highlighting your brow bone and the inner corner of the eye

Pros

- Cheap! As mentioned before theses were only a $1.50 with the %50 discount, dont be discouraged if you missed the discount because ELF gives away deals like that every week!

- Very pigmented, a little goes a long way

- Brand does NOT animal test :)

Cons

- It gets all over the place!!!Very difficult and messy to work with

Neutral

- Very metallic and shimmery - this is a PRO for me but the matte lovers may not want to pick these up

Final Thoughts

The colors are amazing, I absolutely love them. As far as quality goes, these aren't finely milled like MAC's or Urban Decay's eye shadows but it isn't a bother to me. The main thing about these is they are soooo messy! I swear all you have to do is twist the cap off these bad boys and theres so much glitter and dust flying around its like you just released a genie or something! I like the colors enough to continually use them until don't but I do not like them enough to repurchase. They are good (and cheap) enough to give a shot though!

Swatches and Pictures

***All pics were taken unedited and the eye shadows were swatched with NO base.***

size comparison

Individual Eyeshadows, swatches with and without flash

Caffeinated

Wild

Confident

Celebrity

side by side comparisons

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