Blog

Vivienfang “My Girl” Sunglasses Review

Vivienfang “My Girl” Sunglasses Review

Posted on by Sharrette

This is a review of how the Quay My Girl Sunglasses compare with Vivienfang My Girl Sunglasses.

Quay My Girl Sunglasses

quay my girl sunglasses

quay my girl sunglasses backI ordered this style, My Girl, from Quay Australia last year. I had been eyeing them for several months and finally worked up the courage to drop the money on them. True, $50 isn’t much to spend on sunglasses but I’m used to buying $2 to $5 sunglasses so this was a huge leap for me.

I ordered them off amazon and of course, I loved how they looked. Quickly, I was disappointed in them though and tried to ignore my disappointment because I had spent the money and I loved the look.

Here is what I didn’t love: they were hard to use in sunlight because they didn’t do a good job of blocking the sun. Also, while I driving, I would have a glare on the back side of the lens because of how they fit. Secondly, I was disappointed because they felt too big for my face. If I looked down, they slipped down. I had to be careful how I moved so they didn’t fall off. Both pretty major things when it comes to sunglasses!

So, after having them for around a year, I get in the car one day and an earpiece is missing! I don’t know how it broke or even where it is, but I was shocked that my $50 sunglasses broke after only a year with the same storage I use for my 7 other $2 pairs of sunglasses that have lasted me 3-4 years. It seemed like a slap in the face!

Vivienfang My Girl Sunglasses

I found these while pursuing Amazon for new Quay Sunglasses. I love their styles and had a birthday gift card that I thought would be perfect for a new pair.

As I looked and compared two different Quay styles, I came across the My Girl style by Vivienfang. The thing that caught my eye was the price difference and that they were polarized!

vivienfang my girl sunglasses

They were half the price of Quay and polarized!! I was skeptical, of course, but decided to take the risk and get them. Oh my goodness! I could not be more pleases with this brand!

As I said, I already knew I loved the style of them but I was so surprised at the quality of Vivienfang. It came in a cute baggie, then a box, then the sunglasses case, then even more wrapping. In comparison, the Quay came in a baggie and then in a sunglasses bag that you squeeze to open. Hardly a presentation and definitely not protective!

I pulled them out and instantly fell in love! The polarization helps so much. I can definitely use them as sunglasses now and not just for the style. The fit is phenomenal. They actually have adjustable nose pieces, if I needed. But, I didn’t even need to adjust it. I put them on and they fit like a glove! They also came with a keychain eyeglass screwdriver, a hologram to test the polarization and a cleaning cloth.

Quay came with the sunglasses and the case. Quality at its finest! (sarcasm)

Vivienfang’s are half the price of the Quay’s, they fit amazingly and I can actually see out of them! I have never heard of vivienfang before but I definitely will be buying my sunglasses from them.

Update:

I am still loving the Vivienfang. I feel like I am taking better care of them. I store them in the case and keep them separate from the other $2 sunglasses I have. I think this is because the others broke, but also because Vivienfang provided a much better sunglasses case than the Quay one.

I love how they look. I love how they fit my face, and best of all they do a great job blocking out the sun because they are polarized!

If you end up getting some Quay sunglasses or Vivienfang, let me know what you think in the comments or follow me on social media!

 

Want to read some of my other reviews? Check out my review of Boscia Black Charcoal Face Mask. You will want to run out and get some after reading how much I loved it!

Boscia Black Charcoal Mask Review

Boscia Black Charcoal Mask Review

Posted on by Sharrette

I’m so excited to share this review with you! I’ve been wanting to try out this face mask for several months now especially the pink one. So, I am super excited because I finally am getting able to try and review the Boscia Black Charcoal mask.

I love face masks and have been using them a lot more recently since giving birth to my son. They just make me feel so refreshed after having a long night with him. They also make my skin feel and look renewed.

I’ve mainly been using the wash off kind, but I love the peel masks because of all the stuff they pull from your skin.  It’s especially fun to start peeling it and I have a hard time waiting for it to dry.

The Boscia Black Charcoal Mask Review

Application

I started with a clean dry face. To apply, I just squeezed a little of the mask onto my finger at a time and started applying. It went on without any problems.

There is little to no scent with it, so I didn’t feel overwhelmed by smell while I applied or had it on. I do love the way some masks smell, so this was a slight disappointment. However, it didn’t affect my overall love of the Boscia Black Charcoal mask.

I made sure to stay clear of my under eye area and any skin too sensitive that it would be painful to pull the mask away from. I made sure that I applied a good thick mask. You do not want peel away masks too thin or they are more painful to remove and don’t work as well.

The Drying Time

I did feel like it took a good bit of time for the Boscia Black Charcoal mask to dry. I just took a bath and played with my son while I waited. It wasn’t inconvenient, but I planned for it to take time. I’d say overall it took 30-45 minutes to dry completely.

Just make sure when you do it, you allow adequate drying time. The same thing goes for Making it too thin, if you don’t let it dry adequately then it doesn’t remove properly.

The Removal

This is the fun part! I thought that it was going to be extremely painful and tedious to peel it off. That has been my experience with other peel off face masks, and the look in peoples’ eyes when you see the video of them removing it.

However, that was definitely not the case for me. I think it was because of the two pointers I included earlier: keeping it away from the sensitive skin around my eyes and making sure I applied a thick enough layer.

It came off pretty easily and with little to no pain. I am very impressed! I felt like my skin instantly looked more luminous too!

I haven’t been drinking the amount of water I should, but after this mask, you would never be able to tell that. I keep catching glimpses of myself in the mirror and just love how my skin looks.

I definitely recommend getting some of the Boscia Black Charcoal Mask for yourself. You won’t regret it. I now have on my list to get the pink one, too! Let me know if you try it out and what you think of it either here in the comments or on my social media pages.

Side note, this past Friday I thought I was getting a sore throat. I looked at my tongue and it was almost completely coated white. So, I dipped my toothbrush into some Apple Cider Vinegar and brushed my tongue. I did it several times, rinsing in-between, and my throat is no longer scratchy and white. The stuff is pure gold! You can read more about why what I love Apple Cider Vinegar here on my two favorite natural beauty hacks blog post.

 

Boscia Charcoal Mask Review

 

Please note that I received this product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own and not that of anyone else or the company. I did not get paid for writing this besides receiving the product for free. 
What Keeps Me Busy and My Daily Routine

What Keeps Me Busy and My Daily Routine

Posted on by Sharrette

The silence on my blog has been deafening. I have completely hit a brick wall with coming up with ideas for blog posts. I’m not going to lie. What will keep readers interested? What am I interested in writing? Apparently, lately, not much! I’ve been so busy and overall tired that it just seems more like a chore than something I will enjoy. So, it has definitely taken a back burner for me. I thought now was the perfect time to do a post about me and my daily routine. I want to connect with y’all and what better way than to give you a peek inside my day!

The Past Month

I’ve been so busy with my son lately. He has been quite the handful. Ever since January he has been having a hard time getting to sleep for naps. When he doesn’t nap, I don’t get as much time to do things that I want to or need to do, like writing for this blog. So that has been one thing that has me distracted lately.

In addition to that, by the end of the night, if I have been busy with my son all day, I end up just wanting to draw or needing to work on one of the jobs that I have. It gets tiring and I have a lot of spinning plates up in the air right now.

I definitely enjoy what I am doing but sometimes things don’t get the priority they need. Especially when I just feel like sleeping and not doing anything. (No, don’t worry I’m not depressed. Just hitting the third trimester hard.) Life just gets busy and overwhelming sometimes, you know?

My Jobs

I have several different jobs that I am working now. I really am enjoying all of them. My favorite is doing this blog and drawing stuff, but that is the least profitable. Other jobs that I work are as a social media manager, graphic designer, and stylist. I work as a contractor on all three of those jobs and love it!

I feel like I have created a great outlet for me professionally for all the things I want to do while being able to stay home with my son. As I said though, it is hard work to keep all the plates spinning especially when my son decides he doesn’t want to sleep.

A Day In the Life – My Daily Routine

What does a typical routine for the day look like for me?

I get up when my son does. He is my alarm clock. He wakes up anywhere from 7:30 am to 9 am. Some parents or moms feel like they should wake up before their children to start their day off right, I am definitely not one of those moms. We wake up and change his diaper then get him breakfast.

After the breakfast routine which can take an hour or so, depending on how he acts and how much he eats, we play some. He will play with his toys or watch a little bit of tv while playing. Then we start with a snack or lunch before we head to put him down for a nap. It doesn’t seem like a lot but it sure takes up my whole morning.

Side Note

I realized today alone I spent from 8 am to 10:45 am just feeding him and making him breakfast. He ate some cereal, then wanted a fruit cup, and still wasn’t full. So, I gave him some applesauce and made him some quick and easy muffins. It was quite the breakfast!

One little trick I’ve learned recently, that might help you if you have a bottomless pit like my son, is to grab the 87c muffin mixes at Walmart that you just add 1/2 a cup of milk to the mix. It is so easy to mix and throw in the oven. I get mini cupcake paper and the clean up is even easier. Great for grabbing on the go. 

As I mentioned, from January, his sleeping has not been in a routine. So, I have been working on getting him back in one by trying for naps at the same time every day. It has been getting better. If he naps, I will draw, work, or blog. He sleeps from 2 to 3 hours so I get a good deal done. If he doesn’t nap, some days I will fight him for a few hours trying to get him to sleep other days I will give up and just let him play or we will go out.

After he wakes from his nap, we will go out to see family or run some errands. Other days, we just play here around the house. There isn’t much time left before I start dinner. We have a nice family dinner and my husband takes over baby duty. He’ll get him ready for bed and down for the night. I will then clean some and head to do more work or drawing.

It is a nice balance of family life and work but some days can be exhausting when he doesn’t nap. Those days seem to be overwhelming with touch and attention that he needs. Though, I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Goals for the coming Months

So as you can see, I’m busy busy busy. The problem with a routine and children is that their internal schedules are constantly changing with their growth. Being flexible and adapting the routine as you go has been key for me since having my son.

For this blog, I think prepping and planning the content out will help with that. In the coming months, I would like to post more than I have been or at least get slightly more consistent. Also, continue to grow my social media and other jobs I have going. Drawing is my favorite thing to do, so I obviously won’t be giving that up!

Time sure does fly by when you are busy.

You can see what my goals are for this year in my blog post from earlier about my bucket list for this year. What are some of your goals and what does your typical day look like? How do you prioritize things you want to do versus things you need to do?

xoxo!

How to Deal with Feeling Discouraged

How to Deal with Feeling Discouraged

Posted on by Sharrette

Lately, I have been feeling really discouraged. I see everyone else’s highlight reel and I just feel like I’m failing at everything. It makes me want to quit and hide in bed. What do I do to kick these feeling? While I am still working on it, this is a list of 11 ways of how to deal with feeling discouraged that have helped me get through some of it.

11 Ways of How To Deal

1. Take a break

Everyone needs a break. The more time you invest in something the less clearly you will be able to see it. You are too close. Step back. Take a breather. Get a new perspective.

Maybe you have spread yourself too thin. This is me. With being spread too thin, it can make you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere with anything. So, evaluate everything you are working on and let go of things that aren’t a true priority.

Ask yourself:

  • Why did I start this?
  • Is it important to my long-term goals?
  • Am I doing it well?
  • Do I enjoy it?

Just make sure that you don’t overwhelm yourself with too much. You can do it, just not everything!

2. After taking a break, start an easy piece or job.

Whatever you are trying to do, just start something small and easy to get back into it. Write a quick post, if you are blogging. Make it short and simple. If it is an art piece, set a timer and do a quick 10 minutes sketch or even only 5 minutes.

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you set a timer.

Another example would be making a quick batch of muffins. You can get the packets from Wal-Mart that you just add milk to. Super easy and quick to prepare and pop in the oven.

The key to this one is just doing something that you can see the results of quickly.

3. Practice something new

Running into burn out over a specific thing? Throw a twist in. If it is art related where you do mostly watercolor, try a new medium.  If it is work-related, are there new projects that you can take on to mix things up a bit?

Is there something new you have been wanting to learn but haven’t taken the plunge yet? Look into it. There are a lot of free or close to free places you can learn new things through.

Here are a couple resources to check out:

  • the local library
  • your community college
  • youtube or google search it

4. Redo an old piece

One thing that is really inspiring is to see how far you have come. Can you look back at an older piece you created or an older anything and see progress? I love Instagram for this reason! Looking back at my older posts then comparing them to newer ones gives me drive.

Wow! Look how far I’ve come. Nothing like pushing you forward when you look back. It’s like climbing a mountain and you are almost to the top but feel like you can’t make it the rest of the way. You look back and realize that you have almost scaled the entire thing. Keep going! You can do it! 

5.Pray and refocus on God

One thing I find when I am feeling discouraged is that I haven’t been spending time with God like I should or used to. This completely changes my perspective on life and goals. It reminds me how temporary everything else. All the happiness and sadness, they are fleeting like the wind.

Hope in God is the only thing that makes anything in this life worth achieving. So, I open my bible. I pray.

Psalms 42:5 “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

If you have read Ecclesiastes and relate to it, you and I have a lot in common. I recently read the book again and just was reminded of what the point of this life is – enjoy your lot and follow God. Hard to do when you feel discouraged, but keep in mind that God gives us contentment.

Share with God your burden. He will more than gladly take it from you and give his which is easy and light.

6. Find someone to encourage you

When you just can’t get out of your own head and want to give up, you’ve tried motivating yourself, what is left? Friends and fellowship. Find your best friend; text them, call them, show up at their house. Hence, they are your best friend for a reason and they want to be there for you.

Let them know how you have been feeling. They can laugh with you and cry with you. As a result, they will help get you through till you are on to the next thing. Then when they go through something similar, you can be there for them.

7. Set a small goal and accomplish it.

This is a huge thing for me because I thrive on achievement. You can set small goals in any area of your life and just do them. Also, It can be something for the house like clean the kitchen. Put it down on a list, do it, then check it off. Visualizing the achievement will help you feel more accomplished.

Other small goals you could set for yourself are:

  • cleaning a certain room in the house,
  • posting to social media something you have been planning to post,
  • getting to work at a certain time,
  • creating a new art piece
  • washing the laundry
  • putting away clothes
  • cleaning clutter up
  • taking the trash out
  • cooking a meal
  • getting the oil changed
  • working out for a certain amount of time that day,
  • meditating or having quiet time.

There are a ton of different things that are quick, easy to do. It will make you feel so much better feeling productive!

8. Get Out

People feel more depressed in the winter. You know why? Because the sun doesn’t shine as much in the winter and you are lacking vitamin d. What can you do to combat this? Get out with friends. Spend some time laughing and soaking up the spring weather on a good day.

Go to the mall and window shop. Go to the zoo. Have a tea party at a local tea room. This is one of my favorite things to do. I do it probably only once a year, but I still love it!

Take your kids to the library or a local play area. Meet your best friend for coffee and chit chat about all that is going on in your life. Just commit to getting out and doing something! As a result, you will feel better and more engaged with the world around you. Being coped up at your house or between work and your house you can feel trapped. It helps to remind yourself you aren’t alone!

9. Make a mood board

Colors can impact your mood. Quotes can impact your mood. So, pull images that inspire you and make you feel happy. Something to push you toward your goals and dreams.

I have a whole Pinterest board called mi motos that I pin inspirational and motivating quotes onto. I have definitely gone there when I am feeling discouraged or depressed and read through them. Consequently, It really helps me feel encouraged.

Do NOT make a mood board of sad and depressing images and quotes. Every time you look at it, it will just increase your current mood. Because your goal is to alter your mood. Take control and direct it toward how you want to feel.

10. Make a dream board

This one kind of goes along with the last one. The main difference though is that this board is directly related to things you want to achieve or accomplish. Say you want to own a boutique someday, you could pin or post images of what you want the boutique to look like.

Furthermore, Other things to add to it would be the type of styles you want to have in your boutique. Colors that you want as a focal point. Other stuff like that. This applies to any goal you have. In addition, you could have a list of your goals broken down.

11. Just remember you aren’t everyone else. You are you and that’s good enough!

It is noteworthy to mention that one of the worst things about social media is, of course you have heard, you are comparing your behind the scenes to everyone’s highlight reel. It can make you feel like you aren’t good enough, or you aren’t doing enough. This is absolutely false.

No one has a perfect life. Everyone has good days bad days, days they accomplish more and days they accomplish less. Therefore, the one thing that sets the successful and happy apart from the unhappy are that they don’t give up.

Choose to be happy and chase your dreams. You will not regret it!

Just a reminder to myself

I am writing this post as a reminder to myself, mainly. I’ve been dealing with feeling unmotivated and depressed on and off for several months. In conclusion, I will achieve stuff and feel great then go through a phase where I am not achieving and I feel more unmotivated.

I just keep redirecting myself and refocusing. Hence, I go through a lot of these steps I recommended and don’t give up! I’m encouraging you to do the same with me. If you have more tips, please feel free to leave a comment or connect with me on social media.

Finally, do you want to start a blog and have an outlet for how you are feeling? Here are three things that helped me when I started this blog.

Thanks for reading along with my musings! I look forward to hearing from you!

Top 9 Trending Clothes You Need This Spring In Your Closet

Top 9 Trending Clothes You Need This Spring In Your Closet

Posted on by Sharrette

The spring has just started and so has your closet must-haves! There are a lot of trends happening, and I’ve combed through them to bring you this list of top 9 trending clothes you need this spring in your closet. Yes, there are only 9 trending clothes you need that you will be able to complete all your spring outfits with them. Check them out:

Top 9 Trending Clothes You Need This Spring

  1. Block Heels

These are a must have this season! I am seeing them everywhere, and I can’t wait to add them to my closet. They are chic and simple. You can easily pair them with all types of outfits, jeans, dresses or even rompers.


I know! You are like me and want to go buy some in every color. I haven’t added these to my closet yet, but they are definitely a must-have!

2. Lace Up Wedges

Another favorite this season is the lace-up wedges. You can wear these poolside, out for the weekend, or even everyday with jeans. That is the great thing about these 9 trending clothes items is that they are so versatile and will complete any outfit that you pair them with. Wedges are so easy and comfortable to walk in too, so you will have no problems with keeping these on your feet all night long!


Lace-up shoes are so sexy! They make me feel like a goddess whenever I have them on. I just want to show off my legs in them! You will too. 😉

3. Ripped Jeans

Number three on my top 9 trending clothes this spring are ripped jeans. I have a couple of different pairs of ripped jeans, as I am sure you do too. Pull them out and wear them because they are still on trend! I know you get the comments from your parents and grandparents that they will buy you pants that aren’t ripped. Ignore them! You look fly!

All types of washes and definitely black and white ripped jeans are the colors you want to add.


4. Moto Jeans

I am obsessed with Moto Jeans. They are like ripped jeans except your clothes aren’t torn! You have pants that have an element of design that was missing without them. My favorite colors for moto jeans are green and of course pink. Check them out and add them to your closet for this spring.

5. Off the Shoulder Tops


The latest trend for your tops and blouses is for them to be off the shoulder. Show some shoulder, show some skin. Super sexy! Who doesn’t love a sexy collarbone? Really easy to pair with skirts and jeans.

6. Rompers

These have been on the market for a couple of years, but they are really starting to take off in the style department. You can get a wide variety of styles of Rompers. Long or short, floral or plain, whatever you choose you will be on trend in a romper. Just let me know if you figure out an easy way to go to the bathroom whenever you wear one. 🙂

You will be wearing this for a weekend trip to the beach or a brunch with your friends! They are super comfy, too.

7. Maxi Dresses

It’s like resort wear took over the trends this spring for my top 9 trending clothes this spring to add to your closet. You will want to get your hands on a great casual and fancy maxi dress. They are the perfect item to pair with your block heels or wedges and head out for a date or to the movies with friends.

 

8. Tie Shorts & Tie Pants

Like I said the resort wear is taking over! Check out tie linen pants and shorts. They are a great spin on your traditional jeans and shorts. I think it is all about being comfortable, yet looking stylish and put together this spring. My favorite linen pants I’ve seen are from Vici Collection. Check them out here.

Other great tie pants and shorts are these:

 

9. Convertible Neckline Tops

Convertible tops aren’t just for nursing moms anymore! Now, they are making them for everyday wear. You can have the top be strapless or spaghetti strap depending on the top or long sleeve. They also combine the off the shoulder trend here. Great to pair with your ripped jeans for a fun night out. Or, just switch up the sleeves for a day to night wear.

Styling Them

So these are my top 9 trending clothes you need to add to your closet to be on trend this Spring. You can mix and match them with a wide variety of pieces to create unique and on-trend looks. I’m definitely looking to add them to my closet. What other trends have you seen this spring that you want to add to your closet? Comment below or connect with me on social media.

Have you read my post about how to minimize your pores for an everyday make up look?

How to Add Foil To Your Favorite Prints and Designs

How to Add Foil To Your Favorite Prints and Designs

Posted on by Sharrette

When I first started calligraphy, a big trend was drawing a beautiful script design and adding foil to it. I was in love! It looked so easy and I loved the finished product. My only problem was the cost involved in getting the equipment to foil things. As I followed people on Instagram and learned more about it, I found that people had some hacks for getting the job done. So, here is how to add foil to your favorite print and design.

The equipment you will need:

The Process

1. Create, design or draw what you want to foil

I do this by using my iPad pro and pencil and drawing a design in the Procreate app. You can create any design you want though. All you need to make sure is that it is in Black and White. The foil will adhere to the image where the black laser ink is printed. I’ve also used apps like Photofy to create text that I want to be foiled.
For example, I can print off a black clip art lip with a white text overlay. After I foil it, the white text will be negative space and the black lips will be where the foil ends up.

Note: If you use more intricate designs than the foil will try to mimic that. Example of that being, if you have a gradient, it will apply more foil to the darker area and less to the lighter area.

2. Print with a laser printer

After I have created the design, I will transfer it to my computer. I do this by emailing it to myself or sending it to myself via text or Google Hangouts. There are a multitude of ways to transfer the file, comment below if you need help with this step.

I then lay it out on a page how I want it to be printed. If it was a simple calligraphy design, I would have drawn it or designed it on an 8.5″x11″ sheet of canvas. But, for something like creating stickers or labels or something I want multiples of, I will lay it out in a program like InDesign.

Side Note: Since I am a graphic designer, I have Adobe Creative Suite and the programs that come with it. Some alternates to Illustrator would be Procreate on the Ipad or even Paper 53 on the iPad. If you need other computer version alternatives here is a list of alternates. 

After I have it laid out, I will simply click print on my Brother Mono Laser 2320. The mono portion means that my laser printer only prints in black and white. Laser printers can be expensive and so I strictly use my laser printer for things I want to foil. All my other black and white or color pages I want to be printed, I print from my HP inkjet printer.

 

Funny Story: When I originally went out to purchase the stuff for foiling, I thought I was purchasing a laser printer but ended up buying the HP Inkjet one. I tried to foil something and the foil would not adhere to the ink. Trying to a couple of different solutions, I was at a loss for what to do. So, I contacted the person that I saw using a laminator to see if they could help me figure out what I did wrong. I felt like an idiot for sure when I realized my mistake! So make sure the printer you are getting is a laser printer and uses toner not ink.

3. Lay foil on top of the design

This is the easy and the hard part. On Instagram, a lot of people will cut full page sized sheets of their foil and send it through the laminator. I like to be more efficient than that and only use the size of foil that my image is.

To do this: Measure your wording or image. For me, let’s say I am working on my 2×4 lip stickers, so I’ll need foil about 2″ x 2.5″. I’ll measure and cut the foil down to that size and it creates less waste. Be careful that you don’t cut it too close to your design but give yourself a border around the image. This will help make sure if something shifts you catch the full print with the foil.

Put the shiny part facing up and the other side down on your laser print. That is, put the color you want to see, i.e. the rose gold, facing up and the other side down on your image.

 

4. Put through a laminator

I don’t use one of those folders for laminators but you can. Depending on the size of your image, print, and foil you can do it a couple different ways. If it is a normal piece of paper, you might want to adhere your foil in place with washi tape so that it doesn’t shift when it is put through the laminator. Or, as I mentioned, use one of those folders to put it into and then put it through the laminator.

 

 

5. Peel foil off and enjoy!

After it has gone through the laminator, all you have to do is carefully pull back the foil and reveal the image below. Discard foil and hang around your house or sell the art for everyone to enjoy! These five steps should be super easy to follow for how

 

to foil your favorite print or design.

Super easy, right?

 

I hope this tutorial for how to foil your favorite print was helpful and that you run out and get all the supplies today! Overall, you can get started for just under $150. Which, considering the cost for just a Minc Foiler is $100 plus the purchase of a laser printer, you are getting at least 25-50% off. Watch for deals on laser printers and get them when they are on sale, that will help you cut down the startup cost, too!

I’d love to see what you end up foiling and hear your thoughts on this hack. Check out my tips for getting started with fashion illustration here. Comment below or connect with me on Instagram or Facebook.
Xoxo

minc reactive foilersx

My Top Three Favorite Drawing Materials

My Top Three Favorite Drawing Materials

Posted on by Sharrette

I don’t know what it is about the number three, but I find it alluring and seductive. Not too many things that I’ll get bored reading the blog and not too few that it would be a waste of time. With that said, I’m going to tell you about my top three favorite drawing materials.

Drawing Experience

First, let me give you a little history of my drawing experience. I’ve been drawing since I was like 8. I’ve always loved it. For a while, I would only draw in pencil or black and white. I wasn’t quite sure how to translate the shading I was able to create with black and white into color.

So, all through-out my high school drawing and art classes, my favorite drawing material was pencil and paper. Slowly, I began to expand to colored pencil and marker. I was able to learn and recreate different things into color with correct shading techniques.

My Favorite Art Class

I took several art classes in college, obviously because my major was Graphic Design. 😉 One of my favorite classes that I took was a Charcoal drawing class while I attended Savannah College of Art & Design. The professor really captivated my interest and skill with still life drawings he would set up in class for us to render. They were filled with elaborate detail.

The professor would come by and periodically check our work offering minor suggestions or changes and by the end of the pieces, I felt like I had created a masterpiece. I wish I could remember his name. He had a sketchbook that he would work up different still life drawings in it. I was just awed by how detailed and intricate the designs were.

I also dabbled in gouache and acrylic paint in college.

Anyway, I really didn’t start to expand into different materials until the last two years. I focused for a while on Adobe Illustrator and my career. Since being home and having more time, I’ve learned some Modern Calligraphy and  Fashion Illustration.

Favorite Drawing Material Number One – the Ipad Pro & Pencil

I must begin this with a warning, the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil are addicting. I love doing art in the Procreate app because it is versatile. I can do acrylic, gouache, pencil; the options are endless. Yes, they don’t come out exactly how traditional materials would but they are so similar it is hard not to forgive the minor differences.

Secondly, whenever I do something I don’t like, I can just erase it or undo it. This has been hard for me when I switch back and forth between traditional and digital. It is too easy to undo while using the Ipad Pro that when I draw when pencil and paper, I sometimes catch myself trying to undo what I just did. I would say traditional mediums are more difficult to master because there is no undo. It’s either restart or remake the mistake you made.

Favorite Drawing Material Number Two – Copic Markers

These I just discovered last fall. I feel like I have been missing out though. They are so great for blending. You can create different shades and effects just by layering the markers. Where have they been all my life?!

Even if you were to substitute out Copic Markers for any other alcohol-based ink marker, I bet you would quickly realize why I love these so much! The only con is, of course, the cost. As long as you are using them, I think it is worth the cost. Copic Markers or other alcohol based inks are not worth investing in if you just do art occasionally.

Favorite Drawing Material Number Three – Watercolor

 

I bet you thought I was going to put pencil and paper down as my third favorite drawing material? Nope, that was then, this is now. I love the light and airy look of watercolor. I also love the way that watercolor blends. It is very similar to how the Copic markers blend, but a little harder to maneuver.

Watercolor is a great medium for either calligraphy, drawing, or fashion sketches. You can get such a different look from using the Copic Markers. Some of my favorite fashion illustrations are watercolor. Check these out:

Practice and Experience

One thing that I want to continue to encourage each of you to do is to practice. Start with one of my three favorite drawing materials, probably the easiest would be the ipad pro, and just create art everyday. If a new material or subject matter is difficult to draw or use, don’t give up. Continue to use it, watch videos on youtube or skillshare. That is the only way that you will learn how to use it and improve.

When I first started calligraphy in November of 2016, it was horrible. I thought it would be super easy because everyone makes it look easy. No, it really is an art form! Participating daily in calligraphy challenges helped me practice and improve. I’m still not the best at it, but I did improve.

The same goes for Fashion Illustrations. It took me awhile to get into the grove and I watched several tutorials on croquis and getting the figure in a style I liked.

Just don’t give up! I haven’t yet, and neither should you. 🙂

Those are my three favorite drawing materials. You can see the similarities between the three. They are all about blending and mixing to recreate just the right shades we see in life and in art. I also, unintentionally, put them in order from easiest to hardest. Go figure!

What are some of your favorite drawing materials? Share with me in the comments so I can check them out and add them to my art supply collection. Did you love this post?

You should check out my post about my Christmas Art Supply Haul, then. I talked about the great art stuff I got and spoiler alert, I mention Copic markers again! Or, follow me on Instagram or Facebook and let’s connect there.

 

My Daily Makeup Routine and how I minimize my pores

My Daily Makeup Routine and how I minimize my pores

Posted on by Sharrette

 

I went through my daily makeup routine and wanted to put this post together for you. Lately, I’ve been trying different ways to minimize my pores because they seem distinct. I’ve watched a couple of youtube videos and checked out different makeup products. So, I am going to include what I’ve learned and implemented into my beauty routine to diminish and minimize my pores. Here we go, from start to finish my daily makeup routine and how I minimize my pores.

First, Prime Your Skin – Minimize Your Pores

I put on face lotion first to prime my skin. I used to have really bad acne due to my hormones and PCOS. Since discovering the Unblemish routine by Rodan + Fields, it has completely cleared my skin. In the Unblemish Routine, they have a face lotion. I mix that with a little bit of clean & clear dual action moisturizer. I mix it because it makes the R+F lotion last longer thereby saving money. Both are great moisturizers and SPF blockers. Plus, a bonus is that both keep my skin from soaking up all the makeup causing more breakouts.

Second, I prime my skin with pore minimizing remedy. In the past, I’ve tried and used a couple of different ones. My two top favorites are Senegence Silk Pore & Wrinkle Minimizer, and Pore Professional by Benefit. I’ve learned you should let these sit for a few minutes and then move on to your makeup. I take a dab, rub it into my pores in a downward motion and let sit for a few minutes.

Second, the Foundation and Powders

I’ve gone through phases with my foundation. As I mentioned, I’ve had really bad acne in the past and originally I only used Bare Minerals. I thought it would help keep my skin clear. It didn’t. Then, I switched to Dr. Jart BB Creams. My favorite is the Dis-a-Pore Beauty Balm. It has so many good qualities for your skin and I love that it is a BB Cream so it feels light and doesn’t seem to clog my pores. I’ve been wearing it for the past 3 years or so until I switched to the Senegence Anti-Aging Foundation.

To apply my foundation and minimize my pores, I wet a blending sponge and put my Senegence AA Foundation and a dab of makeup mood enhancer by .em Michelle Phan. I mix the two together with the end of my eyeshadow brush. I do this not so much for the enhancer but because the foundation color is a little too dark for my skin tone and instead of waste it or send it back I just lighten it.

Minimizing my pores is a basic two-step process. Add the pore minimizer and apply my makeup by dabbing with a blending sponge instead of a makeup brush. In some of the youtube videos I watched, one tip was to then bake a powder to further minimize pores. I just don’t because it is an extra step, and sometimes I don’t have the time to do it.

Dabbing the beauty blender on my forehead, cheeks, and chin with the foundation I begin to blend it onto my skin. I continue to blend and dab it all over until my foundation is applied. It is amazing the difference in coverage I get with the real foundation versus the BB Cream! For that reason, I sometimes still just wear the BB Cream because taking it off at night is less troublesome than the foundation.

Next, I contour my face with Too Faced Chocolate Soleil and Mac highlighter. I also apply Bellapierre cosmetic blush. I apply the Chocolate Soleil to my cheeks, the side of my nose, my chin and the top of my forehead. Then, I apply the mac highlighter to the tip of my nose, the top of my cheeks, and my jawline to under my cheeks. As I said, I treat these more as a contouring kit than bronzer and highlighter.

Third, the Eyes & Eyebrows

 

I apply an eyebrow pencil to my eyebrows not to draw them on but to fill in the holes from my crazy eyebrow hairs. I then blend it in with a brush wand. It helps the color not be too dark and tame the brows.

Following this, I will apply my eyeliner. The very best eyeliner, in my humble opinion, is the Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner. It has a marker tip, so it makes applying it straight and even super easy. I usually pull my eye to the side to make it a tighter surface to apply to. After applying the black to the top lid, I sometimes put a little on the bottom lid lash line and then smudge it with a straight eyeshadow brush. Alternatively and/or additionally, I will sometimes apply a white eyeliner to my waterline to brighten my eyes.

To finish it off, I apply my mascara. My everyday mascara is Smashbox X-Rated. You can see my top three mascaras in this blog post here. I’m all about mascara that adds drama and volume even for my everyday look. This is more often my final step when I am talking about my everyday makeup routine. My non-everyday makeup routine would include applying Lipsense and mixing in some eyeshadows.

I would love to hear how you do your makeup or how you have found best minimize your pores. I am still learning, but I feel like these few tips and tricks seem to go a long way for me. Connect with me via social media or comment below!

Refinishing A Table with Marble Project Paper

Refinishing A Table with Marble Project Paper

Posted on by Sharrette

The Inspiration to Refinish A Table, my table that is.

I just got finished refinishing a table that I use as my desk and for all my craft and art projects. I wanted to tell you about the process, how I came up with the idea, and how amazing it turned out! Plus, it is super affordable.

Have you ever been on Pinterest and drooled over all the fancy home and office decor? No? Not even the amazing craft rooms? I have and do all the time. One day, maybe when my children grow up, I plan to make myself an amazing craft and office room. I’ve even started a Pinterest board to save all of the great ideas for when that happens.

In the meantime, I’ve been working on my art and blog. Taking photos has been a learning process over the past year or so. Trying to get the right lighting and editing the photos so the lighting and color are correct is quite the process. One thing I learned quickly was the setting or background needed to be consistent for posting and white generally looked the best to me.

What I’ve been doing in the Meantime for my Photos

I bought poster board to place my art and put my flat lays together. It worked for awhile but I got tired of the pure white look. Plus, poster board gets damaged easily. I deviated from the white poster board with scrapbook paper that looks like wood boards. I really like that and plan to still use it but then I started taking more photos from afar and of my workspace. The table I use is counter-top height. It’s not that comfortable. However, it keeps the kids from messing with all my supplies and the stuff I keep on it. The only problem is that it was a dark marble top.

Before refinishing the table

It didn’t make for pretty pictures. I kept pinning and drooling over all the white desks. One day, I thought, I will get a white desk to take amazing photos!

Well, that day hasn’t come but while I was at JoAnn’s this week I ran across an amazing product! Are you ready for it?

DCWV Project Paper Marble

DCWV Marble Project Paper

It was exactly what I had been looking for. The photos showed that it could go on the wall or furniture. I knew I had to get! So, I got it thinking that it had a sticky residue on one side to adhere it with. That was the first mistake I made.

Getting Home & Refinishing A Table

I got home and cleared off my table to begin refinishing the table with the project paper. It seemed like it would be quick and easy, so I got it started. I looked over the project paper and was upset to find it didn’t have a sticky side. There were no instructions either. I was at a loss how I was supposed to apply, so to google, I went.

Google told me that you are supposed to modge podge it onto things and put a layer of modge podge over it. How frustrating! I was just at JoAnn’s and could’ve bought the modge podge while I was there had I known. I wasn’t about to wait or go back to the store. That wouldn’t stop me, though! Searching through my house, I found some spray adhesive I knew would work great.

Unfortunately, that ran out halfway through applying the second sheet. It was rough! I finally found another medium that acts like mod podge in my art supply. I was able to finish applying it. Holding the sheets and trying to apply it without air bubbles was difficult and I didn’t get the edges perfect.

After I finished applying the paper, I applied a coat of gloss to seal it down some. Here is the exact process I used:

  1. Buy project paper
  2. Learn I needed modge podge
  3. Get frustrated
  4. Find alternate spray adhesive and lodge podge in my house
  5. Apply spray adhesive to back of project paper
  6. Align with edges and one side of table
  7. Slowly lay down from one side to the other while smoothing out the best I could the air bubbles and wrinkles
  8. Run out of spray adhesive
  9. Find modge podge alternate
  10. Apple to other sheet for the second half of table
  11. Slowly lay down from one side to the other while smoothing out the best I could the air bubbles and wrinkles
  12. Move table outside, and apply gloss coating
  13. Let dry

It is paper so I have to use coasters if I have a drink. However, I am happy with the results. I can’t argue with how cheap it was and it makes a huge difference in the look and feel of the table. Plus, I can take all the amazing photos I want as seen in my previous blog post here.

Results

Here are some more photos of the end result:

What do you think? For $6 it isn’t bad, right? It has a line in the middle where the paper meets, but I’m totally okay with that. I’ll keep dreaming of my someday office craft room that has all the expensive stuff but in the meantime enjoy this amazing hack I found.

What is a hack you have found for something you have been dreaming about off Pinterest? I’d love to hear it. Share it with me on social media or comment below.

Decopodge your way to an Instagram Worthy desk

Xoxo