Five Little Faves

This view and this place is my ultimate favorite right now.  

I just got back from a wonderful vacation in Honolulu. We stayed on Waikiki Beach. It was honestly the most beautiful place I have ever been! Here are some of my current favorites.


Since I always seem to lose my sunglasses while on vacation, I decided to purchase some cheap ones. I purchased these on Amazon.com. I am OBSESSED with these sunglasses. I love the silver mirror and the aviator style. I don’t mind spending eight bucks again if I lose these.


These two products have been my go-to for foundation. I’ve had the DiorSkin Nude BB Cream for ages, but I never used it because I felt it was too orange and too dark. I purchased the Cover FX Drops a few months back. I came up with the idea to mix them… GENIUS! The drops adjust the color perfectly and gives me a flawless yet natural look. However, I do hate the Cover FX packaging. Super messy.


I mentioned this lipstick in my most recent Shade of the Day. It is my current favorite nude lippy.


I feel this hat is appropriate to be my favorite because I wore it everyday on vacation. I was on the hunt for the perfect hat for this trip. I went to so many stores and ended up finding this one at Forever 21. I like because it’s a little floppy and not super stiff.

I hope you have enjoyed my favorites. Thanks for stopping by!


XO, Diana

Whole30 Recap

Here’s another blog post that’s way overdue! It’s been about a month since I have finished my Whole30 challenge. You can check out my plan and reasons for starting the challenge here.

Results:

  • Lost a total of 10 pounds
  • Lost almost 2 inches off my waist (didn’t measure the rest of my body)
  • My sleeping habits are great
  • I am able to stay away from gluten without struggling
  • No longer have a constant sweet tooth
  • No longer have digestive issues
  • I feel like I have become a smart eater. I can easily make smart choices and when I do indulge, I do not feel guilty.

First off, let me just say I am so happy I did it. I feel so much better and I am really happy with my current diet. My biggest goal with Whole30 was to heal my digestive system and remove gluten from my diet. And I was able to do just that. I am still not snacking. I do occasionally eat Quest Bars if I am really hungry and cannot wait until the next meal. Those are my favorite protein bars.

A couple weeks ago, a few of my best friends came to visit. I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted. So I ended up eating gluten for 5 days in a row. It took me a total of 5 days to recover. Every single day I experienced nausea, bloating, headaches, constipation, and fatigue. It was no bueno… but it made me realize why I even did the challenge to begin with. The symptoms I was experiencing is how I felt every single day before I began Whole30. Everyday was a struggle. For some reason I couldn’t stay away from gluten. I knew it was going to make me feel like crap but I still ate it. I no longer have these battles and it feels amazing.

If you are debating whether or not to do a Whole30 please do! The best advice I could give is make sure you plan plan plan! The only way you will succeed is by planning. Stay positive and stay focused. It’s only 30 days 🙂

I apologize for the delay in posting! Feel free to ask any questions!

XO, Diana

MAC Haul

This post is wayyyy overdue. Several months ago I received a gift card to Nordstrom. I somehow used it all on MAC products. I’m not sure what came over me because I normally don’t buy MAC. I do love their lip pencils and matte lipsticks.

  1. Strobe Cream– I used to hear really good things about this product so I’m excited to try it. I love me some dewy skin! I purchased the travel size.
  2. Fix + I have never tried this product. I couldn’t help myself because the travel size is so cute. I figured I could use this to spray on my brushes.
  3. Lip Pencil in Dervish– The only nude pencil from MAC I have is Whirl. I wanted something less mauve and more pinky nude. I think this was a good pick!
  4. Lip Pencil in Nightingale– This is such a beautiful plum color. I am so excited to wear this on its own.
  5. Lip Pencil in Burgundy– I had such a hard time deciding between this or Vino. Burgundy has more of a red/brown undertone and that’s what I was looking for.
  6. Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Lipstick– I’ve purchased the Viva Glam lipsticks for a while now. I’ve been meaning to pick this one up but I just hadn’t gotten around to it. It’s a pretty pink color with an amplified finish.
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Nightingale, Burgundy, Dervish

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Viva Glam Miley Cyrus

One day I was snooping around on social media, I saw that a few limited edition items were in stock, so of course I made a purchase.

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  1. Fix + Lavender– Everyone and their momma were going crazy over these. Of course I felt the need to want it as well. I have used this a few times and it feels amazing. I love the lavender scent.
  2. Giambattista Valli Lipsticks in Eugenie and Charlotte – This is another collection everyone went nuts for. I can’t lie… The packaging is beautiful. I wasn’t very interested in this collection, but after seeing it in person I fell in love.
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Eugenie, Charlotte

Thanks for reading!

XO, Diana

Shade of the Day- Truffle

Welcome! It’s been a while since I’ve posted… It feels so good to be back!

Truffle

Today’s post includes one of Dose of Colors new shade called Truffle. It’s a neutral shade with of a mauve tint. I really like this color because it’s not too light or too dark. I absolutely love the formula of Dose of Colors liquid lipsticks. They last all day, and do not feather, clump, or transfer.

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(Left to right) Truffle, ABH-Pure Hollywood, KVD-Bow n Arrow, KVD-Lolita

IMG_1106As you can see it’s pretty different from the other swatches above. Truffle was extremely easy to apply. It is also very pigmented and not as streaky as Bow and Arrow or Lolita. Pure Hollywood is too light for me to wear on its own. I normally wear it MAC’s Whirl lip pencil. With Truffle I used Make Up For Ever’s Lip Line Perfector.

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I went for a very minimal look.

Face- Diorskin Nude BB Cream (Medium) mixed with Cover FX drops (G30), Urban Decay Naked concealer, and Hourglass Radiant Bronzer

Eyes- Diorshow brow pencil, MAC Soft Ochre paint pot, Hourglass bronzer in crease, Rimmel Scandaleyes nude liner, Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara, and Clinique Bottom Lash mascara

Thanks for stopping by. I have lots of blog posts planned for the next few weeks.

Stay tuned!

XO, Diana

Whole30 Week 4 Recap

Week 4 was just about the same as week 3. My body felt great and I got lots of sleep. My only issue was being sick of cooking. I did a lot better about making sure I ate 3 meals a day. I also forgot to take a lot of pictures again.

Day 22- Monday
I woke up and made some hashbrowns, lil smokies, and fried eggs. My husband and I were both off work today so we decided to go to the movies. We watched Antman (best movie ever btw). The smell of popcorn always gets me at the movies. Since we went at an earlier time, I wasn’t too tempted. I packed some grapes and a Larabar. We headed to Chipotle after the movies to grab some lunch. For dinner I made some chicken with veggies.

Day 23- Tuesday
 I repeated Monday’s breakfast. I also had a banana with coconut flakes and sliced almonds. Lunch included leftover chicken and veggies. For dinner I made some ground beef with potatoes. I also had some sliced cucumbers. I also made it to the gym after breakfast.

Day 24- Wednesday
 I’ve been trying not to drink coffee but some days I just can’t help it. I had some coconut cream so I got curious. I added about a teaspoon to my coffee and put it in a blender. It was def a life saver! Since I didn’t add much coconut, it didn’t give the coffee any extra flavor. It pretty much just acted as a creamer. I made some breakfast sweet potatoes, fried eggs, a sausage patty, and a banana. After breakfast I headed to gym. For lunch I had leftovers. For dinner I made this amazing cracklin chicken by nom nom paleo. I also made roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus.

Day 25- Thursday

 I had sweet potatoes and eggs for breakfast. I snacked on some grapes before lunch. I picked up a bottle of Tessemae’s Lemon Garlic dressing so I made a salad with leftover chicken for lunch. This dressing is delicious and very convenient. For dinner I made some burger patties with french fries.

Day 26- Friday

 I had same breakfast except I added a cajun sausage. I went on a wonderful hike with my friend this day. I snacked on some grapes during our hike. After, we headed to Chipotle because we were starving. I was so exhausted when I got home, so laid down for a nap. I woke up and made some beef fajitas. I didn’t know what sides to make so I just made it as a salad. I added some guac and Tessemae’s dressing.

Here’s a little view from our hike 🙂 
Day 27- Saturday
 I made some eggs with chorizo this day. I also had some sliced bananas and coffee with coconut cream. All you have to do is put a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. Once you open the can you’ll see cream on top. I headed to gym a couple hours after breakfast. For lunch I had some leftover beef patties and potatoes. I also had some pickles -_- not sure if those are compliant. For dinner I baked some drumsticks and potatoes.

Day 28- Sunday

My husband and I went the gym as soon as we woke up. I had some eggs with chorizo and grapes when we got back. For lunch I had some leftover fajitas with a salad. Dinner was super simple, I really did not feel like cooking. I made a cajun sausage link and a baked potato with a tiny bit of ghee. I also had some watermelon.

As I am typing this I am realizing I only have 2 days left. I seriously can’t believe it! Time has gone by so fast. It’s been an incredible journey. I can’t wait to share my final thoughts and tips for any of you interested in completing a Whole30.

Thanks for stopping by!

Check out week 3, here.

XO, Diana

Whole30 Week 3 Recap

Week 3 wasn’t that big of struggle. Towards the end of the week, I was so sick of cooking and washing dishes. I mean I was so over it! Other than that I felt great. I apologize ahead of time for the crappy pictures taken.

Day 15- Monday


Before work I had 2 eggs with a cajun sausage and a big bowl of blueberries and grapes. For lunch, my husband and I had a carnitas salad from Chipotle. Earlier in the day I made some chicken in the crockpot. I added taco seasoning (homemade) and a jar of compliant salsa. For dinner we had a salad.

Day 16- Tuesday


Breakfast included eggs with chorizo, leftover asparagus, avocado, and sliced bananas with coconut flakes. Since I had a pretty big breakfast, I had lunch really late lunch. I had a big salad with the crockpot chicken and a bowl of watermelon. I didn’t end up eating dinner.

Day 17- Wednesday


Repeated breakfast and lunch this day. I picked up a shaken iced green tea from Starbucks during my walk downtown. I was not in the mood for whatever I had planned (burgers) for dinner. I ended up cooking some beef with peppers and onions. I also made an amazing guacamole and roasted green beans. I made it to the gym after work this day.

Day 18-Thursday


Breakfast and lunch were repeated one last time. Made it to the gym after work and had a coconut cashew Larabar. Dinner included pork chops, guac, potatoes, and cucumbers.

Day 19- Friday


I made an omelette with bell peppers and onions. I also had roasted green beans and some grapes. I headed to the mall after work. While I was there I got a passion tea from Starbucks. I also had a pecan pie Larabar (my favorite flavor). I accidentally skipped out on lunch since I spent so much time at the mall.  For dinner I made some carne asada thin steaks. I also made breakfast potatoes with sliced tomatoes. I also had some watermelon.

Day 20- Saturday


I was really over cooking this day. The struggle was real. I made it to the gym and grocery store in the morning. I had a coconut cream pie Larabar after the gym. I bought some ground pork to make my own breakfast sausage. I made a few patties with 2 eggs and a banana. For late lunch/early dinner I had leftovers from the previous day. I also made some delicious buffalo wings. You can find the recipe here. I was so impressed with the taste. I also had a handful of apple chips.

Day 21- Sunday


I made it to the gym first thing in the morning around 8am. I had some leftover ground pork so I made a scramble with potatoes. This day was just as exhausting as the previous day. I ended up have a late lunch/early dinner again and cooking the same beef as Wednesday. I also had a big bowl of cantaloupe.

I skipped a meal several days this week and I am a little disappointed I did that. I didn’t starve myself, I just waited too long to eat. It’s recommended you don’t eat 2-3 hours prior to bedtime. I definitely would have eaten within two hours so I just went to bed instead.

I can’t believe I am so close to the end! My body is feeling great. So far I have planned this next week well. Please stay tuned for week 4 recap and results. Well, I must go wash dishes now.

Byyyyeeeee!

XO, Diana

P.S. Check out week 2 recap here.

Shade of the Day- Santa Sangre

Today’s shade of the day features one of the new Kat Von D Everlasting liquid lipsticks. Santa Sangre is described as a “poison apple.” It’s a beautiful bright red! This one is a must have. You can never have enough red lipsticks. And the formula in this is better than ever. It’s not drying and feels very comfortable.

Sephora Haul- July 2015

  I’ve mad a few purchase to Sephora these last few weeks so I figured I’d show you what I got.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector- Champagne Pop

  Let’s start off with the most exciting purchase…. The new Becca Highlight in Champagne Pop. This highlight is everything! It’s pretty close to being my favorite. Jaclyn Hill did an amazing job creating this highlight. I think it definitely suits all skin types. It has a gold tone with a little pinch of peach.

Dior Brow Pencil- Universal Shade

I ran out of my second ABH Brow Wiz and decided I was done purchasing it (again). I just cant justify repurchasing this because it runs out too fast. I decided to go online and check out all of the brow products available. This one had lots of great reviews so I decided to give it a go. It’s more expensive than Anastasia but I’m willing to purchase if it lasts longer. So far I am really liking it!

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

This was a repurchase. I seriously love this mascara!

Embryolisse Nourishing Moisturizer 

This was also a repurchase. It’s one of my favorite moisturizers.

Sephora Collection- Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer

  This is a new product from the Sephora Collection. For $14 I figured it was worth a shot trying. Its supposed to be a lightweight buildable concealer. I purchased the color Medium-07 Custard and Tan-14 Toffee. Custard is a little too light for me right now. I think it would be perfect for highlighting or a winter concealer. I purchased Toffee to contour with and I think its gonna be perfect!

Since I made a few orders, I was able to get some pretty good deluxe size samples. They always get me with those emails!

Too Faced-Born This Way Foundation

I got the color Sand since it was the only color left. I think it may be a tad too dark for me but I still make it work. I have been wearing this foundation almost everyday. I will have a review in my next blog post but so far I am loving it.

YSL- Touche Eclat Blur Primer

I was very intrigued by this product. It’s “an illuminating primer that blurs imperfections and boosts the radiance of foundation.” It has a silicone texture with tiny gold shimmers–very interesting. I am looking forward to trying this product.

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation

This is another product I’m excited to try. It’s MUFE’s newest foundation. I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of the original HD foundation. I tried it out several times and it just didn’t work. This one is supposed to give a natural yet flawless finish. We’ll just see about that!

Stayed tuned for reviews on most of these products! I’m also expecting a couple more exciting packages! Eeeeek!

XO, Diana

Whole30 Week 2 Recap

I’m still alive my loves! Week 2 was a LOT easier than week 1. The headaches went away and I got some energy back. I also started working out. Made it to the gym 5 days and I am super proud of myself. There were a couple days I felt a little blah.

Day 8- Monday


My husband and I went to the gym first thing in the morning. We had a couple errands to run after so I had a Cashew Cookie Lara Bar (I have these for emergencies only). Once we got home I made a couple of scrambled eggs w/ a fried beef hot frank (compliant of course). I had a bowl of watermelon before dinner. I skipped lunch because I had such a late breakfast. For dinner, I made some buffalo shrimp (recipe here), roasted baby red potatoes, and Cajun sausage with onions and broccoli. The shrimp was seriously amazing!

Day 9- Tuesday


This is the day I felt bloated. Thanks to the Whole30 timeline, I knew it was normal. I had scrambled eggs with a beef frank, small amount of leftover potatoes, and a banana. For lunch I had leftover sausage with broccoli and a bowl of watermelon. I made a taco salad for dinner.

Day 10- Wednesday


I still felt a little bloated this day. I didn’t feel as uncomfortable as I did on day 9. I had the same scrambled eggs with a monkey salad for breakfast. Lunch was a berry salad I mentioned in my last post. Minus the chicken. I made it to the gym after work. For dinner I made these UH-mazing almond chicken tenders. They were pretty spicy as well. We had these with sweet potato fries and grilled zucchini.

Day 11- Thursday


This is the day I started having lots of energy, thank goodness. I didn’t have to go to work this day so I went to the gym. Before I went I had some sliced bananas, strawberries, and blueberries, and 2 boiled eggs. For lunch and dinner I had leftovers. I didn’t eat much for dinner so I had a huge plate of watermelon with chili powder. I really love watermelon!!

Day 12-Friday


Hooray for Friday! Breakfast was scrambled eggs with sliced bananas, blueberries, and strawberries. I seriously love that combo of fruit. If only I could eat it with waffles. Ha! I got off work early so I headed to the mall to check out Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale. I had a carnitas salad from Chipotle. Thank you Chipotle for saving the day! For dinner I made some pork chops, cucumber salad, and roasted baby potatoes. My husband LOVES those darn potatoes.

Day 13- Saturday


I had a banana before heading to the gym. I went to Starbucks with the intention of getting an iced black coffee, but the line was way too long so I left. I was really hungry after so I ate a Larabar. Once I got home I had 2 fried eggs, half a grilled zucchini, and leftover garlic and olive oil mashed potatoes I had made for my husband. I was really clueless on what to make for dinner. I remembered my husband loved the buffalo shrimp I made so I made it again. I also made some chicken and asparagus. Aaaaand of course my husband loved it!

Day 14- Sunday


I woke up craving some breakfast potatoes and fried eggs. I was pretty cranky this day. After breakfast I had zero motivation to do anything. I really wish I would have gone to the gym before I had breakfast but oh well. I decided to quit being lazy and get my butt to the grocery store. An iced black coffee from Starbucks saved the day. Lunch was actually supposed to be dinner. I made a Mexican dish called chile Colorado. My husband and I couldn’t resist so we ate it for lunch. I later had a handful of strawberries and blueberries. For dinner, I had berry salad.

I noticed I either skipped or had really late lunches some days. I don’t do it intentionally. If I’m hungry I eat, simple as that. I think it’s because my breakfasts are big. I usually have breakfast around 7:30, lunch 2pm, and dinner 6-7pm.

With that said, I can’t believe I’m already on day 15. I’m halfway there. Even though I daydream about eating donuts and mac n’ cheese, I have no desire to quit. I had an oopsie at Starbucks on Friday. I accidentally got the wrong drink. I ordered an unsweetened black tea, but it ended up having syrup in it. I could’ve easy said screw it and drank it, but I took a sip and threw it away. I’m so happy with how I am doing and how I am feeling.

You can check out my recap of week one here.

I’m ready for week 3! Thanks for reading.

XO, Diana

Whole30 Week 1 Recap

Ok. I’m not gonna lie. Last week was HELL. I was not expecting it to be as hard as it was. I also didn’t prepare as much as I should have. Dinner was the only meal I actually planned out. I thought I had ideas for lunch but I was way wrong. This week I have already planned out lunch and dinner. Breakfast is always the easiest thing to plan for. One thing I learned is to make breakfast my biggest meal of the day.

Day 1

Day 1I felt pretty good this day. I was lucky and found this chorizo at Safeway. I made it with eggs and spinach. I also made some breakfast sweet potatoes seasoned with paprika and cumin. So yummy! I also had back coffee. For lunch I had a simple pot roast I made in the crockpot. I added grassfed beef, potatoes, onion, carrots, and cilantro. I stopped by Starbucks on the way home and got an unsweetened green tea. For dinner I made a salad with chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados and cilantro. I made a lemon vinaigrette to go with it. I had some organic apple chips as a snack in between lunch and dinner.

Day 2

Day 2This is the day I began getting headaches but other than that I was feeling pretty good. I had the same breakfast as yesterday along with a banana. For lunch I had 2 pieces of chicken breast marinated with cilantro, jalapeño, and lime, two boiled eggs, and a little salad made with cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, olive oil and lime. For dinner I made a salad made with shredded pork I purchased from Costco. I added guacamole and homemade salsa to it. I had apple slices as a snack between lunch and dinner.

Day 3

Day 3Not only did I wake up with a headache, but I was soooooooo sleepy this day. I was sleepy all day long. For breakfast I had one of these sausages with two fried eggs and a big bowl of watermelon. Lunch was leftovers from dinner. For dinner I wanted something quick so I made some ground beef with potatoes. I also made some fajita veggies and added it on top. I had cherries right before lunch because I was starving.

Day 4

IMG_3061I think this was the worst day by far. I was mentally exhausted by this day. I still had a headache and I was still really sleepy. I was off work this day and I didn’t get out of bed until 1pm. I got up around 8am to have breakfast, same as yesterday. After hiding in bed all morning, I decided to get up and go to the mall. Worst decision ever. I literally walked into Sephora, walked right out, and went home. For lunch I had leftovers from day before. Once I got home I took some ibuprofen and I was surprised it actually helped my headache. For dinner I made some delicious coconut shrimp with mango salsa. I made the shrimp with eggs, coconut flour, shaved coconut, and coconut oil. You can find the recipe here. I had a bowl of watermelon after dinner.

Day 5

IMG_3007I woke up feeling a lot better this day. The sleepiness also went away, thank goodness. I wasn’t very hungry when I woke up, but I was craving something cold and fresh. I made a smoothie with water, fresh blackberries, frozen pineapple, bananas, and strawberries. A couple hours later I had two boiled eggs and an egg white. I wanted to get out of the funk I was in so I met up with a friend for lunch. I was a bit nervous about going out but it ended up being okay. I ordered a chicken salad with a cilantro-lime vinaigrette. For dinner I made a salad with the shredded pork again.

Day 6

IMG_3063I struggled again this day. I’m not sure if it was because it was the 4th of July or what but it sucked. I made some breakfast potatoes with onions, jalapeños, and tomatoes. The plan was to make sweet potatoes for myself but I was short on time. I topped the potatoes with a fried egg and some Frank’s hot sauce. I also made a monkey salad (bananas, cashews, and coconut flakes).

My husband and I went to the movies (at the mall) and of course we were starving when we got out. We wanted to grab some Chipotle but it was closed. I wanted to give up so bad. Looking at the food court was pure torture. We ended up having some fajitas at a Mexican restaurant. For dinner I made some lettuce wrapped burgers with french fries. All I added to burgers was avocado, tomatoes, and pickles. After dinner I had a bowl of canteloupe.

Day 7

IMG_3065I woke up feeling a lot better this day. My husband and I made it to the gym first thing in the morning. We had the same breakfast as the day before. Afterwards, we  decided to go to the batting cages and play some mini golf. On the way there I had a bowl of cantaloupe. We stopped at the grocery store before heading home. I was pretty hungry when we got home so I made a berry salad with a blueberry vinaigrette. This salad was sooooooo delicious. I found the recipe here. I used a mixture of lettuce instead of spinach. For dinner we had some steaks with roasted red potatoes and grilled zucchini.

As much as I thought about quitting or cheating, deep down inside I knew I couldn’t. I knew it wouldn’t get me anywhere and I’d be back to square one. I knew it wouldn’t have been worth it.

I quickly learned I need to plan for all meals. My trips to the store have become very interesting.  The produce and meat sections are the only areas I visit. I try to purchase as much organic foods as I can. I’m pretty lucky because I often find grassfed beef on sale at Safeway.

I have already planned my meals for this week. I am also planning on making it to the gym 5 days since I finally have my energy back!

Check out my goals and plan for Whole30 here. 

Lets hope week 2 is better! Thanks for reading!

-Diana