What I'm Thankful For - 2 of 2

Last week, I shared a few things I’m thankful for. Before I get to the rest, though, I want to take a moment to also share that next week's post will be the last for the year so I can gear up for 2016.  Next year will bring several big changes which I'll get to January (I'm NOT knocked up!), but they will force me to change up the blog's format a bit.  I'd like to stay in touch over the holidays and beyond, so make sure to follow me on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, as well as Periscope for live makeup demos - my handle is @ElectraLane on all formats. On to the favorites!

1. Bioderma

Makeup is awesome, but you have to take it off at some point.  Although I've tried many makeup-removing wipes, some Bioderma on a cotton pad thoroughly cleans my skin without any irritations or breakouts.  And as much as I wish I washed my face and did a mask every night, on the nights when this is all I can squeak out, I don't wake up with wrecked skin.

2. Chocolate Cake

I have a deep, undying love for chocolate.  So does my husband - he's the only person I know who loves chocolate as much as I do.  I eat a little piece of dark chocolate most days but, if I could, I would have a piece of chocolate cake with chocolate filling and chocolate frosting every day.  My favorite recipe is the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake (unless you use something else for the filling, I highly recommend making a double batch of the frosting).  Serve with a giant glass of whole milk.

3. Candles from The Little Market

If you around 30, you might be slightly obsessed with Lauren Conrad from Laguna Beach and The Hills.  I've always felt like she and I could be friends...anyway, LC has an amazing company called The Little Market and its mission is "to empower women artisans to rise above poverty and support their families."  These candles smell incredible, they don't give me a headache, and they last: I've burned the one pictured above every day this month for about four hours each time, and it's still going.

4. Becca Cosmetics x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop Shimmering Skin Perfector

The thing that deters me from most illuminators is the fact you can see them, which defeats the purpose of creating a subtle, from-within glow.  At least for my skin tone, this is the perfect highlight because it’s light and sheer – until the light hits my skin.  It's also stunning on the shoulders and collar bone!  You can see it in action HERE.

5. Dr. Bronner’s Castile Liquid Soap

This is what I use for my monthly makeup brush bath – my favorite scent is almond - but it's also an incredible multi-purpose item for uses that range from washing your face to mopping your floors.

6. The Ivanka Trump Newsletter (sign up on the website)

This website, just over a year old, is unlike any other blog/website/etc. I've visited before - so much so that I've signed up to receive her weekly newsletter.  It's filled with advice and tips in a modern, upbeat and concise manner, and I actually look forward to it each week.  This week, Ivanka and her her team showed us what's in their work bags, aptly titled The Spill, so I was inspired to spill my own everyday bag in the upcoming Friday Flash (search Electra Lane Channel on YouTube, or follow THIS link on Friday).

7. Wayne Goss The Brow Set

Filling in your brows with an angle brush is like flying down a mountain filled with switchbacks in my 2010 Honda Civic.  Filling in your browns with with these bad boys is like taking the same switchbacks in a Lamborghini.

8. NARS Sex Appeal Blush

Ever the wordsmith, NARS also knows how to make flawless blushes.  Not one who likes to bring attention to my cheeks, I do love how much life a little flush brings to one’s face, so I’m glad to have finally found this.

9. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

The last thing you want is to wake up Christmas morning looking like Rudolph, so for that disgusting, cystic pimple that comes out of nowhere, I keep this on hand.  This stuff isn’t a miracle, but it’s the best product I’ve found that destroys the zit without drying out the skin around it.

10. Urban Decay All-Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

…or any of UD’s setting sprays.  Not only will this spray keep makeup in place throughout your New Year's Eve party, but it also gets rid of the heavy look of any powder sitting on the skin.

And, of course, I'm so thankful for you!  Best wishes for a lovely Thanksgiving, and I'll see you Friday on YouTube.

Photo credits:  4, 6, 8, 9

What I'm Thankful For - 1 of 2

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, at least in my opinion.  My husband and I celebrated our birthdays, we made it through Halloween and, now that Thanksgiving is in TWO WEEKS (!!!), we are officially in the holiday season. Since many folks do the Facebook “what I’m thankful for today” thing during November, I'm sharing some of my favorite beauty products - as well as some things that just make me smile (which is the best makeup!).

Before we start, as I normally post on Wednesday, the hubby and I took yesterday off to celebrate Veterans Day.  I want to give a sincere THANK YOU to him and to those who signed up to protect and defend this great country, as well as the families who carry on in the service member's absence - whether temporary or permanent. I'm forever grateful.

So here we go...

1. La Mer everything

Full disclosure: I used to work for La Mer.  I fell in love, and I fell hard.  It saved (and continues to save) my face, and I’ve even convinced my husband to use it.  Yes, it’s expensive, but I make it last all year.  Since I only get one set of skin, I am completely okay with getting my jeans from Target in favor of first-class skin care.

2. My Water Bottle

Though not technically skincare or makeup, I can’t tell you how big of a difference drinking a daily minimum of 64-oz. of water makes in my skin, and therefore my makeup.

3. NYX Cosmetics Butter Gloss

I feel like this is the best all-around gloss on the market: cruelty-free, buttery texture, fantastic color range, smells divine, and costs $5.

4. Almay Makeup Eraser Sticks

You will always find these in my purse, at my makeup table, and with me on makeup jobs.  It’s a cotton swab filled with makeup remover, and it has saved me from smudges so many times. (Also great for making winged eyeliner even!)

5. theBalm Sexy Mama Powder

This stuff is the jam and, if more people knew about it, it would never stay on the shelf.  Full disclosure again: I worked for theBalm – but TRUST me, I follow the “if you don’t have anything nice to say keep your mouth shut” rule, and I don’t get sponsored by any of the brands I write about (yet!), but either way I’ll always keep it real.  Anyway, it’s incredible because even though it contains little oil-absorbing spheres, it doesn’t dry out my skin.  Also, it’s truly translucent: I buffed this onto the face of a woman with beautiful, espresso-colored skin, who was also very shiny, and she instantly looked airbrushed. Get this ASAP.

6. Weleda Skin Food

When I’m not bathing in rationing out my La Mer, I use this for moisturizer.  It's very hydrating, made with essential oils, and I think it smells like Sweet Tarts.

7. Armani Rouge D’Armani Lipstick in Beige 100

My perfect nude lip color to which I’ve been loyal for years.  It makes me feel powerful, pretty, and sexy, and it’s nude without making my lips disappear.

8. Yes to Carrots Cream Cleanser

This is such a whipped, delicious cleanser that leaves behind no icky residue.  And it smells so clean and fresh.  It's available at drugstores, it's good for you and the environment, and beats every high-end cleanser I've tried (except for La Mer's The Cleansing Oil...I mean...).  Occasionally I'll even do an in-shower spa-like treatment:  massage the cleanser into my skin, then rinse.  Next, I massage the product into my skin again but let it sit there until the very end of the shower, like a mask, and use either my Clarisonic or a wash cloth to gently buff it away.

9. My Doggies

As you might have seen in more than one Friday Flash, we have two beagles named Clark and Kent.  You can follow them on Instagram @TheSuperBeagles.  They're super cuddly and they don't bark much, but they do grunt like little piggies when they are really happy.  They're our best friends, they're family, and they have brought more joy into our lives than we can say!

10. Treat Beauty Lip Balm

Saw this jumbo tube o' balm on Kandee Johnson's YouTube Channel multiple times, so I ordered the Marshmallow flavor.  Holy wow. It's perfect.  So then I ordered the 3-pack.  And now they have holiday flavors which I'll also add to the collection.  Again, this is a good-for-you-and-the-environment product, so my three- and four-year-old nieces will get these in their Christmas stockings.

See you next week for the second installment!

(Photos c/o Lamer.com,  Amazon.com,  nyxcosmetics.com,  Drugstore.com,  thebalm.com,  Birchbox.com,  Beautezine.com,  Target.com,  and TreatBeauty.com)

31st Birthday Recap

I don't know if it will be possible to top 31. This has been a very trying year personally, but I truly believe that you have to go through some bad stuff to get to the good stuff - otherwise, you're stuck in the same place forever.  And even though change is hard and scary, being comfortable never wins any awards.

Not only did my husband go out of his way to make this birthday special, but we worked in time to pause and soak up each experience.  This included a trip to NYC, drinking really good coffee in beautiful parks, and two amazing concerts from my favorite band, Hanson (yes, as in Mmmbop...they've put out 5 studio albums since then and they are incredible!).

For my makeup, I went with the exact eye makeup from Monika Blunder's Kate Moss tutorial.  As you can see from the (poor quality...sorry) photo, my under-eye bags let you know it's late - but thankfully I've learned some tips for making foundation look great 12+ hours (a video will be out soon).

Being in my favorite place, with my favorite person, eating my favorite foods, during my favorite time of year, and listening to my favorite band play my favorite songs added up to be a completely epic experience.  I'm looking forward to 31.

Happy Twenty Fifteen

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season filled with spending time with loved ones and eating lots of good food.

At Electra Lane, we’re busy finding ways to make you feel as beautiful as you are by helping you master your beauty resolutions.  My personal goals include a renewed focus on skincare as well as streamlining my makeup routine, so here are a few things I picked up over the holidays to help me achieve those goals.

Just before Thanksgiving, I purchased Urban Decay’s Naked on the Run palette.

Thinking it would be a great travel palette, I found I wanted more variety and it ended up being too bulky with my other items.  Where this palette fits best into my routine is for touch-ups: it’s perfect for adding some color to your features throughout the day when all you have time for in the morning is tinted moisturizer, concealer, and mascara.

It’s probably psychological but RIGHT after turning 30, I noticed some things drooping changing on my face, specifically around my eyes.  I switched from my Kate Somerville exfoliator to a gentler version and added a retinol-infusing eye mask to my weekly at-home facial.

For a little, no pun intended, fun, I purchased these adorable, limited-edition Charlotte Tilbury mini lipsticks.  As a huge fan of trying something before committing to it, this was a great introduction into the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipsticks.  And they fit into the tiniest clutch.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for the opportunities Electra Lane brought forth this year, and I cannot wait to see what's in store for 2015.

This blog will be on hiatus until the new year, but please stay connected through Instagram and Facebook.

Happy holidays and best wishes for an incredible new year - see you in 2015!!