I’ve really been feelin’ pasta lately.
Today’s lunch centered around whole wheat pasta that I topped with shrimp. I also steamed some cauliflower that I then mashed with a fork and stirred into marinara sauce before pouring it over the pasta and stirring everything together.
The cauliflower gave the marinara sauce a thicker texture that I really enjoyed. If you hate cauliflower, this might be a good way to try to incorporate it into your diet since I couldn’t really taste it!
Questions of the Month: March
This month’s “Questions of the Month” feature focuses on two beauty products since I’ve received a few repeat questions about my mascara and sunless tanner.
Heeere we go!
- What kind of mascara do you use?
I used to be a die-hard L’Oreal Voluminous mascara fan. I still absolutely love that mascara, but for the past two months, I’ve been using Almay Get Up & Grow mascara and I am obsessed with it.
I tried it on a whim when I was going through some of my mom’s makeup over Christmas and it was love at first swipe.
It’s not clumpy and the brush coats my eyelashes better than any other mascara I’ve tried in the past. It should be noted that while nearly every beauty magazine and billions of women seem to love Maybelline Great Lash mascara (the one that comes in the pink and green tube), I think it’s horrible, so if you prefer that kind of mascara, we may not share similar taste.
- Do you use sunless tanner? What is your favorite kind?
I do, but not that often. I am currently rationing my all-time favorite sunless tanning lotion, Dove Energy Glow, because it was discontinued. I absolutely LOVED that lotion and am on my very last bottle. It was perfect because it added subtle color gradually and didn’t smell horrific. If there’s a sunless tanning lotion out there that smells good and doesn’t make you look orange, please let me know!
As for sunless tanner for my face, I use L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted One Day Gel.
I cannot find it in-store anywhere in Ocala, so I have to order it off Amazon, but it lasts for a long time! A tiny drop goes a long way and blends into my skin without looking artificial, orange or thick. I put it on after my face lotion and love the lightweight feel.
Past Questions of the Month:
- February 2013: Creating workout images, favorite crock pot, timing circuit workouts
- January 2013: Tips for new bloggers, wrist wallet for running fuel, 5K training plans
- November 2012: Red lipstick, vitamins and non-healthy living blogs
- July 2012: Sadie’s harness, half marathon training, peanut butter
- March 2012: Heart rate monitor/running watch, roasting vegetables, planning workouts, protein powder
Question of the Afternoon
- Do you regularly wear mascara or sunless tanner? What are your favorites?
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I don’t usually wear mascara because I hate taking it off. It seems to linger forever because I always use waterproof. I’ve been looking for a good sunless tanner lately though! I have insane running tan lines on my thighs and feet and would LOVE to not look like a crazy person in a swimsuit.
That pasta looks delish– and great idea to add cauliflower to the sauce! YUM!
I’m so glad I’m not alone!! I can’t stand that mascara either! I feel like it clumps all my lashes together so it looks like I have like three very thick lashes! I’ll have to look for that other brand! and this shrimp pasta looks amazing! I have some cauliflower that is in desperate need of being made!
I love love love any Ulta mascara! Really makes your eyes look so big!
I always wear mascara. Even if I am too lazy to put on any other makeup, mascara will be worn. I don’t wear makeup when working out though.
This post couldn’t come at a better time! I just ran out of mascara and am going to get a new brand tonight. Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll try it. My mascara tends to run under my eyes because I squint when looking at my computer screen all day. I’m forever looking for a brand that stays put on my lashes.
After you try it, will you add an update to this post? I have the same problem with my makeup & can’t figure out if its my mascara or eyeliner. I’ve switched both & the blackness under my eyes is not as bad but I’m going to end up with huge wrinkles from trying to wipe away the mess every day!
I’m very sad to report, I’ve been wearing the mascera for a few hours now, and it’s already started to run. 🙁 I had such high hopes! I especially liked the $7 price tag and I loved, loved, loved the way it made my eyelashes look. Still on the hunt for the perfect, nonrunning mascera! Let me know if you find something you like!
Here’s the names of the other brands that I have tried that ran under my eyes:
Dior Show Blackout (sephora)
Urban Decay Cannonball (sephora)
Maybelline the Colossal Volume Express.
One of the girls I work with said that if it’s a volumizer or lash lengthening that the fibers in the mascara will flake off and cause the blackness. Not sure how true that is. I went back to Sephora today and I now have DiorShow Iconic to try. In talking with them they said that if you use any moisturizer that is either not specifically an eye moisturizer or if it’s too greasy of an eye moisturizer that will cause the mascara to breakdown and run under your eyes. The reasoning they said is because there are no pores there to absorb it. I now have a new moisturizer and a new mascara! If you use moisturizer, try not putting it under your eyes-they said its ok to still use powder there, or change your moisturizer. I did ask about the mascara mentioned in these comments “They’re Real” they said that does not come in waterproof. I’ll let you know how things go. We’re on spring break now so it’ll be awhile before I’m staring at a computer screen again.
This is great information – thank you! What moisturizer have you had the most luck with? I will definitely switch to anything that doesn’t cause my mascara to run. I’m really tired of it! At the end of the day I look like a raccoon. I’ve tried not putting my moisturizer under my eyes and it’s helping a little. It’s hard to avoid the area entirely.
For sunless tanner, I take a litttle bit of Lancome’s sunless tanning gel and mix it into my normal, good smelling lotion. It adds just a little bit of bronze, and also helps me ration the Lancome out, which is not cheap!
I absolutely love “They’re Real!” sold at Sephora. I have never had a mascara make my lashes look so long before! Love this blog! New follower! 🙂
I don’t think I could ever use another mascara since I discovered They’re Real! Love it!
I love They’re Real too!
Agreed! They’re real is awesome! It tends to deflate my curled lashes if worn alone, though, so I always used Maybelline Full n Soft waterproof for one coat, then They’re Real. Good stuff.
Not a self tanner wearer but I’m obsessed with my Clinique mascara. I wear the waterproof lash doubling. It’s the BEST!!!!
PS-Julie I don’t know if you’re still trying the bolder lipstick colors but I just hopped on the wagon and am in love with Clinique chubby sticks new intense line. Stays on forever.
You have to try Hemp Bronzing Moisturizer!! It’s from Sally’s Beauty Supply Store in a brown bottle. It gives you the perfect tan and doesn’t have that awful smell that most tanning lotions do! Absolute fav!!! 🙂
I am currently wearing Lancome’s Doll Eyes, but usually like any of the Yves Saint Laurent mascaras. I don’t wear self-tanning products as I haven’t mastered being streak free yet!
I second They’re Real mascara from Sephora. It’s awesome.
I’m super lazy about putting it on but Fake Bake is the best self tanner ever. You put it on at night before you go to bed, it’s tinted as a guide, never streaks and you can get it for a fraction of the price on Amazon.
I love mascara and won’t leave my house without it. For the longest time I was loving Dior mascara but I kept feeling like would itbdry out too quickly and that stuff’s expensive. Right now I’m loving maybelline’s falsies volume express flared. I also really like they’re real but Im not keen on the way they make my lashes feel. Clinique’s high impact mascara is also good. Sephora has a lash sampler that has all kinds of mascara to try out. Good luck 🙂
I’ve bought great lash. It definitely was a little clumpy but the worst mascara ever is anything reckon I’ve tried!! I tried Cover girl lash blast and surprisingly really liked it so that’s what I’m using now. I buy most of my other makeup at sephora but to spend a lot on mascara seems silly since I go through a tube a month at least
*revlon not reckon
I used to use Dove energy glow, until I found St. Tropez Gradual Tan Lotion!! You can find it at Sephora. It’s a bit pricey but, in my opinion, totally worth it. It’s about $30 a bottle and usually lasts me for a month or two (I use way more in the summer vs. winter). I justify the cost because a spray tan in a salon will run you $30-45 for a single session and two days of applying this lotion looks just as good! The smell is fantastic and you cannot beat the natural color!
I too hate that Maybelline mascara!
Good suggestion about the Sunkess tanning lotion for your face. I am so pale lately! Summer needs to happen!
I love Cover Girl Lash Blast and definitely agree with you about the Great Lash mascara:). Not good.
Try Clinique and you will never try another mascara. Ever.
I’m a huge fan of Jergens Natural Glow (it’s a gradual tanning lotion) & I always get the Skin Firming kind! I like how it feels on and it does make my skin feel & look tighter 🙂
I love the idea of adding cauliflower to the marinara sauce! That would be a great way to sneak in veggies to a kid as well!
The new Jergens gradual tan lotions that specify “Great Color Without the Odor” are amazing! I have tried so many and absolutely hate the smell. I’ve tried the Jergens before and still couldn’t stand the smell, but this new formula they’ve recently come out with has finally gotten rid of it. 🙂 totally worth trying it out.
Great Lash is terrible! It’s cheap and I’ve never been able to understand why women love it so much. It smells bad too! Jergens has a good tanning lotion, and so does Victoria’s Secret
Benefit’s “they’re real” is the best!
I am a huge fan of Jergen’s sunless tan lotion. Like you, I cannot stand ones that smell like self-tanner and this one isn’t bad at all!
I know you asked a makeup question, but for any cauliflower haters who want to add more cruciferous veggies to their diet, look up a recipe for cauliflower breadsticks! You can taste the cheese and whatever spices you choose to add, but definitely not the cauliflower. Sooo good!
I am a mascara freak, and I have a ton, but I’ve actually never seen that Almay one. I typically go for Revlon or Maybelline stuff, though, so maybe I just wasn’t looking. Thanks for the reccomendation, though. I love trying new stuff.
My favorite sunless tanner is Banana Boat Summer Color in the dark one. I usually mix it with regular lotion a little to make it more like a gradual tanner. But if you need a tan fast, this stuff does the trick. I never get orangy from it, but it doesn’t smell great.
I love They’re Real by Benefit. It’s amazing stuff. It seems to clump on me if I try to use two coats but you really only need one, I just get greedy sometimes and have to try 🙂 I have recently discovered the Versa Pro tanning booth at Palm Beach Tan. It is kind of expensive but I have the membership where I pay once a month and get unlimited tans. I go twice a week and I love the color. When I went to sign up they sprayed a tan with the Mystic and the Versa formulas and you could tell the Mystic had an orange base and the Versa had a pink base to it. Plus with the Versa Pro there are tons of different options. Pretty cool and I think it’s worth the expense since my mom finding out she had skin cancer last year.
OH! I hate that Maybelline mascara. I have even bought it a few times trying to figure out what I am missing. My main problem with mascara: when it doesn’t hold the curl. (I don’t like the other fave, Benefit’s BADgirl lash, for that very reason.) I will have to try Almay. Thanks!!
Julie! Every time you post a pasta meal, I get serious cravings! I don’t often use sunless tanner because it just doesn’t work well with my skin and freckles. Mascara is a main component of my make up repertoire and I use Maybelline Great Lash and Benefits Bad Girl. I find with mascara that I need to roll the stick on a bit of tissue paper to unglob it. Once I apply, everything comes out nice, smooth, and not clumpy.
I love Benefit’s Bad Gal Lash. I’m also a fan of Clinique’s mascaras. I never use tanner because I’m so pale it would look fake! haha
I love They’re Real mascara, and I just tried Laura Mercier waterproof and I love it too!
I have never used sunless tanner, but I use the same mascara you do! Love it!!
Maybelline mascara – the green and pink kind. It rocks!!
http://unintentionalhappenings.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/you-dont-have-to-buy-anything/
I am definitely obsessed with mascara and as a resident ghost, I am some what of a self tanner connoisseur! I have tried them all….. sprays, lotions, getls, towels, gradual, quick! I really like the ones that come in the aerosol type spray bottles because they dry quickly and I can reach my back. I like L’oreal’s spray tanner and Banana Boats new spray tanner is actually rally good as well. It doesn’t really have a scent at all and drys really quickly!
I love love love the Jergens Natural Glow sunless tanning lotion! 🙂 I use it on my legs.. I’ve never used sunless tanner in my body, arms, or face!! I must look pretty strange, now that I think about it! Hm… Haha
I do not like Maybelline Great Lash Mascara. I am so glad I am not alone. I thought I was crazy cause all the magazines say it’s the best. I use CoverGirl Lash Exact and Ulta BountiFULL. I keep coming back to the same ones so I finally decided to stick with them.
I wear mascara daily and usually get whatever is on sale- I know the pink and green one you’re talking about and while it’s good it’s not great. I use to really like the mascaras that used a white brush before you applied the black.
I wish I could use sunless tanner more often, I don’t know if it would be to good use for me at the moment considering absolutely freezing and still snowing up here in Canada. Once bikini season comes along, I will definitely be lathering up on the bronzer 🙂 I’m more of a mascara person, my favorite is Hypnose Doll Lashes by Lancome. It gives a really nice, even and soft look to the eyes. The pasta looks absolutely divine btw!! That is such a smart idea to mash up some cauliflower to give the sauce a thicker consistency as well as to boost the nutritional value!
YUM! I have not had pasta in FOREVER, your pasta made my mouth water! My favorite Mascara right now is Tartes Gifted + sunless tanner is St Tropez Foam. Love + Shine CourtStar
Dove Energy Glow’s on ebay, Julie.
I think L’Oreal makes great sunless tanners! I have their little aerosol can that coats pretty evenly, though I still like to rub it around in case it leaves streaks. I don’t use it often but when I do, that one is my favorite thus far. 🙂
L’Oreal Voluminous in Carbon Black…. love love! Lashes for dayssss! I am also obsessed with L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Tanning Mist and Tanning Towelettes! Never streak nor orange and always a coupon! 🙂
HA HA HA…I agree, that pink and green tube mascara is horrible! And sunless tanner, ugh, equally horrifying!
Just love how you worded it..hehe 😀
I like to buy fancy mascaras from Sephora and do not use sunless tanner.
You have to try some tan towels! I have bought the L’Oreal brand of tan towels before and love them! It is so much easier and cleaner than any lotions, sprays or foams I have ever tried! Work so much better and don’t leave me orange and streaky! 😉
I use Fake Bake which is a sunless face tanner and I love it! It’s a bit pricier but it blends really well and doesn’t leave my face orange at all.
I use Dove Summer Glow (the one without the shimmer) if it’s similar to the energy glow, which I would imagine it is, they sell it in the UK so might be worth buying a bottle while you’re here to check/stocking up!!
I’m always looking for a new mascara — I haven’t found “the one” yet. That green and pink tube made my eyes all puffy/gross (I think I was allergic) so I completely agree it’s terrible! I hope maybe Almay will be better…
For some reason I use that terrible green cap pink bottle stuff. I don’t know why I buy it because I don’t like it but I guess their marketing campaign sucks me in before I remember that I don’t like it? I have a fear of sunless tanner because I’m very pale and have a fear of becoming Orange.
i use arbonne mascara and sunless tanner. their products are completely botanical and actually have an expiration date on them. i LOVE knowing they don’t have any preservatives in them! if it’s important to be healthy both inside and out!