15 Questions | Fall Tag

Scarfs, sweaters, comfort food, beautiful scenery and family/group gatherings; All the signs that Fall is here and we are beginning to close out yet another year. With that being said,  I ran across a Fall Tag online and figured I would take a crack at answering the questions. 

Here we go!

1. Favorite candle scent?
When is comes to actual candles, I'm a fan of fruitier scents however, in wax melts I enjoy Glades Cashmere woods; Somethings about this scent gives off a fresh manly scent.

2. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate?
I like them all equally in the colder months: 
Coffee choice is Maxwell House Hazelnut or French Vanilla. Tea, Biglowe Lemon Ginger tea. Hot chocolate...No preference, its all delicious.

3. What's the best the Fall memory you have?
Growing up on the coast, our family had a large tree in the front yard so when Fall hit all the leaves would fall and I kind of enjoyed helping rake the leaves into piles. I also enjoyed falling into said piles of leaves until one day I discovered a slug was on me afterwards...So ended that experience.

4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips off winged eyeliner?
I would have to say winged eyeliner. I have yet to find a lipstick that I think fits me. 

5. Best fragrance for fall?
My mother stocked me up on The Body Shop's Warm Amber body wash a few years back and after giving away 2 and realizing that I really enjoyed the scent...I fell in love. I finally used up all my bottles and now I am missing it *insert sad face emoji*

6. Favorite Thanksgiving food(s)?
*So yeah...Thanksgiving has come and gone buuuuuut* Hands down: Mom's sweet potato pie, granny's cranberry salad (please note: this is NOT that crap that comes in a can...Granny hooks it up) and stuffing.

7. What is Autumn weather like where you live? 
Living in NC that weather is crazy; it could be Fall and Monday the high is 48. Tuesday 75 with a chance of rain... It is very random.

8. Most worn sweater? 
Last Fall I really got into purchasing sweaters and my favorite is this soft pink and grey leopard print one purchased from Torrid.

9. Must-have nail polish this Fall?
I won't say this is a must have however, I do have a favorite Fall color. I spoke of this years ago in my Pick 6 for Fall: Five Below has/had a burgundy polish called "Jazz Hands" that I enjoy wearing in Fall.

10. Football games or jumping in leaves?
Honestly, I'm not too much pressed for either of the two.

11. Skinny jeans or leggings?
I would choose skinny jeans (personally not a fan of wearing leggings in public).

12. Combat boots or Uggs?
Uh... Combats boots ALL DAY LONG. I have never been into the Uggs trend.

13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?
In my opinion...No. I would much rather have hazelnut flavor or something with the taste of sweet potato.

14. Favorite Fall TV show?
I absolutely LOVE AMC's The Walking Dead (follow #DemDeadz  on Twitter for great commentary during the show)...And now I'm patiently waiting for February to come for the new episode.

15. What song really gets you into the Fall spirit?
*crickets* there really isn't a song that gets me in the Fall spirit.


So, who do I tag???? EVERYONE!
 *ready, set, go!*

Guess Who's Back?

Having a larger figure than the average person means there are limited choices as far as clothing stores with trendy items that are reasonably priced. So when I find a store I stick with it.

Unfortunately, in the later part of last year, a store that I would frequent for cute and simple items announced they were closing down HOWEVER, this past Saturday I received the following email:

Is this a cruel joke?: Sending me an email to a store that [last I checked] was long gone.

So, I followed the link and realized that there is an online ordering option. To verify, I did a Google search for news and discovered that dots was bought by a company in Florida that decided to give the chain another chance. Along with this, some of the store locations would reopen. 

(Source: crainscleveland.com)

So yes, dots is back and the location in Garner, NC has re-opened. I took the time to swing through to take a look at things and while speaking with a sales rep was informed that the store has been opened since January 30th.

Were you a dots shopper? If so what items do you enjoy?

Pick 6 - Fall

Seasons Greetings! 
We're officially in Winter and 'Tis The Season for shopping, family, and recapping on what has transpired this year BUT, before we move forward  I'd like to share some of my favorite items from Fall. So...

L E T S   G E T   S T A R T E D !  

Hair - Simple protective styles. It honestly took  me a while to go back to basics with my hair. Understanding that protective styles do not always have be complicated (ie: small flat twist, mini twist...styles that take more that 20mins to get together). With my new cut I have been wearing my hair out a lot but when I'm not in the mood to deal with it, I pin my hair in a simple pompadour and rock it out for a few days. So easy to do and it helps me keep my hair stretched.





Fashion - Cardigans and Sweaters. What more must I say? This is a timeless piece in any persons
wardrobe.  You can dress them up or down and they are great for layering. Not to mention they can be found EVERYWHERE. I'm particularly loving Merona's cowl neck sweaters at Target (purchased in both gray and black).




Beauty - NYX Setting Spray, Matte. I figured I would take a chance on trying this spray to help with setting my eyebrows. I've been filling in my brows for a while now and SHOULD be use to the fact that there is makeup on my face but I still have a habit of touching my face and then the desk at work and papers, thus leaving brown makeup streaks everywhere. NYX setting spray actually helps combat this. I will say that I wish it kept my face with the matte finish but I think its just my skin. Again, does the job at keeping the makeup on  my face and off my fingers so, thumbs up.






Skin - Sugar Scrubs. when the colder weather hits I slack off one task...SHAVING MY LEGS. Luckily my legs aren't that hairy so it isn't a big deal. To replace  this chore I do a nice full body scrub once a week to keep my skin feeling smooth in the colder months.
There are 2 scrubs that I enjoy: 1st is Shea Moisture Superfruit Complex scrub (still loving on this product from my Spring Pick 6). The 2nd scrub is Tree Huts Pomegranate Acai scrub. Both smell awesome and while it would be easy to make my own scrubs... I can't duplicate the fragrances.



Accessories - Gold! Over the past year, I have been buying more gold accessories lately to mix it up. Particularly loving my gold boyfriend watch from Charming Charlies, and my large button style gold earrings from Aldo.




Random -  iSound Twist Wireless Speaker. This rechargeable speaker has a long battery life and the sound quality is great considering the size of the speaker. It's also easy to pair it to your device(s). I take it around the apartment with me while cleaning when I need to keep my phone on the charger. I also bring it in the bathroom  for shower time when pretending I'm a singer ('cause you know, everyone sounds great singing in the bathroom).

What items have you enjoyed this Fall?

- creatively coiled

Pick 6 - Summer

As much as I've enjoyed the sitting pool side, wearing sundresses, sun glasses, and digging my feet in the sand, we must soon say farewell to Summer (boooooo!). BUT before we do, I want to come to you all with some of my favorites this season. So...

                                                       L E T S   G E T   S T A R T E D !

Accessories - Viva La Juicy and Viva La Juicy Gold rollerball perfume. I've been leaning hard with this duo. Two fragrances in one and I'm able to slip it in my bag to take with me in case I'm in a rush. I am certainly a fan of the original Juicy Couture but I've enjoyed the Juicy Couture Gold for more of a "stepping out on the town" fragrance. The two smell very similar but the Gold has a hint of what may be vanilla (***does a quick Google search to verify my assumption***) YES! vanilla. which gives me a more grown and sexy vibe when applying.






Fashion - Old Navy T-Strap Flip Flops. Let me just say...I have worn these flips flops just about everyday this summer. Lately, I've had trouble finding a all black flip flop with straps (a lot of flip flops that are out now have black straps but the base/bottom is a different color...I'm plain). I like the quality of these because they're made with a heavier rubber (unlike the foam flip flops that are always on sale at Old Navy).




Beauty - Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes. Summer means sweat and I am not in the mood for wiping makeup off my face, and clothes. To still jazz up my look, I draw/fill in my eyebrows (click >>> HERE <<< to see my technique) and apply mascara. Great Lash is the best mascara I have used so far. It really defines my lashes. Also, I am "multiple application" gal (meaning I'll apply at least 3 coats to make my lashes pop). Now, it clumps a little but not nearly as bad as other mascaras I have used.




Hair - Afro Puff. Need I say more??? This Summer was not nearly as hot as I anticipated but, for those days
when I did not want to deal with my hair brushing my neck and/or sweating my hair out. I would simply wear a puff. When I first discovered I could achieve the afro puff with my own hair, I would only wear it when it was getting close to wash day BUT CHILE... I love it now! Bad hair day, good hair day, just not in the mood to deal with my hair, the puff is in full effect.




Skin - ***2-for-1***Neutrogena Astringent and Toner. So, for my Pick 6 for Spring I talked about how I use the Neutrogena Wave Sonic. I've gotten better with the routine but I'm only using it 2 days out of the week (as I noticed that using it everyday was drying my skin). My daily facial regimen after washing my face is to apply the Neutrogena Astringent on my problem spots (which clears me up in about 3 days). Then after that dries, I use the Alcohol Free Toner to close my pores, and to hopefully help keep my skin tight (as it is). This is really helping out my problem areas and my skin doesn't feel tight (like some medication make it feel) or dry after applying.

Image pulled from Crane website

Random - Crane Pop-up Sun Shelter. The husband and I made 2 trips to the beach. The 1st trip was a bit
of a hassle because it rained most of the day. Along with the rain came wind which ruined 2 beach umbrellas that we purchased when we arrived (very upset at the waste of money). Before we took our 2nd trip to the coast I lucked on this Pop-up Sun Shelter while shopping in Aldi. This thing is awesome!: Just like the name says, it is a pop-up shelter so no assembly required. It is large enough for both of us to sit out beach chairs in, easy to put away, AND it comes with a carrying bag. This made our day at the beach even more care-free because we were able to setup, and pack up quickly.

I'm tagging Ms.Naturally Random and anyone else that would like to participate.

What are some items that made your Summer???

-Creatively Coiled

Living the Lie - Eyebrows

If you took a look at my previous blog post you are aware that I draw on/ fill in my eyebrows. Now this goes without saying that I am aware of the fact that people are not seeing how I truly look at all times ( as I am sure all women who do this are aware of ). And I am OK with that.

I have had the conversation with my fiancee a few times as he has expressed his concern with my drawing my brows. Especially considering the fact that when we began talking (over 8 years ago) I did not wear makeup...Let alone draw on my eyebrows. He is still not a fan of "the brows" but is getting a bit more comfortable with it since I do it on regular now. He states that he does not like it simply because "it's fake".
I feel that as long as they look realistic/natural it is OK... Just like makeup: you can wear makeup and still have a natural look. I do draw my brows on however I try to avoid making them look too dramatic.

There is a YouTube video entitled RNP #1: YOUR EYEBROWS which is the a spoken word video where a guy is expressing his concern with the fact that a female woke up next to him the following morning with her face [makeup...including eyebrows] left on the pillow. I found this video to HILARIOUS because it is so true. On the few nights that I was to too lazy/tired to clean my face, I find that I've rubbed [my] eyebrows off.

What are your views on filling in eyebrows?
Do you draw or fill yours in?
How what are you spouses views on this?


-CreativelyCoiled

[My] Eyebrows

I am always surprised at the compliments that people give me on my eyebrows... Honestly, because I FILL THEM IN . My eyebrows are very sparse: the hairs are thin, and are very spaced out so it is as if I do not have any. Over the past 2 or 3 years I have started filling them in and giving them shape. [In my personal opinion] I have perfected the process. Since I have received so many compliments, why not show how I achieve my "Just shaped" looked:


What you will need:

• Spooly brush (Beauty Supply Brush)
• Eyebrow pencil (NYX in Black)
• Brow brush (Beauty Supply Brush)
• Concealer (L.A. Girl Pro.Conceal)
• Small angled makeup brush (e.l.f.)
• Setting powder (e.l.f.)

I- I make sure my face is clean (of course) and I gently brush my brows with the spooly to ensure the hairs are laying in the same direction.

II - Some people stray from using a black pencil because it is so prominent but it works just fine for me (maybe because of my complexion). I make sure my eyebrow pencil is as sharp as possible to outline my brow. at the most narrow part of the outline I color it in just a bit but leave the rest open.

Taken with flash to show my actual brow and the traced brow

 III  - With my brow brush, I brush from the most outer corner (where I colored it in) inward towards the center of my face. Brushing in this direction helps to fade out the pencil and give the brow a more natural look. 

IV-At this point I have eyebrows (yay!) BUT, I need to give them a clean shape. This is where the concealer and angle brush come in to play. With the concealer on the brush, I play clean up: concealing any unwanted pencil and hairs that are not in line with what I have drawn. 

Last step is taking setting powder and applying to the brows (so I forget they are fake and wipe them off). 

BAM! There you have it. I feel like I look very different (in a good way) with eyebrows however, the biggest thing now is committing to them because if they aren't drawn on...People notice (lol), but I'm OK with that. 

Do you draw on or fill in your brows? If so, what technique do you use?

-CreativelyCoiled

Shea Moisture Makeup Line?!

Going through my nightly ritual of checking all social media sites before going to bed, I ran across the following picture on instagram:

Photo snagged from @returnofthecurls

Yes this is makeup and YES, if you look closely that is Shea Moisture.
I'm already a fan of their hair products and use some as staples in my routine BUT, when I saw this photo I immediately reposted and began digging for information.
Shea Moisture announced that their cosmetic line "A Better Way to Beautiful" will launch this Spring exclusively in Target stores (information sourced from PR Newswire) *does happy dance* I'm not a makeup artist nor a makeup enthusiast but I am excited and can't wait to try it out. Are you a fan of Shea Moisture products? Do you plan on trying out their new cosmetic line?