Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique. Yum!

Hi Guys! I don't have a beauty related post today.. just a couple yummy pictures! After George got out of his morning meeting in the city, he picked me up a little treat. He was waiting for the valet to bring back his car, when he caught a glimpse of lots of people walking out of a little boutique with cupcakes in hand. We both loved Sprinkles Cupcakes back when we were in California. This place reminded him of Sprinkles, so he ran across the street to get me one (or a couple LOL) to do a taste test to see if their cupcakes would compare.

I was at home today doing lots of cleaning and re-organizing.. I was so happy that I was doing so much moving around and that I had eaten very healthy all day. Then yeah, George pulled up my driveway with a little box in hand and my healthy eating did a quick spiral downhill. Part of me wanted to choke him considering he knew I wanted to stay clear of sweets, especially since my birthday is in a couple of weeks.. and the other part of me wanted to slam the car door and run in the house to grab a fork. *sigh* The power of sugar. But, its the thought that counts right? Lol. Anyways, I thought I would share a couple of pictures and thoughts!



Pure Chocolate
Dark chocolate cake with rich dark chocolate buttercream


Texas Red Velvet
Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting


Thoughts: Right away, I stuck my finger in the cream cheese frosting off of the red velvet cupcake. And YUM. It's extremely light & silky in texture. It tastes very home made and very fresh. It wasn't rich or overly sweet. The texture of the cake was similar to the texture of fresh cornbread.. it wasn't all that moist, but overall very tasty. As for the pure chocolate, The frosting was a complete different texture. It was creamy, but I found it to be pretty thick (not like birthday cake frosting, thick like peanut butter. Where it coats your tongue and the roof of your mouth when you eat a fork full). It definately has a strong dark chocolate taste. Again, it wasn't overly sweet or rich.. it had a nice slight sweetness to it. The cake I was a little disappointed with. It was very moist, but it reminded me of the Pillsbury $1 a box chocolate cake mix. I did enjoy the cupcakes, and if I ever decide to go, I would try out a different flavor. Maybe the "Strawberry Dream" or the "Vanilla Milk Chocolate".

Conclusion: Sprinkles still holds my trophy for the yummiest cupcakes.



Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique is located on 115 N. Wabash Chicago, IL 60602. A few blocks down from Millennium Park.

http://www.sugarblisscakes.com/

Has anyone else tried their cupcakes? If so, which ones?? :)

OH, And if you're a Red Velvet Cake lover, there is a great recipe on the Food Network website. It was a huge hit with my family when I made it. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/southern-red-velvet-cake-recipe/index.html

Pictures from my best friends birthday party! :)

I had a few pictures I thought I'd share..

For my best friend's 22nd birthday party, we went to Medieval Times. If you don't know what it is, it's like an enchanted castle that puts on a show with knights with swords on horses and there's a king and queen and lots of action. My friend is into kiddy fun.. so this was something cute. A lot of people didn't end up coming so it ended up being a double date. We had a good time. :)

It was my 2nd time going there. I went once when I was 10 for a school field trip. haha! I didn't follow the story line then, and I didn't follow it this time.. LOL. The horses were SO cute! I'm not really a a horse lover, but I fell in love with horses after this.

I'm not a huge fan of their food.. but you're mainly going there for the show. They don't give you any utensils. You're suppose to eat with your hands to get the full "Medieval Times" experience. I should of thought of stashing a fork. haha!

Miss Field's.. yummayyy.

Her boyfriend bought her a Betsy Johnson dress and shoes for her birthday present.. Isn't she a doll??? :)

I tried out adding lashes to my bottom lash line for the 1st time. I really liked it.. I think I'll do it more often. I used Duralash Naturals in Short Black with Duo lash adhesive. They stayed all night long.. and you couldn't tell they were fake!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sheer Moisture Creme SPF30 Review!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sheer Moisture Creme SPF30

Product Description: Sheer Moisture Crème SPF 30 is a hydrating and ultra-light day crème that works for all skin types. This truly innovative fragrance-free formula softens the skin and provides protection against UVA/UVB rays and free radicals that can cause signs of aging.

A uniquely designed dispensing pump ensures a clean application every time.

-Dermatologist Tested

-Hypoallergenic

-Non-Comedogenic (won't clog pores)

-Paraben Free

-Fragrance Free

The Sheer Moisture Creme has become part of my every day routine for the past month. I always make sure to apply the cream to my face first thing in the morning after I've cleansed my face, or right before application of my liquid makeup.

The consistency is perfect for a day cream - it's lightweight (but not runny) and isn't thick or greasy like some other day moisturizers I've tried.

It absorbs quickly into my skin without leaving an oily residue behind, creating a perfect, smooth base for my foundation.

As an added bonus, there is an SPF of 30, so I don't have to add additional sunscreen to my face. Also, it's fragrance free, so there's no unpleasing scent of sunscreen. (I really dread the smell of sunscreen)

I can't say using this cream has transformed my skin over the course of the month, but it's been keeping my skin well hydrated (as well as protected) and I can skip using primer!

The Round-Up

Pros:

• Great Packaging- I wish more products were designed like this! It's a pump dispenser, so you just have to push the top down to dispense a pea sized amount of product. This is great for sanitary reasons and so you won't dispense too much product that isn't necessary.
• Absorbs quickly. It didn't leave my skin feeling oily or greasy.
• Lightweight. It's a great daytime moisturizer that works well before applying makeup.
• Reacted well to my skin. I didn't have any irritations or breakouts.
• A good amount of SPF (30).
• Moisturizing
• No fragrance.

Cons:

• A slight con of the packaging is that you can't tell how much product is in the container. I won't know until one day I push the pump and nothing will dispense. haha!
• I didn't notice any significant changes in my skin after using this product. I'm saying significant because I have noticed my skin feels softer, but I can't say for sure that it's from this product or others that I am using.

Price: $40, Anastasia.

Recent Q&A's!

Hi Guys! I've had loads of questions in the past few weeks and haven't been able to get around to all of them because my Internet has been down (Seriously for over a month..) Since responding to messages on my board on the right sidebar are restricted to 100 characters, I thought I'd make a post instead. Also, I haven't posted much lately because I borrowed my camera to a friend two weeks ago and I haven't seen her yet to get it back.. and I always like to post pictures with my posts. :)

Q: What are you currently using on your brows?A: For the past month, I've been using Essence Eyebrow Designer Pencil in the shade "Brown 02". I purchased it at the very beginning of March from ULTA for $1.49. I would describe the color as a chestnut brown. I really like this pencil. Its a really great consistency and the formula is smooth, but not too smooth where its smudgy. It is pigmented, but you can control the pigmentation by using a light hand. My brows don't budge all day long. It has a brush at the end of the cap which is very useful to even out the color, but I use a regular spoolie. (I use the spoolie from my Milani Easybrow Liner purchased from CherryCulture) Then, I finish my brows off with MAC Brow Set in the shade "Girl Boy". This brow set has become an HG product for me especially with my hair color at the moment. It adds natural color to my brows. My brows are a dark ash brown, while my hair is a caramel brown. "Girl Boy" adds caramel coloring to my brows and helps keep them in place.


Q: What is your current skincare routine?A: I don't have much of a routine or a system. I'd really like to get a good cleansing system to do daily, but the funds just aren't there right now. Currently, I use Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes at night to remove all of my makeup (I use the night calming and the regular ones. The regular ones are more oily and the night calming ones are slightly drier). About twice a week, I use an exfoliation glove with some lather and lightly rub my face in circular motions. I press a little harder on my nose and chin to make those areas squeaky clean and shiny. I know when my nose starts to look dull and matte under my foundation, it needs a good exfoliation. :) Then, If I have time or remember, I'll moisturize my face with whatever I have available. I have a ton of odds and end samples I use up. I then apply self tanner to my face before I go to sleep. If I have a pimple pending (lol), I'll do the Aspirin Mask before I go to bed as well. In the morning, I use another Neutrogena Makeup Remover Towelette to remove any excess color from my self tanner. I then apply my Perricone MD and follow with a moisturizer. For a moisturizer, I've been using Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Relief and I really, really like it. Its like a moisturizer and primer in one.



Q: Do you use a primer prior to makeup application?A: I always use a moisturizer before I apply my foundation. I like primers that have the consistency of a thin moisturizer or a gel formula (such as Laura Gellar Spackle) that makes the skin slippery and moist so the foundation won't apply thick or cakey. I haven't come across any primers that make a noticeable difference in how long my makeup lasts. I've been using Rimmel's Fix & Perfect Primer and it works alright to keep shine away. I don't know if I would repurchase it though. I've been hearing raves about Clarin's primer.. I'd like to give it a try soon.

Q: If your skin was 1-2 shades lighter, what shade of Estee Lauder Double Wear would you purchase?A: If my skin was 1-2 shades lighter, It would be a MAC NC30-35. I'm an NC40. The shade I wear (Tawny) runs light, but it blends well once I apply some bronzer. Shell Beige is a shade darker and can work on me as well, but I liked the look of Tawny better. If I were to go a shade lighter than Tawny, I'd go with Sand which should be a good NC30 match.

Warm Shades (Golden)1w1 bone
2w1 sand
3w1 tawny
4w1 shell beige
5w1 bronze
6w2 spice

Neutral Shades (Beige)1N1 ecru
2N1 desert beige
2N2 fresco
3N1 ivory beige
4N1 wheat
5N1 soft tan
6N1 truffle

Cool Shades (Pink)1c1 shell
2c1 dusk
3c1 pebble
4c1 suede
5c1 soft chestnut
6c1 rich cocoa

Q: In Double Wear What's a good color match for NC37-40?A: *sigh* I use Tawny, but it's not the perfect color match for my skin tone. It's the closest match out of all of the shades available though. Just about all the reviews I read, NC35-40's wear Tawny. I used Shell Beige a few years back, but I didn't like the way it photographed. It had a pink tone to it which I didn't like. I would like to try it again though and see how it works because it's definitely been a while. I found that tawny is more golden.. but it is definitely a lot lighter. I find it to be less yellow than MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC40.. I would match it to a NC35. It's slightly yellow/golden, but more beige than MAC. MAC has a strong yellow undertone. I don't believe any shades of double wear have a strong yellow tone. You may need to mix shades, if you can find a good in between color. But that ends up being very pricey. I like to put a drop of double wear in with any foundation to give my foundation extra coverage.

Q: Do you use any products to tone down the pigmentation of your lips?A: I do have pigmented pink lips and I do a few things to lighten them up. Usually in the morning when I apply a moisturizer, I apply a lip balm as well. A favorite of mine is Smith's Rosebud Salve or Blistex. Then after it has softened my lips, I rub off any peeled tissue and my lips are soft and moisturized. When I apply my foundation, I use my brush at the end to go over my lips lightly with whatever is left on the brush. I pat them off with a tissue, and take a powder puff and press a tiny bit of setting powder on my lips. This will set the foundation residue on my lips. Without the powder, if you apply lipstick or gloss, you'll end up mixing it with the residue on your lips and ultimately, the pigmentation of your lips will show through again. I then apply my lip liner, lipstick and gloss. I love using MAC Myth or Fleshpot, Revlon Nude Attitude & Revlon Colorburst Soft Nude as a base for any nude glosses or mixed with lipsticks to tone down the color.

Q: How did you lighten your hair from black to brown? A: Anti dandruff Shampoo and heat is known to lighten your hair. If you flat iron your hair or use a blow dryer, this will slowly fade your hair color. Anti dandruff shampoos/clarifying naturally strip your hair color slowly. I use head and shoulders shampoo and I use heat on my hair frequently, which is why my hair fades so fast. I wish it didn't because it fades to an auburn color, which I don't like with my skin tone. But, I get lots of compliments on it! :) I read that Prell Shampoo works very good.

Q: What foundation do you recommend other than NARS Sheer Glow that is medium coverage and light weight?
A: For a light weight foundation that offers medium coverage, I would recommend Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation. The finish is very natural and satiny. It doesn't look like you're wearing heavy makeup (or feel like it) and the lasting power/coverage is great! I use it on special occasions.

Q: What brush do you use on your outer eyes to create a smokey look? A: Once I fill a shade all over my lid and fill in my crease with a crease brush, I use a flat, fluffy brush to blend and extend out. I usually will go over my crease and bring it up over my crease without adding any more product. I will sometimes apply the tiniest bit of a lighter shade over my crease with the same brush (for example if I filled my lid in black, I'd use a deep gray). The brush I typically use is the MAC 239 Shader Brush.