March 2012 Favorites

Items: 

1) Anastasia Brunette Brow Powder Duo-II

2) MUA Trio Eyeshadow - Smoke Screen

3) Sleek MakeUP Pout Polish Bare Minimum

4) MAC Viva Glam I Lipstick

Swatches

Anastasia Brunette Brow Powder Duo-II

MUA Trio Eyeshadow - Smoke Screen

L-R: Bare Minimum and MAC Viva Glam I Lipstick

What were your favorites this month?

Thanks for reading,

Update: Operation Insanity (Week 3) and Koko Head Hike

Yesterday began my week 3 workouts for Insanity!  So far I have been doing very good and my body rarely feels any aches or sores.  My legs and butt is looking better.  As for my arms, I am still working on those.  I cannot wait until I get rid of all this fat on my triceps and lower stomach area.  Those are currently my problem areas.  Even though I have been very diligent on working out every day, seeing my "muffin top" makes me depressed.  I hate it when I sit down and you just see all that fat.  One day it will be all gone!  This is a promise I am making to myself. 

I will not be posting my measurements this week.  I plan to do it every two weeks.  Also, I forgot to take pictures of myself this week, but I will have some up next week.  This is probably TMI too, but my monthly friend will be visiting me soon, which explains why I am bloated at the moment. 

Moving on, I wanted to share with all of you my experience on hiking Koko Head here in Oahu, Hawaii.  I have many friends who hiked this trail, but this was my first time.  Crazy, right?  Especially since I was born and raised on this island for 25+ years.  My cousin from Kansas visited us and she wanted to go hiking.  So my brother suggested this trail.  He said it was "easy."  However, my cousin seemed to higher disagree.  Haha.  My cousin and I had no idea what we were going up against.  Once I saw the actual trail, I could not believe how steep the hike was.  Not to mention it was already 11:00am once we got there so the sun was beaming right at us. 

On the very bottom of the trail

On the very top of the trail

My brother and I celebrating completing the hike.  I got so sunburnt, but it was worth it.

My brother hiked this trail before so he knew what to expect and did great.  I am very competitive so I tried to see if I could beat him.  But my brother was like a machine.  He paced himself, rarely taking any breakts, and kept going.  Whereas for myself, I would rest after 5-10 steps because my body was not use to it.  All of the hikers were very encouraging and we would cheer each other on.  So that was a great motivation.  Insanity did help me a lot too.  I managed to complete the trail in approximately 31 minutes.  That was not too bad considering it was my first time.  I have friends who took about an hour to two hour just to hike up the mountain.  Going down was very quick and easy, but always be aware because you could fall down.  I have seen it happen.

The beautiful views from the top of the mountain!

Hiking Koko Head was quite an adventure.  If you are ever in Oahu, I highly recommended hiking this trail.  It will feel like a great accomplishment once you reach the top.  It is tough but the view is worth it.  You will not regret it.  Also, please dress appropriately.  I saw some of the tourist wear slippers/flip flips. If you bring a backpack, pack lightly because it will be feel like a ton of weight on your back as you go up. 

What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading,

MUA Makeup Academy Professional Primer

After emptying out my ELF Primer, I was excited to finally get to try out my MUA Primer.  I had received this from my latest beauty swap.  I cannot tell you how much it is but you will get 27ml of product in this compact black tube.  

As stated on this tube, "Flawlessly evens out complexion.  A velvety smooth formula that feels light on your skin and creates a flawless even complexion.  Wear alone or under foundation for a long-lasting finish."  

This primer has a very runny and non-greasy consistency.  Usually when I am in a rush, I will just wear this primer alone and add on a bit of powder.  This primers seems to take a while for it to set.  That is one pet peeve of mine, especially if I need to leave in a hurry.  But once it has settled in, my skin feels very smooth and my complexion evens out.  MUA is a great brand and has yet to fail me.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading,

the Balm: Shady Lady Vol. 2 Swatches

Here is the swatches of my volume two of theBalm: Shady Lady palette.  If you missed my vol one post, you can find it here: theBalm: Shady Lady Vol. 1 Swatches. I love the mixture of colors in this palette.  I wish I had known about theBalm earlier.  Their eyeshadows are just amazing and so pigmented.  This palette seems to have a lot of neutral friendly shades, which I love.  I think you can never have enough neutrals.

Front

Back

I love the neutral shades.  

L-R: Caught in the Act Courtney, Feisty Felicia, and Insane Jane.  

For some reason, Caught in the Act Courtney is a repeat because it was also in the vol. 1 palette.

L-R: Bossy Bobbi, Makeout Mary, and Just This Once Jamie

L-R: Mischievous Marissa, Tempting Tara, and Devilish Danielle

Which eyeshadow do you like best?

Thanks for reading,

Update: Operation Insanity (Week 2)

Today marks the beginning of week 2 for my Insanity workout.  I am very proud of myself for continuing on and pushing myself to work harder.  Looking back at my week 1 pictures, I already see results.  My waist has gotten a bit smaller and I noticed my stomach area is a little flatter. Also, everything else (arms, legs, butt) are much more toned.  

Last week (week 1) was tough.  My entire body, especially my legs/calves were very sore.  It made me walk awkwardly but I pushed through and kept up with my daily sessions.  Eventually on day 4 (cardio recovery) my legs no longer ached.  The workouts are all about 30-45 minutes long.  At first, I thought that was long but it really goes by quick.  Whenever I workout, I will always wear just a sports bra and pants/shorts and do my exercises in front of a mirror.  Being able to see myself in the mirror allows me to do the exercises correctly and keeps me motivated, especially when I see my tummy fat giggle!  

To keep track of my progress, I will use a tape measure instead of depending on the scale.  My week 2 measurements are:  (Hopefully I did the measurements correct)

• Bust: 33.5 in
• Chest: 29 in
• Waist: 28 in
• Hips: 33 in
• Thighs: 21.5 in
• Calves: 13.5 in
• Upper arm: 10.5 in
• Forearm: 9.5 in

Day 8 March 19, 2012

(Pre-workout) Front view

Side view

With my face

I promise I do not always workout with makeup, but I just got home from the mall and figured I will just take my "face" off when I take a shower after my Insanity session.

Stay tuned for next weeks update/results!

What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading,

Coach Sunglass

For Christmas, my brother gave me Coach shades.  It is my first pair and I love them.  I know the Coach case is a bit bulky, but I like it.  It reassures me that the shades are safe.  Usually I avoid buying sunglasses with huge lenses because I am not sure if it matches my face shape, but I do not care.  These are now my favorite.  My brother did a good job picking them out.

I love the "Coach" imprint on the lenses

It probably looks weird on me, no?  I did notice though that it tends to slip down my nose a lot.  I guess my nose is not the right fit for it, but that's alright.  I do not mind at all.

What do you think of these?

Thanks for reading,

Operation INSANITY!

Before my husband left for his deployment, we made a bet to see who will lose the most weight/have a flatter tummy (or in his case a 6 pack) when he comes back home.   Since he will be gone for about six months I am determined to get in shape and look great for his homecoming.  I have been dying to try Insanity and P90X for a while now.  Thankfully my friend gave me both DVDs.  Right now I am doing Insanity.  

Insanity is a 60 day workout program.  You have 10 different workouts that you will need to do throughout the 60 days.  Your goal is to just keep pushing yourself to do better, do more of the exercises, and get fit.  You also receive a workout calendar, which tells you when to do which workout on which day.  It is a very easy program to follow.  Another thing I really like is that you do not need to purchase any equipment.  

I began Insanity on Monday, March 12, 2012.  My goal is to keep you all updated on my progress so I will try to post weekly updates and take pictures so you can see if my body is showing any results.  Unfortunately, I could not find my tape measure so I have no idea what my measurements are at the moment.  But I do know that I currently weigh 117 lbs.  

By the way, I am really sorry if the pictures are not that great.  I don't have my tripod with me in Hawaii so I have to resort taking my pictures using a mirror and the lighting at my parents' place is horrendous.

  

Day 1 March 12, 2012

(Pre-workout) Don't mind my VERY pale tummy.  It does not see the sun much. 

With my face this time so you know it is really me and not photoshopped.  

Day 3 March 14, 2012

(Post-workout)

Side view

With my face.  I look terrible, exhausted and so RED!

After taking my Day 1 pictures, I realized that I did not have a "side view" so that is why I have today (Day 3) pictures so you can see what my body looks like from the side.

After I complete the first week I will give you a more detailed post on my thoughts of the workout, how I am feeling, and more.  Wish me luck on completing Insanity!

What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading,

Happy Birthday, D.G.S.Beauty!

Today marks my blog's one year old birthday!  A year ago I wrote my very first blog post for D.G.S.Beauty (MAC Cosmetics).  I honestly cannot believe how quickly my blog has grown over this past year.  When I first began blogging, it was really just as a hobby for myself since I was a stay at home mother and needed something to keep me sane while my husband was out at sea.  I would never have imagined it would be as big as it is today.  Thank you to all of my readers and followers for your support. You all are amazing and keep my blog going.  I am planning to host a one year giveaway soon.  I hope to have it up by next month so be on the lookout!

Thanks again for reading,

FOTD: Shop My Stash

Today I decided to "Shop My Stash."  It has been a while since I used a lot of my MAC eyeshadows so I finally had a chance to play with them.   

FACE

MUA Primer

MAC MSF Natural Medium Dark

MAC Studio Sculpt NC30

Sleek Bronzer

Accessorize Baked Blush Scandal

EYES

UDPP Eden

MAC Shroom

MAC Fig. 1

MAC Star Violet

Wet n' Wild Black Eyeliner

Anastasia Brunette Brow Powder Duo-II

LIPS

Lancome Juicy Tubes

What do you think?  Like?

Thanks for reading,

Naturopathica: Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex

First of all, I am VERY sorry for my delayed review on this product.  I had originally planned to write about this a few weeks ago but got sidetracked with a few other beauty items.  Anyways, here we go!  

I was sent this Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex from Naturopathica a while back.  Before my 30 Day Challenge, I used this product every single day.  

Unblended and Blended

Overall, I was very pleased with this.  When I first used this product, I did get a small pimple.  HOWEVER, that seems to always happen to me when I use new products.  Soon after it went away.  This is a very light moisturizer, which seems to have cleared out my skin and seems more radiant.  It has a slight scent to it but that quickly goes away.  

What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading,