One of my favorite YouTube-ers is MsPinkFabulous, who does amazing hauls and style videos with mainly vintage and thrift finds. She’s having a contest that closes tonight for her subscribers and giving away the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, among other prizes. I’ve never done a video in front of the camera before, but thought I’d give it a try for such a great prize. Check out my entry here.

Now that we’re well into the first month of 2012 (happy new year, by the way!), it seems appropriate to talk about weight/diet/exercise/health. That’s all I see on every blog, magazine, ad, TV show…the world gets weight-obsessed in January and isn’t afraid to make some noise about resolving to lose some pounds as a new year’s resolution. Sure, that eventually tapers off in March, but I figured I’d take some time now to give you my take on the whole issue.

After all, I do have quite a bit of experience. I have blogged before about my battle with weight and health, but I’ll share more of my story here. I never really felt comfortable with my weight. Even as a kid, I felt pudgy. Going into junior high and high school, I felt like I was ginormous, even though I was in no way, shape or form overweight. I constantly compared myself to others, even if their build was different than mine. It was hard to grasp that I was never going to be 5’9” and waif-like. I thought that was the ideal body, and I was destined instead to be 5’5” and chubby.

When I was 17 or so, I started to put on a bit more weight without realizing it. I attribute it to a combination of hormones and being a sulky teenager, using food to feel better. Again, I wasn’t overweight but also was not comfortable in my body and thought I was resigned to this figure forever. In college, like most people, I gained more weight. And, the first couple of years after graduating, I packed on more pounds — no longer did I live with parents who told me when and what to eat, so I developed really bad habits of not eating until 2 or 3 p.m., and then driving through a fast food place for my first meal of the day. I had the false impression that if I ate once a day, I could lose weight. I just didn’t take into consideration that even though I wasn’t eating a lot, I was essentially starving my body and forcing it to hold on to the fat I was gaining by eating McDonalds and Taco Bell every day.

Again, I wasn’t happy with my weight or how I looked, but I sort of felt defeated any time I thought about changing it. ‘I’m not really athletic, so I can’t work out,’ ‘It’s too expensive to buy healthy food,’ ‘I don’t have time to cook and the drive-thru is so convenient.’ — those were the thoughts that kept me in the same place for most of my early and mid-20’s. Then, I got engaged at 23. I realized that getting married not only meant that I was going to spend the rest of my life with the guy I loved (yay!) but also that I was going to be the center of attention as a bride (eek), and I was at my highest ever weight. At this point, I was definitely overweight. Not overweight in the sense that you could look at me and immediately think I needed some sort of medical intervention, but it was absolutely starting to show that I was “plus size.”

I told myself I had to lose weight for the wedding. I’d learned not really to allow myself to be photographed from the waist down, or to spend too much time analyzing “candid” pictures I was tagged in on Facebook, but you can’t really hide your figure if you’re a bride. I either was going to do something about my weight, or I was going to stay in the same place and be forced to hide the photos from my big day for years to come, rather than treasuring and displaying them.

Initially, I didn’t know where to start. I thought getting 100-calorie snack packs of cookies and chips was the way to go so I could still eat the foods I was used to eating, just in smaller portions. It turns out, that was completely the wrong philosophy. I had to flip my way of thinking and choose to change my lifestyle, rather than finding little loopholes and cheats to lose weight. I not only had to see a smaller number on the scale and a smaller size in my jeans — I had to commit to a healthy way of life.

I did end up losing weight for the wedding, although not as much as I would have liked. But I felt beautiful that day, and that’s really all that matters. Plus, I didn’t revert to my old eating habits after the wedding just because the cameras stopped flashing. I liked the progress I was making and wanted to see if I could lose even more weight. I took on what I could, when I could, as I felt comfortable, and here I am, three-and-a-half years later and down 60 or so pounds. I’m at my lowest adult weight (even less than I weighed in high school), and even more importantly, in the normal range for my height and build. I feel better, I look better, and I am better.

Ring, ring: It's my wake-up call. This is my "before."

I definitely think I look better, but more importantly, I feel better.

So, how did I do it? I thought I’d break down a few of the things that worked best for me. Keep in mind, none of these are quick fixes. You’re not going to lose 10 pounds in 10 days with this plan. I did this gradually, over several years, and have really worked to implement it into my life so that it’s not a “diet” that I can eventually mess up. This is just who I am and how I am now. And, I’m not a medical professional — this is real advice from a real person, and of course, consult your physician before making any changes in your lifestyle.

Eat (and drink) real food. I can’t emphasize enough how wrong I think it is for someone to think they can eat things like Oreos, Doritos, French fries, etc., and lose weight/be healthy. Even if those things are packaged in “100 calorie” or “snack size” bags, they’re not healthy. Do research and educate yourself on what makes up a healthy diet. I really like www.toneitup.com and www.livestrong.com as sources of nutritional information. Read labels and be very critical, not only about how much you put into your body, but what you take in as well. And soda? Just ditch that entirely, even if it’s diet (don’t even get me started on aspartame and artificial sweeteners.)

Pace yourself. Before I started to change my diet, I had no regular eating schedule. As I mentioned before, sometimes I wouldn’t eat a bite until well after noon, and I’d snack into the late hours. My body never knew when to expect food, and that negatively impacted my metabolism. I was able to lose weight without getting on a consistent eating schedule, but I started to lose even more (and to feel better and more energized throughout the day) when I began to eat five small meals a day. I’ve been doing this for about 6 months now, and each month, I’ve lost between 2-4 pounds without a plateau. I sort of follow the Tone It Up philosophy of beginning the day (first thing when I wake up, around 6 a.m. on weekdays and 10-11 a.m. on weekends) with a protein-packed breakfast (usually a cup of Kashi Go Lean cereal with unsweetened almond milk, a small protein pancake, or an egg white scramble with veggies), followed by a morning snack (most days, it’s a venti iced nonfat latte from Starbucks sweetened with agave nectar along with a piece of fruit or a Greek yogurt), then lunch (lots of greens and a lean protein), an afternoon snack (almost always a Larabar or Luna protein bar) and then dinner (again, a lean protein and lots of greens and veggies). I really stick to that, with small exceptions here and there — although those exceptions are not crazy whims of eating a bag of chips for lunch instead of a salad. My exceptions are more like drinking a second cup of coffee or tea at some point during the day.

Track your progress. When I was my heaviest, I avoided the scale. It felt like knowing that number would crush my perception of how I looked, as if a glance in the mirror couldn’t tell me what I knew, deep down. I began weighing myself daily about 6 months ago, because I knew I was losing weight, but I was bad at guessing how much, and I really had no concept of what kind of impact my choices each day had on my weight. I want to say upfront that I don’t think daily weigh-ins should be seen as an obsessive sort of behavior. I’m sure they can be for some, but for me, it’s just a means to keep track of what I’m doing and how it’s impacting me. I don’t fall into a deep depression or cave in to negative behaviors if the number goes up — I’m just able to reflect on what I might have done the day before that contributed to the increase. I weigh myself each morning under the same conditions to make sure my results are comparable, and I note it in a Word document. Then, it’s out of the way, and on with the rest of my day. In addition to being a good way to track my progress, I think it’s also a good part of my daily routine — it sets me up for success because one of the first things I do is think about making healthy eating choices. Of course, the number on the scale isn’t the best indicator of overall health, and you should consider many other factors, like how you feel, but it’s a good way to get a quick snapshot of how your choices impact things.

Make informed choices. Although I am more conscious of the food I eat now, and I aim to have more (if not all) organic, “real” food in my diet, I don’t want to give the impression that I never eat at restaurants or visit Starbucks (I make a daily Sbux run, in fact). I do. And, I don’t use those times as opportunities to pig out on junk. Now that I am more informed on what foods I want to eat, and which foods/chemicals/ingredients I don’t want in my diet, I’m able to find something I want to eat on just about any menu. I’m not afraid to ask for sauce or dressing on the side, or for grilled meat instead of fried. Most places will do any of that if you ask. Don’t make the same mistake I did years ago and use the convenience aspect of restaurants and fast food to stay stuck in an unhealthy cycle of eating. Arm yourself with knowledge (like the nutritional data I suggested above, or knowing what factors make you bloat or gain weight, if you’re keeping track of your progress as I mentioned before), and give yourself the best possible chance to succeed in any environment.

I know that none of this mentions exercise. And, to be honest, my work up until this point hasn’t really considered exercise. I have made it a goal for myself to begin regular walking/jogging/running so that I can build endurance and strength, and hopefully tone things up. If you’re looking to lose weight or improve your health, I wish you all kinds of luck and would be happy to try to answer any questions you have, from my experience. Again, I’m by no means an expert, but I have been on this journey with success for a few years now, so I may be able to help in some way.

When I had the chance to try out an acne-treating product from a new line, HappyMe Skincare, I was excited to know that the company focuses not just on clearing skin but on making it healthier than ever, using natural ingredients (not chemicals) like aromatherapies and essential oils. I was sent their Overnight Pimple Eliminator to test out and review.

This product contains sulfur and zinc oxide, along with tea tree oil and other natural essential oils, and is designed to be a spot treatment applied before you go to sleep. The applicator is a sort of stick/dropper and makes putting the product on pimples very easy.

Does it work? Absolutely. I don’t suffer from cystic or severe acne, so I can’t speak to if it would work for that need, but for the spots that seem to pop up randomly along my chin and nose, it was a miracle worker! I would apply the treatment before bed, and wake up with it instantly less intense. By the second application, the pimples would be gone, and I experienced no kind of irritation on my skin (because the ingredients are all natural, I’m sure!).

Any downsides? Make sure not to pick at the area once you’ve applied the treatment. It tends to flake a bit, and I did notice some residue on my pillowcase in the morning. But, if you don’t mind doing a load of laundry here and there (and you really should wash your pillowcases when you breakout, anyway), not a big deal.

I’d definitely recommend picking this up next time you need a quick “pimple be gone” treatment — your skin will thank you!

apologies for the iPhone photo!

I can’t wait to give this stuff a whirl! I actually opened up the Gleam lip treatment immediately, and quick first impression — I love it! It was a bit stiff at first but after it warmed up from the heat on my lips, it became creamy and felt so moisturizing. A full review is coming soon!

I have learned that it’s all about the iron you use (and hairspray!), and that a good iron can curl just about anyone’s hair. I was recently sent the Conair You Wrap & Wave iron to test out and review, and I have to say that this is definitely up there on my list of “go to” curling irons. The other iron I use is a Conair (the Infiniti 1.5 inch professional tourmaline nano), so it makes sense that I like this one —- it’s part of the same line, so it also uses tourmaline technology, which helps to reduce frizz and static, so you’re left with really pretty, soft curls.

What I love about the You Wrap & Wave is the versatility you’re getting in one product — you can try all sorts of different configurations to wrap your hair around the barrels and get different shapes and sizes of curls.

It’s also clampless, so you don’t get those annoying clamp marks around the curls. It comes with a cute little half glove to keep you from burning your hand as you hold it around the barrel.

I’ve tried lots of different techniques with this curling iron —- figure 8′s around both barrels (resulting in curls that are “s” shaped, so you get a variation of bigger waves and smaller ones in the same curl), wrapping around the outside of both barrels, and just using the smaller barrel to get really tight curls. One of my favorite methods is mixing up the techniques in one hairdo, so I’m left with really wild curls all over.

Here’s a before shot of one of the first times I used the iron. My hair was curled with my regular Conair iron the day before, so it had some body to it.

We were going out that evening, so I wanted to try a style that had lots of movement and texture to it, so I used the combination method of techniques with the You Wrap and Wave to achieve a really fun look.

I definitely would recommend this iron. For the inexpensive price tag (under $50), you’re getting a tool that combines two or three different irons. And, I’m lucky to be able to offer a giveaway of one Conair You Wrap and Wave iron to a reader! (U.S. only)

All you have to do is comment below to tell me your favorite way to wear your hair — comment as often as you’d like to get extra entries. The giveaway will be open for a week, until Sun., Nov. 20, and I’ll use random.org to pick a winner. Conair will send the iron directly to you (again, U.S. only).

First things first, I need to let you know that I’m a bit of a lip product junkie. If I’m in a buying mood and in CVS or Target, I will probably pick up one (or seven) lip glosses or lipsticks. Usually, I end up getting variations of the same color family, lightish pink or peach. So, I have tons and tons of lip products that are all essentially the same.

This is just from randomly cleaning out my purse one day. I have probably 3x as many at home.

So, when I happened to be perusing the cosmetics aisles at Target last week, I most certainly did not need to buy any lip products. I resisted the urge to load up my cart but did snag one, which has quickly become my favorite fall lip color.

It’s Rimmel London Stay Glossy Long Lasting Lipgloss in the shade Treasure Island. It cost around $4 at Target. When you think “fall lip color,” you probably imagine deep, berry shades, but I like the unexpected tropical vibe this gives. It really brightens up my face, especially if I’m going lighter on the eyes and cheeks.

I haven’t really used many Rimmel products before, but this gloss has me itching to grab some more. The texture of it is perfect — it’s opaque and sticks to my lips without being super gooey. It doesn’t slide off and wears really well (although I’m not so sure about their claim of 6-hours of coverage).

Excuse the poor quality of this iPhone photo, but check out the applicator:

It’s not a brush exactly, more of a wand that dips in the center and flairs out at the end. The shape is really nice for hugging my lips and evenly applying the product.

(Don’t you love the steering wheel swatch? Don’t worry, I wasn’t in drive when I took this.) Such a pretty shade with the right amount of sparkle. Even though it might not be an expected color for fall, I think it’s perfect for the season and brightening up when you might otherwise be choosing deeper shades for the rest of your makeup.

So, you’ll understand when I was incredibly excited to learn about a new product called Boo-Boo Cover Up, a concealer that heals skin imperfections while covering them up. It’s summertime, ya’ll — I want to wear short sleeves and shorts! Brandy, who created the product, calls it “first aid for the fashionista,” and after trying it…I totally agree! Love love love this product.

She sent me two tubes to test out and review. They’re both in shade Medium, which right now is the only one the product comes in, but there will be more options eventually. (Fortunately, Medium was a pretty darn good match for me, and according to the Boo-Boo Cover Up website, it’s formulated to work for most people.)

This is a body concealer, but it’s safe for the face. I really liked the consistency of this for my body, but probably wouldn’t use it on my face unless I had a really hardcore imperfection, maybe like a burn from the curling iron. That’s not to say this is a heavy concealer, though…it’s lightweight but provides amazing coverage and blends out amazingly.

I’ve tried this several times since receiving it, from bruises on my legs to scratches on my arm. (That sounds painful, but it was just the result of a frisky kitty!) Take a look at these before and after photos:

Ouch! Looks bad, right? (Seriously, my cat is almost 6 years old and just became incredibly playful all over again, at my expense!) I really didn’t want to go to work in short sleeves with all of these icky marks showing, so I thought it’d be a great opportunity to test out Boo-Boo Cover Up.

Like I said, the pigmentation in this stuff is pretty concentrated, so you don’t need more than a little dot for each imperfection. The best method to blend it out is to dab it until it’s sort of melted into your skin. Take a look at the “after” shot:

Yes, the scratches are still there, and if you get thisclose to my arm, you’d probably see them. But, they weren’t completely uncovered so that folks passing me by during the day would feel like they needed to ask “What the heck happened to your arm?!?!?” Perfect, and now I don’t have to wrestle my cat into wearing those Soft Paw things!

This product is more than just a concealer, though. It’s got great ingredients that promote healing (chamomile, aloe, Vitamin E, tea tree oil and green tea), so your wounds won’t stick around as long.

There’s a deal on Noblivity, an ecommerce marketplace for boutique stores and up-and-coming brands like Boo-Boo Cover Up, where you can try it out at cost! But, if the deal isn’t going when you check Noblivity, take a look at the Boo-Boo Cover Up website, where you can see all the online retailers that sell it (for around $20).

I’ve definitely got some things to share with you, which I will do in a longer post when I have a bit more time (getting ready to head out the door for work now). I’ve discovered a line of affordable clothing that is FANTASTIC for those of us who work in an office environment but still want to dress trendy and cute….I’ve got some new makeup storage ideas….I have a few new products and tools to share with you….and, I have a semi-new look! I’ve been curling my hair (just with a one-inch iron) and getting the prettiest waves.

(Don’t mind the green T-shirt — still in my PJs but going to get dressed as soon as I hit “Publish”.) So, hi to all my new subscribers and what’s up to all the old. We’ll talk soon!

I’ve been trying to throw some color into my wardrobe, since I’ve been wearing mostly black, gray and brown along with deep, rich colors since winter. I paired two tank tops with a white military-style jacket and baggy, tomboy jeans, plus my favorite part, heels that have become my “go to” shoes for the season.

Starting with the best part, I guess…my favorite heels from Sam & Libby (purchased for around $15 at ROSS!). The only disadvantage to buying designer shoes at a store like ROSS is that I can’t get information on the style name, and they’re probably from last season. Still, a super cute pump that is incredibly comfortable to walk in.

They’re a shiny sort of taupe color with a ruched pattern across the top, and a three-inch or so heel.

Here’s a better look at the top half of the outfit. (The jeans aren’t too exciting — they’re Converse brand from Target, the Tomboy style.) I’ve got an army green tank from Forever21 as the base, with a green and white striped tank (with ruffles on the shoulders, but you can’t see them), and a white jacket with gold detailing over top.

Last fashion element to this OOTD, these earrings from Forever21. I love these little bows! I got them in a 3-pack (all bows, these black ones, along with white and pink) for around $3 or so.

For my makeup, I chose bright lips and cheeks, with more muted eyes. My blush is an NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Plaza Pink, with Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush in Rose over top. On my lips, I went with NYX Lip Liner in Ever paired with MAC’s Do It Up lipglass.

Because the rest of my face was so bright, I went more understated with my eyes, just a peachy taupe shadow all over the lid, a medium brown in the crease and a darker brown in the outer v, with a dark brown liner and mascara to finish it off.

I love dressing for the spring. I can still layer cute jackets and tops but can get a bit more adventurous with the colors and patterns of what I wear. And for makeup, bright lips and cheeks are definitely a flattering look on anyone!

Another favorite thing about spring? (Well, this spring…) I got a puppy! Her name is Sadie, and she’s a mix of German Shepherd and boxer and some other breeds, and she’s absolutely adorable.