my weight loss

I've been overweight my whole life.  For the past few years, I've even been technically obese (according to the BMI chart, although no one would call me obese by looking at me, but whatever).  Anyways, I've recently lost 30 pounds, and I'm planning to lose another ~30 pounds.  I wanted to talk about how I did it.

I used three main things:

1. Perfect Diet Tracker app (I have it on my Macbook, but I think it's also available for iPhone, iPad, etc.).  It cost $30, but it's so worth it.  It allows you to keep track of all your food intake and exercise, and it helps you set goals.  It has a huge database of food and exercise, and if you eat something that's not in the list, you can add it.
2. Exercise (I do synchronized swimming, and otherwise I prefer dance-type things, like Zumba).  A program I've done is Flirty Girl Fitness, which teaches fun, somewhat sexy, dance moves.  Definitely has good workouts!
3. Adipex (prescription stimulant medication).  My doctor gave me Adipex to jump start my metabolism, give me the energy to be more active, and suppress my appetite.  It works really well, but it becomes ineffective after 6-8 weeks.

where I shop online for beauty products

Here are the top 3 stores I shop online:

• mark.
• I get most of my makeup here and a lot of jewelry.
• Also some bags, apparel, and perfume.
• Free shipping with $30 purchase.
• Register and shop at my eBoutique!
• drugstore.com
• I got my Clarisonic Mia here for $95 ($25 cheaper than retail).
• They have stuff you'd find in a drug store and then some (shampoo, toothpaste, perfume, nail polish, etc....even sex toys), and it's all cheaper than you'd find it elsewhere.
• Free shipping with $25 purchase.
• Sephora
• I buy pretty much all my nail polish and my Clinique Acne Solutions here, as well as some other random stuff (a little makeup, perfume, lotion).
• Free shipping with $50 purchase.

Finally, EBATES!

A ton of stores offer a certain % cash back if you go through Ebates.  It's completely free to sign up, and every few months, they send you a check with your cash back.  It's awesome!

Sign up for Ebates here.

beauty addictions

There are three beauty products I'm totally obsessed with:  nail polish, perfume, and lip products.

Nail polish
- I love Sephora by OPI!  They're $9.50 each, but the bottles are big, and the quality is really good.  I find that colors without shimmer or glitter seem to last longer.  I was kind of disappointed with the Blasted ones, though.  They show the background and blasted colors as being equal, but in reality the blasted color is significantly predominant (you can barely see the color underneath).

- I was also really impressed by mark.'s nail polish.  They come as sets of two mini bottles.  The colors are pretty, and the quality is up there with OPI.

Perfume
- I like fun floral scents the best.
- My absolute favorite of all time is Daisy (Marc Jacobs).

- A close second is Sephora's Hello Kitty.

- I just bought Coach Poppy and Poppy Flower double-ended rollerball for myself for Christmas.

- Finally, as a mark. rep, I have to mention mark.'s perfume.  They're very affordable and last a long time.  I love Celebrate and Sophistique, and I like Jewel, too.

Lip products
- I prefer lip glosses in the pink family, but I occasionally wear lipstick, too.
- My favorite lip gloss is Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Dolly.  It tingles slightly (plumping action), which I love.  It's a thicker gloss, so it stays on for a really long time.  The color Dolly basically enhances my natural lip color, so it's not too over-the-top.

- mark. has a lot of great lip glosses, too.  The Juice Gems smell amazing and consist of a nice, thick gloss.  The hook-up glosses Lots of Lacquer (I like Rush and Fever) and Glow Baby Glow (especially Blow Kisses) are slightly mint-scented and amazing!

- For lipstick, I like mark.'s LipClick (I have it in Glama and Pinkie).  It's moisturizing, long-lasting, and the case is magnetic, so the cap doesn't come off when it's in your makeup bag or purse.

my beauty routine

Skincare
- Clinique Acne Solutions (3-step regimen)
- Clarisonic Mia

10 Steps in 10 Minutes (using my favorite makeup)
1.  Moisturizer (after cleansing):  mark. Matte Chance Mattifying Lotion
2.  Primer:  mark. Primed for Perfection Face Primer
3.  Foundation:  mark. Powder Buff Natural Skin Foundation (in Ivory)
4.  Pressed Powder:  mark. Matte-Nificent Oil-Absorbing Powder (in Ivory)
5.  Blush:  mark. Good Glowing Custom Pick Powder Blush (in Star Glo)
6.  Eye Primer:  Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (in Original shade)
7.  Eye Shadow:  mark. i-Mark Custom Pick Eye Shadow (in Tiki and Biscotti)
8.  Eyeliner:  mark. No Place To Run Longwear Eyeliner (in Foxy Brown)
9.  Mascara:  mark. Lash All You Want High-Volume Mascara (in Black/Brown)
10.  Lip Gloss:  Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish (in Dolly)