Deanna's World xoxo

Sunday, January 18, 2015

I am changing the blog URL to deannasworld1.blogspot.com

I have been debating this for a long time and I'm finally biting the bullet to do it. I'm changing the URL to my blog. The name of the blog "Deanna's World" will stay the same but I'm tired of the long URL that I've been using that means nothing to anyone but me.

The new URL for the blog is going to be deannasworld1.blogspot.com.

Everything else stays the same!

New posts from now on will be over at the new URL site. http://deannasworld1.blogspot.com/

Find me around SOCIAL MEDIA:
Deanna's World Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/langshipley
Deanna's World blog: http://deannasworld1.blogspot.com.au/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/langshipley (this is the best way to reach me, I will always respond to this the fastest).
Twitter: @langshipley https://twitter.com/langshipley
Instagram: @langshipley http://instagram.com/langshipley
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/langshipley/
Cooking blog: http://dazinthekitchen.blogspot.com.au/

I've started doing book reviews

Hi there,

Long time no blog. Sorry about that but there have been several reasons for that. If you follow me on my YouTube channel you will know that life has undergone some changes recently for me and so my focus has changed somewhat. It has meant that the content for my channel has changed and hence, content for the blog has lagged.

You can find out more about the changes here:

And because of those changes, I've started doing book reviews.

I have decided to post the book reviews that I do on Goodreads here on this blog as well. I'm not sure if I will also post the video book reviews as well, but we shall see. Right now, there are several that I've done and I will link them.

Here's the video talking about book reviews that I will be doing:

And from that video, here are the first few of my book reviews, starting with:

Scored by Lily Harlem

Grand Slam by Lily Harlem & Lucy Felthouse

Perilous Risk by Natasha Blackthorne

I hope you enjoy them and continue along this new journey as I talk books and provide reviews of the books I've read.

The video book reviews will be less frequent and there probably will be more book reviews via Goodreads. I am hoping that I will be able to consistently post at least one a month.

Find me around SOCIAL MEDIA:
Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/langshipley
Makeup and beauty blog: http://langshipley-deannasworld.blogspot.com.au/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/langshipley (this is the best way to reach me, I will always respond to this the fastest).
Twitter: @langshipley https://twitter.com/langshipley
Instagram: @langshipley http://instagram.com/langshipley
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/langshipley/
Cooking blog: http://dazinthekitchen.blogspot.com.au/

Monday, June 30, 2014

Moving and stress is bad for the diet

I hate to admit it, but I have put back on all the weight I've lost and then some.

I have no excuse aside from the fact that I have not been diligent, I have been stressed and I stress eat, and life has been super hectic as we have been moving.

We've been in the middle of moving for the last couple of months, moving stuff from the city apartment to the country home as we relocate.

I can't even begin to tell you how stressful moving is for me. We counted and in the 13 years that Steve and I have been living together we have moved 14 times. That's more moves that years we've been living together. Argh!!

So, I haven't been eating healthily, my daily routine has been interrupted and even the little exercise that I used to do on a daily basis has dwindled down to zero since I am not following my usual routine anymore.

Basically, it all boils down to the fact that I have not been eating healthily and not exercising.

So, in all of that, I have started calorie counting again and I hope that will keep me on the right track. It's not exactly 100% accurate but it is a good guide and it keeps me from overeating.

Every time I get serious about calorie counting and losing weight, I discover once again how many calories food has. I also find that calorie counting seems to be the most effective way for me to lose weight.

Just watch what I put into my mouth.

So far today, I've had my usual morning juice for breakfast, a snack and lunch. That's already used up 1,043 of the 1,500 calories that I am allowed to eat for the day. That does not leave much for dinner, so I guess dinner is going to be a 100 calorie veggie juice! :-p

I admit, this is going to be hard, we are still right in the middle of moving. There's nothing in the fridge and we are not living a stable life right now, but I'm going to do my best.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. Wish me luck!!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Continuing to use the Clarisonic and its results

It's been a while since I've had my Clarisonic, three or four months at least ... probably more!! I talked about my first experience with it here.

When I first got my Clarisonic, I thought that I would use it several times a week, but I found that was too much for my skin, especially since I liked to use an exfoliating scrub in the shower in the morning. You can see more about my morning skincare routine here.

Now that I've had the Clarisonic for several months, I've gotten into a routine with it, and here is how I use it:

When I get home from work, I use a cleanser or coconut oil to remove my makeup. If I'm wearing just regular makeup, I use a cleanser and right now I'm using the Michael Todd True Organics Cleanse and Tone. If I'm wearing something particularly stubborn, like waterproof eyeliner and mascara (especially waterproof mascara!) I use an organic extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil, particularly around my eyes.

I then follow up the cleanse with my Clarisonic. I'm currently using my Garnier Pure (salicylic acid + purifying zinc) daily deep clean foaming gel cleanser. I like to use a foaming cleanser with my Clarisonic. It's not necessary for a good clean but it's just what I like.

In terms of using my Clarisonic, I run it twice. So I run it once all over my face (for whatever the st time is, I can't exactly remember if it's one or two minutes!) and then after the first time, I run it a second time on my face, concentrating on my nose and the outer parts of my face where I have a few bumps of something or other under my skin, which are not pimples and also not milia. I don't know what they are, but they are there and I give them a good going over. This leaves my skin feeling extremely squeaky clean.

I use my Clarisonic once a week, possibly twice, if I want an extra clean just before I put on a mask on the weekend.

The thing I notice which makes a huge difference is that when I use my serums after my Clarisonic, my skin tingles. At the moment, I'm using the Skinstitute Even Blend Serum with the 100% Vitamin C powder mixed into it. How do I know that my skin is cleaner and more receptive to the serum? Because when I just use ordinary cleanser to wash my face and apply the serum, there is no tingling. After the Clarisonic, there's tingling. It's a light tingling and it's a nice feeling. I do feel like my skin is more able to absorb the product after the use of the Clarisonic and it's penetrating better.

Why then, you ask, do I not use the Clarisonic every day to clean my skin and make sure that my serums penetrate even more into my skin to be more effective? I actually think that too much exfoliating would be bad for my skin. As effective as the Clarisonic is, I am also concerned that with too much use, it's taking off too much of the top layer of my skin.

Right now, I'm very happy with the routine that I've got with my Clarisonic. I know my skin is getting a very deep clean at least once a week, plus occasionally a second time on the weekend to maximise the effectiveness of a mask that I am using. Plus since I've been using the Clarisonic regularly, I have not been having any breakouts.

I hope this little update helps with what you are thinking with regards to the Clarisonic. Let me know if you use the Clarisonic and how you are going with it. I would love to hear of your experience.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Staying shine free ... a new foundation and primer combo

Staying shine free throughout the day is always a challenge for me, especially during the hot, humid summer months and sometimes even in the cooler months.

I have a shiny t-zone which I consider the bane of my face makeup existence. I also have to admit, that I like when I don't have to blot at all during the day and I *feel* matte and dry all day, but usually, blotting is a common occurrence and happens at least once a day, if not twice, which really, is not too bad.

I've also done a couple of videos about dealing with a foundation routine for hot humid weather, and you can watch it here and here.

Right now though, I'm currently loving this combination for my face and to my delight - matte all day, with no need to blot at all, plus it lasted a good 10 hours on my face, which is about as long as I need my foundation to last on a work day.

I'm using:

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in cream ivory
MUA Matte Primer
NYX Shine Killer
Elf Translucent Powder

And the routine is quite simple too:

I mix the MUA Matte Primer and the NYX Shine Killer, using a small amount of both - probably about the size of a 1/4 of a pea of each product, and apply to my freshly moisturized face. I let this set on my face for a few minutes, while I dress.
Then, I apply the Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation using my fingers (my fingers are my preferred way of applying foundation and I do this whenever I can or whenever the foundation itself permits). I also only use a very small amount of foundation as a little goes a long way with this foundation, and I get great coverage with it.
After applying the foundation, I go about putting on the rest of the makeup on my face. I like to give my foundation time to set. Once that is done, I powder my whole face lightly with the Elf Translucent Powder.

So that's it really. It's very simple and I'm just really happy with the results that I'm getting.

What's your go-to stay matte foundation routine?

Friday, March 28, 2014

An update on how this blog is going ... and a few other things about Deanna's World

I'm looking back in the last few months since I've started this blog and it appears that there have been fewer beauty and makeup posts and much more health and dieting posts.

I know that when I started the blog, I originally posted here that this blog would be beauty and makeup, but that does not seem to be the way the blog is emerging.

So far, I seem to have done a lot of posts about health and dieting, a couple of makeup posts and then one very odd post about Windows Movie Maker.

I'm thinking about another blog post and it seems to be about my current reading habits. I love reading and right now the topic is very front of mind as I struggle through some reading ups and downs.

It would appear as this blog develops organically that it is becoming a reflection of my world, hence "Deanna's World" and what is going on in it, not just beauty and makeup.

For those of you who are interested in just beauty and makeup, I apologize for this, but I admit that I want the freedom to discuss what is current on my mind and what's "in my world" as a reflection of my life and what is going on in it, rather than just talk only about makeup and beauty.

I do focus entirely on makeup and beauty on my Facebook page. All the posts there are makeup and beauty related and I post several times each day. I have mini reviews on all the things that I'm using, loving, not crazy about and also posts and updates on my latest videos from the Youtube channel. So do follow me on Facebook, if you want daily tidbits on makeup and beauty.

On Instagram, you will find photos of makeup stuff (some!) and also the rest of my life. Lots of pictures about food and just things that strike my fancy. Do head on over and follow me on Instagram if you would like a little glimpse of my everyday life.

And then there's Twitter. I suck at Twitter. A lot of times I forget to check Twitter. Once I didn't check Twitter for 4 days and when I did, discovered that I had won a book in a contest. Oops! All my Facebook and Instagram stuff does get posted to Twitter automatically though, if you're big on Twitter. :-)

If you want a quick response from me, Facebook is where to message me. I always respond to that really quickly since I practically live in Facebook.

I have not been posting very regularly lately, many reasons, including work being hectic, we're moving and life getting in the way. I am planning on posting more regularly once we are done with the move and hopefully I will be able to continue with the planned once a week schedule. I will, of course, need topics to post on. Any suggestions will be welcome!!

Anyhow, thank you for following me, watching my videos, reading my posts. I appreciate every single bit of your support.

ps. I also write a cooking blog which I update about once or twice a month with new recipes. It's called "Daz in the Kitchen" and it's a companion to my husband's blog "Saz in the Cellar". His blog is all about wine, mine all about food. If you're interested in food at all or even wine, check those out. :-)

Find me around SOCIAL MEDIA:
Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/langshipley
Makeup and beauty blog: http://langshipley-deannasworld.blogspot.com.au/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/langshipley (this is the best way to reach me, I will always respond to this the fastest).
Twitter: @langshipley https://twitter.com/langshipley
Instagram: @langshipley http://instagram.com/langshipley
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/langshipley/
Keek: http://www.keek.com/langshipley
Cooking blog: http://dazinthekitchen.blogspot.com.au/

Thursday, March 20, 2014

How your brain and words affect your sense of smell

I have recently bought myself a new perfume, which I rapidly became obsessed with. It is just such a lovely feminine scent that is slightly floral, slightly spicy, but with a lot of depth, so it doesn't go straight to your head and give you a headache.

This perfume has notes of jasmine, ylang ylang, patchouli, lavender and rose geranium, all of which are favorites of mine, with perhaps the exception of patchouli, which to me always seems to be a very spicy, musky scent and not something I lean towards.

Thing is, I bought a bottle for my girlfriend, Tessa, as well, since we often send each other makeup and beauty things, and you can even see what we send each other in videos here, here, here and here.

For the most part, since Tessa and I talk every day and we talk about makeup all the time, I know enough about her likes and dislikes to know what types of perfume scents she likes, so that I can quite safely smell a scent and pick it up for her and know she will like it.

This one was a bit borderline for me, but I thought she might like it cos it had a lot of the notes that she would like.

Then I read the ingredients list and discovered it had patchouli in it.

Tessa hates the smell of patchouli. She thinks it smells like bug spray.

So yesterday, there I was, LOVING this new perfume and totally obsessing over it.

Then I get a message from Tessa after I tell her there's patchouli in the perfume asking me if it smells like bug spray.

I don't know.

It doesn't to me, but then after I sprayed it on this morning, the more I smelled it, the more I "thought" it smelled like bug spray.

Then, I got into work and asked a colleague of mine what he thought of the smell. Yesterday, he thought it was delightful, fresh and feminine. Today, after me asking him if it smelled like bug spray, he was all "yeah ... now that you mention it .... " after several sniffs at my wrist where I had sprayed the perfume.

I kept the perfume on for a few hours, but the more I smelled it, the more it bothered me. Now my wonderful perfume from yesterday, smells to me like those citronella candles you get which you use to burn outside to keep the bugs away from you during an outdoor event.

It does not smell like Raid or Mortein, so NOT that kind of bug spray, but still ...

My brain and the scent associations of words and descriptions has ruined this scent for me. I don't know when I will be able to go back to using this perfume without thinking that is smells like bug spray anymore, and yesterday, I was thinking of getting a few extra bottles to give away as gifts to friends. Not going to do that now!!

I ended up layering a vanilla perfume on top of the "bug spray" perfume, which has softened it a great deal. Plus I love vanilla, so that always a good thing.

Tessa, if you're reading this, I will say to you what you said to me when you opened the birthday gift I sent you: "if you lived close to me, I would drive over to your house and smack you upside the head." :-)

Find me around SOCIAL MEDIA:
Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/langshipley
Makeup and beauty blog: http://langshipley-deannasworld.blogspot.com.au/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/langshipley (this is the best way to reach me, I will always respond to this the fastest).
Twitter: @langshipley https://twitter.com/langshipley
Instagram: @langshipley http://instagram.com/langshipley
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/langshipley/
Keek: http://www.keek.com/langshipley
Cooking blog: http://dazinthekitchen.blogspot.com.au/