Beside Beth
  • Home
  • Blog
  • My Story
  • Favorite Recipes
  • My Photography
  • Contact Me

Beside Beth Blog

Happy Thanksgiving!

11/27/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture

Happy Thanksgiving! Hoping everyone has a wonderful day full of family, food, and thankfulness!!!

0 Comments

I ❤️ Tea Tag

11/25/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
I just watched a fun video on YouTube called the "I ❤️ Tea Tag".  I decided to do a blog version of the tag because of how much I love tea!  So let's get started…

1.  What is your all-time favorite tea?  
I recently tried Tazo's Chai tea in Chocolate and fell in love!
Picture
2.  What is the worst tea you've ever tried?
I bought the Roasted Dandelion Root tea from Traditional Medicinals in order to do a detox drink and it tasted awful!
Picture
3.  What is your favorite tea cup/mug?  Show us!
I got this London mug at Target at around this time last year and use it every time I drink tea.
Picture
4.  Are you drinking tea now?  If so, what kind?
Yes, I'm drinking the Hot Cinnamon Spice tea from Harney & Sons.
Picture
5.  What was your most recent tea purchase?
I was at Sprouts the other day and the new Celestial Seasonings flavor of Caramel Apple Dream caught my eye, so I knew I needed to try it!  I also grabbed Candy Cane Lane because it felt like a good time of year to check it out.
Picture
6.  Do you prefer loose-leaf or tea bags?
Most of the tea I own is in tea bags, but I don't mind loose-leaf tea.

7.  Do you prefer caffeinated or decaf?
I don't really have a preference, I usually go by the flavor.  Although, I do try to stay away from caffeine in the evening.

8.  Do you normally add anything to your tea?
I used to always need honey in my tea, but now I drink it plain.

9.  Where is your favorite place to order a tea and what do you get?
If I am at Starbucks in the evening I will usually order a peppermint tea.

10.  Show us 3 teas we should try!!!
I would definitely recommend the seasonal teas by Celestial Seasonings, including Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride, Caramel Apple Dream, and Sweet Harvest Pumpkin.
Picture

And that's the end of the I ❤️ Tea Tag!  

Up next will be a tour of my closet, which I promised a while ago and never got a chance to post.
0 Comments

Ticket to the Taylor Swift 1989 Tour!

11/22/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Taylor Swift is by far my favorite music artist, so I am super excited that I just bought a ticket to her concert in Denver on September 5, 2015!!!  The public ticket sales started yesterday and when I checked today all of the basic tickets were sold out already.  One of the only other options I saw were the Official Premier tickets, which started at $559 and went up to $1,338!  

I knew I didn't want to spend that much, so I went into the VIP section and they had choices ranging from $203 through $483.  I read through the five different packages and decided to go for the VIP 2 package.  Here's what it includes:

- One Amazing Top Price Reserved Floor Ticket in the First Twenty-Five (25) Rows
- One Entry Into '1989' - The Official VIP Preshow Party
- Includes a Special '1989' Themed VIP Preshow Lounge 
- Preshow Party Includes a Complimentary Selection of Your Favorite Foods & Beverages
- Enjoy Games, Prizes & Giveaways - Includes Memorabilia & Limited Edition Items (Subject to Availability)
- Preshow Party Music Playing Your Favorite Taylor Swift Hits & More
- Forget the Lines! Access to Separate VIP Merchandise Booth for Shopping
- Dedicated On-Site VIP Preshow Host
- One Limited Edition Set of Taylor Swift '1989' Tour Lithographs 
- Limited Edition Set of Tour Lithographs Designed by Taylor Swift, Created Exclusively for VIPs
- This Special Set Includes Four (4) Tour Lithographs and Comes with an Official Certificate of Authenticity
- Exclusive On-Site VIP Perks
- VIP Priority Check-In (Where Available)
- Separate VIP Entrance** (Where Available)
- The Essential Taylor Swift '1989' VIP Tour Pack 
- VIP Tour Pack is Designed Exclusively for Taylor Swift VIPs!
- Includes Special '1989' Themed VIP Tour Merchandise 
- All VIP Tour Packs Also Include a Commemorative VIP Tour Laminate and Matching Lanyard
Picture
Here is a picture of the seating chart for the Pepsi Center.  I'll be in section AAA, Row 12, Seat 8.  I'm so excited that I'll have an amazing view not only of the main stage but also the catwalk that Taylor will be walking along!

It was definitely an investment to buy the VIP package, but I know that it will be completely worth it.  I've never been to a Taylor Swift concert and I will definitely have an amazing experience!  The only downside is that I have to wait 287 days until it gets here.  (Yes, I already put it into my countdown app on my phone!)
0 Comments

Makeup Organization (2014 Edition)

11/15/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
How I have had my makeup organized for the last year
Almost exactly one year ago I wrote this blog post to show how I organized my makeup.  Since then, my makeup collection has changed and grown, so I decide to write a new post about my current makeup collection and organization.  I personally love watching these kind of videos on YouTube and wanted to share my own version on this blog.  Just like those YouTube videos, I should probably write a disclaimer that I am not trying to brag about how much makeup I have.  I simply love makeup and organizing, so this is my way of bringing those two things together.  So let's get started!

Here is a look at all of the makeup I had stored in my first Muji 5-Drawer Acrylic Case.  
Picture
And this is a look at all of the makeup I had crammed in my makeup bag that I use whenever I put on makeup.
Picture
And lastly, here is some of the newer makeup that I have recently purchased, which pushed me to buy another Muji case so that I could store everything all together.
Picture
And here it is, all put together in one big pile, along with both Muji cases.  It wasn't until I had it all laid out that I realized just how much I had!
Picture
In order to organize everything, my first step was to pull out everything that I use on a daily basis and put that into my makeup bag so that I can grab it whenever I'm ready to put on makeup.  

Next, I started filling up drawers by category.  So my large eyeshadow palettes went together, my lip products went together, and so on.

And this is the final product.  It looks much better, doesn't it?
Picture
Next I will show you a picture of each drawer so you can see how they turned out.  I won't go over every product in the drawers, but the pictures are clear enough that you can see pretty much everything in them.
Picture
These are my larger eyeshadow palettes along with a great single shadow by Bobbi Brown.
Picture
Here are my smaller eyeshadow palettes, or as I think of them, "my baby palettes".
Picture
One more large eyeshadow palette and then some eye crayons and liners.
Picture
I really like the Maybeline Color Tattoos, can you tell?
Picture
Moving on to face products, here are my bronzers along with my blush brick by Bobbi Brown in the back...that's a lot of "B's"!
Picture
Probably my favorite face drawer with all of my blushes. I can't wait to try out all of my new Tarte blushes from their holiday Chic to Cheek collection. They're the perfect size for traveling too!
Picture
Highlighters and other various face products.
Picture
Mostly my new Buxom lip glosses from their new Roulette set.
Picture
More lip products! My favorite is the very darkest one in the middle. It's one of the NYX Butter Glosses in Devil's Food Cake. It's not nearly as dark on the lips as the packaging makes it out to be!
Picture
Final drawer of lip products.
So those are all of the drawers, one by one.  Here is a picture of how I have them set up in my bathroom along with my makeup mirror, brushes, and other beauty items.
Picture
While I'm on the topic of beauty and makeup, I figured it only made sense to include a picture of my nail polish collection as well, which are stored on the bottom shelf of my linen closet outside of my bathroom.  

You'll see that I have a jar of mini polishes on the left along with various methods of polish remover.  In the center is a really handy organizer that I found at Target a few years ago.  It works perfectly for keeping all of my polishes lined up and organized.  On the right-hand side you can see a glimpse of Bath & Body Works lotions and shower gels along with a few other brands.
Picture

And that's the end!  I hope you enjoyed this tour through my makeup collection and hopefully you either spotted some products you'd like to add to your own collection or possibly you got an idea or two on how to store your makeup.  

My next post will be a tour of my closet for more organizational ideas!
0 Comments

Sephora & Lush Haul

11/6/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Today was the first day of Sephora's VIB 20% off sale, so I headed to the mall during my lunch break and did some major damage.  I'll show pictures below of everything I bought along with descriptions and links in case you would like to buy any of it yourself.
Picture
My first stop at the mall was Sephora.  Here's a list of everything I purchased:
  • Dolce Perfume by Dolce & Gabbana
  • Buxom Lip Gloss Roulette
  • Origins Extra-Zing Energizing Kit
  • Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
  • Midnight Fleur Perfume by Nest
  • Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Soft Brown
  • Anastasia Beverly Hills #7 Double-Sided Brush
  • First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads
  • Free Gift for 250 points: Tory Burch Perfume
Picture
When Sephora sent their holiday catalog in the mail it included some perfume testers.  I really liked how the Dolce by Dolce & Gabbana smelled, so I knew I wanted to get a rollerball of it.  I was really surprised when I opened the box and realized that it wasn't actually a rollerball at all.  Instead, it's got a spray at the top, which is even better!  Here's a link to the perfume on the Sephora website.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Having never tried any Buxom lip gloss, I wasn't sure if it made sense to invest in 15 mini glosses.  But I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and tried one out.  I really like the texture and feel of the glosses and am happy with the variety of colors that came in the gift set.  Here's a link to the set.
Picture
The GinZing line by Origins has intrigued me for a long time now, but the steep price has prevented me from trying the full-size products.  So when I saw this gift set of minis I knew I had to try it out.  I haven't had a chance to try them yet, but I'll try to remember to give my first impression later.  This set isn't on the Sephora website, so here are the links to the Refreshing Scrub Cleanser, Energy Boosting Moisturizer, and the Refreshing Eye Cream.
Picture
I am a huge fan of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light and have had my eye on the palette for awhile.  Unfortunately it's been sold out every time I've looked for it, so I was really excited when they had it in the store today and even more excited to get it for 20% off!  Here's a link to find the palette on the website.
Picture
A lot of YouTube beauty bloggers I watch have talked about the French perfume and candle company called Diptyque lately.  I couldn't find them on Sephora's website, so I checked them out on Amazon and was shocked to see that a candle from the company is $60!  I personally don't even buy the Bath & Body Works candles for their full price of $22.50 and always wait for them to go on sale, so I knew that Diptyque wasn't an option.  However, the Nest brand also came up on Amazon and I knew I had seen it before at Sephora, so I checked it out and really liked the scent called Midnight Fleur.  I didn't want to invest in a $60 bottle of perfume, so I opted for the rollerball version so I can take it with me on trips or throw it in my purse for on the go.  Here's a link to get the rollerball version from Sephora.
Picture
This is probably the third Brow Wiz I have bought from Anastasa Beverly Hills.  I also bought the #7 brush so that I have a spooley brush on hand all the time.  The one that comes on the Brow Wiz always seems to break off in my makeup bag, so I have learned my lesson and bought one that will last.  Here are links to both the Brow Wiz and the brush.
Picture
First Aid Beauty is a brand I have never tried, so I was excited when I saw a travel-size version of the Facial Radiance Pads near the checkout line.  It says that they Exfoliate, Tone & Brighten so I'm curious to see if I notice any difference in my skin after using them for a few weeks.  Here's a link to the travel-size version on the Sephora site.
Picture
Tory Burch is one of my favorite brands, although the only item I own is a pair of sunglasses so far.  I thought I'd add to my collection by cashing in 250 Sephora points and getting this baby-size of her perfume for free.

And that's everything I got at Sephora!  Mini rant…is it just me or do they always give you the smallest bag possible for your purchases?  I swear I've spent a ton of money on other trips and wondered how so much money could fit in one little bag!  This time they had to give me a big bag because of how huge the Buxom lip gloss set was, so I finally felt like my bag actually represented how much I spent.  Am I the only one who feels like that?

Picture
My next stop at the mall was Lush.  I've been seeing all kinds of Lush hauls on YouTube and decided I would finally give their bath bombs a try.  I haven't had a chance to actually use any of them yet, so I don't have any first impressions other than how good they smelled in the store!  Here's a list of everything I bought at Lush:
  • Butterball bath bomb
  • Twilight bath bomb
  • Lord of Misrule bath bomb
  • Golden Wonder bath bomb
  • Northern Lights bath bomb
  • Melting Snowman bath melt
  • Wizard bubble bar
  • Candy Mountain bubble bar
  • Ocean Salt cleanser/scrub
  • Shine So Bright Split End Treatment

Picture
The Butterball bath bomb was one that I really wanted to try.  It's  much smaller than the other ones, but it smells really good and will hopefully be a nice addition to a relaxing bath.  Here's a link to see the Butterball on the Lush website.
Picture
I think Twilight might be the first bath bomb I try.  It includes lavender which will make it a great option for a bath right before bedtime.  Here's a link to this bath bomb.
Picture
The Lord of Misrule bath bomb wasn't even on my list, but I smelled it in the store and knew I had to try it!  Here's a link to this product on the Lush site.
Picture
The Lush website says Golden Wonder is a "luxurious champagne soak", so I'm excited to try it out and see if it's as luxurious as they say.  Here's a link to this festive bath bomb on the Lush website.
Picture
Northern Lights is supposed to be like a firework show in your bathtub!  Here's a link so you can check it out yourself.
Picture
Isn't the Melting Snowman bath melt so cute?!  He lost his nose somewhere, but I still think he's adorable.  Here's a link to the Lush site where you can buy your very own Melting Snowman.
Picture
The Wizard bubble bar smelled great and was also too cute to pass up!  Here's a link so you can read all about him.
Picture
Candy Mountain smells just as sweet as you would expect.  Here's a link so you can check it out online.
Picture
During my trip I also re-purchased another small container of Ocean Salt.  I just ran out and didn't have another facial scrub on hand, but I knew that I liked this one and decided to buy it again.  I also heard good things about the Shine So Bright Split End Treatment.  One of the YouTube videos I watched talked about how you can use this to tame all the little frizzies along the part in your hair in addition to using it for its intended purpose of soothing split ends.  Here are links to Ocean Salt and Shine So Bright.

That's the end of my huge haul from Sephora and Lush!  I hope you enjoyed reading about the products I picked up.  Please let me know what your favorites are or if there are other items I didn't get that I should grab during my next trip!
0 Comments

Fall Comforts

11/5/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sorry for being radio silent for the last couple of weeks.  Life got crazy and now I'm finally back in action!  I am so happy that fall is finally here!  It's my favorite time of year and I have already found myself appreciating the comforts that come with this season, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you.  

First of all, I love tea all year long, but now is the time of year when I can't get enough.  I already had a huge tea collection thanks to all of my trips to Celestial Seasonings in Boulder and I have recently expanded my choices to include some Tazo chai teas as well.  Here's a look at my jam-packed tea cupboard (yes, I have an entire cupboard dedicated to just tea)!  And further down is a picture of my favorite London mug and cute tea pot along with my new seasonal teas:
  • Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride
  • Celestial Seasonings Sweet Harvest Pumpkin
  • Tazo Chai in Chocolate (my current favorite)
  • Tazo Chai in Pumpkin Spice
  • Tazo Chai in Vanilla Caramel
Picture
Picture
In addition to tea, some of my other favorite fall comforts include candles, bubble baths, and fires in the fireplace.  I'm entirely too lazy to build a real fire in my fireplace, so instead I put on a Netflix favorite called Fireplace For Your Home.  It's a nice way to get the sights and sounds of a real fire without having the hassle and mess that comes along with a real one.  

If I really want to mellow out in the evening I will take a candlelit bubble bath.  Right now my favorite product to add to the bathtub is Philosophy's Peppermint Stick scent.  I've seen it in stores during this time of year before but had never actually smelled it.  I finally checked it out when I was at Ulta the other day and had to get it!  

Now is also the time of year when Bath & Body Works seems to constantly have their 3-wick candles on sale at 2 for $22, so I have been stocking up.  My all-time favorite is Marshmallow Fireside and I love burning it in my new leaf candle holder that I just got.  It makes the glow of the candle even cheerier.  I stacked up my store of candles in my closet because I was running out of room to keep them.  It definitely makes my closet smell good!
Picture
Picture
And that's it for my favorite fall comforts!  What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate this time of year?

I am hoping to have a new post for you tomorrow so I can show you my purchases from Sephora and Lush.  The 20% off VIB sales starts tomorrow at Sephora, so I'm already strategizing on all the things I want to get while I'm there.  It helps that they sent a catalog with some amazing ideas, so I think I've got a long enough list already!  I've also been inspired by some recent October favorite videos on YouTube to go to Lush and get some of their holiday bath bombs, so I'll hopefully have some of those to share as well!
0 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    My name is Beth and I live in Denver.  I am a single lady in my 30's and wanted to start sharing my awesome and amazing life through a blog.  

    ​Follow me as I navigate life, work towards being happier, and also focus on learning to love my life and myself.

    Categories

    All
    21 Day Fix
    Beachbody
    Beauty
    Birthday
    Book Review
    Bucket List
    Building A Tiny Home
    Capsule Wardrobe
    Clean Eating
    Coaching
    Cruise
    Design
    Erin Condren
    Etsy
    Fall
    Fashion
    Financial
    Fitness
    Hammer & Chisel
    Happiness Project
    Happiness Project
    Health
    Ikea
    Learning
    Makeup
    Meditation
    Minimalism
    Motivation
    Movies
    Organization
    Packing Tips
    PCOS
    Personal Development
    Pinterest
    Planner
    Quotes
    Reading List
    Recipes
    Relaxation
    Shakeology
    Shopping
    Smash Book
    Something For Yourself
    Summer
    Taylor Swift
    Tea
    Technology
    Tiny Home
    Tone It Up
    Travel
    Youtube

    Archives

    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from pj_vanf, catulle, AJC ajcann.wordpress.com, frankieleon, Kuster & Wildhaber Photography, Mufidah Kassalias, mypubliclands, Skakerman, David Jones, WordRidden, Meredith Bell, BillDamon
  • Home
  • Blog
  • My Story
  • Favorite Recipes
  • My Photography
  • Contact Me