Now I’m not trying to jump to any conclusions, but I’m pretty sure that if I do it, I too will be inducted into the royal family. Just saying.
Last week, I decided that my adult identity will be that of one with great bone structure (thanks to the magic of contouring and highlighting). While I haven’t quite figured out what else defines “grown-up Hannah,” I know that she is uber trendy (Uggs with a mini skirt is still a thing, right?).
That is why when I learned that the Pantone color of the year is “Radiant Orchid,” I knew this was a trend that I just could not pass up trying. While I’m normally a Chapstick kind of girl, I have to say that this purple lipstick is pretty fabulous.
The name does not lie—this color is INTENSE. Go big or go home, right? The color was vibrant and violet after just one stroke. Plus it made my lips feel amaaazing and didn’t smear. I put this on right before heading out and it lasted all throughout dinner and a glass or two of wine 😉
Unfortunately, I don’t think this lipstick fulfills my dream of looking more like Ms. Bey, but I am fairly positive that my chances of being adopted by Jay and the Queen just went up a little. Get at me you two.
Have a beauty trend you’d like to see me try? Tweet me @han_cran, #beautynewbie, with your suggestion!
Sometimes the drugstore beauty aisle can be a little overwhelming, it’s true, but I was recently introduced to the fact that WALGREENS has the most amazing sales on beauty and personal care products. And by amazing, I mean 20% off amazing…every week. I’m obsessed so spread the word.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Walgreens Beauty through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Walgreens Beauty, all opinions are my own.
Sometimes you want to have something that’s a little more sleek and sexy to drink and The Lemon Drop, a martini, is just that – sweet, sour, delicious, and strong. You’ll need a tiny bit more preparation time than you did for The Paloma, but trust me, it’s worth it.
Ingredients:
1 ½ ounces of vodka (about one shot glass)
½ ounce orange liqueur (like Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, etc.)
Sugar*
The juice of half a lemon, with twisted peel or wedge for garnish, optional
Ice
First, rim your glass with sugar. I used a margarita glass, but this is technically a martini. Use whatever wide mouth style glass you have. Put enough sugar on a shallow plate that’s wide enough for the edge of your glass to fit on it. Run a lemon wedge around the rim of your glass until it’s just moist. Dip the edge of the glass into the sugar.
Fill your cocktail shaker with crushed ice, and add the vodka, liqueur, sugar, and lemon juice. Shake well – really, really well! – to dissolve the sugar. Strain your drink into the sugar-rimmed glass.
*You can buy superfine sugar, an instantly dissolving sugar used specifically for drinks. Regular sugar will take longer to dissolve – you’ll have to shake long and hard. You can avoid all the shaking by making a basic simple syrup instead. Just boil equal parts sugar and water, stirring until fully dissolved. Let cool fully before using, and any leftover can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.
Things to know when buying vodka, according to Jo:
A lot of things affect the quality of vodka, which is why price ranges so drastically. Different vodkas brands each have their own distinct smell, flavor, aftertaste, and burn, and can be grain or potato based, or even distilled from fruit. Any impurities in the distillation process that make it into the final product will affect the quality of the liquor.
Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules like there are for tequila – everyone has their own preference for which vodka is best. I’d suggest trying those teensy bottles at the register in your liquor store, or making good friends with your favorite bartender and trying lots of different shots, until you find one or two you like. It’s best to have an affordable, everyday brand for cocktails, and a pricier brand to sip for special occasions. I’m more of a tequila girl, and I chose this limited edition Absolut Citron because I really liked the bottle – it just worked out that it tasted great, too.
Fact: I have blogged about white eyeliner in THIS POST from 2008 (yep, 2008) and again last week but it was just a few days ago that I re-read the January issue of Allure only to see, what? WHITE EYELINER at the KENZO Spring Summer 2014 show at PARIS FASHION WEEK. Apparently I was way ahead of the curve (right where I like it) and predicted not only the future, but the fashionable future. I digress. Maybe it’s time to try white eyeliner again? What do you guys think?
I’ve already raved about the Wet ‘N Wild version, but here are a few other alternatives to get the white eyeliner look:
We all know THAT sporty girl. She loves a cold one after work. She is great at poker and down to smoke a cigar with the guys. She knows the stats about the latest game and completely bros out on the weekend. She is…the cool sporty girl. (Jamie’s note: I’m so NOT this girl. I had to ask Hannah when the Super Bowl is even on TV)
Now, while I will always prefer a skinny margarita over a Coors Light, I can’t help but have a tinge of envy when it comes to the world’s cool sporty girls. So this Sunday, I’m stepping up my game (no pun intended) and giving those cool sporty girls a run for their money. I am going to master the Super Bowl. “Master” might be an exaggeration, but I am going to know a fact or two to prove my knowledge before and after the Bruno Mars concert…I mean, halftime show. (Jamie’s note: I wish Beyonce were performing again, sigh).
Here is my SUPER BOWL FACT SHEET, so you too can be the cool sporty girl at your game-day party:
Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos: you can show your support with these super cute nail art ideas (try not to pick a team to root for based solely on the colors) (Jamie’s note: but if you DO, don’t tell any men that was your reasoning.)
Quarterbacks (or QB): Russell Wilson vs. Peyton Manning
KEY TERMS AND FACTS:
Both teams want to score by advancing into the opposing team’s endzone (at either end of the field with the big fork thing)
Offense– tries to score (like a goal or basket or home run in other sports) by entering the opposing team’s endzone
Defense– tries to protect their endzone, by smashing into (or tackling) the offensive players and making them fall or drop the ball, or by intercepting the ball (think monkey in the middle)
Each team gets 4 attempts, or downs, to travel 10 yards with the ball. They can pass (this is where the QB’s come in) or run with the ball. Once the player hits the ground, the play is over and the team has one less down. If they travel all 10 yards within the allotted 4 downs, then they get another 4 downs to try to cover an additional 10 yards and advance towards the other team’s endzone.
If the team doesn’t cover 10 yards within the 4 downs then the other team gets the ball and the whole thing starts all over.
If the team gets super close to the other team’s endzone before the end of their 4 downs, they can attempt kicking the ball between the goal posts (the big fork thing) for a field goal, worth 3 points.
Touchdown– worth 6 points when a team runs or catches the ball in the opposing team’s endzone.
After a touchdown, the team can gain an additional point by kicking the ball between the goal posts in the endzone or two points if they run or pass it in.
Now you are officially a cool girl. Just throw in an italicized word every now and then through a mouthful of chips and dip and you’ll be good to go.
Jamie’s note: I had to add in these super adorable chocolate covered strawberries that look life footballs (sorry, Hannah), but they’re a perfect and healthy game-time snack. If any men are reading this, completely ignore this photo. Go team.
