Final Blog Post

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Farewell, my amazing readers!  This is the last blog post for Breakthrough Beauty.  It’s been a blast and I’ve enjoyed interacting with you all.  Each of you are incredible, talented, gifted, unique, special, beautiful, and necessary  – and you were BORN THAT WAY!!!!  \o/  It’s been my honor and privilege to share this piece of cyber-space with you, no matter how small or large our interaction may have been.

Beauty, Peace, Life, Love and Transformation to you! \o/

Cheers! xx

~^~  Katie ~^~

“Behold, the winter is past . . . ”  Song of Songs 2:11  <><

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© 2013 Katie Regan

5 Ways to Recycle Roses

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Go to my Facebook page and enter my MAC Giveaway here: http://tinyurl.com/bjpg9de

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Roses From My Love Muffin <3

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So you got some lovely roses for Valentine’s Day and now they’re fading.  Don’t toss them just yet!  There are so many ways you can still reap an aromatic harvest of benefits from these power-packed lovelies.  Let’s discuss five.  (You can use these methods for other flower varities, as well, not just roses.)

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Experiment with adding other plant products to your rose bath concoction — herbal teas tossed into your mix are wonderful and medicinal!

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1. ROSE BATH: Toss the petals into a steamy bath.  Fast, easy, beautiful and a GREAT way to relax after a long day.  For added luxury and skin-nourishment, pour in a cup or two of milk.  Hey, it worked for Cleopatra!

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2.  ROSE FACIAL MASK: Rose petals, honey, plain yogurt — that’s all you need for an amazing, skin-rejuvinating, DIY facial.  Use a food processor or grinder to grate the petals into small pieces.  (Alternately, you can rip them, cut or chop them until crushed.) Add roughly a tablespoon each of yogurt and honey until it reaches your desired consistency.  Apply to face and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Voilá!  Visibly cleaner, smoother, brighter skin.

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3. DIY DRIED ROSE KEEPSAKE: The first year that Love Muffin and I were married, I dried the petals of a bouquet of roses he’d given me, then placed them in an empty (washed and dried) bottle of wine that has special meaning to us.  They’re pretty to display and a sweet reminder of special memories.

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When you’re drying your own flower petals, let them sit on a paper towel for several days.  Choose any kind of pretty bottle that you would like to display.  You can even add dried leaves,  fruit rinds, or other plant products that you think of.

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4. ROSE WATER FACIAL MIST/TONER: It’s easier than you might think!  Instead of spending scads of hard-earned $mula$ on high-end facial sprays, make your own.  Make sure you use organic or home-grown flowers to ensure your product doesn’t have pesticides or other chemicals in it!

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Start off with a glass bowl full of your rose petals.  Pour enough boiling water (distilled or purified)  into the bowl to fully cover the petals.  Cover and let sit until it’s cooled off completely.  Strain the pink water into a pretty jar (if you’ll be applying with a cotton ball) or a misting bottle.  That’s it!  This doesn’t have a preservative, so use it up within a week.  Keeping it in the fridge will prolong it’s life and will also be a refreshing treat for your skin in hot weather.

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5. Rose Salad: Toss your petals into your next salad!  No, I’ve not gone mad…..not entirely, anyway. ;D  According to Livestrong.com, eating rose petals and other flower varieties is common place around the world in both cuisine and medicine!  Again, be sure your flowers are organic.  You’ll find that different colors and varieties have different flavors and sweetness levels, plus different types of vitamins, minerals and healing nutrients!

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Which idea do you like best?  What are YOU going to do with your leftover holiday flowers?!

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Cheers! xo

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~^~  Katie ~^~

“Behold, the winter is past . . . ”  Song of Songs 2:11  <><

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© 2013 Katie Regan

Quiz: How 2 Know if Instagram is Right For You

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Still on the fence with the whole Instagram thing?  Take this little test to see if the latest social networking fad is worth your time.

1.  You’re a visual person.  Picture catalogs inspire you.  You see things “in color.”  You may or may not enjoy reading, but you definitely likey the pictures.

2.   You’re “right-brained.”  You may be an artist, designer or musician, but one thing is certain: you like to CREATE and view other people’s creations.  In fact, creativity is your middle name.

3. You enjoy the convenience and privacy of being “social” on your own terms, time frames . . . and in your jam-jams.  Seriously, you don’t have to be a hermit to enjoy social networking, but it’s nice to be able to connect with people all across the globe and get inspired even when you don’t have the time or desire to leave the house.

4. You like wasting hours playing on your smart phone.  *cough*   I mean, you enjoy relaxing for a bit of visual escapism on your mobile device, as time permits.

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If you can relate to two or more of the above characteristics, it’s a safe bet that you’d get a kick out of Instagram.  If you can relate to all of the above, you’re already on Instagram and have been browsing photos, blogs and stalking your favorite pages for a really, really long time. =p

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So, if you get a wild hair, go dive into Instagram and see if it suits you.  There’s a sense of community there that’s somehow different from other social networking sites.  You’ll see what I mean.  Here’s a smattering of some of my recent Instagram photos:

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Cheers! xo

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~^~  Elizabeth ~^~

“Behold, the winter is past . . . ”  Song of Songs 2:11  <><

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© 2013 Elizabeth Regan

I’m On Instagram!

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Hello lovely people and happy Friday!

I’m on Instagram now and it’s way cool!  Follow me here and let’s stay connected.

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Also, stay tuned for an Urban Decay giveaway I’m hosting soon!  No hints.

Cheers! xo

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~^~  Elizabeth ~^~

“Behold, the winter is past . . . ”  Song of Songs 2:11  <><

   Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest |Instagram | Bloglovin | Youtube 

© 2013 Elizabeth Regan

Not All Eye Primers Are Created Equal

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Recently, I scored a free Laura Mercier Eye Basics  from Sephora.

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“This elegant cream evaporates to a dry finish, and leaves behind long-lasting semi-matte color. Water-resistant and crease-proof, it corrects imperfections and discoloration on the lid.”  Sephora.com

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Even though this product is touted as a skin perfecter, many people use it as an eye primer, which is what I was doing at first.  This is all fine and well, if you simply need a product to extend wear-time and prevent creasing.  However, if you’re wanting a primer to deepen shadows and make your pigments *pop*, Laura Mercier’s Eye Basics is  not for you.

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Finding the right primer for you — one that will satisfy your specific desires — may take some experimentation.  Two eye primers that never fail to take my pigments to the next level of mega-saturation are (of course) Urban Decay’s Potion Primer and a drugstore brand called Lumene, Beauty Base Eye Primer.  Both are excellent.

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I’m currently testing theBalm‘s Put A Lid On It primer (which I scored in my January Birchbox.)  The verdict’s still out!

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What are your favorite eye primers of all time?!  Dish it, ladies! XD

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Cheers! xo

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~^~  Elizabeth ~^~

“Behold, the winter is past . . . ”  Song of Songs 2:11  <><

   Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest |Instagram | Bloglovin | Youtube 

© 2013 Elizabeth Regan