I'm a Dinosaur. Fear Me! (The Paleo Diet)

Yes, yes...Dinosaurs weren't around during the Paleolithic era, but you know what people who study dinosaurs are called? That's right. Paleontologists! Mind blown? You're welcome.


Soooo the Paleo diet.

Yes, this is a real fracking book! I'm okay with it. 

 Not only did I lose 20lbs (135 to 115), had a TON of energy, and ate less from being constantly full, but I actually enjoyed what I was eating! That's the best part about this plan that anyone can follow. I adore food. I know most of you don't actually know me, but you have to understand something: I'm seriously addicted to food. Obsessed. Finding a plan that allowed me to eat such a variety and be lenient (depending on how your body works) was absolutely perfect. For example:  Bacon. While it really isn't the #1 thing you should be eating, it's actually something that you don't need to cut out!


Here's how it works. I'm sure most of you have at least heard about the Paleo or Caveman diet (or as I like to call it: I'm a Dinosaur. Fear Me.); "eat only foods that cavemen would eat" blah blah blah something scientific and words you sort of care about but never understand the results. The basics are that before people started harvesting grains and dairy from animals, health risks, diseases, obesity, and digestive problems were no where near as high as they've become. Think of it as eating only what is "natural" with a few differences...


Since this post is getting rather lengthy and I haven't even really started talking about much of the food, I'mma gonna breaks it down like a dis (yes, that grammar was intentional).

Foods You Can Eat:
Meat
Eggs
Veggies
Fruit
Seafood
Nuts
Seeds
Fats (avocado, olive, nut oil/milk)

Foods To Stay Away From:
Pasteurized Dairy
Grains
Starches (potatoes. Don't boil 'em mash 'em OR stick 'em in a stew!)
Legumes (beans, soy, you get the picture)
Processed Oils
Certain Vegetable Oils
Refined Sugar (sweeteners)


Now the way you follow it all depends on how your body type is, what your allergies are, how much you want to lose, etc. I'm sure a bunch of you are saying,

"No sugar or dairy?! YOU SAID I COULD EAT THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY!?!"

Well, my next part to this blog will be about the way that I followed this, was able to cut certain corners to stay satisfied, and STILL lost weight! There are a good amount of things that you're "not supposed to eat" but are still really good for you, as well as help with cravings for the things that are really bad for you. So check back for Part 2!



Bt-dubs, I am NOT in any freaking way trained to do this, so don't really look to this as any sort of nutritional insight or say "I ate nothing but bacon and got a heart attack!" This is just a recap of what I did, how I lost weight, and how I stayed full and happy doing it. Do your research, know your body, and definitely consult your doctor.

Let me know if you guys have ANY questions.

Enjoy your food!! <3


**For a more in depth break down of these foods, visit Paleo Plan.This site is by far (in my humble opinion) the best site to start, find answers, and keep going with your paleo lifestyle.**

**If you love to cook, bake, and create but maybe need a few tips on a ton of delicious paleo meals, snacks, and yes deserts!!!, Paleo Plan also has an amazing recipe section. **

Wow...Sorry about that

Aaaand I've disappeared once again. I seriously have creativity ADD.

( and regular ADD >.>)

When I started The Pin Up Sweet Shoppe on Youtube, I didn't think I would have nearly enough amazing followers wanting to see more from me. I've been attempting to film more tutorials, but now with my 3 jobs, tiresome schedule, and hardly any time for a social life (let alone tutorials) have pretty much stifled me.

However! I do get time during most of my work to be able to work on this blog! I kind of pushed it to the backburner, but now that I've found a wonderful skincare/foundation regimen, a fantastic diet, discovered my love of couponing, and realized I have so many other fascinations and ideas that don't just revolve around hair and makeup, I thought perhaps I would do something different.

I've decided to turn this blog into an inspiration of more than just beauty, but health, saving money, creative fun, food, and more! Yeah, yeah, yeah...I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I just want to include my knowledge of things that make my own life wonderful to add to the amazing beauty that is YOUR life!

Let me know if you have any suggestions, comments, questions, etc.

Also: TARGET IS PUTTING UP HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS!!! O____O

I may or may not have already spent my first $15 of the season, which isn't soo much of a surprise considering my apartment is decorated for Halloween all year long...

 

<3

Skin Care: List of Products I've Used

Like a good amount of young women my age and younger, I have had serious troubles finding a skin care regiment that works well for me. My skin is sensitive, oily, blemish prone, occasional redness and uneven texture, medium pores...I could go on for a while. Basically, it's very hard to find a product that works well with my skin and works longer than 2 months.

Below is a list of skin care face wash products I've used. Next to each product I will note a rough estimate of how long I used it, whether or not it helped and how it improved my skin if it did help, and if I still use it. There are a few products I've used that either didn't work at all or obviously didn't make much of an impact on me. I've also tried a few moisturizers which I will include at the end of the list.


Proactive
- 6 months (first time), 2 months (second time)
- First time it worked wonderfully until a few months in I noticed my skin had become used to it. Second time it irritated my skin badly.
- I have not tried the "New and Improved" version of this product

Clean and Clear Morning Burst Wash and Scrub
- about 8 months
- It was a nice, invigorating product that didn't really irritate my skin and kept it pretty blemish free. After a few months, again, my skin became used to it and the blemishes returned.
- I still use the scrub occasionally which is gentle enough to use everyday. It smells great and while it doesn't really do much for my acne, it keeps my skin mildly exfoliated and soft.

Aveeno Clear Complexion
- 3 months
- I found it very light and clean which was great for removing dirt and makeup, but there wasn't enough of a powerful ingredient to get rid of my acne. I would recommend this, however, for those of you who have mild acne.

Dermatologist Product (I can't remember the name)
- 3-6 months
- I don't remember how long I used this exactly, all I know is that it worked pretty well. I spoke to my dermatologist about my skin type and issues and he gave me a custom fitted regimen that cleared my skin up decently and kept it that way. Unfortunately, I thought it was cheaper and easier at the time to just buy drugstore products and once again, my skin got worse. Plus, it didn't fully clear up my skin so I developed this stigma against dermatologists that they didn't really know what was best for my skin. 

St. Ives Makeup Remover and Facial Cleanser
- 6 years on and off
- When I first used this product I loved it! (I think it was about 2005 spring) It kept my face clear, didn't over moisturize or dry it out, and left my face soft and glowing. It was the perfect balance because it was a simple cleanser and not overloaded with things that were promised to clear up your acne. I used it for about a year
and when I went to purchase more they changed the label. I didn't think the product had changed but when I used it it had a totally different affect on my skin.Every time I would see it in the store after that, it seemed to have a different label and the product still wasn't working the same.
- I recently picked up the product again and I've been using it as just a makeup remover on days I don't want to over dry or irritate my skin by using my acne wash more than once or twice. I don't know if it's just me, but it seems to be closer to what I remember it being.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser
- 1 month
- I thought this product would be similar to the St. Ives and perhaps clean my skin even more, but it was very lackluster.

Burt's Bees Deep Cleansing Cream
- 3 months
- Again, I was going for another clean, fresh cleanser that didn't have specific acne fighting ingredients in it like St. Ives to see if I could clear my face. While this worked for the first month or so, I found it didn't really do the job like I wanted it to. It also has this cooling feeling which, while very invigorating and soothing, doesn't work as well as the St. Ives product when you want to remove makeup from your eyes.


Clearasil Ultra Daily Face Wash
- 2 months
- This one wasn't too bad. I just recently stopped using it because it wasn't doing enough for my skin. It says it gets rid of 100% of acne and while it did keep my skin clearer than most products, it wasn't really for me. I didn't really like the consistency and I found I had occasional whiteheads that would pop up one at a time.

Clean and Clear Advanced + Acne Mark Eraser Kit
-2 weeks (and counting)
- I just recently bought this product and so far I'm really enjoying it. It's taking a while for the mark eraser portion of it to kick in, but I can already see a difference. The only problem I have with it is that the skin on my cheekbones is getting irritated. However, I think it's from overusing the face wash product. It says on the label that if irritation occurs to use only once a day or skip a day entirely. That's when I use the St. Ives product to sooth and gently clean my face.
- I will definitely keep everyone updated on this product!

Clean and Clear Morning Burst Morning Glow Moisturizer
- 8 months
- I used this along with the Morning Burst wash and scrub. Being that I have oily skin, I never thought I needed a moisturizer so I thought I'd try this one first. It was pretty light for a scented moisturizer and protected my face against the sun, but after a while I noticed it started clogging my pores.


Olay Regenerist UV Defense Regenerating Lotion SPF 15
- over 1 year
- For the size of the bottle this product goes a long way. It's a very simple product that gives me the moisturizer I need without keeping me oily or clogging my pores. I also found that the little wrinkles I do have developing were softened!
- I still use this from time to time but wanted to try another product to see if it could clear up my redness.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 15
- 1 month
- This is the moisturizer I purchased recently to help get rid of my redness and uneven skin texture. So far, it hasn't dramatically changed anything but it does sooth my face after the Clean and Clear Advanced system and I haven't had any problems with it.
- I'll keep you updated on this product as well.

Hopefully this list helps you in your search for the right skin care products!

BH Cosmetics Review Coming Soon!

Today I received my order of 4 different BH Cosmetics products. Below are the items I purchased:

28 Neutral Palette
120 First Edition Eyeshadow Palette
10 Professional Blush Palette
6 Contour and Blush Palette

I just took the massive layers of packing paper, bubble wrap, and plastic off of the makeup to reveal the beautiful palettes. If anything, the company packs and ships the product very safely and professionally. I will be using different colors from the palettes tonight and tomorrow to test on my skin. I have rather sensitive skin (especially my eyelids) so if the products cause any allergic reaction, I'll know right away.

Check back here and my Youtube channel for the review video!

My Little Secrets: Baby Shampoo

Something I feel anyone that loves makeup must have is a good sized bottle of baby shampoo. The brand doesn't really matter but the two I use most often are Johnson's and the store brand from Target. There are honestly so many uses for this simple product and you'll spend a heck of a lot less cash on this one bottle than you would on the different products you would need to get the jobs done. 

Here are some of the ways I love to use this product:

Eye Makeup Remover
Though it's not my #1 way of removing makeup properly, this really does the trick. Not only is it gentle and good to your skin, but it says right on the front of the bottle "No More Tears" so it won't bother your eyes like some removers can. Put about a quarter-sized amount on your hand and rub around your eyes. Remove the product with you a warm washcloth. Just remember to keep your eyes closed! Even though it says no more tears, if you get it directly into your eye it's going to irritate it.

Cleaning Makeup Brushes
Since it works so well gently removing makeup from your eyes, baby shampoo will be just as gentle on your makeup brushes. It is baby shampoo, after all, so you can be assured that it will not only clean but leave your brushes of any fiber or hair feeling soft and undamaged. Again, you'll want to use about a quarter-size amount in the palm of your hand and rub the brushes flat and one at a time on your palm. Rub the shampoo into both sides and rinse with water.Flick the brush briskly a few times to water and be sure to lay the brushes on a flat surface so the excess water doesn't drip down into the brush.

Shaving
The baby shampoos that I buy are all hypoallergenic and are dermatological and allergy tested. Therefore, it's gentle and doesn't' irritate sensitive skin. Though it isn't as thick as shaving gel or lather too nicely, it's a good alternative to shaving products that may cause redness, breakouts, and irritation. The shampoo softens the hair you are shaving and leaves the skin soft as well. It's especially great for underarms and bikini areas since the hair is usually coarse. 

Replacing Several Items When Traveling
Instead of finding travel-sized versions of eye makeup remover, brush cleaner and shaving gel, you can consolidate more space in your makeup bag by buying a $1 3oz travel bottle from a drugstore and filling it with the baby shampoo.

Let’s start a skin care blog!

I have the weirdest skin; oily, sensitive, dry, blemish-prone, semi-large pores. It's a bit more extreme than combination and the oily part is definitely heaviest. I have tried far too many products for acne and healthy skin. Some times, if I don't have a bad reaction to it, my skin clears up right away and it is the best feeling in the world! But every single time, after about two months, my skin gets used to the product and reverts back to it's awkwardness.

With this in mind, I would like to begin a section of my blog devoted to skincare and the trials of it. I'll try a few "cures" (home-remedies, drug store brands, etc) every month or so and report back with just how well, or awfully, they worked!

Just so everyone knows, I'm not one of those makeup gurus that knows what everything is made of and how it will aid and react with your skin. I'm only blogging about how my skin is and how things react with my personal type of skin and the information I know from other gurus or websites. Sadly, I cannot tell you what you should do for your skin if it differs from mine. The good thing is that my skin tends to have a lot of different problems so if I find something that works fabulously on my skin when it gets really dry, maybe that will work for your skin if dryness is your main problem! Also, if you guys would like to try some things I'm not, or have already tried a few things and would like to give tell us what helped you by all means comment away.

I really hope this helps both of us!

Hello there!

Since I've been rather busy the past few months I haven't really had the time to make any tutorials on my YouTube channel. Instead, I thought I'd create a blog that's just as fun, informative, and pin-up inspired! This way, I can also blog short and sweet comments about products, vintage items, or hairstyle questions and post them as soon as possible without editing a video. Plus, you won't have to listen to me ramble on for 10 minutes about one subject.

I already have a few blogs on the way so keep checking back!