Happiness is. . . having Smooth Lips!

 

Hello dolls!  If you've been reading my blog then you should know by now that I've been struggling with the cold weather in upstate New York.  My skin and hair are very dry and my lips have become really flaky and chapped.  I've never had these problems before.  Back in hot and humid Miami it was quite the opposite.  My skin was combination to oily and I had to wash my hair everyday.  Well, not anymore!

The thing that bothers my the most is my lips issue.  I favor bold and bright lip colors, so when I apply my lipstick it tends to intensify the imperfections on my lips.  No bueno!  I tried several lip balms and hydrating lip treatments but nothing really worked.  Then I heard about lip scrubs and decided to give it a try.

I've never used one before but they are all the hype up here.  I researched for a little bit and decided to go with the Bubblegum Lip Scrub from Lush.  This was actually my first purchase at Lush and it did not disappoint.  I used it this morning and fell in love with it instantly.  My lips feel very smooth and I can no longer see any flakiness and dry areas.  The scent/taste is amazing!  They had two other flavors in the store (Mint and Chocolate) but I'm glad I went with Bubblegum.  It's so pretty and yummy, plus is pink!  You can get yours here for $9.95.

Now, if you can afford more than $10 on a lip scrub, then I suggest you check out these two more luxurious options.  They came up on top after reading a lot of reviews online and both of them look great! 

*You can purchase by clicking on the name

Bite Beauty Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub  $18

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish  $22.50

Do you have a favorite Lip Scrub?  What do you do to keep your lips on check during the Winter time?  

HAPPY lip scrubbing my darlings!

Besos, Isabel xox  

     

Happiness is. . . a Walk in the Park

 Penelope just HAPPY to be outside back in Florida

No frisbee, no problem!

Penny always finds something to play with.  That simple!

Meet Penelope!  This is my 3yr Shih Tzu and I love her to death.  She is a ball of joy and knows exactly how to build me up when I'm feeling down.  She truly is one HAPPY dog, loyal to a fault (she is my shadow!) and completely adorable.  Yes, Penny is a bit high maintenance, spoiled and even needy - like right now, she is licking my fingers as I'm trying to write this blog (face-palm) - but, how can I get mad at her?  Look at that face!

I've learned so many lessons from this little dog... one of them being appreciative for the simple things in life.  Things that sometimes we can take for granted, like for instance just hanging outside in a sunny day or going for a long walk in the park.  When we lived in South Florida we used to go for walks all the time and I miss it so much.  I don't get to do it at all in cold, gloomy Rochester.  Penelope's walks keep getting shorter and shorter and I honestly feel bad for her.  I can't wait for some warm weather!  It would be nice to play fetch outside for a change.  Our small one bedroom apartment is just not big enough for this ball of energy to get the exercise that she needs, not to mention the neighbors do not appreciate her running around non stop.  

Spring can't come soon enough!  I can't wait to take little Penelope out to the dog park and feel the sun on my face.  That would make both of us so HAPPY.  But until then... sorry downstairs neighbors!

Do you like spending time with your pets outside?  Any favorite games?  Have you learned any life lesson from your furry friends?

Besos, Isabel xox    

Happiness is. . . an OZ Inspired Makeup Palette

 The Glinda Palette

Inspired by the Disney movie Oz The Great and Powerful

All you need for a "spellbinding" look

Swatches: South, Oz (silver), Oz (gold), Illusion, Magic, Aura (rose iridescent), Aura (violet iridescent) and Tornado

Swatches: 24/7 eyeliner in Rockstar (deep eggplant) and Super-Saturated Lip Color in Glinda

Hi lovelies! Hope everybody had a great Monday.  Mine started off pretty badly.  I went to the doctor this morning and found out that I need to have more surgery next week.  As I mentioned in my very first post I have Crohn's disease.  Having a chronic illness is something that can send the most happy-go-lucky person to a very dark place so I try not to talk about it.  Maybe one day, when I'm ready, I'll write a post about my journey because it might help out somebody who is struggling with the disease too.  But today is not the day...

Since I was feeling kind of down, I decided to treat myself with something that I've been eyeing for a few weeks: the new Urban Decay limited edition eyeshadow palette inspired by the witches of the upcoming Disney movie Oz The Great and Powerful.  They have two palettes to choose from, the Theodora (Mila Kunis) and the Glinda (Michelle Williams).  I thought that being a brunette I was going to pick the Theodora palette, but when I saw them in person I fell in love with the Glinda and went with that one instead.  Maybe I'm more of a good witch after all!

Needless to say I LOVE this new palette.  Urban Decay never disappoints in the quality of their eyeshadows.  The colors are wonderful, very pigmented (even though they are light) and long wearing.  It comes with six pans, but two of them are split in half so you actually get eight colors.  My favorite one is Aura.  So pretty!  It also comes with a full size Super-Saturated High-Gloss Lip Color in Glinda (it's called Naked in their permanent collection), a 24/7 eyeliner in Rockstar and a get the look instructional card.  You can get it at Sephora (in store or online) for $49.

I created this eye look today using only Aura, Magic and Tornado.  I lined my upper lashes with Rockstar but for the inner rim went with a Chanel white eyeliner instead.  I also added some polka dots with a white liquid eyeliner from Stila for more of a fantasy look.  I finished it up with my They Are Real mascara from Benefit.  Can't wait to try other looks!

The movie comes out on March 8th and I'm sure it's going to be amazing.  Are you excited to see it?  Which one of the witches are you?  The good witch or the bad witch?

Besos, Isabel xox

PS: If you have Crohn's disease and would like to ask me any questions you can do so by sending me a private message. My email is bornagainyogi@gmail.com :)

  

Happiness is. . . a Neon Pink Manicure

Hello darlings!  Finding a modern version of the "Pink Ladies" jacket put me in a real pink mood so I decided to paint my nails pink.  Neon pink to be exact.  I know I'll still have to wait a few more months for Spring to kick in here in Rochester, NY, but I'm tired of the Winter colors so a bright pink manicure is a HAPPY sight for me.  I used a neon pink nail polish from Sinful Colors available at Walgreens (in store only) for only $1.99.  And for the accent color I went with a bubblegum pink from Butter London available here.

Do you like bright nail colors too? What are your favorite nail polish brands?

Besos, Isabel xox

Happiness is. . . a "Pink Ladies" Jacket

I've always been a huge fan of "Grease".  Ever since I saw the movie for the very first time back in the 80's I've been obsessed with it.  I used to know the songs, the choreography and even some of the dialogue, verbatim.  "Grease" opened up my eyes to the magical world of musical theatre and introduced me to Broadway.  I used to be a dancer when I was a kid so logically I started to dream about becoming a Broadway star.  That sadly never happened but I still love musicals, own a nice selection of some of my favorites on DVD and collect every single PlayBill of all the shows that I go to.

"Grease" will always be a very special musical to me and part of it has to do with the fact that it featured a group of girls that called themselves the "Pink Ladies".  I imagined myself as Sandy, of course, and wondered if Rizzo would approve of me and invite me to join her clique. 

"Grease" Paramount Pictures

Yes, I had a little crush on Danny Succo aka John Travolta, but my "Grease" obsession when I was a little girl was more about my fantasy of becoming one of the popular "Pink Ladies" and wear that fabulous pink jacket.

"Grease" Paramount Pictures

Fast-forward a couple of decades (phew).... and there I was yesterday browsing the Clearance section of JCPenney when I saw it: the perfect pink jacket for only $14!  I immediately broke out my HAPPY dance and proceeded to check out, glad that nobody saw me dancing.

I've always wanted one and now I finally have it, my own modern version of the "Pink Ladies" jacket.  It's fitted, cropped, cheap and totally cute!  You can get yours here.  It's more neon than the "Pink Ladies" pink and it obviously doesn't have their logo on the back but I still think that Rizzo would have approved.  What do you think?

What's your favorite musical/movie? Do you own a piece of clothing that reminds you of it?

Besos, Isabel xox     

Happiness is. . . a Perfect Greek Sunset

Saluting the sun in Oia, Santorini

I'm a big fan of sunsets.  They really take my breath away and make me feel so lucky to be living in such a wonderful world.  I literally feel butterflies in my stomach when I witness a beautiful sunset, like the one pictured above.  I took this picture last summer in the island of Santorini.  

I love the Greek islands and have been fortunate enough to have vacationed there for weeks at a time, twice.  The first time I went to Greece was over 10 years ago when I went backpacking with one of my best friends.  When I saw my first Santorini sunset I was blown away by it and promised myself that I would make it back.  It took me a long time but I finally went back last year, this time with my boyfriend.  

Santorini is, hands down, one of the most romantic places I’ve ever been to and a lot of it has to do with its amazing sunsets.  If you are looking for a Honeymoon destination or a place to celebrate your Anniversary I urge you to consider a trip to the Greek islands, especially to Santorini.  You will be HAPPY that you made it there.  

Try to catch a sunset in Oia on the northwest side of the island.  That’s where this picture was taken.  Lots of locals and tourists reunite there to watch the sunset and everybody joyfully claps and whistle in the end.  It will be an unforgettable experience.

Feeling blessed and rocking a ballerina bun in Santorini

Do you have a favorite spot to watch the sunset?

Besos, Isabel xox  

My first blog post ever!

Hello to all the smiley faces out there!

Welcome to my newest project, The Happy Blog.  My name is Isabel and I'm a Journalism graduate with a huge passion for Beauty, Fashion, Yoga and Health.  I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and I will always consider myself first and foremost an island girl.  I moved to Miami in 2003 to pursue my journalism degree and immediately fell in love with the Magic City.  Miami Beach was my home until last Fall, when I moved to Rochester, NY with my amazing boyfriend.  

Although I do like it here, I miss my Miami lifestyle terribly and it's been a challenge to adapt to the cold weather.  This Latina misses the sun and the eternal summers of Puerto Rico and Florida!  But, since I've always been a positive girl, I've decided to make the best of my time here and concentrate my energy in the things that truly make me HAPPY. 

I have been wanting to set up my own Lifestyle blog for ages and I feel that NOW is the time to do it. The Happy Blog will consist of:

1 cup of Beauty

1/2 cup of Fashion Trends/Fashion Crafts

1/2 cup of Yoga/Green Living
1 cup of Photography

1 cup of Unpredictable Randomness

3 Tbs of Penelope sightings (yes, I'm obsessed with my Shih-Tzu)

I'm excited to write again (I currently work in the Beauty Industry) and share my thoughts with other happy cybernauts like me.  Writing has always been, not only a creative outlet, but also a way to relax.   As a Crohn's disease patient, I value my quiet time and writing certainly brings joy and peace to my life.

Please bear with me until I get the hang of this wonderful world of blogging and feel free to share your thoughts on how to improve my craft.  I hope you enjoy The Happy Blog and I'm excited to hear what makes YOU happy.

Besos, Isabel xox