Movie Night: Date Night at Home Series

Movie Night

Have you been sitting in your home wondering how you can spruce things up? Look no further! We wanted to create a new space that felt like a "movie room" for movie night at home.

Of course, all paths lead to Amazon! A TV backlight is a really cool way to create an experience like the movies at home.

These LED Strip Lights get the job done! Plus, they're super affordable. I love that they come with a remote. You can change the colors with the remote.

In addition to that, there's a setting that allows the lights to sync with music! These lights are easy to install. They're on an adhesive strip and you stick them on the back of your TV!

Here's how the lights look on our TV! This would be a great project to surprise bae with for a movie night at home.

Be sure to grab some of bae's favorite snacks to complete the experience! I couldn't resist grabbing these super cute popcorn holders to make it feel like we're at the movies.

movie night

What to Watch

Don't spend more time scrolling than watching a movie! Here are some movies and series we enjoyed!

Netflix:

  • Lupin (Series)
  • Queens Gambit (Series)
  • ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke (Documentary)

Hulu:

  • Like a Boss (Movie)
  • Antebellum (Movie)
  • Alone (Movie)

Amazon Prime

  • One Night In Miami (Movie)

Apple TV

  • Truth Be Told (Series)
  • See (Series)

HBO Max

  • The Invisible Man (Movie)
  • Lovecraft Country (Series)
  • Little (Movie)

Date Night at Home Series

This is the last post in the date night at home series! Be sure to check out the other posts for more date night inspiration! Do you plan on creating a movie night at home experience?

Paint Night: Date Night at Home Series

Paint Night at Home

I'm creative at heart. So, I love a good artistic date. Brent knows the way to my heart, and we have gone on a few paint dates. Since we always enjoy ourselves, we wanted to create the experience at home.

valentine's day 2021

If you give me a canvas, paint, and brushes I'm all set! However, if you're not super artistic you may be wondering, "how can I create a paint night experience without hiring an artist?" Well, there are a couple really easy ways.

Paint by Numbers

You probably haven't thought about painting by number since you were a kid!

But, these are not kiddie paintings! We picked up two kits from Amazon. I got a lion and Brent got a dinosaur. The kits come with all the paints. Although you get a brush, we used some of our own.

paint

Let's Make Art

Paint kits from Let's Make Art are also a great option. These kits are shipped to you. They come with paper and watercolor paint. You will need your own brushes. In addition to that, there's a video tutorial on YouTube that you can follow to create the painting of your choice.

What I really love about paint dates is that you're left with a beautiful piece of artwork! You'll always remember that time together when you see it hanging up!

Date Night at Home Series

This is the fourth post in the Date Night at Home Series. Be sure to come back for more date night inspiration! Do you plan on trying a paint night at home?

Wine Tasting at Home: Date Night at Home Series

Wine Tasting at Home

You don't have to leave your house to enjoy date night! Have you tried doing a wine tasting at home? It's a lot of fun, and a great way to (maybe) find a new favorite!

wine tasting at home

Start by picking up three wines you haven't tried before. You can choose inexpensive wines, or pricey ones, it's up to you.

We hadn't tried canned wine, so we picked up two of those. Brent couldn't resist grabbing a bottle called, "Straight, No Chaser."

wine tasting at home

Choose the first taster, and blindfold them. Yup, this is a blind tasting! They'll take a sip of each wine and try to guess which one it is.

Of course, we're competitive. So, we wanted to see who would get the most correct guesses. We ended up tied! I guessed the Red Blend correctly and Brent guessed the Pino Grigio Correctly,

wine tasting at home

While the Crafters Union Red Blend can looks pretty cool, it was our least favorite out of the three. I thought the Dark Horse Pino Grigio was okay. Brent was not a fan! Straight No Chaser was a hit with both of us!

Date Night at Home Series

This is the third post in the date night at home series! Be sure to come back for more date night inspiration! Do you plan on trying a wine tasting at home?

Beginner Salsa Lessons: Date Night at Home Series

Beginner Salsa Lessons

You don't have to leave your house to learn some new dance moves for date night. We're heading to YouTube University for beginner salsa lessons!

beginner salsa lessons

Dance lessons are such a fun way to learn something new with your partner. Not to mention, it's great exercise if you really get into it! Brent and I took swing dance lessons in the past and we absolutely loved them. So, we wanted to recreate the experience in our home. The first step is hitting up YouTube!

The great thing about finding dance lessons on YouTube is that they're FREE! Plus, you can go at your own pace.

Although we decided on beginner salsa lessons, you can choose whatever type of dance you'd like. There are swing dance, waltz, and many others available on YouTube!

Getting That Date Night Feel

We started learning the moves in our loungewear. Of course, loungewear has become an essential part of quarantine life! However, we wanted to make the experience feel more like date night. So, after we got some of the moves down we got all dressed up. Then, we practiced the moves to some music!

Date Night at Home Series

This is the second post in the date night at home series! Be sure to come back for more date night inspiration! Do you plan on trying dance lessons at home?

Couples Game Night: Date Night at Home Series

Couples Game Night

Date night at home doesn't have to be boring! Bring out your competitive spirit with a couples game night. Keep score and compete for a prize! Here's how we make couple's game night a blast.

couples game night

Our Favorite Couples Games

Tonk

This is one of our favorite card games! Here's how to play! Each player gets five cards. The goal is to have the lowest total count in your hand.

couples game night

If you have three of the same card, from any suit, in your hand you can set them aside as a spread. The same applies if you have a sequence in the same suit, like 7, 8, 9. That maximizes your chances of winning, as you're left with two cards. The other player can "hit" your spread if they have a card that matches the set. Our house rules are that you must wait for three sequences before you can tonk out if your spread is hit. You tonk out by setting your cards on the table at any point, If you have the lowest count, you win! If the other player has the lowest count, you're caught, and you lose.

Monopoly

Monopoly is such a classic game! I honestly think it's more fun when there are only two people playing. The game moves along quicker.

Pro tip: the orange set is one of the keys to winning the game! It's the most powerful property set on the board!

UNO

Ok, this blog post would never end if I went down the rabbit hole of how you're supposed to play this game! At this point, everyone has their own rules.

To keep things fair, we use the rules that come with the game. We play a series of five games. Whoever wins the most games wins this part of the tournament.

Skip-Bo

This game takes some strategy. The goal is to get rid of 20 cards in your pile before your opponent.

It sounds easy, right! However, it's difficult because your cards must be played in numerical order and placed on one of four piles. This is one of my favorite games!

Farkle

This is a game of chance! The goal is to get 10,000 points before your partner. You score points by rolling ones and fives.

couples game night

Points are also earned if the same number is on three, four, five, or all six dice. You can take your chances if you don't score a lot of points on your first roll and go again. However, if you don't score on your second roll you lose all your points! This game always gets intense when we're close in score, watching every roll to see who will take the Farkle crown!

Date Night at Home Series

This is the first post in the date night at home series! Be sure to come back for more date night inspiration! What are some of your favorite couples' games?

Skinimalism: 2021 Beauty Trend

Skinimalism: 2021 Beauty Trend

Skinimalism is supposed to be a big beauty trend in 2021! It's all about minimalism in your makeup routine.

In other words, don't sweat the small stuff! Skinimalism is about embracing your flaws versus trying to cover them up with layers of makeup. This is a really cool trend! Sometimes we can get caught up in being snatched and flawless. It's great to get back to the basics and embrace all of our natural beauty!

Get The Look

Start with skin prep. I love using the mattifying Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. It gives my skin a nice matte finish.

skinimalism

Then, follow up with the Peach and Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum. This serum is bomb! It makes my skin feel so soft. Plus, my skin appears more smooth after I apply it.

Next, apply the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. I have a real love-hate relationship with this product. I love that it provides lightweight coverage and a luminous finish.

skinimalism

However, I'm not really sure what the "filter effect" is supposed to be. I do think this is perfect for a skinimalism look because it does look like your own skin, but slightly better!

As you know, I love multitasking with products. So, I use this ELF moisturizing lipstick for blush and lip color. Because I have some hyperpigmentation on the sides of my cheeks I focus the color on the apples of my cheeks.

That way I'm not drawing attention to those darker spots.

Highlighter is always a good idea! I apply the Pat McGrath Cream Highlighter to the high points of my face.

skinimalism

I use the balm end of the stick to add some shine to my lips.

Because my eyelashes reside in struggle city, I use a curler to give them a little more life. Then, I apply Milk Makeup Kush Waterproof Mascara. I focus on the outer half of my lower lashes to help open up my eyes.

skinimalism

Finish the look with Milani Make It Last Matte setting spray. This will help keep everything in place all day long!

I love how easy this look is. It looks put together but not overdone.

What do you think about the skinimalism trend? Do you plan on giving it a try?

Vanessa Palette: Vanessa Gyimah x Juvia’s Place

The Vanessa Palette

A content goddess collaborates with Juvia's Place and this is the result. The Vanessa Palette is here!

This is Vanessa Gyimah's first collaboration. Vanessa is a makeup artist and beauty influencer, just in case you're not familiar with her. The collection includes a palette and two lip glosses.

Announcing the collection on Instagram, Vanessa wrote, "this palette is inspired by life struggles and wins!" She started as an inexperienced blogger and is now launching a collaboration with her favorite brand. Vanessa adds, "when the world tells you no and God says YES! You can do anything you set your mind to with faith!"

What's in the Palette

You will find four matte shades, a metallic shimmer, and a pearlescent shade in the Vanessa Palette.

The shade names are Extra, Perfectionist, BSG, Busy, Stush, and Akua.

vanessa palette

As we've come to expect from Juvia's Place, the eyeshadows are nicely pigmented. Stush and Akua are really vibrant when applied.

BSG, which stands for brown skin girl, and Busy are perfect transition shades. I love using BSG to add some depth.

Extra and Perfectionist are truly special shades. Extra is warmer toned gold, with a slight pink shift.

vanessa palette

The color shift is very subtle, so I wouldn't call it a duo-chrome. It's definitely more of a metallic shadow. Perfectionist compliments extra well. The shades are similar, but Perfectionist is pinker toned. In addition to that, it has a pearlescent finish.

In my experience, Extra and Perfectionist apply best with a damp brush. I did notice some fallout with both of these shades, but it's not anything major.

As an added bonus, all of the eyeshadows are really blendable.

This color story allows you to create every day and dramatic looks with this palette, which I love. The price point is great! You can pick this up for $15!

vanessa palette

I'm so happy I added The Vanessa Palette to my makeup collection! Are you going to try this palette?

The Best White Jeans: Non-See Through!

The Best White Jeans

NYDJ sent me the Teresa Trouser Jeans and Utility Shirt for free in exchange for social media posts. All opinions are my own.

White denim is hard to get right! You know that if you've ever bought a bad pair. They highlight features you'd rather minimize.

best white jeans

NYDJ Teresa Trouser Jeans

These are wide leg, trouser style jeans. I absolutely love the silhouette because it can easily be dressed up or down.

They also have a frayed hem. I think it's a nice touch. They are a bit long on me. I'm 5'4" on a good day, for reference. So, I'd need to wear these with a heel or wedge to keep them off the ground.

Lift Tuck Technology

This technology is exclusive to NYDJ denim. According to the brand, it helps you look, feel, and wear a size smaller.

These jeans have a slimming panel with a patented criss-cross design to flatten in the front and curve-contouring construction to flatter curves in the back.

The first thing I noticed when I put these jeans on was that that they felt so comfortable. While they were fitted in areas, they didn't feel too tight.

Plus, there's a good amount of stretch! Can you comfortably dip it low like this in your jeans? The next thing I noticed is that these jeans aren't see-through at all! Insert praise dance!

I'm wearing a size 6 in optic white. They fit great, but I could've sized down for a more fitted look.

The only downside for me is the price. The Teresa Trouser Jeans go for $129 on the NYDJ website. I'm certainly not the type to spend $100 on denim, but I must say, I'm impressed with these.

If you'd like to try out some NYDJ white denim and save some coins check out the Barbara Bootcut Jeans, Teresa Trouser Jeans, and Teresa Trouser Jeans with Double-Button Waistband. These are similar styles to the pair I'm wearing. They're all on sale for under $100, but sizes are very limited.

best white jeans

I'm looking forward to more crisp, clean, confident moments in these jeans! Do you have a favorite pair of white jeans? Looking for more style inspiration? Check out this post!

Fenty Powder Foundation: Review + Try-On

Fenty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Powder Foundation

Rihanna is coming for more of our coins with the new Fenty Powder Foundation drop. It promises light-to-full coverage.

According to Fenty Beauty, Rihanna spent three years perfecting the formula for the powder foundation. The formula is supposed to make skin look like skin and provide the ultimate blurred finish.

The brand makes some bold claims. This product is supposed to be light-as-air, sweat-, humidity-, and crease-resistant. In addition to that, it's not supposed to settle into lines, clog pores or cake up.

fenty powder foundation

Does Fenty Powder Foundation Live up to These Claims?

I bought shade 410, which is the same shade I wear in the Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Liquid Foundation. Fortunately, it is a perfect match for my skin tone!

The first thing I noticed is how truly lightweight the foundation feels. I apply it with the Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush, buffing it into my skin. The coverage starts off very light and natural.

However, building up to full coverage is easy. Instead of buffing the powder into my skin, I lightly tapped it onto the areas where I wanted more coverage. Doing this does not make it cakey or heavy.

fenty powder foundation

The finish of the foundation is really lovely. It's matte without being too matte. I also noticed the blurring effect. It is crease-resistant. It doesn't break up at all when I'm wearing it.

Although the jury is still out on the sweat and humidity-proof claims, I am really impressed with this foundation. It really keeps the skin looking like skin.

fenty powder foundation

As an added bonus, you can layer it on top of the liquid foundation without any issues. This is definitely a new staple in my makeup routine. Have you tried this foundation? What are your thoughts on it?

Indique Ponytail Review: Remix Organic Curl

Indique Ponytail Review + How To Style

This post was done in partnership with Indique Virgin Hair Extensions. Indique sent me the Remix Organic Curl Ponytail for free. All opinions are my own.

You know that panic that sets in when you’re all comfortable, working from home, and then you have to be seen. Getting that hair together in a few minutes is a lot easier with an Indique ponytail!

indique ponytail review

Preparing the Remix Organic Curl Ponytail For Install

If you’re new to extensions, curly hair does not come fluffed up.

So, the Indique Organic Curl ponytail is not going to look the way it does on the website, straight out of the package. Now, I’m not a professional hairstylist. I’m trying to get it together at home, just like you!

indique ponytail review

So, I went through this trial… and error, so you don’t have to!

I started to fluff this hair by running my fingers through it. That is not the best method. While that works well for Indique’s Pure Curly, Remix hair is different. You can read more about how Remix hair is made here. 

If you’re going to fluff the curls dry I suggest gently separating them piece by piece. Yes, that will take longer than finger combing. However, it will minimize shedding. If you can’t wait to install this ponytail, use this method.

This hair loves water! I have the least amount of shedding when running my hands through the curls when they are wet.

I placed the drawstring loop around a hanger and then used a spray bottle to wet the hair. Let the ponytail air dry and voilà! A full, beautiful pony! The drying time is about two hours. The curl pattern is really beautiful. I wish I could get my curls to look like this!

indique ponytail review

Installing the Indique Ponytail

Gather your hair into a ponytail wherever you like best. Depending on your hair length, you may need to twist your hair into a small bun and secure it with a bobby pin.

This ponytail has a comb on one side and a drawstring on the other. You’ll use those to secure it.

First place the comb at the front of your ponytail. Then, tuck your hair into the net. Finally, pull the drawstring until the ponytail is secure. Tuck in the strings to conceal them.

Check out this video tutorial to learn how to easily install the ponytail!

Ways to Style the Ponytail

You can switch up your part for different looks. I like to wrap a piece of hair around the base of the ponytail to conceal the drawstring. This ponytail looks lovely as a big messy bun or top knot. You can even create faux bangs by styling it with a scarf. As always, adding accessories is always a great idea! Spice things up with a fun clip or headband.

indique ponytail review
indique ponytail review
indique ponytail review

If you want a really smooth ponytail, cover your hair with a scarf and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. I use gel to slick my hair down before installing the ponytail.

If you’re looking for something quick and easy to add to your hair wardrobe, I suggest trying Indique’s Remix Ponytails. They come in five textures and start at $129. Each 12-inch ponytail contains 4.6 ounces of hair and 22-inch ponytails contain 5.3 ounces of hair. Do you plan to try one? Let me know in the comments!