Month: April 2020

My Lipgloss Be Poppin’… and Sheet Masks are Back

My Lipgloss Be Poppin’… and Sheet Masks are Back

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

If you know what this is referring to you’re my sister from another mister… or brother from another mother.  I won’t pass judgement just because you know great song lyrics!  But seriously, guys… I have a favorite lipgloss.  I tried matte lipsticks, I really did.  I even made an entire post about lip exfoliators because I tried to love them.  I mean, I did end up finding an awesome lip exfoliator, so I guess there’s that.  Lipgloss is where it’s at for me.

Anyways… back to the original point of this-my favorite lipgloss was discontinued quite a while ago.  I have randomly tried others, but nothing can replace my tried and true Bare Minerals lipgloss.  However, I have found a close second.  Milani came through FTW!

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Milani Ludicrous lipgloss meets all of my requirements fairly well: they offer a great shade range, it’s not sticky, it’s not runny, and the color lasts a fairly long time for a lipgloss.  The shade range they offer also includes some very fine shimmer or a completely matte gloss (yeah… I know that’s an oxymoron… just roll with it, k?).

The shades that were available at my Target weren’t a perfect match to my beloved Bare Minerals, but they had what I was looking for: a somewhat pink/peach shade that with no glitter or shimmer.  I found exactly that in the top shade (Teen Spirit) and I grabbed a darker shade with a little shimmer (Semi Charmed).  I actually ended up loving the darker shade just as much as my Bare Minerals replacement-score!

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I’ve tried Milani lipgloss in the past and HATED it, so I was skeptical.  I tried Milani Keep It Full Lip Plumper in Nude Shimmer.  I love a good lip plumber, but this ain’t it.  The applicator is huge and puts way too much product on your lips at once.  Once it’s applied it slips and slides all over the place and applies very unevenly.  It has no staying power and the plump?  Nowhere to be found.

If you want a great lip plumper, try Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump.  This plumper has that tingly, minty plumping effect and really works.  The product applies evenly and stays put well for a lip gloss.

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Now, about that mask.  I never cared much for sheet masks until I realized how great they are when you have very little time.  They’re also amazing if you’d like to lock in moisture to help plump skin after exfoliation like microdermabrasion.  I found Deweytree collagen sheet masks at Nordstrom Rack and thought, “why not?”.  Best. Decision. Ever.  They were amazing and I used them after every microdermabrasion session every week to help boost moisture and elasticity (read about at home microdermabrasion here-you will LOVE it!).

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Photo Credit: Facetory.com

Fast forward a bit after my stash of sheet masks ran out – they are nowhere to be found.  Lovely… another product I love discontinued.  The replacement search begins.  Naturally I searched Amazon.  I found some super cheap sheet masks that were ok, but not great.  They had a really strong fragrance scent that I just couldn’t get over.

After Google searching for collagen sheet masks I finally came across some TonyMoly sheet masks.  I love TonyMoly, so I thought I’d give them a try.  SO glad I did!  They’re amazing and might even be better than my beloved Deweytree masks (*gasp*).  They don’t have an extremely strong fragrance and they seem to absorb better and lock in moisture longer.

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Photo Credit: Ulta

The best part is I can actually find them from Ulta and Amazon fairly easily.  These might be my new favorite masks.  Check them out-you won’t be disappointed!

Easy Chicken Fried Rice

Easy Chicken Fried Rice

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

I honestly can’t find the original source of this recipe.  I’ve adapted this recipe over the years to make it both easier and make the most of the ingredients to last a much longer time for a family of 4.  Grab some frozen egg rolls to pair this rice with or eat it as a meal on its own!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken breasts (the amount doesn’t really matter-whatever you have on hand is great or substitute with pork, tofu, or no protein at all!)
  • 3 cups cooked rice (brown, white, jasmine, they’re all great in this recipe-I’ve even used leftover noodles for a twist)
  • 2 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 small white onion, chopped (I’m lazy and use frozen chopped onion… no chopping FTW!)
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed (or any vegetable of your choosing-get creative with what you have on hand)
  • 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 Tbsp chopped green onion (optional, for serving)
  • Sesame seeds (optional, for serving)

Directions

  1. Cook and shred or chop the chicken.  I usually either cook the chicken in the crockpot with a teriyaki sauce or bake frozen chicken breasts.  Sometimes I prepare extra chicken for other recipes and use what I have left for this recipe.
  2. Prepare the rice per package directions.  I usually do the same with the rice for this recipe and use leftover rice from the previous night’s meal.
  3. Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat.  Pour sesame oil in the bottom.  Add white onion, peas, and carrots (or preferred vegetables) and fry until tender.
  4. Slide the onion and vegetables to the side and pour the beaten eggs into the pan on the other side.  Scramble the eggs and combine the cooked egg with the vegetable mix.
  5. Add the rice and chicken to the vegetable and egg mixture.  Add the soy sauce and stir and fry the mixture until heated through.  Add chopped green onion and sesame seeds for garnish (optional).
COVID-19 Quarantine – Day 21

COVID-19 Quarantine – Day 21

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

What is that bright thing in the sky?! It’s THE SUN!!! Yay!!! Oh, how I’ve missed you, sun!

We did the school work, we did the work work, we did the laundry, we created a giant mess in the house, we went outside and made a giant mess in the yard… I think our work here is done for the day.

Oh! I learned something valuable today. You all will be so proud. You can shop all of the items in Bullseye’s Dollar Spot on the Target app and have it shipped to you. No, I’m not kidding. Don’t tell your husbands, ladies… you’re welcome.

Mustard-Maple Roasted Salmon

Mustard-Maple Roasted Salmon

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

img_4660I love the versatility of salmon. It can be savory, it can be a little sweet, and you can pair it with so many sides. I love this recipe because it has a hint of sweetness from maple syrup, but dijon mustard gives it a lot of flavor. This is hands down my favorite salmon recipe for a busy night! I usually have all of the ingredients on hand and I actually prefer dried cilantro in this recipe to fresh.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found a long time ago from Food Network.

 

Ingredients img_4656

  • Salmon fillets (any amount will do-this recipe stretches far for a large amount and is also great for a thick coating on a small amount)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro (fresh is great, but I use dried cilantro all the time to avoid a grocery trip only for cilantro!)
  • 1 Tbsp light mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp pure maple syrup

img_4657Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up later.
  2. Mix the mustard, 1 Tbsp of the cilantro (save the rest for garnish), mayonnaise, and maple syrup in a bowl.
  3. Place salmon fillets in the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Spread the mustard mixture evenly over each fillet and bake until cooked through. For larger, thicker fillets, start with 10-15 minutes and bake longer in 5 minute increments until cooked through.
  5. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of cilantro and serve.