Beauty | Dupe Search

I made a mistake. I made such a silly mistake. I tried Philosophy's Purity Made Simple. And I fell in love with it.

In my defense, I bought it in a holiday gift set on discount with not a single doubt in my mind that it would be just like any other face cleanser, and now here I am, endlessly searching for dupe.
I took to google and pinterest and started putting other's opinions to the test. I found a couple different products that people claim to be pretty close to my beloved Purity Made Simple.
I decided to try one product at a time and completely finish it before moving on and trying a new one.
First, I decided to try Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover. Sounds legit right?
Like, obvious dupe. Cleanser and makeup remover in one, duh!
....WRONG!

Now, I won't sit here and say it's a terrible product, it's really not. I'm just looking for a dupe for Purity and this isn't it. 

The biggest difference is the dry feeling I'm left with after cleansing with the Neutrogena. Purity didn't moisturize my skin or anything, but it didn't leave my skin feeling dry and tight after cleansing. 

Another difference is the power of the makeup remover. With Neutrogena, I'm left with raccoon eyes everytime. Never happened with Purity. 

Other than that, This product doesn't really work well with my skin. Since I've started using it, I've had 2 pretty bad breakouts. 

I was sort of spoiled to the clear skin I was having with Purity. 

My verdict: 

Purity Made Simple VS Neutrogena Naturals

NOT A DUPE

We'll see what the next product has in store. 

XO

Liv

DIY | Bathroom Decor

I took to Pinterest, as per usual, for help with some deco ideas for my bathroom. It just seemed really dull. I have a cute shower curtain with coordinating towels and rugs, and a few little decorative items on my counter, but there was still something missing. The bare wall behind the toilet was quite annoying. It was just....well...bare. I thought about finding one of those shelves that go over the back of the toilet, but honestly I just couldn't find one. I found a few ideas on pinterest and kind of tweaked it to make it my own. 

I started at TJ Maxx. I found a couple wicker baskets that were light enough to hang on my wall, but still sturdy enough to hold things. 

The larger one was $9.99 and the smaller was $7.99. 

At Lowe's, I found a heavy duty picture hanging kit which included nails and hooks. The kit was about 5 bucks and I still have plenty left for future projects.

I decided how high I wanted the "shelves" and made a guide to try to get them as level as possible. I nailed two hooks into the wall (for each basket) and hooked the baskets to the wall, bottom facing the wall, by wicker. I tested the stability by pushing down on the baskets. I applied more pressure than I imagined was necessary, but I wanted to make sure they were sturdy. 

Here's the finished product!

xo, Liv

Life | Hope for Riley Scavenger Hunt 10.10.15

Another successful year for the Hope for Riley Scavenger Hunt!

If you haven't read my post from last year, Hope for Riley is a benefit scavenger hunt put on by the parents of Riley Traigle. All of the proceeds of the event are used to assist with the expenses for Riley's participation in a three year clinical study that may lead to treatments and a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. 

During the hunt, each team collects objects and photos (according to a list provided) as well as complete challenges for the duration of the day. 

My team and I (The Duchenne Destroyers AKA The Double Ds) have participated every year since it started in 2012. 

This year, we came in 3rd place and received the spirit award for the 3rd year in a row. (no surprise there)

We did something a little different for our shirts this year. Normally, we take pictures from the previous year, make some type of layout for them, and get customized shirts with our design. 

This year, we had an even better idea! A way to make our shirts a little more special!

Being that one of our teammates (Suzanne) is Riley's teacher, she decided to ask him for a favor. She asked Riley to draw us a picture. (she also told him not to tell his mom and dad what the picture was for) He returned to school a few days later with the picture. Riley is quite the little artist. (Sue gave him an A of course)

We made a shirt for each of us as well as one for each member of Riley's family. They loved them! As did we.

What a fun time as usual! All for an amazing cause! Can't wait for next year!

xo

The Double D's

Life | NOLA 9.15

The girls and I had our annual "Nola Girls Trip" last weekend. We had a blast as usual! 

I drove in from Austin after work on Thursday, and we hit the road Friday morning. After a few pit-stops: a last minute stop at stage for a quick outfit purchase, an obvious stop at Frank's for a world famous bloody mary, and Mcdonald's for a snack--we made it to NOLA. 

We partied, we laughed, and we cried. We had so much fun as usual! I even met up with a couple of my cousins and their ladies! So much fun in so little time!

 Sunday evening I headed back to Austin. Always bittersweet. 

Can't wait until next year!

XO Liv

Life | I Opened an Etsy Shop!

After YEARS and YEARS of sewing little things here and there, making things for family and friends, I finally decided to "expand" my talent and open my own Etsy Shop. 

I currently have a few bags and bows for sale right now, but I'm hoping for some growth for my little shop in the near future. 

Coming up with a name for my shop was honestly the hardest part. In fact, I've contemplated opening a shop for a while now, but I couldn't think of a name that I wanted to represent my work. 

I knew I wanted to incorporate some aspect of my name. Just kind of sneak it in there. I took to google for help. I googled "words that include (different variations of my name and nicknames). 

After a couple days of this and then a final discussion with my roommates, my little shop was officially called Livid Thread. 

My only hopes for my shop is to make a few extra bucks and really just try something new. 

I'm hoping for success for me and my little shop! 

Check it out!

Livid Thread

XOXO, Liv

Life | I Moved

Well, I did it. 

I finally did something spontaneous.

I moved to Austin, TX.

"Why?"

I've heard this question more in the last two weeks than I've heard in my whole life. 

Truth is, I don't have a legitimate answer to that. 

The best answer I could honestly come up with is "because I can"

I had nothing holding me back.

I made the decision, and 2 weeks later, here I was. 

Honestly, I'm finally just chasing my dreams. 

Starting from scratch.

Bigger.

Newer.

This is just the start of my life.

Time to make shit happen. 

Music | Top Tunes

My current favorites are ALL OVER THE PLACE, 

but I can't stop listening to these songs right now.

Hang on tight, it's gonna get weird... 

Randy Houser | Like a Cowboy

Eric Church | Like a Wrecking Ball 

Little Big Town | Girl Crush

Jordan Knight | Baby I Believe In You

I told you it would get weird.

Pat Benatar | Heartbreaker

Celine Dion | Where Does My Heart Beat Now