Sunday, July 31, 2011

101 in 1001

I'm sure many of you have heard of 101 in 1001. But just in case you haven't...it's basically a growing experience in which you make a list of 101 things you'd like to accomplish in the next 1001 days. I'm starting my list tomorrow, August 1, 2011 and my 1001 days will end on April 28th, 2014. It sounds like forever away but really, it's not. I've made a list of the things I honestly think I have a chance at accomplishing before my time runs out! I'm doing this challenge along with my good friend, Lindsey and my mom. Lindsey and I have a few of the same so hopefully we can help (or push) each other along! I like to challenge myself, I have other posts on those...but this is a challenge that's like no other - one that runs just short of three years. I'm definitely going to update this, whether I've completed all 101 things or not. Here we go!

1. Move. (Or move into the house we're in.)


2. Complete a detox (fruit, veggies, nuts, green tea and water) for AT LEAST 3 days. (Originally planned for 10, I'll work up to that.)


3. Get a second degree in something I actually like doing.


4. Get a puppy. Welcome, Duke! :)


5. Give a 100% tip to someone deserving.


6. Visit Las Vegas or NYC. (stole from Lindsey but have always wanted to go to both…hello Inglot palettes.)


7. Make myself a home cooked dinner every night for a week straight.


8. Lose at least two sizes.


9. Learn how to sew, knit, crochet…at least hem.


10. Go to a Traverse City wine tasting.


11. Experience Detroit's River Walk


12. Get a facial.


13. Visit Lindsay. (10/08/11)


14. Drink only water for a week straight, again.


15. Watch all the dvds I own but haven’t seen.


16. Complete the Warrior Dash. Changed this one to a 5k, which i completed! yay! (12/03/11)


17. Donate blood. 08/16/11 (helps working at a government building!)


18. Avoid any “fast food” for a month.


19. Get a new car.


20. Keep up with my laundry for a month. (This is seriously harder than it sounds.)


21. Don’t buy any beauty products for 3 months.


22. Mail out Christmas cards.


23. Get professional pictures taken of me and Josh.


24. Eat somewhere featured on Man vs. Food Slow's!


25. Collect something small from every state I visit.


26. Go on a road trip.


27. Take Josh’s mom out for lunch or dinner. We went to Macaroni Grille and were not impressed. had a good time, though!


28. Visit Kathryn more.


29. Go for a drive in the country with my cell phone off. Alone.


30. Get a console table. And I LOVE it!




31. Have a board game night with friends/family.


32. Buy the collector’s edition of Wizard of Oz.


33. Visit a lighthouse.


34. Get a new tattoo.


35. Be in bed (with cell phone and laptop off) by 10 for a week.

36. Take my vitamins every day for a month. Monday through Friday is the best I can do. They're on my desk at work! Thanks, Mom. :)


37. Buy cowboy boots.


38. Finish a tube of lipgloss.


39. Back to MAC for a new eyeshadow. It was a lipstick since I went to a MAC counter. Hue. Love.


40. Don’t complain for a week. Try being positive, too.


41. Be genuinely happy for someone that has something I want.


42. Own a Chanel makeup item. Got one for Christmas from my dad.


43. Get a quote sign from Dixboro.


44. Buy a dining room rug.


45. Watch all 10 of the “10 Movies You Should See Before You Die.”


46. Get a full time job.


47. Learn how to shoot a gun.


48. Buy a bike. Use it.


49. Have a fruit/veggie garden.


50. Complete an Extreme Couponing grocery trip.


51. Make a recipe binder.


52. Send someone flowers.


53. Really work hard on my patience.

54. Get matching mother/daughters tattoo.


55. Pay off my CFCU credit card.


56. Write down all my numbers from cell phone, just in case. (that's what iCloud is for ;))


57. Do yoga before bed 3x a week for a month.


58. Enter an essay contest.


59. Host a Chili cook off.


60. Get some clear acrylic makeup storage drawers.


61. Go to Pinkberry. (Menchie's was invented since this list was made and that's good enough for me.)


62. Cut at least 3 inches off my hair.


63. Go to a Michigan football night game.


64. Read “Eat, Pray, Love” then see the movie. - Thinking of changing this to a different book/movie. Any suggestions?


65. Go to a comedy show.

66. See a movie by myself.


67. Refrain from buying products just because they are “limited edition.”  I think it's safe to say, with all the MAC collections that have been released lately, I've done a good job avoiding.


68. Register to be an organ donor.


69. Call my dad just because.


70. Bring a plate of cookies to my uncle at work.


71. Visit Tennessee in the fall.


72. Go to a concert at DTE.


73. Host either a black and white party or a murder-mystery party complete with invitations.


74. Watch a sunrise and sunset in the same day.


75. Go to a Farmer’s Market.


76. Don’t check Facebook or Twitter for a week. (Haven't checked Twitter in months)


77. Take my mom somewhere fun.


78. Buy a crossbody bag..





80. Leave an inspirational note for someone to find.


81. Compile a list of my favorite quotes/saying in a notebook. Did this, but I think my pinterest board counts, too!


82. Try Hot Yoga.


83. Give away clothes I’ve been holding on to for no reason.


84. Write a total of 50 reviews (or more) on Makeupalley. Just checked and I'm at exactly  50!


85. Start posting my cooking adventures, including pictures.


86. Finish a full lotion before buying a new one.


87. Write a letter to someone.


88. Go to a fancy dinner with a friend (wear heels.)


89. Pay it forward with an anonymous favor.


90. Answer the “50 Questions that will Free your Mind.”


91. Bake something impressive.


92. Order more Country Red Wine from Tennessee.


93. Bake something I never thought I could bake.


94. Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years.


95. Do someone’s wedding day makeup, take pictures for portfolio. I didnt actually get that many pictures but I'm glad I had the experience. It went great!


96. Take another family vacation.


97. Visit my Grandpa and Grandpa.


98. Attempt to talk to someone I’ve lost touch with one last time.


99. Buy a filing cabinet and use it.


100. Buy a KitchenAid Mixer.


101. Cook a meal on the grill. I got a stovetop grill for Christmas and LOVE using it. Thanks, Aunt Wendy!


Bonus: (Lindsey's idea) donate $5 per item not completed.
 
Wish me luck!
 
-Liz

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Sinful Colors 24/7 vs Sinful Colors Fusion Neon

Alright, so it all started when...
Michele1218 on YouTube mentioned in a video that she was really into an old(er) Essie polish called Pink Parka. It was a bright neon pink and very pretty. Someone tweeted that a Sinful Colors polish called 24/7 was a very similar shade. I knew I owned a neon pink from Sinful Colors (that just happened to be on my toes) so I figured it had to be 24/7.
But then when I was picking out nail polishes for my Summer Besties Tag, I happened to look at the bottom and noticed it was called Fusion Neon. What? Now I was curious.
I went up to Walgreens and picked up the hottest pink I could find in the Sinful Colors display. "Fusion Neon" it read. Hmmm...so did the next three bottles. Finally I picked up one from the bottom of a picked over shelve. 24/7! I found it. But wait, what was the difference?


Don't mind the nail polish on the lid...got a little crazy with the splatter experiment.

SC Fusion Neon on the left, SC 24/7 on the right.

SC Fusion Neon on the left, SC 24/7 on the right.

SC Fusion Neon on the toes, SC 24/7 on the fingers :)

SC Fusion Neon on the left, SC 24/7 on the right.
I literally cannot tell any difference in color when I look at the bottles, swatches or polish on my actual nails. There are only a handful of unimportant details that differ.
1. The bottles are different. I honestly can't remember when I purchased Fusion Neon but it must be in an older bottle because the newer SC colors I have are in the same bottle as 24/7. The polish goes down further towards the bottom of the bottle and the bottle appears thinner on the newer polishes. Both are still .5 oz though, the normal amount of a nail polish.
2. The application. Here's where the polish differs the most to me. As you can see in the last picture, when held up to the light, you can see that 24/7 is more streaky. Both swatches have 4 coats but even after that, 24/7 can still look streaky on your nails. I'd much prefer Fusion Neon based on application.

Similarities:
1. Color, obviously. They are identical. I've asked several people, and not even my color blind boyfriend, could tell the difference. Same shade, same undertone, same same.
2. Finish. Both colors finish matte. I have a shiny top coat on my nails but the swatches on the nail wheels are the shades alone.
3. Since they are both mattes, they dry very quickly.

The only difference is application. It's almost as if they took the same polish and rebottled it but somehow tweaked the formula a little and thinned out the 24/7 version. Not sure why they'd ever do that but, hey. Maybe one bottle was older and therefore thicker in consistency? I could ponder this longer but frankly, I don't care. If you can't get ahold of Essie Pink Parka, I'd recommend picking one of these shades up. Preferably Fusion Neon ;) They're all gorgeous!
And besides, it's only $1.99!

What do you think?
Do you own any of these three polishes?