Grab our button!!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.whatjeanlikes.com/search/label/aloha" title="Aloha Friday Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee419/whatjeanlikes/AlohaFridayBlogHopbutton.jpg" alt="Aloha Friday Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

---

---

get the InLinkz code

I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful family and group of new friends.  I pray so hard all the time for God to just reveal His plan for me because I feel like I'm in neutral sometimes so it's been quite a journey these last few weeks of really letting go and letting God work in my life.  I've been quite challenged at times and blessed.  The only "down side" to this week of chaos and having my son and nieces is the looks I get when I'm out with them alone.  My nieces look enough like me in their own way to pass for my daughters and I get looks from people, especially older women.  Looks of disapproval and judgement and they don't even know me, don't even give me the opportunity to explain that the boy is my son but the girl is my nieces.  But I don't have to explain myself to them.  Then I wonder, do I ever give looks like that without realizing it?  Do I ever come off as judgemental even if I don't mean to be?  It was an opportunity to look at myself in a whole new way and think about how the looks I may give people might affect them.  I'm a people watcher myself so I notice the looks I get and man, it sucked being judged like that.

Being a single mom is lonely.  Being a fat single mom... lonely.  Though I'm working out and eating right now to fix my weight problem, it isn't an instant fix all.  Plus, my weight loss is more centered around taking care of myself and my health so I'm around for many years to come.  I often wonder if I'll ever find love.  I must confess the view from where I sit on that front is looking rather gray but maybe it's just not God's plan for me.  I fell in love and got pregnant by the first guy to tell me he loved me.  I was terribly abused by him and thank God he's out of me and Alaka'i's life.  I only had one boyfriend after him.  Bleek.  Hawai'i is full of these super gorgeous girls, in good shape and without kids.  Guys have all these other opportunities to find girls they actually would want to be with and then there's me.  LOL.  I think it's also due to the fact that my day job, parenting and just not going out limits my alone time with adults... perspective.  Whatever God's plan for me is, I'm just thankful for all the blessings I do have.  I am quite fortunate and have a pretty awesome life so I need to quit feelin' bad for myself.  But hey, girls tend to do that from time to time, get dramatic and emotional- at least once a month, ya know?

This week started off with some awesome Alohi time during the day.  She's a real character, that girl.  Oh and my darling niece Kaliko lost her first tooth... ever!!!  She's so excited. The Tooth Fairy gave her $1. She was so excited when my brother dropped her off this morning.

To all of you, I wish a happy and blessed Wednesday, whether it's a Wordless Wednesday or filled with words.  Know that you are loved, you are wonderful and you are beautiful.  Happy Wednesday!  Tomorrow is the Big May Giveaway by the way.... $750 bucks!!  So excited!This scripture always gives me comfort when I'm feeling lonely and down on things.


Aloha,

I read this article when I woke up this morning and found these tips to be quite helpful so I decided to share. Do you have any tips or tricks for posing and taking great photos of yourself?  Do share and read some helpful tips from Glamour below!

---

Having just renewed two government-issued IDs, I have been harshly reminded of what NOT to do when being photographed: stare straight-on at the camera, do a weird half-smile. As a beauty blogger, I've mastered looking cute in selfies, but as evidenced on my license and passport, when I don't dig into my bag of photo-posing tricks, I look...intense.

  Grab our button!!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.whatjeanlikes.com/search/label/aloha" title="Aloha Friday Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee419/whatjeanlikes/AlohaFridayBlogHopbutton.jpg" alt="Aloha Friday Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

---

---

get the InLinkz code

Image not my own

Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I have puffy, dark under eye circles. It’s not a good look for me. In fact, I reckon it’s not a good look for anyone. 

There are a number of reasons why you could be suffering from this nasty case of puffy eyes, such as staying up too late the night before, tossing back one too many cocktails or suffering from allergies. Whatever the cause, I’ve got the solution!

Step One: Find the Perfect Concealer

This sounds so simple, but most people don’t know how to choose the correct concealer palette for their skin. Choosing a shade for your under eye is different than the rest of your face.

What you want to do is pick a shade that is slightly warmer than your natural skin tone. You may need to test drive a few shades, but you’ll know when you have found the right one when it disappears into your skin naturally.

Concealers found in pots tend to be better than those found in sticks or wands, so keep this in mind when you are shopping.

Step Two: Blend and Hide

To perfectly apply your concealer, use a makeup brush. A brush reduces the likelihood of over application which can make your under eye situation look even worse.

Dip it into your concealer and dab it gently on  your under eye area and blend. You want to focus on the darkest areas first. Dabbing a little on your inner eye and eyelid will help brighten your eyes as well.

Step Three: A Flawless Finish

To get the most flawless, incandescent finish, sweep some translucent powder underneath your eyes. The shimmery flecks in this powder will give your eyes an instant eye boost.

Top this look off with a perfectly lined upper lid and mascara. Your eyes will look brighter, bigger and more beautiful.

A Little Pre-Concealer Prep

Some days my under eye circles are worse than others. On days when they’re looking extra dark and puffy I like to treat them to a simple potato paste.

Potato juice naturally lightens and reduces inflammation so it’s perfect to use before your makeup.

All you need to do is liquify one raw potato in a blender or food processor, close your eyes and place the puree over your peepers. In 20-30 minutes time you can rinse it off and you will see a noticeable difference.

Simple, effective and not very time consuming; I’d say that’s a beauty win! 

---

Author Bio: Sabrina is a DIY loving beauty blogger for BESskincre.com. Whether she’s jet-setting or hanging out at home, she prefers to use her own skin care products like her Homemade Anti Aging Cream rather than buy them. Connect with her on Twitter or Facebook.