A few products that I’ve picked up:

• Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer Tinted Moisturizer
• Revlon Creme Shadow Quads – Electric Pop (green) & Black Magic (pink)
• Maybelline Matte Mousse Blush – Soft Plum
• Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner – Black
• Maybelline EyeStudio Color Plush Eyeshadow – Spirited Seas, Green with Envy, Sapphire Siren, Mad for Mauve, and Taupe Temptress

What’s weird about this is that I am a sugar and grits kind of girl… always have been. However after hearing so much about the corn grits at Zea’s Rotisserie I decided to try them a few weeks ago when I went for my bestfriend’s birthday.

OH-EM-GEE I fell in love… so rich and buttery… just good!!

After mulling over ordering them to go today, I thought maybe I’d see about making them at home. So I looked up this recipe and they came out so good. I keep taking bites of them even though I’m full as a tick.

[of course there are some substitutions to make it a little easier]

Ingredients
2 cups water
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup yellow grits [I couldn't find them so I used regular Quaker instant grits]
1/2 pound butter
1 tablespoon salt
1 ear grilled corn, kernels removed [I used one can of corn and sauteed them in butter]

Directions
Bring liquids to a boil. Stir in grits. Add butter. Cook at simmer until thickened [about 10 minutes with instant grits]. At end, stir in corn.

This recipe makes enough for a small army so next time I think I’ll cut it in half.

Soooooo yum! Enjoy!

I am a sucker for chicken tortilla soup and with the winter cold here, I am all about simple soups that I can make to keep me warm. This is one that even my picky Mini Me loves.

Super simple, and muy yummy!!

However, I have to make it my own and so my version is more like 5 cans and a pack of my fave boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I like dark meat.

• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (10 ounce) can chunk chicken (a package of chicken thighs)
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained
• Cumin
• Chili Powder

1. Season your chicken thighs (I prefer good ol’ Tony Chachere) and bake until fully cooked on 350 F. (or skip to step 2)

2. Open the cans of corn, chicken broth, black beans, and diced tomatoes with green chilies (and can of chicken).

3. Pour everything into a large saucepan or stock pot. Season to taste with cumin and chili powder.

4. Simmer over medium heat until it’s heated through. Usually about 20-30 minutes.

I top mine with shredded cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream.

Yum.

I hate when my mascara clumps! Don’t you? So while perusing the aisles of ULTA today I came across this cool little tool…

Tweezerman’s Folding Ilashcomb™

It says to use it while the mascara is still wet but I had clumps today so I used it dry and it worked just fine to separate the lashes.

On sale for about $7, it is definitely a great addition to the toolkit!

Also I saw in the store today that they have 20% off your entire purchase on the first Tuesday for college students! I got still my LSU ID too… Woot!

Having a good flat iron (if you use them) is essential to keeping your hair healthy. Ceramic irons are great, but there are a million different brands and they are not all equal. The most popular being the CHI. When I discovered the CHI, it was like the heavens opened, a bright light shone down and angels sang “aaaaahhhhh!” It left my hair so straight, and so very silky. I mustered up the $130 to drop on it, and that hurt my heart because I am so very frugal. My CHI lasted a good 3 or 4 years before it went to hair tool heaven and I was starting to hear about other brands. So before I spent any more money I decided to weigh my options, plus I was hearing more complaints about the CHI breaking and snagging the hair.

Sooooo after much mental debate… online shopping… pricing… I decided to find the best deal on a GHD. The GHD ranges from $250-300 at Sephora but I’m an eBayer so I found a one for $76.  Total steal, however be forewarned, there are many fakes online. You have to have the hologram to know it’s a genuine product.

So I went to work to see just how good this iron was… A little background on my hair: I have relaxed hair, 2B, and I’m of mixed heritage (Black and Puerto Rican). I don’t have typical fine hair, but my hair strands are thin and I have a good layered cut that gives it body. I air dry my hair for the most part, I usually have to blow dry the roots at the crown though.

I use Biosilk Silk Therapy for frizz and shine as well. Once I flat iron my hair, that’s the last time I put any heat on it until I wash it again. One other tip is that these irons are very hot, so try not to iron on top of really oily hair or go over the section too many time as to not damage it.

So here is the final result after flat ironing my hair with the GHD.

I was very surprised with how very soft and light my hair was. The CHI left my hair silky but not a light and airy which I like for body. For the first go round I added just a slight bump on the ends with the flat iron (I don’t use curling irons anymore) so that I can see just how well it worked on straightening.

I’ve been using it for about 6 months now and I love it! It doesn’t snag as much as the CHI did plus sides are slightly rounder leaving less lines in the hair. It heats up in 30 seconds, beeps when ready, and has automatic shut off after about 30 minutes.

I wrap my hair at night, so this is what was result the next morning…

As I mentioned above I stopped using curling irons to avoid putting so much heat on my hair. I use the flat iron to creat curls, this gives me lots of body. Even after being wrapped, I have softer waves…

There you have it folks… my review of the GHD flat iron. Questions? Drop a comment in the bucket.