Meal of the Day: BBQ Chicken-Touille

Remember the Pixar movie "Ratatouille"?  Just replace "rata-" with "bbq chicken" and this dish is as easy as that!

Show Your Red, White & Blue

The 4th of July is a special day for me because it's my parent's wedding anniversary and my chance to try a new "red, white and blue" dessert.  This is one of my favorite holidays of the year to spend with my parents outside of traditional family holidays.  I love grilling with my dad, watching my mom sit on the hammock and seeing my daughter stand underneath the sprinklers.  I think my parents went over the top with celebrating the big "red, white and blue" this year.  They've been married for 27 years so they're allowed to.  Instead of your typical BBQ eats, we had a seafood festival right in our backyard.  My parents had lobsters, crabs, shrimps, mussels, clams, potatoes and corn for 6 adults and a toddler.  An extra bonus to our seafood festival was eating on top of banana leaves.  That's right- we ate like barbarians!

Makeup that Beats the Summer Heat

Memorial Day Weekend is the official "let's work on my tan for any beach/pool day" and "I need to dust off my grill, replace my gas tank, and find out what marinade/dry rub Bobby Flay is using on that meat/chicken/fish dish."  But, how can I look fabulous without my makeup running down my face once I step outside my house?

This makeup routine is something I put together after watching many makeup videos and figuring out what works for me.  This may not be the best makeup advise, but this look lasted a whole day of hosting a BBQ for my husband's 27th birthday today.  Unfortunately I did not take any before and after pictures, but I will leave a picture of the products I used plus pictures of how the BBQ went.

From L to R: Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer w/ SPF 15 (honey), Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm, Covergirl Lastblast Volume Blasting Mascara, Maybelline Dream Matte Pressed Powder (beige), benefit CORALista, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector w/ SPF 25 (light), Maybelline Eyestudio Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Shadow (audacious asphalt), Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (zero), Sephora Collection Long-Lasting Eye Liner (black)

My makeup routine is as follows:

FACE:  I decided to apply tinted moisturizer rather than use liquid foundation or bb cream.  All my foundations (and bb cream) have SPF protection, but I wanted light coverage to hide acne scars and redness in my T-zone.  With concealer, I created a V shape from the inner corner of my eyes to the outer corner so that my eyes will look bright and well rested throughout the day.  I dusted powder all over my face and applied a peachy coral blush on the apples of my cheeks.

EYES:  Instead of applying eye primer and creating a smokey or neutral eye look, I decided to use a creme shadow in hopes that it'll last all day.  Along my lash line, I applied a matte black liner (using a pencil) and then applied a thin line of liquid eyeliner.  Lately, I have found this combination to be long lasting.  If I wear pencil or liquid by itself, either the pencil will smudge under the outer corners of my eyes or my winged tip will have smeared off.  Lastly, I applied 2 coats of mascara on my upper and lower lashes.

LIPS:  I wanted my lips to have no color.  I knew that if I applied lipstick or gloss before leaving the house, I'd forget to re-apply later in the day.  So lip balm it is!

Overall, the day turned out to be great!  Even my husband told me that my makeup looked good even after all the hours spent outside.  That's the best compliment I could ever have.

Ross Dock Park in Fort Lee, NJ

Birthday boy pumping up some jams!

Feast of burgers, dogs, sausages, grilled peppers, Filipino lumpia (or eggrolls), potato salad, gazpacho, watermelon, and a ton of drinks