To stay in the spirit for this season, I decked out with a little bit of my autumn aesthetics ~ ringing in the old with the new!
My little splurge to bring me cheer this time of year: this rad-in-plaid deer because plaid is on-trend (this one somewhat resembles Burberry) + it’s deer season (not that I’m a hunter) & reindeer season‘s just around the corner ~ so I’ll adorn it with special ornaments! Just to add to my eccentricity, I named this bad boy DOC to keep me motivated as I keep trucking along (more in high-speed) toward my doctoral degree! Along with Doc are A&A‘s *Dallas Cowboys* TD toy for football season & my classic Halloween decor ~ including Badtz-Maru pillow ~ on this plaid spread that accompanies autumn yet also is appropriate for winter as we approach CHRIS†mas in red & green!
What’s the best fall memory you have? ~ football games, both when I was in h.s. & when I’d see my *Dallas Cowboys* live (everything’s BIGGER in TX)
What’s your favorite book you’re reading (or have read) this fall?~ Guts Grace & Glory (football devotionals) that I received during Lent & am reading through football season
Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner?~ both (winged liner above in Exhibit B)
Best fragrance for fall? ~ Bath & Body WorksSweet Cinnamon Pumpkin (above in Exhibit A)
What is autumn weather like where you live? ~ we’re still as ☼sunny☼ as Indian summer but anticipate a cool-down soon
Football games or jumping in leaf piles? ~ BOTH! (see No. 1 for football & Exhibit B for leaf piles)
Skinny jeans or leggings? ~ either or, as long as I don’t have a muffin top in the denim or camel toe in the tights
What is something that nobody knows about you? ~ I don’t mind digging into Ramen even if there’s other food in the panty (especially as comfort food now that we’re entering a colder climate), which I actually ate for lunch this afternoon while watching Wong Fu‘s majorcook-off!
Combat boots or Uggs? ~ bringing on my Docs, baby!
What song really gets you into the fall spirit? ~ oddly enough, ♫Taylor Swift‘s ♪Wildest Dreams♪ because it could describe any desire (i.e., “tall” could be a tall order of StarbucksSalted Caramel Mocha), fulfilled or fantasized about
Facing east for the moon rise from my backyardgarden … Just another West Texas Friday night!
As much as ☼summer☼ is my favorite season (after all, that’s when my birthday takes place), I’m making the most out of autumn ~ especially going outside for crisp, fresh air!
What else is in my shower? When I suds up, I prefer to detangle so I don’t step out with shower head!
Clockwise from top right: Hand lotion like this Bath & Body Works handbag size, comes in hand-y for a mani • I love this Victoria’s Secretnail polish remover bottle because the cap opens up to a user-friendly press-dispenser & easily snaps shut • I keep most of my nail tools in this leopard-print manicure set case from my GODson’s mom • I travel with this pastel-striped manicure set from one of my students • I soothe my lil’ piggies with this gel toe separator for pedis + to relieve foot tension!
M•A•C‘s where it’s @: I stick with red & pink shades yet switch from smooth to shimmer, depending on the occasion … or the mood.
I also post on the From Head to Toe app, so here are a dozen photos, from Mani Monday to Mardi Gras to Face & Outfit of the Day:
In the spirit of Throwback Thursday, after going Tuesday Beauty happy and adding the 2 for Tuesday *bonus* Sweater Weather Tag, I’m accepting these 2013 truth challenges for full disclosure. Enjoy, and if you’ve done either of these tags, please feel free to comment with the link to your answers!
How fit do you consider yourself to be? Are you happy with the shape you’re in?On a scale from 1-10, I’d say an 8. While I know that I’m fab, I still can stand to lose some flab.
Do you play any sports?I did back in the day ~ as in basketball & tennis 2 decades ago in jr. high ~ then discovered that I’m a much better spectator @ my fave sport: basketball, than I am as a baller… Competitions in which I’ve participated as a grown-up have been races, but I’ve mainly run them to benefit their worthy causes. Now I’m proud to say that I’m part of the 26.2 (full marathon) club & have run in several smaller events (e.g., 5Ks) since then!
Shot Gun Bang! Fiesta Marathon‘s my chance to run like a Mustang!
South Texas College 5K (where I used to teach) ~ I should’ve done more high knees!
Besides those, do you exercise as well?That’s exactly what I do to stay fit nowadays! Please check out my recommendations on the Pretty Fit Way blog & the Pretty Fit iOS app!
Do you have any fitness or health related goals?I work out to stay healthy, relieve stress & reduce my risk for disease in the long run.
Which celebrity’s body would you like to have?Does Elaine Dispo count? I’d like to say I’m my own celeb… But if I had to choose someone other than yours truly, I really dig on Jessica Alba’s bod! Plus, I must give myself props on mocking other folks pretty well for Halloween.
*TRUE BLUE*Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader
I love the Princess Leia hair from Episode IV, but it’s her goddess bod from VI that screams SEXY!
What’s your favorite and/or least favorite exercise?My #1 fave is dancing because I can do it anywhere & everywhere; as a matter of fact, I most recently caught myself just grooving to the chores without even planning to burn calories that way today! My least fave may have to be burpees (jump to plank to squat) because they kick my boot-ay, but they’re definitely effective for my boot-ay!
How important is leading an active and healthy lifestyle for you?Extremely; this is THE way of life, not just for the sake of taking care of our bodies, but also our minds & our souls ~ not to mention our hearts (both literally & figuratively) ~ all the way inside & out!
How much attention to a healthy diet do you pay?On a scale from 1-10, I’d go with a 7. Although I keep track of my calorie consumption & burn, I don’t always pass up my weakness: sweets (e.g., cupcakes)!
What’s your biggest diet secret?I don’t diet. Since I don’t believe in depriving myself from what brings me joy, I’ll at least control my portions & eat in moderation.
Do you smoke, or have you ever smoked in the past?Never ever. I don’t have the desire to mess up my lungs, heart, teeth or skin… So no, thanks!
Name a beauty regimen that you rarely do?I’ve never applied primer to my face. I’m not into caking on a mask, as I’m completely content with my concealer, foundation & powder (I don’t always use ALL of the above @ the same time).
Is washing your make-up brushes something that you do regularly?I don’t wash them too frequently because I want them to last, so I don’t use the same ones too often. When I do wash them, I use my M•A•C Brush Cleanser (pictured below).
How long will you last with chipped nail polish?I plead the 5th… on going past the 5th day.
How long will you put off buying/replacing a beauty product, even if you need it?I seldom ever need a new beauty product because I usually have a backup supply to replenish once I run out of something.
What is your worst beauty habit?Admittedly, I’ve gone to sleep without removing my makeup & washing my face on more than a few occasions ~ not something I’m proud of, for which there aren’t any legit excuses.
Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time?Decluttering ~ which I’m actually doing during this Spring Break on breaks from my dissertation! Since I’m not that much of a cosmetics hoarder, I don’t have much to purge, but I did get rid of loads of Bath & Body Works nail polish 1½ years ago, way past due.
When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready to the last minute?Not always; I usually spare 2-3h before I’m supposed to leave for a planned event, so I can devote a little more time on my studies, a project or pleasure-______ (-reading, -surfing ~ as in channel- or net-surfing, etc.) before I take off. If I go the other way around & keep working then have minimal time to shower, hair & makeup + nails, then I don’t do myself justice.
Can you commit to spending bans?I haven’t made any, but I suppose that it’s worth a shot. Now if I only I had before my cosmetics sprees! How lame that my hometown just closed down our only M•A•C shop yesterday after being open for a short while.
How organized are your make-up and nail polish collections?On a scale from 1-10, this should be a solid 9. Check out my acrylic organizer on my dresser here, where I can find everything in place, arranged according to color & category (nails on the left, makeup on the right). The red & clear beads that help keep my eye liners, lip balms & gloss straight in the front right compartment are from the centerpiece of my table at the Sweetheart Ball to celebrate this past Valentine’s Day.
Acrylic Organizer keeps my RTW Nail Care & Makeup out in View for Open Concept
Red + Clear Beads = LOVE Ambiance
♥ Warmest Kisses, Tightest Hugs & Much LOVE to my Dearest Darling Lola Rosing (March 5, 1910-March 14, 2014) in Heaven above!!!
Remembering Lola Rosa on her 101st Birthday: 3 generations – Lola Rosing, Nanay, & yours truly – the day after Lola’s 96th Birthday (3/6/2006) — with Estrella Dispo.
CHEERS as we Ring in Spring & Get Lucky on St. Patty’s Day!!! ♣
My family and I went to Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater (approx. 45mi NW of Abilene) ~ which supposedly is the world’s largest!
Now here goes… [Questions are in italics; my answers are in bold.]
Yours truly’s SWEATER TAG
1. Favorite candle scent?Bath & Body Works Salty Caramel
BBW Salty Caramel
True Blue Jack-o-Lantern w/Salty Caramel Candle
2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?ALL of the Above 3. What’s the best fall memory you have?football ~ most recently Dallas Cowboys
GO, ‘BOYS! True Blue, through & through!
4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner?neither; cat make-up: my red lips in Ardency Inn Modster Long Play Supercharged Lip Color in Love Cat and cat eyeliner by M•A•C
Tried to pull off Cat Eye & Cat Lips at Christmas Party
5. Best fragrance for fall?COACH Legacy
COACH Legacy Stripes in bag, fragrance and Gabrielle glasses
6. Favorite Thanksgiving food?my Cranberry Walnut Pie
My THANKful Cranberry Walnut Pie
7. What is autumn weather like where you live?bipolar: sunny & warm 1 day, snowy & frosty the next
Sunny Abilene
Snow Day
8. Most worn sweater?my Kardashian Kollection white Open Knit Sweater because I could layer it over any color and wear off-the-shoulder
My fave Sweater Weather sweater that I can wear everywhere, including the beach!
9. Must-have nail polish this fall?Nicole by OPI® Kardashian Kollection Disco Dolls for the gold glitter and Follow Me on Glitter for the dark glitter
Kardashian Kolor from Nicole by OPI®
10. Football games or jumping in leaf piles?BOTH
Dallas Cowboys on the field! I’d like to play in the leaves with them!
11. Skinny jeans or leggings?BOTH … or how ’bout jeggings? (e.g., Sofia Vergara Lurex Jeggings in Gold Foil, Indigo & Jet Black ~ like the glitter effect from #9)
These Gold Jeggings pair well w/this Snake Scarf, along w/my Cowboys Boots!
12. Combat boots or Uggs?neither; I’ll go for my Kenneth Cole knee-high zip-up black stiletto boots, Corral Cowboy boots or Sketchers Tone-Ups camel boots w/ faux fur
Jeggings + Sketchers = Match Made on Snow Day
13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?he**-to-the-YEAH
Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte
I asked for Salted Caramel & Whip to top off my PSL!
Salted Caramel PSL in the house!
Enjoy like yours truly at a Starbucks near you!
14. Favorite fall TV show?I’d say Grey’s Anatomy for the rainy weather, ’til it went on hiatus before the holidays, but now it’s back to ring in spring! 15. What song really gets you into the fall spirit?Katy Perry’s Eye of the Tiger brought me school spirit because my alma mater, Cooper H.S., was a finalist in her music vid contest
Katy Perry ~ Hear Me ROAR!
Katy Perry Challenge Finalists
Katy Perry Challenge includes CHS, all right, all right, all right!
Now that I’m doing Spring Cleaning during this Spring Break, I shall share my favorite beauty products, as well as a few reviews…
Since I love to stimulate my senses, I tend to stock up on stuff that is visually-appealing ~ you know, eye candy ~ and smells good to yours truly.
Matrix® BiolageHydrathérapie & Smooththérapie
Biolage by Matrix® is my #1 brand of hair care because I feel like I’m in a spa whenever I use it! It’s a sweet treat for my hair since I always experience an enticing scent and a smoothing effect.
However, I also rely on TRESemmé and Pantene Pro-V styling products when using my Conair and Revlon hair appliances.
TRESemmé Fresh StartWaterless Foam Shampoo when I don’t have time to wash ~which is a quick fix from sweaty hair at the gym ~ and America’s #1 Mousse for volume
Pantene Pro-VAnti-Humidity Hairspray for staying power and Repair & ProtectOvernight Miracle as a serum while I sleep [I also lavish in the Ultimate 10 BB Crème to condition my hair throughout the day, among many other functions]
Dove®Clinical ProtectionVisibly Smooth to reduce shaving (I haven’t shaved in five years since I started laser hair removal anyway) ~ especially when I wear sleeveless or strapless tops
SecretOutlast ~ my personal favorite due to the soft glide that lasts all day
EucerinAquaphor ~ this was recommended to me to aid in healing my fresh ink (new tats at the time), but now I have other reasons: petroleum-based to delay aging in under-eye skin plus to moisturize lips and chapped skin
NiveaSoftRefreshing Soft Moisturizing Creme as my sweet-smelling night moisturizer after I use the fragrance-free Neutrogena with sunscreen during the day, plus the Lip CareKiss of Protection with SPF 30, Recovery with SPF 15 and Smoothness with SPF 10 [not pictured yet also recommended: Kiss of Moisture with jojoba oil and shea butter plus Kiss of Cherry with cherry red tint]
M•A•C Limited Edition (2009) makeup bag and lipstick bag, plus Beauty Powder in Pretty Baby, Eye Shadow Palette in Too Dolly, Lustre Lipstick in Most Popular and LipGlass Lip Gloss in Sweet Strawberry
Signature Fragrances for Each Season
These are just a few of my favorite fragrances, in rotation by season.
SephoraHello Kitty Pink Bow roller ball when on-the-go
What’s in My Purse?Coach Handbags for Each Season + Bare Essentials I Don’t Leave Home Without
I should have enough scent samples to fill all of my handbags, including a couple of my classics and a couple of my seasonal
Coach [counter-clockwise, from bottom right]: Madison Maggie Shoulder Bag in chocolate-doe/gold hardware with matching wristlet that I change out with larger bags, Poppy Denim Whipstich Hippie with matching wallet that has Legacy Stripes lining, Signature C Tote in tri-color, Poppy Pop C backpack in pastel/gold hardware
As you already know, I also keep deodorant in handy
A first-aid kit, or at least Neosporin and bandaids (like in this keychain container) aid in the event of a boo-boo
My generous students have gifted me with other beauty needs worth mentioning: blush and eye shadow palette and manicure set from one plus Breast Cancer Awareness compact mirror from another!
Miniature lotions and fragrances (such as those that appear above) ~ including this JuicyCologne in Sprightly Sparkle from the Philippines ~ help my body smell nice
Last but most definitely not least: gum freshens my breath, and floss picks are a must-have between meals!
Bath & Body Works® Aromatherapy & Fragrances to Get Through the Day
Certain scents are perfect for the senses at a specific time
This B&BW®P.S. I Love You Spring Fling Lotion and Body Spray is great for the upcoming spring days and sunny rays!
Orange for energy ~ such as B&BW®Orange Sapphire or Aromatherapy Energy with Orange + Ginger upon awaking
Eucayptus for destressing ~ such as B&BW®Aromatherapy Stress when relieving anxiety [I also apply the aforementioned VicksVapoRub to tense muslces]
Jasmine for romance ~ such as B&BW®Night Blooming Jasmine or Aromatherapy Sensual with Jasmine + Vanilla at bedtime [I also use vanilla to relax, such as from the Summer Vanillas collection ~ Berry, Lemon and Coconut]
Lavender for rest ~ such as B&BW®Aromatherapy Sleep with Lavender + Vanilla at bedtime
NOTE: None of these aforementioned rants and raves are endorsements; they all simply come from my own opinion [other similar product mentions appear in brackets].
Welcome/Mabuhay/¡Biénvenidos! I am a USAF brat who was born in Germany and grew up State-side while celebrating my Catholic and Filipino heritage. ☼Sunny☼ DISPOsition Elaine’s Eye Candy/DISPhotos ~ I love GOD & His creations, so I take photos @ any given opportunity. Elaine DISPOrts ~ I am passionate about sports, which is my research focus on my ... Continue reading →
The Elaine Dispo Journal 