Kitchen Makeover: The After!

Finally I am back with my kitchen makeover after photos!! The project really didn't take much time at all but I didn't want to post photos until all the little finishing touches were complete.  

We are so so happy with this transformation.  A little bit of paint and some work put in totally changed the look and feel of this space.  The new paint gave it an update but the back splash and chalkboard wall helped give the space some character to match the rest of our home!  The painted counter top has held up amazing so far with only one little chip which was my own fault for not sanding properly in between coats (what can I say I got lazy and was excited to just be finished and start decorating - hehe!).  I will post a more in depth tutorial this week on how I painted the counters and what I used.  For now ... check out the photos! 

I'll post a couple before ones first just to refresh your memory: 

So as I said in my last post about the kitchen, it wasn't that bad ... but we were so excited for a change! 

Check it out!

*The knobs are all the same but we switched up the drawer pulls and love the look!! Such a simple tip!

*I love how the darker cabinets have totally refreshed the look of our white appliances.  Rather than just blending in and looking kind of drab they now look bright and white again!

*We decided to go with a darker grout to help showcase the tiles and break up all the white! This should help with kitchen stains as well - white grout may be much harder to keep clean.

*We kept the section of butcher block to avoid too much wear and tear on the painted counters!

*As you can see here we left these cabinet doors off to give the space a different look and store recipe books! It is now so much easier to just grab a book when needed.

*We moved the microwave here to make more room on the other counter for my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer! I was tempted to paint the stool and the table for the microwave but I kind of like how it warms up the space and matches with the butcher block section on the other side.

* I took these photos in bright daylight so the wall color is hard to see - but it is a really great basic "greige" colour. 

*One of my favorite parts is this chalkboard wall!  This gives the space some character and I can't wait to change up the quotes based on the season or holiday!

 

 

Paint Colors Used:

 

Walls: Behr - Mineral

Cabinets: Behr - Perfect Taupe

Counter Tops: Behr - Swiss Coffee

Chalkboard Wall: Rust-oleum Black Chalkboard Paint

Hope this provided some inspiration to you on how a little bit of paint can completely transform the look and feel of a space!! Happy Sunday! 

March 2014 Favorites

I can't believe it is already April 1st!  Today's post is all about some new discoveries and old favorites!  Here is what I have been loving this past month:

1. It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product

This is a really amazing leave in conditioner.  My hair is typically very dry and damaged (it is naturally very curly and course) so I always love using a leave in conditioner when I get out of the shower.  This one literally does it all!  It would be easiest if I just list the 10 things this stuff claims to do:

repairs dry, damaged hair

adds shine

detangles

control frizz

seals and protects hair color

prevents split ends

stops hair breakage 

creates silkiness 

enhances natural body

flat iron spray & thermal protector

So who knows if it really does all of that - all I know is when I use this product my hair just feels so much healthier.  I ran out of it in the middle of the month and waited until a few days ago to finally repurchase and realized even more how much I love it!! Definitely worth a try if you are looking to give your hair some TLC!  Check it out here. 

2. Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment

The day after the 'spring forward' time change, Tarte (one of my new favorite makeup brands) posted a one day flash sale on their Instagram page!  I had been wanting to try this eye cream for a while due to the great reviews I had read so thought what a perfect time.  I had been using a new one from the "Boots No. 7" brand and was not noticing any difference (and was even noticing a burning feeling now and then - not good!) so it was a great excuse to take advantage of the sale.  I already love this stuff.  I know that usually you should wait at least a month to give a good review on a skincare product but I have been using it for two weeks and can really notice my eyes being a bit brighter!  I like using this morning and night to hydrate the skin around my eyes and like I said brighten dark circles.  I'm really interested to try the Tarte Maracuja Oil on my face as well (same idea as the Josie Maran Argan Oil which I discussed in this post).  So far I am really impressed with everything from Tarte!  You can find this product by clicking here!

3. Nars Eyeshadow Duo in 'Key Largo'

This was a random find at the store Winners (same idea as TJ Maxx if you are in the US). These duos usually sell for $40 (a little crazy for two eyeshadows considering my Lorac Pro Palette of eyeshadows was only $42 and is literally my favorite collections of shadows ever)! Although I have tried many other Nars producs (and love them all), I still hadn't tried any eye shadows.  The Winners price for this was $29.99.  Still expensive but much better than regular price!  They only had this one shade to choose from (Key Largo) so that is why I chose it but I am loving it.  I think this will be really pretty for spring and summer as it is a warm bronze/brown shade and a lighter peachy nude color.  I can understand the price once using these as they are sooooo easily blend-able and have amazing pigmentation quality.  I have used them in a couple ways - sometimes with the light shade all over my lid and the darker one just lightly in the crease, or more dramatic with the darker shade all over the lid.  With only two shades I really am able to create a lot of different looks with them which is awesome.  I am looking forward to traveling with this little guy as it is versatile and again will be perfect for summer! Check out my swatches below!  If you feel like splurging on some shadows definitely check out Nars (and I'm such a sucker for their packaging - so classic).  

 
4. L'Oreal Infallible 24 hr. Eyeshadow

I was browsing the cosmetic section at Target as I usually do (anytime I go there haha!) I noticed these little eye shadows that I remembered hearing about somewhere in the beauty blogging world.  I opened up a color and was immediately reminded of the texture and feeling of my Stila eyeshadow in 'kitten'.   I know my Mom has been wanting to try that shadow ever since I wrote about it here so I thought, hey, maybe I can find a dupe here!  I did find one fairly similar but not quite close enough in color to be a dupe ... but I also found the one I have pictured here in 'Amber Rush' and immediately fell in love.   This is a gorgeous reddish copper color that would look gorgeous on so many skin tones.  It can be applied really light for a subtle look or more concentrated for an intense look.  As with the Nars shades, I am really excited to wear this in the spring and summer!  The 24 hour infallible line is long wearing, crease resistant and fade resistant.  This really lives up to those things! I can't wait to get more shades because these are really amazing quality for drugstore eye shadow!     

"Amber Rush" in regular daylight

'Amber Rush' shown in direct sunlight - how pretty is that!

5. Lush Ocean Salt

This is an old favorite that I rediscovered this month when I decided I needed a new exfoliator for my face.  I have been using the Clarisonic face cleansing system (a little gadget with a brush head that you use with your cleanser to wash your face) for a while now but found all of a sudden it was causing a lot of breakouts.  Maybe with the seasons beginning to change my skin just got a little extra sensitive.  I gave that a break but wanted something to give my face a good deep clean at least once a week and remembered how much I used to love the Lush Ocean Salt! This stuff has big chunks of sea salt with minerals to soften the skin and give you a good deep clean feeling.  The avocado and coconut in it hydrate the skin while the lime and vodka cleanse and help out with blackheads or clogged pores.  I also love using this scrub on my legs or underarms before shaving just to get rid of any dead skin and get the closest shave ever! If you are looking for a new exfoliator give this one a try. It also doesn't hurt that it's a gorgeous sea blue color!     

6. Roses de Chloe Perfume

I really wanted a new perfume this month and have been checking out this one for a while (i.e.: sprayed it on myself anytime I passed a perfume counter).  I finally decided to pick up a bottle and am so happy I did.  Scent is very personal but if you're looking for something new and you like feminine floral scents give this one a try.  I won't even attempt to describe the scent and instead will give you Sephora's description: 

Roses de Chloé is an invitation to grace. Luminous and subtle, it inspires and evokes a unique facet of the signature Chloé rose, capturing the spirit of the Chloé woman. The fragrance exudes an immediate and incredible freshness, derived from the top note bergamot. This sensation is gradually joined by a heart of Damascena rose essence, modernized with a magnolia accord. The trail on the skin is of white musk and amber, the signature base of the Chloé house.    

I am not a huge fan of plain rose scented things but mixed in perfumes like this along with the other notes I love it.  Again scent is such a personal choice but check this one out if the description interests you!  

That's it for my March favorites!  Hope you enjoyed reading these and I will be back this week with a kitchen update (I promise!!)  :)