Best Gift For Valentine's Day: The Gift Of Togetherness! #LoveOurVDay

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LoveOurVDay #CollectiveBias

I had heard my husband before I had seen him. We were the early prototypes of 'online dating', more than a decade ago, way before Facebook or even Gmail! Our first 'date' was a phone conversation, across continents, that lasted almost 3 hours. I know it sounds super cliché, but he literally had me at hello! We both felt that we had an instant chemistry between us, but over the years we have discovered that we have a deep connection that somehow feels eternal and anew at the same time!  We both were in our early 20s when we married. Entering the real world with our youthful ideas and our first jobs. We both were at the 'similar' places in our lives and when I look back, I feel that as a married couple we embarked on a journey that was akin to exploring our Universes side by side, together! From our first ever trip to Vegas, to our first road trip to Key West, from buying our first house to welcoming our daughter to going back to school as young parents with student loans- we have shared some crazy, fun and really profound moments together.  As we grow 'old' together, every day adds another layer of trust and togetherness.  For me, this trust and bond makes our relationship not old but rather new every day! When I look back at all the events, moments, realizations,  I have come to believe that we mean home to each other! If I try to really sum up this relation in one word, I have to say the togetherness comes right at top! So, this Valentine's day I decided to celebrate this feeling of togetherness with a simple DIY gift for my husband! A photo frame that reminds him that he is my home. And all we need to be happy is to simply be together!

For this 'heartfelt' frame DIY, you will need

 - A dual photo frame (mine has two 4"x6" photo spaces, and I got it from Target)

- A map of USA (or any country you live in)

- white card stock paper

- Marker pen

First, print out the map on a photo paper matching your frame's dimensions. Mine got cut at the West Coast, but that is OK - imperfection is the perfect 'handmade' touch!

Then mark  all the places you have lived with your significant other with a little heart! This is the first half of my frame!

For the bottom half, write a heart felt note that has a special meaning for your relationship!

For me, my journey started in a new country, away from the rest of my family. Over the years we changed states, we changed towns, we changed houses, but he is the one who makes me feel 'rooted'! In him, I always find my home.

To make make this Valentine day extra special, I assembled a little gift basket for him. BTW, my husband loves dark chocolate and I found small little boxes at Target that are perfect to add special sweetness in your Valentine's Day gifts!

Well, he knows how much I love shoes, so I am sure he appreciates the sentiment! :-)

I rounded up my gift basket with fun things that bring love, passion, closeness and intimacy in our relationship! Really, this gift basket is partly a 'gift' for me too!:-) Like these K-Y® Love products (K-Y® Love Passion & K-Y® Love Sensuality) exclusively available at Target for Valentine's day.  For limited time, you can get 10% off on new K-Y® Love products via Target Cartwheel coupon! Hurry, the coupon expires 2/14! YOu can find  K-Y® products right in the feminine care aisle. 

 After all, the best gift is love and togetherness! Always.

Do you do DIY gifts for your significant other?  I'd love to hear your V-day DIY gift ideas!

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Winter Outfit: Polka Dot Coat & Red Hunter Boots

These pictures were taken last week with freshly fallen snow. All the friends and kids in my community loved playing in the snow. But it seems like the groundhog has seen its shadow and now we have six more week of this weather! As much as I love winter time and snow, I and not fond of the slushy ice that has been going around here in New York for past couple days! I hope the coming week has better road conditions and the snow only comes in powder soft form, not as the sheet of icy slush!

Coat - Target (old) // Very similar style

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Date Night Make Up Tutorial & How To Take It Off For A Fresh Face #NewNeutrogena

I was compensated for this shop by Collective Bias, Inc. on behalf of Neutrogena for this #NewNeutrogena campaign #AD #Collectivebias. All opinions are mine alone.

When I was a teenager, I never though of skin care as a 'health' issue. Like most of teenagers and 20 somethings, I took 'young looking' skin for granted! I am sure I am not the only one to feel lazy and sleep in the make up on few occasions! But as I grow older wiser, I have become more responsible and regimented about my skin care. As someone with adult hormonal acne issues, I am even more careful about what I put on my skin.  In fact, recently I even visited a dermatologist to make a game plan for my skin care routine in 2015! As a long time Neutrogena fan, I was not surprised when my dermatologist recommended Neutrogena cleanser to wash my face! She also stressed that no matter what, I have to put sunscreen before going out and ALWAYS take my make up off at the end of the day! So in today's blog post I am sharing my skin cleaning routine and a make up look that is polished yet non-cakey. This look is perfect for V-day/date night. It requires very few products but the finished look has bright eyes, bold lips and a flawless looking skin. Keep reading for the step-by-step tutorial!

 How to 'do the face' in few quick steps

I love Neutrogena Healthy Skin Primer (with SPF 15) for a smooth, pore-minimizing look. It gives me a perfect base for foundation and powder. 

 Just dab the primer all over the face and blend in with a foundation brush.

 After the primer, I am ready for my foundation. I recently started using a sponge for my foundation and it blends in really nicely!

 Neutrogena Skin Clearing mineral powder does triple duty for me. It sets up the foundation, controls the shine and helps clear the skin by preventing break outs! I put it over the foundation with a big powder brush.

Tip: If you have bigger pores, put on the powder with quick strokes - first clockwise and then anticlockwise. It really helps minimize the look of pores.

For the sculpted, full brows I like to first brush them and straighten any stray hair. It helps define the face and make it easy to fill in the brow pencil (or powder).

As a big fan of double duty products, I love this nourishing eye liner from Neutrogena. The pencil and the smudge tool can create many a versatile eye looks - from cat eye to smokey eye to a defined eye liner look! The pencil does not require sharpening, you can just twist it to use!  Because I have black eyebrows, I can this as a liner and also as a brow pencil. I don't press it hard on the brow, just lightly fill in and smudge it to blend in!

Now comes the fun part. The Neutrogena crease proof eye shadow (in plum) works as a charm to create a smokey eye look that can go from day to night.  Really, It is as simple to use as it looks in the photo. Just roll it all over your lid!  It doesn't crease and looks as if you have blended with many different blending brushes!

Now I use my liner once again to line the upper lash line and the corners of the eyes.

Curl your lashes if you wish and put the mascara on. Eyes done!!

With a tapered brush, I put my blush and blend it in upward 'C' motion along my cheek bone- from the apple of my cheek towards the end of my brows.

The Neutrogena Moisture smooth color stick (in Plum) is super smooth, light weight, non sticky lipstick. It feels like a lip balm really, with deep, long lasting color!

Voilà, I am done!

As much as I appreciate the flawless make up, I can not forget the 'after the day is done' routine! The complete removal of make up and eye shadow/mascara is as important as any anti-aging products to slow down the skin aging! Dermatologists suggest you take off every speck of makeup before bed so your skin can breathe through the night and your pores are not clogged. If you use anti aging products /night time moisturizers, the products have a clear skin to settle into. 

For me Neutorgena has been a gold standard for make up removers! I have been using their make up removing towelettes for a long time and just tried the new Neutrogena Naturals make up removing towelettes. Just one towelette takes all the gunk out with few gentle swipes! No irritation or reddening of skin, but you still get the freshly scrubbed feeling!

 I got my Neutrogena make up, rapid clear cleanser and make up removing towelettes at Target, The Cartwheel coupons at Target always get me the best prices! For limited time, you can take advantage of the Cartwheel offers. 5% off on Neutrogena cosmetics and 10% off on Neutrogena facial skincare products!

No better feeling in the end of the day than to have a freshly scrubbed, clean face! Here is to the healthy, break-out free, young looking skin and a beautiful face in 2015! What are your beauty must haves and skin care routines this year? I'd love to know!

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