I would like to start this unfortunate statement with immense gratitude for nearly half a decade of wonderful partnerships, collaborations, and community that wouldn’t have been possible for Tatorthoughts without you.
I regret to inform you that my family was involved in a Motor vehicle accident in late January and needless to say it’s changed many of our plans.
I’m not at liberty to discuss this in much detail for obvious legal reasons but rest assured my family and I are blessed, in good spirits, and receiving the care we need.
We appreciate your thoughtfulness and compassion as we work diligently to get back to 100% and move forward with our lives to make 2023 a wonderful year.
I have several segments planned and I appreciate your grace and willingness to stick around for when they go live. They won’t disappoint!
However, it is currently very difficult for me to write and create graphics for content in my traditional fashion but as always I intend to give you all and Tatorthoughts my highest quality work & never anything less.
Again we are extremely grateful and look forward to everything the remainder of 2023 and our half-decade anniversary has in store for us.
Y’all I am absolutely loving my October 2022 ipsy bag!
I honestly didn’t think I was going to love ipsy as much as I do as I’m not super into subscription boxes however.. ipsy gets it right!
October makes my third bag as I received the August glam bag X curated by Alicia Keys.
Y’all know I love October and it’s not just because of my birthday it’s literally because of everything. The weather changes in Georgia and I feel like I’m at peace for three months out of the entire year… if you live in the south you know what I mean.
Hoodies, bonfires, pumpkins, going outside without a plague of mosquitoes or heat stroke, Halloween, hot chocolate, caramel apples y’all I could go on but it would be a shame not to mention that September and October are literally the only times throughout the whole year that I can buy home decor because I use Halloween decorations as 365-day decorations in my house! 😂
Anyways back to Ipsy…
The October bag is described as
“Spooky yet stylish, this month’s bag possesses everything you need for frightfully flawless skin and ghoulishly glam looks—all in a bewitching design you voted for. Happy Haul-oween!”
This is a black bag donned with a raised spiderweb, A silver spider zipper, and dark purple trim absolutely my aesthetic but then again I have not yet received a bag that I didn’t absolutely love.
in this month’s bag I received:
Clean beauty brand CHELLA’s Blushing Rose Eyeshadow Palette
E.L.F. COSMETICS Big Mood Mascara in Black
IT COSMETICS Confidence In Your Beauty Sleep Night Cream
SEPHORA COLLECTION Smooth + Blur Primer
FENTY SKIN
Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum with Niacinamide
I love that when you rate products they listen and it helps improve your future bags.
I also really enjoyed the opportunity to give away five free bags to friends this month.
I love eyeshadows but I’m very particular about which ones I use. The same goes for mascara.
And I am working diligently currently to find a good skincare routine supplement that works well for me as I’m still really enjoying my Seint beauty skin care said that I’ve featured on the website before. (if you haven’t already seen that review go check it out!)
As all of you probably know I’m not a girl who enjoys being limited so the more options I have available to me the better and with my combination of skin care needs My ipsy subscription has been a huge help.
I’m loving toners and primers at the moment
And I found these to work really well for my skin.
I fully support self-care and #TreatYourself even if I haven’t always been the best at holding space for that in my own life.
I look forward to my ipsy subscription every month now and I can’t wait to see what the November 2022 ipsy glam bag X box curated by Becky G has in store for me.
Will I continue to receive ipsy bags long-term? I’m not sure. But I do know that some of these products I will be using in preparation for my wedding next year.
And I haven’t yet decided if I will continue receiving glam bag X or if I will drop my subscription down to the classic glam bags only. I have not had any experience so far with glam bag plus so I may try that in the future just to shake things up some.
Overall I feel like the traditional glam bags are well worth the subscription price and I’m currently happy with my choice.
If you are interested in signing up or would like to purchase ipsy as a gift use my link: https://www.ipsy.com/oupgliqc
I just received my second ipsy subscription bag and I’m loving it.
The holographic bag is giving me all the nostalgic vibes from being a kid in the early 2000s! this months bag is packed full of goodies and described as: “Whenever you lose sight of how strong and capable you are, this month’s bag design is a loud and proud reminder that no matter what comes your way—you got this!”
in this bag I received:
CIATÉ LONDON Definer Liner in Starburst
This is a brand that I haven’t previously heard of maybe I live under a rock I don’t know but this is one of the best metallic liners I’ve ever owned and I love it!
GOLDFADEN MD Bright Eyes Dark Circle Radiance Concentrate
I’ve had dark circles my entire life so I’m genuinely hoping this lessens them quite a bit, and it’s for that reason that I am so glad I get things like this specifically curated for my needs and the things that I enjoy.
HEMPZ Sweet Pineapple & Honey Melon Herbal Body Butter
this is again a brand I’ve never heard of and a product I wouldn’t ordinarily buy for myself but I will try anything at least once.
Life is all about broadening your horizons!
MEG COSMETICS Marine Serum Cleanser
this item I chose and I’m extremely glad I did it feels so refreshing on my skin!
TWEEN.TY Tightening Cream
This brand is also new to me however I’m a mom enough said. 😂
LARUCE BEAUTY LR007 Tapered Blending Brush
This month I got a bonus item and that happened to be a brush
i’m really excited to be able to continue to use these products and see how they work long-term and possibly change my purchasing habits based on something new I find that I prefer over my current products.
As most of you have already read I have written previously about Saint and the products offered by this company however the skincare collection is something we’ve not yet covered.
Makeup is an important tool for many people looking to enhance their natural beauty, cover blemishes, and improve overall confidence Seint does a wonderful job of all of the above with quality low impact ingredients and high-quality products of all types in cream & powder.
Seint also offers makeup tools such as brushes apparel and storage solutions.
But none of that does its job as well as it could without a strong well cared for foundation. The skin is your largest organ.
Just let that sink in. Think about all the things that we do in a day that could possibly be damaging to our skin.
Chemicals from cleaning, overuse of body products, The impact of laundry detergents, and of weather and sun exposure.
These products have done my skin so much good and they’ve made the already amazing makeup application even smoother and simpler for me! As a busy mom with a demanding lifestyle I don’t have 2+ hours for self-care to get ready everyday and thanks to Seint I don’t need 2 hours, nor do I have to sacrifice myself for the sake of time.
It takes me 30 minutes to do everything from skincare and clothing to makeup & hair CONSISTENTLY. Yes, you read that right this ISN’T A FLUKE!
The Seint skincare collection consists of a three-step system and four items.
•Cleanser (100 ml)
•Toner (100 ml)
•Creme (50 ml)
•Microfiber Cloths (Set of 3)
(The previously mentioned 50 count refresh wipes that I love so much are sold separately)
It really is as simple as 123.
Wash your face with cleanser, wipe away makeup and any oils and residue with the buttery soft microfiber cloths,
Gently spray your clean, dry face with toner
And lastly, moisturize with milk cream to lock in all the healthy self-care effects!
DONE!
The microfiber cloths wash extremely well and the toner and cleanser can be refilled.
You can use them all as a system or at separate times as needed for your schedule and for your skin the sky is the limit with Seint!
The packaging is classy and consistent always giftable and welcoming.
The microfiber cloths even come individually packaged and housed in a pull drawer box which is wonderful for storage!
If it works to breathe new life into my neglected tired-mom skin it can do wonders for anyone willing to pick it up and try it.
I deserved the self-care and you do too.
There’s no longer any guilt surrounding me taking care of myself because I’m giving my children and my husband the best of me not just what’s left of me and I’m not having to sacrifice tons of time with my family and doing the things they need me to do to take care of myself I can do them simultaneously things are still getting done and I feel better no one loses here! As cliché as it might sound it’s truly been a blessing to me so if you’re ready to jump on the Seint bandwagon, I’m genuinely glad I did shop with my favorite artist at the link below under the skincare tab.
If you know the family behind tatorthoughts at all, & if you’ve been here for a while you do you know that our go to for large purchases or important appliances & electronics is Best Buy.
This week was no exception.
After more than 3 years In our all hardwood home with the exception of the plethora of rugs we own I was absolutely burnt out over struggling to sweep. Those with wood floors know the struggle needless to say sweeping multiple times a day was much more than a chore.
I headed into Best Buy kid free for a moment
Which rarely happens with only my husband and dreams of spotless floors in tow.
I was a mama on a mission:
Obtain the thing that would decrease my ever growing daily to do list by at least 3!
I thought I wanted a bissell to match my hand held pet pro that I’ve loved since I got it only to discover something that better fit our needs & to my surprise at a better price!
This delightful creation being The Hoover WindTunnel 2 Whole House Rewind with Allergen Block
I opened it as soon as the box touched our living room rug
-It was well packaged and in several pieces.
-Smelt very strongly of new plastic and rubber which I didn’t mind because I’m one of the few who enjoy that smell (comparable to the smell of new tires.)
-packaging was informative and attractive on all sides which was a plus for me as someone who values marketing and aesthetic graphics on product packaging.
-even with my physical limitations and dexterity challenges it took me less than 6 minutes to assemble everything by myself.
I used it for the first time that same day and was both delighted and oddly disgusted over how well it worked on what I thought to be clean floors.
The cord has an incredible reach, and the fact that it is tangle free and retractable living within the machine is a major plus for us. It’s a Super convenient feature!
I didn’t find the vacuum to be too bulky or heavy like reviews of others have stated and
I wasn’t too bothered by the noise level although it was louder than I initially expected, both my toddler and preschooler slept through it completely unbothered.
I like that I can change suction and performance type by using a dial and go from rugs to hardwood seamlessly.
It comes with multiple attachments that work well for their intended purpose and there’s no loss of suction with use.
It’s easy to empty the contents and allergen filter Maintainance is simple.
All in all for a $180 purchase I’m extremely satisfied.
It won’t replace my desire to mop daily with my O-Cedar ProMist MAX Microfiber Spray Mop, but that’s simply by personal preference and the fact that I have small children who spend more time than most in our floors.
Tatorthoughts is now a proud addition to Hoover nation and the Hoover whole house rewind family!
this week I visited pop shelf for the very first time with a really good friend of mine on what we have coined “mom‘s day out”
I had heard little of it before visiting myself, however, I chalked it up to them being fairly new.
While my day out was fun I was only mildly impressed by this new mystical store I found myself perusing. (Think more colorful version of family dollar or dollar general here.)
Sure their cute seasonal setup was aesthetically pleasing and they have an array of items but I wasn’t immersed in wonder or jumping for joy.
(To be fair, there is very little I would jump for.)
The item availability and quality seemed nice enough and their prices seemed fair but one item caught my attention specifically.
Pink tax is real and in this moment that was evident.
Being that my daughter’s birthday is in June and my son just had his birthday last month; I found myself browsing the party section filled with bags, gift wrapping, sashes, tissue paper, and birthday ribbons.
The birthday ribbons I felt were a must purchase item until I saw that while one of each was gendered towards a boy and a girl and they were essentially the same generic birthday ribbons in pink and blue the pink one was TWICE the price of the blue for the same item in pink.
I doubt very seriously it cost them anything more to make the pink ribbon than it did the blue and I found the price hike unfair but I digress.
During this visit, I picked up a few items and collected a very small Pop Shelf Haul.
The process of shopping and self-checkout was simple enough and it wasn’t overwhelmingly crowded or busy which I enjoyed for my calm leisurely day.
While my first encounter was brief and left me with a slightly sour impression of the brand I may go back if I’m in the area.
Don’t get me wrong, Pop Shelf has the potential to be great especially if they start paying attention to slight oversights and gaps in marketing.
During this trip, I purchased two different print sets of Easter ears to include in my children’s Easter baskets
An extremely soft cupcake print baby blanket for my daughter because I call her “Cupcake”
*DISCLAIMER: I’ve yet to see how well it holds up after washing*
The Birthday pin Ribbon For her upcoming birthday (only after mentioning the price discrepancy to the employee before my purchase was made)
And a beautiful well-bound journal/ Notebook for myself and upcoming big events.
In short: yes, I’d go back likely once a season max.. Or if it were the last time simi-decent store on earth.
Moral of the story; gender price hiking for the same exact item is crap & good friends make even somewhat lackluster things great!
And thousands of loyal readers and supporters that none of this would be possible without!
Four years of what started as a simple idealistic dream of mine that QUICKLY turned into something I could’ve never imagined with over 20k people reading regularly, people and companies reaching out to me, friends made, partnerships built & so opportunities available to me that I would have never dreamed of.
To say that I am shocked and thrilled is an understatement, I am so unbelievably blessed to be writing this to an incredible, extremely supportive audience four years to the day from when this all started… all because my husband believed in me and honestly believed the world would enjoy my thoughts on things, thus Tatorthoughts was born!
I am so incredibly thankful for all the wonderful partnerships and friends that I’ve made through this journey I’ve been able to do some amazing things that wouldn’t have been otherwise possible with my family and for myself in the process. I’m grateful that people read and take away good things from what I have to say and that I have a voice that’s bigger than myself.
In today’s world, it’s really easy to get lost in what you think you should be or rather what others think you should be But if I’ve learned anything in the last four years it’s that embracing Tator (my real-life nickname) and becoming unapologetically her was one of the best things I had ever done because it didn’t matter what I looked like or what I didn’t look like, it didn’t matter that I have CP because I had something to say I had thoughts on a subject and people wanted to know what I thought. I was seen for more than a physical representation. In the process, I was able to break so many stereotypes that people willingly admitted to me that they carried because I don’t judge. everyone has a stereotype at some point that they believe or maybe even Portray and that’s OK because you only know what you know.
I’m so proud of where I’ve been and how far I’ve come as a writer I truly do believe that embracing who I am and giving 100% authenticity here made me the best mom that I could be for my kids, it’s given me some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for and it’s allowed me to do things for my husband and for my kids that would’ve only been possible in my wildest dreams before I branched out and took the leap of faith it took to start this journey.
It’s honestly hard to believe that it’s been four years already but what a beautiful four years it has been I hope 2022 continues to bring happiness and health for everyone who reads this and I’m hopeful that I can continue to bring insightful, uplifting joyous content to my platform in the year ahead and for years to come.
Tatorthoughts has been such a blessing to me and to my family. I’ve received some wonderful feedback as well and that keeps me pushing to do more and to do better for the people who place value in this the way skeeter, myself and our children do.
My writing has grown in depth and improved over the last four years so much so that I’ve taken the plunge and written & Co-illustrated my book for our children.
It was a daunting undertaking for me but I am so happy to say that I did it! we are currently illustrating the book and will be publishing it with Amazon KDP when complete.
I can’t tell you how influential all my followers and partners have been In my life since this first began, I can’t wait to see where the next chapter of this journey takes us but I do know that if the last four years have been any indication it will be incredible my goal has always been to bring interesting content to the forefront of my website with the hopes of promoting advocacy acceptance and inclusion in all that I do.
Representation matters!
Thank you all for making this endeavor possible and worth it!!
It’s obvious by now that I love Seint and Beauty and that says a lot because I’m just getting started.
But even with amazing makeup skincare is key and while the whole skin Care line review is coming very soon I want to speak on one specific thing Saint offers that I have not seen anywhere else
Refresh wipes!
These thin 50 count wipes are TSA approved and travel-ready, they come in sleek desirable packaging and live up to the rest of saints expectations.
In one wipe you get a 2 product combination of their incredible Cleanser & Toner!
I LOVE THESE WIPES!
The container is top tier as is the product it holds so well. It even has an extra leak-proof cover beneath its twist-tight lid!
These wipes are thin but pack a heavy-hitting punch, One is all it takes for effortless quality skincare and incredible glow at home, and on the go!
These are perfect for makeup removal or to prep your perfect canvas for seint beauty’s makeup application!
Skincare is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT and seint makes it easy between this and their skincare line you’ll have skin you don’t want to cover up at all especially not with traditional drugstore or big label makeup.
Seint makeup doesn’t hide your skin, it accentuates your natural beauty and gives you everything you could need or want in a beauty & skincare regimen in one place!
I’ve been using my wipes daily and can already see an incredible change in my skin, I feel better about the skin I’m in just by making ONE CHANGE!
As of 2022 you get free us shipping with a purchase of $50usd or more so order your wipes and whatever else you need and you’ll automatically get free shipping! Such a great deal!
Get color matched! Save yourself HOURS a year by switching to the best system & only all-in-one makeup there is!
SEINT BEAUTY
Happy new year from everyone at Tatorthoughts! May 2022 bring us all health, happiness and, wonderful memories! Thank you all for an incredible year, 2021 was definitely one for the books!
Welcome to the first of several reviews that we are calling – “Tator’s take on Seint Beauty”
I recently unearthed the gem that is Seint Beauty, (formerly mascara beauty) but to be completely honest with this one I feel as if I was living under a rock! I’m not sure how it took me so long to discover Seint but now that I have I doubt that I’ll ever go back.
I’m extremely picky when it comes to the feel of product on my face and I can say that seint sits so well on my face I forget it’s there, seint is light, smooth and gentle. Created by Cara Brook to accentuate and enhance your natural beauty, therefore improving the lackluster beauty industry as a whole.
Seint (formerly mascara beauty) as a company is less than five years old, and since it’s a rival has taken the market by a storm!
I have the pleasure of working with an amazing seint artist, Tammy Minard Who prides herself on making the entire process quick and painless. No more trips to the mass market beauty store ladies!
Not only will this save you time, effort and stress switching to Seint saves you money!
Seint products are very affordable in comparison to their counterparts that just Can’t quite measure up.
It all started with a clean face natural light selfie used for an accurate color match and when I tell you it’s that easy I mean it.
That’s all I had to do!
And receiving my color match from Tammy opened my eyes to how far off base my traditional makeup colors really were for my skin.
Your makeup should fit you not the other way around!! Seint is made to enhance your face. Not to hide it.
With that being said you can achieve different degrees of coverage from light to full depending on your needs NOT product specifications like most drugstore foundations.
Seint gets better with every application! And when you need an adjustment in shades from seasonal changes or just different ways to apply that work for you there’s always a Seint artist ready and willing to help.
There’s several diagrams & graphics that help as well a few of which I found particularly helpful I’ll be posting below!
Seint is for every age & every stage from professional makeup artists to young ladies just starting out on their cosmetics journey. Seint is ageless!
We all know some makeup brands don’t photograph well no matter what you do but I’m happy to report seint does!
It is the perfect way to ditch the bulky makeup bags and trade in your tubes for tins! Seint is the all in one makeup collection where that once bulky bag becomes a sleek, slim BEAUTIFUL compact that holds all your makeup from eyeshadows to bronzers & contour! Truly becoming grab & go.
Seint offers everything you need in individual items and collections.
•Brushes
•Skincare
•Attire (that your artist doesn’t earn on)
& makeup
Seint makes the perfect self care products as well lad incredible gifts!
I started with the basics SPECIFICALLY MATCHED FOR ME!
1 highlight-linen
1 highlight-candlelit
1 Contour – Astoria
1 Lip + Cheek – Hollywood
1 IIID Palette 12 – Poolside
1 IIID Brush
1 Perfector
1 Eyeshadow Brush
Anyone who is familiar with make up knows, add a major retailer for all that’s listed above you are spending hundreds of dollars well friends I’m here to tell you when I purchased my Saint makeup I spent less than $200!! With my regular use this make up will last me months. This is a very cost-effective move for us.
I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally be using clean make up, it glides on so smoothly and takes less than five minutes to apply unless you want a higher glam look which I usually don’t.
The setting spray I won as a prize, got me started on my journey with Seint and I’m so glad it did! It doesn’t mist like most would but it does work better than any I’ve tried before so I just apply it to my perfector and apply to my face from there after I’ve finished my look.
These brushes are the bomb and the perfector is better than any beauty blender I’ve used, they all come so clean and I love it!
I trust my Seint make up so much that I even had professional pictures taken with Seint instead of my normal go-to And this only scratches the surface! You guys are not going to believe what comes next stay tuned!
(There’s also a review coming on JCPenney portraits too!)
In the meantime, to get color matched just as I did reach out to my favorite seint artist Tammy Minard!
***HURRY! BLACK FRIDAY SALE RUNNING NOW WHILE SUPPLIES LAST 30% OFF EYESHADOWS AND ILLUMINATORS! ***
It’s September 22 and I/ Tatorthoughts has exceeded both my goal donation amount, 10k daily step goal and my whole month step goal of 300,000 steps with time to spare! Participation in this year’s Steptember challenge has been trying, but extremely beneficial to me! Thankful I was blessed with the opportunity to step with a purpose for such a meaningful cause. The month of September isn’t over yet and there is still plenty of time to make strides and raise more funding for cerebral palsy research. Thank you to all who have supported me in this endeavor and sent kind messages & donations. Please know you’ve participated in so much change. Together we have moved cerebral palsy research forward.
For more information about steprember, to follow my journey or to donate to the cause visit the link below!
