So It's Me Against the Woods..

>> As deer season has officially kicked off, I have been in a constant attention contest with my boyfriend in between me and the woods. Sometimes I think he would rather cuddle his crossbow than me.. (not kidding).
The other day when I should have been doing school work I was on Wanelo, looking up things I could get for Casey for his upcoming birthday. I came across some women's shirts that were over priced yet so accurate.. The shirt said, and I quote:

"Love me like you love deer season"

Being me, I burst out laughing and the whole class turned and stared. 

I thought to myself:

"I don't know who made this but she is me."

And honestly I have never seen my feelings put into more accurate terms, however, the shirt was $45.. LOL. no. 

So, I took it upon myself to make a more wallet friendly (and cuter designed) tee!

> Through the use of TeeSpring I messed around until I came up with this, and trust me, I have already put my order in. 

I thought I did a pretty impressive job for my first tee on TeeSpring! 

>> For those of you who don't know what TeeSpring is, it is a tshirt making company online that allows you to create your own designs using flexible software and their own gallery of fonts and clip art! Even though it sounds like your regular tshirt making site, its not.. This is like the part in the commercial where they go "But wait! There's more..!" Not only is there no upfront cost of making the shirt, but you can earn profit.. You can sell your design to other people in what's called a campaign! For instance- this is what my campaign looks like:

> When launching your campaign you create the design, figure out what items you want it on (I have this design on a vneck, regular tee, tank top and sweatshirt), then write a short bio about the background and options of the design. After you do all that, you create a goal of how many people have to order one before TeeSpring prints them and ships them out. When you set the price of the shirt, the point is to make it slightly higher than the cost of printing the shirt, which will earn you profit in the long run! Go check out my design here, and then start creating your own! :)

Feel free to email me with any questions! 

theaucourantblog@gmail.com

Lo♥

ps.. go buy my tshirt. xoxo

skin care.

Hello! With summer coming to a close, I decided to share my fave skin care products in time for back to school.

For the most part, I like to stick to Rodan + Fields Unblemish line. It comes from the same company as Proactive, but I find this regimen less harsh and much more effective for my skin. 

Step 1 is the base face wash. Step 2 is the toner. Here you can customize your system with either the Spot Fading toner or the Clarifying toner. I go with the clarifying mainly because I don't really have dark spots. Step 3 is the actual treatment. Pictured is the old bottle. Now they have changed it so you get more product. See, with that size of bottle you run out faster than the other products.

Here I show, the bigger and better Dual Intensive Acne Treatment! They changed it a couple months ago, but I still use my old bottle for travel, which I've been doing a lot of this summer. Finally, Step 4 is the moisturizer which contains SPF 20.

Along with the Unblemish Regimen, once a week or so I get to use the Redefine Macro Exfoliator. I love this thing. 

Otherwise known as the "face sucker", this product smooths my skin baby soft. For best results, it comes with "Doc-Smart Mode", where it is programmed by  Dr. Rodan and Dr. Fields beeping to tell you how long you should use it on each section of your face.

It's a beautiful thing, let me tell you.

Although the Unblemish line comes with a moisturizer, I admit I usually only use that at night. My absolute favorite moisturizer comes from WalMart for about $14.

Aveeno's Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer has been my go to moisturizer and also primer before putting on foundation or using instead of foundation in the summer. 

So there you have it. My favorite skin care products. Hope everyone going back to school now has a great time doing so! 

- Hannah

July Favorites! ♥

>> So here I sit waiting for my nails to dry while typing away at yet another blog post..

As I have been meaning to get back on my blogging grind, I had sooo much to talk about and currently am now drawing a blank.. However, I would like to share some of my personal favorites from this month!

Annnnnd go:

1. Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Nailpolish

I have obsessed and obsessed over this stuff and every time I redo my nails I become a little more impressed. As I have stated (via previous blog post) I am not entirely sure how I came across it or what made me buy it. We all know how every company has to come out with some sort of knock off something or other that could be done much more efficiently (and expensively) at the salon and you try it once, roll your eyes and never try the drugstore version again. But this time = results. 

Left: Day One
Right: Day Seven AND chip free
(Nails featuring Checkmate(base), Provoke(flower), Wild Card(blue center), and Sure Thing(white center))

I rest my case.

2.  Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain

I believe as an avid makeup/hair product consumer that Revlon doesn't make anything that isn't useful. The Colorstay line is one of the most diverse and result producing yet. It has only been recently that I have gotten into lip colors. I had tried it once before and lip glosses were sticky and lipsticks made me look funny but I decided to give this stuff a shot. As you all know I am not easily impressed but this lip stain goes on a with a comfortable watery feeling and is not sticky but immediately make the lips feel more hydrated and fresh.

Shade 050- London Posh
(It's actually a light nude)

Definitely a five star review from me!

3. Coconut Oil

I saw on Pinterest all this fuss about how coconut oil is literally good for anything and could mend split ends in just one use! Being the disbeliever that I am, I went and bought some. The first time I used it I applied it to my brushed and dry hair for about a half hour before my shower. When I shampooed and conditioned it out I noticed little to no difference. However, the second time I used it I applied it before bed, braided my hair and slept with it in. After my shower the next morning my hair felt like butter and had an amazing shine! From that point I was sold. If your hair is dry like mine, it should take one shampoo to remove the excess oil and you may still use light conditioner but  if your hair is oily I recommend 1-2 shampoos and combing the shampoo through your hair during your shower.You can find coconut oil in mainly grocery stores because it is also a very healthy cooking ingredient. There are about a billion uses for coconut oil. Check them out here!

I bought mine at Walmart but made the mistake of getting refined!
If for hair or skin (not cooking) get the unrefined!

4. Loreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

This is my favorite mascara of all time. I was blessed with long eyelashes but I have never seen any mascara make them look like falsies until I came across this one. As I have stated in the past few products, what it all comes down to is results and each of these items produce them and produce them well. 

No eyelash curler needed.

In the shade Midnight Black.

As I am not a fan of makeup during the summer, this mascara is the perfect accessory to a natural face. 

Going swimming? Apply some waterproof for long lasting, smudge free, pond proof awesome.

almost forgot..

This week's nails!

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Nailpolish in the shade Casino Lights. (yellow base)
Nuance by Selma Hayek Nail Lacquer (accents)

>> Hope you enjoy (and try) all my favorite products! And as always, hope your summer is treating you well. ♥

My Newest Obsession

Hello again, everyone!

Lauren, here.

 Today I experienced the first of my "lasts", I guess you could say. I played my last softball tournament...

BUT WE WON IT. So that makes it a little less sad, I suppose. We went 5-0 on the weekend claiming the tournament championship and that was the best way out I think. It was a great way to wrap things up with my travel team and I wish them all the best next season. (they're all younger than me)

 Anyways! I would like to share some of my favorite things about life currently.

 Let it be known that I HATE chipped nail polish aka why I never wear it. I just think it is a constant frustration and I don't have money for salon nails so I forever go with plain nails.. But then..

This happened.

Dealers Choice

Checkmate

Wild Card (blue), Pocket Aces

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Nail Color

I happened to be casually shopping in Walmart and came across this AWESOME nail color. 

I have the shades Beginners Luck, Checkmate, Wild Card, Pocket Aces, Dealers Choice and the Diamond Top Coat!

 If you want wear-proof nail polish, let me tell you. My Wild Card and Pocket Aces nails lasted 6 days and all the way through a softball tournament without a single chip aka no chipped nailpolish and a happy Lauren :)

Just thought I should share my newest obsession. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I know I am!

Enjoy!

Lo♥

senior picture makeup

Whoa, hey everyone.

It's Olivia. I know, I know you all must be so shocked because it's been like months and hello I have been slacking. Don't worry, I am here.

By now you're probably wondering, what does she even bring to the table? The answer: I love makeup. So. Much. And as Lauren mentioned, Jaclyn Hill is my absolute favorite Youtube makeup guru and if you need any inspiration you should probably just watch her because she is absolutely fabulous at what she does. (Okay, done obsessing.) As I was saying, I love doing makeup. It's like art and beauty all in one so hey, I like it. Although I have so so much more to learn about it, I have been asked to do some makeup for senior pictures once or twice by a few friends. Today I'm going to give you a simple look I am going to use on Lauren in a couple weeks for her next round of senior pictures.

First thing's first here's what I used.
FACE:
Sephora 10HR wear perfection foundation
bareMinerals Stroke of Light eye brightener in shade Luminous 2
Maybelline FITme shine-free foundation stick in Toffee Caramel
NARS Laguna bronzer
L'Oreal Hydra Perfecte perfecting loose powder
EYES:
Urban Decay shadow W.O.S and Venus (from NAKED basics)
Too Faced shadow Salted Caramel, Semi-Sweet, and Triple Fudge (from Chocolate Bar palette)
Mary Kay liquid eyeliner and  pencil eyeliner
L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly mascara

And here's a quick run down of what I did. 
First I prepped her eyes with any old concealer to give myself a clean slate to work with. I put W.O.S over the lid and Venus on the eyebrow bone. I blended Salted Caramel with a big, fluffy brush halfway into the crease, leaving room on the inside to keep the eyes looking bigger. I put Semi-Sweet just on the outer corner and blended the two brown shades together. I used the liquid liner on top and pencil on the bottom. I brushed Triple Fudge Shadow over top of her bottom liner and blended it using a little Salted Caramel on my big, fluffy brush. I finished off her eyes with the Voluminous Butterfly mascara.

For the face, I put a thin coat of foundation over her whole face, highlighted with Stroke of Light under the eyes in a triangle pattern following the side of her nose and back up to the temple area, on the forehead, and on the chin. After blending that, I added a line of Toffee Caramel foundation, which is 4-5 shades darker than her skin for contouring purposes kind of along the side of her cheekbones (if you suck in your cheeks, along the line your face makes) and blended that out. I added Laguna in a 3 shape along each side of her face hitting the top of the forehead, coming in along the cheekbones, and back down to the chin. Finish off with some translucent perfecting powder to set what you've done and you're good to go!

The final product

I hope you enjoyed this look! Let me know if there's anything you would like to see me attempt in the future.

liv♥

Let's Catch Up, Shall We?

>> So let me state the painfully obvious, we have been major slacking on blog posts recently but let me tell you.. SUMMER IS SO BUSY. Over the past couple weeks I have journeyed to that M state up North and spent a week of my time cleaning up the city of Flint with my youth group, gotten all four of my wisdom teeth cut out which has been an adventure in itself, Hannah went off to be a camp councilor and the Leary family has been busy preparing for their cousin Ashley's wedding which is very soon! Though we have been engaged in the summer buzz we have not forgotten about our readers! (If we have any)(lol). Anyways, we have so much to catch up on which will be posted about later but for right now I have one important business matter:

Recently I was introduced by Olivia to a Youtube makeup artist named Jaclyn Hill. Jaclyn is a gorgeous young woman who is EXTREMELY talented in the hair and makeup field and is a very real person. After sorting through various videos and listening to her rant at the end of "Everyday Drugstore Makeup Tutorial" I have realized that though she is famous for her skills and talents in the beauty domain, she doesn't hesitate to interact with the avid readers and fans she has obtained from her hard work and remind all of us that she isn't better than or superior to her every day devotees. I encourage all of you to check out her Youtube channel and enjoy her work, just like Olivia and I do!

Click here :)

Hope everyone had a safe and memorable Fourth Of July weekend!

My first senior picture session over the Fourth of July weekend♥

Love, Lo♥

Healthy-ish..

So I mean, I'm not looking to lose weight but I've found that the healthier you eat the better you feel and the better you perform, so lately I've been trying to create some meals that are both healthy and delicious. For breakfast the morning before a big softball game I made three sunny side up eggs, whole wheat toast, a couple piece of bacon, and cantaloupe, strawberries, bananas and grapes and of course a glass of OJ.

1. Eggs are full of nutrients, and it is very rare to find another food that has as many nutritional benefits. Numerous vitamins, including vitamin A, potassium and many B vitamins like folic acid, choline and biotin, are also packed inside supporting hair, skin and nail growth as well as eyesight and muscle production. 
2. Bananas are filled with energy producing vitamins and minerals and are also a rich source of potassium, which helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering bad effects of sodium. 
3. Cantaloupe is full of Vitamin A which is essential to eye sight, it is also know to protect and prevent against lung and oral cancers. 
4. Strawberries contain a lot of vitamin C which keeps you from getting sick as well as benefits against cancer, aging, inflammation and neurological diseases. 
5. Grapes are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, carotenes, B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine, riboflavin, and thiamin and resveratrol all of which prevent colon cancer, coronary heart disease, nerve diseases, Alzheimer's disease and various infections. 
6. Last but not least, my favorite, orange juice WITH pulp. I love the taste of orange juice(vitamin C too!) and pulp is extremely helpful to your digestive system, and after this huge breakfast you're gonna need it. 

Also, my toast is whole grain. Not my choice but my moms, as she buys the groceries. lol. Thankyou for reading my healthy spiel of the day. 

Happy Summer!

Lo♥

Turn Up for Scotcheroos, State and Summer.. ☼

So summer 2014 is finally here and that means one thing: Hannah, Olivia and I are semi-officially seniors.    In honor of our new status we spent time after our final exams hanging out, watching Criminal Minds and

making Scotcheroos aka a delicious twist to the common rice crispy treat.

Ingredients:

1 c. light corn syrup

1 c. sugar

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

6 c. rice crispy cereal

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

2 c. butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Spray 13x9-inch pan with non stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat together light corn syrup and sugar until boiling.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract.
3. Stir in rice crispy cereal and then gently pat into prepared pan (the harder you press, the thinner your bars will be).  
4. In a microwave safe bowl, melt together chocolate and butterscotch chips and stir until smooth.  Evenly spread mixture over the top of the rice crispy bars.  Let cool until topping is set.  

Yield: 2 dozen bars

 Finished Product..

    Recipe and details found here. :) 

For the third consecutive season my high school sent yet another team to Columbus to participate in state contests. We sent our football team to state playoffs in the fall, our basketball team was crowned state champions in the winter and so the last day of school arrived and instead of attending, everyone packed up and headed out to watch our baseball team play in a final four match for the second year in a row. The thing about baseball is that you have to have a little luck, and unfortunately, it was not on our side that day. After leading by three the whole game, we were tied in the bottom of the seventh inning and the defeating run was scored by an unreal steal at home plate on the pitch. Watching our senior classmates end their season on such an abrupt note left us fans in utter shock and devastation, but when you realize that some students from other schools never have the opportunity to travel to state it really makes you feel proud and blessed to be a part of it all. Go Knights!♥

   

And in closing, happy summer, and enjoy your scotcheroos!

Han, Lo, Liv♥

Memorial Day Weekend Activities

Yay for a three day weekend and yay for almost being done with junior year! What better way to celebrate than a photo shoot, right? So here's a few of our faves.. enjoy!

And to start, we have to talk about the makeup of course!

Some of our favorites:

Naked Basics and Naked 2 by Urban Decay - Sephora
Laguna by NARS - Sephora

L'oreal 24 Hour Infallible Eyeshadow- Any Drug Store

And now for the photo shoot! Dresses courtesy of the Leary closet :)

Have a wonderful memorial day weekend♥

Han, Lo, Liv

hair hair hair (continued)

Well since Hannah got to post her creations I wanted to post my very first updo I did on one of my good friends and fellow team mates this past prom season..

    

Terra and I were currently in Columbus for a team bonding trip and she had to leave early so she could make it to her boyfriends prom! We woke up bright and early and got started and what can I say? It turned out GREAT. 

--Lo♥

hair hair hair

I love doing hair. I mean, love it. Since prom season is coming to a close here, I'll share some of my creations this year.

First up is miss Lauren's hair. I did this for a wedding she attended right before prom season though, her prom hair is coming up later.

The next two are a couple styles I did for homecoming in the fall. The first is Liv's hair, the second is my friend, Whitney's hair.

Up next is Lauren's prom hair, as promised!

Last but not least is my friend, Chelsi's hair I did for a scholarship banquet.

Enjoy! 

Hannah

au courant

What is this blog all about anyways? According to our Merriam-Webster definition, the French word au courant literally translates to "in the current". Full definitions include "a: fully informed: up-to-date <trying to stay au courant> b: fashionable, stylish <au courant outfits>". So shout out to Merriam Webster for those great definitions, and hopefully this gives you a big clue as to what we're up to here. 

Just venturing back out into the blogging world, as we have all had our own separate blogs several years ago. Feel free to check those out as well!

Hannah recklesscharm.blogspot.com

Liv http://polishedandprettybutslightlyundone.blogspot.com/

Lauren simplysugarr.blogspot.com

♥ Lo, Hannah, & Liv