INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Add half a pea-sized amount of your rich facial moisturizer to a quarter-sized amount of foundation in the palm of your hand. Use a fingertip to mix the moisturizer into your foundation until it is fully incorporated. An extra touch of moisture will help your foundation blend more seamlessly on your skin. Use a fingertip to place one dot of your foundation mixture on your forehead, nose, each cheek, and your chin respectively. Avoid applying foundation to the edges of your face to start with. Most people need less coverage as they reach their hairlines. Applying from the center outward will centralize coverage where you need it most. Use a makeup sponge or beauty blender to dab your dots of foundation outward, spreading a thin layer of coverage over your entire face. Once the mixture is distributed, use your fingertips to smooth away any lines created by the edge of your blender or sponge obvious in your application. If your first application is still too sheer for your taste, apply a second round of foundation dots. Blend outward to layer on additional coverage. Repeat this process as needed to reach your desired level of coverage. Smooth a little residual foundation over your earlobes with your fingertips. Using your fingertips, rub away any lines of demarcation at your jawline, smoothing excess foundation down your neck. Use a clean piece of toilet paper to remove excess foundation that may have colored any hair around your face. Look over your foundation and notice if there are any areas of excess dryness. If yes, apply a pinhead-sized amount of rich moisturizer to the area using a fingertip. A little extra moisture will hydrate your skin and blend flaky makeup.

SUMMARY: Mix a dab of moisturizer into your foundation. Dot your foundation on your cheeks and nose. Blend your foundation outwards with a makeup sponge. Repeat the dot-and-blend process to add coverage. Blend the outer edges of foundation at your jaw, hairline, and earlobes. Add a little moisturizer to any flaky skin.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Listing is a handy way of establishing shopping goals. Also consider the following: It is often best to have a "master list" and then create a smaller list of short term goals that need to be addressed first. Some flexibility should be in your list. You may not be able to find a pink silk organza dress in size 16, for example--that may be too exacting to be handled by thrifting. But you may be able to find a nice dress in size 16 for your stepsister's graduation if you search well enough. Be prepared to search for your needs. Some thrift stores are well-organized by gender, size, type of item, or other metrics such as color. Others are a free-for-all of bins and warehouse space. Prior to thrifting, thoroughly examine your closet and do an inventory of it. Note down which pieces you might have not worn yet that month. Through this, you can become inspired to find a particular item to match the clothing and finally wear it! You can also prevent buying clothing similar to what you already have. Without trying clothing on, it is difficult to tell whether it is worth your money. Ask for a fitting room with a mirror or a convenient restroom. Dress in form-fitting attire in case a fitting room is not available. That way you can try on clothing over your existing clothes. Leggings and sports bras can be useful in this. To eyeball if a garment will fit around your waist without trying it on: button it, and then wrap it around yourself from bellybutton to spine. Thrift store items are typically purchased "as is"; therefore, it is important to look all purchases over thoroughly before committing to a purchase. Some things to look for are: If looking at clothing, check seams, cuffs and collars for wear and damage. A button might be a simple fix, but that may not be the case with a ripped-out seam. Look for staining, especially around the neck, armpit, and inseam. Dirt, lint, and animal hair can often be laundered, but there are no guarantees. For furniture, make sure that it is sturdy and does not require repairs you are unable to perform. For appliances, ask to plug the item in to make sure it works before purchasing. Check the washing instructions. Getting a silk shirt for $3 initially looks like a great deal; however, when you consider that it's "dry clean only," the savings aren't nearly so great. Part of thrift shopping is having a basic idea in mind but being open to opportunities when you find them. Consider the following: Recognize when a clothing item could be repaired or resized with minimal tailoring. Have a style and color scheme in mind for each room you are decorating. This ensures consistency of theme and avoids impulse purchases. Listen to your gut. Sometimes you may come across an item that you weren't looking for but which is unique, classic, and perfect for a place in your home. You never know what you'll find thrift shopping and the temptation to impulse buy is strong. Ways to avoid over-purchasing are: Go shopping with a price limit in mind and stick to it. This may be a limit you set per item, or for the overall trip, but the idea is to remain mindful of how much you are spending. Don't buy it unless you really love it. Just because it is inexpensive does not necessarily mean it is for you. Would you buy the item if it were full-priced? Buy that designer jacket that you could not afford at the mall. Ditto for the jeans that might be a bit worn, but you really like that look. But do you really need that shirt that you kind of like but is cheap? Probably not. If you are on the fence about something, take another spin around the store and think about it. If you come back and aren't committed, it wasn't meant to be.

SUMMARY: Decide what you are looking for. Try things on. Assess quality. Have vision. Set shopping limits.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Some chefs brine for 48 hours and others do it for 7 to 10 days before. If you are cooking corned beef for the first time, you may want to start brining for less time and increase in the future. Add the following: 2 qts. (1.9l) of water, 1 cup of kosher salt and 4 tbsp. (20g) of pink curing salt #1. This is what gives corned beef its pink color. Using other salt will leave the flesh gray. Pour in 1/2 cup (94.5g) of brown sugar, 2 bay leaves and 2 crushed cloves of garlic. Mix in your pickling spices. You can use the recipe of your choice, but a good mix is 1 tbsp. (6.9g) of whole peppercorns, 1.5 inches of cinnamon sticks, 1 tbsp. (6.3g) of dill seeds, 1/2 tbsp. (2.7g) of hot red pepper flakes, 1/2 tbsp. (3g) of mustard seeds, 1/2 tbsp. (2.7g) of coriander seeds, 1/2 tbsp. (3g) of celery seeds, 1/2 tbsp. (2.7g) of ground ginger and 1/1 tbsp. (2.1g) of dried thyme leaves, 1 tbsp. (5g) of whole allspice berries and 1/2 tsp. (3g) of whole cloves. Fill it with ice to cool it before brining the meat.

SUMMARY: Decide how long you want your brining to take. Place a large saucepan on the stove. Heat on high until the salts and sugar have dissolved. Remove the pan from heat.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Don't over mix.

SUMMARY:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and melted butter until the mixture becomes smooth. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir it all together until it's just combined. Add the zucchini to the mixture and stir to evenly distribute it. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.