February Favorites

I did my best to be very picky about where my money went this month so I have been all about samples, coupons and unique finds. My skin care products both found their way into my stash in unique ways: one came from my PopSugar box and the second was a sample from Sephora. And, as per usual, I have ANOTHER tea favorite this time from Barnes and Noble. My month has all been fueled by a rockin' girl group!

My beautiful planner somehow made its way into this picture. Review coming soon...





 



Maybelline Color Elixir by Color Sensational
The packaging attracted me to this new product from Maybelline. Spring seems to be the time of new lip products. Last year was the fun of the Revlon Lip Butters and Color Sensational lipsticks and this year, its the gloss, gloss, glosses! The tube with the product has the shape of a lipstick ... confusing, or awesome? We're going with awesome. Nothing annoys me more than sticky lip gloss--yuck. But these babies? Nada! With smooth application, good color pay off, these are the best I've tried. I have both Signature Scarlet (a bright red) and Rose Redefined (a rose pink).

 



Hollywood, California Glam Glow YouthMud exfoliate treatment masque
...and deep breath. With a name like that, you can imagine my look at the Sephora lady. All I could think of was mud masks that a kid might make with a fresh spring shower. The mental image was hard to erase. Then I put the mask on and that mental image was pretty close to the reality of application. But, buffing this guy off with a washcloth left my skin less than mud-like and it GLOWED. Yes, I'm 22 years old but my skin looked like a baby's which made this guy a spa night favorite for me.

 



Nourish Organic Argan Face Serum
Argan Oil for your face! Talk about the moisture. It seems like roses and apricots so, yeah, its spring. (Anyone catching a trend here? I'm so ready for spring!) As it is an oil/serum, it can be used under a moisturizer or alone. I have been using it after the Glam Glow and alone before bed. My face is soooo happy.

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman brushes
The application of my product with these brushes is magical! I have a problem. I am very heavy handed with the product application. Like the, Oh gosh... too much blush! Yak! These have been my life savers!! They are super easy to clean, soft, and not clump-y with application. My absolute must-haves are the blush brush, the deluxe crease shadow blush and base shadow brush. I just dip the tip of the brush into the product, apply, and blend. But all the brushes are super easy to use, and, of course, blend.

Harney & Co Pomegranate Oolong tea & Bicycle mug
If this scent was made into a candle, I would buy endless upon endless supply. The tea is very full and tangy. I love it in the afternoon when I get home from work and before dinner. Sort of like an afternoon snack... but for adults! And the best part, I bought it from Barnes and Noble with a coupon! The mug is from World Market and I thought it was adorable. It is a wide top cappuccino mug with a pink inside. If it is not in use, it is sitting on my counter as decoration.

Little Mix "Salute"
I don't know if I can express the amount of love I have for this group. This girl group is the greatest thing since the Spice Girls and Destiny's Child combined. Yeah, bold statement. This album is a combination of dance anthems, girl power, and inspiring tunes. It is on Spotify but, I totally recommend actually BUYING this CD because the cover art is so gorgeous! Little Mix is on tour with Demi Lovato this summer and yes, I want to go! Who's in?

I hope you all enjoyed my favorites for February!! What products did you love for the month of LOVE?

Yours xx

Valentine's Day: A Celebration of Love (and Chocolates)

HELLO! I took a bit of a hiatus -- it has been a bit crazy around here. But guys I'm back and let's celebrate the month of February with a bit of Valentines!

I'm a lover of holidays. Breaking from the ordinary day-to-day life to put on a bit of festivities, even if only for a couple minutes is worth it for me. In celebration of the holiday of love, I passed some valentines out at work, a la Elementary school and painted my nails for a little reminder of self-love each day of the past week.

 

Nail color: OPI's "Color so Hot it Berns" and NCLA's Nail Wraps in "Peppermint Lane" (Yep, from Christmas).

Every one of my co-workers got a valentine and my direct reports got valentine presents as well. I get mocked, well, yeah, mocked for my enjoyment of One Direction's musical stylizing's. (C'mon, those Brits are beautiful too.) So, I played it up. My coworkers got a 1D valentine plus two, yep, TWO mystery Fun Dip packets. Oh yeah, if that doesn't say party I don't know what does. [Side note: The box came with a signed poster. Naturally, this poster is now on my fridge.]

 

 

In each of  the tall tins, I placed the candy hearts with Gum, Starburst and Skittles inside to give it some height. I put coordinating tissue paper that I filled with a few nic-nac-y type items, such as Tic-Tacs, Ghirardelli chocolates, a set of pens and a party necklace. Obviously, you can fill these with any items for any holiday. For me, it is always about the presentation. :)

I worked Valentine's evening but in the morning I did watch "I Hate Valentine's Day," which is a rom-com directed by, written by and starring Nia Vardalos and John Corbett aka the stars of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." It is a clever and smart movie about a woman who owns and runs her own flower shop. It follows her relationship rules and the one time she may break them because she may have officially fallen for the man of her dreams. See? Very rom-com, predictable film but, man, I do enjoy it.  Here's the trailer:

 

 

I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day! What'd you do to celebrate?

 

Yours xx



January Favorites

January flew by and was a great spring board for 2014. I vaguely remember a while ago I shared some of my favorite products of the month with you... well, lets do that again, shall we??

 

 

Clinique 3-Step Cleanser, Toner, and Moisturizing Lotion

The first time I was spotted looking at makeup I was around 11. My mother said I was more than allowed to use makeup but I had to take care of my skin. We went straight to the good stuff for skin care. I have no idea why I have been bouncing around skin care products when I know, I KNOW, that this is the best thing for me. The liquid facial soup cleanses and removes any dirt and grime from my skin making it squeaky clean. Then I will tone my skin, creating a smooth surface for the moisturizing lotion to really lock it all in and in the winter, moisture has been my key necessity in products.

 



 

Smith's Rosebud Salve

Speaking of moisture, this has been a gift from the gods for my lips during winter. It is a rose scent petroleum jelly for your lips. Along with the rose scent, it gives my lips a nice pink and glossy color, which makes lip gloss, although fun, not necessary.

 

 

Revlon Colorburst Matte/Laquer Balm

Okay, I'm just going to come right out and say it: to me, these are the best lip product I have tried in a long while. The are moisturizing, plus supply a good amount of color that applications are few and far between. I do one application upon arriving at work and don't have to reapply until late afternoon or even when I get home because the color is still there. Application is super simple; if you can color in the lines, you can put these on. I started with colors that I knew I would wear all the time: Elusive, a light peach pink, Complex, a brown nude, Striking, a true red, and in the lacquer, Enticing, a shiny maroon red.

 

 

NYX Powder Blush in Peach

This blush is incredibly pigmented, a little goes a long way. It gives an Oh-Look-at-me, I-have-been-outside-and-just-naturally-have-pink-cheeks look. Very winter-esque chic. Perfect for January.

 



 

Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes mascara

I am such a fan of the original formula of the Falsies that I had to try the Big Eyes version and I was not disappointed. With the separate wands for upper and lower lashes it lifts and adds insane volume to the upper lashes and separates the lower lashes making them look spider leg long. It does last all day, for me, and doesn't smudge either. Simple makeup remover gets all the product off with very little residue left.

 

 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Sport Eraser

Disclaimer: I do not have dark spots. I do have really scary dark under eyes, which is why I picked up this product. Thought I might be able to eliminate my designer handbag dark eyes, and it does. The applicator is truly awesome. The sponge allows for flawless distribution of the product, as well as precision. I have it in the color 210 Fair.

 

 

The Body Shop Shea Body Butter

The 24 hour hydration is no lie. I have very dry skin and this product has been a life saver for me this winter. I body has been drinking this product up like a traveler in the desert! The scent is long lasting but not overpowering. It smells very nutty and creamy (if creamy has a scent...). It has been a huge success for me. I did try several other scents in small size to make sure, before buying the large jar, that it was the product for me, which, of course, it is.

 

 

Celestial Seasonings Fruit Tea Sampler

Yep, I love tea and am obsessed with this. I'm not usually a bit fruit tea drinker but this product might have turned me. These are super flavorful and not at all sweet, which was my big concern. And as I attempted to spend less money, the price tag for 18 bags is really hard to argue.

 

Those are just some of my favorite products for the month of January. I hope you all enjoyed it. And I would love to know what products you all have been loving this month??

 

Yours xx

Book Haul & Books-To-Read

As previously posted I spent some time at Barnes and Noble last week and I've added to my Books To Be Read stack. I thought you guys might be curious what my reading plans consist of for 2014. Remember that resolution?? Well, I've got plenty to keep me busy.

Some of these books are brand new and some have been on my shelf for years. I'll do my best to review each book as I finish them. My first review will be on the Divergent series. I finished the first one in a matter of hours soooo, that'll be coming up pretty soon.

I picked these books from stellar recommendations as well as some of my favorite as authors. Plus, I really do believe that a book truly finds the reader.

Well, here's the books: (Oh, and my book ends are from JCPenney that I scored for $15 with coupons and sale. They are apples and the inside of each book end is the core. Super cute!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like I said, I have tons to keep me busy. Hope you guys enjoyed my book haul!! What are you reading or looking forward to reading this year??

 

Yours xx