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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

I'll Take a Double...Marks Color Me Lip Crayon in Wine Bar

Absolutely love this lip pencil and this color.  Where has this been all my life?  This is Mark's Lip Color Crayon in the color Wine Bar.  I find this comparable to NARS Velvet Lip Gloss Pencil.  The color payoff is  beautiful and I love the moisture.  I loved it so much I am buying two more.  The best part...its only $12.00!  I paid $24.00 for the NARS lip pencil.  I am Loving This!

check it out here








Friday, March 8, 2013

Lets Dance...NARS Club Mix Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil Review

At Nordstrom's over the weekend I tried this NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Club Mix and loved it.  Its smooth creamy and glides on like a dream and is moisturizing.  It deposits color well on the lip. The color is a pretty purple with pink undertones and it acts kind of like a tinted lip gloss with slightly more color. This pencil looks awesome with and without liner. This is definately color that will go with many different skin tones. The cost is $24.  







Great Deals!...Ulta Beauty 21 Days of Beauty Event

Ulta Beauty has a 21 Days of Beauty Event Starting Sunday 3/10 and there are some pretty great deals on beauty products coming up in the next couple weeks.  Check it out.




Thursday, March 7, 2013

No More Blue Lips!...Oneil Reactor Spring Suit for Kids

So I had attempted to have my daughter take swimming lessons several times but a few minutes in the warm pool and her lips were blue and she was shivering.  I would then sadly have to switch her into a different class.  She was also sad because she loves the water.  So after doing some research I discovered this wet suit for kids.  They run a whole size bigger.  I bought her the size 2 at age 2 and it was really big on her therefore not effective.  Now at the tail end of 3 I decided to try it again and voila! it works.  The wetsuit  now fits more snug therefore doing what it should and keeping her warm, now she cant wait to go to swim class.  This is a bit pricey but worth it if your child gets very cold in the water.  As a bonus you will get at least two years out of it so its well worth the $50-$60 price tag.




Also a lifesaver which I have found is this adorable wet pouch below purchased from +pottery barn kids .  Now I don't have to worry about putting her wet swim gear with our dry stuff, I just put it in this cute waterproof pouch and take it out when we get home.  I definitely see other possibilities for this pouch.  I am sure this will only be a seasonal item with them so get it while you can. Totally worth the $18 to keep her swim bag clean and dry.  Where has this been all my life?



Ga Ga for Goggles!...Pottery Barn Kids Butterfly Swim Goggles

So I picked these up for my 3 year old daughter is currently taking swim lessons and needed a pair of swim goggles.  I happen to come across this pair at Pottery Barn Kids over the weekend.  The comfort kids goggles I bought her at her swim facility weren't so comfortable and were difficult to adjust. I was pleasantly surprised how much softer the rubber was on these and they are freaking adorable! They have little butterfly wings on the side. They were very easy to adjust and didn't make her squint with them on like her last pair did.  Where else can you find such a cute stylish pair of kids swim goggles?  She absolutely loves them!  They also had a really cute shark pair for boys. They cost $14.50. Check them out here. Loving This!




Dont Give Me Any Lip!...My Favorite Neutral Lip Look (Quick Tarte LipSurgance Review)

So I love a neutral, natural lip look.  This is my go to work/everyday neutral lip.  I line my lips with Sephora's  chic choco nano lip liner $5 (for a darker look I use MAC Chestnut Lip Pencil $15), I blend the liner into my lips.  Then I use my Clinique Whole Lotta Honey Chubby Stick $16 (I definitely keep the fact that I rub a Chubby Stick on my lips to myself lol), next I layer that with Tarte's Lipsurgance in Buff.  Now I really love all these products, especially the Clinique Chubby Stick.  While I do really like the color of this Tarte Lipsurgance I do have a problem with the construction of it.  The lip stick inside comes out so while in my purse it got stuck in the cap.  I will be returning this to Sephora, for $24 this shouldn't be happening I had this one for a week. This doesn't not happen with any of my other branded jumbo lip sticks. It tends to have a bit of a chalky feel but I just put a little gloss over the top if it bothers me.  I could do without the peppermint smell/taste of it.  Other than that its smooth and has nice pigmentation for a neutral color. 





The Skinny!..On my Skin Care Regimen in 6 Products or Less

I am always asked what moisturizer I use and what I do to keep my skin so clear. My daily skin regimen is pretty simple.  I really don't do much and I have to attribute some of it to just simply genetics.  But I do have extremely dry sometimes to the point of flaky skin.  At night I wash my face with Sephora Cleansing Mousse or sometimes I just use plain water.  I feel like putting too many products on my skin can be just as bad as not using anything at all.  Then I finish off with just plain old organic coconut oil from Trader Joe's $5.99.  A tiny bit goes so far that my 16 oz jar will last me forever. You don't have to use this brand any will do.  I use this on my face as well as on my 3-year old from head to toe.  It smells divine and its light and absorbs quickly (as long as you don't use too much).  Coconut is great for the face and its also a great carrier oil.  In the morning I use Carol's Daughter Bring in the Moisture Face Wash $20 (I am not crazy about the Patuelli smell, but it works, which is why I use in the morning, the new formula might not have this smell) then I finish off with Sephora's Instant Moisturizer $20 for the face.  I love this moisturizer it smells relaxing and a little goes a long way.  Then if I remember I spray Mario Badescu Facial Spray $7 on my face and I am on my way.  Once a month during the winter months I will usually put on some 100% Unrefined African Raw Shea Butter, I would use this more often, because its excellent for reducing spots and keeps skin smooth, but its heavier than the coconut oil and I am not crazy about the smell.  My older sister uses the Raw Shea exclusively and wears no makeup and her face always looks flawless and airbrushed.  I think this is pretty simple it keeps my skin clear hydrated and free of harsh chemicals. Obviously this many not work well for oily skin types but for drier skin this works well.  It feels to me as though beauty products are targeted more towards oily, combination skin types I never hear about what to do for extremely dry skin. Nothing s over the top expensive and some come in smaller less expensive sizes.  You dont need to use all this I think simple is better.  Just keep your face hydrated and try not to use too many harsh chemicals on your face.  Simple, Clean, Natural.  








Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Get in Eye Line!....My Find for Perfect Eye Liner

If your like me getting a perfect line may seem impossible with those eyeliner pens pencils etc.  So I was pleased to find this very affordable product at Target that helped me perfect my eyeliner.  This is the Elf Angled Eyliner Brush and its idiot proof.  I bought the Elf Cream Eyeliner to go with it and I absolutely love it.  It looks much more natural then wet eyeliner and is easy to work with. I never try to swipe one line across.  I start in the middle sweep to the left then back at the middle and sweep to the right.  Its easy to fill in if you mess up. This was a lifesaver for a beauty tenderfoot like me!  Both cost $3.00 which is a great deal.  Love this!







Tuesday, March 5, 2013

It's Getting Balmy in Here!...My Top Five Lip Balms

So lets get to it.

1.  Fresh Sugar Advanced Lip Treatment $25

My new favorite lip balm.  Stays on for hours, really does repair lips.  Expensive as hell but worth it. Goes on smoothly smells divine of lemons and sugar and goes well under lip colors. Great packaging, screw on cap which is a plus.  See my full review in previous post. I probably won't purchase this again due to the price and because there are great alternatives.

2.  Avon Care Deeply Lip Balm .69 cents

Let me say that before I found Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment this was hands down the only chap stick that truly worked for me.  I have heard of people using it for cancer patients.  It really penetrates has a great soothing aloe smell and is cheap! The only problem is you can only get it at Avon so its not readily accessible.  Honestly i think that this and Fresh Sugar are very close. This pairs well also under lip colors.


3. Smiths Rosebud Salve $6

Great for lips and other chapped areas.  Has a pleasant enough smell but I'm am not crazy about the rose smell.  It is slightly smoother than the consistency of Vaseline which i also dislike the smell of.  I also don't like having to use my finger to scoop it out but i do believe this is available in a tube. I do use this because it works and gives a nice gloss if you just want to go neutral.


4. EOS Strawberry Balm $2.99

Smells great, awesome packaging i love that the cap screws on which is very important.  Lasting power is alright, but it does last about 30 min or so. The price can't be beat.


5. Sephora Nourishing Lip Balm $5

This is an excellent lip balm.  Similar to the lip sugar very nourishing and long lasting.  The only complaint I have is that it leaves somewhat of a texture on my lips not sure how else to describe it.  This makes my lipsticks kind of roll around. The balm feels fragile like its gonna break off. This is excellent on its own and lasts long. Very affordable






Dash for Lashes!....My Top 4 Mascara's

So here are my top four mascara's.  I didnt take the picture in order of my favorites stupidly but here they are:


The volume and length with this mascara are insane.  My lashes look fake point blank.  You do have to do some work with a lash come as it goes on thick but payoff is worth it. The brush is large on this.  This is expensive but its nice that you can get the mini alternative. 


Really nice volume and packaging.  Love the long ssexy sleek tube.  Washes off easily and lasts all day.  This is not readily available everywhere and very expensive.  If not for the Benefit They're Real I probably would repurchase. This gives your lashes a classy length sometimes I don't want over the top lashes.


Nice volume and decent length.  The brush is large but really comes through the lashes well I didn't need to use a lash comb at all. This like the Benefit They're Real is pricey but is also available in a mini.


Best bang for your buck.  The brush on this is similar to the Benefit They're Real.  Good Length and Volume with minimal fall out.  If your on the market for a good priced mascara I would go with this.







Benefit They're Real Left
Benefit Bad Gal Lash Right

Benefit They're Real Left
Benefit Bad Gal Lash Right

Later Baby...Lips...Maybelline's Baby Lips Lip Balm Review

Since I did a review of my new favorite lip balm I thought I would review my least favorite lip balm.  This is Maybelline's new lip balm Baby Lips (in Peppermint), which claims up to 8 hours of moisture.  Maybe for people who have normal lips this may work, but this dry lipped gal....not loving it.  My lips felt moisture for about 8 minutes then my lips felt like I had nothing on and were dry again.  I guess for $3.99 I didn't lose much but I will not purchase again.  The only positive thing I can say is you get a lot of product for the price.



Gimme Some Sugar Baby!....Fresh Sugar Advanced Lip Treatment Review

First I should mention that I am the poster child for dry chapped lips.  I think my lips are drier than most (you could strike a match on them) I have extremely dry skin and my lips are no different.  My lips crack and bleed and I am putting chap stick on round the clock.  My daughter inherited my dry lip problem lucky her.  You name it I have it for lip balms, glosses, chap sticks, etc.  I think at last count I owned 20 different lip products and the only thing that helped was Smith's Rosebud Salve.  Although I hate having to stick my finger in lip gloss/salve, and I am not crazy about the smell.  So when I saw a review for this I though I'm sure it worked for them but I don't want to waste $25 to find out if it will work for me I mean come on chap stick is chap stick.  Boy was I wrong, after another bout of cracked morning lip I took the plunge.  This stuff is flipping amazing!  I put it on the night before and when I woke up it felt as if I had just applied it.  Its worth the ridiculous amount of money charged.  There are a whole line of these and this is the corrective balm.  When my lips are healed & when I finish this up I will switch to the protective balm with SPF.  I plan on using this on my daughter as well.  The smell is awesome too it smells like lemon sugar. I love the packaging its a hard metal like casing that screws on which is good for me because i have lip balms coming apart in my purse more often than I'd like. Lovin' this baby!!!

Quick Hide Me!....NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

So who doesn't love a good concealer? This weekend I picked up two concealers by NARS in Amande, which is my actual color, and in Caramel, which is one shade lighter to use for highlighting purposes. In the past I have used a Revlon concealer which I like very much.  I have to say I really like this concealer.  I feel like a magician and this is my magic wand, and all my blemishes disappear.   The texture is smooth and creamy, its light weight and gives nice coverage. It is really has a luxurious and luminous look when on. It does not have any sort of scent which is a plus for me since certain smells bother me. I have been using it along with the NARS Tinted Moisturizer (which I will review after I have been using it longer).  This has also been gentle to my very sensitive skin.  It is a little pricey though, at $28 per stick.  If you are looking for a cheaper alternative that works well go with Revlon Beyond Natural at around $7.





Monday, March 4, 2013

Kiss My Lash!...Careprost Review


So I have always wanted those kiss your eyebrows eyebrows. I discovered Careprost through a YouTube video. Careprost is the generic form of Latisse used to promote eyelash growth. It was originally used as a glaucoma drug when people started reporting the side effect of longer thicker darker lashes. After a less than stellar experience with eyelash extensions (will review in separate post) I decided to try this. I have sensitive skin and eyes so I was a little nervous. I researched for different lash conditioners for hours as I don't have hundreds of dollars to try products out that might not work. I haven't read a single poor performance review of this product. Some have had reactions though I've been lucky. A bottle of Careprost runs about $30 compared to Latisse $120-$150 a bottle. They work exactly the same. I purchase mine here, it was shipped quickly and I was able to use paypal.






First Day Careprost 2/21/13
3/4 Lashes are thicker so far





The Brush Off...EyeLash Extensions Disposable Micro Brushes 100 pack




Loving these! I have been using CareProst the generic version of Latisse for about a month. I have a lot of thin lashes (check out my Careprost review) this has been hands down the best applicator I have found. I basically use one drop take out one applicator swipe it on. The bottle comes with 100 for $12 on Amazon.com, which is a deal.  The bottle has a little dispenser cap on top which keeps it sanitary which I love. The tip is like a little itty bitty cotton ball or something but its excellent. You can get the solution precisely where it needs to be and there is so much left over from the one little drop. This is much faster, cleaner, and  better than the huge broomsticks the product came with and that wastes so much.