March ipsy bag

Right off the bat, please disregard the blush. This was actually in February's bag, but I was confused and thought it came in March. My bad. But on a side note, its an awesome blush, highly pigmented and super matte.

Okie dokie! So March's ipsy bag was pretty awesome if I do say so myself. We received four products, two are full size and the bag features art from a local Cali artist which is pretty sweet.

For those who need the recap, ipsy is a monthly subscription service at $10 for the month, you get 4-5 customized products (based on a survey you fill out when you sign up) and they are usually travel to full-size. You also get an adorable makeup bag that holds all your goodies. I have tried several of the other boxes and bags out there in the beauty subscription world, and this continues to be the best.

I have only used a couple of the items above, but the best one for me is the NYX eyeshadow trio in Love in Rio, Cabana Boy. I love the browns and gold shade, perfect for my eyes and they blend beautifully. I use this in conjunction with a couple of other palettes, but it's gorg!

The Pixi primer is awesome, I only used it once, so I can't report too much on that. I love Pixi products (and you can get them at Target).

The Bare Minerals lipstick actually went to my mom. The color is very pretty but it's a warmer rose shade and I am a cool gal, but mom loves it and is super happy to have it in her bag.

The eyeliner is navy and I like it, and will probably wear it more in summer. It's beautiful with the gold shadow! Perfect for summer.

Are you an ipsy subscriber?

FabFitFun VIP Spring Edition 2014

I received my first ever FabFitFun box a week (or possibly two) ago, and am super impressed by what I got! For those of you who haven't heard of FabFitFun, it's a quarterly subscription service (that's 4 boxes per year), and it's $49.99 per box (so roughly $200 for the year). There are opportunities to refer friends and earn free boxes and they offered $5 off the spring box. I realize that $50 is a lot to spend on a "grab box" BUT it's only 4 times per year and the value in this box was $217.91, so that's actually a pretty good deal. IF you are interested in the types of products they send and IF you are open to trying new things. I am sure that there are boxes that are better than others (which is true of any subscription service) but it's a fun way to try new things at a reduced cost. Note: everyone's box is the same and you cancel at any time.

First item we received is a Cult Gaia Turband (retail $28). Mine is white with black polka dots and pink and red cherries. It has a wire in it so you can twist the ends around and secure it in your hair. The print is very retro to me, and in all honesty this is the one item I may not use much. But I do see a lot of potential for this once the weather gets warmer and cabin season starts.

Next up we received Cover FX SPF 30 Protection Primer (retail $38), Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Invisible Spray (retail $25) and Kai Perfume Oil (retail $48). I have not tried the Cover FX primer, but this has some pretty stellar reviews so I'll let you know. I used the Oscar Blandi dry shampoo a couple of times and I love it! It smells good without being over-powering and works well with my dark hair. The Kai perfume oil is by far my favorite thing in the box. Hands down. It's light and smells fresh (Tony says it smells like lilacs) and is just yummy. And because it's an oil, it lasts longer. The roller ball is not that big, but it seems to be lasting a long time. This is something I would totally purchase.

Then we received some "healthy stuff". HA! We were sent Kale and Spinach chips. Yeah. The Better Chip Spinach and Kale with Sea Salt (retail $1.99). I had to share these with my good friend Virginia as she is a health nut and these seemed right up her alley. She tried them first as I was extremely skeptical (my reaction was exactly "Why would they ruin potato chips?!") but she liked them so I tried a piece of one and they weren't bad. I think they would actually be good with dip or guacamole. I don't have the bag to show you, but this paper has a coupon on it for future purchase which is cool.

Next is the Merrithew Mini Stability Ball and DVD (retail $28.94). Haven't tried this yet but the DVD is 88 minutes long with a 45-48 minute work out in it. I'm open to trying new workouts so this should be fun.

Next up are the Dermasuri Deep Exfoliating Mit (retail $19.99) and the Level Naturals Shower Bombs (retail $7.99 for four). I haven't used the mit yet, but I have used the shower bombs. I gave myself a pedicure yesterday and used the shower bomb in the tub and it worked pretty good. They smell like Aveda. That's the best way I can describe it, and are very powerful with the menthol and eucalyptus scents so if you don't like those then you won't like these. I am curious to see how they work in the actual shower. I wouldn't take a bath with these but for a pedi or a shower I think they are great.

And finally, I had to share a picture of Diesel wearing the turband (He's looking at me like "You're posting this on your blog?!?"). Yep, he's such a good sport.

Are you a FabFitFun VIP? What do you think? Do you want to sign up now? Tell me in the comments below.

Houston, we have...chickens...wait, what?

Today I thought it would be fun to do a life post, rather than the usual beauty or fashion post. Some of you may be shocked to learn that I have chickens. Real, live, farm animal, adorable (debatable) chickens.

Is she crazy? Are we talking about the same Melissa? Maybe, and yes. Last year, my lovely boyfriend brought me home a "surprise". Which turned out to be 6 baby chicks. Yes they are cute, but as you can imagine I wasn't super thrilled about that, at least not at first. Where are we going to put them? What do they eat? Aren't they mean? And most importantly, WTF kind of surprise is this S&%#?

But nearly a year later I actually really like them. They's entertaining, they eat bugs (I can't even begin to explain the mindblowing expereince of watching a chicken swallow a june-bug whole. Yes whole.) and they lay farm fresh, organic, free range, eggs. I know what they eat, where they got it from, and I know that we take very good care of them. Their coop has several heat lamps, a radio and a regular light. The coop gets cleaned out regularly and they always have tons of food and fresh water. They free range on our property; we live on 10 acres in the boonies so there's a lot for them to check out and we don't inject them with anything so they aren't getting weird hormones, etc.

Unfortunately what started as 6 chickens has naturally selected it's way down to 3. But because I am possibly crazy and because I love my boyfriend I bought him 12 more for his birthday. What can I say, I like eggs. Sadly, one of our baby chicks didn't make it through the first night and we are down to 11 (total of 14 with the original 3). I am curious to see how they do with the other chickens we have and watch them grow.

In the above picture the water is dirty because it just rained and I hadn't cleaned it out yet. Just thought I should point that out.

Anti-Aging Tips with the Mommyhood Project

Last weekend I had the opportunity to do something pretty awesome, and I wanted to share it with you in case you missed it or didn't know about it.

My good friend Cortney has an awesomely fabulous blog, and it's pretty famous too, called The Mommyhood Project and you should totally check it out. Even if you are not a mom there is a lot to read and the mommy posts are entertaining and even educational for future reference.

Anywho, in all her awesomeness Cortney invited me to do a Google Hangout to chit chat about anti-aging skin care. I gave some of my tips and shared some knowledge on how to help keep your skin aging gracefully. I know I'm not old, but I am older than I used to be and those days of late night/early morning partying and being a lifeguard are starting to show on my face.

If you are interested in watching there is a link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-rffCmpEaA

And just for fun here are three tips you can use right now:

1. Use SPF. Everyday. No matter how dark or fair your skin tone is. Use it.
2. Buy a face wash, bar of soap, something that is specifically to wash only your face. Do not, for the love of all that is holy, use the same bar you use to clean your armpit that you use to clean your face.
3. REMOVE ALL MAKEUP BEFORE YOU GO TO BED. No excuses.

Just Fab Spring Style - Straps and Pastels

 As many of you know, my other passion besides beauty is fashion. And specifically shoes and handbags. More handbags than shoes, but I love, love, love shoes and bags. And what I love even more than shoes and bags, are shoes and bags at a good price.

I am a JustFab Brand Ambassador so these products were "purchased" by using points I earned for activities I completed for the company. I am not a paid employee and my ambassador status is dependent upon my active participation in the program. If you are interested in hearing more about that, comment below and I would be happy to give you more details. And for those who don't know, JustFab is a monthly subscription (you can skip each month, just do it by the 5th so you don't get charged) and they have everything from shoes and bags, to fashion and accessories.

So before I get too far off track, let's talk spring fashion!

Now this first pair of shoes, might not be what you would typically think of when you think about spring. BUT I'm not typical, so whatever, BUT cut outs and straps are uber-chic for spring and Reanne (that's the name of the shoe) is so on point for that. I love the rough and tough edge that these sandals give but paired with a below the knee skirt and cardi they are tres' chic for the office. Or at least my office. They are 4 inches high and pretty comfy. They also come in nude/beige.

Ambrosia is a little more conservative but still sexy, and I love navy and beige. Love it. Navy is probably my second most fave color. And these are sooooo office appropriate and sooooo dinner date appropriate that they are sure to get a lot of use. They are also about 4 inches in height and are comfy for heels. These also come in grey.

And last, but so totally not least, is Statement. This bag is glorious. I know I say this every time, but this is my fave JustFab bag ever. I love the Nude color (it also comes in grey) and it's just so classic and versatile. Also, it's frickin huge! You could carry a small child in here. Not that you should, but it's that big. So great for every day, and the office and shopping/running errands. I know I will get a lot of use out of this!

What I'm loving right now - skin care and beauty

Sorry it's been awhile guys! Life has been busy and this winter has really gotten to me. BUT I think I (finally) see the sunlight at the end of the tunnel and hope to be back on my regular posting schedule :-)

I wanted to share a few things with you that I have been loving lately. None of them are extremely new to the market, and not really new to me (except one product) so let me share with you what they are and why I love them!

First up is the Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing and Makeup Remover Cleanser. I used this once about 3-ish years ago, and really liked it. Since my holy grail cleanser is being phased out by Olay, I thought I would try working this back into my routine to see if I still like it. And I am happy to report that it's so far so good! I love that it really cleanses and removes makeup without being too drying. There is a slight smell to this cleanser BUT it's not terrible and once you rinse your face the smell is gone. This is $8 at Target and you can get coupons online and if you have a smartphone you N-E-E-D the Cartwheel app for Target. The app itself is free and you can add coupons to use on the things you are already buying. I downloaded the app about 6 months ago and have saved over $100 so far.

Second in the line up is the Aveeno (okay technically it's third) Positively Radiant Moisturizer. Now I am perfectly happy with my moisturizer currently, but wanted to try something new and I had a coupon. And I really am enjoying this as well. It's $13 at Target not sure if this will replace my current fave, but time will tell. And if I'm being honest, I love Jennifer Aniston and she is the spokesperson for Aveeno so I kind of wanted to try it because of her. Judge me, I don't care.

Last up for skin care related items is the Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips. This is about $1.50 at Target and it's awesome. There is a slight rose scent to this product but it goes away and does not transfer to your food and beverages. What I like about this is that it seems to really form a moisture barrier over my lips and keep them moisturized for a long time. I prefer to wear this at night while I sleep but have found myself reaching for this during the day as well.

Finally, let's talk about make-up. The first product is the E.L.F. blush/bronzer duo. It's $3 at Target. And you need it in your life. The bronzer is great for contouring as well as bronzing your face, and it's extremely pigmented so you only need a little. And the blush is ultra flattering.

The second make-up product is the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation. It has SPF 20 and I wear it in the shade Classic Ivory. This was $11 at Target and right now there is a Cartwheel for 10% Neutrogena cosmetics. I love this. I was totally shocked by how pretty and natural this is. I've only been using it for about 4 days, but I'm feeling like this might be edging out my Cover Girl and Revlon foundations. Like for seriously. It's so pretty and really gives what I think of as a fresh face. The only crappy part is the color selection sucks. There's not a lot to offer the super pale and the super dark skin tones. And so many of the shades seem to be pink based. That aside I do really like it.

What are you loving right now?