Fall Scents - Bath and Body Works

As mentioned in my previous post, fall is my favorite time of year. I especially love the smells of fall. Pumpkin, spice, cinnamon, etc. I love it! And one of my fave places in the world is Bath and Body Works. I have been a fan of theirs since the first one opened up in the Lawton Mall in Oklahoma and changed my world forever (not a lot happened in Lawton, so this was literally life-changing at the time).

So today, I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite things I like to get this time of year.

Before we get started, I want to point out a couple of things:

• Try and wait until the candles are two for $22 this happens several times a season.
• Wall flowers are ALWAYS 6 for $24 or cheaper, but don't get duped by the two packs, if you do the math they are not always cheaper than buying them individually. 
• Bath and Body Works gives out coupons like nobody's business. Use them.
• Retail-Me-Knot ALWAYS has discount codes for shopping online at B&BW's website. You can download the app for free. I use this when I shop anywhere because they almost always have some sort of discount code going.

(excuse the non-fall candle hiding in the background - it's Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut if you're wondering)

I freaking love candles. I always have, and then I had a slight obsession with the movie The Craft and they were always burning candles for some sort of magical purposes and my love for candles has just intensified. I used to have like 20 of them in my room in high school, kinda weird I guess. And yeah,  I happen to think that Bath and Body Works has some of the best ones. My favorite scents in fall are Leaves (classic cinnamon-y scent), Marshmallow Fireside and then the Pumpkin ones. Here I have Sweet Cinnamon Pumkin and Pumpkin Pecan Waffles. One year they had a Pumpkin Latte scent and I LOVED IT, but I haven't seen it the last couple of years. 

I also picked up wallflower refills in Leaves. I have these all over my house and they typically last at least a month if not slightly longer (it usually depends on the size of the room they are in). 

And finally, I needed more hand sanitizer so I purchased their Autumn Scents pack for $5 (making these $1 each). My favorite so far is Fall Lakeside Breeze. It smells divine (as far as hand sanitizers go).

So that's it for today's post. What are your fave fall items to pick up from Bath and Body Works? What was your first scent you ever bought from them? Mine was Sun-Ripened Raspberry and then I was hooked on Juniper Breeze for awhile. 

Bye Felicia!

I am a make-up hoarder. Well, kind of. I really like make-up, so I tend to buy it a lot. It's like...a hobby. People ride bikes, collect comics and stamps, I collect make-up. Or I used to.

A couple of  years ago I really felt pressure to buy a lot of the new make-up items, mostly from the drugstore, in order to make sure I was trying the latest and greatest and providing my readers with reviews, swatches, etc. I had So. Much. Stuff. Too much actually. And it was really stressful to me to have all that stuff that wasn't getting used and wasn't being enjoyed.

But then over the course of the last couple of years, I realized two things:

1. Not every new product that comes out will look good on or work for me.
2. If people want reviews of every damn new product that comes out, there are already 400 bagillion blogs and videos out there with that info (I'm lookin at you YouTube).

So what does that mean?

I cleaned the shit out of my stash. I mean that literally and figuratively. If the product didn't look good on me, or wasn't something I used a lot I got rid of it. I didn't just throw it away (unless it was expired). I returned a crap ton of stuff to Sephora and Target, and gave away BAGS of make-up to friends and family (you're welcome Jen and Laurel!). And now what I have left is a stash of my most favorite and most used make-up.

This is not to say I don't still fight the urge to buy (or at least want to buy) all the new things. I just don't give in. [Note - to be clear, I NEVER actually bought ALL the new things.] I really think about whether or not I need a sixth foundation in my drawer, or another dark red lipstick in my purse. Most of the time the answer is no. I try to limit myself to picking up new items either, when something runs out that I don't already have a replacement for, OR a couple of things for each new season.

I have gotten to the point this year with make-up (and other things in my life) that if it's not working for me, then it's done. I am done hanging on to stuff that I won't use. I don't care how trendy it is or how much someone else says they love it. I am not a YouTube Beauty Guru (and that's okay - I love them, I'm just not one of them!), I don't have millions of followers and an endless supply of cash and sponsor-ships to try out every new beauty item under the sun. I am done trying to be something I am not, it's exhausting and expensive and stressful and just plain shitty. I am who I am, and I think I am pretty awesome.

Have you every had one of these "epiphany-style" moments? What was it?

To Spend or Not to Spend? That is the question.

Last week I was chatting with one of my boss ladies and she recommended I do a post on beauty products that are worth the $$ and the ones that aren't.

Sounds simple enough right? I thought so too. At first. She asked me on the spot what I think is worth the splurge and I said mascara, lipstick and blush. And after it came out of my mouth, the wheels started turning and I was lost in a land of beauty product-induced ADD. Lipstick is worth splurging on right? Oh wait, Revlon! NARS bronzer is the only bronzer of life. Crap! Sonia Kashuk cream bronzer is the bomb dot com. And then I had to pull myself back to reality and the rest of my work day.

After noodling this around for a couple of days I have the following blog post for you. Thanks for the challenge Wendy!

Okay I will try for the love of Sephora, to keep this short and orderly. I could have gone through every step in my routine to compare products but for your sanity (and mine) I will not do that to us.

First and foremost, you can really find some seriously awesome gems at Target/Walmart. Seriously, I could buy a complete face of makeup and be 100% satisfied. But when I really thought it through and went into my collection and swatched and played, I realized there were some things I think are worth the splurge if you're going to do it.

One thing I think every woman should have is a classic go-to "I am more awesome than She-Ra, Wonder Woman and Storm combined." lipstick. It could be red, nude, pink or black. Whatever your go-to shade is, splurge on it. Go ahead and buy that tiny little tube of awesome at Chanel, YSL, Dior, NARS, or Bobbi Brown. Why should you have this? If you have to whip out that lipstick and reapply at dinner with clients, the boardroom, whatever, it should be classy. And if its something you wear everyday, it's worth the money. My go-to? NARS Audacious lipstick in Audrey. This is obvious if you know me.

Lip gloss is not worth the money. You can find some amazing options from NYX, Revlon and Bonne Bell (yep. I said it.). Same with lip balm or lip salve. My absolute all-time fave is the Smith's Rosebud Salve. $6 of sassy in a tin.

Mascara is another product worth the splurge. There are some AWESOME mascaras from L'oreal, Maybelline and Almay. BUT there are some AWESOMER, all that and a bag of chips mascaras at Sephora. A few of my faves are Benefit's They're Real!, Sephora's Outrageous Volume and my new love YSL Baby Doll mascara (holy-balls Batman!). They last longer, don't smell, don't flake and are just worth it.

Eyeshadow. This is a toughie. You can get some really awesome palettes from high-end companies (LORAC, Urban Decay, Too Faced are some of my faves!) but you can save a bomb and get an E.L.F. palette or the new Maybelline the Nudes palette and have just as great of an end look. It really depends on your budget. If you are going to splurge, get a palette. You get to try so much more and often palettes come with a brush and/or liner or even eye primer so it's a way to try more with less.

Eye liner and eye primer. Meh. Covergirl, Maybelline and Milani all have great options at Target and CVS. Save the cash and hit up your local drugstore for great options in tons of colors.

Face products. This is the area I have the least experience with. I have two foundations from Target that I love (Revlon Color Stay and Maybelline Dream Wonder Liquid Touch). And I just don't feel motivated to seek out $40+ liquid foundation at the department store. I used to be a die-hard Bare Minerals user about 10ish years ago and I still like it, but I have found that it doesn't work the best with my dry skin.

Blush on the other hand is something I think is worth the splurge. I have several great blushes from E.L.F. and Wet N' Wild that I use often, but when it comes down to it NARS, Tarte and Benefit are just better at it. Sorry. I have a NARS palette from last year's holiday collection that I use everyday. The pigment is amazing, the lasting power is perfection and I love all the color options from the higher end brands. Again, it's something I wear everyday so for me it's worth it.

Setting powder, primer and concealer can all be money savers. Check out Maybelline's Fit Me concealer, or the Instant Age Rewind line. My fave is from E.L.F. (it's $3 online). Check out Rimmel for primer and setting powder. The Stay Matte powder is like $3 and comes in translucent as well as some actual colors. The Fix and Perfect Primer is $7 and it lasts forever and does everything the Smashbox primer does.

So if you are going to splurge on products I recommend you do it on blush, mascara and lipstick. Save your money on everything else.

Some other money saving advice:

• Ask for samples at Sephora and Ulta or whatever department store. Or do the free makeovers and request they use products you are considering purchasing. Once you see how it looks on your face, you can decide if it's splurge-worthy.
• If you are looking to try a trend (i.e., the Kendall Jenner lip, Lorde's dark purple lipstick, electric eyeshadow, blue mascara, etc.) try cheaper brands like Wet N' Wild, N.Y.C. or E.L.F. 
• Sephora does a VIB sale in November (roughly) each year where you get 20% off your total purchase. Save larger purchases for that sale.
• Look online for coupons.
• Download Target's Cartwheel app (I have saved $315 so far!) and the Retail-Me-Not app to look for online or in-store coupons.
• Do not splurge on something unless you have the cash in that moment to do it. DO NOT put makeup on a credit card. Don't.
• Splurge on skin care items like serums and moisturizers. Cleansers are only on your face for seconds, the other stuff goes with you through the day or night. Spend money there. Also masks and treatments are worth the money. 
• There are a lot of great in-between brands of makeup to try too! It doesn't have to be Wet N' Wild vs. Dior. Check out MakeUp Geek cosmetics for some of the best eyeshadows and blushes hands down! Eyeshadows are $5.99 each and blushes start at $9.99 each. 

New Maybelline Products!

Hello lovely readers! Today I am talking all about one of my fave brands from the drugstore - Maybelline! They have released a lot of new products lately and I have a few so I thought I would share my thoughts on them with you.

A couple of important things before we get started:

1. My favorite app - Target Cartwheel - has a coupon for 10% off several makeup brands, including Maybelline.

2. If you have a CVS near you, and/or shop there often, you should get their extra care card and do the beauty rewards. I had a coupon for 20% off, a $5.00 off beauty bucks AND when you spent $15 or $20 on Maybelline you earned another $5.00 beauty bucks. Yeah, it kind of rocked my world.

3. My Walmart had $2.00 off coupons stuck to damn near every Maybelline product in the store this week. Not sure if that's just a fluke at my store or if that's a nation-wide promo. But you can save some $$ if you are interested in picking up any of these products.

So first off is a new (permanent - thank God) additional to the Maybelline Color Tattoo line, the Leather Collection. Maybelline Color Tattoos are cream shadows that you can wear on their own or as a base for any eye shadow. I use them both ways and for me personally I have no issue with them creasing. However, everyone is different so you may need a primer to help too.

I have a couple shades, but my favorite is the Creamy Beige shade. Alone, it just makes my eyes look fresh and even toned. Under shadow it really intensifies the look of the shadows. I love it! The regular line has shades that have some shimmer to them. Then there is a metal line which has a metallic finish. The leather line is a matte finish.

Alright, now for the biggest news in drugstore makeup history - Maybelline has a 12 shade eye shadow palette!!!! O.M.G. The Nudes is only $9.99 and if you take advantage of the discounts and deals I talked about above you could get it cheaper than a gallon of gas. Random, but true. So as I said this palette has 12 shades that are all neutral and are basically the same formula as their normal quads. Some of the shades in this palette are better than others, but overall this is an awesome value and an awesome palette.

I think this would make a great addition to anyone's makeup stash but especially awesome for those who are new to makeup as you can try a lot for very little investment and/or for those who were interested in some of the higher end neutral palettes but maybe couldn't afford to invest that kind of money. I haven't used all of the shades but in the last week I have used most of them and with a primer or base they stay for most of my day (which is roughly 14 hours). I am impressed.

This isn't super new, but it's newer. The new Pumped Up Colossal Mascara comes in several shades, I have it in Glam Black and has packaging very similar to the Maybelline the Rocket mascara but this is slightly bigger and obviously it's pink. I really, really, really like this mascara. First of all, it comes off easily with eye makeup remover. It doesn't flake, smudge or clump. And it gives really good volume and length. I know mascara is different on everyone, but I feel like this could be pretty awesome for most people. Also I should note that this mascara does NOT have the typical Maybelline chemical smell that a lot of their mascaras seem to have.

And finally, we have the new Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation. This stuff is super cool. Like, I feel like a scientist cool. The bottle is so small and it's glass (consider this your warning fellow clumsy peeps). And it has this cool dropper like wand to dispense the product on your face (it says put it on your finger tips, but I put it directly on my face.) Don't get too heavy handed with this, start light and you can always add more, but when finished this gives about medium coverage. One note, the bottle says shake well and you should definitely shake it first so that they product mixes correctly. When dry this is more of a natural to satin finish, I would set it with powder. It wears pretty good through out the day. If I had a really long day I might add a primer or just wear something totally different, but for a normal day this will work fine.

Normal to dry skin peeps: this could be your new go-to foundation

Oily skin peeps: proceed with caution as I feel like this might be too liquidy for you. A similar foundation to dry is the Magic Touch liquid to powder foundation from L'oreal.

Have you tried any of these products yet? Do you want to? Anything new you would recommend to me?

I really love hearing from you guys so please leave a comment below!

FabFitFun Summer Box Review

I received my FabFitFun Summer VIP box last week! For those of you who don't know what this is, it's a quarterly subscription box that comes with $200 plus worth of products. It's $49.99 a quarter and there are opportunities to earn a discount on each box and even earn some of them for free (all based on a referral system). I have a chance for you all to try this out and get the summer box at a discount and will include that info at the end of this post.

It is worth mentioning that I have cancelled my other beauty subscriptions and am only doing this one. I am super impressed with the value, variety and quality of the products in these boxes!

First off, we received a Slim Fast Birthday Cake bar (I haven't eaten that yet) and Salt & Vinegar Pop Chips (I have eaten those, hence why you don't see them in the photo). We got food last time too and I like that. I like treats in the mail, especially new treats.

We also received this adorable clutch/makeup bag (there were four or five different designs, this is just the one I got) with a $30 gift card to the site to spend on whatever we want. And THEN we got a bottle of nail polish (which it sounds like there were two or three colors sent out). From Zoya. My fave brand of polish. AND...it was a color that I DIDN'T already have. I know. Shocking. The color I received is Thandie, and it's an orangey-coral color that I really like. I posted a pic of my mani using this on Instagram.

Also pictured above is probably my least favorite item out of the box. A duo of lip balm for making out. Um....am I 16? So it's two different flavors that, when mixed together, are really supposed to be delicious and awesome fuel for your face sucking needs. I got sweet and sour. Ew. Not impressed and will most likely toss them or give them away to someone. Kinda lame.

Next up are some hair and skin care items. The first one is a facial that apparently celebrities use. And it's supposed to be awesome (this tiny little bottle retails for $95). I've tried a few times now and I don't see any results. I mean nothing. Maybe I'm not using enough product? Maybe my skin is already so amazing this just doesn't do anything? Whatever.

The middle bottle is hair oil. This is fine. I prefer Morrocan Oil, but hey it's summer and I can always use a good hair oil. This smells a little weird to me, but once I have it in my hair it's fine and I don't notice it.

Then we got a face moisturizer from pur-lisse. I haven't tried this yet, BUT I have tried other products from this brand and really like them so I will give this a shot and let you know. It has SPF 30 in it so I'm excited about that!

And finally we received a water bottle with a diffuser in it for fruit and stuff, shave gel and some feminine hygiene products. Love the water bottle. don't really need another one, but it's so cute. And smaller than the other ones I have so that's cool. I've tried this shave gel before and really like it so I am excited to have a travel size version for all of my upcoming work trips!

The always pads are kind of meh for me. I mean hey, a girl can always use these things and I'm sure I will, but I just haven't had a need for them yet. TMI? Oh well.

All in all I was very satisfied with the summer box. I love trying new things and I love that we get such high quality products and they aren't repeats of what I got in the last box.

And before I forget, the details about the discount are below.

The first three people to use this code 2280115 can get a Summer VIP box like the one I got for $15 off! Redeem at vip.fabfitfun.com!

April Favorites

I apologize for the delay in postings, but life gets crazy every now and again so what's a girl to do? 

Anyhoo...I hope you all had a great month! I surely did :-) It was my birthday month and right now I am currently on "vacation" so April has been awesome. 

So let's talk about favorites. Above is a picture of all my April faves. These are products that I used a lot and really stood out for the month. 

Above is my Tangle Teezer, Batiste for dark hair, Kai perfume oil, Loreal Damage Erase Balm and Vaseline Rosy Lips lip balm. Really none of these are new, but all of them have saved my butt this month. First off, if you do not have a Tangle Teezer, please stop reading and go immediately to your nearest Target and buy one. It has made a HUGE difference in combing out my wet (and dry) hair, I can't even tell you. I think that if you have kids you really need this and I know brushing kids' hair can suck and be down-right painful for them (and you) and I am telling you this makes a difference. Life changing. Seriously. 

The Batiste dry shampoo for dark hair is awesome! I love the smell and the fact that it doesn't turn my (formerly) dark hair white or ashy. It won't stain you hair, but if you have dark hair you know what I'm talking about. 

The Kai fragrance oil is so frickin fabulous I can't stand it. I received this in my spring FabFitFun box and am so in love. It's so light ad fresh (smells like lilacs, but is apparently different on everyone). 

The rosy lips lip balm from Vaseline is super. It keeps my lips really hydrated and the smell isn't too intense. It's like $1.50 at Target. Go get it.

And finally my Loreal hair mask. I've talked about this before so I won't get into too much detail other than to say that if you heat style or color your hair you also need this. I recently dyed my hair blonde again and holy lifesaver. Seriously awesome, add it to your shopping list, you will not be disappointed.

So I apologize that this photo is lopsided. I tried for 20 effing minutes to get it to turn and saved and re-saved the damn thing like 1,007 times and it wouldn't work. Ugh. Moving on. These are my make up faves for the month. The E.L.F. HD Powder is $6 at Target and it's so amazing. The powder itself is white, but it doesn't  leave a color behind (so I guess that would make it translucent, duh.) and is so great for setting your makeup and your concealer. I use this in my T-zone and under my eyes. I am also in love with the E.L.F. HD lifting concealer. This doesn't do much to actually conceal, however it brightens like nobody's business. If I were a betting gal, I would bet that this product rivals other products twice or three times the price. I am also digging my Loreal Voluminous mascara. I had to ditch the Maybelline Rocket mascara because the last two tubes I bought flaked like crazy. This mascara is a tried and true product for me and I always go back to it. 

And finally, drum roll please........the best palette known to (wo)man...the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. And yes, it does smell like chocolate. Yes. Yes, it does. You get 16 shadows for $49 on Sephora. And it is worth every.damn.chocolately.penny. I treated (haha, get it?) myself to this for my birthday and couldn't be happier. I wish I would have had this before the Naked palettes. Or any other nude/neutral palette. There is such a variety of neutrals along with a burgundy, a purple and a greenish brown and a couple of pinky shades in here. It is glorious. Glorious I tell you. The outside packaging (to include the box it comes in) is all designed to look like a chocolate bar. And the shadows are made with actual cocoa powder (hence the smell, which does go away when you put the product on your eye, but for allergy purposes you might need to know that). And just ugh, admire the awesomeness will you? All the shades are really pigmented and blend well. A couple of them are gritty-er than others and have a little fall out, but overall this palette is phenomenal. A great buy for the makeup enthusiast, the chocolate enthusiast, your mom, grandma, yourself, or your niece who is just learning to use makeup. I just. I need to stop before I get too carried away. It's awesome, check it out the next time you are in Sephora or Ulta.

Liebster Award

I was nominated for a Liebster Award by Celeste (NOT Chelsea!) from Leap Frog and Lipgloss.  A Liebster is an award for up and coming bloggers with less than 500 followers that someone believes deserves recognition.  I've been blogging for about 3 years, but only seriously in the last year. Thanks Celeste, I am psyched that you (and anyone else) read my blog and thought of me! 

Here are the Rules

If you’re nominated for the award you must:

• Make a post about the award, thanking the blogger that nominated you.
• State 11 interesting facts about yourself
• Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger that nominated you
• Nominate 11 new bloggers with 500 or less followers
• Write 11 new questions for your nominees

So without further ado, here are 11 facts about me:

1. I have a borderline certifiable obsession with making sure all the light switches in the house are turned the right way (down if they're off, up if they're on). I actually cannot relax if I know that they are wrong. I can't even tell you how stressful the light switch aisle at the hardware store is. 

2. I would love to live on a ranch in the mountains.

3. My dream job would be a make-up artist. 

4. I paint my nails, at minimum, two times a week.

5. I hate peaches and anything peach flavored/scented.

6. I held a tarantula at the Minnesota State Fair.

7. I love bacon, but I think pork chops are inappropriate and will not eat them.

8. I had the world's biggest crush on Jason Priestley when he was on 90210. And even felt like it was surely meant to be because his family was from Minnesota. MY FAMILY WAS FROM MINNESOTA. Oh Brandon.

9. I would rather pick up dog poop with my bare hands than remove a tick from myself, my dogs or anyone else. ICK.

10. If I could only have one food for dinner for the rest of my life it would be baked potatoes. With bacon bits, pepper and butter.

11. I hold my breath every time I cross a bridge or drive by a cemetery. Not sure why on the bridge part, but the cemetery breath holding prevents breathing in any bad spirits. It's okay if you judged me a little bit right there.

Questions from Celeste:

1) Why do you blog? Because it gives me a creative outlet to write (which I love) about the things that I am interested in. It has introduced me to some amazing ideas, experiences and people.

2) What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? Um....I'm pretty boring and like to play it safe when it comes to food. When I was a kid (10ish or so) I LOVED eating cold hot dogs right from the pack. That's probably the weirdest for me. FYI, I don't do that anymore.

3) Who is your celebrity doppelganger? (Will you post a pic of yourself so we can see the resemblance?) I have been told that I look like Kirstie Alley about 3 gah-zillion times. It started in 3rd grade and I have been told that as recently as a month ago. Below is a photo of me from high school and a 90's shot of Kirstie.

4) What is one of your major pet-peeves? People who drive without using their turn signals. When did this become optional?!?

5) You’re only allowed to wear one type of cosmetic for the rest of your life.  What do you choose? Mascara. As I assume that lip balm and sunscreen are skin care and not cosmetic.

6) Are you a cat or dog person? DOG! I have two rotties.

7) Do you prefer reading on a tablet or holding an actual copy of the book? Holding the book, tho I do have a Kindle Fire.

8) What is your favorite post you’ve ever written? How not to look like total $#!% when you are sick.

9) How did you pick your blog’s name? When I was starting my blog I was making a list of posts and topics I wanted to write about and the overwhelming themes were relationships, real life and make-up. So I played around with it until I came up with Love, Life and Lipgloss.

10) Where is the worst place you could get stuck? On a boat. In the ocean. I have a serious fear of whales.

11) Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to your 13-year old self? Shower. Everyday. Wear a bra. And don't worry at all about the other little jerks who pick on you. It's gonna be alright.

★ 11 Bloggers Nominated ★

Some of you may have more than 500 readers, and that's okay play along anyway! And if you don't want to play that's fine too. Be lame. It's cool. 

• Like it or Lurv It
• The Mommyhood Project
• Kids, Shoes and Everything In Between
• Sparkle, Beauty & Shine
• Sugar, Sugar
• Ameliorer la Vie
• Living After Midnight
• Writing While Barefoot 
• Virginia, if you had a blog right now I would tag you in this. 
• Beauty Broadcast (she has a gazillion readers I am sure, but I love this blog)
• Becoming Minimalist (again, gazillions of readers, just love to read their posts)

Your questions:
1. Do you believe in ghosts?
2. Where do you go or what activity do you do to recharge?
3. What is your most favorite food in the whole world?
4. If you could only listen to one band or artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?
5. What is your favorite 90's movie?  And give me your favorite quote from that movie.
6. What is your current career?
7. Heels or flats?
8. Beer, wine or hard liquor?
9. Is your current hair color your natural color?
10. What is your super power (you could already have one, or you could want one)?
11. If you could go anywhere in the world, right now, where would you go?

Can't wait to see your answers! 

NEW at the drugstore: Maybelline Eye Quads (not really new tho...)

Okay so these aren't really that new. Maybelline has had eye shadow quads, some of which are the same colors, since the beginning of time. BUT the recently re-formulated and re-packaged them. Way back in the day, Maybelline used to be my go-to brand for eye shadows at the drugstore, but times have changed and I haven't used Maybelline eye shadows in quite some time. However, in the last six months or so, I picked up two of them because I had a coupon and I was intrigued by the ads I saw.

The quads have a Base, Lid, Crease and Liner shade in them and on the back there are instructions for which color goes where on your eye. I prefer to use liquid liner so I don't use the Liner shades for liner, I use them to smoke out the look. They have a lot of neutral quads, but there are some fun pops of color out there too.

The two compacts I purchased are the Designer Chocolates and Chai Latte quads. Not gonna lie, the names kinda sold me. I will say that both of the Base colors and the Lid color in the Designer Chocolates quad are lame. They are pretty chalky and don't show up well. But the Lid, Crease and Liner shades in the Chai Latte quad and the Crease and Liner shades in the Designer Chocolate quads are phenomenal. Very pretty, long lasting shades of gold, brown and a burgundy brown that I actually don't have dupes for in other palettes. I was very impressed with the lasting power on these and for the price, they are great (roughly $4.99 at the drug store.)

Do you have any of these? Tell me in the comments below.

Beauty Cheapie: The travel aisle.

Shh! I have a secret to tell you. If you are looking for a cheap way to try out new hair care and bath and body items, check the travel section of your local drug store. You would be shocked at what they carry travel sizes of and it's a great way to try out a new hair or body care (and even skin care) product without major commitment.

Jergens has recently come out with a new BB Body line of body lotions. There are two versions, one for lighter tone skin and one for medium to deep skin tones. The full size version of this is $11.99 at Target and, for me, that's a big investment for a body lotion. This lotion promises to tone, firm, and correct your body just like a BB cream does for your face.

So as I was browsing around Target I came across these travel sized versions for $3 a piece. I picked up both tones as I was curious if that really made a difference. Plus I was watching one of my fave YouTubers, Melissa Raymond (a.k.a. melmphs) talk about this in a favorites video. If you have never seen her videos, you totally should. She's adorable and I just love her style! She said to get the medium to dark tone version as it would make your skin look more luminous. I haven't tried that one yet (but I will be on Tuesday), but I can tell you that the lighter skin tone one is not that special. I haven't used it more than twice and I believe it says you have to use it for like a month or something to see a difference. But when I put it on, it's no different than my other Jergens lotion. EXCEPT. The smell. Holy Moses. It's like Grandma perfume mixed with a cart of flowers. It's really strong. It's not terrible. But it's strong. Thankfully, the smell does fade, and it does not compete with your perfume or other smelly stuff you might put on. But, whew! it's intense.

Anyway, if you are looking to check out more body, skin care or hair care items, check out the travel section at your local drug store! You can try before spending a ton of money and usually by the time the travel size runs out you really have a sense of whether or not you like it and want to buy the full size.

Brand Highlight: Urban Decay (It's kinda my addiction)

Hi. My name is Melissa and I am an Urban Decay Addict. It may not look like it. I don't own everything they produce. But since the brand launched I have been OBSESSED with Urban Decay Cosmetics. The colors. The names. The packaging. The first product I ever owned from this line was a lipstick in the shade Bruise. It was awesome. And I was hooked.

Over the years I have purchased more lipsticks, nail polishes and some of their single eye shadows. And now I have several of their palettes and one of their new Revolution Lipsticks in Gash (which incidentally is the EXACT lip color Gwen Stefani wears in the "Don't Speak" video). So today I thought I would share my (small) collection and give a brief review of the products.

Above are the Naked Palettes. From top to bottom they are Naked 3, Naked 2, Naked and Naked Basics. Naked and Naked 2 are a warm and cool palette of neutral colors you can use to create a basic eye look and a very dramatic eye look. Naked 3 is the newest in the Naked line and is a collection of rosy hues. I was a little worried about looking ill by putting rose/pink shadow on my eyes but when done correctly can be very flattering. The Naked Basics is probably the most versatile of all the palettes I own (Urban Decay or otherwise) as it can be used as shadow, cheekbone highlighter and contour and to fill in your brows. It's small enough to go everywhere and has a huge mirror for such a tiny compact. 

Above are the Electric, Smoked and Oz palettes. The Electric palette is the newest from Urban Decay and features 10 EXTREMELY INTENSE pigments. Those shadows are as dramatic on your skin as they are in that palette. I am PSYCHED to use this palette in conjunction with the Naked palettes to create a more wearable look for everyday. I am in love with Thrash, Freak, Urban and Fringe. I would love to figure out how to use Slowburn (bright orange) in a look too.

Next to that is the Smoked palette, which if I had to pick, is probably my fave palette of the bunch. It travels well, there are matte and shimmer shades. Basic neutrals and bright green, blue and purple to make your look a little more funky. I love this for going out. A green smoky eye is my fave look to do from this palette.

And the two palettes on the bottom are limited edition releases that came out last year with the new Oz movie. The one on the left is the Glinda palette which has lighter, and more shimmery shades. And the one on the right is the Theodora palette which features darker more smoky shades.

Pictured above is the limited edition release Revolution Lipstick in Gash. Urban Decay has a full line of Revolution lippies but Gash is being brought back for a limited time only, so if you want it, go get it. As I mentioned its the same color Gwen Stefani wore in the "Don't Speak" video (Oh how I love her, seriously she is one of my fashion, beauty and life icons.) I also have a random lip liner in Wicked. This is more of a pink/neutral liner on my lips and I use it to fill in my lips and put a clear gloss over and get a pretty, natural look with it.

Do you love Urban Decay? What are your faves from them?

Nail Polish Fave: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear

Alright, so if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, or if you know me in real life, you KNOW that I am addicted to nail polish. I love to have painted nails, it makes me feel so girly and so grown up (even if the color isn't super "grown-up"). I have a lot of nail polish, but most of it is cheap and the stuff that isn't (Zoya, Essie and OPI) was purchased in a sale, promo code, coupon, etc.

One of my all time favorite nail polish lines is the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear line. There are a gazillion different colors and they are $2 at Target. They last forever and are so opaque and the color selection is pretty on trend along with having some stand-by colors (reds, nudes, etc.)

You don't have to put a top coat on these for them to last, but I always do. And none of the ones I have tried stain your nails, they wipe off with regular nail polish.

Pictured above are Coral Reef (this is the BEST coral shade EVER! Its like a neon coral and its GORGEOUS!), Mellow Yellow (bright yellow, it's like sunshine in a bottle), Perfect Pear-ing (kind of a minty green), Pacific Blue (bright, BRIGHT blue, love this with a white accent nail), Lacey Lilac (perfect pastel purple) and White On (the most vibrant and opaque white you can buy for the price).

A few others I like but aren't pictured are Mint Sorbet (mint green) and Gunmetal (gorgeous metal gray color, it's stunning).

Have you tried these? What are your faves from the line? What are your nail polish faves?

New Go-To Foundation: Neutrogena Healthy Skin

I have some big news!! I have a new go-to foundation. This is big. Seriously big. I have been a die-hard Revlon Color Stay Foundation user since 1995. I have used other foundations along the way (CoverGirl, Maybelline and others) but Revlon has always been my go-to. Until a couple of weeks ago.

I've been kind of looking for a new foundation for awhile, I'm not unhappy with the Revlon Color Stay, but just wanted something different. I tried E.L.F., Maybelline, L'Oreal, a couple of Rimmel and CoverGirl ones, but nothing really blew my mind and I returned all of them (except for the CoverGirl Stay Fabulous/Outlast one, that's some awesome stuff too!). Side Note: L'Oreal True Match Lumi broke me out like no other. Seriously not impressed and I know everyone and their mamma loves that one, but not me (and not my mamma either).

I had always over-looked Neutrogena as I feel like they are expensive and just not really something I considered. BUT I had a coupon and a Cartwheel for Target and had seen several commercials, ads and reviews on the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation (all part of the 14 touches, lol if we work together, you will get that). So I decided to take the plunge and try the foundation. It's $11.99 at the store (Target, Walmart, drug store) and with the coupons I had, I was able to score it for $8.99. FYI the Cartwheel is still out there if you want to take advantage of 10% off.

The color I chose is Classic Ivory, which I believe is the lightest shade. The formula has SPF and antioxidants in it which is supposed to actually make your skin better in four weeks. I can say that my skin does look better but it hasn't been 4 weeks and it doesn't look that drastically different, just better. The foundation itself is easy to blend (I use a Sigma foundation brush) and doesn't smell. It's a natural to sort-of-dewy-but-not-really finish. I don't set it with powder but that's because I have dry skin and don't want to enhance that. It lasts all day (my day starts at 4AM and ends at around 4PM, give or take) but if you had oiler skin, you might want a primer. I just like the fresh look I get with this and the coverage is medium, but you could build it up to full.

The only bummer for me on this particular line is the color selection is minimal. So if you are super fair or super dark you may not find a match. Also, the lighter shades seem to be very "pink" but once blended in that goes away, but just an FYI.

Overall, I love this and have used it daily since I bought it. I will still use my Revlon ColorStay (especially in summer or on extra long days, special events) but this is an awesome day-to-day foundation and I highly recommend it. I will definitely re-purchase when this runs out.

Have you tried this? What about any other Neutrogena cosmetics? Anything you think I should try or avoid? Tell me in the comments below.

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.

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.

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?

How to not look like total $#!% when you are sick.

In a perfect world no one would ever get sick. And if for some bizzarre reason they did, they would never have to go out and face the world until they are 100% better.

But, this is not a perfect world, and we all get sick. This winter has been particularly harsh. I have just spent roughly the last two weeks battling the mother of all colds and so I thought I would take a minute and share my tips for not looking like total shit when you are sick.

First off, get rest, drink lots of water and hot tea. Eat soup, take meds, etc. But in the event that you have to go out, go to work or attend some event where the "I look like I'm dying" look isn't appropriate, I recommend the following.

Wear bright colors. When you are sick you tend to be washed out and look pale, and purple-y (esp. under the eyes). Wearing gray and black will only make it worse. Try a bright green or orange sweater. A bright cobalt blue cardi and tank. You get the idea. Also, wear a statement jewelry piece. It will take people's focus off of your face.

As for make-up I recommend using a medium to full coverage foundation. Apply with a brush or sponge, but not your cold, clammy fingers. Once that has had time to set in, apply under-eye concealer, with a light hand, under your eyes. Waiting until your foundation sets (about a minute or two) will allow you to see how much coverage it will provide and not cake on the concealer. Do NOT bother with concealer around your nose. You're blowing it every 30 seconds, concealer is a waste of time there.

As for blush, if you are pasty and pale, I say it's okay to swipe some on. But go easy, when you are that sick a ton of blush (read: the normal amount you apply) can look weird. If you are feverish, skip blush all together as it will only enhance the feverish glow.

Use a nude eyeliner on the bottom waterline of your eyes. This will cancel out any redness you have going on and help you look less sickly.

Then I recommend eyeliner to define your eyes. When you are sick your eyes are red, puffy, sleepy, etc. so eyeliner (I use liquid just on the top) will help carve out those gorgeous peepers. I would also recommend NOT using eyeshadow, unless it's a brighter, flesh toned concealer to help cancel out any red or purple veins that are super visible. But a smoky eye is no bueno when you are sick.

Finally I recommend the holy grail of all lip salves. Smith's Rosebud Salve. I have been using this since high school and it is the original bomb dot com. I'm not kidding. It's $6 and comes in other scents and even in a tube, but the classic salve in the tin is where it's at. You can use this on your lips to keep them hydrated AND you can put this around your little red nose to help it heal and prevent major peeling as you get better. Another fun fact is that you can use this on your eyebrows to keep them in place, you can put this on dry patches all over your face. The possibilities are endless.

And once you have done all of that, pop some cold meds, and smile. You're sick, no one expects you to look like Giselle. It's okay.