Friday, February 28, 2014

Some VERY EXCITING News!



We're expecting!
Baby XO, Noelle is due September 2014
Surprise! We are so, so excited! I had the hardest time keeping it a secret for this long from all of you. It almost slipped like, 100 different times in my blog posts. We told my parents and close friends about a week after we found out but decided to wait a little to make it super public. 

Of course I want to share my pregnancy on the blog so I'll be doing weekly pictures and a filling out a little Q&A I found online that'll be fun to share and compare later on.


How far along? 12 weeks
Total weight gain: None. I actually lost weight. I just had food poisoning earlier this week so that might explain that.
Maternity clothes? I bought a few shirts just because I thought they were cute. I think I'm in love with the Liz Lange Maternity collection at Target.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: What is sleep? I get tired easily. I don't know why but sleep has seriously been alluding me. I can barely fall asleep and when I do, I can't stay asleep. Between waking up to pee at night and the dogs snoring, I'm getting about four hours of sleep lately. My doctor prescribed me a (pregnancy approved) sleeping aid but I've yet to take it.
Best moment this week: Not this week but last week we saw the baby's heart beat for the first time. Also, when she started the sonogram, you could see the baby moving which was the craziest thing ever. The heartbeat was 178 beats per minute.
Miss Anything? Sleeping a full night.
Movement: It's too early!
Food cravings: I've been OBSESSED with orange juice. I'd say that's my only craving lately.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Chicken.
Gender: We don't know yet. We find out April 21st. Everyone thinks it's a girl!

Labor Signs: -------
Symptoms: --------
Belly Button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Super cranky, to be honest. I get upset way more easily then I normally do. 
Looking forward to: Finding out the baby's gender. April seems SO far away!


Thursday, February 27, 2014

Naturally Clean in CT Soaps, Bath Fizzies and more! - Review


Whenever I buy or get to review something local, I always get excited and want to yell, "LOOK! Look what this person that lives in my state made! Isn't it awesome?" It could be a rock pet and it'd still be awesome because it came from my state ;)

But these aren't rock pets. They're all-natural soaps, lip balms, lip scrubs, face masks, bath fizzes and sugar scrubs (oh my!) from Teresa at Naturally Clean in CT and are free of preservative and chemicals. Connecticut reppin'!


Bath Fizzies
Who doesn't love bath fizzies?! Place one in your bath and get ready for smooth skin! These bath fizzies come in adorable heart shapes with shea butter to moisturize and rose kaolin clay to detoxify. They have no scent before or after fizzing out which I thought I'd be bothered by but I think I was too focused on how soft my skin was after using these! Just be super careful because these can make your bath tub a slip-and-slide.

Ingredients: aluminum free baking soda, citric acid, shea butter, rose kaolin clay

Cocoa Lip Scrub
At first I wasn't too sure about this one. It doesn't exactly smell like, "Hey, come put this on your lips!" but it's not a bad scent. It's just different. After placing a pea-sized amount on your lips, rub your lips together for about 30 seconds and wipe it off (or lick some off - same thing). It tastes way better than it smells and holy toledo - my lips were soft and smooth which does not come easily in CT winters. I've been using this for a few days now and it's hands down been my lip saver. 

Ingredients: unrefined fair trade african shea butter, grapeseed oil (ah, that might be the scent!), organic sugar and cocoa powder

Seaweed Facial Mask
Oooh, a seaweed mask? Don't mind if I do! Scent is a mix of green tea with seaweed (you can barely smell it but it's there). Directions say to mix 1-2 teaspoons of powder with milk, water or even yogurt to whatever consistency you want. Apply to face and rinse after 5-15 minutes. Teresa uses this with half parts honey and applies it to her face for 20 minutes. I ended up using water because of course we didn't have milk nor yogurt. I think yogurt would've been such a fun consistency! After taking it off, my skin felt nice, refreshed and clean!

Ingredients: seaweed, oatmeal, green tea

Lip Ambrosia
Hello, my new favorite chapsticks! Teresa (from Naturally Clean in CT) sent me two. One is coffee flavor (which is AH-MAZING!) and one is no flavor but smells like coconuts (double AH-MAZING!). Both of these lip ambrosia's left my lips feeling so soft. I swear, I'll never buy another chapstick again. Where have these been all my life? 

Ingredients: coconut oil, beeswax, almond oil, cocoa butter, apricot oil, honey, vitamin e

Brown Sugar Vanilla Body Scrub
I love a good body scrub. My skin is constantly drying out and New England weather never helps. In the shower, I rubbed this on my elbows, knees and all over my legs. This did leave my skin EXTREMELY soft but I also felt slightly oily. Also, make sure to mix this before you apply as it does settle!

Ingredients: brown sugar, sugar, grapeseed oil, vanilla and vitamin e

All Natural Soap
When I first opened the package, I was greeted by a delicious lemon pez smell. THIS WAS IT! Swoooon. I rarely use bar soaps. I have nothing against them. I just have always grabbed a shower gel over a soap bar. This may have changed my mind. I already talked about the scent (have I mentioned it smells like lemon Pez!?) but I think what surprised me the most was how much it lathered. Wow! It left my skin feeling squeeky clean. The only (minor) issue I had with this is that it scratched my skin. I didn't even notice washing with it, but afterward I saw tiny scratches on my body and checked out the soap to find tiny little pieces of herbs (??) in it. You can kind of see them in the picture. No big issue and clearly they didn't hurt since I didn't notice until the end but something kind of noteworthy. Note: Make sure to keep this upright so they can drain and aerate! 

Ingredients: saponified organic palm oil, organic sunflower oil, organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, unrefined shea butter, lemongrass essential oil and lemongrass

All Natural Soap
The soaps come in a whole bunch of yummy scents: Orange Flower, Lovin' Lemons, Ginger Paradise, Bergamot Euphoria, Cinfully Honey, Orange Kick, Margarita Thrill, Black Currant, Cedar A-Peel, Ginger Lime Punch, Lemongrass, Peppermint Patty, Naked Oats and Italian Goat. Teresa was nice enough to send me five different soap slivers to try out as well. Unfortunately, they didn't have names so I'm not sure which is which but guys, they all smelled amazing! All are preservative-free and have no chemicals. They are scented with essential oils.

Overall: It's funny how big of a difference using a natural product vs. a not-natural product has on your body. Each product left my skin feeling soft and clean. I noticed that my normal soaps left residues that I just got used to but after using this all-natural soap, I noticed my skin feel clean without drying. My favorites were the lip balms and the all natural soaps!

Naturally Clean in CT -Shop | Facebook 

Monday, February 24, 2014

Zoya Magical Pixie Collection - Swatches & Review


I feel like the prettiest, princess fairy of them all with Zoya's new Magical Pixie Collection for Spring 2014. The collection is three colors in a holographic version of their PixieDust formula and gives the illusion of jewel encrusted nails which I've been waiting my entire life for. I mean, who hasn't been waiting?




Cosmo is a silver crystal sparkle textured PixieDust with mega hex iridescent particles.

Vega is a blue opal sparkle textured PixieDust with mega hex iridescent particles.

Lux is a rose quartz sparkle textured PixieDust with mega hex iridescent particles.

The PixieDust formula continues to mystify me. Every time I'm convinced it's going to be incredibly gritty and hard to work with and every time they prove me wrong. This collection is no different! I really thought with all the holographic glitters in all the different sizes would pull and just be a huge glittery mess on my nail but the formula was incredibly smooth and easy to work with. I recommend applying thin coats to build up opacity although these polishes are so densely packed with glitter that it doesn't take long. Zoya recommends not using a base coat nor top coat unless you want a super glossy finish (HK Girl from Glisten & Glow is ah-mazing!).


My favorite would have to be Cosmo although they're all so incredibly bling-y and glittery (which are a few of my favorite things) that it's hard to choose. Which color is your favorite?

Zoya: Shop | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
Price: $10 each - Available: For pre-order now
Thursday, February 20, 2014

Katy Perry Killer Queen Perfume - Review


I really do consider myself one of the luckiest girls in the world. I have an amazing and supportive family, a roof over my head and a fiance who somehow remembers every product I drool over and secretly goes out and gets it for me for special occasions. For Valentine's Day, he bought me Katy Perry's Killer Queen perfume which has graced my past lust lists quite frequently. 

I can't believe he remembers this stuff. He's awesome. I on the other hand can't even remember what he orders at Subway. I suck.

Katy Perry Killer Queen
What attracted me to this was clearly the bottle. I mean, check that thing out! You guys know how much I love packaging and bottles and anything that sparkles apparently. This bottle was inspired by a queen's scepter and cap has a crest adorned with Katy Perry's initals. I get a royal vibe from this that makes me want to scream, "Off with their heads!" or "Let them eat cake!" Either or. 

This came in a set along with a cute velour heart-shaped jewelry case with the same crest on the cap emblazoned on the front and a mini .5 ounce bottle of Killer Queen to take on the go. On top of all of that, he got a free gift with it so I got the Killer Queen lotion, another cute velour case, a rollerball perfume and a mini rollerball perfume.


Top Notes: wild berries, dark plum and bergamot
Heart Notes: Celosia, Sambac jasmine and rainbow plumeria
Base Notes: Cashmere, patchouli and liquid praline

Overall, this is such a sexy scent! Not that I really categorize perfumes by seasons but it has such a sexy, dark scent that I do see me wearing this more in the fall and winter while I like to wear lighter scents in the spring/summer. It's so hard to describe scents through writing so I suggest if you're intrigued by the bottle alone to go to your local Sephora, Macy's, etc. and take a sniff! 

Where to buy: Sephora | Price: $49.99
(contains affiliate link)
Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Press Release | OCC Plastic Passion Lip Tar Collection - Spring 2014



For Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Spring 2014 is not the season to play it safe! Gone are the demure pastels and flirty palette of seasons past, replaced instead by hypersaturated hues and technicolor textures. OCC’s PLASTIC PASSION collection delivers its most vibrant lineup of Lip Tar shades to date, in both our Matte and Metallic textures. Lips are lacquered in shades that are bold beyond belief. For Spring, excess is everything! Featuring the legendary DEVEN GREEN as the faces of PLASTIC PASSION!

Lip Tars ($19 each):
- Kimber | matte neon orange coral
- Mannequin | matte malibu pink
- Rollergirl | matte vibrant lavender purple
- Pool Boy - matte aquatic blue
- Hollywood | metallic gold/beige shimmer
- Pleasure Model | metallic pearlescent pink

This limited-edition duo set features two of our cult-favorite Lip Tar shades, ‘Psycho’ (Matte) and
‘Lovecraft’ (Metallic) in our runaway hit miniature sized “All-Star Mini” tubes. Use each on their own
or combine them together for an intensely fierce customized lip look. Apply with the included #010S
Short-Handled Precision Lip Brush.

OCC Love Bites Duo (Price: $14.50):
- Lovecraft | pink/lavendar metallic
- Pyscho | matte true blood red

The Plastic Passion Lip Tar Collection and the Love Bites Duo are both available at Sephora.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Influenster | J'Adore VoxBox - Review


Three cheers for another VoxBox! This one is the Influenster J'adore VoxBox - a little Valentine for us to you, mon cherie! Filled with trinkets, joy and a certain je ne sais quoi, the J'adore VoxBox will have you head over heels and whispering tweet nothings: J'adore, I adore, we adore...


How cute is that?! 

Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray ($9.99)
A flat iron spray! Is Influenster spying on me or something? I've been on the lookout for a good flat iron spray since my usual go-to is almost out. This one promises flat hair for three days - or until your next shower. Whomp whomp. I take a shower every day so unfortunately I couldn't test that out. I can say that it smells amazing, definitely helped with straightening my hair and keeping it nice and smooth without frizz.

Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas ($4.49 for carton of 20 tea bags)
How delicious do these flavors sound? Creme Caramel? Lemon Chiffon? I'm so sold! 

Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask ($9.39)
I think I'm set with clay masks for awhile between this one and the others sent in other subscription boxes! This one is designed for normal skin types to absorb excess oil and cleanse the skin. This is supposed to leave your skin feeling soft and smooth, not drying. I expected this to be thick but it's actually really loose. I applied to wet skin, left on for a few minutes and then washed it off. My skin felt very smooth but my normal dry spots (my nose, in between my eyebrows) didn't seem to be improved or anything.

KISS Looks So Natural Lashes ($3.99)
YAY YAY YAY! A girl can never have too many false eyelashes and these are gorgeous. They have "tapered end technology" so the lash strip blends with your natural lashes. They're supposed to be lightweight and comfortable. I wouldn't exactly call these "natural" as far as how dramatic they are once they're on your eyes. They're pretty long and va-va-voom but the cut is very natural and I love how the lashes are cut at different lengths to look like they're your own lashes.

Vaseline Men Spray Lotion ($7.99)
I can't even explain how jealous I was of my fiance to see this in the box. I looooove these Vaseline Spray Lotions. They moisturize your skin and leave it feeling so soft in a matter of seconds. It's amazing. It never leaves you feeling greasy or sticky. Personally, I loved the scent. It was masculine without being overpowering. My fiance says that he really likes the scent and his skin felt soft. Ah, a man of few words.

Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolates ($5.29 for 18.5 oz bag)
Oh, Influenster. You know exactly how to win over a girl's heart. This is so perfect for a Valentine's Day themed box. If you've never had a Hershey's Kiss, I swear I will mail them to you because everyone needs to try these. They're a yummy, smooth chocolate all wrapped up in foil! Did you know you're supposed to pull on the paper sticking out to open the kiss? Mind blown!

Overall, I think this is the best VoxBox I've ever received. It was just filled with things I would use or are interested in using. My faves were the flat iron spray, the lashes and definitely the Hershey Kisses! 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

SammyDress Jeffrey Campbell Look-a-Likes - Review


With my last go with an overseas-based company, I decided to try again. This time with SammyDress! I think SammyDress is more well-known than the previous company I tried (Rose Wholesale - review) but they sell the same things - clothes, shoes, accessories at wholesale prices.


I chose the Jeffrey Campbell Look-A-Likes because they looked like the real ones and I wanted a pair in black. I checked out the reviews and for the most part, they seemed positive and the rating was a 4.6 out of 5. Even though I'm a size 8.5, I read from the customer reviews that they run large so I went with a size 39 (equivalent to American size 8) and hoped for the best. They offer a size 40 (American size 9) in the drop down options but don't actually have it and only sell up to a size 39. But have the size 40 as an option. Yeah, that makes sense...

Shipping was normal. Took about a month to receive them. No big deal there. I actually forgot I was even getting them for awhile because there was no e-mails to let me know when it shipped until I asked after about 2 weeks went by. She gave me my tracking number (which didn't tell me much) and they arrived about 2 weeks after that.

Before I even opened the package, I could smell it REEKED of a yucky plastic scent. As soon as I opened the package, the smell was almost overwhelming and I had to put it outside to air it out. I've never experienced that smell so overwhelming (this box blew that one Ipsy bag out of the water) before.


The good news: The shoes are cute and resemble my other JF Litas. They look to be good quality but feel a little plastic (hmm, the smell?) but I mean, what did I expect? Leather? The bad news: They don't freakin' fit. They are too small which is totally my fault. Hey, I took a gamble with the sizing. I think they fit more like a 7 and run smaller than true size but that's just me.

Overall and comparing to Rose Wholesale, I would say everything is the same. You still need to watch the wonky sizing, the weird return policy, 50/50 chance of quality... I lucked out and received a "good" quality product from SammyDress (well as much as I can see since I can't wear them) while Rose Wholesale's dress was iffy. I personally would never go through the craziness of returning and only receiving partial refund back so I didn't even try to return these.

Honestly guys, you know I love you all and as a blogger, I want to be 100% honest. Bottom line: Don't even waste your time or money. It's way too much of a gamble for my liking. During research, I saw so many reviews of customers who bought from SammyDress and didn't even receive the product. Naturally, my review is my own, honest experience of something and I didn't experience what they did but that many reviews of not receiving a product is hard to ignore and I feel like I wouldn't be honest without including that.
Monday, February 17, 2014

Ipsy | February Glam Bag - Review


Howdy howdy howdy. I forgot about Ipsy this month. For shame, am I right? But I totally did and it wasn't until it showed up on Friday that I was like, "Oh yeah! Hot pink bubble mailer time!" I also think it was a little late going out this time? I don't really remember mine coming so late in the month. No bother. I'm just happy with a nice $10 bag. Sometimes ;)


The Bag:
The bag itself is nice quality and DID NOT REEK THIS MONTH! Whoop whoop! It's just a plain normal pink on the outside but on the inside...

Wham bam, thank you ma'am hot pink leopard print! I almost wish that this was the exterior instead but overall, a nice sturdy bag.

This month's theme is The Look of Love - perfect for Valentine's Day. Get ready to set your gaze on beauty goodies so good that you'll fall in love at first sight!

First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay
I really love all the fun masks that have been in different subscription boxes lately. My skin needs revival after this crazy weather (snow tomorrow but 50 degrees on Friday!). This cleanser is supposed to remove excess oils, unclog pores and purifies your skin. It's supposed to control breakouts and even out your skin for all skin tones. I have yet to try this (I know, I suck) but I'm curious to see how this really works.

Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow in Rum
After reading reviews, I was pretty excited to try this to see what it was all about. It's a cream eyeshadow/base all in one. All you have to do it sweep it on with the wand and blend with your fingers or a brush. You can add a shadow over it or leave it as is. As someone who has super oily eyelids, using this without a primer made me nervous but surprisingly it lasted by itself for an impressive 6 hours before starting to crease. It's easily blendable and the color is a gorgeous bronze that I think is wearable with any skintone/eye color.

J.Cat Beauty Eyelashes + Eyelash Glue
Another plus in my book - eyelashes! A girl can never have enough. These are made from 100% human hair (that always weirds me out) and look VERY natural. I like that they're cut almost uneven like your real eyelashes look to give that nice natural look. They're a bit dramatic, sure, but I really liked them. The glue was meh. I prefer Duo Lash Glue over anything.

Pop Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Fuschia Freesia
GUYS. This might be my favorite bag so far because ahhhh, I was so excited to see this in it! I absolutely LOVE how bright it is and thankfully didn't experience a "burnt" smell like a few readers described. It's pretty pigmented although I would describe it as a liquid lipstick but more a lipgloss with a punch.

Zoya Odette
Absolutely love this color but I already have it! Maybe I'll throw it up for a giveaway? Zoya is such a fab polish and I really loved this shade (along with the whole Naturel Collection). Here's my full review of Odette and the entire collection here!

Swatch of Zoya Odette

Swatches of Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow in Rum and Pop Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Fuschia Freesia


Overall, AH-MAZING BAG! Woohoo! I think the only product I was iffy about was the cream eyeshadow but even that worked out. My faves were the eyelashes, the clay cleanser and the lipgloss!

As always I'm DYING to know what you got in your bag if you received one! For those they may be like, "Hey Noelle! What's Ipsy?" Ipsy is a $10 a month subscription service  run by Michelle Phan (beauty vlogger extraordinaire) where you receive 3-5 deluxe mini or full sized beauty products to try out, all in a cute bag!
Ipsy | Subscribe (Referral link)

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