Sunday, November 27, 2016

POPSUGAR Must-Have Box | November 2016

* POPSUGAR PROVIDED ME WITH A COMPLIMENTARY POPSUGAR MUST HAVE BOX.


Andddddd we're back! Apologies for the static on the blog the past week. We're just getting over a month-long cold and then Thanksgiving came so it has been nuts. I hope you all had a great holiday!

So, let's talk about this month's POPSUGAR Must-Have Box because it is amazing! I know, I know. I say that about every month but to be honest, guys, this is probably the best subscription box out there for the price. If you're unfamiliar with PopSugar Must-Have boxes, let me fill you in! It's a monthly subscription box delivered straight to your door filled with full-sized home, beauty, food, fashion products (legit, one of my favorite subscription boxes!). They also have a "mini" option that contains a smaller amount of products for a lesser price per month. The full-size box will run you $39.95 a month, $109.85 for three (saving you $10) or $214.70 for six months (saving you $25). The mini box will run you $18.95 per month.

Remember to use the code SHOP5 (never expires!) to give you $5 off your first POPSUGAR Must-Have Box!

What's in the box?

  • Kendra Scott Elaina Rose Gold Bracelet in White Pearl ($50) - Guys. I've been a long time fan of Kendra Scott jewelry but never bit the bullet to buy one because well, I have kids that love sparkly things and I'd hate the thought of them pulling on one and breaking it. Also, I have small wrists so I have a hard time finding bracelets that fit without sliding off. What's really cool about this bracelet is that it has a sliding closure (picture a super chic gold drawstring basically) that you can tug on to get the perfect fit. It's dainty, goes with everything and fits? I'm sold!
  • Pehr Chambray Runner in Wine ($44) - Excuse the wrinkles in the picture but this is so perfect for the holidays. The wine and off-white colors are so gorgeous together and give a little of that rustic farmhouse vibe I try to go for when decorating. I'll definitely be putting this out for when everyone comes over for Christmas Eve. Let the compliments roll in! 
  • Stowaway Cosmetics Dawn to Dusk Palette ($25) - Oh my goodness, this palette is so precious! It comes in a super sturdy palette with a mirror on one side and eight day-to-night shades on the other and is a little bit larger than my palm. Yes, you read that right. This thing is tiny but so, so cute! *Cruelty free.
  • AJ Goods Nest Wire Bowl ($15) - Yes, yes, all the yes! I love this thing. For the holidays, you can pop some ornaments, candy canes or even jingle bells (is that what they're called?) for a festive feel or you could just store fruit, your keys or whatever in there. This baby is handmade in India so "each bowl has a story before it even reaches your front door". Ok. I need to know my bowl's story now!
  • Meri Meri Star Party Picks ($8) - At first, I didn't think I'd find a use for these but I think these would be great sticking in little Oreo truffles I'm making for Christmas Eve. My son also found a great use for them by using them as little magic wands. He stole them all, guys.
  • Ooogie's Snacks Gourmet Toffee Butter Popcorn ($2.99) - Funny story about these. That bag in the picture? Totally empty. My mom and I dove right into these before I could even get a picture of them. They're that delicious!
Shop | Buy (price varies)

* POPSUGAR PROVIDED ME WITH A COMPLIMENTARY POPSUGAR MUST HAVE BOX.
Monday, November 21, 2016

#GetHolidayReady | Silver Bells Holiday Look With Neutrogena

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GetHolidayReady#CollectiveBias

Guys. I don't want to alarm you but the holidays are literally right around the corner! And it's safe to say we all know what that means. It's time to break out that glittery eyeshadow and wing that liner to the high heavens because 'tis the season to glitter and shine like a disco ball, am I right? I'm pretty sure there's a quote about that in the Charlie Brown Christmas Special somewhere.


Today, I'll be showing you a Silver Bells-inspired look you can easily rock for your next holiday party featuring the Neutrogena® MoistureSmooth Color Sticks and the Neutrogena® Makeup Removing Cleansing Towelettes. The MoistureSmooth Color Sticks come in 16 different colors in ranging finishes from opaque to shimmer. They're super hydrating and even continue moisturizing your lips so they're softer and smoother in three days without anything on. The Makeup Removing Cleansing Towelettes are my absolute favorite makeup removing wipe and I always have a few on hand. They're great for removing makeup whether they're being used for a quick touch-up near a delicate area like the eyes or just removing a face full of makeup. 

The best part? You can snag these babies along with your Christmas tree, decorations AND presents for everyone - all at your local Walmart! Let's all just take a moment to take in the beautiful, newly re-done beauty aisles at my Walmart, guys. I'm in love!


The Tutorial:

  • I've already gone ahead and moisturized as well as done my brows. Apparently, I've enlisted the help of two little friends on my face for this tutorial. Oh, hey guys. Nice of you to join in! #postbirthhormones, y'all.

  • Before applying any eyeshadow, I like to start with a neutral cream base all over the lid. This cancels out any veins, dark spots, etc. and basically leaves you with a clean slate. Once that is set, I went in with a light grey with purple undertones shadow in the crease and took it slightly above the crease and blended it out. 

  • Once that shadow is blended it out. I went in with a darker grey shadow and took that in the crease and outer v of the eyelid and blended that into the lighter grey shadow. 

  • Now for the fun part! Nothing says holiday like a good silver shadow! I took my most metallic silver shadow and applied it all over the lid with my finger. I find applying glitters and metallics with my finger seems to work best with minimum fall out and keeps the application nice and even. 
  • In the case that there is fall out, I love using the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes to clean up. They're gentle enough to be used around the eye area without irritating them and removing even the hardest glitter pieces.

  • For the bottom lids, I took the same dark grey shadow and applied that right on the waterline and blended out for a nice, smoked out look.
  • I applied a nice, soft champagne highlight in the inner corners to make my eyes look more awake. I also popped this onto my brow bones.

  • Next up, eyeliner! I decided to wing this out a little for a more dramatic effect with a liquid eyeliner pen.
  • Again, if you mess up or need to start over, the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes to the rescue! For a more precise clean up, especially with liner, I wrap the towelette around my finger and kind of use my nail underneath to wipe away the problem without smudging everything. The towelettes remove even the toughest waterproof eyeliner! 
  • Next, I apply my favorite mascara to prep my lashes for falsies. 
  • After that, I dampened a beauty sponge and started to apply my foundation in a smooth, stippling motion. I, personally, like this technique as it keeps the foundation lightweight on my skin without giving a cake-y appearance. 

  • With the opposite end of the beauty sponge, I take the point and apply my concealer. The point allows you to apply and blend the concealer in hard-to-reach-spots like near your eyes and around your nose.
  • Once the concealer is applied, I liked to "lightly bake" my concealer. I don't really go crazy with this part but I do like using this technique to set my concealer and help blend my contour. I apply the setting powder under my eyes and under my cheekbones with the same damp beauty sponge. 

  • Taking a nice fluffy brush, I bronzed my forehead, cheeks and under my neck. Basically, anywhere the sun hits your face. Next, I applied a rose-colored cream blush to the apples of my cheek.
  • Lastly, I applied a bright highlighter to my cheekbones, brow bone, down the bridge of my nose and on the cupid's bow.

  • Almost done! No holiday is complete without some lashes! I applied a bold but still wispy pair of falsies for this look. I always have a tough time with falsies so I leave them until the end where I can muster up enough confidence to put them on!
  • To finish this look, I applied the Neutrogena MoistureSmooth ColorStick in Pink Nude onto my lips. This color is so gorgeous! Pink Nude is a subtle nude-y pink with a satin finish. It's incredibly moisturizing which is great with the upcoming dry winter. You can rock this at a holiday party or at a snowball fight and know that your lips will be protected and hydrated all the while looking fabulous!

The Stripdown:

The Neutrogena Makeup Removing Cleansing Towelettes make it so fast and easy to clean up! One wipe removes my entire face and leaves me time to kick my feet up and enjoy some hot chocolate while watching "The Grinch". Just kidding. I'm a mom. But if I didn't have kids, I'd totally have time to do that. Totally.

How do you keep moisturized in the winter?

Shop | Available at your local Walmart.


This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GetHolidayReady#CollectiveBias
Thursday, November 10, 2016

ColourPop Fall Edits | Out And About, Can You Knot + Up And Away - Swatches & Review

Sheesh. I just got these and I'm already a season behind! ColourPop is releasing their winter collection today and it is simply stunning. But if you're looking to add onto that huge shopping order already, these should totally go in it! They first introduced their fall edits last month and it was definitely the lip colors in gorgeous shades of plums, terracottas and dusty roses that were calling my name. Needless to say, I was so happy to see they bundled them in these mini edits for $15 each. Come to mama, right? Let's check them out! PS. The sleeves they came in are too cute!


Can You Knot | The Plums

  • Hutch - a satin deep blackened violet.
  • Notion - a rich red violet matte.
  • Sookie - a rich plum creme gloss. 
If you are looking for just one bundle to buy, this is definitely the one! I'm a total sucker for the dark lips in the winter and this has three gorgeous ones to choose from. In the above picture, they almost look exactly alike but they are definitely different as one is a satin, one's a gloss and one's a matte. Notion has a very liquid-y consistency - more so than any other matte I've had - but it's also not as drying at the other mattes I've tried from ColourPop. Sookie is a stunning, semi-opaque creme gloss that isn't too sticky. Hutch is my jam! I'm just totally obsessed with the satins and this one doesn't disappoint! 

Out and About | The Roses

  • Barracuda - a satin warm deepened rose.
  • Times Square - a muted pink beige matte.
  • Viper - a matte true dusty rose.
Barracuda is the perfect rose for my fair complexion! It doesn't pull too orange or too dark but it's still on the warm side. It's just right! Times Square is a fabulous nude but pulls slightly orange on me. A lot of nudes do. Viper is so gorgeous and is basically Barracuda's cooler sister. Love it!

Up and Away | The Terracottas

  • Mama - a true burnt orange matte.
  • Calypso - a mid-tone pinky nude satin.
  • Love Bug - a rich terracotta matte.
I had already read reviews about Mama and Love Bug being pains-in-the-butts and were super dry and flakey but some had said that they recently changed their formula so that they weren't that bad. Mine were bad, guys. Love Bug was SO flakey and just horrible. Mama was better in consistency but equally dry. Calypso was fabulous but I honestly haven't had an issue with the satins yet.

L-R: Mama, Calypso, Love Bug, Notion, Hutch, Sookie, Times Square, Viper and Barracuda

Shop | Buy ($15 each)