Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Hello June GIVEAWAY!







Wanna win some goodies?!

To be eligible you must be 18 or older OR have your parents permission.
You can live anywhere in the world! This giveaway is open internationally!

Good luck & I'll see you tomorrow!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

My Spring Essentials


 Now I know that there is less than 20 days left of spring but I still wanted to get my spring essentials post up!


NYX Green Tea Blotting Paper - I can't believe how long it's taken me to try blotting sheets. Honestly, you would think that I live under a rock. I had an internship interview last month and I wanted to bring powder with me so that I wouldn't look too shiny, but I was worried about caking my makeup. The magical solution to my problems? Blotting sheets.

L'Oreal Color Riche Caresse Aqua Laquer - This is hands down one of my favorite long wearing lip colors. In the springtime what I really want in a lip color is something that is no fuss. I want to be able to slap it on and not worry about it for hours. This does just that.

L'Oreal Silky Sheer Face Lotion SPF 50+ - You might think of sunscreen as something you only use in the summer but really, you need it just as much in the spring. This is one of my favorite ones for my face. It's a super thin consistency and drys to a powdery finish so I don't feel like a greasy mess!


KMS California Hair Play - I feel so guilty for cheating on my Batiste... But this stuff is seriously amazing. I can spray this in my incredibly dark brown hair and I don't see anything. I mean literally not a spec of white powder. Not only is it an amazing dry shampoo but, it gives me a ton of volume!

Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream - Come spring time I really just want a no fuss makeup routine. I'm all about products that I can slap on my face while I'm running out the door. I didn't expect much from this drugstore BB cream but I have seriously fallen in love. I will say that in the tube it looks pretty intense... Like oompa loompa intense. But, have no fear. Once you apply it the crazy orange look disappears. I have this in the lightest shade that they offer and I have a sneaking suspicion that this is going to be WAY too dark for me come winter time.

Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline - Oh. My. Goodness. This stuff is divine. Fragrance is incredibly personal but I think that this is one of those scents that you can't not love!

What products do you love in the springtime?

See you tomorrow!

Monday, June 2, 2014

The Vitamin Shoppe - Next Step Fit N' Full Shakes


If you've seen my Influenster Go Vox Box post then you already got a sneak peak of the product that I'll be reviewing today. 

Alrighty, lets start off with the claims that this product makes - 

"Supports reduction of body fat (as part of a healthy diet and exercise program)."
"Reduces hunger and cravings"

My take on their claims? While I can't comment on the reduction of body fat as I only had three to use, I can see how these could reduce cravings for some people. Specifically people who love cake batter because the French Vanilla flavor tasted like I was drinking vanilla cake batter! YUM!


This meal replacement shake comes in three flavors - Swiss Chocolate, French Vanilla and Fresh Berries. While they were all delicious I think that Swiss Chocolate and French Vanilla were my favorites because they had the least chemically aftertaste.


 Nutritious and delicious? I'd say so! It's packed with 14 g of protein, 5g of dietary fiber and loads of vitamins and minerals.


The bottle advertised with this line is unique in the way that it blends together protein shakes. Most people stick with the typical Blender Bottle that has a ball that reminds me of a whisk. This has a giant jax. In a way, I find it really strange that, that is what is blending my drinks together. Sometimes I wonder if a child just accidentally stuck their toy in my bottle... But, odd or not, it works!


The directions say to mix one packet of powder with 8 oz of water (you can also use milk, almond milk or any liquid that your prefer!). I personally like to stick with between 10-12 oz of liquid. I think it helps to make sure that all of the powder is dissolved so I don't get any of the dreaded lumps..


Once you've got your liquid in there just dump one of the shake packets on top! You can always add the powder before your liquid but I prefer doing liquid first. Now, make sure the lid is on tight and shake it like crazy!

And look at that! I beautifully blended meal replacement shake!

I have two complaints with this product and the first being, the darn bottle. At first I thought I was just being dumb and I didn't know how to open it. But oh no. It wasn't me. I know that the bottle needs to have a really tight seal so that when your mixing the drink it doesn't go everywhere. But the pop top was stuck on there so hard that the first two times I used this bottle I spilled some of my drink all over my phone. Both freaking times.  And I have to say that my brother has a Blender Bottle so naturally I tried his to see if every bottle of this sort was like this but nope. I opened his up just fine. If you've tried this and you've found a way to prevent spillage PLEASE share your wisdom with me!

My second complaint is that the shakes had a chemical after taste. It wasn't quite as noticeable with the Swiss Chocolate and the French Vanilla but the Fresh Berries was pretty bad..

Overall I really enjoyed using this product. If you are new to the world of protein/meal replacement shakes then you will love these. They don't have a gritty texture which is common in homemade shakes depending on which protein powder you use. Also, I found that these did really stick with me for a while. I used them as a post-workout and as a meal replacement. And both times I didn't find myself starving an hour or two later.

I would recommend these products for someone who is on the go and wants a simple meal replacement shake or something to drink post-workout.

Will I be purchasing more of these? Maybe, I did get a $5.00 off coupon so I might just have to swing in and pick up some more of the Swiss Chocolate.

See you tomorrow!

May Favorites - 2014


 Haircare -

  • L'Oreal Advance Power Moisture Mask - I am one of those people that uses a hair mask basically every day in place of a traditional conditioner. My hair is extremely long and it was fairly damaged up until a few days ago when I got a much needed trim. This is one of the only products that makes my hair manageable right from when I step out of the shower. Plus, if you like hair products that have a scent that lingers, you need this! 

  • It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin - Every single person with hair on their head needs to try this. For the longest time I thought that this was the most overpriced leave in conditioner. But then, I tried it. Do you want silk for hair? Yes? You need this. Nothing has ever made my hair softer, silkier or shinier. 

 Skincare -

  • Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment - An under eye cream is by no means necessary at 18 years old. However, I have incredibly dry skin so I find that when I don't use one, my under eye concealer just looks cakey no matter what other products I use. I think that I might have fairly sensitive eyes as some of the others that I've tried left my eyes puffy (as if I had been crying) when I woke up. This thankfully doesn't do that! I do think that this has been helping to brighten up my under eye and overall I just love it!

  • Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil for Dry Skin - The only other cleansing oil that I have ever tried is the Dermalogica Precleanse and my skin had a bit of a freakout after using it. Naturally, I assumed it was the new product that I had tried to incorporate into my routine and swore off oil cleansers for good. Well, I am one of those people who is always looking for the next best thing even if what I already have is fantastic. When I saw that Garnier was coming out with an oil cleanser I knew I had to try it. The price point of this is around $7.00 which isn't bad for a bottle this big. My only complaint is that it leaves a slight residue on your skin. This doesn't bother me too much because I have extremely dry skin and typically use my Clarisonic after removing my makeup with this. If you've always wanted to try an oil cleanser but didn't know where to start - check this one out!



  •  it Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream in Fair - $38.00 for a CC Cream? I put off buying this for so long because I thought that there was no way that this could be worth the money. Man, I was wrong. It's amazing! This is my go to when I want my makeup to last all day with relatively natural coverage that won't look shiny. Seriously, everyone needs this.

  • Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream - All month this has been my go to for the days when I don't have a lot going on. I use this a lot on days when I just need a little bit of coverage to run some errands and especially before I go to the gym if my skin is having an off day! I still really want to pick up the Dream Pure version that has salicylic acid in it for days that I am wearing this to the gym to prevent any post-workout breakouts. Unfortunately, my Walmart only has two of the shades.

  • Maybelline Baby Skin - I wouldn't say that this is a wonder cream... But it is hands down the best primer that I've found from the drugstore. I know that everyone says this is basically a dupe for Benefit's The Porefessional but I just don't see that. I think that this is more of a mixture between The Porefessional and Smashbox Photo Finish. Either way, I love the way my foundations/BB creams/CC creams apply over this.


  •  Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer - I can't lie, that picture makes it look a little bit scary. I promise it really isn't that reddish in person! For at least three years I have been faithful to my Benefit Hoola and I haven't tried anything else but Sephora had a kit with this miniature bronzer and I knew that it was fate for me to try it. Seeing as I've basically only ever used my Hoola bronzer I wasn't sure how I felt about the shimmer in this. But honestly, I don't see it on my skin! I think this gives me a nice summery glow but I don't look like I just doused myself in craft glitter.


  •  Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold - This I had purchased on a bit of a whim. I know that a lot of people love these but I just haven't been thrilled with the colors that I had purchased. I think that's on me though, the only other colors that I had picked up aren't really ones that I'd use on a regular basis. But, I have been loving this for an all over lid color lately! I use this and a light/medium matte brown shade to blend into my crease and that's basically it. To me, it's an incredibly simplified summertime smoky eye! ( Expect a post coming soon!)


  • NYX Butter Glosses in Creme Brûlée & Eclair - The praise for this gloss is 100% deserved. This is another product that I figured was just over hyped and that it probably wasn't that great. To be honest, I'm not much of a gloss wearer. Nothing that I owned (before these) every wowed me. Eclair is the most perfect nudey-pink shade for everyday. Honestly, I adore it. I think it even looks amazing when it wears down. Creme Brûlée is more of a peachy nude and probably a color that I would have shied away from a few months ago, but this is an amazing nude that won't make your lips look dead! Plus, even if the shades were hideous I feel like I'd still wear them because the consistency is to-die-for.
What were you loving in the month of May?

See you tomorrow!

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Products I've Used Up - May 2014



 Skincare -

  • Simple Exfoliating Facial Wipes - These weren't terrible.. But I can't say that I liked them. I know that they are meant to be exfoliating but I found that they were too rough on my skin and they didn't take off all of my makeup which was a huge disappointment. 
    • Would I repurchase? No.
  • Bliss Lemon + Sage Body Butter - I'm not sure that this is the scent for everyone. I however, loved it! This was just a small size that I got from a hotel that I stayed at a while back. If your looking for a non-greasy body butter check this line out!
    • Would I repurchase? Yes!
  • Caudalie Body Lotion - This saved my legs! No matter what shaving cream I use, my legs always end up really dry and this is the only thing that fixed that! It sunk into my skin almost immediately and was not greasy at all!
    • Would I repurchase? Yes!
  • Proactiv+ Pore Targeting Treatment -  There are no words for this product. My love for this just cannot be measured. A '3 month supply' lasted me 6 months!
    • Would I repurchase? Until the day that I die - yes!
  • Clinique Moisture Surge Intense (x2) - If you've ever watched one of my empties videos on Youtube you will know that this moisturizer is my saving grace. This is the most perfect moisturizer for my dry skin. When my skin was patchy and absolutely horrific this brought it back to normal!
    • Would I repurchase? Yes! I have a stock of like 10 waiting to be used. 
  • Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Hand & Body Lotion - I had this riding around in my purse for a really long time and I did like it. It smells really good but it can be greasy. I preferred this for my legs and arms rather than my hands. 
    • Would I repurchase? No.
  • Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Cleansing Milk -  This + my Clarisonic = perfection. I have tried other milk cleansers in the past and I've never been a fan because they leave a residue on my skin and don't take off all of my makeup. But this baby, is in a league of it's own. It takes off 100% of my makeup, is incredibly gentle, and leaves my face feeling moisturized!
    • Would I repurchase? Yes!
  • Estee Lauder Soft Clean -  I have to say that this was incredibly fun to use with my Clarisonic. The lather I got was insane. However, I found that it was pretty drying on my skin and didn't think that it did much of anything for me.
    • Would I repurchase? No.

Haircare -

  • One N Only Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner - Honestly, I don't even know how many bottles of this I've gone through. It's moisturizing, it smells amazing, it works wonders on color treated hair. What more could a girl want?
    • Would I repurchase? Forever and ever - yes!
  • One N Only Argan Oil Restorative Mask - Again, I have no idea how many bottles of this wonder cream I've used up! When my hair feels dry and damaged and altogether just meh, this is the quick fix! I use this probably 3-4 times a week and it makes my hair shiny, soft, and it smells so good.
    • Would I repurchase? Yes!
  • Ojon Volume Advance Shampoo - While I did like this shampoo a lot (it smells fantastic) I don't think that I can justify the price point. It did give me lots of extra volume when I used it but I think I can find something just as good at half the price.
    • Would I repurchase? No.
  • Suave Moroccan Oil Mask - This is a great cheaper alternative to the One N Only mask. While I don't think that it works quite as well it does leave my hair very soft and shiny!
    • Would I repurchase? Yes!
  • Ojon Color Sustain Conditioner - This conditioner was very gentle on freshly colored hair, I didn't think that it did much of anything. 
    • Would I repurchase? No.
  • Batiste Deep Dark Brown Dry Shampoo - Where has this been all my life? If you have brown hair you NEED this! Honestly, it has changed the way I feel about dry shampoo! I used to hate it because of the gross white/grey residue that would be left in my hair but this is so amazing! I can spray it directly on my part-line and you can't even tell! It's magic.
    • Would I repurchase? Yes!
  • Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo - If your looking for an inexpensive shampoo for color treated hair then look no further! It smells amazing and always left my hair really soft. I never found that it stripped my color! Personally, I will be sticking with my One N Only but if your new to the color treated shampoo game - give this one a go!
    • Would I repurchase? No.
Have you tried any of these products, did you like them?

See you tomorrow!

Friday, May 30, 2014

The 4 Or More TAG!

 I recently watched a '4 Or More Tag' video on Youtube and thought to myself, I wonder what I have 4 or more of...? And now, here we are! If any of you have done this, or are planning on doing this let me know! I'd love to see it!
Also, I left out nail polish for this. If you'd like to see one on just my nail polish let me know!

 (L-R) Oh! Orange!, Strike a Rose, Pink Shock, Berry Bomb, Pink Wink, Cherry Me, Grape Vine, Quenched
 (L-R) Summer Fruit, Watermelon (Alice & Wonderland Collection), Sweet Mint, Strawberry Sorbet




 (Clockwise) Pink Plum, Peach Satin, Pink Frosting, Plum Wine, Orchid Hush
 (L-R) Crystal Onyx, Crystal Silver, Extreme Pink, Crystal Pink
(L-R) Fresh Daisy, Shroom, Honey Lust, Mulch
Satin Taupe, Soft Brown, Carbon, All That Glitters

I guess it's no surprise that the majority of my stash is lip products... If this had been the 3 or more tag, this post would have been at least twice as long!

See you tomorrow!


Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Influenster Go Voxbox

Last week I got a very exciting package in the mail... can you guess what it was? My Influenster Go Vox Box! 
Before I get in to what came in the box I just want to say that this box was sent to me for free for review purposes. However, I am not being compensated for this post and all opinions are 100% my own!




  •  Aqua Spa Relax Collection ($9.99) - This stuff seriously smells incredible! I'm a big fan of lavender so I adore this scent.
  • The Vitamin Shoppe Next Step Shakes - I got three flavors of this, Swiss Chocolate, French Vanilla & Fresh Berries. So far I've tried the Swiss Chocolate and the French Vanilla. I'll have a full review of these up soon!
  • Playtex Sport Fresh Balance Tampons ($3.99-$4.99) - To be completely honest, I still don't understand the point of scented tampons... But hey! You can never have too many.


  •  Pro Foot Pedi-Rock ($8.99) - Could the timing of this be any more perfect? I think not. I am in beyond desperate need of a pedicure so this bad boy might just be my only hope when it comes to saving my feet!
  • Pro Foot Triad Orthotic ($10.49) - I'm particularly excited to try this out because its 3/4 length so that it won't crowd your toes. And let's be honest, I have more shoes than I would like to admit that are just too uncomfortable to wear as much as I'd like! Hopefully these will help.


  •  The Vitamin Shoppe Next Step Shaker Bottle - This is honestly the product that I was the most excited about receiving. I've been eyeing some Blender Bottles on Amazon the past couple of weeks and I was just about to buy one when this came in! I will have an in-depth post with my thoughts on this bottle very soon when I review the shakes.


  •  Muller Yogurt Product - I believe that I've had Muller in the past and did really enjoy it. I obviously haven't used the coupon yet but I will be soon.
  • Blue Diamond Blueberry Flavored Almonds ($3.19) - I totally spaced and forgot to photograph these. I personally am I huge fan of almonds. I love plain and when I'm in the mood for something sweet the cinnamon & sugar ones are sooo good!


Want to join the Influenster program? Leave me a comment telling me your e-mail address and I'll send you an invite!

See you tomorrow!

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Face Of The Day - Feat. LORAC Pro Palette



Products Used (face) - 
  • Maybelline Baby Skin Primer
  • it Cosmetics CC cream in shade Fair
  • NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in shade Fair
  • Tarte Smooth Operator Finishing Powder
  • NARS Orgasm Blush




Products Used (eyes) - 

  • Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer Potion
  • LORAC Pro Palette - 
    • Nude - all over lid
    • Mauve - in crease
    • Taupe - outer 'v'
    • Pewter - lower lash line 
    • Cream - brow bone
  • Clinique Black Honey Cream Liner
  • Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes
  • L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara
Let me just say that I am totally head over heels in love with my LORAC Pro Palette! I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to get it, but I'm glad that I finally did. 
I personally really loved this look, it was natural looking but still gave my eyes some wonderful definition. 

See you tomorrow!