It's a Miracle

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the e.l.f. blemish stick, that is.

I've been blessed enough to have pretty clear skin growing up

and it's rare that I break out, but when I do, it takes 

forever for my skin to clear up. 

Friday morning I woke up with a bump on my chin (which is where I always break out)

I applied the e.l.f. stick a couple times throughout the day and when I woke up on Saturday it was 

completely gone. as in, you couldn't even see where it had been. 

looove :)

The day got away from me yesterday and I didn't get a chance to post, so 

you lucky ducks get my weekend recap today. 

better late than never, right?!

I had off on Friday for my mom's birthday. 

My dad took her out to lunch and then they went out for a little shopping. 

We didn't get to go out to dinner because Olivia was going back to school the next day and 

the cars still had to be packed up. So we did the next best thing - ordered pizza and got cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. 

holy deliciousness.

Saturday was move in day for Liv but I stayed behind to watch little man. 

I was a little productive but the rainy afternoon got the best of me and I fell asleep watching the Colts game. My favorite way to spend a Saturday afternoon :)

Of course I had to get some PF Changs to end the night.

yum!

Sunday I got to go shopping and got myself some goodies.

2 necklaces from forever21 for $4 total!!

A navy & grey striped skirt.

and 2 new pairs of shoes.

Did I mention I got all of that for less than $50!!

and just because I'm watching the Hunger Games again...

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Now it's time for me to catch up on all of your blogs. 

happy tuesday!

xoxo.

Smashbox BB Cream Review

I promised last week that I'd review the new 

Smashbox BB Cream for y'all so here we go.

I like to do some research before I go out and invest in a 

new product...especially one that I put on my skin.

I started hearing about these BB creams on a few

blogs and online so I decided I should check them out. 

My first question was, 

What the heck is a BB cream?

Here's what I found.

A BB cream is 'an all-in-one product that combines the function

of a primer, anti-aging serum, moisturizer, and light foundation- plus many contain

added benefits like SPF.' 

Then I went on to search for the best ones. 

These popped up on numerous sites so I figured they were legit -

Dr. Jart + Water Fuse Beauty Balm

Boscia B.B. Cream

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream

Clinique Age Defense BB Cream

If you wanna compare more, this is a good site to check out. 

I know it's a lot of information but I love knowing everything

there is to know before I make a switch. So maybe you're like me :)

Ok so onto the review. 

Pro's-

- I love the way it goes on and makes my skin feel.

It's a matte foundation with a moisturizer in it so it doesn't leave your 

face all dry or greasy. I have sensitive, combination skin and this works great for me.

My face feels really smooth and it stays on all day.

- SPF 35. 

I love a foundation that contains SPF. That way you don't

have to worry about putting on sunscreen when you go to the pool or beach. 

- The price. At $38, it's still cheaper than the foundation and the primer that I use.

Here's what my previous routine looked like-

Primer/Foundation/Setting Powder

I'll be saving an average of $116 on makeup because the BB cream is supposed to take the place 

all 3 of these. Who doesn't love saving moolah?! 

Con's-

- I don't really have anything bad to say about this product yet because 

I've only been using it for about a week. 

I don't notice too big of a difference in coverage, but I don't like to 

wear my makeup really heavy anyway. But if you're one that does

like to wear it a little heavier, you can always layer foundation on top.

:: top :: current makeup- CoverFx
:: bottom :: Smashbox BB Cream


Overall, I'm a fan of using a BB cream because of the benefits it offers. 

I'm interested to see what some of the others are like so if you've

tried them before let me know what you think.

Would you consider switching to a BB cream?

If you have, which one do you use?

Do you like it?

xoxo.

e.l.f. review

Let's take a moment and be honest. 

If you're like me, you clean your make-up brushes every few months.

Ideally, we're supposed to clean those bad boys once a week. ooops!

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I recently bought the e.l.f. brush shampoo

This stuff is great because

 * it's $3

* it's antibacterial 

* a little goes a long way

Fill up a small dish with a little bit of the shampoo and warm water.

I found for your concealer & foundation brushes, it's best to put soap directly on them and wash under the faucet. You may have to do this twice depending on how often you wash your brushes.

Rinse and lay out to dry overnight.

Happy cleaning :)

xoxo.

Fake It 'Til You Make It

Minds out of the gutter girls ;)
I'm talking about falsies here.

Do y'all wear them?
I have to know.

I may be waaaay behind the curve here but I tried my first pair over the weekend and I'm hooked. 

I got the ones by e.l.f. 

For just $1 you really can't beat it. 

The first day I wore them, I didn't use enough glue so they started to come off but I wore them again on Sunday without any issues. 

What do y'all think?
I'm gonna bat these bad boys and see what I can get ;)

happy monday girls! 

xoxo.

Hair Product Loves

good afternoon girls!

I wasn't sure I'd be able to get a post out today with the internet being rock age slow today.

If you follow my on twitter, then you've seen my ranting about a sick coworker. 

I won't gross you out with the details but I'm just gonna say that if you're sick, stay home! 

No one wants your germs....or has time to get sick!

Anyway, I had planned on doing a review for my new dry shampoo that I'm loving, and then I saw that Rachel was doing favorite hair products for her Top 5 Tuesday. Her timing was impecable :)

So here are my top 5 hair products 

(not in any specific order)

1. Dove dry shampoo - this is the second dry shampoo I've tried and it's my favorite so far. I used to use the Big Sexy one and I liked it at first but then it became all chalky and didn't make my hair look clean. I love this shampoo for several reasons - it smells delicious and it actually works. I think the key is actually rubbing it in like you're using actual shampoo. It really does make a difference.

2. Big Sexy Hair Root Pump Plus- favorite product, hands down. Until I got this, I'd never found a product that would give me volume that would last all day. This stuff really does work and I get compliments on my hair all the time now.

3. Unite 7 Seconds Conditioner- This is a leave in conditioner that smells so good!! And it works really well....but I use it mainly for the scent :)

4. Big Sexy Spray n' Play Hairspray- love this hairspray. Like the root pump, it's the only hairspray that I've noticed to last all day. I hate using a lot of product and with this you only have to spray a little. 

5. I switch shampoos every now and then so I'll use my Unite Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner if I'm going somewhere or if my hair just needs a little umpf. Plus it smells all beachy so it's perfect for the summer :) I use the Dove Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner on the regular and I love it. They stopped carrying it a while ago when I first found it (of course) but thank goodness they brought it back because it's like salon style volume for $3. Can't beat that!

Alright, so link up and share your fave hair products.

Cause this girl is always looking to try something new :)

xoxo.

I'm in love

with these products. :)

gotcha didn't I? 

you thought you were gonna come see a picture of some super sexy man?

sorry to disappoint .

however, I do have some nifty little things I think y'all might like. 

hey, I'm just sharing the love :)

 this bad boy is sitting on my desk at work.

 the amazing dinner we had last night, courtesy of Giada.

recipe

that would be 5 calories per pitcher my friends 

It's like a baby blender!

except it's way faster than my regular sized one and you get 4 to-go cups with it!

makes my mornings that much easier :)

love this!

Exfoliating gloves.

I got a pair of these for Christmas and just started using them.

Girls, it's like I took a bath in lotion. My skin felt so soft after using them!

Get them here.

 I got myself a hot pink towel for the gym

that's right girls. 

now all those hot guys will remember the girl with the pink towel.

alwaaaaays thinkin' ;)

MK 2 in 1 perfume/lipgloss set

Before I got this I'd never carried perfume around with me. 

Now that I have this baby I will never look back. 

So convenient and amazingggg!

Don't forget about the Inspirational Friday link-up tomorrow!!

I can't wait to hear how productive y'all have been :)

xoxo.

Let's Talk

Beauty-

product reviews

over the weekend I went to my favorite beauty store, Ulta, to look for some shampoo.

My hair is kind of funny. It's thick but it looks like it's thin. 

Cray cray.

anyway, I'm always looking for the next best thing to use for volume. I've tried almost every brand you could think of. Awhile back Dove came out with a volumizing shampoo and I fell in love. After the first wash I could tell a huge difference. Of course, after I ran out, they discontinued it and I haven't been able to find anything else like it since. 

I talked a bit ago about how I started using the Big Sexy brand of styling products. 

If you missed that, you can catch it here.

I love them! They give my hair so much volume and I definitely get more compliments when I use it. Lucky for me, they had the huge liters on sale and I got 2 for the price of 1. I decided to try their Extra Volume Shampoo and their Volumizing Conditioner.

Verdict- not a fan.
 I washed my hair with this for the first time today and I was not impressed.
First off, the shampoo reeked! It had such a strong chemical smell...no bueno.
Luckily the conditioner didn't smell bad and it was able to cover the odor of the shampoo.
I was expecting to notice a difference in my hair after I styled it but I definitely didn't.
I went on like normal using my styling products and it looks the same it does everyday.

So my question for you guys is what brand of shampoo have y'all found to be good for volume?
thanks so much!!
xoxo.