November 2015 Favorites!

Hello beautifuls! Today I'm taking a quick break from the Blogmas series to share my November 2015 favorites. I hope they are not too late but, better now than never, right? I feel like November was more a candle favorite than anything else. 

Lorac Mega Pro 2 Palette:

This palette has gone through so much during the month of November. It has so many fingerprints and smudges on the outside and inside. I wasn't able to my hands on the first edition but, I really love this one; the royal blue cover is so gorgeous and the color payoff is outstanding! High quality and high pigmented eyeshadows with just a little bit of fallout. I've been using this for so many fall looks.

Morphe Brushes 35 Warm Palette:

This is my very first Morphe product. I've heard rave after rave and rave about their brushes and eyeshadows, I thought about treating myself to a new palette. These shades are aaaaaamazing!

Chapstick Pumpkin Pie:

This chapstick tastes like pumpkin pie. I got this for Thanksgiving season!

Gigi's Cupcakes Miss Princess Lip Balm:

There's a small cupcake shop in my city that sells some of the BEST cupcakes. They sell other odds and ends like giant cookies and mini cupcakes but, they've had lip balms lately and they taste like the cupcakes they sell. Miss Princess, best cupcake ever!

LUSH Santa's Lip Scrub:

I haven't used any of the LUSH lip scrubs in awhile because I found another one at WholeFoods (which I still love using) but, I wanted to try a new one and this one drew me in. It's like cherry cola in a rock candy sugar form. It's awesome and gives my lips a smooth feeling after using.

Up & Up Soothing Body Wash:

I never really tried store brand body washes before, I always steered away from them for some reason, but I gave this one a go and ended up really loving it to the point I'm on my second bottle now. I've been having really itchy and dry skin and part of it's from allergies to scents and part is from the weather changes. This really helps my skin calm down and reduces the itchy skin.

Chesapeake Bay Candle (Snuggle Sweather):

For $6 at Target, this is a pretty good candle! It's a nice shape too, meaning I can reuse it! It reminds me Mahagoney Teakwood from Bath & Body Works but, with a sweet tint to it.

Luna Candle (Lunar Eclipse):

I found this candle at HomeGoods for around $6-$7. It smells very masculine and sweet at the same time and it fills the room very well!

Holiday Time Wax Melts (Pine):

For $1, this little guys pack a pretty powerful scent. They smell like you're in a forest of Christmas trees. They don't burn for long, but they smell amazing.

Better Homes & Garden Wax Melts (Frosty Winter Nights):

These are probably my top favorite of the wax melts I have for the month of November. Not only do they pack a powerful scent. They make the room smell like you're in a forest of snow at night.

Glade Wax Melts (Share the Spirit):

These smell like grape pomegranate wine! They are strong scented and last for hours!

Bath & Body Works Wallflower (Evergreen):

I don't know why I didn't discover this one before. This smells like a Christmas tree! It's usually the strongest at night or when I've been gone from home a long time.

Bath & Body Works Wallflower (Fresh Balsam):

This also smells like a Christmas tree but, with the hint of pine cones!

Bath & Body Works Wallflower (Flannel):

This scent reminds me of flannel pajamas and late nights staying up in sweatpants!

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Blogmas 2015 Day 10: Gift Guides for Her!

Blogmas 2015 Day 10: Gift Guides for Her!

Trying to decide what to get for her is hard.... mother, sister, daughter, grandmother, whoever! Everyone changes every year, they're hobbies and interests change and you lose track of what they like. I've put together a small list of ideas that I believe most women would enjoy;

Bite Beauty Discovery Set - $55
This set has Bite Beauty favorites in it; their lip exfoliating mask, lipstick erasing clothes, and three of their top selling lip products. Surely, any woman you know who is a lipstick fanatic would love to receive this.

Smashbox ART. LOVE. COLOR. Master Class - $65
This is the third edition of the master class palette series from Smashbox. These are quite expensive but, they are worth every penny. You get high pigmented eyeshadows, blushes and bronzers in this set. Smashbox makes high quality eyeshadows, so whoever receives this palette will not be disappointed.

Clinique Little Holiday Helpers - $17
This set comes with a chubby lipstick, two different moisturizing creams, and a liquid face wash. This is a great set if you know someone who wants to try out a new skincare line but, doesn't know which one to try out!

The Original Beautyblender - $20
This sponges are great for applying makeup. They last several months before needing to be replaced, they're easy to clean and take care of, and they are easy to store anywhere. They make applying liquid foundation, concealer and any liquid products easy and in half the time as a makeup brush.

The Original MakeUp Eraser - $20

Using makeup removing wipes can be a drag at times, specially when they get pricey and you use them up faster then you buy them, This special cloth is make of microfiber material and is designed to remove all your makeup with some warm water.

Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush - $89.50
This brush system is similar to the one from Clarisonic only it's made by Clinique and driven towards those who have extremely sensitive skin or can't tolerate the Clarisonic. It has two sections in the brush head for a regular and a deep clean.

Clinique Limited Edition Wow, Pretty Now Set ($100 Value) - $39.50
This set reminds me of the bonus gifts Clinique gives away during their bonus events. This is their limited edition which includes a gorgeous makeup bag, quad eyeshadow palette, full size lash impacting mascara, quick liner, full size of eye makeup remover, lipgloss, and a blush. Perfect for any woman is starting out or wants more to choose from.

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Blogmas 2015 Day 8: Favorite Places for Christmas Decorations

 

Blogmas 2015 Day 8: Favorite Places to Shop for Christmas Decorations

 Hey beautifuls, day either is here! December is flying by pretty fast so far. Another favorite of mine during Christmas is the decorations! Lights, wreathes, garland, candles, figurines, etcs. I have favorite places to shop for decorations;

Target 

HomeGoods 

 Kirkland's

 Micheal's Craft Stores

 JoAnn Fabric & Craft Stores

  

Dollar Tree

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What are your favorite places to shop for Christmas decorations?

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Blogmas 2015 Day 7: Wreathes!

 Blogmas 2015 Day 7: Wreathes 

Hello beautifuls. During Christmas, one of my favorite decorations is wreathes. Either store bough or handmade, I love them!

 

All images from pinterest.com

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Blogmas 2015 Day 6: Favorite Christmas Movies!

Blogmas 2015 Day 6: Favorite Christmas Movies!

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Every Christmas they show tons of movies about Christmas. I try to watch a lot of them, especially if they are my favorite movies. Over the years, I've fallen in love with many Christmas movies.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Jingle all the Way

The Polar Express

Rudolp the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Home Alone (Movie Series)

A Christmas Carol

It's a Wonderful Life

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What are your favorite Christmas movies?

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Blogmas 2015 Day 5: Dealing With Holiday Stress!

Blogmas 2015 Day 5: Dealing With Holiday Stress!

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I know, I know... the holidays are STRESSFUL. This doesn't matter what you're doing; working, shopping, going to events, going to church events, baking, wrapping.... it all gets stressful.

Put Together Lists:

Something I like to do a week before December even starts, is start up a list of ideas of what my receivers might like, whether it be for my parents or a friend. I try to think of ideas of what they would like and things they've been talking about or looking at recently. This helps avoid the stress of shopping for people!

Enlist Coupons & Flyers:

That's right! Bring them all with you. During this time, stores have TONS of deals going on. Many stores send out tons of coupons for online and in-store use weeks before the holiday begin. This will not only help you decide where to get your gifts, but it will help lighten the load on any type of budget you have for gift shopping.

Safety & Security:

During the holidays, the last emotion you want is feeling unsafe. As the time gets closer to the big day, people get stresses, impatient, and even desperate. Another thing you also don't want, is being robbed. I have a few tips that I've used most of my life during the holiday times and have suggested to others. 

1. Men; keep your wallet in your front pocket, not your back pocket. Doing this ensures the safety of not only your money, but any secure things in your wallet that can potentially jeopardize your identity. It also prevents pick pocketing, which happens to men.

Women; avoid carrying large sized purses, instead carry a clutch with only what you absolutely need while shopping. Women with large purses tend to be the biggest targets during shopping. Large purses are generally open and easily accessible to thieves taking out wallets, phones, keys, and other valuables.

2. Try doing the majority of your shopping during the daytime. Robberies usually happen in the evenings when people are going home, have lots of bags, people are tired from walking around, and are parked in dark parking spots.

3. Avoid large packed crowds. They are perfect places for pick pocketing.

4. Don't keep valuables visible in your car. No matter what it is, hide it if possible. Put in the trunk, the center island, under the seats, or take it in with you. People scope out unlocked cars with visible valuables hoping to get to them.

Have a Plan

Whatever you use to help you plan, use it. Planners, lists, notes. Use them! If you want to designate specific days for shopping and events, put them in a planner or on the calendar. Having your days planned out make the process smoother and stress-free.

Just Have Fun

No matter how tough it gets, remember, it's not all about who spends the most or who gets the most done the fastest. It's about family, traditions, and having fun during the a wonderful holiday.

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I hope I was able to give a few tips to handling the stress during the holidays. What are your tips for handling the holiday stress?

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Blogmas 2015 Day 4: Why Do You Love Christmas?

Blogmas 2015 Day 4: Why Do You Love Christmas?

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Hello beautifuls! It's Day 4 of Blogmas 2015, and today I'm going to be sharing with you why I love Christmas...

Back when I was a child, I loved Christmas because of the lights, visiting Santa, presents, desserts, and dreaming of getting gifts I've wanted all year long.. 

I'm a grown woman at 26 years of age and I've been through a great and bad Christmas and over the years of growing up, I have learned why I love Christmas; it's being with your family and the birth of Jesus Christ. 

It took me years to realize it wasn't all about how many gifts you got, or how crazy you shopped, or how better your house looked from your neighbors ... it wasn't at all about that.

I love Christmas because;

I get to be with my family

I get to see all the wonderful decorations on houses and in stores

I get to decorate the house with lights, scents, and decorations

I get to see the faces of those who receive gifts from me

I get to donate gifts to those less fortunate (families and children)

To celebrate the coming of Jesus.

Very simple!

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Blogmas 2015

Hello again beautifuls. Sorry I was away for awhile again. I got caught with working a lot of hours at work and dealing with the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm going to be participating in Blogmas this year. Last year, I couldn't finish because I got busy with school, work, holiday related things, and I got sick like three times in a row. I've already missed the first three days, but that's ok!

I put together a list... 

Day 4: Why do You Love Christmas?

Day 5: Dealing with Holiday Stress

Day 6: Favorite Christmas Movies

Day 7: Wreathes

Day 8: Favorite Places for Christmas Decorations

Day 9: Nutcrackers

Day 10: Gift Guides:Her

Day 11: Gift Guides: Him

Day 12: Favorite Christmas Scents

Day 13: Most favorite thing about Christmas

Day 14: Favorite Christmas Books

Day 15: Christmas Nails

Day 16: Christmas Wishlist

Day 17: Least favorite thing about Christmas

Day 18: Christmas Shopping Tips

Day 19: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

Day 20: Christmas Decorations

Day 21: Gift Guides: Kids

Day 22: Christmas Desserts

Day 23: Christmas Tree Reveal

Day 24: Christmas Eve

Day 25: Christmas Day

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I hope you all enjoy my future posts during the month of December!

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September & October 2015 Empties!

Happy Sunday! I can't remember the last time I filmed or posted about my monthly empties, it's been months since my last one! During September and October, I used a lot of things up!

Makeup

Lorac Cobra Mascara:

This was a deluxe sample I got with a purchase from Ulta awhile back. I'm not a huge fan of this mascara. The wand looks cool but, it doesn't do anything to my lashes except make them a mess.

Clinique Stay Matte Oil-Free Makeup:

This is hands down, my go-to foundation for the summer time here in Florida. It's so hot, sticky, and humid here during the summer and this foundation holds up through all of the humidity, sweat, oil, doesn't break down easily, and is very lightweight! 

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder:

Favorite setting powder! This stuff is amazing! I get this in the transparent shade everytime I buy a replacement and it keeps my foundation in place, keeps me matte, and controls shine. The only beef I have with this product is: the packaging! I wish they would turn this into a close able compact like most pressed powders. This top makes it hard to store sometimes, not travel friendly, and it makes a huge mess at times.

ELF Eyelid Primer:

If you want a good eyelid primer and you're on a budget, this is for you! It's not as heavy duty and strong and some of it's higher end friends but, it does a darn good job and keeping shadows from creasing and falling apart!

Revlon Colorstay Foundation:

This is another go-to foundation. Not just some summer time, but anytime of the year. It stays matte and lasts all day. I just wish they would make this a pump type of foundation. I've never been a fan of pouring makeup onto my hand with these types of bottles.

Rimmel Stay Matte Primer:

Next to my BECCA Ever-Matte Pore Perfecting Primer (which is hands down, my all time favorite primer for my skin type), this primer comes pretty close to it and for $6, I can't beat that. It's like a lotion formula and is a bit greasy but once it sets in, my skin is matte, my foundation is matte, my oil stays controlled and my foundation stays together. It's not as long priming as my other long wearing primers, but it comes very close to them.

Maybelline FitMe Concealer:

I fell in love with this concealer earlier this year. I read it was a dupe for the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and I decided to give it a go. I was blown away! It is perfect for sculpting my eyebrows, covering my dark circles, and covering blemishes.

Face & Body Care

Giovanni Fragrance Free Sensitive Skin Shave Cream:

I honestly don't know where my skin would be if I hadn't discovered this. Before this, I couldn't shave at all without red, irritated legs that would scream for days after shaving. My skin (especially my legs) are sensitive to scented products. I use this for shaving (with a combination of exfoliation before hand) and my legs are smooth, moisturized, and not itchy or irritated.

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub (Tropical Mango):

I absolutely love this sugar scrubs for my body and legs. This one smells delicious and fills the entire bathroom with the scent after taking a shower. The only issue with this specific scent, is it's very grainy feeling compared to a few others I've used in the past.

Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant (Freshwater Orchid):

What can I say? We all have to have deodorant and, this one works for me.

Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Stay Matte Hydrator:

I've been using for almost a year now and it's probably the best moisturizer for my oily skin. It keeps me matte all day and controls my oil while still keeping my skin hydrated.

Caudalie Anti-Aging Defense Serum:

This was a sample given to me. It was only good one night so I really don't know what to say about it. It feels really good though but, can I say it made a difference? Not enough product to find out...

Hair Care

Dove Dry Shampoo:

I've tried a lot of dry shampoos out there (not all of them!) and this one works amazing for my hair. It gets rid of the oil, makes my hair smell good, gives it volume, and I'm able to use this up to third day hair with no problems.

L'Oreal Smooth Intense Polishing Conditioner:

I didn't not like this conditioner. I thought it would help my hair since it's been a little on the frizzy side lately and always been unmanageable, but no. It made it worse and made my hair very greasy looking. I think this was making my hair fall out.

Tresemme Extra Firm Control Hairspray:

Best hairspray ever. I use this on the regular.

Hand Sanitizers

Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer (Black Cherry Merlot):

This sanitizer is in their new packaging (which I personally prefer, it stays in the holder and doesn't bust open in your purse or car), It makes like a grape wine or like being a grape vineyard. 

Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer (Donuts About You):

This smells so sweet, it almost makes me think of having donuts.

Candles

Bath & Body Works Candle (Twisted Peppermint):

This smells sooooooooo good! I love peppermint smells and anything peppermint! This burns for hours and made the whole kitchen smell like a peppermint wonderland.

Wallflowers

Bath & Body Works Wallflower (Leaves):

This smells a lot like the candle. It smells like very spicy and sweet and makes me think of fall leaves that you would see up North. It just gives you the feeling of being in an area full of trees during the fall time.

Bath & Body Works Wallflower (Black Cherry Merlot):

Once I fell in love with the hand sanitizer, I got the wallflowers. I couldn't resist. These are so strong smelling, they will fill your room up and parts of outside your room. Like I said, being in a vineyard while watching television or reading a book.

Bath & Body Works Wallflower (Mahogany Teakwood):

This is my all time favorite scent for candles and wallflowers from them. It smells very spicy and masculine, but it's a soothing and inviting scent. It's also a very strong scent. Honestly, it reminds me of men cologne. 

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I hope you enjoyed my empties for the months of September and October. Did you have any empties for these two months?

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Review! Lorac Mega PRO 2 Palette + Swatches!

Hello beautifuls! Happy October (I know.... I'm late on that one)

I have for you today an exciting post for you. It's a review and swatches of the newest palette from Lorac; Lorac Mega PRO 2 Palette!

I wasn't able to get my hands on the first edition of this palette (Lorac Mego PRO Palette, which has maroon colored packing) because it was available online at select websites and they had a limited amount. I was at Ulta sometime last week returning an item and saw these guys sitting on the back shelf. I was like "Are they for sale?!" When I found out they were, I was like MINE!

This palette is an Ulta exclusive and retails for $60

The palette is very slim and sleek making it perfect for storing. The packaging has a velvety feel to it and it a lovely shade of royal blue.

To the left of the photo, the palette includes a giant mirror!

There are 32 shadows. The first 16 shadows are all matte and the second 16 shadows are all shimmers, making this a great palette for endless looks.

I have below close ups of all shadows in the palette along with their names. 

Mattes

Shimmers

The colors are mostly cool toned so if you're a cool toned kinda person, this palette will work great for you. The matte shadows are very soft, highly pigmented, blend well but, are very powdery with small to moderate fallout. The shimmer shadows are buttery! They are highly pigmented and blend so well compared to the matte shadows.

NOW FOR SWATCHES!

From left to right: Porcelain, Custard, Tawny, Burlap

From left to right: Melon, Tangerine, Saddle, Forest

From left to right: Bisque, Lavender, Purple, Sorbet

From left to right: Goji, Carbenet, Ash, Black

From left to right: Sugar, Chiffon, Prosecco, Soft Plum

From left to right: Cinnamon, Sandstone, Gunmetal, Blue Quartz

From left to right: Moonlight, Seashell, Peony, Dark Sienna

From left to right: Penny, Olivine, Gold Leaf, Black Ivy

Overall, the shadows are gorgeous in color and can be worked into any look!

Pros:

Highly pigmented

High quality

Blendable

Great assortment of shades to work with

Slim packaging allows easy storage

Cons:

Expensive

Packaging gets dirty real fast which will transfer onto other surfaces and palettes when stored (fingerprints, smudges, etc)

Ulta exclusive

Matte shadows are powdery and have small fallout

Final Thoughts:

I wasn't able to get my hands on the original palette, so I can't make a good comparison of the two next to each other but, I do suggest going out, looking at the palette, swatching it in Ulta, and possibly getting it. 

I know right on point, the price will drive anyone away. $59 is quite expensive for an eyeshadow palette (compared to a lot of other palettes this price come with goodies in them, whereas this didn't).

It's a great palette overall, I just wish they threw in a few goodies to compensate for the high price on this palette. If you enjoy cool toned shadows and are fine with shadows that on the powdery side, and don't mind spending the dollars, I say get your hands on this before it leaves.

As always, my opinions are honest!

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Thank you! 

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