Whatever Wednesday: Get To Know A Little About Me (Personal)

Yes, I understand I have been slacking on this blog this month, but March is typically a busy month for us because it is my husbands and mine anniversary month. Yup, it has been a wonderful twelve married years for us, yet a total of fourteen and a half years together! EEK!

Isn't it funny how time flies by?

We have been gone the past week or so on vacation with my kiddos, parents and brother to celebrate and hang out. Ahhh, it was relaxing, but the time sure went by fast!

To celebrate the twelve years we have been married, I am going to share with you just a few personal (but not too personal) pictures with you so you can get to know me just a little bit more.

These pictures are not in any order of importance...

1. My Boys

I have two little boys, the oldest is ten and the other is six. Wow, where does time fly? When I was first married I did not want children, but just a few months into our marriage I found out that I was pregnant. And, yes, I cried constantly about that. But, it was the best mistake that ever happened to me. I loved being a mother so much that I wanted another one. I am so thankful that I have two little boys who mean the universe to me. They are my world and my all. I cannot imagine my life without them in it. 

2. My Hubby

Yes, he is a man of mystery (LOL), so his face shall remain disguised! He is the one and only, I can never imagine my life with anyone else. We have been through so many ups and countless downs in our marriage that it has drawn us closer as a couple. We have fought too hard in the beginning of our marriage to throw it all away now. He puts up with me, and I don't even know why. I cannot ask for a better partner to experience this life with.

3. The Happiest Place On Earth

I have been to Disney World three times, my hubby twice, my oldest twice and my youngest once. Where else on earth can you get away from the crazy hectic world and allow your inner child to come out? I love Disney World, because I grew up watching Disney movies and daydreaming about fantasy worlds. Seriously, when I was younger I thought Neverland was real and wished that Peter Pan would come visit my window and fly me away. Ah... Only in Disney World do dream comes true...

4. My Favorite Disney Princess

I grew up LOVING Ariel, the little mermaid. This was my all time, and still is, favorite Disney movie. I loved swimming, and still do, when I was younger. My dad always took us kids to the lake and we would swim all day long and I would pretend I was a mermaid.  Basically, I wanted to be a mermaid and thought that someday I could turn into a mermaid. Every time I was in water I had to pretend I was Ariel. She's the best!

 5. I Am In Love With Big Cities

I come from a  small town where it takes ten, maybe fifteen minutes to get from one end of town to the other. I grew up here and love the quaintness of this town. But, I adore big cities and secretly have always wanted to live in a big city. We took a trip to Seattle a few years ago and I loved it. I love walking wherever I have to be. And yes, it rained that whole trip and I still loved it! My all time favorite city is NYC and if given the opportunity would move there in a heartbeat. I have been there twice and I fall in love every time. We are planning a trip to NYC in the Fall and are taking the kids with us. I CANNOT WAIT!!!

6. Cupcakes Are My Thang

Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes... Everyone who knows me, knows I love cupcakes. They are so stinkin' cute! They are my weakness. If I am alone in a room with a cupcake, that cupcake is not coming out. It shall be devoured by me. This is my dessert of choice. Enough said.

7. I Am A Super Fan Of Michael Buble'

I have been to two of his concerts and LOVED every single one of them. He was actually the very first concert I had been to a few years back. I have always liked the old standards because they are so romantic and heartfelt and Mr. Buble' pulls it off well, because he has that voice that just fits that era of music. I could listen to him all day everyday!

8. It's The Little Things That Mean The Most

I don't need nor desire expensive gifts at all. What means the most to me are the things that family and friends have made special for me. For them to take their time to work on something for me in mind means so much more to me than an expensive handbag. It always melts my heart when my boys surprise me with their creations they crafted for me, or even notes saying I Love You on them. Those will always be treasured and never disregarded.

9. Reading Is An Addictive Pastime

I get lost in books. They transport me into another time, another world and another character. What better way is there to spend a day? Especially when it is rainy, gloomy and cold outside. I want to be curled up on my couch with a cup of hot tea and a big book. That's my idea of a good day!

10. Buying A Fixer Upper

Yeah, so we moved into this bigger house a little over a year ago. It was my husbands favorite house, he could not get it out of his head when we where house hunting. I was not in love with it, and am still not in love with it.But, my hubby loves remodeling and seeing his vision come to life. While I like doing those things, I just don't have the time to do them, and neither does he. So, we are living in our fixer upper and fixing it up one project at a time. We figure in five years everything should be remodeled. Yeah, I don't think I would buy a fixer upper again...

11. I Loved To Run

Yes, I said it in the past tense, but I still wish I could run because there is nothing like the free, almost flying feeling that running can bring. I ran constantly when I was a teenager with my dad. I picked it up again a few years ago and got back into shape to train for a half marathon, which was my goal. (I even started a running blog back than! LOL) Even though I entered a few races, I never made it to my half, because I kept re-injuring my leg to the point where running was not worth it. I still do miss it, though...

12. Scrabble Is My Game Of Choice

Growing up, Scrabble was always boring and took way too long, so I could never last when my mom and I would play. But, a few years back I found that Scrabble is one of those games that you absolutely cannot rush. It is a pastime game inner family; a way to spend a lazy winters day eating and drinking and playing a game that lasts a couple hours. That to me, is homey.

There you go, guys, this is just a little insight into the person that I am. Hope you enjoyed!


Have A Wonderful Day!

Mally's Brow Beauty Ultimate Brow Kit Review

I am all about the brows, baby! I cannot step out my front door without filling in my thin eyebrows, either with a pencil or quickly with powder. I have tried so many brow products from different drugstore and high end companies that I figured I might as well give Mally's Brow Beauty Ultimate Brow Kit a try. I adore Mally's beauty products, because they are amazing quality and last a very long time when wearing them! 

Mally's Ultimate Brow Kit retails for $30.00 and comes in Taupe, Medium Brown, and Sable. This kit includes a double ended brow pencil, a tube of clear brow gel, a sharpener, and a double ended brow tool that has a spoolie at one end and a lash comb at the other. I thought this was a phenomenal deal for all the products that you receive!

Mally Beauty claims that this will last all day on your brows and the gel will give you staying power and lock the brows into place.

I have been able to test this out for the past month or more, so read on to find out what my thoughts are on this product!

This comes packaged so neatly and compact, not to mention the color of the box is amazing! I just so happen to be a fan of the pale green, and you can even see a faint shadowing of snake skin on the packaging. Ah, yes, this packaging is an eye grabber, that's for sure!

Above is a picture of all the goodies when they where brand new just out of the box! Check out how beautiful that pale green is, it looks so sleek and sophisticated. I LOVE this color! 

The double ended brow pencil includes a defining pencil on one end and a soft color pencil on the other. It's very convenient and works well to have these two different pencils all in one. It makes for a quick application and great for traveling, because you will not have to take two different pencils with you or risk forgetting one and leaving it behind. 

Yet, on the other hand, some of us can just get by using one brow pencil, so, maybe using two different kinds is just an extra step that you can skip. And if you are someone who feels that way, I am with you on that, my dears!

The defining pencil is firm and has a dry formula to it, and is meant to be used to define the outline of your brows. This is dry enough to define the outline of your brows without it looking harsh, while the color is light enough to define without it looking fake and obvious. 

The softcolor end is what you use to fill in the brows and it still has a dry formula, but is slightly softer than the definer. This performs very similarly to the defining end of this pencil, because the color comes off subtly, which prevents the brows from looking harsh. 

Mally's Brown Beauty Ultimate Brow Kit In Medium Brown
Left: Definer
Right: Softcolor

The way that the pencil performed was a touch disappointing. I was used to creamier brow products, or ones with a softer formula. But, I have come to see that the dryness of the pencil helps to distribute just the right amount of color, without overdoing it. Plus, a dry formula really does help the brows to stay all day! Yet, the formula is still not my favorite to work with, because I almost feel like I have to drag the pencil harshly across my brows for the color payoff to show up, it is that dry of a pencil. 

Now, I love this brow gel! This is a clear brow gel that holds your brow hairs in place all day long! I am picky about brow gel, because there are some that will flake on me, making me look like I put hairspray on my brows and it gets flakey as the day goes on. That is not my thang at all! But, this gel I really do like and it performs beautifully!

This brow tool is perfect and I use this daily. The spoolie is soft, plush and thick while the lash comb on the other end feels like it is made of steel! This tool is going to last quite a long time. The only thing is, it is so long, I almost wish they had made it just a little smaller so it would be easier to stuff in a makeup bag and travel with.

Oh, and the sharpener is your run of the mill sharpener, and has worked wonderfully. It has not eaten up the pencil yet! That's a huge plus, isn't it?

Honestly, I will not repurchase this brow kit once I have used it up. I am not in love with the formula of the brow pencil and I truly don't feel the need to use two different types (ends) to complete my brows. It is just an extra step that I feel okay with leaving out. 

The gel I adore, but than again, if I can find a drugstore alternative that will do the same thing this gel does, I will be happy. Even if Mally sold this gel on its own, I would hesitate to buy it, because I have a feeling there is a cheaper brow gel out there that can do the job right!

Does anyone out there have any affordable brow gel suggestions out there for me? I would love to try them out!

Have A Wonderful Day!

 

Whatever Wednesday: HauteLook Took Me By Surprise!

So... now that winter is winding down, stores everywhere have been having clearance on a lot of winter time goodies, and that also has included boots! I love boots and wear them dressed up and down, so I have been in dire need of some new black boots and brown boots.

Well, for me brown boots have been hard to find this year, ones that are the right shade of brown and have the right detail that I have been looking forward to. A chocolate brown is what I wanted, and nothing with a lot of bling or overdone details.

For fun, I happened to be perusing hautelook.com just this past Sunday night around 9:00ish and happened to find that their boots where 80% off! They had such a wide variety of different colors, shapes and styles... Well, I found a beautiful pair of brown boots with simple detail that I believe are by the brand Bucco and are called the Bince Boot. According to Hautelook, this retails for around $110.00 and they had this on sale for $26.97. So, with shipping, this gorgeous boot only cost me $34.92!!!!

SCORE!!!


Usually, when I have ordered from Hautelook, it took about two weeks at least for my order to arrive, and the anticipation kills me. Well, I came home today around 5:30 and low and behold, my hubby presented me with my shipment! I was NOT expecting this for awhile, I had't even bothered to check on its shipping status. I was pleasantly surprised!

I absolutely ADORE the gold zipper that runs up the outside of the boot. I really like how this is noticeable from the outside of the boot, not hidden on the inside. If a boot has this kind of cool detail, I want it to be noticed! Plus, gold on brown looks so pretty!

The buckles on this boot are not overwhelming nor is it cheesy looking. These are jut the right size where it is not distracting from the simplicity of this boot. They add just the right amount of pizzazz.

Here is the inside of the boot, simple and classy. I have a feeling that this will not go out of style!

I Love my new boots! Not to mention the super fast shipping that hautelook surprised me with! I hope this is their new norm, because I will order from them more often if this is the case!


Have you ordered anything exciting from them lately? Let me know!



Have A Wonderful Day!

NCLA Nail Laquer In, "Heart Attack" Review

I love a nail polish, but glitter nails and nail decals and confetti are not my thang, only because I find glitter polish a pain in the booty to remove and nail decals and confetti, in my opinion, while they are very pretty, can be a little too overwhelming on my fingernails. So, when I received a nail polish from NCLA in the color, "Heart Attack" that had cute pink and red heart decals in clear nail polish, I have to admit that I wondered exactly when I would wear something like this...

But, let's check this out and see what my experience with this polish was!

Check out their website here , where you can find full details of this product, but this retails for $16.00, so I expect awesomeness from such an expensive high end nail polish with this price tag. Let's see if this delivered...

Lets just talk about how adorable this box is! You know how I feel about packaging and unboxing a product. If the package is cute, it makes opening it even more exciting because I anticipate great things from the product itself. NCLA nail lacquer comes in a plastic box with such a cute expression on the top, "Enjoy a little California love on your fingertips." How cute, is that?

This is a clear nail polish saturated with pink and red confetti hearts that are very cute. But, as I asked before, where am I going to wear this? 

This has your typical nail polish brush that works just fine, but what I did notice right away from just opening up the bottle and checking out the brush, is that this doesn't pick up much confetti hearts... Do you notice that from the picture above? I was immediately worried ow this would apply...

As far as application goes, the NCLA nail lacquer was a huge dud! It was frustrating to work with, because the brush would pick up maybe one or two of the hearts, which was not cool with me, because it is full of so much of the confetti. I expected more than just two hearts... I struggled with just applying the three hearts that I got on my one accent nail. It took several dips into the bottle to get the few that I got out. Not to mention, if I tried applying more than one coat of this nail lacquer the clear coat tended to get a touch goopy.

My recommendation would be to use a good pair of tweezers to take the heart confetti from the brush and to place it on the nail where you want it.

I figured that a good way to use this polish would be as an accent nail. Subtle and cute, right? I than topped this with my Sally Hansen clear polish and called it good.

Unfortunately, the hearts did not last very long on my nails. By the second day, one had fallen off and by the third day, they all where completely gone... So much for that, right?

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this NCLA nail lacquer, I expected way more for this hefty price tag. When I have an unfortunate experience with a product, especially one that is priced so high, I tend to shy away from trying out anymore of their products. Remember, first impressions are hard to forget. I just wish Boxycharm would have included a different nail lacquer from this brand, maybe one without the confetti. Possibly than, my thoughts would be different...

Oh well... Better stuff next time ;)



Have A Wonderful Day!

Mullein And Sparrow Facial Mask Review

Facial masks are not a beauty item that I tend to gravitate towards because, I will be the first to admit that skin care is not something that I am thrilled to spend money on. Trust me, I do understand the need to have a good skincare routine, and I promise that I have one, and that it is extremely boring...

When I received this Facial Mask form Mullein And Sparrow in my February Boxycharm, I was interested in this, because this is a clay face mask, and I instantly wondered if this could be compared to the GlamGlow mask that everyone is obsessed with. I could not tell you if this is the a good comparison because I have never tried it out myself...

Well, onto the review, shall we!

You can check out Mullein And Sparrow's website here , where you can find a wealth of handmade 100% natural beauty products ranging from body care, hair care and skin care. Honestly, the price range is fair, because a full sized version of this product retails for $35.00 and comes in a beautiful glass jar!

I received a deluxe sized sample of this facial mask and immediately felt like the box that it came inside had an immediate high end feeling to it. With it's simplistic appearance, it reminded me of something that you would find in a spa.

This is a clay mask that promises if you use it weekly it will exfoliate, detox and balance the appearance of skin and refine pores. Just click on the link above because it leads to their website where you will get a detailed breakdown of the three clays, including rose powder, that this is made out of.

This is such a cute mini bottle, isn't it? I took the following pics after I had tested this product out for the first time. The bottle does come with a cork in the top, which is tightly pushed into the bottle and wrapped securely with a plastic seal. That was a huge problem for me, because as I was trying to get the cork out with a butterknife, the cork was breaking into pieces, but was not budging its way out the top of the bottle! grrrr.... Thus, it was near impossible to get the cork out, so I ended up having to push the rest of the cork into the bottle and it had to just stay there, as the hole at the top of the bottle is too small to fish the rest of the cork out. grrrr....

Check out how finely milled this powder is! The instruction is to mix a small amount of this powder with a little bit of water to form a paste. Than apply it to your moistened face, neck, and chest, if you so choose. For me, I use this only on my face. I love how when it is mixed, it looks and feels like you are putting mud all over your face, but the cool thing is, it dries down in a matter of just a minute or two and you can feel how tight it gets on the skin.

Check me out above there! When this is first applied, it is a dark grey color and once it is dried it turns white!

I like to wear this mask for ten minutes and than I use a warm washcloth to remove the mask. After that I give my face a good splash of water and it feels totally and completely refreshed and smooth! I feel as if this makes my face feel as if it is new and clean!

For the price, this is a luxury item, but for the $35.00 you are getting 2.5oz. With GlamGlow you are getting 1.2oz for over $60.00.... Again, I am not sure if this is on par with the claims of GlamGlow, but for the price, this might be worth looking into for an alternative!

If I could choose one extra luxury step to add to my skin care regime, this would be it. True, I do not often use masks, but this Facial Mask from Mullein And Sparrow is amazing enough to get me to check out the benefits of a clay mask, but, only as long as it makes my skin feel as amazing as this one! I really do love this product and would recommend that you check this out for yourself!



Have A Wonderful Day!

Mistura C-2-P Complexion Corrector Review

I have to say that I am loving my Boxycharm subscription since I subscribed in January, because there has been so many beautiful high end cosmetics that I wouldn't normally try. In March's Boxycharm Box, I was intrigued by a concealer stick from a brand called, Mistura Beauty Solutions. I am interested in a concealer stick for the convenience of traveling and quick application. 

So, lets see what I thought about this!

On their website you can read about this product here , where it retails for $36.99, but I will say that it seems to be the exact same product, just designed a little different than the one that I received in my box. Check it out to see what I mean. 

But, they claim that this is a cream to powder formula that is hydrating because it is made with coconut oil and shea butter. What is pretty cool about this product is that this is a three in one product, because you can use this as a concealer, spot coverage or foundation. They say that this can be buildable and can even cover acne spots, even broken capillaries! Amazingly, they claim that this is a universal color for everybody. Hmm... that's quite an unbelievable claim, as you can tell from the product itself.

I absolutely love that this is designed exactly like a lipstick! You take the top off and twist the product up to use it, just like a lipstick. I know they make products like this, drugstore and high end, but this is my first time trying a concealer in this form. The cap is extremely durable and it snaps on and stays put, no worries about the cap falling off and the product getting messy everywhere. 

I did have an issue with the product that I received, and I think (hopefully!) that it was just mine, because I don't think that with such an expensive product they would produce this to break so easily. Take a look at what happened:

So, yeah... when I went to open the concealer stick for the first time, and lo and behold, the stick had broken in half... The bottom picture shows the step I took to get the top half back into the bottom part of the tube, which I ended up having to gently mash the top piece to the bottom piece without destroying it. 

As far as texture, this is so very silky and soft. I was worried that at first the cream would be too slippery for my oily face, but this glided onto my skin gently, no greasiness whatsoever, without any tugging. I could feel that it set to a powder finish very quickly, while still being very bendable. It feels weightless on my skin and blends like a dream! I love the texture and easiness of this product!

 

The coverage of this concealer is amazing! I have worn this under my eyes which helped to conceal the slight darkness that I have under there. I also have worn this on some acne scars and I was so pleasantly shocked at how well this covered everything up. The only thing is, I would highly recommend setting this with a finishing powder to prevent creasing, which I had noticed under my eyes the first time I wore this alone without powder. Setting this product helped it to last longer throughout the day. I won't claim this is an all day wear, this did fade on my skin towards the end of the day, so I would say that this lasted on me from 8:00 am till around 3:30ish  pm. Honestly, that is not disappointing at all!

The color works great for my skin tone, but for dark colored skin I do not think that this is going to work. Unfortunately there is no option for women of color, and that is a huge fail in my eyes. I personally do not like when companies claim that one color works for all skin tones. 

I would use this more for when I am traveling or in a hurry to conceal my under eyes or some major blemishes. I understand that this is an expensive product and this does not come in other colors that are for people with dark skin tones. But, for my skin, I really am enjoying this concealer and would say that if you have a lighter skin tone, give it a try for yourself, you just might love it! 

Have A Wonderful Day!

Whatever Wednesday: The Best Tea I Have Had In A Long Time!

Welcome to the first installment of, "Whatever Wednesdays" where I blog about whatever I feel like for that day; and most likely it will not have anything to do with beauty. Today, I want to share with you a new love that I have discovered, quite by accident, at Walmart of all places!

Let me begin by explaining to you my love for tea. I love tea, not just during the cooler months of the year, but even during the warmer summer months. And yes, I enjoy it hot. I find that it is comforting and cozy; it soothes my whole being because I can feel my whole body just relax with a sigh of pleasure. My favorite is Licorice Spice tea, introduced to me by a dear friend who told me that it helped her to satisfy her evening cravings for sweets. And now, I am highly addicted to the stuff.

When I am at Walmart, it seems to always be sold out! Seriously, does Walmart ever restock their shelves? I promise, I went to Walmart for a few groceries three weeks in a row, and each time during those three weeks they where always sold out of my Licorice Spice!

Sadly, that happened last week when I went to "WallyWorld", and I was in desperate need of tea that would satisfy my soul. Low and behold, my eyes just so happened to wander to the very top shelf where there sat several eye catching boxes of tea in an interesting variety of flavors.

"Good Earth" tea boxes looked down at me, and I wondered why I had never heard of them nor noticed their exciting boxes before...

The cost was not expensive, a box was less than $3.00 and came with 18 tea bags, which is very reasonable. I had a hard time deciding which one to try and take home with me, but I settled on "Sweet And Spicy", which is described as having notes of cinnamon with sweet bursts of orange.

Intriguing...

I honestly did not expect much from this tea, but WOW was I so pleasantly happy!

My first sip could only be described as a lovely warm burst of sweetness and spiciness... Seriously, when they named this tea, "Sweet And Spicy", they hit it right on the nail! I personally do not like a tea that is overwhelming in cinnamon, because, for my palette, it can be a little too intense. But, this has a burst of citrus sweetness that is very pleasing! This is what they call, the perfect balance.

I am not going to lie, I happen to find the quotes that are on the back of the "tea tag" to be quite exciting! I honestly did not notice the quote on the first "tea tag" that I had, it wasn't until the second tea bag that I used that I took note of the special touch that was put into this tag! What I have appreciated so far is that not once have I got a repeated quote on a "tea tag". Although, I am sure the more I repurchase this, I will run into repeats, but that's not a worry to me.

I cannot get enough of this tea, I have had it every single afternoon! This is a black tea, so it does contain a certain amount of caffeine, so I would not recommend drinking this as your night time cup of tea, for you just might find that you will not be sleeping as soon as you think. I know, some are more sensitive to caffeine than others, so to each their own!

When I perused their website, which you can take a gander at yourself right here , they had a variety of fourteen different teas to choose from in a variety of blends. Yet, on their website, they where wanting more for a box than Walmart charged. If you cannot find this brand at your local store, I think that it honestly would be worth ordering a few boxes on Good Earth's website to try it out for yourself.

I seriously doubt you will be disappointed!

Have A Wonderful Wednesday!