My week in photos and my video post fail

I had (and recorded) a favorites video for you guys! Somehow I totally had the focus off and the video was a disaster! Unfortunately due to my crazy schedule I've been having to record my videos late at night, so the lighting is horrible! I'm trying to find a way to fix that while still being able to record when I can. We will see how that goes! Until I have a chance to redo the favorites video here is my week via instagram!

My Rampage black boots and my screenshot of Flair by Brandi on Cityblis! Check out their site!!


Black shimmer nails with rhinestones and an instapic of my Michael Kors Runway watch!


Another of my watch & a trip to Ulta. I grabbed the Vice 2 Palette & Cherries in the Air from Escada.


My brown Steve Madden boots and my cute new Unlisted booties! Aren't they cute?


And here is a look I did with my Vice 2 Palette!




I hope you are all having a fab weekend so far! Stay tuned for a few reviews I'm working on and my favorites video!! Love and Kisses!!

What's Hot at Tarte and a Peek at my shopping list!

I have a weakness for makeup! I love finding and trying out new products and of course stocking up on products I already own and love. Tarte has some best sellers and some new products that are totally fabulous! I've already been working on my shopping/wish list! Here are a few products that are on my list!


1) Cheek stain in Dollface. I love this shade!!

2) Maracuja lip exfoliant. Can't wait to try this out!

3) Amazonian clay waterproof cream shadow in Seashell pink

4) LipSurgence matte lip tint in Exposed.

5) Park ave princess bronze & glow matte bronzer and tint.

Have you tried any of these Tarte products? Which one is your favorite?

 

 

e.l.f Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths Review

Last week on one of my beauty hauls I picked up e.l.f's makeup remover cleansing cloths. I  heard that they were pretty good, so I decided that I would test them myself! These were super affordable, in fact, all e.l.f. products are! The question is do they work?

Packaging :

The e.l.f cleansing cloths come in a black baby wipe style package with a pop open dispenser. This is literally identical to a baby wipe packaging. It is very easy to pull out the wipe and convenient.

 

Quantity:

Each packet will include 20 ready to use cloths.

 

Quality:

These cleansing cloths state that they will easily cleans skin and will remove all traces of makeup and dirt including waterproof mascara. They also state that they will work on any skin types including sensitive skin. They are infused with Aloe Vera Extract to add hydration and moisture.

 

In my opinion they did do a good job removing makeup. I have used them 3 different times lately with a regular makeup look, a dark smoky eye, and with waterproof mascara. Each time it easily removed my makeup.

 

These cloths do leave a "moisturized" feel to your skin. It feels almost like a cream was applied. I wouldn't use this as your only cleansing before bed though! I do recommend it as a makeup remover, but you will still definitely want to cleanse your face as normal. I have combination to oily skin and felt that the extra moisturizers would be great for dryer skin. On the other hand if you tend to wear a good bit of makeup some removers do tend to dehydrate skin, so using these moisturizing remover cloths would be a bonus and would help put back that moisture.

 

Overall :

I would give it an A! I will definitely keep these on hand for easy makeup removal and to touch up minor makeup mistakes! They don't need a lot of elbow grease to use in removing your makeup and are definitely gentle on skin. This is also very budget friendly at under $3.00 per bag of 20. I say give them a try!

These opinions are mine. I was not paid to review or try this product by any company.

 

Stay tuned for my October favorites video post and the review of my Erin Condren Life Planner! It was shipped yesterday and I am still waiting patiently to arrive at my door! Aaah! I can't wait to share it with you guys! Happy Halloween!

 

 

 

Beauty Haul Part Two

Here is part two of my beauty haul! I decided not to include my home office haul but will throw that in with my Erin Condren planner review! It is scheduled to ship in two days, so hopefully I will have it within a week!

 

Have a great Sunday!!!

 

 

Currently Craving: What's On My List

Hey loves! I hope you are all ready for your weekend! I know I am! I've been doing some shopping and browsing lately and here are a few things I've come across that are on my shopping list!


1) I really want to try this Smoky Cool pallet from Bobbi Brown. You can pick it up for about $50. I really love the shimmering silver shades! This is going to be my next cosmetic purchase!
2) I am in love with these Michael Kors booties! I found these at Belk for $225. I might break down and get them!
3) Do you not love this phone? I want it! Don't ask me what I would do with a crazy big phone, but its totally girly and adorable! This one was also at Belk for $89.
4) Ok I saw this the other day and didn't get it. I have regretted it since. I have been to two other places trying to pick it up and there is none! This is the Garnier Fructis Fall Fight Leave in spray. This is supposed to help prevent hair breakage and strands from falling out. I wanted to try it out!
5) I love these adorable elephant book ends! Did I mention I collect elephants?
6)I came across this chandelier online and thought it would look really cute in a bedroom since it was small. It would give a smaller space a luxurious feel! It's on the list!

Have a fabulous weekend!!

 

How to Fill in Brows Tutorial : Part One - Using a Gel and Powder Duo

In my opinion your makeup is not complete until your brows are filled in! Filling in brows and grooming them can totally transform your makeup look. I think it gives a more polished and complete look! Here is a quick  picture tutorial on using a gel and powder duo. I will do a part two with your basic brow pencil as well.

 

 

1) Grab your tools! For this tutorial I am going to use a gel and powder duo from elf cosmetics. You can pick this up for under $4.00! It comes with a dual brush inside, but I'm also going to use a brow brush from Avon. I am also using a brow comb.

 

2) This is the before picture! Nothing is on my brows yet!

 

3) Dip your brush in your brow gel. You don't need a lot. It goes on very well and has great coverage.

 

4) I start at the inner part of my brow and work my way to the outer side. I am doing the bottom of the brow area first.

 

5) Working toward the middle of the brow.

 

6) This shows the outer edge. The outside of the brow is going to be thinner than the inside.

 

7) I tapered off the end and made sure it was where it needed to be as far as length. You definitely don't want to make your brows appear too long! Be careful of that! You should have a defined brow area.

 

8) Using my brush and gel I am going to start working on the top of the inner part of my brow. Make sure you don't go too high!

 

9) After that I will define the brow and make sure the brow shape is where I want it to be!

 

10) Once your shape or outline is complete you are going to want to fill in the sparse areas with the gel. Again a little goes a long way!

 

11) To set the gel I used the powder that was included in my duo. I am using the included applicator for this step. Just dab the bush in the powder and pat onto the brow area.

 

12) After I have finished with the brow duo I like to use a brow comb to finish grooming my brows. The brush side will help eliminate any gel that is too "thick" looking or any "clumpy" areas.  You can also use a clear brow gel or setting gel (looks like a clear mascara) to hold thicker brows into place! I skipped this step today.

 

Below step 12 shows a filled brow versus a non filled brow. Can you see the difference it makes??

 

Viola! The completed look.

 

 

 

Stay tuned for part two of my brow tutorial when I show you how to fill brows using a pencil! Its super easy!!

 

  

I hope you are all having a fabulous week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beauty Haul Part One

Wow! I've been trying to work on getting these videos up for quite a while now. Then of course the only time I actually was able to work on them was a night, which explains the horrible lighting! I am still working on part two and will have that up in a day or two! I am also super excited about my Erin Condren life planner that I recently ordered! I will be doing a review of that and explaining all the great details when it arrives! It is scheduled to ship on October 28th, which happens to be my birthday! Ok guys, here is part one of my beauty haul!



I hope you are all having a fabulous week so far! Take care!!

Whats coming up...

I'm super excited to share some of my shopping hauls with you guys! I will be doing videos for these and plan to start those this week! I am also patiently waiting on my Erin Condren planner!! I will be giving a review of that as well.

As of now I have a beauty haul to work on and a home office haul. I have tons of posts planned and am working on them now! I can't wait to share all this great stuff with you guys! I hope you are all having a great week so far!

Photo Update and What's New

I could not begin to tell you the craziness that has been my life over the past couple of weeks. I am still waiting on things to settle back down and praying all goes well. In the meantime here are a few snaps via instagram of what's been going on!

This was an idea for Halloween makeup...vintage/retro look.



Flower petal in my yard.                                          Our chocolate fountain and wine night.


A message from my neighbor via fb                      Handbag and my nails


Newest clutch bag                                                 Sparkles, chevron, and anchors away


Gloria Jeans coffee a must!                                  Willie Jewels BBQ yum!


Time to relax                                                         This kitten is adorable!


Autumn and myself night out                                me and the hubby


Catching up...                                                         New mahogany brown hair.



I hope you are all having a fabulous week! Stay tuned for my latest shopping haul post to see what goodies I picked out!

Luxury For Less : Your Quick Guide for Getting the Goods for Less

 

Who doesn't love Luxury? Webster's dictionary says that luxury is the state of great comfort and extravagant living. I'm sure we all love the thought of the Lux lifestyle, but most of us can't afford to live like a millionaire! Wouldn't it be great to look like you just stepped off the runway, carry designer bags, and sip champagne from crystal flutes? Here is your quick guide for living the lux life for way less!

1) Clothes

Designer clothes are great, but they can get really expensive. I'm talking thousands of dollars! I don't know about you, but I can't shell out that kind of money on clothes. I love having a closet full of clothes, but I love it more that they are all affordable! Here are a few options for feeling lux and spending less!

~ Most designer brands have outlet stores! These stores sell items at a fraction of the cost.

~ Check out department store clearance racks! You will be amazed at how low some stuff can get marked down!

~ Consignment shopping is a great way to grab fabulous pieces at really affordable prices! You can even find vintage pieces! I love consignment shopping! You will be surprised at the great pieces you find, which is why I call it "treasure hunting" most of the time!

~Thrift shopping and goodwill is similar to consignment shopping. These stores tend to have the lowest prices. These items were usually donated to the stores as opposed to "consigned" to resell. You can still find some pretty great stuff!

~ Discount stores have great name brand finds for a fraction of the cost. A few examples would be TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, Burkes, and Rugged Warehouse.

2) Handbags, Shoes, and Accessories

These are some of my favorite items to shop for! Designer handbags are one of my favorites! As much as I love buying handbags I definitely couldn't afford several thousand dollars a pop! Here are a few suggestions for grabbing a designer bag and other items for less!

~ Consignment Shops are the same with clothes, shoes, handbags, and accessories! These items are usually good quality designer items that someone has decided to sell. The consignment shop sells the items for their clients. The prices are really affordable!

~ Wholesalers and Outlets are a great place to start. These stores sell their merchandise for a fraction of the retail price. These stores also have great sales!

~ Online sites such as ebay are great for picking up a super affordable piece! Just make sure that what you are getting is authentic! I have purchased several items from ebay and have been happy with all of my buys!

3) For the Home, etc.

Your personal space is just as important as your style when it comes to feeling luxurious! Its great to have high quality sheets and towels or fabulous framed photos and décor! You might have some of these items passed down to you from other relatives or have purchased some of your own. For great finds that are affordable try these:

~ People tend to throw away things that they are unsure of. Some peoples tastes tend to change or they don't really know the actual value of an item. Thrifting again is a great way to pick up some awesome décor! I've found some amazing sterling pieces, and even Waterford crystal while thrifting! The best part is they were super cheap!

~ Department stores tend to have great sales and coupons for housewares! Check those out!

~ Discount stores have great selections of home décor that is fabulous and fun! Did I mention that they are super affordable!

~ Online retailers and ebay is another option for housewares and décor!

 

Tips and Tricks for the Lux Life : How To...

1) Wear heels. Nothing says fabulous like a great pair of heels! Heels can change the look and feel of an outfit! They also make you feel more confident! Confidence says luxury!

2) Buy a great bag. If you don't have a designer bag, don't worry! Luxury isn't always about the "brand". Find a great structured bag that looks amazing and rock it! It doesn't have to cost thousands to me amazing or make you feel luxurious!

3) Wear diamonds. Who doesn't love diamonds? Diamond stud earrings are classic! These are perfect for any look! If you can't afford diamonds try some CZ or lab created diamonds! As long as they stay on the smaller side no one will know the difference!

4) Dress up. I'm not telling you to get decked out just to run to the grocery store, but putting together more of an "outfit" and avoiding the "yoga" look will help! I love my yoga pants, but sometimes you just need to put in more of an effort! Luxury is about being put together!

5) Wear Makeup. Sometimes the simple act of putting on a little makeup can make you feel amazing! Makeup will finish off any look and make you look more polished!

6) Take a hot candle lit bath. Ok that is luxury! We all need a break sometimes! I love to get in a nice hot bath (bubble, oils, etc) and relax. Scented candles or even regular candles can change the feel of a room. I love the flicker of a candle while relaxing in the tub. Take a book to read too!

7) Get a massage. If you don't want to go to a masseuse or spa get your spouse/significant other to give you one. A relaxing massage will make you feel amazing. If you do get a professional massage do some research! They can actually be super affordable!

8) Get a pedicure. I love a good pedicure! I love sitting in those relaxing spa chairs with my feet in the warm bubbling water. I also love the foot massage you get while sitting there relaxing! If you aren't a fan of salon pedicures give one to yourself! Polished toes are great!

9) Organize your closet and your life. I try my best to stay organized. My closet is always organized! You would be surprised at how easy it is to put together tons of outfits when you can actually see your clothes. Everything should have a place! When you can see and find everything it makes such a difference! Being organized and neat definitely says luxury! A cluttered closet with clothes in disarray does not say luxury! It says "help"! Try to keep all aspects of your life organized. This will relieve tons of stress!

10) Drink champagne and eat chocolate covered strawberries. Doesn't that sound fabulous! Imagine relaxing in your nice hot bath drinking a glass of champagne and eating chocolate covered strawberries! That is luxury! You can get your own fondue set for pretty cheap and make your own chocolate covered strawberries and treats! Fondue is luxury!

 

I hope you enjoyed some of these tips on how to have luxury for less! I'm ready for some champagne and strawberries! Who's with me?