February Faves

Is it really already the end of February? I can't believe it, but since it is these are my February Faves. I've kind of chosen to pick one product from each category (hair,face,nails...etc, you get the idea).

I made this post regarding my newest pieces of Steel By Design jewelry and I have been in love with my rose ring. I also mentioned that i'm not a big wearer of rings (other than my wedding ones) but this one has been on my finger almost daily in the past month. It is a 5 star for me, love this piece.

My fave nail color this month has definitely been Bare by Sinful Colors. It is a nude/pinkish color. It looks great with everything and i'm sure i'll be wearing it a lot this Spring. I'm also really liking Purple Diamond (also by Sinful Colors) but since I just got it like last week I decided not to do it as a fave this month.

As if I didn't rave enough about Indie Lee and her body scrub in this post ,I have to do it some more. This scrub is heavenly. Again, I don't think it has the best smell but it's not offensive and certainly won't deter me away from one of the best (actually probably the best) body scrubs I have ever used.

Hands down Joico K-pak RevitaLuxe is the best hair care product i've been using this past month. My hair looks great, feels great, and just overall i'm impressed with this product. You can check out my full review on it here.

My fave makeup item this month has been my Missha BB cream. I did a initial reaction post to this product when I first got it but have yet to do a full review. I'll just say that I really enjoy this product. My biggest problem is that I can't wear it alone because it is too drying. This isn't that much of a issue for me because i'm use to applying primer/moisturizer beforehand as I have super dry areas to begin with. I enjoy the way this makes my face look. It's not cakey and just blends out really well leaving me with a natural but smooth complexion.

Lastly, my February fave for a face care product is Philosophy's Purity Made Simple. This is a facial cleanser but I use it mainly for makeup remover. In my opinion, it's the best makeup remover out there. It removes waterproof mascara like a dream and doesn't irritate my contacts/eyes. I will try to get around to doing a full review on this soon.


What are your fave products for this month?

Tip Tuesday

Do you have clothes that constantly hang off the hangers like this?

Here is a quick fix.

What you'll need:

plastic hanger(s)
glue gun & glue sticks

Apply a zig zag pattern on each hanger arm and let cool.

*Note* Apply a good sized zip zag otherwise the glue will just want to peel off.

Easy Peasy! No more clothes hanging half off the hangers or all over your closet floor.

**tip was pinterest inspired** :)

CellCeuticals NeoCell Review

"This micro-resurfacing skin treatment has natural enzymes and volcanic micro-minerals that will exfoliate skin without irritation, revealing a smoother and more radiant complexion."

This is another product that came in my first Beauty Army box and that I had also never heard of until receiving it. Apparently CellCeutical products are popular among the celebrity and Hollywood elite crowd. For myself, this product was a fail.

The cream is thick and has extremely fine grit. If you have sensitive skin or dislike harsh exfoliation I would not recommend this product. I felt like I was rubbing sand on my face. Ouch! I must say that after I did this (while still in the shower) my face felt soft but I just wasn't loving the sharp gritty texture. However, after getting out of the shower my face was red, raw and dry. I wasn't happy! It claims "without irritation" but that just wasn't so for me.

I do have sensitive skin so that probably has a lot to do with it but the "resurfacing" part was all I felt like it did. I do not have this issue with other less gritty products so I definitely felt like the texture was the problem for my skin irritation. The next day I didn't feel like it had done anything different than my less harsh alternatives. It might not show results right away so i'll give it that but i'm not willing to feel red and raw to find those results.

So my thoughts are give it a try if you don't have sensitive skin or like really gritty textured treatments but otherwise stay away. For those of us who have sensitive skin I just don't think this would be the product for you. I would still like to give some of their other products a try but will not be repurchasing this one.

I did decide to use the rest of the product (i'm not one for waste) on my feet. Haha! It doesn't say that it's made just for the face and I don't have a problem with gritty texture on my feet. I definitely wouldn't spend the full size price for "micro-resurfacing" my feet though. ;)

For those who are interested, you can pick up a full size (2ozs) for $47.50

Have you heard of this brand or tried this product? Do you use anything by CellCeuticals that you do love? If you don't, what exfoliation product do you use?

Keep It or Toss It?

So I was reading a 'All You' magazine article that was talking about expiration dates for beauty products (makeup, skincare, hair products, etc)and I thought this would be a great blog share.

Foundation: Up to 2 years
Lipstick & Lipgloss: 2 years
Mascara: 3 months
Blush and Face Powder: 2 years
Nail Polish: 1 year
Anti-aging or Acne treatments: 3 months to a year
Natural beauty products: Up to 6 months
Shampoo & Conditioner: About 3 years
Body Lotion: 2 to 3 years
Sunscreen: 2 to 3 years
Deoderant: Up to 2 years
Perfume: About 3 years

Look for this symbol below marked on the back of most all products to let you know how long it lasts after being opened.

One marked like this lasts 12 months or 1 year.

Eyeshadow was not listed in the article but one of mine is marked 30m, so 2 and 1/2 years. I definitely break the rules for eyeshadow. If they get gross i'll toss them but I feel like 2 years goes by way to quickly to just toss everything out at that timeframe. I don't share my makeup and clean my brushes frequently. *shrugs* Also I know I don't go with the 1 year on nail polish. The rest I feel like I follow simply because I use them up faster than their expiration dates.

Anyone else break these rules or are you a stickler at tossing stuff out right away?

Coupons.com **Beauty Coupons**

Use zip code 12345 to find them all.

$1.00 off any NYC New York Color Product ($1.99 or more)

$2.00 off on any Maybelline® New York Dream Face Cosmetics (good deal if you like their dream bouncy blushes)

$2.00 off Revlon cosmetic item (This is a Target store coupon, stackable)

$1.00 off on any L'Oreal Paris item

HURRY THESE WILL GO FAST!!!


While i'm mentioning things to check out... Giveaways are always fun.

Breaking Rumours Giveaway

Miss Holly Giveaway

Walgreens Sale

For those of you that have a Walgreens local starting today through next Saturday Rimmel cosmetics will be 50% off. I was looking for a certain nail polish but couldn't find it. I still came out with 3 things though. O.o ... I will make a post on that probably tomorrow. I just wanted to let you ladies know because around here when WAGS has sales things get picked over quick. Neutrogena cosmetics were 40% off.

Rave Review: Indie Lee: The Body Scrub

"Delivers a daily dose of pampered, sexy skin. The essential oils create a calming, light, lemon scent to start or end your day."

Let me say, I had never heard of Indie Lee until I got a sample of 'The Body Scrub' in my first Beauty Army box.

My biggest complaint about most body scrubs is that they leave my body dried out. I hadn't tried one that I didn't have to immediately apply moisturizer with as soon as I got out of the shower, UNTIL NOW. This body scrub left my skin so soft, smooth and silky feeling.

I also like a good textured scrub to really feel like i'm doing something when I exfoliate my body and the sugar in this scrub did the job. If you have sensitive skin this one might be a bit abrasive for you. I am that way towards my face scrubs.

The smell is a coconut and citrus scent. I don't love the smell to be honest but it is growing on me. However, there are lots of people i've seen comment on the Beauty Army facebook about loving the scent. It is just one of those things. I think Viva La Juicy stinks but tons of people love it. Subjective! The scent really only has a strong smell when you open the lid, while exfoliating and afterwards the smell is very faint and light. It's definitely not a scent that would deter me from purchasing again.

The full size product will run you $38, a little pricy compared to most body scrubs but keep in mind all of Indie Lee's products are all natural. Sometimes it is good to treat your body with a little love splurge. This one will for sure be on my splurge list. :)

**I picked Indie Lee's facial oil as part of my Feb Beauty Army box so stay tuned for more reviews on this brand.**

Nail Swatches

These are the 3 polishes I picked up yesterday.

Sinful Colors

(L to R... Purple Diamond, Timbleberry, and Gorgeous)

Timbleberry reminds me of OPI's Cajun Shrimp. It looks pink in the bottle above but true to life color is more like the swatch, corally orange color. This is a toe color for me. Does anyone else have colors you will only use on your toes and vice versa?

Gorgeous was one of those colors that had been on my "to pick up" list for a long while and I just could never find it. When I did it was a no brainer to pick it up, now i'm regreting it. I have 2 other colors that are very similar except this one is more greenish. Tell me I'm not the only one who picks up colors they already have. Ha! I've never actually picked up two exact same colors but definitely ones that are very close and I could have lived without the others. Owell!

I tried on Purple Diamond last night. This was 2 coats. I think I could have made it more opaque if I had did at least 1 or 2 more coats but I kind of liked the sheer look. I think this one will be great for Spring. :)

Haul Swatches

*These are swatches from my last post 'Target Haul'.*

Yes to Carrots conditioning lip butter and lip tint...

sorry this pic came out a little blurry

This is the swatch of the 'Yes to Carrots' lip tint.
(pictured above, right)

I really wished I went with one of the pink colors they had. This one showed up nude on the swatch and invisible on my lips. It feels nice though.

The 'Yes to Carrots' conditioning lip butter feels great on. It doesn't have any color but smells great. Pomegranate, yum!


Loreal... Wear Infinite Studio Secrets single shadows

(802 Shroom Shimmer and 820 Golden Sunset)

(802 Shroom Shimmer and 820 Golden Sunset)

These two colors are very similar to each other. I picked them up mainly because the red tag made me do it. Ha! I only have one other Loreal eyeshadow and it's a quad but I really like how these feel. They are creamy and pigmented. I think they will work good for browbone and highlight colors. On the pkg...Shroom shimmer is actually suppose to be a browbone color and Sunset Golden is a all over color.

Revlon ColorStay 16 hr eyeshadow quad

(Quad in Precocious)

They have some pretty quads in this line. They aren't the best pigmented but pretty good. It took 2 swipes to get the above pigmentation. I really like my 12 hr quads so i'll have to see how these compare. I'm guessing they changed something about the formula since they did change the 12 hr to 16 hr, we'll see.

**I didn't have time to swatch the polishes. I plan to do that tonight if I can and will post on that tomorrow. :)*

Target Haul

Oh Target, you and your red stickers you get me everytime. :)

So I had heard from a friend that Target had a lot of their makeup on clearance. I'm guessing they are making room for their new spring colors. I really should have went before today because they were pretty picked over. If you have a Target close by go check it out, you never know what you'll find.

Here is what I bought...

The Easter eggs were in the dollar spot. I got these for a new pinterest project (Easter wreath). I'll post about that when I get around to making it. I had some coupons for the ecotools bath sponge and the yes to carrots lip balm products. I paid $1 after coupons for all 3, i'll take it. Did you know 'Yes to Carrots' made lip products?? I didn't. I'll let you know how good they are.

The two Loreal single eyeshadows were on sale for 1.98 each. I also had $3 off ($2 target store Revlon coupon and $1 off mfc Revlon product, which are stackable). I thought I would give one of the 16 hr eyeshadow quads a try. It ended up being 2.99 after coupons.

The last thing I got was 3 Sinful Color polishes. I didn't have any intentions of getting new polish. I didn't even know our Target carried Sinful Colors. It just happened to be staring me in the face and I couldn't help myself. :P

I will be back in another post with swatches of the beauty products in this haul.

*note... If you want the $2 off target coupon for a Revlon product it can be printed at coupons.com. It was there this morning but keep in mind these coupons go fast*

Beautiful day @ the zoo :)

It was so gorgeous out today (68°F) that my daughter and I couldn't spend it inside. We had to get out and enjoy the fresh air. It just happened to fall on half price Wednesday at the local zoo here (even better).

Show some blogger love...

I always love finding new blogs to read and hope to find some new readers for mine as well. :) If you have a blog go over and leave yours on the list and post it here so that I can check it out too.

Rave Review: Joico K-pak RevitaLuxe

"A luxury hair treatment clinically proven to instantly correct years of damage. Hair becomes automatically stronger, softer, and more moisturized."

I got a 1.7 oz sample size of this in my first Beauty Army box and let me just say LOVE it.

I really didn't have high hopes of what this product would do for me because it's geared more towards damaged hair. I do not have damaged hair. I actually have pretty healthy hair. I have never dyed it in all my almost 30 years. The only time I put any chemicals in was years and years ago (probably like 15ish) and that was a straightener which was not my brightest idea and I would not suggest it. It broke my hair off bad.

Back to the review... since I don't have what I consider to be damaged hair I didn't expect much but wow... this product delivers. I had been using WEN since I had gotten a deluxe sample of it awhile back but WEN is sooo extremely bad with product buildup for me and it kind of makes my hair crunchy and dry. I didn't have that problem at all with Revitaluxe. My hair is bouncy, soft, shiny and no buildup.

I give this product 5 stars and i'm definitely interested in checking out the other Joico products. It's a little pricey but worth it in my opinion. You can get a 16.2 oz on amazon for $34.50*. The small sample lasted me 4 washes (using a healthy amount for my thick hair) so you could probably get a good 40 washes out of a 16 oz bottle. I would say it would last about 3-5 months because you definitely don't have to use it daily. I really don't suggest you even wash your hair daily unless you just have to.

So, have you tried this product? What do you think of it if you have or do you think you might give it a try if you haven't?

**Note.. amazon prices change frequently so the pricing may be higher/cheaper depending on when you view it**

Sofa table completed

This is what we finished up this weekend.

My hubby and I worked on it together and I LOVE it. :) It cost approximately $100 with wood materials and paint to complete. We already had the paint supplies (brushes, etc) and the tools so no cost there.

We didn't write our own plans but we followed these and tweaked them to our own liking.

The baskets came from Kmart. They are the water hyacinth large crate baskets in expresso finish.

I haven't fully decorated it and I really don't know what i'm going to do yet but the bird and box came from Hobby Lobby. I have a slight obsession over birds but thats a different post for a different day. Ha! So what's the next thing on my list you wonder? Ok... maybe you don't but still. See the cabinet over to the left side, the smidge of it that you can see. I just picked up some paint to give it a fresh new look, more on that later.

I love me a good bargain...

My hubby has a 4 day weekend so naturally i'm all for a free moment away from my daughter to do a little shopping. It is so hard to drag my 4 year old a long sometimes. I'm beginning to wonder if i'll have a shopping buddy when she grows up. haha! It is one of my favorite things to do with my mom. I wished we didn't live 12 hours away so we'd have time to get out more often.

Anyways...

I stopped in and picked up my free travel sized signature item at bbw. I got the travel sized carried away shower gel.

Did you pick up your free item? What did you get?

While I was there I tried the shea cashmere lotion that just happened to be sitting at the counter.

The lady said it was new but i'm not sure that it is but maybe it's a repremote?? I don't know, either way i've never tried it before. It felt lovely but sadly I didn't care for either scent they had it in. Bah! I definitely would have picked it up if I had liked one of the scents. I still may... the scent didn't linger but my hands still feel nice.

After I finished picking up my bbw freebie I headed to JCPenney because i've been meaning to see what the deal was over their new pricing change. I LOVE it!! No more dealing with % off just great deals. I picked up $488 dollars worth for $57 total. Sweet! I got 4 tops for myself, a pair of boots (15 bucks.. yes please), 9 tops for my daughter, and a pair of pj pants for her as well.

Here is everything I got minus the pj pants and a cardigan I picked up for my daughter. She snagged it up and put it on before I could take a pic. Ha!

The $15 dollar boots... They had these in cognac which I would have rather had but didn't have my size. Wah!

If you haven't been over to JCP to check out their new pricing go see what you can find. They had lots of deals. If you plan to check them out in the future just a FYI their best deals happen on the 1st and 3rd Friday (which happens to be today) of every month. :) If you go this weekend let me know what you scored.

Makeup Storage & Organization

My makeup went for a while being stored in plastic drawer bins but it didn't take long to get tired of that. I wanted something that looked a little more like a furniture piece so I picked up this storage thing at Big Lots. I bought this over a year ago so i'm not sure they still have it. I couldn't find it on their website so i'm going to say that they probably don't. It is always worth a look though. :)

On the left hand side, in the small drawer, I keep foundations, powders and some everyday stuff. In the bigger cabinet part I keep more brushes, bigger palettes, nail polish, and some body mist. The right hand side from the top down I keep blushes and bronzers, eyeshadows, eye products (primers, mascara, liner,etc), lip products, more eyeshadow, and then at the very bottom I keep my blow dryer, curler and stuff like that. Phew! That was a mouthful.

So far it has worked out great for me minus the exception that i'm outgrowing my nail polish room. I need to come up with a different solution for that. I mentioned to my hubby about putting me a polish rack on the wall but he gave me the stink eye. I guess he feels like our bedroom has enough girlie stuff in it already. :P

Had I not already had this cabinet I probably would have eventually went with something like Ikea's Alex system. They have lots of options in that line. I still may get something like that for my jewelry but i'm undecided on that at this point. If I had to recommend a makeup storage solution for anyone I would say go with something in the Alex line or something similar.

As far as actually organizing your makeup inside your drawers just turn to office supplies. They have great goodies for organizing your makeup.

Bins like these to actually organize your various makeup items...

and mail holders like this one for holding palettes.

Check out your local dollar store for cheap bins and TJMaxx always has super cute mail holders for usually around 6 bucks.

BBW FREEBIE starts today!!

Don't forget the Bath and Body Works free travel sized signature collection freebie starts today!! Print and go get you something. :)

FEB 14th - 20th only!!!

I love me some free stuff! :)

Got a HOT date tonight??

I seen this picture on Pinterest and thought these were super cute and simple. It has been a minute since i've needed any paper reenforcements but this is a great idea, looks easier than tape. ;)

**picture belongs to The Beauty Department**

Sunnie's Giveaway...

Enter here for a chance to win Sunnie's giveaway. :)

The prizes...

**Picture belongs to Sunnie @ Sunnie's Obessions**

What's in my bag...

I love watching these on youtube and looking at the pictures on blogs because like most other people i'm naturally curious and noisy. haha!

What's in my bag?

Tignanello Double Zip Convertible X-body
black pebble leather

Tignanello wallet (filled w/ the usual wallet(y) stuff)
Vera Bradley checkbook cover & checks
small notebook
pink joy calendar/planner
a pen
change purse
Trident gum in cinnamon
contact eyedrops
measuring tape
keys
purse hanger (the lil thing w/ the purple gem on it)
makeup bag w/ a few goodies


What's in my makeup bag?
**this bag changes constantly but this stuff is in there all the time**

mirror
bobby pin
my daughter's hair scrunchie
a couple of my hair scrunchies
band-aids
carmex
colour riche balm (rose elixir)
folding hair brush


The only thing missing from my bag that is in there if i'm on the go is my cell phone. It wasn't in there when I was taking the pictures though so it didn't make the cut. Owell! So that is what's in my bag, pretty simple. When i'm carrying a larger bag sometimes I will carry my sunglasses and a mini umbrella too but that's about it.

Sinful Colors Nail Polish sale... 2/12 - 2/18

You can pick up Sinful Colors nail polish on sale this week at your local Walgreens for .99c. They are usually only 1.99 which is a great deal for nail polish, but if you are like me you always have a list of nail colors you want (be whatever brand) and .99c makes it all the better. :)

They have tons of colors and for cheaper nail polish the formula is pretty good. I usually do a Walgreens run on Sunday mornings so this morning I picked up Rich At Heart and Nail Junkie.

Movie Rec: The Vow

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and of course they came out with a great movie just in time. If you are celebrating with a movie night check out The Vow. :) Fun fact... This movie is based on true events.

"Paige and Leo are a happy newlywed couple whose lives are changed by a car accident that puts Paige in a coma. Waking up with severe memory loss, Paige has no memory of Leo, a confusing relationship with her parents, and an ex-fiance she may still have feelings for. Despite these complications, Leo endeavors to win her heart again and rebuild their marriage."

Even if you don't have a significant other or aren't able to be with them this weekend (or for vday) get your girlfriends together and go see this movie. Channing Tatum is all kinds of good eye candy. ;)

**If you aren't in to the lovey dovey movies or you want to treat your SO to something he might like better then check out Safe House**

Steel By Design Jewelry

One of my fave jewelry brands is Steel By Design. If you have never heard of this brand they are an exclusive jewelry line sold on QVC.

All of the jewelry is made of stainless steel. What I like most about the line is that because it's stainless steel it is extremely durable and much more affordable than silver. It gives you that silver/platinum look for less. I love silver too but it's often delicate and can tarnish easily were steel does not tarnish. It is also perfect for those who are sensitive to silver jewelry.

I have several pieces in this line (mainly necklaces and bracelets as i'm not a huge ring person). These are my two latest pieces I ordered last week and got in the mail yesterday.

Steel by Design Dimensional Rose Pendant w/Chain

Steel by Design Bold Dimensional Rose Ring

Surprisingly, I love the ring the most and i'm usually not a ring person. The ring is fantastic. It is the perfect shape and size. I'm so excited about this ring. HA! The pictures really don't do them justice. It's dark here today so I was having a hard time getting good pics. The necklace is great too just wished it came with a longer chain. I think it will look great hanging further down, which is an easy fix. I think this set is going to be great for Spring. :)

MyFace Cosmetics: Blingtone: Morococo

Myface Cosmetics describes Morococo as "a gilted cocoa with with a sparkling tinted sheen, elegant and ornate, timeless and impossible to overlook."

My first thought, it reminds me of Sin from Urban Decay except with a touch of glitter.

Here it is swatched next to Sin from Urban Decay, very similar. Morococo is just a little bit darker. It also reminded me of YDK from Urban Decay but YDK is more brown.

(left - Morococo / right - Sin)

So my review...

I really do like this color, was super excited to get a full size sample in the Beauty Army box. The pigment payoff was great and fun fact (MyFace makes matching nail polish colors to their blingtone line).

My only downfall is that these retail for $20.00. For a single eyeshdaow that is steep. I mean MAC only costs $15 or $11.50 if you just buy the pan. I can't say that all their colors could be dubed because they have a lot of gem like tones (very pretty) but it's possible you could find a cheaper alternative. As far as Morococo I would definitely put my $20 towards the original Naked (which has sin and a variety of 11 other colors) for just $30 more.


**sorry for the crap pictures.. my battery on my Nikon died. oops**