Fresh's Advanced Sugar Lip Therapy & Polish Duo

photo courtesy of qvc.com

I received this duo from QVC several months ago and found that it was a nice way to be introduced to the Fresh brand.

 

Included in this set are a full sized Advanced Lip Treatment balm and a travel sized Sugar Lip Polish.

 

Despite the size of the scrub, just a little bit is needed for a good lip exfoliation. I've been using this once a week and have hardly made a dent.

The consistency is thick and a lot more grainy than any other types that I have tried out in the past. While there are plenty of moisturising ingredients (jojoba, grapeseed, shea butter), I've still noticed that my lips feel dry and tight immediately after use. As of right now I'm still unsure of whether or not this will be repurchased.

 

In the beginning I didn't think much of the lip treatment, however, I recently made a trip to Sephora to replace my original (and now empty) tube. It goes on easily and has a light citrus scent. I apply this before bed and in the morning my lips are nice and soft.

 

If you've tried this please tell me what you think.

You can purchase Fresh products at the following:

*fresh.com

*qvc.com

*sephora.com

*Sephora

 As always, thank you for reading and supporting this blog :)

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Weekly Nail Polish: 7/5-7/12

I decided to give nail art another shot this week with an (in my opinion) uneven, flame type of design.

After an application of two coats of Essie's First Timer (a sea green shade), I lightly brushed a few strokes of Wet n Wild's Magic Trident (a glittery golden-orange shade) focusing on the bottom of my nails.

The finished look gives of a nice effect and I think it also plays with different lighting as well.


As always, I thank you for visiting my blog...have a nice week :)

Summer Haul: Forever 21 and Etsy

Soooo....a few paychecks ago I may or may not have done a bad thing. You be the judge.

It all started out with me wanting to pick up some statement pieces for the summer. Normally, when I look at chunky or colorful jewelry I think of Forever 21. What's not to love about it? There's quite a selection and everything is super cheap.
Wait, I take that back, there is something I don't love-the physical store. To me, no matter which location, it's always hot and crowded. Not to mention, the way all the merchandise is displayed is horrible. Considering I'm often out with my three year old son who has zero patience for standing in one spot for more than a nano-second, I just don't have time to look for treasure.
I digress....

Back to the subject at hand, I spent several hours pouring over Forever 21's website and $55 later, picked up quite a bit of loot (sorry for all the pirate references)....

 

 

 

 

 

If you're interested, here is a list of items and prices:

*Petite Bow Earrings Set $2.80

*Almond Teardrop Earrings $5.80

*Lacquered Heart Pattern Necklace $3.80

*Geo Drop Earrings $3.80

*Diagonal Striped Square Studs $3.80

*Lacquered Bow Necklace $1.80

*Layered Spike Necklace $3.80

*Layered Triangle Necklace $5.80

*Spiked Chevron Necklace $5.80

*Colorblocked Geo Earrings $4.80

*Lacquered Anchor Necklace $1.80

*Mustache Charm Necklace $1.80

*Spiked Pearlescent Chain Necklace $5.80

 

 

Then I made the mistake of checking out Etsy....

 



 

What I ordered:

*Pink Strawberry Cupcake Earrings $12.00

*Miniature Macaroons In A Jar Necklace $15.00

*Lime Popsicle Earrings (a free gift with purchase)

 

So there's my damage, Heather...I hope you enjoyed my summertime jewelry haul :)

 

As always, thank you for checking out my blog :)

 

Note: With the exception of the Popsicle earrings, the products mentioned were purchased by me. I am not affiliated with Forever 21, SimplyyCharming, or Sugarcube Corner. This is not a sponsored post. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

 

 

 



It's Crunch TIme: Pre-Vacation(s) No-Buy

Photo courtesy of All That Slap

I tried this last year and it didn't go so well; this time around I'm hoping I can have a little more control.

As of Monday, the countdown for my family vacation was exactly two months away. Funny, I remember when I booked my two trips back in February. Anyway, everything is paid off except for spending and food money. As of right now I have five and six paychecks to go which means I really need to crack down on saving.

I've decided to go on a "soft no-buy", meaning unless I ran out of a H.G. (holy grail) product, I will not buy anything beauty related. Off hand, I think I should be ok minus a few items thanks to the bag of back-ups that are in my room.

Wish me luck :)

As always, thank you for visiting my blog and have a very happy 4th of July!!!!


Note: After a google search, I found this adorable picture on All That Slap's blog...I recommend checking it out. From what I saw, I really enjoyed it. Grace, the author, officially has a new subscriber :)
For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Weekly Nail Polish: 6/30-7/5

I rarely have a theme for my manis/pedis, however, this week I was very excited to go patriotic and try my hand (no pun intended) at nail art.

What I'm wearing:
*Wet n Wild's Megalast in Root of All Evil (a Shimmery deep blue shade)
*Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear in White Out (a pure white shade)
*Ciate's Mistress (a candy apple red shade)

For the designs, I actually used two different sized paper clips as dotting tools. Even though it's not perfect (I never claimed to be an artist), I still love how fun the look turned out.

As always, thank you for visiting my blog.
Have a happy and safe Independence Day!!!!! :)

 

LG Eye Spackle

Laura Geller is a well known NYC makeup artist and some of her most popular products are her different "Spackles", which are under makeup primers.

It is my belief that these played a role with my horrible breakouts a few years back so I normally shy away, however, I was willing to give this one a shot. After all, I couldn't imagine it messing with my eyelids the way it (possibly) did with my face.

I used this for almost a month before finally giving up. Long story short-it just didn't work. I've used every kind of primer that has ranged in price from $1-$20 and never had as horrible results as this. No matter how much or little product was applied, by mid day I found dark lines all over my lids where the shadow had migrated.

I did find a light at the end of the tunnel which has caused me to continually use this on a daily basis. I apply this around the inner corners and under my eyes as a base for my Bisque concealer. Not only does it keep the product in place but it also brightens the area making me look a little more awake. (Keep in mind that I'm fair so this might not work on all skin tones)

For the amount that I use daily I have a feeling I'll have my sample-size amount of product for quite a while. When this runs out, as surprising as this might sound, I do intend on repurchasing.

Overall, I say give it a shot...if anything, you never know what other uses this Spackle could have.

If you are interested, this can be found at the following locations:
*LauraGeller.com
*Macys.com
*QVC.com
*Ulta
*Ulta.com

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my blog :)


Note: This product was given as a free gift with purchase. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Weekly Nail Polish: 6/14-6/21

 

Since I couldn't decide whether or not to go with a light or dark polish, I mixed.

What I'm wearing:
-Sinful Colors Unicorn-creamy yellow shade
-Sinful Colors New Wave-navy blue shade
-Wet n Wild Gold & The Beautiful-sparkly gold top coat on my ring finger

As always, thank you for visiting my blog :)

Lori Greiner Ready Set Go Bag Organizer

Photo courtesy of QVC

Aside from special occasions, I generally like to switch bags on a monthly basis. The annoying part to this is having to fit in what seems like an entire lifetime's worth of items.

For a while I had been using the Pursefection, which used to be offered on QVC.  I really liked it except for it's poor quality. In fact, I ended up going through two of them in a couple years' time due to the same problem-the material would rip apart for no reason. Pockets that weren't even in use would start to fray and then out of no where there would be a hole.

 

After reading a lot of positive reviews, I ordered the Ready Set Go Bag Organizer by Lori Greiner, which I couldn't be more happy. Not only does this fit in all of my different sized bags but it's also really easy to take out thanks to the two side handles that are attached.

I really love how structured this organizer is, as opposed to the Pursefection which flopped around. The quality itself is quite good as well-this has been used on a daily basis for months and it still looks brand new.

Whether you have one bag or like to change up your look, I highly recommend checking this out.

If interested, this can be found here.

As always, thank you for checking out my blog :)


Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Weekly Nail Polish: 6/7-6/14

This week I decided to pair Wet n Wild's How I Met Your Magenta with Revlon's Whimsical...a nice and bright combination, unlike this dreary Jersey weather. But I digress......

As always, I thank you for visiting my blog :)

It Cosmetics Vitality Lip Flush Trio

I have been wanting to review this for quite some time, as I have been using these lipsticks for almost a year now. Prior to watching a presentation of this set on QVC, I had never really had much of an appeal for It Cosmetics, however I was quite intrigued and felt the need to try them out.

Each Vitality Lip Flush acts as a lipstick, anti-aging lip balm, gloss, and stain. Not only are these paraben free, but they also contain ingredients such as vitamins A, C & E, Acai, and Green & White tea.

Upon first application it truly feels like a balm but over time, I noticed that my lips do start to feel dry requiring a gloss application. If I wear these on multiple days in a row then my lips start to peel, which is not too pretty. The staying power itself, though, is really impressive. In fact, I first started using these lipsticks while recovering from getting my tongue pierced, which required brushing my teeth a lot. Through all that, I never had to reapply.

The colors consist of:

-Je Ne Sais Quoi-a sheer pink

- Love Story-a deeper pink (My personal favorite)

- Pretty Woman-a sheer berry
Note: The colors will differ based on your natural lip color and how much product is applied

Overall, these have become a go to product, especially on occasions such as parties, concerts, and vacations. For the most part, all it takes is one application and then I'm set for the day.

If your interested, you can find this set by going on qvc.com, alternately, you can find the singles at itcosmetics.com.

As always, I thank you for visiting my blog :)

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Ciate' Perfectly Polished Nail Palette

 

Ciate' is a UK based nail brand that, at least in my opinion, is mostly known for their various nail techniques (for lack of a better word) such as the Caviar Manicure...they're also certified as being "3 Free".

Antique Brooch

Amazing Gracie

I've mostly seen their products in Sephora but was never exactly pulled to give them a shot, mainly because of the price. I did, however, find a great deal a few months ago, which inspired my two-month long experiment...

Dangerous Affair

Heirloom

Onto the product at hand...
The Perfectly Polished Nail Palette contains eight mini paint pots with colors ranging from neutrals to brighter and more dramatic shades. I won't lie, the bottles are all pretty small but still so cute, especially with their little bows.

Looking Glass

Mistress 

The shades include:
Spending Spree-a glittery golden shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)
Power Dressing-a deep blue jean shade (sorry, I did not have a post about wearing this polish)
Mistress-a classic red shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)
Dangerous Affair-a burgundy shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)
Amazing Gracie-a soft pink shade (you can read my weekly polish post  Here)
Heirloom-a glittery purple/gold shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)
Antique Brooch-a glittery ruby/gold shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)
Looking Glass-a glittery silver shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)

Power Dressing

Spending Spree 

The Good:
*long wear (at least five days)
*shiny finish
*quick dry
*gorgeous pigmentation

The Not So Good:
*could get a little streaky upon application
*the glitter in Antique Brooch actually pulled on my clothes

Overall, I was really impressed by the quality, however, at $15 a bottle (full size) I doubt I'll be picking up more anytime soon.

The nice part about this set is that it gives you the opportunity to try out several polishes from this brand for about $30.
If interested you can order or read more about this here. As of right now I believe this is a QVC exclusive. You can also find other products at Sephora, Nordstrom, and the Ciate' website.

As always, thank you for stopping by :)

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Happy Friday All :)

Hi everyone! This is the first time this week that I've been able to actually post something.

I had a little procedure done on Tuesday and have been trying to "recover" ever since. As much as I love working on this blog, I just was not up to it. Although, over the past couple of days I have been working on a side project, which I'm really excited about.
As of right now I don't think it will be connected to this page but if you're interested feel free to send me an email and I'll give you more information.

I should be back to my regular posting schedule by Monday.

Anyway, have a great weekend and as always, thank you for visiting :)

Check In Time: Perfume No-Buy: Falling In Love Summer

I want to start this post with a confession...I broke both my shower gel and perfume no buys with Philosophy's latest Scents of Summer TSV.  Please don't judge me...

That being said, since I just finished my bottle of Falling In Love I took out my new Falling In Love Summer spray. I have a feeling that this just might last throughout the summer since it is a 4oz.

This is basically a mix of Summer Grace and Falling In Love with sweet berries, coconut, a light floral and dries smelling very fresh.  I've noticed that unlike a lot of Philosophy's other fragrances, this seems to last longer.


As always, thank you for taking the time to visit my blog :)

bareMinerals Feel The Love TSV

Photo courtesy of QVC.com

If you enjoy bareMinerals then I suggest tuning into QVC on Saturday (4/20) for their Feel The Love TSV which is priced at $69.96 (not including s/h). As of right now the advance orders also give the option of easy pay (3 payments of $23.32), however, I'm not sure how long this will be available.This can either be ordered as a one-time shipment or on auto-delivery which would give two other shipments in August and December.

The kit comes with:
*bareMinerals Ready Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 20 with shade selection of Fair, Golden Fair, Fairly Light, Medium Beige, Golden Medium, Medium Tan, Golden Tan, Tan, Golden Dark, or Golden Deep
*Broad Spectrum SPF 20 concealer chosen to match the foundation
*bareMinerals Ready Blush/Luminizer in The Love Letter and The Daydreamer
*Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Starlet
*2in1 Cheek and Eye Brush
*Stroke of Light Eye Brightener
*2in1 Face and Concealer Brush

Photos courtesy of QVC.com

While I'm probably going to pass on this, I'm still interested in seeing what else will be available.

As stated online, bareMinerals will have shows at the following times:
*12a-2a
*3a-4a
*2p-4p
*6p-8p

If you're interested in checking this set out before it airs, you can find it here.

I'd also like to note that this will most likely be the last day Leslie Blodgett, creator, will be on QVC. She has recently posted on her facebook page that she's going to be taking a sabbatical from work. While I wish her the best, it's still sad that I won't be able to watch her anymore.


As always, I thank you for visiting my blog.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Weekly Nail Polish: 4/15-4/19

 

This week I'm wearing two polishes that I've been really excited to try out-Sally Hansen's Coral Reef (melon-pink) and Hard Candy's Gummy Green (glittery mint green).
I feel like this combo screams, "Go away cold weather!!!"

As always, thank you for visiting my blog :)
(p.s. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected by the Boston tragedy.)

Get to Know Me: The Beauty Blogger Tag

This was originally found this on Emilynoel83's blog and especially considering that I rarely see these, as they're more popular on Youtube, I thought it would be fun to give it a shot...I'd also like to note that this particular post took about two weeks to complete as I only answered a few questions a day.
Enjoy!

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?
I've seen in a lot of older pictures that my hair used to be really curly but now it's mainly wavy. In fact, it basically has a mind of it's own and does what it pleases. One day I can wake up with it flat and the next I could find a few curls...

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?
I've only dyed my hair three times-twice red and once purple, otherwise, I love my natural blond too much to color it.

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?
For the most part, I wear it down but for second and third day hair, I generally either tie it half-up or clip it back all together. Especially on the weekends, I usually just prefer to keep it all out of my face.

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?
I have a lot more fun doing my own nails at home as opposed to going to a salon...the last time was probably about four years ago when I tried out gels (those did a lot of harm and didn't last long...not to mention the price).

5. How often do you change your nail polish?
I usually repaint my nails once a week (late at night during the weekend). It's easier because not only am I not exhausted but I can take my time without worrying about having to wake up early for work.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

I have a thing about toes so I always have them painted. During "sandal seasons" I repaint them once a week and as it gets cooler, I can wait anywhere from two to three weeks before fixing them up again.

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

During the week it usually takes at least 45 minutes but on the weekends sometimes it can be well over an hour. For me, it's more like an enjoyable experience as opposed to a job and I really like being able to experiment with different techniques and colors.

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

In this order:

Face (foundation & concealer)

Eyes

Face (contour, bronzer, blush, highlighter, finishing powder)

Lips

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I wouldn't say that I collect makeup but I do have a decent amount of products. I used to have everything in a small makeup bag and now I have several drawers filled up ranging from face products to nail polishes.

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Never. They've never really pulled me, not to mention, I'd be too afraid of damaging my real lashes.

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

Oh yeah, I feel naked without having a full face on. Recently, I couldn't wear eye makeup for a couple weeks and it was driving me insane.

12. Do you wear makeup when you're home alone or with family?

I basically always have makeup on, especially when I'm around others...not to mention the fact that a few of my family members could be pretty blunt. "Put on some makeup! You look like the walking dead!"

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

The only times I walk out of the house without makeup is if I'm really sick or exhausted. Last Aug. my mom went in for heart surgery and I woke up at 3am so I could have my makeup on. I realize that probably sounds bad but it I suppose in a way it's a security blanket.. Btw, my mom made it through just fine :)

14. How many high-end products do you have?

I have a pretty decent amount and within the last couple of years, it's certainly grown but at the same time there are a lot of drugstore brands that I use as well, especially Wet n Wild and Revlon.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you're getting dressed?

I like to plan out my outfit if I have something special planned or need to be out of the house early. Otherwise, I play it by ear.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

I tried to change my bags on a daily basis but it got to be too much of a hassle so I now switch them out monthly. (I love my bags!)

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

Actually, that question should be "What time does your child wake up and go to sleep?"

Wake Up: I wake up either with my son or my alarm-this means it can be anytime 4-5am, 6:30, or 8am (on a good day)

Sleep: I usually go to sleep around midnight but I'll occasionally stay up until 1-1:30 (and then end up paying for it later)

18. How often or when do you workout?

I don't have a full blown work out but I do try to stay active. Mostly, I like to walk around with my son.

19. Left handed or right handed?

right handed

20. How tall are you?

Prior to the back surgery I had about ten years ago, I was 4' 11'' but I'm now 5' 1''

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

very (very) little Italian

22. How many pets do you have?

I have a Sheltie named Lady, who has been in our family since I was in 8th grade.

23. How often are you on Blogger?

I'm basically on at least once a day reading other people's blogs and working on my own, of course, I usually post about twice a week.

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

Not so much on blogs as youtube videos

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

I don't make lists very often, mainly when all of the holiday sets come out.

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

The initial idea for this blog was to serve as a place where I could freely discuss makeup and shortly after I realized there were other types of posts that I wanted out of my head and onto the computer...and from there, "from the mind of a beauty addict" was born.

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

For the first year I used my phone's camera, which not only had bad quality but also took too much time when it came to lighting so a few months ago I splurged and bought myself the Sony Cyber-Shot.

28. How often do you clean your house?

I try to keep up as much as possible but for the most part, I like to clean during the weekend.

29. What's your favorite color?

Pink :)

30. Do you swear?

Yes...more so when I get really angry (I've shocked a few of my coworkers that way...lol) I, no, both my fiance and myself, really have to watch when our son is around because I've heard certain words coming out of his mouth that I wish I hadn't.

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

I don't have anything planned at the moment but probably just vegging out in bed.

Well, there you have it....thank you for sticking with me and as always, your support is greatly appreciated :)

Fun Fact Friday: Volume 5

It's always funny how fast some weeks can speed by...last week, starting on Monday was draining, thankfully things have seemed to improve since then. Is it just me or can some moments, even if they were recent, feel like it took place long ago?

Anyway, enough of my rambling...onto my five random facts:

1. One book that I never tire of reading is The Five People You Meet In Heaven, by Mitch Albom. Ironically, I can never watch the entire movie because I start to cry to the point where I almost can't stop.

2. My son and I like to have dance parties at night after he's in his pjs...I'll either play the radio or put on some of his music and we just bounce around like fools. I absolutely love listening to him sing or hum along...not to mention his adorable giggles :)

3. Billy Joel supplied my song for last week, however, presently I can't seem to stop playing Muse's "Madness". I haven't heard too many of their other songs but I'm really interested in checking out more of their work. Someone else I recently discovered off of youtube is Eric Wuest, a very talented violinist who records covers of popular songs. I highly recommend checking him out!

4. My hair is naturally blonde and I absolutely refuse to touch it's color, however, years ago I dyed the under part purple. I got bored and wanted a changed...my family absolutely hated it, of course. The freak in me misses it a little but I love my blondness too much.

5. I absolutely love looking at different views, especially of the NYC skyline...I don't know what it is but I could look at it forever.

That's all for the edition...have a great weekend :)

Laura Geller Haul

 

Recently, Laura Geller had her Semi-Annual sale in her store and online, naturally, I decided to take advantage and order a few items that I had been curious about...

Beauty A La Mode kit including Blush & Brighten in Dreamsicle and Baked Eye Pie Shadow Trio in Apple Peach Pie

Baked Cheek Dreams in Banana Split

Baked Marble Eyeshadow/Eye Rimz in Cinnamon Swirl/Mint Chocolate Chip and Toasty Pink/Berry Flambe

Italian Marble Lipstick in Berry Vanilla

Color Drenched Lip Gloss in Berry and Cafe Au Lait

Air Whipped Lip Wear in Praline Mousse and Sweet Candy Mousse

I've been playing around with these for a decent amount of time and have really been enjoying all of the different products, especially the lip glosses. I also learned quickly what needs to be applied with a light hand as I am fair skinned. The lovely Laura Geller has not disappointed.

If you've never tried her products, feel free to visit her website.

As always, thank you for stopping by :)

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.