I already love the Argan Oil, but I was interested in trying some of the cosmetics. The set was the Today’s Special Value when I ordered it, so I got everything for $59 + tax/shipping (retail value: $156). I’ll get a few more uses out of everything before I do a review.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Makeup brushes are your tools to creating that perfect look — you have brushes for eyeshadow, for your foundation, contouring, and more. With the right tools, you can do almost anything! But makeup brushes need to be cleaned or else they can collect dirt/bacteria which can affect your skin.
How to clean your makeup brushes
*Always hold your brush with the bristles pointing down during the cleaning process — if water seeps into the base of the bristles, it can break down the glue and destroy your brush. Quality makeup brushes can be expensive; you’ll want to be careful when cleaning them to protect your investment*
Run your brush under warm water to break up any surface makeup.
Squeeze a small amount of the Mac brush cleanser or Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple into the palm of your hand. (You can use baby shampoo or even olive oil as well).
Swirl the brush into the cleanser of your choice and rinse under warm water.
Repeat cleansing and rinsing until water runs clear.
Reshape your brush.
Set brush on an incline on a towel until brush is dry.
This is a pretty deep-cleansing method and it will take a while for your brushes to dry. So make sure you apply your makeup before cleansing your brushes.
It’s up to you how often you want to clean your makeup brushes. If you’re looking for a faster clean, however, Sephora has a spray on brush cleaner for more of everyday use.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you know I love me some Very Berry Hibiscus Refreshers (with Light Ice!) from Starbucks; my Gold Card proves that. It’s tangy, but sweet; it has green coffee extract for a natural boost of energy; it’s cool and “refreshing”; it’s pink….you get the idea. It’s amazing! But at $5 a drink (I usually get the Trenta size), I wanted to see what other options were available. Check out my Starbucks Berry Hibiscus Refresher DIY Recipe!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
The Nike+ Running App has gotten a recent update that now provides a “coaching” feature to help you train for your running goals. You know that I already love the Nike+ Running App, so I was excited for what this update could do to help me train for that half marathon I told you about back in November. The update helps you to train for a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, or a Marathon each at either Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced levels. You can select whatever skill level you want, but the App recommends a level for you based on your history of runs which is pretty neat. I selected the Half Marathon goal and was excited to get back on track with my running. I was definitely slacking during the holidays. The App recommended that I start at the Beginner level which I would have picked anyway. It was weird though, because it recommended the Beginner level when I selected the Half Marathon, but the Intermediate level with I clicked the full Marathon. After, I selected the race I was training for and what level I wanted, I was on my way to 12 weeks of training. I was curious to see what the “coaching” part was like. Was there audio feedback? A pre-run pep talk? I already knew about the run reminders, but what was the training program like?
Basically, the App tells you what your workout will consist of for each day of your training. You can click to see what it has in store for you each day. For my Half Marathon plan, it has me doing 58 runs over the course of 12 weeks. The first week is a Warm Up week with four days of running, two days of rest, and a day of cross training. There is no audio feedback with your coached workouts. 🙁 You just click the workout scheduled for that day and read what you’re supposed to do. If it is a running day, you can click Run from that page and run the way it instructs. After you complete the run, it will be marked complete. If it’s a cross-training or rest day, you have to go in and manually mark it as done.
I was really hoping for some audible feedback — more than just the usual “average pace” and “distance remaining” updates. Especially when one of the training days included 2 miles of fartleks. It would have been cool to have it tell me when to speed up/slow down without having to time myself and look down all the time. Those three minutes are very long when you’re trying to run at a faster pace.
Overall, I’m please with this update and don’t forget, this App is free! So awesome if you are training for something or just looking for a way to track your runs.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here.
The Dior Creme de Rose lip balm comes in a .25oz white, circular pot inside of a small box. The white pot is quite sleek and feels substantial but not overly heavy. There is a nice filigree around the edges of the lid of the pot and the ‘CD’ initials are engraved in the center. Very simple but it has a quality feel. The lid twists on/off and when you first open it, there is a thin protective layer of plastic covering the balm.
There’s always the concern of potted balms not being hygienic because you’re dipping your fingers into the same pot and then smearing it on your lips, but I think it’s fine as long as you’re keeping your hands clean. You really should avoid touching your face at all unless your hands are clean but sometimes that’s just not practical. In the end, I’m more concerned with the results, so back to the review!
ROSE SCENT
The rose scent is amazing; not synthetic. I love roses and this smells just like the flower, but it’s subtle. I know some people aren’t a fan of rose scents so this may not be the product for you. The scent does, however, seem to wear off after 15-20 minutes.
BALM TEXTURE
The balm is light pink but is sheer on the lips. When you open the pot, the surface of the balm is quite firm; it’s like a barrier on the top because the balm is more creamy once you break through that layer. I don’t recommend just ramming your finger through the top layer though. Just keep using it like you’d use any balm, lightly rubbing your finger over the top. Otherwise, you’ll just end up wasting product and creating an unattractive crater in the balm.
The balm is thick, but not sticky or greasy. It feels smooth and silky on the lips — less waxy than Chapstick, but thicker and creamier than Rosebud Salve.
APPLICATION
You can use the Creme de Rose balm as a treatment — applying a thicker layer at night to the lips and area around the lips. When I wake up, my lips are always soft and feel hydrated; it really soaks into the lips.
Use as an everyday balm. Creme de Rose has SPF 10, so your newly soft lips will be protected from the UV rays. The balm penetrates deep down into your lips so you don’t need to reapply often to get that moisturized feeling.
Or you can use the balm as a primer for your lipstick or lipgloss. I like to use the Benetint lip stain on my lips and then apply the Creme de Rose on top. My lips feel great, but I have a festive red shining through without having to think about reapplying color throughout the night.
MY RESULTS
I’ve been loving this balm! During these winter months, my lips have been smooth and soft which is amazing for me. My lips were always peeling or cracking before and I definitely didn’t help the situation by peeling the skin; gross, I know. My lips seemed to be really sensitive too. I’d been on the hunt for a hydrating/healing lip product and used all types of drugstore products, even medicated products, from Blistex to BabyLips with only temporary relief. So, the Creme de Rose lip balm definitely makes good on the “smoothing” claim.
As far as “plumping” goes, I don’t see my lips looking fuller, but I do feel that slight tingling feeling (very slight) that you feel with those plumping lip glosses. If anything, I can see how a healthier, more moisturized lip could appear fuller and plump.
I recommend Dior Creme de Rose to anyone who has dry, chapped lips or someone just looking for a nice hydrating lip treatment. I’ll continue to use it for many years to come.
This vegetarian sandwich is easy to make and tastes great!
You’ll need:
Cracked Wheat Sourdough bread
Bell Peppers
Red Onion
Garlic Cloves
Olive Oil
Pepper Jack Cheese
Cilantro-Jalepeño Hummus
Mustard
Tomato
Salt
Pepper
Broil your bread in the oven and lightly drizzle some Olive Oil on one side, then flip the bread over and let your cheese melt slightly on the bread.
Remove the bread from the oven and add tomato slices to one slice of bread, and spread hummus and mustard to the other slice. *Use a thin layer of hummus. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Then add sautéed peppers, onions, and garlic to your sandwich, cut, and serve with potato chips.
*For an extra kick, add some tobasco hot sauce to the vegetables!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
If you follow me on Twitter, you may already know that I recently was one of three #SephoraGiveaway winners to win a Marchesa prize package! For three days in November, Sephora would tweet out a question related to the Marchesa brand. If you answered correctly within one hour, you were entered into the drawing to win and I won! So exciting!
Sephora sent me a Direct Message that I’d won and I emailed them the information they requested. About 2 weeks later, I received a box with the Marchesa Parfume D’Extase 1.7oz fragrance, the 1oz fragrance, and the rollerball (the Hair Mist was not in the box 🙁 ).
Then, about two weeks after I received the fragrance, the dress arrived! The Notte by Marchesa dress is all white silk with black lace straps and detailing around the neckline.
I found these images of Katie Lowes wearing the dress at ELLE’s 20th Annual Women In Hollywood Celebration (10.21.13) on katrinapavela’s tumblr.
I’m really excited to have won! Thank you, Sephora and Marchesa! Super excited to wear my dress and fragrance over the holidays!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I got a bunch of awesome skincare items that I’m excited to start incorporating into my regimen. A lot of anti-aging and preventative treatments — never too soon to start!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
The top tier of Sephora’s Beauty Insider program is VIB Rouge. I recently became Rouge level with my haul from the VIB sale last month and have been excited for all the perks that come with Rouge status — invites to exclusive events, free shipping, free access to the beauty studio, and special surprise gifts.
I am very happy with the free shipping. I haven’t used the Beauty Studio at all (and don’t think I will) (have any of you used the Beauty Studio services?) but it’s nice that the option for a free makeover is available. I think it’d be fun to go to a VIB Rouge event, but I was really excited/curious about these “surprise gifts.”
I started researching online about what the gifts were & how frequently they were given, but no one seemed to have gotten anything. In fact, the VIB Rouge forum at sephora.com was full of girls who were upset about not yet receiving anything.
But I got an email today about getting $20 off your purchase of $50 or more that’s “exclusive” for VIB Rouge and VIB’s (thanks for the info sdbeautyjunkie and prettytrippy) whereas BI and VIB level will receive a $15 off $50 coupon. Check your email if you are a Beauty Insider — the coupon starts today and goes through December 16th.
I went to Sephora today and was pleasantly surprised to receive another special surprise gift!
Since I am VIB Rouge, they were giving out a cute mirrored compact and a holiday/thank you card. So cute!
The compact is black on the top with “SEPHORA VIB ROUGE” in red lettering. I opened the mirror and it had a cute note inside:
“DEAR VIB ROUGE, THANK YOU FOR BEING ONE OF OUR BEST CLIENTS. BEAUTY ADDICTION LOOKS GOOD ON YOU. HAPPY HOLIDAYS, SEPHORA BEAUTY INSIDER TEAM”
…and inside the card
You can get the compact online as well by using the code: ROUGELOVE.
What a cute little gift! I wasn’t expecting anything, so this was perfect. I actually really like the mirror and will carry it in my purse. It’s little things like this that make you feel extra special.
Have you gotten any VIB Rouge gifts? Let me know in the comments! 🙂
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Landon Austin
When I first heard about Landon Austin on Youtube, I thought he used auto-tune on his voice. He has a really unique sound, accompanied by an acoustic guitar and his songs are pretty mellow. I am really liking Once In A Lifetime. Even though it’s a slower song, I like to listen to this when I’m running.
The Hunger Games – Catching Fire
This movie was much better than the first. The Capitol establishes new rules in order to surpress a rebellion encouraged by Katniss Everdeen’s breaking the rules in the last Hunger Games. Peacekeepers are enforcing more rules on the different Districts and Katniss and Peeta must fight again in the 75th Hunger Games. If you liked the first movie, you’ll really like the second. By the end, I was holding up my three fingers and whistling the Mockingjay tune!
Chipotle
I’ve been loving Chipotle so much in November. I get a burrito with: white rice, fajita vegetables, sofritas (only served in select states/locations), the green salsa, corn, sour cream, and guacamole. MMMmmm. So good. I’ll sometimes get the chips and guacamole on the side, but only if I’m super hungry.
Nike+ Running
I’m still training for a half marathon, and I’m using the Nike+ Running App to track my runs. Just the other day, I logged my farthest run – 7.25 miles! Yay. I’ve still got a ways to go and a lot more conditioning, but I really like how the Nike+ Running App lets you create goals how you can “race” with your friends. Add me (MuffinChanel) and we can race!
I love Lush baths; especially during the colder months. Relaxing underneath a blanket of bubbles is so perfect. My favorite combination at the moment is The Comforter bubble bar and Think Pink bath bomb & to make it extra amazing, I add a dropper of Josie Maran’s Argan Oil! With this bath ^, I used Sandstone soap to exfoliate and Sweetie Pie shower jelly. Amazing!
Starbucks Holiday Star Dash
I’m so excited that I was selected to participate in the Starbucks Holiday Star Dash. As you can see, I earned my 16 stars and will get the $10 eGift! Yay for those Very Berry Hibiscus Refreshers!
Photojojo Macro/Wide Lens
I got this lens for my birthday and it’s awesome. If I have to choose from the three they offer, this is the one I choose. I love it because it is both Macro and a Wide angle lens — just unscrew it to get the Macro.
Rainbow Loom
My little cousins shared their Rainbow Looms with me over Thanksgiving! They taught me how to make the Starburst and Fishtail bracelets! You can get the Rainbow Loom at Michael’s for $17 and each Rubber Band Pack of 600 bands is $4.
Grand Theft Auto 5
I recently bought GTA 5 and it’s so much fun. I have GTA 4 (but I never even finished the story mode), but GTA 5 is so much better. You play as three different characters in story mode & the online mode is so much fun; I’m already on level 16!
Living Proof – Restore
I bought this in my Sephora VIB Rouge haul to try it out and it’s awesome. My hair looks and feels softer and healthier. I’ll repurchase the larger sizes when I run out. I do like these small bottles though; perfect size for traveling.
What have you been loving this November? Let me know in the comments.
What makeup do you bring with you when you leave the house? I know some people carry a “go bag” with everything they’ll need for a full face of makeup and others who bring just powder and lipstick for touchups.
I like to carry a few lip products, sunscreen, highlighter and a hand cream. Quick and simple. If you do bring a “go bag” with everything, how often do you reapply your makeup?
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
The Urban Decay Naked 3 palette is out sold out already on UrbanDecay.com and will be available at Ulta and Sephora in December (the manager at my local Sephora invited me to the “release party” for the Naked 3 on in-store December 11 & online by December 6), but I won’t be purchasing it. The internet is abuzz with excitement about the “rose gold” themed palette, and sure the colors are pretty, but the Naked 2 will always have my heart.
I have the original Naked palette and it’s nice, but I love all of the colors in the Naked 2. The Naked 2 is what the original palette should have been; the perfect blend of neutrals with some awesome shimmer colors. With a wider range of colors, from a light matte cream to a dark matte black, Naked 2 stays true to its taupe-y base.
Foxy (cream bisque with matte finish)
Half Baked (golden-bronze with shimmering finish
Booty Call (shimmering cork)
Chopper (copper shimmer with silver microglitter)
Tease (creamy pale brown with matte finish)
Snake Bite (dark bronze shimmer with metallic base)
Suspect (pale golden beige with shimmering finish)
Pistol (light gray-brown with shimmering finish)
Verve (oyster with shimmering finish)
YDK (cool bronze shimmer with metallic base)
Busted (deep brown with shimmering finish)
Blackout (blackest black with matte finish)
You can never go wrong with a neutral look. Every one of the Naked 2 colors is amazing for every skin tone. The original palette had random blue and greys that didn’t look quite right on me, but the Naked 2 is perfect in every way. I use my Naked 2 every day and I will repurchase it when it’s gone.
The Naked 3 palette seems a little too pink for my liking. How many pink looks can you create before it’s too much pink? (Can there be too much pink?) I’m just not a pink eyeshadow person. I wear a lot of earth tones — browns and greens — and the Naked 2 compliments every look.
The reason I won’t be buying the Naked 3 palette? The Naked 2 palette already has me covered; I don’t need anything else. 🙂
If you are more interested the Naked 3 palette, check out these swatches by Musings Of A Muse, or this review by Phyrra, or this review by Temptilia. Whatever Naked palette you are interested in, it’s sure to deliver Urban Decay’s highly pigmented shadows that are soft and easy to blend.
Comparison of all three palettes without packaging via ADOORBLEAZN
Is the Naked 3 palette on your holiday wish list? Let me know what your favorite Naked palette is in the comments! ❤
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Many of you may be traveling for the upcoming holidays. It’s always fun to go somewhere new or see friends & family, but it can be difficult deciding what to pack or just carrying everything you want.
I always try to pack just the “essentials” so my bags aren’t loaded down and I’ll have room in case I get a few souvenirs. You really need to ask yourself what you want; try to only bring products that have multiple uses. For example: with makeup, see if you can find a blush you like that can double as an eyeshadow. Or a dark eyeshadow that you can also use to fill in your brows. With beauty items, it can be a little more tricky. You don’t want to neglect your skin while you are on holiday, but you don’t want to carry your full sized bottles either.
This is where those sample sizes from Sephora or little mini bottles of products come in handy. I always save the samples for traveling because they hardly take up any room and you can just discard them when you are done. If you don’t have the sample sizes of the product you want to bring with you, there are always those mini travel bottles you can buy at the drugstore.
Here’s my travel makeup bag:
This bag is actually a clutch from the Marc Jacobs collaboration with Target last year; it’s a shiny metallic pouch that’s fairly large and fits all you see here ^ very nicely.
This bag was a gift with purchase at Victoria’s Secret a few years ago. It’s metallic gold, but has vertical pink stripes inside and it’s pretty large.
Each of the cosmetics is infused with Josie’s signature Argan Oil and all of the products are cruelty free and paraben free. ❤
I also got these serums as well:
This bag was a gift with purchase at Victoria’s Secret a few years ago. It’s metallic gold, but has vertical pink stripes inside and it’s pretty large.