Category: Health + Beauty

Lush | Mini Haul + Neon Love Soap

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 1 February 2014

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

I popped into Lush to get a few favorites, but I was also excited to see their Valentine’s Day items. I got the Comforter Bubble Bar (my FAVORITE!), two Sex Bomb Bath Bombs, and a small chunk of the new Neon Love Soap.

The soap is limited edition for Valentine’s Day and is a super pretty reddish-pink color with a white heart running through the middle. The hearts were cut all weird in the blocks at the store, but one of the sales associates was super nice and cut me a piece with a perfect heart! ❤

From Lush “With fresh passion fruit juice to cleanse and soya yogurt to nourish, Neon Love is one we want to use all over our bodies in the bath and shower. A new perfume was blended for this bar, and includes citrusy bergamot, rosewood and spicy cinnamon leaf oil. Hiding inside the huge heart-shaped soap are little white hearts to ensure every slice looks just as beautiful as it smells.”

I really like the way this smells and kind of wish I’d gotten a larger piece. It smells warm and cinnamon-y but not spicy; and sweet and citrus-y; very clean. The scent lingers for a while. Plus, it makes a sweet pink lather which is amazing. It did made my hands feel kind of dry after washing with it & I had to use some hand cream to get rid of the tightness. :/

Have you tried the Neon Lush soap? Or any of the Valentine’s Day items from Lush? What did you think? 🙂

Tags bath, Comforter, Comforter Bubble Bar, haul, lush, lush cosmetics, neon love, Neon Love Soap, Pink, sex bomb, Soap, valentine, valentine's day, Valentine's Day items, vegan

Blog Health + Beauty

Josie Maran Complexion Care Package | Review

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 27 January 2014

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

I’ve had some time to get familiar with the Josie Maran Complexion Care Package that I got from QVC. This set was such a great value with five full-sized products for under $60.

Argan Tinted Moisturizer

There are four color choices with the Argan Tinted Moisturizer (Fair, Light, Medium, Dark), I picked up the Light 1 color.

The Tinted Moisturizer has SPF 30 and really evens out the skin tone without looking greasy or heavy. Similar to a BB Cream, the Tinted Moisturizer blends best with the fingers. A little bit goes a long way and it settles into the skin to give a nice finished look.

There is a yellow undertone to the Light 1 color I got which works to neutralize redness. Coverage is light and makes skin look dewey which may look over shiny if you have oily skin.

Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon

Your color selection for the Tinted Moisturizer also dictates your Concealer Crayon color in this set. I’ve never used any kind of concealer crayon before, so I was excited to see what this argan-infused one would be like.

I know other concealers I’ve used in the past have seemed drying or chalky; settling into fine lines under my eyes. This concealer is far from that; it’s very creamy and glides on easily. For me, however, it’s a little too creamy. Maybe I’m just using too much, but it seemed to slip all over my under eye area and eventually crease in those fine lines.

It would probably work best with a light setting powder, but if I’m going for a quick, fresh-faced look, I don’t want to have to set everything with a powder.

Infinity Cream Intensive Creamy Oil

There are many uses listed for the Argan Infinity Cream — from smoothing down fly-aways to an intensive hand cream. The Infinity Cream seems to be a more concentrated version of the Argan Oil. It has a Vaseline/petroleum jelly feeling even though it does not contain any of that. The Infinity Cream is all organic and contains 100% pure Argan Oil.

I like to use this cream on my cuticles, knees & elbows, and on my hands. It absorbs nicely and hydrates dry flaky areas.

100% Pure Argan Oil

I love the pure Argan Oil. Click the link ^ for the ways I like to use it. Definitely my favorite product in the kit.

Argan Color Stick in Dreamy Pink

The Argan Color stick is the perfect on-the-go color stick. It’s compact and infused with argan oil to give your skin a nice, healthy rosy glow. Definitely would repurchase this.

Because it’s infused with argan oil, the color stick was quite creamy when applied to the cheeks or lips. It appears bright at first, but it blends nicely into the skin for a natural looking flush.

Have you used any of these Josie Maran products? Let me know what you think! 🙂

Blog Health + Beauty

Josie Maran Argan Milk | Review

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 20 January 2014

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

I’ve been incorporating the new Josie Maran Argan Milk into my nightly skincare routine and I’m excited to review it. I love the Josie Maran Argan Oil and I love how Josie Maran Cosmetics uses organic ingredients in all of its products.

Packaging

The Josie Maran Argan Milk comes in a sleek 1oz bottle for $56. Similar to the Josie Maran Argan Oil, the Argan Milk is dispensed through a glass dropper. The construction of the rubber-squeeze end of the dropper is more solid that the older bottles of Argan Oil — the stopper in my little bottle of Argan Oil sometimes pops out of the top :/ But the Argan Milk bottle has a substantial weight and the dropper seems durable much like the new bottles of Argan Oil.

Ingredients

Aqua (Water)** (and) Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil* (and) Propanediol** (and) Glyceryl Caprylate** (and) Glyceryl Undecylenate** (and) Phosphatidylglycerol** (and) Sodium Benzoate** (and) Xanthan Gum** (and) Citric Acid**.
*ORGANIC **NATURAL

Essentially, this Argan Milk is just Argan Oil and water. The Argan Milk doesn’t contain any parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. Yay!

Use

Apply 3 -5 drops of the Argan Milk day and night. The applicator is similar to the dropper that comes with the Argan Oil, but the dropper part is slightly more tapered off so you can really control how much is released. It’s recommended that you follow with a few drops of the Josie Maran Argan Oil/Argan Oil Light.

Consistency

The Argan Milk is lightweight, smooth and silky feeling. I try to lightly spread the Argan Milk all over my face with my fingers before pressing it lightly into my skin. The Argan Milk’s silkiness quickly absorbs into your skin and leaves a slightly tacky feeling. The Argan Milk absorbs like a serum, but with a slightly more creamier consistency than a gel-like consistency.

Results

The Argan Milk really preps the skin for the Argan Oil/ Argan Oil Light. It’s quick-absorbing and definitely hydrating. My skin’s texture is more even and those winter dry spots are gone! I’ve actually been using the Argan Milk on the back of my hands as a treatment the last couple of nights and following with the Argan Oil. Even my hands are looking and feeling softer! If you aren’t a fan of the Argan Oil (which is amazing! Try it if you haven’t!), then I still think the Argan Milk would be a good addition to any skincare regimen as a way to get the benefits of Argan Oil without sacrificing your regular moisturizer.

I’ve been using the Argan Milk as a night serum, but I think this would also be great for the day time as well. Again, it’s so light and absorbs quickly, that I think it would work well under makeup. Overall, I love the new Josie Maran Argan Milk. It’s the perfect way to get the added benefits of Argan Oil and long lasting hydration.

❤ Bonus: Even Svetlana loves Argan Milk!

Tags argan milk, argan oil, Beauty, cats, cream, cruelty free, gel, healthy, hydration, josie maran, Josie Maran Argan Oil, josie maran cosmetics, natural, new, organic, paraben free, qvc, review, Sephora, serum, skin, skincare, sulfate free, treatment

Blog Health + Beauty

2014 Nighttime Skincare Routine

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 17 January 2014

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

One of my resolutions this year has been to wash my face every night. I’m usually really good about it, but we all have had those late nights where you just want to fall into bed rather than washing your face. On nights like that, I would sometimes use the Neutrogena makeup removing face wipes which seemed to get the job done. But this year, there will be no excuse for being lazy and not washing my face.

Your body repairs itself while you are sleeping; how can you expect optimum results when you are leaving a mask of the day’s dirt and bacteria on your face all night? I’m sure everyone’s heard the saying, “The best makeup is good skincare!”

To remove my makeup and cleanse my face, I start with my trusted Clarisonic Mia and Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple cleanser. I recently got the sensitive brush head for the Mia and I am really liking it.

After using the Clarisonic on my face, I’ll use my fingers and some more of the Purity to gently remove my eye makeup/cleanse my eye area.

If I have any blemishes or problem areas, I’ll use a pump of Grease Lightening from Lush. It’s called a cleanser but it works more as a toner or spot treatment for me.

The newest addition to my nighttime skincare routine is the Josie Maran Argan Milk. It works with the Argan Oil to be an intensive hydrating treatment. Full review here.

I use the Josie Maran Argan Oil right behind the Argan Milk — just a few drops for your face and neck. I kind of pat/press it into my skin so it really sinks in. Check out some other ways I useArgan Oil here.

Next up is my under eye area. I find that I don’t really like the feel of a night cream under my eye, but I really love the Lancome Genifique Yeux eye concentrate. It’s like a cooling serum to help de-puff and brighten the eye area. The secret is in the application because the wand has a pivoted “pearl” at the end that helps gently massage the under eye area.

I then seal everything in with my favorite night cream ever — the Lancome Absolue Night Cream. It smells amazing and isn’t too thick or greasy.

Then to moisturize my chest and the rest of my body, I use Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil. This stuff has been amazing for me! Click for my review. This is the jumbo sized jar from QVC in the unscented version.

And, of course, I couldn’t forget the Dior Creme de Rose lip balm. I use this at night as a lip treatment and, as you can see, I’m going through it pretty quickly. See my full review here.

And that’s it for my nighttime skincare routine! It may seem like a lot, but skincare is important to me. No matter your age, it’s never too early to start really taking care of your skin. What’s your current skincare routine?

Blog Health + Beauty

Josie Maran Complexion Care Package

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 15 January 2014

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

I was so excited when I saw the Josie Maran Complexion Care Package on QVC. The set comes with 5 full sized products:

1.7-fl oz Argan Tinted Moisturizer
0.1-oz Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon
2.2-fl oz Infinity Cream Intensive Creamy Oil
1.7-fl oz 100% Pure Argan Oil
0.55-oz Argan Color Stick in Dreamy Pink

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.

UPDATE: Full review here!

The packaging is nice and I’m pleased with the value. I’d never tried the Infinity Cream or any of the Josie Maran makeup.

Each of the cosmetics is infused with Josie’s signature Argan Oil and all of the products are cruelty free and paraben free. ❤

Tags argan oil, Argan Tinted, BB Cream, Beauty, color stick, concealer, cruelty free, face, foundation, hair, infinity cream, josie maran, makeup, nails, natural, organic, paraben free, qvc, Sephora, skin, tinted moisturizer

Blog Health + Beauty

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 12 January 2014

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.

How often do you clean your make up brushes?

Tags brush, brushes, clean, cleanse, Cleanser, dry, mac, makeup, makeup brushes, Sephora

Blog Health + Beauty

Nike+ Running Coach | Training for a Half Marathon

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 2 January 2014

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.

Tags 10k, 13.1, 26.2, 5k, audio feedback, coach, fit, fitness, gym, half marathon, Intermediate level, IOS, ios7, iPhone, just do it, marathon, new year, new years resolutions, Nike, nike coach, Nike+coach, nike+running, race, resolution, run, Running, train, training, training program, update, voice

Blog Health + Beauty

DIOR Crème de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm | REVIEW

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 27 December 2013

CREME DE ROSE PACKAGING

muffinchanel-dior-creme-de-rose-lip-balm-smoothing-plumping-2-1024x768 — 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.

SaveSave

Tags balm, Beauty, creme de rose, Dior, Dior Creme de Rose lip balm, face, lip, Lip Balm, lips, makeup, packaging, plumping, review, rose, Sephora, skin, smoothing

Blog Health + Beauty

Skincare Haul

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 8 December 2013

muffinchanel nia 24b md formulations thalgo decleor ole henriksen priori coffeeberry ptr peter thomas roth

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!

Above:

NIA 24 – Gentle Cleansing Cream

MD Formulations – Facial Cleanser

Thalgo – Bio Protective Cream

Decleor – Total Anti-Aging Night Cream

Ole Henriksen – Truth Creme Advanced Hydration

Priori – CoffeeBerry Revitalizing Cleanser

Peter Thomas Roth – Glycolic Acid Facial Wash

muffinchanel ddf eye erase gel neostrata cellular restoration serious skin are pure-pep peptides skinceuticals I also got these serums as well:

DDF – Erase Eye Gel

NeoStrata – Cellular Restoration

Serious Skincare – Pure Pep: Innovations

SkinCeuticals – C E Ferulic: Prevent

I’m super excited to try everything out. Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

Blog Health + Beauty

VIB Rouge – Special Surprise Gifts

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 4 December 2013

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! 🙂

Blog Health + Beauty

Why I’m NOT buying the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 23 November 2013
7 Comments on Why I’m NOT buying the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

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.

muffinchanel naked 2 palette urban decay

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.

muffinchanel naked 2 palette urban decay

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.

muffinchanel naked 2 palette urban decay swatches

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! ❤

Tags Beauty, black friday, blend, buy, cyber monday, earth tones, eye shadow, eyeshadow, gold, happy thanksgiving, holiday, Naked, naked 2, naked 3, neutral, new, palette, rose, shadow, Urban Decay

Blog Health + Beauty

Sephora Haul | VIB Rouge

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

Sephora’s 20% off sale for VIB’s just ended. Being only $34 away from VIB Rouge, I decided it would be a good time to get a couple things I had my eye on, and tip my VIB status over to the next level.

After a few recent hauls (HERE, HERE, and HERE), I was pretty set with everything I wanted. I did pick up a couple of items, got a free VIB tote and redeemed some of my Beauty Insider Points.

Clarisonic Brush Head Replacement – Sensitive

I use the “Normal” brush head now on my Clarisonic Mia, which is nice, but I wanted to try a softer brush.

Living Proof Restore Repairing & Damage Reversing Travel Kit

I’ve been looking for a new shampoo/conditioner since Garnier Fructis changed the formula on the Triple Nutrition line. :/ My hair isn’t damaged necessarily, but it will feel dry and frizzy, especially in the winter.

Urban Decay Essentials – 500 Point Perk

b6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray (0.5 oz)
All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (0.5 oz)
Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging (0.13 oz)
Eyeshadow Deluxe Sample in Mushroom (0.03 oz)

This perk seemed really nice. A deluxe sample shadow, eyeshadow primer and two mini facial prepping/setting sprays. I’ve never used the Urban Decay facial sprays, but they seem like a cool idea. And for ~~free~~ 500 points, it’s a nice way to try out a new product.

And *Drumroll*, the VIB Rouge Welcome Kit!

So exciting! It came with a mini lipstick designed by Bite exclusively for VIB Rouge members. I now get free shipping on all orders, free makeovers anytime, special surprise gifts, and invites to exclusive rouge events. Yay!

Check out my first VIB Rouge perk!!!

Tags 20, be slick, beauty insider, bite, brush, Clarisonic, conditioner, excited, free, free VIB, friends and family, hair mask, living proof, mushroom, prep, prime, rouge, sale, sensitive, Sephora, Shampoo, tote, Urban Decay, vib, vib rouge

Blog Health + Beauty Lifestyle

Lush Holiday Favorites

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

Every year, Lush comes out with its holiday gift sets, bath bombs, bubble bars, and more. Some of the seasonal scents are less than magical for me, but there are a few that I really look forward to.

Golden Wonder muffinchanel lush holiday favorites

This bath bomb is huge! It’s $6.95 and shaped like a present with a white bow on top. I used this the other night and it smells lovely.

Christmas Eve
muffinchanel lush holiday favorites

My favorite Christmas themed bubble bar. Super relaxing; makes your water so silky and pretty blue.

Cinders

muffinchanel lush holiday favorites

You can’t go wrong with this yellow bomb at $4.95. With red “pop rocks?” inside, you’ll feel like you are sitting near a crackling fire with this cinnamon scented bomb.

Do you have any LUSH holiday recommendations? What are your favorites?

Check out my year round favorites HERE.

Tags bath, bath bomb, bubble bar, bubbles, christmas, christmas eve, cinders, clean, golden wonder, holiday, lush, relax, Soap

Blog Health + Beauty

Training for a Half Marathon

Post author By muffinchanel.com
Post date 8 November 2013
1 Comment on Training for a Half Marathon

nikerunning instagram werunsf muffinchanel training for a half marathon

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I follow NikeRunning on Instagram and a few weeks ago, I started seeing a lot about the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco #werunsf. How fun that would be — to run in San Francisco! I’ve always enjoyed running and have been running off and on for many years. I don’t know if I’d consider myself a “runner” though. A true runner is probably a lot more consistent than I am, but I always enjoy the occasional run.

But this marathon got me thinking — would I even be able to run for 13.1 miles? I’ve done a few 5K races here and there, but 3 miles and 13 miles are very different. When was the last time I ran for more than 3 miles in one run? And then it was decided — I needed to train for a half marathon.

I’m using my Fitbit Flex and my Nike+Running App to track my runs. Over the last five days, I ran 5 miles at 12’03″/mi; 3 miles at 12’03″/mi; and 1.5 miles at 9″51″/mi. I’ve found a few training plans online that I’ll modify and follow. My goal is to be able to run 13.1 miles straight by February!

Tags 13.1, Fitbit, Fitbit Flex, Flex, half marathon, instagram, jog, Nike, Nike Women's Marathon, nikeplus, nikeplusrunning, Running, San Francisco, train, training, werunsf