Makeup Favorites: Sara Happ

You can have a little taste of spa heaven right in your bathroom cabinet. I'm talking about one of my favorite things I have ever purchased: Sara Happ Inc. The Lip Scrub and its sidekick The Lip Slip.

This dynamic duo is quite indulgent, and it is a little on the pricey side; however, I can say that this lip scrub would last you for a really long time. I have used it a lot and have barely even made a dent in it.
These amazing lip scrubs come in many different delish flavors. I have the brown sugar flavor, but I have also smelled the creme brulee flavor and oh my gosh....you kind of just want to eat it (which you could because its pretty much all-natural).

A lip scrub is obviously an exfoliant for your lips that can get rid of all that annoying flaky skin that we sometimes get and leave your lips super soft. The reason why I ended up buying the Lip Slip (an amazing moisturizing balm) to go with my lip scrub is because you definitely want to use some kind of conditioning agent once you exfoliate your lips. Of course, you can use any type of lip balm you want- a good moisturizing one I use a lot is Aquaphor-- cheap and great!

Left: Lip Scrub; Right: Lip Slip

Personally, I think that Sara Happ's The Lip Scrub is definitely worth the investment (like a lot of good beauty products) even if you don't get her balm to go with it (that was more of an indulgence). You can order it from certain websites or get it at specialty stores around the country (check her website for places to go!). Enjoy and "wonder how you ever lived without it!" ;-)

*Note: if you have nut allergies this product IS made with macadamia nut oil so it may not be suitable for you!

Beauty Favorite: MASCARA

Hey y'all! Sorry about the long absence-- I have been gallivanting around the United States, first with my 8th grade students for a whirlwind tour of our nation's capital (LOVE DC!!) and then with most members of my family for a trek up the Colorado Rockies for some lovely skiing. It was definitely a crazy but totally fun two weeks.

But here we are, back to the things of daily life. As promised, this is a post about my absolutely must-have favorite beauty product: Mascara. It is definitely one of those things that wakes up your face whether you have any other make-up on or not, and it only takes seconds to apply.  The thing is, there are lots of mascaras out there, so I am going to outline my 4 favorites at 4 price points. Each mascara I use is NOT waterproof, although they make waterproof versions of each kind (waterproof is too harsh on my lashes). Enjoy!!

1. Splurge: Dior DiorShow Mascara 25$

This mascara is the total package (it should be for 25$ =)). It doesn't clump and it makes lashes long and fluttery. It is easy to remove yet still lasts all day! The big brush helps it go on quick and evenly and boosts the volume.

2. Less Expensive Splurge: Bad Gal Lash by Benefit Cosmetics 19$

This may be my absolute favorite mascara in the world. I only buy it every once in a while due to the price but when I do I am never disappointed. I have been using this stuff since high school. It is the only mascara that I have ever received compliments on-- not once, but SEVERAL compliments on my LASHES. Yeah, it's that good. Big brush, fabulous formula, and looks so natural yet so defined.

3. Mid-Range: Clinique High Impact Mascara 15$

This mascara is what I am currently using and I liked it so much I have bought a second tube. I got it for Christmas in a gift set and it is a great mascara. It's by Clinique so of course it's good for everyone's eyes and it's got a little bit thicker formula than my favorite drugstore kind. It does everything the more expensive ones do and really lengthens.

4. Drugstore: Full N' Soft by Maybelline 5-7$

I've been using this mascara for as long as I can remember. It looks natural, makes my lashes long and defined, and is so gentle I have never had any issues with it. If you want a good, simple, all-around performer without all the extra craziness (which I have found doesn't always do what it says) then this is your best bet.

There you have it! I use black in all mascaras (Very Black in the Maybelline). I have tried brown since I am fair but it just does not define my lashes as well. Of course, you know what's best for you so have at it! =) Let me know if you end up buying any of these and what you think!

Makeup: The BeautyBlender

Ok, so I know I promised a feature blog-post about my dear friend's Valentine's Tea Party but I promise this is coming in a couple of days-- I actually got a request to do a tutorial on using the BeautyBlender and I thought I'd do it tonight before I go out of town on a little visit to see my little brother!

If you subscribe to Birchbox (a monthly box filled with deluxe samples delivered to your door...aka FUN) then there is a chance you received a BeautyBlender sponge in your box. I was SO excited to get one because I'd been wanting to try it but wasn't sure about it since they are slightly pricey. However, now that I have one, I think I would be willing to invest....

pink spongy fun!

Here are some quick tips for using your BeautyBlender:

1. Wet the sponge. This makes application easier and also helps to avoid the sponge soaking up a lot of your product. Make sure you ring it out until it is just damp.

2. Dot or swipe your foundation on the main spots of your face with your finger: on your cheeks, sides of nose, middle forehead, sides of forehead, lower jaw line, and chin.

3. Take your BeautyBlender and start to lightly and quickly dab it all over using the bottom fuller rounded side of the sponge, spreading out the foundation with "spackle-type" dabs. *Yes, it will look at first like your foundation will look spotty and like it isn't going to cover your face but trust me it will!

4. Every so often, you can "swipe" the BeautyBlender to even out the coverage. Try to avoid swiping too much or too hard as it might wipe off what you've done, and you want a really natural, pressed finished.

5. The pointed side of the BeautyBlender can be used to blend under the eyes, the sides of the nose (close to your nostrils) and in other parts of your face that you need to be more precise.

6. Blend until you get the coverage you need!

I LOVE the way using this sponge feels...it's soft and actually kind of fun to use! Plus, you can just rinse it out once a week like you do your makeup brushes (see a tutorial for washing those here). Hope you enjoy using your BeautyBlender! If you don't have one but want one, you can purchase from Sephora (the two for 25$ is a good deal as this basically replaces your use of a foundation brush). Happy Blending!

Birchbox & A {miracle} Product

Hey y'all! So I promised a little blog post about some of my favorites from this past month's Birchbox and then a miracle product I recently picked up. If you don't know what a Birchbox is, check it out here! 10$ for fun little makeup and cosmetic samples :)
So first thing up is another full-size bottle of Zoya polish. It's a beautiful bright pink, a holiday color with a little zest to change it up from the traditional red, green or gold. I love Zoya polish because they are harmful-chemical free and they are very good quality polishes. Plus, they are basically almost the price of the monthly Birchbox which makes them totally worth it! (To buy in stores you can get it from Ulta or Whole Foods)

My next favorite thing was this beautiful lotion, called LaRocca Champagne and Shimmer. It's so sweet/citrusy smelling and has just enough sheen without being over-the-top-glittery. I am REALLY tempted to buy the full-size!!!

And last but not least, is a miracle product (at least I think so) and I just can't believe I didn't start using this sooner. I picked up some Maybelline Instant Age Rewind under eye treatment concealer. Oh.my.goodness. It brightens and fills in lines (yes I have them at 26, with my fair-sun-damaged skin) and makes the skin under my eyes so bright and even-toned. In a word (or few), I love it. I use the lightest shade, and when I blend it matches perfectly. You only need a little bit! Another plus: it comes with the built-in applicator sponge, so you dont have to use your finger or a brush! More love!

There's my favorites for today! Let me know if you try any!

An Outfit and Some Favorites

Hello blog world! Alright well I'm definitely putting myself out there with this, but I wanted to share an outfit with you that I came up with for my father-in-law's retirement banquet. I am usually not this creative nor do I think that my outfits are worth sharing really at all, but I got excited. I didn't really have anything to wear (a couple of my dresses have gotten um...a little too small, working on that!) so I improvised. I put this slightly oversized short-sleeved black sweater over this nice lacey dress that I have literally had for about 6 years. Put that with some beige shoes and hoop earrings and bam- a new outfit!

You never know what you have lurking around in your closet!

Now here's a possible future outfit that may make it to the blog-- I got this dress shopping with a friend and I paid 14$ for it. Originally it was 44$! I love a bargain!

And now for something that is just a favorite. It's a Tyler Candle Company candle that has the Birthday Cake scent. I loooove anything that smells like cake or cookies. The Tyler Candle Company has great candles and lots of scents so check them out. Plus the packaging is cute too, and I'm a sucker for cute presentation. You can buy them at Sample House in the DFW area! I am already enjoying it!

Sparkle and Salmon {Favorites}

What do sparkle and salmon have to do with each other!??! Read on...
One thing that becomes more rare as time goes on (at least in my experience) is good customer service. Everyone (including myself a lot of times) has times where they seem to just being going through the motions and trying to do so as quickly as possible without giving their business OR the people that are doing business with them a second thought. But I have had TWO experiences this week where good customer service is making me want to go give more business to those places!

First, I got my rings cleaned. Oooooh how I love my rings. And I never take it off. You can tell because up until yesterday it was dull as dull can be, covered in the daily grime of every day life (and I'm pretty sure some sour cream when it got accidentally dunked in some one night). Since my hubby got my rings from Blue Nile online, there aren't any shops that I can take it to- and they wanted me to ship my rings (and pay for it) which would leave me ringless and sad for days. I didn't want to just go anywhere because I have heard of some shady things going on with diamond swaps at seedy places! But I decided to go to a local family owned business that my mom has been going to since about 1990. I walked in, talked to a sweet lady and told her that I needed the prongs checked and the rings cleaned. She did just that and in 5 minutes I had a beautiful sparkling new-feeling set of rings! The thing is, when I asked her how much I owed, she replied "Oh nothing!" Now, I realize it was 5 minutes and it's easy to clean. But I didn't get my ring from that place. I'd never even bought anything and she didn't know my mom had been going there. You can rest assured that I will be taking my business back to them in the future!

Pretty.shiny.sparkly.love.

Then, tonight I went to peruse Central Market (lovelovelove) and I wanted to get some fresh salmon to cook this weekend. At the seafood counter, I picked out the cheapest, best-looking salmon I saw and asked the seafood guy for help. He mentioned that I should really get the "New Zealand King Salmon" that was on sale and neeeevvveerr is...and I was like "well don't get me hooked on something I can't keep buying because it's expensive!" He proceeded to tell me that he was so sure I'd love it that he'd give me a pound but only charge me for .8 of a pound-- saving me 3$! Not only that, he proceeded to give me a simple recipe including a spice rub for the salmon. He asked me to come back and tell him if I like it, and you know what I think I will!

Beautiful weekend dinner!

My encouragement is to take the time to appreciate those who take that extra step for you and make sure to extend that grace to someone else. I know it's made me think about it and appreciate it so much!