Empties | June 2015

#minsgame | Day 2

Today I'm giving away these glass bottles. I could these from a fair trade company a long time ago. I liked that they were pretty, and that whoever made them was getting paid a living wage, but ultimately I never did anything useful with them. They have sat and collected dust, so now it's time to move on to someone who will show them more appreciation.

#minsgame | Day 1

For day 1 of this minimalism challenge, I'm getting rid of this DVD/VHS player. The DVD player is broken and I can't even remember the last time I watched a VHS tape. I honestly have just been using it as a shelf for a really long time. So time for this thing to go!

#books | The Garbage Sifter by Barry Jones

This is the first book by Barry Jones that I have read. The book combines politics, drugs, sex, murder, and an innocent Argentinian widow who is supporting her family by dumpster diving. The woman comes across a partially shredded CIA document while sifting through trash and decides to use to her advantage to better her family's well being.

The story combines government agencies from Argentina and the United States, and drug cartels out of Mexico. This can be really confusing normally, but the author is nice enough to break the book up into three parts and provide lists of the key characters for each. This makes the book read like a book of short stories almost, told from the different perspectives of the key players, but all of the stories tie back into the bigger picture and make that bigger picture easy to follow. The book is fast paced and an easy read. I personally liked that none of the sex or violence in the story was overly graphic either. I really liked this book and will definitely be picking up more from this author.

You can pick up The Garbage Sifter for yourself here

note: I was sent this book for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

#review | Adeline Organic Eye Serum

I've been looking for for a decent eye cream to help with the sunken in look of the area under my eyes for a real long while now. I've found with all of the eye products I've tried for probably the last couple of years that they just never love up to the claims. Most did nothing at all. A lot of them didn't fully absorb into my skin and just clogged the pores around my eye area as a result. I came across this serum and thought I might have better luck with it since it's not a cream, but rather a gel. I am transitioning to a greener beauty routine also, so I liked that it was a natural and organic product. You can see in the pic below that the list of ingredients in this serum is pretty short, and most of them are organic.

The bottle has a pump applicator, and the serum comes out as a clear gel. I found the pump to dispense too much product, so I kind of just give it a half squeeze each time I use it.

I feel like the gel spreads and absorbs really well, and my makeup sits nicely on top of it on days that I wear concealer and what not. There is no scent that I can detect, and it's a really gentle formula. No stinging, burning, or any other eye irritations. While I haven't seen a massive difference in my under eye area, you can see in the pics below that my under eye area is a little plumper and brighter after a few weeks of use.

The top photo is before use, the bottom is after 3 weeks:

Overall, I'm pretty happy with this eye serum. Given how little I need to use this bottle is going to last a very long time, which makes it a little budget friendly as well.

If you want to check out Adeline Organic Eye Serum for yourself, click here



note: I was sent this product for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Testing out Foap

Check out my photo on Foap! https://foap.com/photos/53c1343c-3d22-42df-933e-737e2ab62dbf

I just read about this app last night and thought I would give it a whirl. You can make money selling your personal photos with it, if there is anyone interested in your way of viewing the world. I will report back in a few weeks to let you guys know if it's worth the download!

Wow of the Week! | nyl Skincare Organic Shimmer Scrub

I got this sparkly jar of goodness in my May Petit Vour box. At first glance, I honestly didn't think much of it. I can always use a good sugar scrub, but I am almost always let down by the shimmer factor in skin care products that are supposed to leave the skin sparkling. Either no shimmer sticks to my skin at all, or the little that does wears off in a matter of just a couple/few hours. Here is a pic of the packaging and how the scrub looks. You can see from the ingredient list that there are lots of great, organic, skin loving things in this scrub to nourish the skin!

I found this scrub to leave my skin very soft and smooth, without leaving an overly heavy oily film on the skin(which I can't stand in scrubs). The best part though, I looked like I was covered in diamonds! The sparkle left behind by this scrub is AMAZING! Now, I'm a glitter nerd by nature so I am all for the super glittery after effect of this scrub, but if you just want a hint of shimmer you can easily buff away as much of the sparkle as you want with a dry towel. Then, to top it all off, it smells like fresh squeezed oranges(one of my favorite smells), and the shimmer stayed on my skin for two days. Two days! Here are some pics of how glittery it left my skin. My camera is not the best at picking up glitter, so you'll just have to take my word for it that it is way better in person.

If you are a fan of sparkling skin too, you can pick up this scrub here

If you're not a fan of shimmer but dig the organic natural ingredients, you can check out the non-shimmer version of this scrub as well as everything else that nyl Skincare has to offer here

Wow of the Week! | OZ Naturals Anti-Aging Solar Shield

Oz Naturals Anti-Aging Solar shield is an all natural sunscreen. It uses zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to provide SPF 30 sun protection, as well as a bunch of other skin loving ingredients to nourish and protect the skin.

I found this sunscreen to be very gentle. My sensitive skin didn't have any sort of reaction to it. There is a super mild citrus-herbal scent to it, not strong at all. Unlike a lot of other sunscreens it didn't feel heavy or greasy on my already oily face. It absorbed relatively quickly, and left my skin with an almost matte feel to it. This, like most natural sunscreens, does leave a slightly white tint to the skin. For me personally this is kind of a bonus since I have so much sun damage and freckles that my face is considerably darker than my neck and chest. The tint actually helps to even things out for me. You can see in the pics below what I'm talking about.

While I have been using this on my whole body, one unexpected surprise that I found while using it on my face is that it works better as a primer under my makeup than any other primer I've tried. I have really big pores around my nose, and most primers actually skip over the pores and create pockets around them so that when I put my foundation on my pores are actually more visible than if I had used nothing at all. When I use this sunscreen under my makeup it actually smooths over the pores and makes the less visible. Finally! I found something that works!!

One more nice thing about this product is that it is vegan and cruelty-free for all of the animal friendly shoppers out there.

Overall, I really like this natural sunscreen and will definitely be picking another bottle up when this runs out.

You can find OZ Naturals Anti-Aging Sun Shield here

note: I received this product for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Wow of the Week! | Lauren B. Beauty nail polish

FINALLY! A pastel polish that applies opaque in one streak-free coat!! I got this Lauren B. Beauty polish, in the color My Private Cabana, in my Petit Vour box last month. My initial impression was that this stuff is expensive...I've never spent $18 on a bottle of nail polish. However, after using it I get it. This polish glides across the nail and coats the nail effortlessly, so that's a pretty fancy pants brush they have going on there. I've never had a polish apply this smoothly, not even the "higher end" brands I use like Zoya and Julep. It dries pretty quickly too, since you only need one coat, which is a nice bonus. The formula is 5-free, cruelty free, vegan friendly, and made in the U.S.A. They have a decent range of neutral and trendy shades as well. I will definitely be looking into more of these polishes in the future!

Food & Fit Log | May 3, 2015

Breakfast: French toast with a banana, latte

Snack: Sea salt pop pops

Lunch: 2 fried eggs, 1 slice of whole grain toast w/light butter & honey, apple

Snack: Pineapple Greek yogurt

Dinner: Apricot-basil chicken w/quinoa, salad

Snack: Honey dijon pretzel bites

Exercise: 6 mile hike

Colour Pop In Bloom | Swatches & Review

In Bloom is my first Colour Pop purchase and I have to say right off the top that I freaking LOVE it!! This set is a collaboration between Colour Pop and celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg, and comes with 3 Super Shock cheek colors and 3 Lippie Stix. The colors that she came up with are beautiful, fun, and basically perfect for Spring/Summer.

 What really took this set from "Ooh, PRETTY!" to "Holy crap, I need to get more of these!" is the interesting textures and AMAZING pigmentation of Colour Pop's formulas. The blushes have a bouncy, creamy feel that is super blendable but sets on the skin like a powder. The pigmentation of the blushes kind of blew me away, and needless to say I easily overdid it the first time I applied. So, fair skinned girls beware that you need to use a light hand with these. Literally just a smidge will do ya! They can be applied with fingers for the most impact, but my personal favorite is to use a duofiber stippling brush for a nice, healthy pop of color without looking crazy.

The Lippie Stix have some of the best pigmentation I've come across as well. Almost too good. I only need to apply a thin layer of these lipsticks for full coverage, opaque color. The finish of the lipsticks in this set  is SUPER creamy. They also smell like vanilla, my favorite!

Now, onto the swatches!

How cute is that packaging!?!?

The first blush is called Tongue Tied, and is a bright warm coral with a matte finish. SO pretty!

The next "blush" is actually a golden champagne highlighter called Double Dip. This gives just the right amount of glow to the skin, and the formula makes it really easy to control so you never end up looking too shimmery.

The last blush in the set is called Hysterical and is a pinky-plum with a matte finish. This color gives a really natural looking flush to the skin, like you just came back from a quick jog.

The first lipstick in the set is Sweet Thing. It's a mid-toned bubble gum pink. This pretty wearable since it's not too light or cool toned.

Frienemy is hands down my favorite of the 3 lip colors. It's like neon coral and just screams Summer to me.

And last, but not least, we have Freshman. This is a creamy magenta and I love it...nuff said.

After trying this set out, I will DEFINITELY be getting more from Colour Pop!

Have you guys tried Colour Pop yet? What are your favorites?

Food & Fit Diary: April 22, 2015

Breakfast: French toast, banana, and a latte

Lunch: Oatmeal, apple, and a latte

Snack: Sliced strawberries with a little sugar

Dinner: Chicken and dumplings, and a salad

Water: Only 3 cups today...pitiful...need to work on that...

Total calories for the day was 1,362. Not bad.

Workouts: rest day

#manimonday : Purple Glitter Fade

For this look I used Julep polishes in Tyra, Queen Anne, and Danica. Danica is more violet in person, but it has a lot of blue micro-fine shimmer throughout so my camera picks it up blue. I just used the basic "ombre" nail polish technique using a cosmetic sponge. There are tons of tutorials on YouTube for this method if you aren't familiar with it. Very beginner friendly nail art!

If you want to check out Julep polishes for yourself, click here!

What are you guys rocking on your nails this week?

Swatch & Review: Avon Ultra Color Indulgence Lip Color

Ultra Color Indulgence lip color is the latest and greatest in Avon lipsticks! These lip colors are creamy, moisturizing, lightweight(thanks to no heavy waxes), and leave a beautiful dewy finish on the lips. Most shades have medium to full coverage, with the exception of just a few that I will get to down below. They also have a light fruity fragrance to them that smells yummy and not at all overwhelming.

So, here are some swatches for you! The top lip swatches are with a flash, the bottom for each color is normal indoor light.

First up is In Bloom. This shade is a very pale pinky nude. Normally, shades like this would leave me looking very pasty and washed out but this shade applies with light/medium coverage so enough of my natural lip color comes through to prevent that from happening. It is easily built up though if you want it lighter and more opaque. There is the tiniest hint of  golden champagne like super fine shimmer to this color.

Honey Flower is a little more my speed when it comes to "nude" lip colors. It has a warm peachy-pink  undertone to it. Applies full coverage with no detectable shimmer.

Petal Pink is one of those light, cool toned Nicki Minaj-esque pinks. Doesn't look that great on me, but it applied well. Full coverage and no shimmer.

Pink Blossom has about the same depth as Petal Pink, but is definitely a warmer pink and looks much better on me. This is one of my favorites out of the bunch. Applies full coverage with no shimmer.

Peach Petunia is my absolute favorite of all of them! The perfect pinky-peach for Spring and Summer. Applies full coverage with no shimmer.

Rose Bouquet is a muted berry shade. This is another favorite! Applied like a dream, full coverage and no shimmer. This shade is perfect for anyone who really wants to rock a red lip but is nervous to go full-on red. It suits all skin tones and will work in all seasons.

Day Lily is a plum-y mauve. This is another shade that will suit pretty much any skin tone and work year round. It applies full coverage and doesn't have any shimmer.

Poppy Pink is a vibrant hot pink. Another favorite! It applies full coverage and has no detectable shimmer.

Orchid Petal is a bright pinkish purple. Love this color! It applies full coverage, and has the very faintest hint of violet shimmer in it. You really don't notice it at all unless the light hits it just right.

Red Tulip is a true red. Not too orange, not too blue, not too brown...just true red. It applies full coverage and has no shimmer. This one's another favorite of mine.

Plum Verbena is a deep reddish plum. It applies pretty sheer(and looks pretty that way), but if you build it up for more coverage it does get a little streaky and color settles into the lines of the lip.

Chocolate Rose is the deepest of the bunch, a dark reddish brown. This one also applies sheer(again, I like it that way) and gets streaky when built up for more coverage.

For the most part I love this line. The only color that I really can't wear is Petal Pink, it is just too cool for me. I personally am happy that the two darkest shades apply sheer because colors like that that are opaque have a tendency to look a little too Lorde-ish on me, and, well, I'm not Lorde.

What do you guys think of these new lipsticks? Which colors do you like the best?

If you would like to check out this new line of lipsticks for yourself, click here