Almond Oil

 L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil

                                                 

 

I picked up this shower oil on a whim when I was out picking up christmas gifts. I have pretty sensitive skin and have found that oils work well especially for shaving. This shower oil is very moisturizing my skin just soaks it in leaving it feeling soft and supple.
 

 

This shower oil is meant to be used in place of a shower gel. When used in the shower it transforms into a light foam that cleanses the body with out leaving your skin feeling stripped. The scent is just heavenly, It sort of smells woodsy but still refreshing. A perfect scent for fall and winter time.

This retails for $25 and you can pick it up from L'occitane or any where that sells L'occitane products.

Julep December Maven Box

Julep December Maven Box

After skipping the last couple months of my Maven boxes the December box really jumped out at me and I knew I would be picking it up. What really stood out to me was the new Orbital Eye shadows but more on that later.  

This month I picked up the bombshell box which included two polishes and one of their new eye shadows. Paula is described as Persian blue with gold micro shimmer while Soliel is lustrous rose gold chrome.  As always Julep’s polishes are formulated to be 5-free and vegan friendly.

My box came with the option to choose a shade of the orbital eye shadow and I picked one called Earthshine. Earthshine is described as tree bark with chrome pearlescence. These new orbital shadows are all meant to have a multidimensional aspect to them using iridescent pearls and metallic. I really loved the shade I picked, great for everyday wear and can be built up easily for a more dramatic look. You can also use these shadows with a wet brush to get an even deeper shade.

You can check out some of my other Julep Maven boxes HERE, HERE and HERE. As always if interested in signing up you can use my referral link (click me!) and get the first box free with code FREEBOX.

Also Julep is having there end of the year sale so you can score some awesome new polish shades for a total steal!

A Weekend Visit to San Antonio

The King William District and Mission San José

I hope you all had a wonderfull holiday. I decided to take a little break from blogging while all of my family was in town in order to fully enjoy my family and friends. This past weekend we traveled to San Antonio to have Christmas with my Dad and family that lives there. Saturday we were able to get out and do a little sight seeing I though why not share a few pictures from the trip?!

I love being able to see all the grande homes decorated for christmas so my dad knew I would love to visit the King William district. A historic area just south of down town San Antonio,  a lot of the homes offer walking tours but we skipped these since it was pretty rainy outside. I was able to snap a couple of pictures though.

How amazing would it be to own one of these houses.

After driving around day dreaming of historic homes we stopped by the Mission San José. The rain finally subsided enabling us to walk around the mission grounds. The architecture and history were amazing. I was glad we had the time to do a little exploring!

 

 

 

 

 

 

If ever in the area I recommend checking out the entire mission trail.

Around The Web

Around The Web

This weekend marks only a few more days until Christmas. My sister and brother will be coming into town this weekend and I have a whole bunch of baking planned for us. My mom even broke out the gingerbread house molds and we will be making our gingerbread village. (something we haven't done in years). I hope you all have a festive weekend and a Merry Christmas.

A few tips for throwing the best party this holiday season.

We never met on instagram. Short stories made up about photos of complete strangers.

Love Actually is the least romantic movie?

How long it takes to get over that break up.

This man finally found his Elizabeth Gallagher to travel the world with.

Soya Want It All?

Soya Want It All 22 In 1 Leave-In Conditioner

 

I really hate to admit this but it’s been well over a year since my last haircut. I know pretty bad! But I just haven’t had the time and honestly I haven’t thought my hair looked so terrible that I needed to get a haircut ASAP. I attribute this solely to this wonder product from the brand Sexy Hair.

The Soya Want It All leave-in conditioner has been my saving grace. My hair has gotten quite long and the ends tend to dry out much faster than my roots do so I like to use this product to keep them soft and shiny. Sexy Hair claims this product has 22 key benefits, now I’m not really sure about that statement but I do know that this stuff does a terrific job of detangling my long locks along with keeping them frizz-free.

 

When I get out of the shower after towel drying my hair I like to spray  a little bit of this product on my hands and then work it mid-way through my hair (about where my ears are) all the way to my ends. I never put product up near my roots since it can leave your roots heavy and greasy looking.  After blow-drying my hair is left feeling silky smooth and not the least bit weighed down!

If you are looking for a quality leave-in conditioner I recommend trying this one out! It retails for $19 and is widely available in a variety of stores (I bought mine at Ulta).

Vichy Normaderm

Vichy Normaderm

 

I recently ran out of my daily moisturizer (I had been using this one from Michael Todd) and while I did like the product I had been using I felt like I could find something better suited for my skin. So I looked into all the high rated daily moisturizers for oily skin on ULTA.com. This is always my first step when I’m on the hunt for a new product to try, It’s the easiest way to see what might work for you before you buy it.

Alas, this is where I found out about the Vichy. It had quite a few high ratings and was in my price range. I have heard of the brand Vichy (the brand itself has been around for 80 years!) for some time now but had never tried any of their products. The product description sounded exactly like what I had been looking for.  A lightweight oil-free formula designed to clear the skin of any acne imperfections including the appearance of enlarged pores, dark spots, redness, shine, and blackheads.

 

I use this once a day in the morning after I wash and tone my face. The recommended use is 1-3 times daily. I find that in the morning works well for me since at night I like to use a whole slew of other serums and treatments. I have been using this for a little over a month now and I have to say I think I found my perfect daytime moisturizer! It’s fast absorbing but doesn’t leave my skin begging for more moisture, non- greasy (something I look for since my skin gets a bit oily through the day) and helps combat my acne prone skin!

This product is total winner in my book and I plan re-purchasing once I run out of this bottle. What is your go-to daily moisturizer? Leave me a comment I would love to hear from you!

 

November Favorites

November Favorites

 

This might be my last monthly favorites for the year… I am still trying to decide if I want to do a December favorites or just do my yearly favorites. Let me know what you think I should do in the comments! I dug up a couple of Items I have had for a while and also picked up a whole lot of new items this past month.  Keep reading if you want to see what beauty products I have been in love with recently!

Tarte NeutralEYES II palette – This came in a set I bought at the beginning of 2014 (see it HERE.) To be honest this took a back seat once I purchased this Bobbi Brown pallet and up until a couple months ago I didn’t use it all that much. Since breaking it back out I realize it’s the perfect palette for creating soft and neutral daytime eye looks perfect for work.

It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation Illumination – This foundation has fast become my newest obsession. It’s Ahhmazing. That’s all I can say for now since I plan on giving you guys a full post dedicated to it.

It Cosmetics No-Tug Waterproof Gel Eye Liner in Black/Brown – It Cosmetics has been a recent find for me but so far I have loved all of the products I try. This eyeliner is another great find; it glides effortlessly over your eyelid but doesn’t budge once applied. Seriously though, I poked myself in the eye after I had this on and my eye watered for a good ten minutes (I’m a total baby when it comes to anything and my eyes). I expected to have eyeliner in all the wrong places but to my surprise it was still perfect!

Soya want it all 22 in 1 Leave in Conditioner - I plan on sharing a full review later this week but just know this leave in conditioner is a total hair saver! I have been using this bottle since summer (not every day since I only wash my hair every 2 or 3 days) and it’s just now about to run out.

 

 

Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Gloss in Pink Sparkle - This is such a great neutral lip gloss that adds a little extra sparkle to any shade of lip color you may be wearing I will be wearing it all through the holiday season. I posted about this sometime ago HERE .

Michael Todd Honey and Oat Cleanser - I have been a devoted user of the Charcoal cleanser from this brand for a while and recently with my face being a bit dried out and sensitive from all the weather changing I decided to give this formula a go. It has a nice scent and leaves my face feeling squeaky clean but not tight and uncomfortable. I think this will be my new cold weather face wash.

Around The Web

Around The Web

Another week down until Christmas! Im pretty excited since we will be hosting this year at our new home (It will be the first time my brother and sister see the new place!). This weekend we are going to see The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular I can't wait! I hope you all have a fun filled weekend too!

15 Holiday cookie recipies to test out this holiday season.

Pantone's color of 2015 has been announced and its the color Marsala.

I plan on trying these parmesan and thyme potato stacks with dinner tonight.

20 Concealer hacks every girl should know.

The 19 Chicest Things on Sale Right Now brought to you by TheCut.

Real Techniques Sponge

Miracle Complexion Sponge

 

I have wanted to pick up this makeup sponge for a while now. Somehow I would always pass it in Ulta and forget to throw it in my basket. I finally got one a few weeks ago and couldn’t wait to rip it open and test it out! I had heard a lot of great things about this sponge being a dupe for the beauty blender. I never purchased the beauty blender… I could never justify spending so much on a makeup sponge. I know it’s supposed to be the most amazing tool ever but I figured I would be fine without one. Then Real Techniques came out with this miracle complexion sponge and at a reasonable price under $6. That’s a fraction of the $20 a beauty blender will run you.

I have used the sponge for about a month now and found that It works great for blending out liquid/cream/stick foundations along with your concealer. It works especially well for giving a natural appearance to your skin. All you do is wet the sponge and ring out the water, the sponge with grow a bit bigger and bouncier. I like to make sure I get all the water out by drying it in a towel. 

Once your sponge has grown in size and all the water is out just smooth out what ever product you are using (foundation, concealer, cream bronzer and blush)by bouncing the sponge over your face.

The key is to blend in this bouncing motion rather than swiping the sponge across your face.  This technique will insure the best looking coverage and won’t just wipe away your entire product.

 

This sponge has 3 different sides. A rounded side for large areas of the face, a Flat edge that is perfect for small contours around the nose and eye and lastly the precision tip which helps cover any blemishes you may have.

I highly recommend trying out this little guy; it makes my make-up application so much easier! Even if you are a die-hard fan of the beauty blender this might be the perfect less expensive alternative!

Have you ever tried this tool before? I would love to hear your opinion, leave me a comment!

 

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil

 

 

 

I fell in love with Josie Maran's line of body butters about a year ago. I received a set as a Christmas gift and never looked back! They are ultra hydrating with out being heavy on your skin. They just leave you feeling silky and with the subtle bronze shimmer you are left with luminous skin.

 

 

All of Josie's products are formulated with out parabens and made from 100% pure Argan oil. I find the best way to use this is applying right after a hot bath/shower. It allows for your skin to soak up all the hydration it needs.

 

 

I have pretty sensitive skin and often times will get razor burn if I apply most lotions after shaving my legs but using this Whipped Argan Oil has really kept this from happening. This body butter is especially great in the winter time as it helps to relieve even my driest skin patches.



 

Have you used Josie Maran products before? What is your go to body moisturizer? I am always looking for a good suggestion!