Dressing Room Pics

Well I survived my first two weeks at my new job! Overall it's going really well, it's just hard to be the new person again. We train at 3 different units / centers during our 4 week orientation period, and spent the first 2 weeks at the location I'll ultimately be placed! It was great to have that much time where I will actually end up! I found out on day 2 that this is where I would be placed and felt so relieved to know! Apparently it's common to have to wait until after 4 weeks to find out where you will be working! Strange, eh? Anyway, my location is adult outpatient which is what I was secretly hoping for!!! Yay! My coworkers are great and it's going to be a good experience, I just hope I can catch on pretty quickly because there is a lot to learn!!!

My husband worked today so I had some free time on my hands to do a little shopping with coupons!! The quality of these photos is terrible.. but I thought worth sharing!

I started at the Limited! Right now they have a 40% off everything sale!! I also had a $20 off coupon that I was still allowed to use! Super exciting!! Not sure when the sale ends, but definitely check it out!!

I randomly decided to bring these navy pants (show below) with me into the fitting room and I'm glad I did! When I'm looking for work tops it's hard to get the right feel when I'm wearing jeans, ya know? I actually really liked these navy pants. I have one pair of navy pants (my interview suit) but I don't love how they fit so I've had my eye on a better fitting pair. These would make a great replacement and would actually get worn more than just for interviews!

pintuck bow blouse

split shoulder colorblock top

charmeuse-shoulder top

bow-front sleeveless shirt

678 colorful skinny jean

I love the look of bow tops, and the green one in particular is such a pretty color, but the fabric had kind of a scratchy feel that I didn't love. The pink sleeveless top had large arm holes and since I feel like fall is right around the corner decided it wasn't the best option either. I loved the color block top (second picture), but decided against it. I felt like I needed someone else's opinion.. I just wasn't 100% sure. 

The skinny jeans were no good. I liked the deep red color (although online they call it dark purple) so I wanted to give them a try, but no. Isn't it pretty with the pink top though? Love the combination! I did buy the blue top (picture three)! It's a very pretty color and while it's not the most exciting style, it seemed more in line with something that I will enjoy wearing for longer. Plus I think it will go well with navy, black and grey pants! 

Next, I went to the Gap! I didn't have any coupons or anything but was in the mood to try things on. Lots of cute stuff in there right now!!!

perfect dot shirt

always skinny jeans - can't find them online!

The picture of the polka dot shirt just doesn't do it any justice! It is such a cute top!! The polka dots are actually pink! Love it! Resisted it. I enjoy the look of destructed jeans and was curious about the fit... but again not so good. 

I went to Express last and bought this beautiful top I mentioned earlier, but did not take any dressing room pictures! 

I also tried on this top mentioned in the same post and it was terrible- like over sized and awkward even in a size small! Bleh. My store didn't have this pretty lace yoke top in my size so I was out of luck there.

I also purchased some nail polish with my Ulta coupon and eye shadow thanks to a store credit @ Sephora! Successful shopping trip!

How was your Saturday? Have you made any recent purchases?

Lip Junkie: Product Reviews

On the weekends I try to tackle one area of my apartment and tidy.. a little.. ok just sometimes, when I'm especially motivated! ;) My makeup area definitely needs attention! In trying to bring some order, I was almost embarrassed when I noticed I'm a huge lip product junkie! My lip balm and lip gloss collection is slightly out of control!

Rationalizations for my problem: Last year before getting married I bought many different products to try to get my lips kissably smooth.. who wants to see chapped lips in wedding pictures? Not this girl. Also, lip balms are typically  a more affordable beauty product impulse buy - too easy to stock pile! 

Here are some hits (and a few misses) .. from a chap stick junkie just in time to help get those dry summer lips in control! These 10 items are currently in my possession:

1. Burt's Bees original - Sure to be familiar to everyone! My oldest friend, this standard has a yummy mint tingly ability that makes it addicting. This product used to be my go-to favorite, until I met #8.

2. Burt's Bees acai berry - Being a junkie anytime I see a new Burt's Bees product, I just have to try it. This was a bit of a disappointment. No mint tingly goodness, and not very effective at healing chapped lips! 

3. L'Occitane - I picked this up before my wedding after reading about it in a magazine, and it fell short. It's too waxy and doesn't glide on, and is just kinda cakey. Not worth the price. Would not buy again. 

 

4. Eos Sweet Mint - My newest find! I'm sure you're not surprised I was most attracted to the packaging! It's not as quality as #8, but I'm a sucker for mint, and feel that this isn't just a fun package, it actually works and has a similar Burt's Bees tingle! 

5. Palmer's Swivel Stick - This fun balm is the size of glue stick, which adds to its appeal! It actually is a great product too! The light cocoa butter is very soothing, and a change from all my favorite minty products!

6. Nivea - Not sure when/ why I picked this one up? It's the sickness, I guess. Not great, wouldn't recommend. 

7. Laura Mercier Lip Silk - Another pre-wedding purchase! At first I hated this product and was so bummed I shelled out some money on this! Somehow after a few months, the product became more soft, and now I love it! I keep this by my bed and apply it at night! It's less glossy/ goopy than #9!

8. Carmex mint - my newest favorite!! I find it's MUCH better than Burt's Bees - I don't have to keep reapplying throughout the day. The mint version makes it less medicine-y than the original. If you can find it, give it a try! I think you'll become fast friends!

9. Kiehl's original - next to Burt's Bees, my oldest favorite! The flavor is not especially delicious (like #10, mango) but it works! Perfect to apply before bed time, but be warned, it's a little glossy and may not be loved by your bed mate!

10. Kiehl's mango - a fun twist on the original, but in my opinion, not as good at staying or moisturizing, but the flavor is simply delicious! This one stays in my purse! 

Summary:

-My favorites: #4, 5, 7, 8, 9

-Nice, but not as fabulous: #1, 10

-Would not buy again: #2, 3, 6

Not pictured, but also in my collection: 

-Carmex cherry and strawberry -- it's nearly impossible to find the mint, so in helping me look, family picked these up for me. They're just ok - I find it too similar to the original and has a funny taste.

-Eos summer fruit - I couldn't find the sweet mint at first and was disappointed in this product. The scent was nice, but too light. The sweet mint is much better!

What did I miss? What are your favorite lip balms??

Makeup time!

I can be pretty snobby when it comes to my beauty products, as my husband will attest. Granted we're just babies in the marriage department (a little over a year!) but he has told me more than once if he added up all the money I spent on beauty products in a year he could buy something pretty cool with that money (whatever babe!). Well folks, not that I'm officially turning over a new leaf, but I have some good drug store beauty products to share with you!! And when they're good, and less expensive.. why not?

This past winter I received what I feel is my holy grail of eye shadow: Urban Decay's Naked palette.

Its price tag is around $48 for 12 eye shadows. Insane, right? Well it's wonderful, and Santa brought it to me, so no feelings of guilt here! :) Here's the problem, I'm especially in love with one of the colors "sin" (the second from the left) and to buy it individually it's $17!

Determined to find a look for less I went to the drug store and picked up an eye shadow that does a pretty good job in matching color - Loreal 101 Satin Tutu. While unfortunately I notice a slight difference in its staying power (turns out sometimes you do get what you pay for) and concentration (I  have to apply multiple coats for the same effect) the color is surprisingly similar and at a much more affordable price point! Try this color on the lid paired with a lighter color on the brow bone, or all over for an easy, effortless summer shimmer!

My second find is a lip balm/ gloss. I can't remember where I first heard of Covergirl's NatureLuxe gloss balm (perhaps a magazine?) but it's yummy! It's nice and light, but has enough pigment to matter. I'm really bad about reapplying lipstick, so I need something that will fade subtly over the day and not leave weird stains. The color I have is 230 coral, which is a nice way to jazz up my lip color! An added bonus, this balm has SPF 15 and is incredibly moisturizing!

Last but not least - a nail polish. I learned of this color over at Kendi Everyday in this post (if you're not familiar with Kendi's blog - go check it out right now! So jealous of fashion bloggers with photographer husbands!). The color is Revlon's Top Speed 405 Peachy. I think it's a great light peach color that is hard to resist! Right now I love a soft color on fingernails and a more bold color on toenails! This does just that. I'm surprisingly impressed with how speedy it dried as well! Good job Revlon!

Have you discovered any beauty products you have to share? Let us know!

Shellac: product review

I recently had my first Shellac manicure and wanted to share some thoughts!! I typically prefer to paint my own finger nails to save some money, but was happy to treat myself thanks to a gift card!

Y'all Shellac is a wonderful thing! It's a gel based polish, but more healthy for your nails! It's supposed to last for 2 weeks!!! So far I'm 1 1/2 weeks in and the only thing I notice is nail growth! Seriously, no chippage! :) The nail technician said they could only guarantee 2 weeks if I used cuticle oil every day. I've been pretty consistent, but I think I've missed a day or two..

Essentially, the application is the same as a regular manicure (base coat, color and top coat), however after each application you place your hand in this UV thing to set or "cure" the coat. It sounds scary, but it's really not! Once you're done, it's dry! So you don't even have to worry about smudging - or reaching into your purse for car keys!

I love the color I have right now - it's called tutti fruiti! It's a great for spring/ summer! I get bored with colors easily, but this is one color I would do again and again!

A downside of Shellac is the more limited color selection. Also if I were to regularly do these manicures I may be concerned about the UV exposure.

Here's a brief video from Annie @ Bella Sugar to show you what to expect - including that "UV thing" I was talking about!



Do you Shellac? What has been your experience?

Loreal Sulfate Free Shampoo

I just started using Loreal's EverPure Sulfate Free Shampoo.  It is $5.95 at Target!!  They sell the conditioner, but my current conditioner doesn't have sulfate in it.  So, I'll finish what I have and buy this conditioner next.  They also have this shampoo for color treated hair.  My mom uses Pureology, also sulfate free, but is around $30.  This is a great deal.  I notice a significant difference in my hair.  I can go several days before it starts to get greasy and my hair is so soft. 

You may be wondering why Sulfate Free?  This blurb from a website explainsWhy?? (not the most credible website, but hey, this is not a research paper :) )
 
"One of the main ingredients in most shampoo is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), or Sodium Lauryl Ether (aka Sodium Laureth Sulfate) (SLES). These are surfactants, which in basic terms is a detergent, and it helps shampoo lather well. Sure, a nice lather always seems nice, but it isn’t without problems, and that has led to an increase in the number of sulfate free hair products on the market. There are a number of issues with Sulfates as a shampoo ingredient:

• It can aggravate acne and can act as an irritant.
• It can be hard on hair color
• It has been linked to cancer, although only in much larger amounts than what you would find in your hair products
• It you do keratin hair straightening treatments, it will decrease the length of time that your treatment remains active"

The website goes on to say it can alleviate acne issues and makes color last longer, I have heard up to 32 washes! 

Needless to say, I've said goodbye to all those cheap, making-my-hair-greasy-the-next-day shampoos and HELLLLOOOOO to Sulfate Free!  Try it and let us know if you can tell a difference!