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Category: health and beauty

Oh hey Spring! Come back!

Oh hey Spring! Come back!

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day in North Carolina.  Mid 60’s and gorgeous.  Today, temps are falling and they are predicting freezing rain and sleet!  Umm, gross!  After the last snow, I was officially OVER Winter!  Bring on sunshine and shorts!

Matt and I took full advantage of the beautiful weather yesterday and headed downtown for lunch.  We ended up at Trophy Brewing Co. for pizza and beer.  The food and drinks were really good.  The only downside was, they were pretty busy so we ended up sitting at the bar and not outside.  After lunch, we drove around downtown for a few minutes before heading out to find some ice cream.  I’d been craving ice cream all weekend and nothing says Spring like ice cream.
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There is a really good local ice cream place called Fresh on Glenwood, near our house.  Matt suggested we stop there before heading over to Walmart.  We both got cookies and cream ice cream.  It was pretty busy when we first arrived but once we got our cones the place had cleared out.  We found a nice picnic table to sit and eat and enjoy the day.

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After ice cream we headed out to Briar Creek to run to Walmart.   Mom told me about some face cream that was a must but said the Walmart brand was better than the name brand.  I was looking for the Equate Face & Neck Cream Advanced Firming but I ended up with the Equate Beauty Age Control Day Cream for Mature Skin.  Of course Walmart was a disaster and I couldn’t find the Face & Neck Cream.  I used the Beauty Age Control last night and this morning and it feels and smells wonderful.  It is also pretty thick and hydrating.  I used it under my foundation this morning and my skin had a nice dewy glow.  Score!  I’m going to try it out for a few more days and see how it does but based on first impressions, I like it!

~k

I went to the MAC counter

I went to the MAC counter

God help us all, or really just Matt’s check book! 😉

I’ve had a lot of makeup posts lately and it’s because I have recently become obsessed with makeup tutorials on youtube.  I’ll list a few of my fave channels at the bottom.  Anyway, they’ve sparked this new found interest/obsession with all things makeup.  Mostly though, I’m still looking for “the” foundation.  My Stila is still doing okay but my skin has changed and I no longer find I am super oily like I was even a year or so ago.  My skin has turned more to a combination to dry skin instead of combination to oily.  Maybe age is finally catching up to me but I can’t seem to get enough moisture in my skin.  I slather it with thick, heavy creams at night but nothing seems to help.  I mentioned I bought a Mary Kay moisturizer a few weeks ago and I do like it under my makeup but I’ve since added Pore Filler primer by NYX.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way this stuff makes your skin feel.  It literally feels like silk once you apply it.  It also does a pretty good job of filling the pore across my nose and cheeks.  It doesn’t help as much for some of the larger pores on my chin though.  Overall, I give it 2 thumbs up.  I will be purchasing it again.

Okay, so now on to what I really was going to write about, my MAC experience.  My new love of youtube has lead to my need for a concealer.  Almost all the girls I watch on youtube use MAC’s Pro Longwear Concealer.  They rave about how it won’t crease under your eyes.  Well guess what, that’s what I NEED!  I’ve always had fine lines/wrinkles under my eyes, even a kid I remember having them.  I guess it’s just in my genes.  So on Saturday I got dressed and ran to the mall.  The MAC store was pretty busy so I walked down to Belk to the MAC counter.  I found a nice girl who informed me the pro longwear concealer was NOT what I needed and she recommended the mineralize concealer.  She also recommended the mineralize foundation since I’d said I’d like a sample or two to test out.

She took me to a chair and went to grab a few items.  When she came back she wiped off my current concealer and showed me how to apply the mineralize concealer.  Then she decided to apply some strobe cream and  foundation.  The strobe cream was very moisturizing and had some luminosity to help brighten my skin under the foundation. She wiped off the rest of my makeup on one side and showed me how to apply it.  Next she let me do the other half of my face, with her guidance.  Looking at everything in their light looked really good.   A tad heavier than what I’d normally wear but I felt like I looked pretty.  She added some blush, grabbed a foundation sample, and I paid for the concealer.

As the afternoon wore on, I noticed the foundation had started settle a little in my pores but a light wiping with some tissue helped to smooth it over.  I knew the real test would be the next day when I applied everything as I normally would.  Yesterday after I got ready, I noticed the MAC was still settling into my pores especially across my cheeks near my nose.  This is exactly what I was trying to avoid, and what everything else is currently doing.  This morning I did my normal makeup routine but I used my fingers to apply my foundation instead of a brush with the same results!  UGH!  So far, I’ve gone back and forth as to whether I really like this foundation or not.  In some lights it looks okay but in others it just makes my skin look dull and gross.  Though I should mention the color is pretty spot on.  The one thing I LOVE about my Stila foundation is the color.  It’s more on the neutral/yellow side and it really helps to neutralize  the redness of my complexation and also brightens up my skin.  Granted I think it’s a shade too light but still I think it looks pretty good overall.

I should probably mention that so far I do actually like the concealer.  It does still settle in my fine lines but it’s not terrible.  It could also be I’m not setting it correctly?

For now I guess the foundation hunt is still on.  If you have dry skin please let me know what you are using.  I’d love a foundation that gives you a nice dewy/glowly look without feeling heavy or greasy.

Here are my youtube faves:

Jaclyn Hill http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6jgzx2g3nlbaYkd8EMweKA

Lauren Curtis http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXbQzhqSvgVZTUyi1T4AU3w

Shaaanxo http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMpOz2KEfkSdd5JeIJh_fxw

Happy Monday!

~k

Oh Mary Kay

Oh Mary Kay

Two weeks ago I went on a little MK shopping spree.  I bought eye cream, moisturizer, and a microderm kit.  My old skin care routine just wasn’t cutting it so when someone on IG mentioned they were using MK products I decided to give them another try.  A long time ago, when I was still living in AL, my mom and I started using MK products.  We both really liked them, but at the time, it was a little difficult to find local MK dealers.  Eventually we stopped and switched to who knows what.

With it back in my mind, I decided to search Amazon and ending up finding the products I was looking for for almost half the price of the MK site.  I immediately placed my orders and waited.  The eye cream was the first thing I purchased and it actually took the longest to receive.  It just arrived on Wednesday.  I had to email the seller ask where my order was.  Turns out they bought the label but didn’t ship my order until I contacted them.  Needless to say I will be writing a review and I won’t use that seller again.

I’ve been using both the moisturizer and microderm kit for close to a week now  and so far so good.  The moisturizer seems to hydrate my skin without feeling too heavy or greasy.  It also isn’t so light my skin dries out.  When you put it on it actually seems to feel little powdery.  It’s odd but nice.  The microderm kit I’ve been using on alternating days.  I really like this kit so far.  It doesn’t seem to dry my skin out and after it feels soft and smooth.  With the microderm kit, I wash my face as usual, blot with a towel but not to the point of drying it, and then use Step 1.  It’s really gritty but it’s not uncomfortable.  Once I’ve given my face a good scrub, I wash off the product, dry, and add Step 2.  I have no clue what Step 2 is or does for that matter but it feels nice.  I then add my moisturizer and go to bed.

I feel like my skin tone is slowing improving.  The dry spot on my cheek is still there.  I’m not sure if it’s getting better or what but the skin is starting to flake off.  I’m hoping this is a good sign that new skin is being generated.

I know this isn’t a great product review but if you’re looking for a change, check out Mary Kay.  You might be surprised with the results.  If I have any drastic results from the eye cream I’ll def post another review.

~k

Microderm – A recap

Microderm – A recap

Saturday I woke up, showered and threw on some tinted moisturizer.  Matt asked if I really needed to wear makeup since I was to get my face scraped off but there was no way I was leaving the house without a little something on.  I got to Ulta a few minutes before my appt and waited for the girl to come get me.  She  took me to this little free standing circular divider.  I filled out a survey about my skin and then she got started.

I have no idea what all she did because she didn’t do a great job of telling me what was going on.  There was lots of slathering and wiping off.  Finally she asked for my wrist and asked what it felt like.  I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be feeling but it felt pretty light.  She turned it up, I guess, and tried again.  By this point I’d figured out it was the microderm machine and she made a point of telling me it cost $3400.00.  Anywoo, the microderm didn’t feel bad on my face at all.  A few spots were a little tender but overall I thought it felt fine.  She finished my face, which seemed really quick since I’d read it normally takes about 20-30 minutes, and slathered some more stuff on.  Then she put a mask on.  I sat for a few more minutes and then she started to remove it.  She said it was quite difficult to remove and I still had spots from the mask when I got home.  When she was done, she handed me a mirror.  I told her it looked good but in all honestly I couldn’t see any difference.  The one spot I was most concerned with, a dry spot on my cheek, was still there in all it’s glory.  She slathered some tinted moisturizer on and sent me on my way.

While she was working on my face I asked her how long she’d been doing microderm and she told me two weeks.  Literally she just started at Ulta, probably for this special.  She was nice but I can’t say I was super impressed with the results.  Maybe I expected too much or maybe she didn’t do a good job.  Who knows.  But as promised I did take a few pics .  I forgot to take one of my skin before I went so I have some tinted moisturizer on but you can kind of see what my skin looked like before.

Before:
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After: (also with a little tinted moisturizer and without)
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Later that night with makeup
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I decided to order the Mary Kay Microderm set after talking to a few people about their experiences with microderm. I was told this was a great “at home” kit. I found it on Amazon for almost half the price it was listed for on MaryKay.com.  All in all I’m kind of disappointed.  I feel like I got a decent facial but I feel a little jipped on the microderm itself.  Maybe it is super quick but I think the red spot on my cheek should have seen more/better results.  (Not to mention my lips are super sensitive and now I have a cold sore!)

I’ll do a product review of the MK products I receive over the next few weeks.  I have eye cream arriving tomorrow and I ordered moisturizer and the microderm kit today.

~k

It was a bag bust

It was a bag bust

I got some money for Christmas and decided I wanted to buy a nice, as in designer, handbag with it.  I’ve been wanting a new one and now that I had a little fun money I decided this was going to happen.  About a week ago I decided to actually start looking.  My first thought was Michael Kors.  They are super popular right now plus they sell them at Stein Mart.  Mom currently works at Stein Mart, which equals discount.  😀  I searched all of the Stein Marts near me and didn’t really find what I was looking for so I started searching ebay.  One night I finally found an amazing MK bag and placed a bid.  Then, with seconds, left, I was outbid!  Bummer.  I kept looking and found a few others I might be interested in but nothing I was willing to spend the money for.

Finally last weekend I ran to TJ Maxx to check out what they had.  I found the MK bag I bid on in black but I don’t want a black bag.  I’d prefer something off white or tan even.  The one thing I did notice was that for the price, I was not completely blown away with the MK quality.  One thing I did find at TJ Maxx was an amazing Badgley Mischka bag.  It wasn’t what I was looking for stylewise but the quality was AMAZING!  Soft supple leather.  It was heaven.  When I got home I searched ebay again for Badgley Mischka this time and found a really cute bag.  It had been a closeout, or something, at Nordstrom selling for $109.00.  The problem was the big seemed huge.  Awesome, but too big.

Then I got an email from Coach.  I’d been eyeing one of their Hobo bags for a few weeks.  It was on sale so I bought it.  It arrived today at my office around lunch.  I tore into the box only to discover a small tear in the leather along with some brown speckles.  BOOO!  I was disappointed it was defective but I was even more disappointed that shoulder drop was way too short.  It basically sits right under your arm so while I did like the bag it makes it very difficult to carry with any sort of jacket.  Ugh!

Now it’s back to the drawing board.  I was so happy to find a handbag because I was starting to dream about them I was looking so hard.  HAHA!

~k

Stila, stila, stila’n my heart

Stila, stila, stila’n my heart

I’m clever.  HAHA!

Obviously I’ve been looking for a new foundation.  After watching countless Youtube makeup tutorials I’ve decided not to settle for “just okay” makeup.  I’m going to at least try and be fancy.  🙂  Matt and I took Monday off and ran errands, mostly buying Christmas presents.  While we were out I made Matt drop me off at Ulta.  My plan had been to get  a few samples to try.  However, once I got to Ulta, I quickly realized NO ONE was going to help me.  I wandered around aimlessly for a few minutes before I started trying different foundations on my hand.  Nothing really caught my attention until I came to the Stila display.  One of the foundations I picked up, the Stay All Day Foundation, was nice and creamy.  Aahh ha!  I like the texture and feel but at $44.00 it was a little pricey.  I looked around a little more and finally decided to just try the Stila.  On the plus side, the Stila included a concealer.  So that kind of made up for the price.

I went to the counter to pay and asked about the return policy.  Sixty days with a receipt.  Sold!

Later in the day I finally decided I really really needed to try this stuff out.  I washed my face and grabbed my new Stila foundation.  The foundation went on smooth and the concealer really smoothed out nicely and didn’t get cakey, not something I normally find.  Much to my surprise, it really made my skin look radiant.  Guys, seriously, I do not have good skin.  It’s always had a rudey tone to it so when I put this on and it made my skin look nice and clear I was in Heaven!  It added just the right amount of highlight too.  This could also be because I’m pale right now so the color is pretty light but regardless it makes my skin look luminous.

The only downside to this, besides the price, is the little “wand” thingy in the top.  I feel like the packaging could be better but as one reviewer pointed out, this makes it easier to get every last bit out of the bottle.  So we’ll see.

I’m only a few days in but so far I like this much better than the gross Clinique I was using and I also find it better than the Bobbi Brown.  It seems to last all day where the Bobbi Brown didn’t.  I hope this continues to do well with my skin because so far so good.

~k

I’m not sold

I’m not sold

A couple weeks ago while getting my haircut I asked my stylist about makeup.  She does hair and makeup on the side so I figured she would be a good person to talk to about foundation.  I told her what I was looking for and she hands down recommended Bobbi Brown.  I went to the Bobbi Brown website and found her Skin Foundation.  With almost 600 reviews and a 4.7 star rating I knew I had to try this.  The downside?  The price.  At $47.00 a bottle I knew Matt would flip.  I also knew it would need to WOW me.  Blow me away!

I ran to the mall over the weekend and went to the Bobbi Brown counter.  I told the lady about my skin and what I was looking for.  She sat me down to do a color match.  Once happy with the color, she proceeded to redo the makeup on my cheeks, nose, and chin.  When she was finished she handed me a mirror.  I was definitely “blown away” and a little bit horrified.  I’m not sure I contained my shock well.  She had caked this makeup on my face.  My first thought was OMG I still have to go to Lowes.  I mentioned it was kind of shiny and she said I would need to finish it with powder.  No shit lady.  I asked for a sample and also signed up to see one of their professional makeup artists in a few weeks.

By the time I got home I couldn’t deal with the grossness on my face and washed it off.  The next day I decided to give it another shot with me doing my own makeup.  Night and day people, night and day.  (I don’t know that anyone would buy anything from the lady that did my makeup.)  The foundation has a bit of a matte finish, which is nice, it also goes on very smooth and is not streaky.  All pluses.  However, I’m still not sold.  I don’t feel like my makeup still looks fresh even a few hours after it’s been applied.  It has decent coverage and the color is nice and a little seems to go a long way.  It almost doesn’t seem to get oily throughout the day but I don’t see what the hype is all about.  And honestly I’m disappointed.  I really hoped it would be a miracle in a bottle.

I’m planning to run to Ulta soon and see if they can help me find what I’m looking for.  I want something with a medium coverage, maybe a whipped type formula.  Something that will add glow (not oil) to my skin and look natural.  My inspiration is Emily Thorne from Revenge.  Her make up always looks amazingly beautiful and natural even though I’m sure she has a ton on.

I’m totally over the Clinique Even Better foundation at this point.  It’s crap.  I don’t know if they changed or I changed but I took the new bottle I had back.  So now the hunt for awesome foundation continues.

~k

A New Fave

A New Fave

You know I love mascara right? Well I do! I’ve always had pretty eyelashes and I want my mascara to make them look even better. For months now, Loreal’s Power Volume Collagen mascara has been my go to. You can find my review here.  A few weeks ago mom and I were out shopping and we ran to Ulta.  She wanted something to make her eyelashes grow and in the process we found Revlon’s Lash Potion mascara.  I grabbed a tube of this and she bought the Revlon Grow formula.  I normally buy mascara and then regret my decision and switch back to the Loreal but OMG!  This stuff is amazing!  It hardly clumps and it adds a ton of volume to my lashes.  I think I’m most impressed with the fact that I don’t have to do multiple heavy coats to create volume.  It only takes a few light coats to really plump them up. (When I say a few light coats I mean layering 1 good coat I guess.  I don’t let it dry and add more if that helps.)

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I’ve been using this mascara for a few weeks now and I am still impressed.  Normally I either like mascara’s at the beginning or near the end of the tube once it’s dried out a bit.  I tend to get mascara all over my eyes so if they are too “wet” it’s just a mess but tends to get better after a few weeks.  I have problems with this even with the Loreal but not nearly as much with the Lash Potion.  For $8.00 a tube this is a must try especially if you are a mascara lover like me!

~k

Branching out!

Branching out!

A week or so ago I went on an online shopping spree at Old Navy. They had some adorable dresses and I decided to buy a few. I ordered 3, two were the same style but different colors (one was red the other a green stripe)and the third was just different. Much to my disappointment 2 of the 3 were too big, and not the two that were the same. The red one  looked a little big but I figured once it was washed and dried it would fit and I was right! 🙂 It actually looks adorable on.

I ran to Old Navy last week to return the dressed I bought and see if a smaller size would fit. One they didn’t carry in the store and the other I decided against. I tried on a few things but seeing as I was on my lunch break I didn’t really have time to shop shop so I got a refund and decided I would go back over the weekend.

Matt and I ran down there on Sunday and I found a few items to replace the ones I returned. One item was a cute Chambray dress. I’m not a huge Chambray fan but I decided to try it just to see. Turns out, it was adorable on. I wore it to work yesterday and felt super cute and stylish. (My normal wardrobe of jeans doesn’t really add “stylish” to my everyday feel.) Several people even commented on how nice I looked so I am looking forward to wearing my new dress again soon! It also makes me want to throw out my current dresses and start over. I tend to pick the same style all the time and then I wonder why I don’t care for what I have. I’m really glad I stepped out of my comfort zone.

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I paired with a chunky red necklace and some neutral wedges (that you can’t really see).  Super cute!

~k

Daily Routine – Skin Care

Daily Routine – Skin Care

Right now my skin is actually looking pretty good.  I just switched to a new face wash and I think it is working well.  A few weeks ago I was all about Mario Badescu but after a frustrating trip to Ulta I ended up with some Aveeno cleansing pads.  After the first use I realized they were much bigger than I needed so I cut them in half.  This was a great idea and now I get 2 months worth for the price of 1.

The problem I run into is I find a skin care regime that works and then I start to get adventurous and I change it up.  When that doesn’t work, I don’t go back to my old regime, I change it up again and then I spend a few months going “ugh my skin looks gross” until I find something else that works.  Hopefully this will help me keep up with what I’m doing currently. 😉

In the mornings I shower and use my Cerave hydrating cleanser.  When I get out I apply Finacea which was prescribed by my dermatologist a few years ago.  It’s kind of pricey but the tube will last me about a year so even at the top end of my rx copay it’s worth it.  (Just a side note but while I don’t feel the Finacea has really “cleared” up my skin.  I do feel as though it keeps it under control.  With that said I still feel it’s worth the money if you have adult acne.) Then I apply a nice thick coat of Cerave moisturizing lotion  along with whatever eye cream I have on hand.  I am currently using an Estee Lauder bottle my mom gave me but when this is out I will switch back to Roc.  I’m not crazy about the Roc and I think I will switch to Olay when I’m out of the next tube.  I let this all sit for 10 mins or so before I apply my makeup.  I am still loving the Clinique even better foundation mixed with my Olay total effects 7 signs of aging.  This gives me a nice coverage without being too heavy.

In the evenings, I am now using the rest of the oil from my OCM phase (it didn’t last long 😉 to remove my eye makeup.  It does a great job while being gentle on my eyes.  I just apply some oil to a cotton ball and wet the cotton ball a bit to keep the cotton from getting stuck in my lashes.  Then I use the Aveeno cleansing pads to remove my makeup.  These have a soft side and rough side.  I tend to use both sides even though I probably don’t really need to exfoliate every night.  Some nights I will apply Finacea, but this is only if I remember, then I slather, literally slather, my face with St Ives Timeless Skin Collagen lotion. (Had someone told me in my pre-teen and teen years I would apply moisturizer like a crazy person I would have laughed and said, umm No! I’ve had oily skin all my life so I have fought the urge to add moisture and tried to suck as much oil as possible from my skin.  Now that I’m older, my face isn’t as oily and I find I need the moisture but I also want to keep the wrinkles away and apparently people with oily skin wrinkle less.  Oy!)  Anyway, once my face is nice and slathered I add more eye cream and go to bed.

As you can see my skin routine isn’t anything crazy, at least I don’t think so.  My skin looks remarkably well since switching to the Aveeno honestly so hopefully I will stick with this for awhile and see even more results.

Happy Friday!

~k

P.S. One week till someone’s (pointing to me) birthday!