Pregnancy Beauty Favs

As some of you know, i'm a total beauty junkie... i love me some products. i read reviews on all kinds of beauty products and have spent way too much money at Ulta, Sephora and the drugstores trying out new skincare, make up, hair care and nail polish.

Anyway, i thought i'd let you girls know what some of my tried and true favorites are that i've switched to throughout pregnancy. It's mostly skincare, but a few other goodies too!

Trader Joe's Refresh Body Wash
Guys, this stuff is great. It's citrusy, cheap and natural... cleans and lathers well and isn't tested on animals. Total win in my book! If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby, you can order on Amazon.

La Roche Posay Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15

OK, so this is my go-to moisturizer. It was recommended by my dermatologist before pregnancy and even though its not all natural, i believe the protection it provides with the SPF is worth it. You really only need the smallest drop to cover your entire face. This stuff lasts me forever! I buy it at CVS when I have a decent coupon.

The Balm Time Balm Cucumber Face Toner
I found this on Hautelook and decided to try it out. It's on the pricier side for toner ($12.50 for 6 fl oz) but so far I am really liking it. I wanted something that was more natural and alcohol-free. I started using this in the winter and it has lasted me a really long time! I would definitely consider purchasing this again.

Philosophy Purity Face Wash
This is such a great face wash for all skin types. I used this even before I got pregnant and it has been a staple in my routine for a very long time. I like to use this with my Clarisonic a few times a week for a deeper cleaning. Pre-pregnancy I used a wash with a salicylic acid in it, but since they say to stay away from that with pregnancy, I just use this or Simple Cleanser. I also picked up a Neutrogena Naturals cleanser/make up remover this past weekend that i've been trying and liking. There are so many options for pregnancy friendly cleansers out there.

Bio Oil
I've been using a few different oils for my belly/boob area to try to prevent stretch marks and this is one of them. It has a nice fragrance and has so far (knock on wood) kept the stretch marks away! I like the bottle, you can pour the oil out pretty easily, unlike some of the others I 've tried that have an annoying pump (50 pumps later, you finally have a decent amount).

Zoya Nail Polish
Ah! Finally, a non-skincare pick! One of my favorite brands of nail polish, though its hard to find these in stores. I've found a few at Ulta, the rest I bite the bullet and order online. These are touted as pregnancy safe. They don't contain any of the 5 dangerous chemicals that are supposedly bad for pregnant gals. I love the Pixie Dust line and the polishes are really nice consistency. I also love Zoya's polish remover. If you do your nails a lot, definitely try this brand out!

Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Creme
This next one isn't so much pregnancy friendly in terms of health, but it is a staple in my hair care routine. Pregnancy makes you tired. And tired girls like to get away with washing their hair not as often as pre-pregnancy. Or maybe I am just lazy. That is a totally legit statement as well. But, i only wash my hair 2, maybe 3 times a week. I curl my hair on certain days and run this stuff through it and the curls really stay put. I love it, though I do NOT love the price.

OK so that's it for today's edition of some of my favorite beauty products... of course I have a TON more... let me know in the comments if you'd be interested in seeing more!

Meaningful Beauty Crème de Serum Review

Hi beauties!

Remember last week when I got a sample of the
Meaningful Beauty Creme de Serum
in the mail from Influenster?

Buy it here

Yup, that's the stuff right there.

You all PROBABLY know the gorgeous woman who promotes this product?

Mmm hmm, Yup, that's her.

Well, I mean, who doesn't want supermodel GORGEOUS skin?

I certainly do.

So I was super excited to get this free from Influenster to review since
I had already been wanting to try this out.

Final verdict?

Love it.

This serum has a great consistency. It sort of reminds me a bit of a primer. Its silky and not greasy. You only need a small pump to cover your face. After all it is a serum, not a moisturizer.

I've been applying both morning and night. For day, I follow up with a moisturizer with sunscreen in it. For night, a heavier night cream. The scent is pleasant. And after a week of using it, though I can't really see any "visible" results, my skin feels really nice and really soft. It also didn't break me out at all, which is always a bonus.

This serum is a win for me and I'd definitely consider purchasing this in the future as well as trying out other products from the Meaningful Beauty line.

Have you tried Meaningful Beauty?

It's been a while...

Work and life just have a way of distracting me from this lil ol' blog,
but i'm still here and truckin' along (possibly with a glass of wine in hand).

Here are the fun (and not so fun) things I've been up to these past few weeks:

We got new appliances! (and i convinced mr grinch to exchange small christmas gifts, so yay!)
 

don't mind all the crap on the counter...

Scooter and Rio's annual trip to the vet cost me an arm and a leg...

but look at those cute faces... totally worth it.

Eating way too much of this yummy brownie brittle

And cooking some yummy soup for the cold weather ahead

Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

Spending some QT with my bestie who gave me an adorable belated belated bday gift

fill 'er up!

Hubby's obsession with dolls (we get them from going to the football games)

yes, these guys are in the room i do my make up checking me out everyday!

Wearing this beauty!

 love me some baublebar...

I got my glam bag, my fabfitfun box AND a meaningfulbeauty sample (free from influenster)

Leave me a comment if you'd like links for any of these services!

What have you been up to lately? 

 

Summer Must Haves

With the warm summer weather upon us, and my free birthday gift waiting at Sephora, i knew it was time to mosey on into the store to see what products i needed wanted needed for the summer. These 5 things i picked up are all must-haves in my book and they just scream summer to me.

Let's have a looksie.

1. Benefit Hoola Bronzer -- this has been on my list for a while, and i decided to treat myself. it is the perfect shade of brown for tan skin and creates a flawless and natural contour. I also love the shape of the brush that it comes with.

2. Eyeko Liquid Eyeliner Trio -- i may or may not have watched an hour of product demos on HSN the other day. So i was quite surprised to see this in my local Sephora. Because I had resisted temptation to be the 2,301st person to order it after seeing it online, i figured, this was a sign from God to pick it up and try it. And so far, it does not disappoint. It creates the perfect wing and the pen glides on nice and smoothly. My only hiccup is that i'm not sure i'm loving the brown in the trio. its sort of light for me...

3. Christian Dior Addict Lip Glow -- after reading former Bachelorette Emily Maynard's blog post on this stuff, i immediately added it to my "lust list". It's a Christian Dior product, so i knew it would be pricey, but i have to say, this might be the best $31 i've ever spent on a lip product. No lie. And why you might ask? Well, the description reads: Formulated with color reviver technology, this silky lipstick reacts with the chemistry of your lips to create a special shade that will last all day. And it just somehow changes the color to make the nicest most flattering, soft, natural color on your lips, even though it goes on clear like a balm. LOVE LOVE LOVE (well except for the price tag)...

4. Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray -- who doesn't love beachy waves and beachy hair during the summer... and with my ombre, waves go perfectly with my look. i was skeptical about how i would like this product but it worked great in my hair. i showered, towel dried and sprayed it on, scrunched the ends a bit and by the time it dried, i had soft beachy waves. Perfection!

5. Lavanila Rollerball Perfume in Vanilla Grapefruit -- one whiff of this scent sends you to tropical heaven. the citrus of the grapefruit combined with the sweet vanilla is THE perfect combo. Its light and summery and trust me, you'll be creepily smelling yourself all day long...

What products are on your summer must haves list? Let me know so i have another excuse to go back to sephora! (wink!)

Disclaimer: All products were bought with my own money and reviewed by me.

Dance Party Pink!

happy friday bishes!

and a fabulous 3-day weekend ahead of us makes this girl happy!

Linking up today to show off my Valentine's nails...

I used Confetti's Dance Party Pink for the overall color and then Zoya Kimber for the heart.

I almost messed them up by trying to add some extra glitter on the heart, but it wasn't working out. that's why the heart looks a tiny bit busted. LOL

I probably won't keep this on past the weekend, but it was definitely cute, fun and girly!

Happy Weekend Loves!

It's Ok!

Here we go for a "quickie" post today.

Link up HERE or HERE

It's OK...

that i was a blog slacker all week so far. once again due to being so busy at work. i know i know, story of my life. LOL

that i had a major shopping #fail this past weekend.

Can we say Asian Where's Waldo anyone? Or how about the Asian Pilgrim? i know, be jealous of how hot i look. (No, i did NOT buy either of these.)

that i dropped $20 on pink hair extensions yesterday. BUT they were for a good cause.

#breastcancerawarenessmonth

that i can't control my spending lately... the beauty junkie in me has reared her full-face make-up, fake lashes head.

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller

Mineralize Skin Finish -- Soft and Gentle

Mineralize Skin Finish -- Give me Sun!

that i decided to start my Christmas shopping early and have only actually bought 1 gift so far.

that i'm ready to drink my face off this weekend in AC!

What's OK with you this week?!

Perfumania? Or Signature Scent?

Hey Purple-People Eaters... 

Another FUN (not) Monday for the books!

Over the weekend I decided to clean through and re-organize some of my beauty products.

As a "former" (i say former because my desire to save for a house now outweighs my desire to have 8 million bottles of useless beauty crap that i never use) beauty junkie  -- my perfume tray was filled with some old (and not so nice smelling) perfumes and body sprays.

So once I went thru and tossed the stinky ones, i was left with about 6 scents, none of which i'm overly excited about. Here's what's left:

i threw away about 6 bottles of old stuff...

#notahoarder

But I am curious as to how many of you have tons of perfumes?

Or do you just wear a "signature scent"?

Inquiring minds want to know.

And if you have any perfumes that you absolutely love, please share below!

Cuz, you know... Christmas is right around the corner... hehehe.

Two Posts in ONE Day?!

I'm getting all cray cray with ya's today!

I NEVER get in two posts, but i had a lot of fun with this link up last week, so i'm doin in and doin it and doin it AGAIN!

yes. major cheeseball. 

i have no excuses like lack of sleep. i slept for a whopping 12 hours last night, 

due to the arrival of AF and her crampy overtures.

(the food coma from dinner at the olive garden may also have contributed).

But, i digress.

Link up here

Currently turning me on

Hair Product

 

 

buy it here

Can I tell you how much i heart this stuff? all you need is a little pump, distribute thru either damp or dry hair for a pretty shiny finish. Tames my fly-aways and smells HEAVENLY.

this stuff is legit ladies. It even doubles as a body oil.

Cant beat that with a bat!

Lip Balm

This is an oldie but goodie.

I put on my SoftLips everyday when i finish doing my make up.

I either leave it on alone or layer it under a gloss.

I love the smell, but most of all the consistency is awesome.

it just effortlessly glides on, not too oily, not too dry.

Nail Polish

Lately, there is nothing more that i love than Zoya nail polish.

Granted, i haven't painted my nails in a few weeks (#lazybum)

but, i definitely want to get my hands on these cool new colors.

What's turning you on today?

Product Review: Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo/Conditioner

A few weeks ago I was at my favorite store (Target) shopping for a new shampoo and conditioner. I'm one of those beauty junkies that likes to try everything and anything, so I rarely repeat the same brand of shampoo twice. I spied this:

Here are the descriptions for the two, off the Organix website:

The Pros: They smelled nice. Honestly, that's all I can come up with, so you know where this review is headed...

The Cons: The shampoo was a bit on the watery side, didn't sudse up too well. I overlooked that figuring the conditioner would be much better, I mean, after all it has OIL in it. Though the consistency of the conditioner was thick, I felt like it didn't really coat my hair well. I had to use a LOT of the product (pet peeve, when you have more shampoo left than conditioner at the end of the bottle) to work it through my long hair. I also like to run a comb thru my hair while the conditioner is soaking in so I can easily detangle. One word: OUCH. The conditioner did nothing for my hair and though it seemed to absorb quickly, it didn't feel like conditioned hair, rather... it still felt like I had just shampooed. I thought maybe I would feel the softness and see the shine once I dried my hair. Wrong again... it actually feels LESS soft than my normal Herbal Essences/Pantene brands. I give these products a major #fail. At $6.99 a bottle, I'm going to try to suck it up and just use it up, but I'm totally tempted to write to the company and ask for a refund (heck, maybe i'll just send them this blog!)

Anyway... my recommendation is to skip this one... have you tried this shampoo, what are your thoughts?

DISCLAIMER: All thoughts, comments, recommendations are MINE and mine alone. I was not paid in any way by anyone to review on this product.