Early Birthday Presents I'm Loving!

I say all the time that I have had the best luck when it comes to blogging. I meet awesome people, I get to work with awesome companies, and it's just been such a great experience overall. I got to know a reader a little while back named Anita (www.youtube.com/fyiexplains) and we got to be pretty good buddies, e-mail each other regularly, and all that jazz. Well Miss Anita was super sweet enough to send me a birthday (which happens to be tomorrow - June 6th!) present and I about died when she sent me two of my most wanted items.

I have had my eyes on Dr. Feel Good (by Benefit) since I tried it out in Ulta like 2 months ago and about died about how awesome it is. For those of you unaware, it's basically like a balm for your face that makes it smooth as silk, matte, and just all around amazing. It's got vitamins and all that jazz in it, so it's good for you, too. It comes with a sponge so you can pat it on over makeup without smearing anything, but it's great to apply to a bare face since it makes your skin feel SUPER soft. I'll definitely be putting this on after the pool or at the beach when I skip on the foundation because it gives your skin a really smooth, clean look without any color. It smells a little bit like citronella which is weird, but I don't mind it. Kind of summery. They call it a "complexion balm" which makes total sense because it is definitely a "perfecting" product. If you have an Ulta nearby, stop in and try it out. Seriously wonderful stuff.

Me and the NYX "Milk" pencil have been playing hide n seek for the past.. oh.. year or so? I hate ordering stuff online when there is a retailer near me and I only want one thing. Sorry, but I wasn't paying $10 for this pencil when I could get it for $5 if I just put some effort into finding it. Problem was, apparently Pittsburgh and NYX have a contract where their displays are not allowed to be any bigger than a matchbox car. Weird, right? There also must be some kind of clause that says that 9 out of 10 of the products in the display MUST be manhandled by a toddler with a sinus infection. Another one that seemed odd to me. So needless to say, I could not find this son-of-a ANYWHERE. And when I did.. not sanitary. Thanks to Anita, I now own it and WOW, probably one of my favorite eye products ever. It's a matte white and it goes on VERY opaque. The great thing about it is that it blends out (or "smokes out") very easily. It's really creamy once the heat of your skin hits it. Great as a base, great for the corners of your eyes, great for basically everything. Just one of those sweet multi-purpose products that I am so happy to call my own now. I rave about these jumbo pencils all the time, and if you don't own one - now's the time.

Aside from those, Anita sent me some kickass lipgloss which have wandered their way into my heart, as well. I want to say thank you to her once again & encourage you all to check her out on youtube at www.youtube.com/fyiexplains. She does product reviews and OOTD's and fun stuff like that :o) I hope you're all enjoying your weekends & I'll talk to you all soon!

I <3 After Christmas Shopping!

I've never been a fan of shopping the day after Christmas, but around the 28th, 29th-ish... I start itchin'. And yesterday my friends, I scratched.

Me and my friend Julia went to the mall & then met our boyfriends for dinner last night, so it was a lovely time. Julia makes a good shopping partner and I think she's one of the only females I can actually go to the mall with and shop. We have similar taste, too - and that's always a bonus. Here's some things I picked up & can't freakin wait to wear:

Sequin Ankle Boots (F21) - $24.50 (amazinggg)

Cheetah Flannel PJ Shorts (F21) - $5.50 (Julia got a pair, too :P)

Eyelash Dress/Tunic (Wet Seal) - $21.50

Double Buckled Braided Belt (Charlotte Russe) - $8.50 (totally wearing this right now with that VS sweater dress I posted about haha)

I also bought something from Pac Sun for the first time since 8th grade haha! Can't find it online since it was on sale for $6, but it's a really cute zebra (clearly) henley. Originally it was like $22, so I was happy about that one. I think I'm going to wear the pink tunic for new years eve, too :o) Man.. I really don't want the holidays to end.

Hope you all had happy shopping this week & that you have your NYE outfits perfectly coordinated and ready to go :o) Let me know what you're wearing, lovelies!

Favorites of Christmas 2009

I'm in complete & total denial that Christmas is over. Words really cannot describe how much I love the Christmas season & it's downright depressing that it's already come & gone for the year. Still looking forward to New Years & all.. but still. This Christmas was fantastic. Totally one of those years where you don't even have to go shopping after it because you got everything you wanted. Instead of posting every little thing I got, I decided I would do a top 5. So here they are... my 5 favorite gifts of 2009:

Best Friend Erin really has no idea that she changed my life with this little number. I'm telling you guys, if you were one of the 5 people on earth that didn't get a Snuggie for Christmas - you're seriously missing out. Best thing that has ever happened to my sleeping habits ever. And it's zebra, so clearly I love it.

Boyfriend got me the best shoes in the whole entire world this year :) I wanted a pair of cute ankle boots so so so badly for the longest time & these are absolutely perfect. I know I'm going to wear them to death :D Love 'em so much.

It's not everyday your 14 year old cousin comes through with a pretty clutch gift - so I was extremely impressed. It's a silver necklace that's made up of a bunch of tiny interlocking hearts & I can totally see myself wearing this allll the time. I'm more of a silver than a gold person, so he made a good call on that end :) And it's definitely a step up from the car air fresheners he got me last year. Though I did use them and love them (lol).

I haven't had a good robe in.. god knows when.. so when boyfriend got me this little number (in hot pink, mind you) - I was beyond thrilled. It's not a long robe, which is all I've had in the past which is a pain in the butt to actually DO stuff in (i.e. laundry, clean, cook, etc...) - so this nice little short one is perfect to throw on and do what I need to do :) Not to mention that the hood is lined with heavenly soft fleece, so that's a mega-bonus. Looooooveeeeeee.

Mom tottttaaallly did good with the clothes this year (and even dad got me a couple shirts that I'm going to wear the crap out of!) - but I have to say my favorite is this blue sweater dress she got me from VS. It fits so nicely & now I need to get a brown belt to match the brown buttons on the sleeve. This is definitely going to be great for work, too - which I have to always consider now when buying clothes. Way to go mom, ya done good.

So there we have it - the favorites of 2009. Honorable mentions include my Fantasy perfume set from boyfriend, the tinkerbell blanket my aunt made me, and my zebra luggage set (yeeessss!!!).. I hope you all had as wonderful of a holiday as I did thanks to my phenomenally wonderful boyfriend & family. Boyfriend loved his presents so much & that's honestly what made this year extra special :) Making someone so happy is truly a feeling you can't describe.

Well ladies, don't get killed in any of the after-Christmas sales & have a great week ahead. Getting excited for New Years eve & I know you all are, too. Now go spend those gift cards ;)

Seriously Can I Get a License or a Certification or SOMETHING in Bargain Shopping??

Here's the problem with me eating 2 mini bagels at work every morning:

I'm supposed to take my lunch.. ehhh - roughly 3 hours later? And guess what - I don't require much sustinance. This means that when I'm supposed to take lunch and EAT... I have to find other ways to amuse myself for an hour since food aint happenin...

Here's the problem with the location of my workplace:

It's surrounded by a giant mall featuring my 3 favorite stores (wet seal, forever, & charlotte russe), as well as Target which is equally as destructive.


I'll tell you what I definitely don't have a problem with, though. The fact that I am magnetically drawn to sales. I swear to you, I don't even look for them. I get out of my car and Jesus flips some type of switch and it pulls me into the store and directly to the rack of insanely inexpensively adorable goods. It's magic. Call it a gift if you will, but I am blessed with the gift of discount. Well today, I took 3 microwavable pancakes to work today and ate them. This, of course, means that when it was time for me to go to lunch - not hungry. The mall was open. This is what I left with:

tan suede pumps from wet seal - $12.50

patent black pumps from wet seal - 1cent (I shit you not)

black burnout hoodie from wet seal - $10

purple lace top from wet seal - 1cent (FOR REAL)

pink, green, & zeeebrraaaa nikes from famous - $50

I also got a pair of ripped T5 jeans from Macy's but I can't find the picture for the life of me. Either way - they were $19 down from $30 so... I win :o)

No Matter Where in the US I am.. I Feel at Home in Sephora!

Well guys I have officially made it alive through my first business trip. Classes are over & I'm feeling great about how the trip went. I was here with Jerry, who is the "big boss man" of our company and also was the one who taught the class. We went out to dinner tonight & I got to tell him a lot of my ideas and I'm feeling really great about what I went to school for. He thinks I'm a great marketing person & I'm really excited for my career in the future. It's a great feeling - never dreamed I'd feel this way if you'd have asked me a year ago!!

After class today, Jerry wanted to go shopping for his wife so we went to the mall & he set me free in there for an hour or so. I walked through and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw that magical black and white sign. Seeepphhhooorrraaaaa :o)

Urban Decay Sustainable Shadow Box - $38 [came with a mini primer potion]

Sephora "Tricks of the Trade" Perfection Primer - $18

Oion [trial size] rub out dry cleanser - $10

Claire's Nail Polishes (just threw these in!) - $4 each

Swatches from the Urban Decay Palette.. they're so sparkly - I wish you could see them better in this picture but I really love "Kiddie Pool" [light blue with glitter] and "Uzi" [white with silver] .. The brush in there is nice but I probably won't use it.. it's a little bit small for my liking and sorta stiff. The reason I'll pay a little more for UD shadows is because of how pigmented they are and the colors are really unique. Can't beat their packaging, either. Honestly, I'd have never bought this palette just by seeing it online but seeing how sparkly and pigmented these shadows are in person... sold.

I have yet to truly "try out" the foundation primer but I've been looking for one and I trust Sephora lol.. I had somewhat of a shiny spot in the middle of my forehead when I got out of the shower so I put some on and it definitely tamed it. I'm hoping it makes my powder/foundation last longer, too. That's the main reason I wanted it. It says it has "pink pearls" in it to add a luminous quality to skin, but it had no real color which was okay with me.  It's a bit perfumy which I don't mind but some people do. I'm also interested to try the dry shampoo.I'll probably just use it on mostly my bangs/roots - but I heard some good things about this brand & it wasn't super expensive. The Claire's polish is great, though! I just used it and I love the color. It's very matte so if you like shiny nails, use a top coat - but it goes on great and really smoothly. The brush is a little "fluffy", but I got around it. Good, cheap, polishes!

Well guys I'm going ti finish packing and mentally prepare myself to head to the airport at 5:30am. I love you all and enjoy your weekends!

Best Nail Art Pen.. EVER! + ULTA Haul

Hi Guuuyyysss..

So I just did my nails with this nail art pen that I got from ULTA today and I'm so happy and excited about it that I had to do a post right this instant! IMMEDIATELY.

Soo Sally Hansen makes this little beaut and I have dealt with my fair share of shitty nail art pens. I resorted to using toothpicks and Q-tips for awhile, but obviously those were pretty hit or miss. Mostly miss. Anyways, this one is seriously just like drawing with a marker.. not too much product comes out & it goes on really evenly. You don't even have to squeeze or apply pressure. I'm actually pretty sure that God himself created this project and sent it to ULTA especially for me to find.

I got the black one and I wanna say it was $5.99.. It's no more than $7, I know that. But seriously, I might be getting these in every color - THAT'S how much I like them. Here's how my nails came out:

and yeah - I am obsessed with Zebra!

So case & point - you need to get this pen if you like doing anything remotely creative with your nails! Like I said, I got mine at ULTA. They didn't have a huge selection of colors, but they had some. I'm sure you can find them at drug stores, too.

Aside from that, I got some other stuff at Ulta today, too. I wanted to get a skinny straightener so I could use it to curl my hair, too since I hate heating up the curling iron AND the straightener. Plus my curling iron is too skinny, I always end up looking like Curly Sue when I use it. Sooo I got the cutest Zoe straightener ever for $29.99. Came with a travel pouch, too which will be swell for when I go to Kentucky next week for work:

I've heard mixed reviews about the brand but I don't really mind. I have the wet2straight straightener, too, so I'm just going to use this when i want some curl or just need to do my bangs. Plus it's cute :) Like I always say - sucker for shelf appeal.

I also got some other random stuff... I got a heat protector for my hair since I straighten it a ton in the winter time and always use heat on it. It's the got2b brand, and I tend to like them - so let's hope they don't let me down.. I got 2 things from "Prestige" (is anyone else thinking Step Brothers when they heard that brand name?? lol), which is a brand I've never heard of. I'd post pictures but the images on their site aren't helpful at all lol.. I don't think you can buy through them via the web. I just got a lipstick & a shadow, though.. pretty standard. If they blow me away, I'll let you know.

So now that I've officially proposed to the nail art pen, I'm gonna call it a day. I have a really exciting event coming up for all you readers by the end of the month thanks to yet another amazing company that has contacted me. Stay tuned ;o) 

p.s. like the new layout?!

Clothes Haul & New Faves

So me and Dev ended up at the mall today, since she decided she wanted to splurge a little and buy some things for herself. I don't blame her, she just moved into a new house with her boyfriend & two of their friends so she hasn't gotten to do anything for herself lately. I, of course, needed a dress for the wedding me and Jim are going to this weekend ( yes! i love weddings! ) and new boots. So I ended up coming out with those.. aaand a couple other things - here's what I ended up getting:

Forever 21 - $22.80

I got this for the wedding and it looks weird on this girl

since it doesn't really form fit her.

But on the flip side - it fits me really well, I'm excited!

Forever 21- $9.80

Okay seriously, this is why this post has the title "new faves". I got a pair of these sweatpants, eh, like a week ago & I HAD HAD HAD to buy another pair today (I have black & blue) now because they are the most amazingly comfortable/soft sweat pants EVER. I will take these over VS's pink sweats ANYDAY (plus they're about $30 cheaper).. Seriously, if you need comfy pants - these are the end all.

Wet Seal - $19 FREAKIN 50!! (mine are camel colored)

Okay, I refuse.. RE-FUSE.. to buy Ugg Boots ANYWHERE but Wet Seal every year because:

1. They are ALWAYS $19.50

2. They last me the entire season

3. The insides are super fluffy

If you need new boots, run - do not walk - to wet seal. These little shits get scooped up QUICK every year so I'm happy to announce that I've got mine for the season. Three cheers.

Wet Seal $19.90

(except I only paid $10 since everything was buy one get one half off!)

I am the queen of zebra print and this is amazing for work since I'm always cold and need a way to spice up my lame black and white work clothes. Thanks to wet seal for this microscopic picture, as well.

Finally,

Charlotte Russe - $17

I have wanted one of these for awhile since I think they're so pretty.. but this one is like semi-sheer, so the fabric is so extremely soft. I really love it. Also great for work since it's getting chillier out & the sleeves are a little longer which is something I also look for in cardigans and sweaters. Definitely glad I found this!

So there we have it.. Sorry guys - I didn't get any pics of Dev's fresh makeup but she looked fantastic. I gave her some of the darker foundations & concealers I got in my master set from E.L.F. that I couldn't use, so she said she's inspired to do her makeup everyday now! It's amazing what a little bit of foundation, shadow, and mascara can do :o) Let me know what you think of the haul, and SERIOUSLY - go buy those sweatpants & boots. YOU WILL NOT REGRET!

xoxo

Lush and Ulta Hauls

So lucky me, I had a day off work today and decided to head out and do some running around with one of best friends, Devney. Dev is really "I don't give a crap" when it comes to make-up, so I figured I'd take her with me and kind of open her eyes up to all the awesome things that are out there.. We went to Lush & Ulta and here's what I ended up coming home with:

First we went to Lush which is in the downtown Macy's here in Pittsburgh. Thank god I didn't wait to go down next week since the lovely G-20 Summit will be gracing our city. Anyways, I know one of the girls who works there (hi Mandy!) and she totally hooked it up. I got the Marilyn hair treatment which I've been reading up on (it was about $18.. the tub is pretty big) and it's specially formulated to make blonde hair softer and brighter.. so I'm excited to try it. I also had to get one of the amazing "bath bombs" while I was there because I've heard so much about them. Mandy did a demo for us that just about blew our minds, they fizz so much - it's amazing! And just after dipping our hands in the bowl, our skin was much softer. The one I got was "Sakura" ($6) and it smells like cherry blossoms which I love. Mandy also threw in samples of some moisturizers and the "daddy-o" shampoo which i've been itching to try, as well. I also got a sample of the "herbalism" cleanser which is supposed to be great for oily t-zones and such. I can't wait to try everything & you can all expect full reviews!

Secondly, we stopped at ULTA which I can never come out with just one freakin' thing. I've been on a quest to find a super duper matte light pink lipstick that isn't $22 freakin' dollars because I am absolutely not going to wear it everyday. I picked up Maybelline's "pink petal" but once I opened it and put it on - eh, it's way too dark. It was only $6 and I'm sure I'll wear it, but I'm still frustrated. All of the super light pinks I find are all frosted and I don't want to look like I'm an extra in Footloose. If anyone has any suggestions that aren't MAC, i would love to hear your suggestions.

I also picked up Rimmel's Stay Matte Foundation (also $6) which I just used and wow, it is great. The texture is really runny which I wasn't expecting from a Matte foundation, but it covers amazingly. It's a great inexpensive foundation. I recommend.

Also - check out the sweetass Burt's Bee's set I got for $12!! Lotion which smells amazing, bath gel, their always wonderful lip balm, cuticle cream, a bar of their moisturizing soap, and that cute travel pouch. Usually BB's stuff is kind of expensive, but for $12, I was totally not passing that up. Overall, pretty good trip - I'm just frustrated about the lip color. I got a shade from E.L.F.'s mineral collection the other day that is wayyy darker in person than on the site - and it's like the exact color of my lips so it's completely pointless. UGH.

Enjoy your weekends! I'll be at work.. fantastic.

xoxo

New Stuff Reviews

Well I didn't plan on posting anything today but a trip to wal-mart after work gave me some new things to share with you guys. My god, I seriously cannot go into a store that sells any type of make-up or beauty product and NOT walk out with something.. Speaking of not walking out with something, the entire point of my trip there was to buy more candy for my desk and when I got home I realized I had TWO bags, not one prepared for me at wal-mart. Too bad I only grabbed one of them :o( Oh well, at least it was the one with everything BUT the candy in it. Damn. That's $5 down the drain..

Anyways, Here's what I picked up::

1. ConAir Sponge Curlers - $9

2. TreSemme Anti-Frizz Secret Creme - $4

3. MaryKate&Ashley (don't laugh) Sparkle  Mascara - $3 (oonn saallee)

4. MaryKate&Ashley Blush Sheets - $3 (also oonn saallee)

1. I'm sitting here with the curlers in my hair right now and I'm hoping for good results in the morning. If not, I'll be going to work with my hair in a messy bun. It's been ages since I've used sponge curlers and I saw some girl who said she used them to achieve her super-cute look while perusing blogger before, so it inspired me. I'll let you know how it goes. 48 curlers for $9 isn't bad at all, though. I'm sure I'll find uses for them.

 2. TreSemme is one of my favorite inexpensive hair brands and I'm always looking for ways to tackle my stupid frizzyness. This is creme that you apply to damp, towel dried hair. I put it on before I put the curlers in, so hopefully it'll cut down on my hair looking anything like an afro tomorrow. I'll let you know how it works once I've used it a few times and get a good feel for it.

3. Do not ask me why I bought this mascara because we all know that the glittery mascaras DO NOT WORK, but it looked cute and I figured I'd try it out since it was on clearance (I think wal-mart is ridding themselves on MK&A.. all of their stuff was marked down). It did come with a free eyeliner and when i put the silver on, surprisingly enough it worked better than other glittery mascaras in the past have. It'll probably sit in my makeup drawer but, oh well - if I ever want a little sparkle I'll have it.

4. Now this last one was the one I bought on a total whim and you know what, I seriously LOVE them. Wal-mart had a ton of them (probably because everyone is like what the hell is a blush sheet?) and I had to get a pack out of total curiousity. When I took them out, I found out they're little sheets of a tissue-papery like paper that are coated with a shimmery blush. You rub them on your cheeks for some color in a pinch. Here's what they look like:

When I rubbed it on my face, I wasn't expecting too much since it didn't rub off too easily on  my fingers when I pulled it out of the package. But you know what, I was pleasantly surprised and have decided to make these a permenant staple to my purse! They give my cheeks a nice, natural rosy color and a little bit of shimmer, too. And seriously, MaryKate & Ashley - I did not expect this from you and I thank you for this glorious little product! Here's a pic of my cheek after I put it on:

 

Not Bad!

Like I said, I got all of this at wal-mart and if yours is anything like mine, they've marked down these little blush sheets to just $3 for a pack. There's a ton of them in there, too - so they're definitely going to last you! Hope you guys enjoyed.. let me know what you think & stay tuned for my newest giveaway/review! Can't wait for you guys to see it - I know you're going to love it!

xoxo