MDMS App!

Hi blogverse! I have been gone for quite some time, but am dipping my feet back in the blog waters so to speak.  I was contacted to use and review the MDMS app by a local salon here in Phoenix.  I actually think it’s a great concept, so that’s why I’m blogging about it today!

To start off MDMS stands for Million Dollar Makeover Studio, which is a locally owned salon here in Phoenix, AZ.  The owner is Venessa and she is just so sweet!  She offers everything from a cut and color, to Microblading, to lashes!

So first I downloaded the app, MDMS.  Most salons have a book now feature on their websites, but Venessa takes it one step further and has an app.  On this app you are able to book appointments, go straight to her social media pages, check out her website, email her and they even have coupons.  Every Monday, it randomly selects 3 new services to be 50% off.  You could get 50% off microblading!!! That had me excited because I have been wanting microblading done for a while now!  So, I went ahead and booked her for a cut and color.  It was super easy, I just filled in my contact information, selected an available day/time then I received a confirmation email plus a text!  My favorite part was the text reminder about my appointment because mommy brain makes me super forgetful! She did an awesome job on my color and cut which you can see here.

I was super impressed with her and will definitely be back again! If you are in the area definitely check her app out at the very least!

New Review! Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

I bought this mascara about a week ago and decided to give it a try. To be honest I don’t love this mascara. It says it’s unique brush gives your eye lashes the fan effect and that they are open, which it actually does so that claim is a positive! It also makes your lashes stick together so they look very thin which is not my cup of tea. Personally I love mascara that lengthens and volumizes my lashes. This mascara does have incredible wear time with no flaking or smearing which is awesome considering I didn’t use the waterproof version, I really hate waterproof mascara. It crumbles off when you go to remove it, but not before then. If this mascara gave volume I would be in mascara heaven! I went ahead and layered it with Maybelline Full and Soft mascara and got the desired effect I was looking for. To wrap things up if you are looking for a mascara that opens up your eyes and curls lashes as well as stays on all day and night with no flaking you are in the right spot. If you are looking to thicken or have really thin lashes go ahead and layer this mascara with another formula and you should be golden! Thanks for reading!

My Favorites This Week

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday! I have been spending much needed fun time with my little ones and making Christmas cookies! I have also been trying out a bunch of new products so I will have reviews and posts up soon! Today I wanted to talk about a few if my favorite things this week. I have been really into playing with my current foundations to get the texture and finish I want from them. I love all my foundations but find not all do everything I want. The finish I look for is luminous and glowy and also full coverage. Most luminous make up is not full coverage and it’s frustrating! I started mixing and playing around and this is what I have been loving!
Revlon Color Stay Liquid Foundation, e.l.f. Acne Fighting Foundation and L’Oreal Magic Lumi Illuminating Primer.. I mix everything together on my hand then smear it all over my face, then take my e.l.f. Powder Brush and blend it all together. It gives me this nice luminous, finish and lasts all day long. I wasn’t loving the way the Revlon sat on my skin anymore and really wanted more of a glow but I really love the coverage this gives. I love the finish of the e.l.f. but it’s a little too dark and it doesn’t last super long on its own. I’m really happy with this combination and hope I inspire you to mix your foundations at home to come up with the perfect finish for you!

P.S. I wrote this on my phone, been having computer difficulties, hopefully it turns out well!

Favorites of the Week

Welcome to the first installment of My Favorites of the Week.  I have been trying a lot of new products lately, some hits some misses and instead of reviewing every single last one I thought I would tell you what I have been loving each week!  I will do reviews of products that I think are really great or not so really great, just thought this would be fun, especially since I change up my beauty routine often.  To start things off:

1. Wet n Wild Vicious Varnish Highshine Lip Stain in Global Fierceness– This product is from the Fergie line and I picked it up at Walgreens on clearance for $1.50 and thought I would give it a try.  I don’t really own any red shades so I thought this would be fun to try, especially for Christmas.  This color is a deep, cranberry color which I really like because it’s not too red, it’s more of a deeper wine color.  I had no idea this was a lip stain, I really didn’t read the label until after I bought it.  When I see clearance it’s as if everything else is blocked out, I just know I need it because it’s super cheap (consumerism at its finest).  It definitely stained my lips, and they didn’t really feel tacky at all after about 5 minutes, but they still looked glossy.  But beware, if you do not reapply, your lips will be stained bright pink for a little while after.  They had a bunch of colors, so I am sure there is something for everyone!

(left to right:e.l.f. Maximum Coverage Concealer  and Hard Candy Lite Bright)

2. Concealer– This is one I am excited about because I am  mixing 2 different products!  I bought this Hard Candy Lite Bright Whipped Brightening Concealer in Fair (504) a few weeks ago and I REALLY didn’t like it.  When I applied it went on thick and hard to blend, like paint as well as settling in my little lines and pores on my cheeks.   I was so bummed because it cost $8 at Walmart and I needed to now justify my purchase.  That’s when I had the bright idea to mix it with my e.l.f. Maximum Coverage Concealer in Porcelain!  The e.l.f. concealer is a little yellow so this brightened and thickened it up!  Now, I get a full coverage concealer that also highlight and blends really well.

3. Revlon Photo Ready BB Cream in Light Pale– I have tried a couple of BB Creams in the past and I really didn’t understand what all the fuss was about, I am usually a full coverage foundation kind of girl or no makeup at all.  I had coupons and CVS had a sale so I bought it!  I have been really impressed with this!  It says on the bottle skin perfector but I didn’t think much of it until I noticed it totally covers up the pores on my nose.  As in gone, no more, adios amigo.  It also really evens out my skin tone and gives a nice matte finish.  I top with concealer, powder and blush but would be just as comfortable by itself while I am out running my errands.

Those were my favorites this week!  Check back every Monday if you want to see what I am loving!  Thanks for reading, comments are welcome and appreciated!

How I Buy My Make Up

I have a confession: I love to coupon.  It’s more than love really, it’s a necessity since I stopped working.  I love high end department store make up and if I could I would buy it all the time!  But that is not my current reality (someday!), so I buy make up from the drug store.  My favorite place to buy make up is at  CVS.  They ALWAYS have a really great sale on some item of make up, so I always get around to trying everything at least once.  So I buy the Sunday paper for coupons and print them off the internet.  If you live in the U.S.A. The Krazy Coupon Lady is the best resource for sales and coupons.  They have literally changed my life and I love it!  At CVS there are 2 BIG ways to save on make up:

1. Enroll in their beauty club program.  For every $50 you “spend” before coupons you get $5 Extra Care Bucks which are just like money but only to use at CVS.

2. Shop with Extra Care Bucks!  This is an awesome program because you are literally spending no money, all you have to pay is tax.

So here is what I do:

I check out The Krazy Coupon Lady for any deals and coupons they have posted.  I clip or print out my coupons that I will need and grab my in-store circular (always take a store ad with you in case something isn’t labeled right in the store.  Last week, there was a sale on Physician’s Formula, buy any 2 products and receive $10 Extra Care Bucks. I decided to purchase their Mineral Wear Powder and their Shimmer Strips.  They both cost $13.99and I  had $10 in Extra Care Bucks from the week before which made my total out of pocket cost $17.98. I got each item for $8.99 and made $10 in Extra Care Bucks for my next purchase.  This week I spent $1.50 on Revlon’s Photo Ready BB Cream which is normally $10.79.

The bottom line is you do not have to spend an arm and a leg on make up.  You also don’t need to go crazy and buy the whole store either.  I highly encourage you to check out The Krazy Coupon Lady they have videos and walk you through the whole process.  If you have any tips on how to save money on beauty products please share!   I hope this helped you and thanks for reading!

My Top 3 Drugstore Hand Lotions

I have really dry hands. I have worked in the food service industry for half my life and with all the washing and hand sanitizing my hands are like sand paper. I thought now being a stay at home mom my hands would revert back to their natural-born softness..ha! I wash more dishes now and sanitize my hands more often than when I was working! I have tried probably a bazillion creams, lotions and salves for my poor hands and these are my top 3. If I have at least one in my purse, in the bathroom and by my bed all is right with the world….and then the baby starts crying, my husband is asking where his socks are, and my 6-year-old wants apple juice.  🙂

3. Curél Ultra Healing Intensive Lotion for Extra Dry Skin-I had never tried Curél lotions before until about a month ago. I got a really great deal at Target and picked up a bottle to give it a try. This lotion states that it will protect the skin from dryness for over 24 hours. Sounds great but in my reality about 10 minutes after I apply it I am probably washing dishes again so it will wash right off. I do really like the way it feels and often apply this before I go to bed. It says it won’t clog pores and you can use it on your face? I don’t know if I will try that but if you do, let me know how it turns out!

2. Vaseline Intensive Rescue Healing Hand Cream-I really love this lotion. I find it at Big Lots for .50 cents and it’s so worth it. I stick it in my purse and when I am out shopping or driving I have this really great hand lotion. They used to make nail and cuticle cream that was my absolute favorite but I haven’t found it in a long time! This doesn’t leave your hands greasy and it makes them feel really moisturized.

1. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion-This is my favorite lotion! It moisturizes your skin instantly and feels so good. There also isn’t really a smell so it’s great if you have sensitive skin or allergies. This lotion has 1.2% dimethicone in it which is a skin protectant and I really feel like it works. I know the Vaseline Intensive Rescue has dimethicone in it but it doesn’t state how much and it’s like the 5th ingredient so probably not a whole lot. My husband suffers from exema flare ups and he uses this or the Aveeno exema cream and they work so well for him. He won’t let me buy him any other kind of lotion!

There are a ton of drugstore lotions out there and it’s really hard to decide on the best one when they are all promising the same outcome and most have the same ingredients.  These lotions all have a thick, creamy texture that absorbs really well into the skin.  I highly recommend these 3 but if you know of a better one please share with us so we can try it also!

Thanks for stopping by and your comments are always appreciated and welcome!

My Favorite’s of 2014

(Starting from top left corner and going clockwise)

These are my most favorite things of 2014!  I use them all regularly and shout from the roof tops there awesomeness.  Shea Moisture Hibiscus and Coconut Body Butter not only smells fruity and great it is a really good moisturizer.  I love it and even use it to make lip balm with.  Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation is my go to everyday foundation.  It’s so light and covers really well as well as having a nice finish.  Revlon Colorburst is like a crayon and has a nice mintyness to it.  They also come in a ton of colors and types.  I love how convenient and easy they are to carry around, they are just awesome.  Wet n’ Wild Eye Collection in Petal Pusher I love this palette!  It’s soft and goes with everything or it can be sultry and dramatic.  I love most of their palettes but  this is one I reach for most often.  I usually just go for a little color while running errands and this has a variety that I really like.  Their shadows also have a great pigment, finish and blend really nicely on the eye. Laura Geller Balance and Brighten  Baked Powder Foundation is my go to highlighter.  As a foundation I don’t like it and as a powder I don’t like it.  But as a highlighter/illuminator I love!  It really makes you look lit up from within.  The next 2; GlamGlow  and Vince Camuto Amore  I just wrote about so I won’t bore you I will just say: love `em!  Rimmel London’s Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara is a great mascara.  It lengthens and volumizes your lashes like crazy! And last but not least is Herbal Essences Sleeker than Butter Shampoo and Conditioner.  This is probably my favorite shampoo and conditioner ever to exist.  It leaves my hair so silky and smooth and I never have frizz anymore.  Well folks, those were my fav things of this year!  What were your favorite things of 2014?  Thanks for stopping by and feel free to comment!

New Maybelline Fit Me! Matte + Poreless

I popped in to CVS the other day and much to my surprise they had the new Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless foundation and powder.  I haven’t seen it anywhere else yet so I bought it!  I purchased the foundation in 110 Porcelain and the powder in 100 translucent.  I was excited to try this because I have been looking to try another foundation.  I wore it for about 8 hours today and the claim on the packages says 12 hour wear for both.

So this is how I feel about it:

• Nice, thick consistency
• Great finish, wasn’t sticky or dry
• Very broad range of shades
• Blush stayed on with no fading
• Minimal touch ups needed (only 1 about 6 hours in)

All in all it was totally worth my $8 and I will most definitely keep wearing it.  Have you tried it yet?  Is there another foundation I should try?  Thanks so much for stopping by!

My Favorite Perfume

I have 3 favorite perfume’s right now.  Make up and perfume go hand in hand to me as well as with clothes. If you are going out to a fancy dinner you aren’t going to wear the same perfume you wear every day, you may want something a bit spicier or a little darker. I prefer floral scents that are light and when they settle they just have an air of fragrance but not overpowering. I will start with the cheapest perfume and go up.

Parish Hilton Siren-Ok, I know what you’re thinking, Paris Hilton? High end? I refused to try her stuff just on the principal of the matter for a long time. Then a girl I worked with came in with the best perfume I had ever smelled and I was shocked to learn it was hers. I bought mine at Ross so it was only about $10-$12. When you first spray it on it will smell really heavy like gardenias and you will think oh no, this is too much. Give it 5. Perfume needs to mix with your body chemistry and pheromones to perfect itself. After about 5 it just becomes this really light vanilla and gardenia scent mixed together. It always makes me feel really expensive when I wear this. It reminds me a lot of Chanel Chance.

Marc Jabos Daisy-Probably one of THE most popular fragrances. I have actually gone through a huge bottle of it and this roller ball is what I have left. I wore it EVERY SINGLE DAY for 2 years. Now I wear it when I am going out or a special occasion. I tend to reach for this more often than not in the summer. Something about it just says summer time to me. I love how fruity and floral it smells. It also lasts all day. I would wear this to work and when I would sweat (ew!) it would smell more. In my opinion it’s a must have fragrance for everyone.

Vince Camuto Amore- This fragrance I just received in a GlossyBox and it’s sample size. But it’s soooo good! I have been wearing this one the most lately because it just smells so fun. It really reminds me of Miss Dior Cherie by Christian Dior. I was mega obsessed with that fragrance a while back. This one is so soft and romantic smelling. It reminds me of a first date or a special night out. And I really love the little bottle and the topper. It’s just so fancy!

These were my favorite perfumes, please stay tuned for a word from our sponsors…….haha just kidding, just a little late night humor for ya 🙂

Manic Panic N.Y.C. Dreamtone

Is there such a thing as too pale? Well, for me probably, but I am still pale. I used to tan, but after second degree sun burns twice, I decided to stay away from the sun. As much as possible at least for living in “the valley of the sun” (Phoenix, Arizona). I could self tan you say? Honestly I am pretty lazy and I am a little too worried I would mess it up and look like a burnt orange. So I take pride in my paleness and call it porcelain and tell myself when I am older I will be wrinkle free. Ha. Going make up shopping on the other hand is really annoying. When you buy the LIGHTEST shade they sell (and they are calling it various forms of 100 and ivory) and it’s WAY too dark. Like, makes you look like you self tanned your face. I would get really frustrated because there wasn’t even a way to mix shades and I would permanently have a line on my neck. Then I discovered Manic Panic Dream Tone. It is WHITE! Like, gothic I want to be a vampire and suck your blood white! You can mix it with your foundation and it will lighten it. It’s so great for mixing and matching your make up. However, I do not recommend using it to go more than 2 shades lighter, as it will start to change the consistency of your makeup. Its really great for when you still have summer make up or you go to the store and they don’t sell make up light enough for you. I usually do 1/2 a pump or a whole pump if I need to. And it’s pretty inexpensive I only paid $12 and that was 6 months ago. Now, if you use higher end makeup like NARS or Chanel I believe they sell their own white to mix. I would use those just because it’s formulated for that foundation and it shouldn’t change the consistency. Especially if you’re spending $60 on foundation, you don’t want to be messing it up. If you want to watch a video on how to mix and apply just click here. Thanks for stopping by! Do you have any tips for lightening or even darkening your foundation?