Red lips, turkey and an announcement

Hi everyone! Hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving and got to spend the day with family and eat a ton. I did just that, and I must say, I love turkey time.

I know it’s been sort of quiet around here in the past couple of weeks. I hadn’t wanted to say why I wasn’t able to blog regularly in case things didn’t work out, but….my husband and I just bought our first home, and we’re in the process of moving!

What a great way to start my favorite month (December)! Plus, we celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary on 12/5, so it’s just an all-around fantastic feeling.

Once I get settled in to my new house, I’ll be back on track with frequent blog posts, including a few reviews I’ve been meaning to do (some are suggestions for products that are holiday-related or limited edition, so I will definitely get those posted soon).

In other news, I heard back from Tina, the winner of the Kymaro shapewear giveaway, that she’d received her prizes and is loving them already! I plan to kick off 2011 with some sort of giveaway (haven’t figured it out yet, but who doesn’t love winning something?), so be on the lookout for that.

And to throw in something beauty-related, to make this less of a ramble, here’s a photo of my newest obsession — red lips! It’s so glam and so festive for the holidays. My husband hates it, but oh well. I got this shade at the drugstore, on clearance, with a coupon…I think it was in the $2 range. It’s by Maybelline, and it’s one of their Moisture Extreme Lipcolors, in Royal Red.

The best way to rock red lips? A neutral wash of color on the lid, dark eyeliner and mascara, a cozy sweater, and a whole lotta confidence!

Kymaro giveaway winner!

Just in time for the Thanksgiving feast, I’m announcing the winner of the Kymaro giveaway sponsored by 5WPR. The random number generated for the comment winner was…6!

6. Tina Renee Barker  |  November 6, 2010 at 8:32 pm

I love spending time with my family during the holidays!

Congratulations, Tina! I loved reading everyone’s comments about their favorite holiday traditions, and Tina posted some great ones! I’ll contact you by email soon to get your mailing address and send the info to my friends at 5WPR so they can get your prize in the mail!

2 reviews in 1 post! Pirri Elements and Moore Unique Skin Care

I received a box from KMR Communications with products from two lines to test out and review a couple of months ago, and I intended to post a quick first impression, but the time got away from me, so now I want to go ahead and give you a full review!

The first product line I got to test out was Pirri Elements, a haircare line inspired by the four basic elements of nature — water, fire, air and earth — and the beauty of Italy and the Mediterranean. Pictured here are the three items I tried, Earth’s Balance Daily Conditioner (symbolizing Earth), Mediterraneo Daily Shampoo (Water), and Nature’s Breeze Detangler & Leave-In Conditioner (Wind).

All the products in the Pirri Elements line contain Bergamot, an essential oil that comes from a fruit native to Calabria, Italy, the hometown of the two brothers who created the products. Bergamot oil has a number of benefits — it smells fresh and fantastic, and it helps to hydrate and cleanse your hair without stripping it of its natural oils.

I love the Mediterraneo Daily Shampoo because, unlike other shampoos I’ve used, there weren’t any issues with me using it every day if I wanted to. Most shampoos aren’t great to use on a daily basis because they make your hair look dull and lifeless after stripping out all the natural oils in your hair to cleanse it. But, this shampoo (because of the Bergamot oil) did a fantastic job cleansing while maintaining my hair’s natural bounce and shine.

The Earth’s Balance Daily Conditioner was a perfect complement to the Mediterraneo Daily Shampoo. It was thick and rich without weighing down my hair. It made my hair soft and smooth and easy to work with when blowdrying or using heat to style.

The Nature’s Breeze Detangler & Leave-In Conditioner was my favorite of all the Pirri products I tried. It’s a two-in-one product, which I love — it made my hair easier to work with after washing, and it also provided a leave-in treatment that made my hair soft and healthy. And the smell? Amazing! Sort of citrus-y and floral at the same time.

The Pirri website has price and ordering information on these products. The only downside I see is that they’re not really readily available for you to buy anywhere other than on their website, but I would definitely recommend trying them out, especially the Nature’s Breeze Detangler & Leave-In Conditioner. You get so much product for such a great price, comparable to what you’d pay at a salon but getting way more for your money.

I also got to test out these six products from the Moore Unique skincare line, which is awesome because it was developed by a Houston-based dermatologist who created these products after working with patients and determining the best ingredients and products for helping with their skincare problems.

These three products are the ones I tried out that are best used in the shower. The Bath-Body and Hair Oil is unlike anything I’ve ever used. I definitely suffer from dry skin and scalp, but I never thought to use an oil-based treatment (other than argan oil), especially on my skin. What I liked most about the oil was the glow it gave my skin. I applied it in the shower after washing, with the water turned off, and then I’d pat my body with a washcloth to remove any excess oil and dry a bit before getting dressed. I didn’t even have to use my regular body butter or lotion after showering because my skin felt hydrated and refreshed.

I also liked the Hydrate Facial & Body Wash, more for my body than my face. I used this in the shower in place of my regular body wash, and it provided a really gentle cleanse and helped with some of the redness on my upper arms. I used the Body Scrub Lotion on a less regular basis because it’s more of an exfoliating lotion that is designed to slough off dead, damaged layers of skin and to promote new skin cell growth. It was great to use when I had a big, ugly bruise on my leg that I wanted to get rid of!

The other three products I tried from Moore Unique were designed more specifically for facial skin issues. I really enjoyed the Facial Moisturizer because it is super rich and creamy, great for rehydrating my dry skin, and it also has collagen, which is amazing for helping to fight aging.

I don’t have a ton of acne, so I think the Clear Skin Acne Wash might make a bigger impression on someone who has problem acne, but I did like how gentle it was on my skin. But, since I have dry skin and this is formulated to dry up acne, it probably wasn’t the best combo for me.

The Toner Cream , though, was a good product for me because it addressed uneven skin tone and discoloration, which I suffer from. It did sting a bit when applying, but it left my skin looking more even and glowing.

Overall, I really liked the Moore Unique line of products, especially because they all seem to target exfoliating and rejuvenating skin, which is super important all the time, but definitely in these dry, cold months of fall and winter. Check out the Moore Unique website — it’s full of really useful skincare information and each product has got a full description page with tons of details on what they do and what you should use them for. Plus, these products are sold in Walgreens around the country, so keep your eyes peeled when you’re shopping there, too!

Finally! Wet n Wild holiday palettes are mine!

Ever since I first heard (or read, I guess) about someone finding Wet n Wild‘s Color Icon Holiday Pixie collection in stores, I have searched high and low for them to no avail. I love Wet n Wild, especially the Color Icon Vanity palette (it’s the main ingredient in my 5 minute eye look!) so I was super excited to get my hands on these limited edition palettes — they follow the Color Icon formula of 6 complementary shadows, but they also come with an eyeliner!

There are four palettes in the holiday collection, and I went ahead and got them all. At $4.99 each (and using two recent $5 off a WnW purchase of $10!), I couldn’t help myself!

This one is called Golden Goddess, and it reminds me of the Vanity palette. But, this version has all shimmery shadows, while Vanity has three shimmers and three matte. Similar colors, though.

This green and blue palette is called Snow Sprite. I don’t normally wear colored shadows, except for purple (and that’s a very light application), but these look gorgeous and very wearable.

Ah, there’s the purple shadow! This palette is called Sugar Plum Fairy (apologies for the blurry photo), and I love it, without even swatching it! That bottom shadow on the right looks amazing…sort of a brownish purple with subtle pinky purple shimmers.

And, the most unique palette of the bunch (and probably the most unique drugstore palette I’ve ever seen) — Night Elf. Check out the variety here…you get white, silver, taupe, red (!!), a duochrome green/red, and a sparkly black! Can’t wait to try this one out.

I’m really excited to create some wearable but fun, festive looks with these. If I’m successful, I’ll of course post photos here.

Fall fashion – another OOTD in olive green

It’s been warm here, much warmer than fall should be, as I complained in my last OOTD post. The past couple of days have been sort of rainy and miserable, so fashion hasn’t been about fun and has instead been about staying dry. But, I’ve got an outfit from a few days ago that I really liked and can’t wait to wear again when the sun comes back out.

Sorry for the awkward smile — I think I was smiling while telling my husband, “just take the picture already!”

I love love love this top! Got it at ROSS, and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite articles of clothing. It’s an olive green sweater with a drapey cowl neck and short cap sleeves. This kind of military green shade is really trendy right now, and I’m so glad to have found a top that’s totally my style while still incorporating the trend. I’m not going to wear head-to-toe fatigues just because military clothing is in fashion!

My jeans are American Eagle boyfriend style jeans with on-purpose rips and snags. They’re loose and really comfy, and I’m wearing a pair of gladiator sandals from Forever21, too.

A not-so-flattering angle of my face! Just wanted to share a makeup look I’ve been loving — really soft and light on the eyes (a shimmery light all over lid color and a nice taupe in the crease) and a mauve/berry shade on the lips. So pretty for fall!

Definitely in need of a haircut! Hope you enjoyed this outfit of the day, and I can’t wait for the weather to get back on track so I can have fun dressing again and share more OOTDs with you!

Regretting all that Halloween candy?

I love this time of year! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s…there’s so much to celebrate in the next few months! That means that I’ll get to do lots of dressing up, but it also means that I might make some bad food choices.

I think we’ve all had that year (or is it every year?) where we gain a few pounds from November to January, and it can be really depressing to notice your waistline expanding. Diet and exercise are of course important, but shapewear can be another way to feel better about how you look during and after the holidays.

And now for the super exciting news for you…I’m having a sponsored giveaway of some amazing shapewear and denim designed to help you look your slimmest and sleekest! What’s up for grabs?

One winner will receive Kymaro’s New Body Shaper, which has a patented, breathable design that will instantly make you look 10 lbs thinner and hide cellulite while still being comfortable! The winner will also receive Kymaro’s Curve Control Jeans, which contours the same way shapewear does, but it’s denim!

Here are the contest rules:

• You must be a subscriber to my blog. If you’re not already subscribed, make sure you head to the homepage and click the “i wanna subscribe” button on the right side of the page.
• You’ll receive one entry per unique comment left on this post. Comment telling me something you love about the holidays (we know we all don’t like gaining weight over the holidays, but I’m sure there are a ton of things to talk about that we love). You can comment as many times as you want, but they must be different things.
• You can get an extra entry by tweeting, blogging or sharing the link to my blog and giveaway (just leave a comment telling me how you shared).
• Contest begins now and will end in two weeks, on Thursday, Nov. 18, at midnight CST.
• The winner will be selected through random.org. I’ll announce the winner in a blog post and also by email. You’ll have 24 hours to reply with your mailing address, and I’ll pass it along to 5WPR, who is sponsoring the giveaway and will be mailing out your prize.

Good luck!

UPDATE 11/8/2010 – U.S. residents only, please! Any comment entries from outside the U.S. made before this update will still be counted. Thanks!

Full review: Best Bath Store

A couple of months ago, I was sent a few products to test and review from Best Bath Store, a website that has a ton of different natural products for bath & body, skin care and hair. I posted a Quick First Impression when I received them, but I’ve since tried out almost everything I was sent (I’ll explain what I haven’t tried yet in a minute), and now I want to do a full review!

First things first — you’ll see on either side of the pic that I was sent two HUMONGOUS 9 oz. bath bombs (one in Spring Mix and one in Detox), and those are the two products I haven’t tried yet. But, I have a good reason! We’re buying a house (should move in early December), which has a jacuzzi bath tub in the master bathroom. My tub right now is far from luxurious, so I’m waiting for the jacuzzi tub to test these bath bombs out. Like I said in my Quick First Impression post, they smell amazing, and they’re so big that I know I’ll get a few uses out of each.

Here’s the low down on the other products I received, which I’ve used and nearly finished.

• Lavender Body Scrub – This body scrub is insane. It smells so fresh and floral, and it’s got a good bit of scrub to it, meaning that it’s not a whipped product but instead gives a really nice exfoliation when you use it. Check out the picture to see what I mean…

Check out that texture! And it gets better when you rub in to your skin…

Because this is lavender, it’s very soothing and is a really nice product to use if you’re showering right before bed (it’s a scent that helps you to unwind). The body scrubs from Best Bath Store come in 8 oz squeeze bottles, and I love love love the packaging. It has been so easy to just squeeze out what I need for each shower and not waste product by scooping it out from a jar (like other scrubs I’ve used). And, this really has lasted me for a good long while — around 2 months of use with frequent showers!

• Dead Sea Facial Scrub – I was thrilled to receive this to try because Dead Sea products are known to help with skin redness, which is something I struggle with. Best Bath Store has a whole line of Dead Sea items, from this facial scrub to body and foot scrubs. The facial scrub has Dead Sea mud and salts.

Like the body scrubs from Best Bath Store, this facial scrub was really exfoliating, with visible Dead Sea salts in the mix. It wasn’t harsh at all on my face, though, and instead made my skin feel refreshed after rubbing and rinsing. I usually would use this once or twice a week (but never two days in a row), just to give my skin a break from exfoliating.

Here’s how it looks after blending onto the skin. I really like this product, and I still have quite a bit of the 4 oz squeeze bottle left since I haven’t used it every time I wash my face.

• Deep Moisturizing Hair Conditioner – This is the only product that I’ve completely finished, and for good reason. I’m addicted! It smells so fresh and clean, and is the best deep conditioner I’ve found for my hair, which is long and infrequently cut, so definitely need something to keep it healthy.

You may not be able to see from the picture, but this conditioner is sort of whipped. It’s creamy and a true deep conditioner, but it’s also really airy and lightweight. I use this in the shower after washing and using my normal conditioner. When it’s rinsed out, I apply the Best Bath Store deep conditioner to the ends of my hair and leave it on for about 5-10 minutes while I finish my shower. Then, I rinse it out. This has helped my hair so much and allowed me to go longer without a trim while maintaining a very healthy look (although I am in need of a haircut now!).

I have been very impressed with all of the products I received from Best Bath Store, and they’re now a part of my regular routine (going to have to reorder soon since I’m out or running out of everything!). All the products on their site are reasonably priced, and they’re very well made. Thanks so much to Best Bath Store for letting me review your products!