A Few of My Favorite Things: MARCH

Fashion
Everything is from Target
I have been living in all three of these pieces! They were perfect for the  March weather we had. This sweater dress is so comfortable and was my go-to piece when I didn't feel like thinking too much about what I was going to wear. This floral spring scarf is so lightweight and colorful which made it the perfect layering piece for my jeans and t-shirts. These gold sandals are from last year and I still find them to be the most comfortable sandal I probably own and goes with almost everything. 

 

 

Beauty

Too Faced Chocolate bronzer/contour in Chocolate Soleil
This has been my go to bronzer and contour lately and I love that it smells like chocolate :)

Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara
I have been doing a really quick and easy makeup routine lately just because I have been more busy and this mascara is so easy to put on and doesn't clump up.

ELF Makeup Setting Spray
I have seen a ton of beauty gurus using this spray to help set everything and keep your makeup lasting longer. I saw this a while back at Target and decided to give it a try and am super impressed so far. ELF has quickly become one of my favorite inexpensive brands to use and this setting spray has become part of my everyday makeup routine. It works when I use just my powder foundation and when I use heavier liquids. If you need help with your makeup lasting longer, then definitely try this stuff.  You can find ELF at Target and Walmart and everything is like under $6 which is awesome!

 Simple Micellar Water
I was a little apprehensive about trying this at first but saw a ton of reviews on it and people seem to really like the formula. I have found that I prefer to use this in the morning to get all the gunk and residue from my night cream without having to do a really long and heavy cleansing routine first thing in the morning. It claims to take off makeup and cleanse and moisturize...which I agree with, however I do not like to use this to get ALL my makeup off. I use a wipe first to get most of my makeup off, then my cleanser, and then this to get an excess off my skin.  

Household
Windex Cleaner
I found this on a clearance isle at my local grocery store and decided to give it a try and this is now my regular kitchen cleaner. A few pumps on a paper towel and I can scrub everything!

Method Dish Soap
I have heard so many people talk about this brand at Target and when I saw this on sale one week I decided to try it out. I love that this dish soap has a pump! How long did it take for a company to figure that one out?! And this limited edition scent freshens up my whole kitchen when I do the dishes. Can't wait to try some other Method products.

Tide Fresh and Clean
I have been buying this Tide for months now usually at CVS because periodically I see it on super sale (like $2) and I stock up with my extra care bucks. I love the smell of this detergent and it's been working really well so far.
 

One of my guilty pleasures is some reality shows and ridiculous drama so here's what I watched regularly last month:
Nashville

Secrets and Lies

The Royals
Scandal
 RHOBH
Amish Mafia
The Walking Dead

My Skincare Routine

 Morning

Dove Body Wash
I use this every time I take a shower in the mornings. I have been such a huge fan of Dove soap and Dove body wash for years now. My skin feels so clean and moisturized without feeling like there's a residue on it.

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Cleanser
This cleanser I've also been using for about a year now and I absolutely love it. This is a cleanser that actually works and makes my skin look and feel absolutely amazing.

CVS Exfoliating Apricot Wipes
These wipes I typically use at night to get some of my makeup off, but some days when I'm in a pinch for time or am just super exhausted, I use these on my face and they make my skin feel cleansed and awake. 

Olay Face Moisturizer
I still haven't found like a "Holy-Grail" moisturizer that really works on my skin, but this moisturizer has been a go-to of mine for the past few years. I always go back to this one because it does work on my oily skin and doesn't leave a residue on my face either, it really does soak into the skin.

Honest Company Lavendar Mint Lip Balm
This lip balm is so moisturizing! Use it by itself or as a base before applying your main lip product.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Hand Cream

After I put my makeup up on wash my hands really good I love to put on a hand cream to moisturize my hands in the morning. This hand cream is so soft and soaks in really fast so you you're not walking around with greasy hands afterward.

 Nightime

 Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Face Wash with my Clarisonic
I use my Clarisonic every night to really deep clean my face and get all the makeup, dirt, excess oil and dead skin off my face. My Clarisonic has dramatically improved my skin and has faded a lot of my scaring. I use to use it once a week, but at the beginning of this year started using it every night and what a difference it has made!

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Toner
I love this toner! It is light and doesn't completely dry out my skin but really helps give it that extra clean feeling. I use this toner down my neck and on my chest too to make sure I'm getting and excess dirt and oil off my skin.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Face and Eye Serum
I've talked about these before here. I'm still loving them and they have improved my skin so much.

Estee Lauder Hydrationist Cream Moisturizer
This moisturizer I have been using all winter because my skin has been unbearably dry. I tend to have really oily/combination skin, however this winter has been the driest winter I have ever experienced. This moisturizer I only use at night because it is super hydrating and kind of greasy(takes a super long time to set into the skin and still has a greasy feel). If I use it in the morning my skin is way to oily and my makeup doesn't sit on it properly. So I use it at night to really moisturize my skin while I sleep and my skin looks and feels really hydrated when I wake up.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Crean
I use this on my hands, arms, feet...really anywhere I feel like my skin is super dry before I go to bed and it's really been helping with the dryness and itchiness that my skin has right now. 

Clinique Acne Treatment
I got this as a sample and once my skin started breaking out a lot I started using this at night to see if it helped. I'm telling you this stuff works wonders overnight! Within 2-3 days my really stubborn under the skin breakouts were gone and little breakouts disappeared. I think I might have to purchase this product!

Weekly 
 
Apricot Scrub
I use this scrub in the shower about twice a week and exfoliate my whole body with it. Apricot scrub is something I've been using since high school and it's always been a skincare staple for me.

Green Mask
This mask is amazing! I don't even know where I got this or how (I think it might have been a gift or gift with purchase or something) but this mask is amazing! I use this when my skin is breaking out a lot and this mask clears it up. It really does wonders on lifting all the dirt and gunk out of your skin. LOVE IT!

First Impression: Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation

I have been wanting to start trying out new makeup products lately since my makeup routine has seriously been the same for about 4 years now. Same products, same brands, same, same, same. I was getting bored and wanting to venture out and try some of the abundance of new stuff at the drugstore that I have been seeing lately. And seeing that I am a busy mom-on-the-go, I really need products that serve multiple purposes and hopefully will streamline my makeup routine so that I'm not spending too much time doing my makeup.

So after watching dozens of YouTube videos and scanning Pinterest, I decided the first thing I was going to try was the Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation. It is claimed to be a long wearing foundation that has lasting power of a primer, coverage like a concealer, and a blendability of an all day foundation with SPF 20 built into it as a bonus.

My First Impression

The first day I wore the foundation I instantly loved it. First thing is that it has a pump which makes things so much easier to use! It covered and blended beautifully and, unlike Revlon Colorstay, I didn't feel like I was wearing a ton of makeup. It is definitely a medium coverage foundation that is build-able to full coverage. I do have to cover up some problem spots with concealer but I'm certainly not using as much concealer as I was with my old routine. The color is a pretty good match, I still have trouble with colors from the drugstore, but it blended nicely and lasted all day. And even though it does have SPF in it, it does not have that over powering sunscreen smell to it, it doesn't have much of a fragrance at all to me. So as of right now I'm really liking this foundation and its satin-matte finish on my skin. I hate true matte foundations because they make my face feel and look chalky, but this one has a little dewiness/glow to it that doesn't battle with my oily skin.

Could this be my next holy-grail foundation?!?
We'll see...
I'll be sure to check back in a few weeks with my full and final review on this foundation :)

 Stay tuned!

January Favorites

I know it's a little late but I finally was able to round up some of my January favorites.

So let's take a look shall we...

 

Black Handbag from Walmart

Could not find this bag on Walmart's website, but it is sold in-store and comes in a few different colors (my store had black, dark grey, and a plum color)

I absolutely am in love with this bag. I've really been drawn toward crossbody satchels that zip lately and finding this ladylike styled one in black with gold hardware at none other than Walmart for $18 was a steal! It's on the smaller side but it's big enough to fit all my needs plus a few diapers, wipes, and snacks for Lilly. Target has a similar styled handbag that comes in an assortment of colors but retails for $40...no thanks, I'll gladly take the Walmart one :)

DKNY Be Delicious Fragrance

I have been in love with this fragrance since my first year of college when my roommate introduced it to me. It really is delicious! I've been wearing it on and off since and this winter for some reason I have been wearing it almost everyday.

CVS Brand Apricot Exfoliating Towelettes

I am such a huge fan of apricot scrub face wash as my exfoliate and have been using the scrub for years. But in January I discovered these cleansing towelettes at CVS and tried them out and they are now a staple in my night time beauty routine. They are great at getting all my makeup off and lightly cleansing my face before I use my Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean face wash. The cloths have these beads on them that really are great for scrubbing and getting all the dirt and grime off. 

ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM! 

Honest Company Lip Balm in Lavender and Mint  

I received this lip balm as a gift from one of my aunts this holiday and I have fallen in love with this stuff. It is so moisturizing and is the perfect lip product to wear at night before bed so your lips don't dry out and as a lip base before you put your lipstick or lip gloss on.  This has also become a staple in my everyday morning and night time routine. 

Estee Lauder Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Creme

My mom had given me a bunch of products that she had either bought or had samples of that she didn't want anymore and this product was one of them. My skin has been so dry this winter, the driest it has ever been in my 25 years of life. I really was in need of a good deep moisturizer and when my mom gave me those products I started using this one immediately. It is a really thick and heavy consistency and really hydrates.   

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Toner

So if you remember last year I discovered Estee Lauder's Perfectly Clean cleanser and have been using it since. In January I purchased the toner because I needed a little bit more cleansing on my skin and this stuff works great at getting anything left over on your skin. It's helped with my complexion and evening out my skin tone. I really can't say enough about Estee Lauder's skin care. It's the first skincare I've ever used that actually works on my skin. 

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Smooth Talker

This lip gloss I had received in the "One Hot Mama" gift set from Ulta that my husband had gotten me for Christmas. This lip gloss is the perfect color and is so smooth and has just been my go to when I'm in a rush or on lazy/casual days.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in the Brightener Shade

I have been a huge fan of this stuff for over a year now and still am using it and loving it. If you haven't tried this concealer yet, you need to!

 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

I have found a new favorite mascara! I had been using Loreal Voluminous Lash in the gold tube for years and when I tried this new one I instantly fell in love. I love the packaging, and the applicator and the way it applies. The only thing I don't like is that a lot of mascara comes out of the tube when you pull the applicator out so you have to wipe the applicator a bunch of times otherwise you are going to have way to much on your lashes and a big 'ol mess! But I love the mascara nonetheless.

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine

This is by far the best winter blush ever! From the perfect winter color and the formula of this creamy blush, it is just perfect. It applies so smoothly and lasts all day and even has a little bit of shimmer in it so you really don't need much of a highlighter when you use it. 

 

 

I'd love to know what some of your favorite products were last month so feel free to leave them in the comments :)