I'm back!

Hey y'all! It feels so good to be back at it. I know I've been away for a few months (like 5 months) but sometimes life gets in the way. 

I will say that while the break was nice I missed being here. Now that A2s school is in full swing and A1 has a semi normal work schedule, it's time for me to sit down a make a blogging schedule. I've got a lot of new products to review and a whole box full of empties to show y'all in the next few months. If I did it all at once it would be the longest blog post ever written (not really). 

With the holidays coming up that means family is coming to visit. Our first holiday season on the island and I was afraid it wouldn't feel the same since it's warm but oh how wrong was I. It actually feels chilly here some of the time. Call me crazy but after being in this tropical climate for 7 months 75 feels uber cold!

Keep on the lookout for what's to come! 

Neglected

I have been so bad about blogging this month. We've been trying to enjoy the laid back island life before the crazy school schedule starts back up. Since A2 will start Kindergarten in just a week, (where have the past 5 years gone?) we've been in lazy mode. I know it may sound crazy but were just enjoying her last few days at home just doing the fun stuff we wont be able to do at the drop of a hat once the school year starts.  What am I going to do in this house all by myself during the day? What do y'all do once the kids go back to school? I plan on setting up a better blogging schedule and actually sticking to it.
Speaking of blogging. what would y'all like to see? I do plan on involving my budding business more in the blog and posting more about what I sew and create. I use the term loosely because its just a hobby at this point since the move I shut everything down and I'm not sure if I'm going to continue with craft shows or not while were in Hawaii. The state makes it difficult and sorta expensive to run legally here. In Va it was no issue because it was just a hobby so there were no taxes to be filed or business paperwork to deal with. Here its a whole new ballgame and I'm not sure were ready to take that on just yet.  Sewing boutique children's items is so relaxing and brings such joy to my heart when I see pictures of my items on all y'alls cute little ones.  As I sit here and type this the dark rain clouds are moving in. There goes shooting product photos in the yard today.
Sometime this fall I'll be posting a series about nut free lunches! When A2 and I went to her school this week to get her teacher assignment they dropped the bomb on my 5 year old peanut butter addict child. The school is nut free. This poses a huge challenge for me since she is so picky.  But her and I are going to make the most of this and have a fun and creative time making lunch for her to bring to school.What lunches do your kids ask for over and over again?


Until next time y'all

Happy Independence Day Y'all!

June Favorites

Anastasia Brow Wiz

 

Benefit Gimme Brow

Too Faced The Chocolate Bar Palette

Clarisonic Mia 2

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion +

Garnier 5 sec blur instant smoother

LORAC Pro to Go Collection Eyeshadow Palette

MAC Mineralize Blush- Warm Soul

Rimmel Stay Matter Primer

Stila Stay all day liquid waterproof eye liner

Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer

*this post contains affiliate links. However, none of these products were provided to me, nor am I being compensated for this post. The products were purchased by me for my own personal use. All opinions are my own.

Wordless Wednesday

Collective Haul

What better to do while trying to pass the time living in a hotel than to shop!

I want to get this out of the way now and say that I am in no way trying to brag or be a show off. This is from many shopping trips from the beginning of May up until this past week.

I will try to link to the store where I purchased them.

Grab a cuppa whatever your drinking and a snack and lets go-

First up the non makeup items

Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturizer

Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner 

Look Ma, New Hands

Sensitive hydrating eye cream

Anti- redness serum

Amazing Grace gift set Not sure where A1 got this

Aveeno moisturizer with SPF 30 Someone sent this to me to try out and I can't remember who

Neutrogena Oil free eyemakeup remover 

Garnier clean blackhead eliminating scrub 

Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion + 

Elizabeth Arden visible difference skin balancing lotion  mine was just a trial size and I can't remeber where I picked it up

Elizabeth Arden visible difference skin balancing night cream  Came with the lotion sample above

Primers, Tinted Moisturizers, BB Creams and Foundations

Rimmel stay matte primer 

Garnier skin renew 5 second blur instant smoother 

Bareminerals original foundation  another repurchase

  

Sample size of  TARTE BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer

 it seems to blend in well and the color seems spot on

 Tarte amazonian clay bb tinted moisturizer broad spectrum spf 20

I've used this in the past and it was a repurchase. 

 

  

Revlon colorstay whipped creme foundation 

 I'm going to have to play around with these and mix the colors together

 

 

 

110 Ivory

150 Buff

Repurchases

Maybelline great lash curved blackest black

Maybelline lash discovery mascara

Benefit Gimme Brow in light/medium

 

ELF blush in tickled pink 

 ELF Contouring blush & bronzer in st lucia

 

 Milani Baked Blush Berry Amore

 MAC Mineralize blush in Warm Soul

 Milani Brow Fix Kit

  MILANI Brow & Eye Highlighters

MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer in NW15

 Anastasia Brow Wiz in Ash blonde

Rimmel Scandleyes eye shadow stick bulletproof beige 

Lippies

 

 Left to right

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Dizzy

Revlon super lustrous lipstick in Rose & Shine

Revlon colorburst lip butter in berry smoothie

Revlon colorburst matte balm in elusive

Revlon colorburst matte balm in Pink Pout 

 I can't seem to find this anywhere online. Anyone know if it was discontinued?

ELF lip balm spf 15 in Pink

 Buxom full on lip polish in Sugar 

Swatches!!!!

They are in the same order as the picture above

Have y'all picked up any beauty goodies lately?

 

First Impression Friday

 Almay smart shade perfect and correct primer 

Almay smart shade primer

I purchased mine at target but I have seen them at most drugstores and Ulta.
The first thing I noticed was the swirly colors suspended in a clear gel. Attention span of a 5 year old, I know. 

The website says:
" Multi-tasking face primer intuitively adjusts to smooth and soften skin while correcting skin's most common problems with visible color correcting strands. green ribbons neutralize redness, while swirls of lavender pigments even out and brighten skin tone. imperfections are diffused and skin is up to 265% more hydrated. this lightweight, non-oily formula works for all skin types but is specifically formulated for sensitive skin. wear it alone for a flawless finish or underneath foundation for the first step to perfected skin."

So I thought awesome! 
I have a huge issue with redness on my face and nothing seems to help it. I ripped open the package in the car ( while A1 looked at me like I belonged in the crazy house) and pump out some on the back of my hand. It was almost instant, the smell. Nasty fish and garbage all rolled into a pretty colored package. I held my breath and slathered it on my red spots thinking once it dries the smell will disappear. 
Oh I was WRONG, very wrong indeed! 
I ended up taking a baby wipe to my face not even five minutes later because none of us could handle the smell. Even the dog runs from it. 

It takes a while to soak in and dry but leaves a smooth service behind. And that's all it does. I have tried this many times and it does nothing for the redness. Not even a tiny bit. Doesn't help my makeup stay on longer or colors look more pigmented. Total waste of money in my opinion.

What products have you tried to combat redness?

 
*this post contains affiliate links. However, none of these products were provided to me, nor am I being compensated for this post. The products were purchased by me for my own personal use. All opinions are my own.
 

Influenster: TLC VoxBox Review

Its been a while since I got a VoxBox. I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty excited when I got the email for this one since I didn't blog about the last one or complete any of the tasks. It was mailed to my moms house since we were in the middle of our big move. I couldn't resist trying to open this in the car.

Don't know what VoxBox is? It's a program put out by Influenster. As an 'Influenster', I was selected for a free themed product shipment based on the Expert Badges I unlocked and my individual demographics. This means you won't get stuff that you aren't at least semi-interested in. Learn more about Influenster.

Heres everything I got:

Now onto the products!

Neosporin Neo To Go!

 The handy dandy card says: Neosporin Neo To Go! is a convenient no touch, no sting spray that fits anywhere to give you infection protection, plus pain relief, on the go. It is specially designed for one handed use and is great for your purse, kitchen, desk, workshop, golf, gym or travel bag.  

I've loved this stuff since the first time I saw it on a display in Target years ago. So handy to have in the SUV. 

Breyers Gelato Indulgences 

 Breyers, the brand known for bringing families together to enjoy delicious frozen treats for more than 140 years, is expanding its portfolio with the introduction of new Breyers Gelato Indulgences. Each of the four delicious varieties features a trio of textures- creamy gelato, luscious sauce and gourmet toppings- for the ultimate indulgence To support the launch of the Breyers Gelato Indulgences, this campaign will show couples how to create the perfect date night at home- and have a new reason to "spoon."

We haven't had a chance to try this yet but when I go to the commissary next week it will be on my list!

Ivory Bar soap

Ivory bar soap is 99.44% pure clean & simple and contains no dyes or heavy perfumes. Plus, with how gentle Ivory is on skin, it's no wonder it's recommended by 4 out of 5 moms!

I've used this in the past and it tends to dry out my skin. My husband on the other hand will use this until nothing is left!

Avon Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother

Introducing Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother. This translucent balm BLURS the look of WRINKLES on the forehead & around the eyes INSTANTLY! Use your fingers to gently pat onto the skin. The cream-to-powder skin perfector delivers a silky smooth virtually line-free look for skin that gets you noticed. Anew you starts today! Visit AVON.com and receive 15% off your Anew purchase of $50 or more with the code ANEW15. Offer code valid until 8/1/14 on AVON.com direct delivery orders only.

I tried this out and didn't notice any difference. I'm also 25... It did feel pretty nice on the skin and was super smooth. I'll probably send this to my mom and see if she likes it! 

Puffs To Go 

Puffs To Go are perfect for use in the car, your purse, on-the-go, wherever you go! Plus, Puffs are Dermatologist tested to be gentle.

Love these little things. Before we moved I had these stashed all over the place.  

Shell Fuel Rewards Network Card

The Fuel Rewards Network program at Shell is a free loyalty program that helps you save money on fuel. For a limited time, new members save 25 cents on their second fill up and 3 cents every time after!

We get our gas on base and I haven't seen a Shell since we've been in Hawaii. Sending this to mommy too!

Overall I was pretty please with this VoxBox. Keep em' coming Influenster!

Have y'all signed up yet? Sign up here!

 

*I was selected to participate in this review as part of the Influenster VoxBox program. All opinions are honest and my own. I was not compensated for this post.

A little update on us

 This is going to be a short post since everything is still crazy!

   I can't believe it's June already. It feels like it's been years since I've posted anything, and I am so sorry for that. WiFi at the hotel was horrible at best and would constantly drop the connection. Our service with Sprint was pretty much non existent and we ended up switching to Verizon after only a week here.

     Our flight from VA was easy with only one layover, but that made our flight into Honolulu almost 10 hours long.... We picked up our dog without any issues and I have never seen him happier to see us. He only left a day before us but we missed him so much. It actually made our travel day much easier by having him fly the day before us. It took us about two weeks to adjust to the 6 hour time difference. There are still days we all take a nap after lunch. The time difference stinks with trying to talk to our family and friends on the mainland and east coast. There have been so many times that I want to call someone after dinner and start to dial then realize how late it is over there. We got lucky and only spent 3 weeks in the Navy Lodge. Our first week here we were offered a house on the Army base near were A1 will be working. Only downside,  it didn't become available until the end of may.
    I will do a post on the house once were fully unpacked and all decorated. Right now I'm posting from my phone because my office/sewing room is still partly in boxes. I'd love to hear how y'all have your offices and homes decorated! The move into the new house went smoothly. We had 2 great guys unloading the crates. We couldn't have asked for a better team. We're not unfinished packing yet but we need to get some storage items before we can finish. Our last house had a built in bookcase in the living room so we're on the hunt for one that looks pretty, is sturdy, and fits our budget. Unfortunately we have discovered a few broken items... my dresser and A1's motorcycle has a cracked fender ( he had installed a new one weeks before we left Va) and a few small items here and there that don't really matter. We've never had to deal with filing a claim for good damaged during a move before so we will see how long this takes. It always seems like you think you have all the boxes unpacked and BAM! you walk into the garage and there's more boxes.
    One day we will be fully unpacked and our schedules back to normal. A1 is already back to work and A2 is still deciding what activities she wants to sign up for.We gave her a limit of 2 activities, she wants to do everything at once. I still can't believe she starts Kindergarten in a few months....

Until next time y'all!

Moving

Moving... Its part of military life. We've been blessed to have stress free and easy moves up until this point. In October we found out we were moving to Hawaii! We were and still are so excited, but as time ticked down we started to realize that this would be our most difficult move to date. We had everything set up to leave except our flights and the Navy changed our dates... Luckily it was only pushed back two weeks. The dog had gotten and passed all his required blood work and shots and as of April 1st was allowed to enter the state. I should probably throw this in here before I get too lost in all of this, but Hawaii is a rabies free state. That means the dog had to have a special blood test to check the amount of rabies antigens (or something like that) in his blood. If animals don't meet the required levels they can't enter the state.. And you have to get this done at least 120 days before you plan to enter Hawaii.Earlier this week we sent in the Dog/Cat import forms along with the cashiers check to state so we don't have to worry about paying when we pick him up in Honolulu. 

   A1 has done most of the paperwork for this move, as always. He set up our unaccompanied goods shipment that we sent in February. The few things we did send are items we are going to need in the hotel but aren't able to fly with. We ended up sending mostly stuff for A2, her bike, some toys and games, clothes that don't fit her yet but should by the time we get there. Things like that... 

 

Yesterday was the day that made this move real to us. Shipping my SUV. We may not be moving until the beginning of May but neither one of us wanted to rent a car in Honolulu. We are lucky enough to have two cars so we don't have to rent a car for a month here either. Our plan had been to head down to the VPC after rush hour was over since we were told this process could take awhile. Our day did not go as planned. A2 woke us up at 2am with the stomach bug that has been going around. We ended up spending in the morning in the ER, and as soon as she was discharged off we were to the VPC. I wish I could show you the form where they marked down every dent, scratch, and mark on my car. I don't think there was any more room to write anything, and my car is in pretty good shape. Its only 4 years old. This is the only photo I could get of the process. They didn't allow photography inside.

Today we found out that our unaccompanied goods shipment arrived in Hawaii and will be in storage until July if we don't get it sooner. The movers will be here sometime next week to do the estimate! Our next big thing is to book our flights and the dogs flight over. I will be spending this week getting our PCS binder in order now that we have a new working printer. I had told myself that I would be super organized this time around and I'm running out of time!

March favorites, empties and duds

Well here is a double post. Makeup Monday and a monthly favorites, empties and duds!

I don’t know about you, but I love reading empties posts. It’s funny how there is this culture built around seeing what kind of beauty products people use up, not to mention the feeling of accomplishment of actually finishing something. Here’s what I finished up, and some mini reviews!

Bath and Body Works 3-Wick Candles

These you will see pretty often. I always have something burning. This month is was Japanese Cherry Blossom, Vanilla Bean Noel, and Lilac Blossom. I try to stock up every time these are on sale.

Now for skin care. It normally takes me forever to go though anything if I don't get bored with it first.

 

Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil Light - I picked this mini size up from Sephora and fell in love with it. I WILL be repurchasing the larger size in the near future. 

Purity made simple one step facial cleanser - I have been using this for quite sometime. My face just feels clean after I use it.

Formula 10.0.6 Cleanser and toner for sensitive skin - I did just repurchase this the other day. Its average, nothing special. I have super sensitive ginger skin and this doesn't bother me. I'm not a huge fan of the smell but its not bad enough to keep me from using it.

Seacret Spa intensive moisture face cream - Yes this if from one of those stands in the mall... This was nice but not worth the $$ I spent on it. You can probably find something for less at Ulta or Sephora. Nice and thick, great for night time. I will not repurchase this.

Makeup brush and Sponge cleaners

Sephora daily brush cleaner- This is another staple in my makeup bag. I use it daily to clean my eyeshadow and blush brushes. I love that you don't have to rinse this out. 

Sonia Kashuk brush and sponge cleanser- this was a cheap alternative to the  Beauty Blender solid cleanser while I was waiting for it to be shipped. I still prefer the BB cleanser. I used this weekly on all my brushes, it did take forever to get out of my BB. This has to be rinsed out. 

Holy grail product

 

Target makeup remover wipes - I stock up on these every time I go into Target. I have one in my bathroom, office, car, purse and probably I few that I forgot where I put them. 

Duds

 

Dove Volume dry shampoo- It didn't do anything for my hair. No volume, no refreshing, nothing, and it  made my head itch. The smell isn't bad, like a baby powder/ clean smell. 

ELF tone correcting concealer- Way to sheer for my taste. It smells really good, almost fruity. What did I expect for $1?

ELF eyelash curler- Again didn't have high hope for this $1 eyelash curler. I did not expect the top part to be so sharp that it would cut the rubber piece and my eyelashes! It was horrible. I have very sparse eyelashes to begin with and this didn't help. I'm still trying to regrow them. Any tips?

Eh Products

 Maybelline FIT Me Shine free foundation Sticks-  I'm not sure if its my dry winter skin or I got bad ones but these were like dragging sand paper across my face. I'm going to give them another try this spring and summer.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation - I cannot get past the paint smell on this. The website claims "It feels like wearing nothing, yet Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Makeup transforms your complexion. Skin looks natural, illuminated and bright with a luminous demi-matte finish: like the beautiful skin you were born with. Light-diffusing spheres provide a visible reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, blurring imperfections to make you look professionally retouched. It's the ultimate in ultra definition.Naked Skin Liquid Makeup provides truly buildable coverage with a weightless feel and a luminous finish." Its one of the heaviest foundations I've worn and I did theater in high school. My skin felt suffocated. I say its medium but buildable coverage and more on the matte side. This is shade 2.0 but way to yellow for my skin tone... What a waste of money for me since the 1.0 was too light for the summer.

Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer + Treatment - This covered the dark circles under my eyes with no problem, but became cakey very easily. And the smell, once again like paint. I do want to try the one with the red on the tube. 

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bare Naked - Love love love this, but the color is wrong on me. 

Too Faced La Creme in Honey Bear- Love this all around but I don't get to wear it often since its more for formal occasions.

Ulta automatic lip liner in spice- Purchased this to go with the too faced la creme but its too dark. More a brown color then mauve. 

Urban Decay 2/7 glide on lip pencil in naked  - Can't remember where I got this from but its a sample. Too brown to go with the above lipstick, but very smooth and creamy.

*this post contains affiliate links. However, none of these products were provided to me, nor am I being compensated for this post. The products were purchased by me for my own personal use. All opinions are my own.