February Favorites

Hi Everyone! We are one step closer to Spring and it can't come fast enough! This has been such a cold winter, but that will make us appreciate Spring that much more! That is the beauty of living here and experiencing all 4 seasons. I have had some beauty favorites in the month of February that I thought I would share with you.

First up is a, drum roll please, you guessed it,  mascara! I had to try the new L'oreal Butterfly Mascara.

At first I didn't like it at all. It was to wet and made my lashes clumpy. But after I opened it and it sat for about a week, I tried it again, and LOVED it.  So don't give up on your mascara if at first you don't like it, try, try again!
It's really black, it didn't flake, it wasn't hard to remove and just gave a great lifted voluminous effect. Definitely, the mascara I have been reaching for all month long.

Another drugstore winner for me was the Maybelline Dream bouncy blush. I am a HUGE fan of blush. I LOVE it! I may even put too much on, but I don't care, hehe.
 I have heard mixed reviews on the dream bouncy blush, but decided to see for myself, and I am so glad I did. I put it on with my real techniques stippling brush and applied a little bit of a powered blush on top to set it in place. I like the glow of a cream blush and the dream bouncy did just that, worked like a dream. My new favorite cream blush. Maybelline, you did it again.


Next up is a body wash. There is an organic market right up the street from my house that I am obsessed with. I go at least 3 times per week, sometimes more. I am like a kid in a candy shop with health food stores, I will get my drink, walk around a look at all the natural products, smell the oils, look at the books, buy a new tea ( another obsession my tea cabinet looks like the shelf of a grocery store) and yes, pick up some groceries. On one of my market hauls, I bought THE BEST body wash ever. It smells like a creamsicle. Remember those as a kid? The orange Popsicles with the vanilla cream in the middle? They were my favorite! Well, this body wash smells just like that. Best of all it  is natural with no yucky chemicals.  I'M. IN. LOVE. By the way, I am craving a creamsicle, I may just bribe the kids to get them instead of their normal choice of scribblers!

Andalou Naturals Mandrin and Vanilla Body Wash, with aloe vera and mandarin vanilla, ahhh, smells SO good. I can't wait to buy the lotion.

Last, but not least, my MyChelle Fabulous Eye Cream. I have tried my share of eye creams, and this one is not the cheapest but not the most expensive either. It is priced right in the middle and works better at hydrating than the more expensive brands I have used. I like that it's all natural, and it smells really nice and floral and we will see if it helps with the fine lines. Stay tuned.

What have you  been loving this month??

Insta Awake!

Rimmel Nude Eyeliner 005

Hey Guys! Hope you had a great weekend! Ours was good and filled with 5 basketball games, a birthday party, a sleepover, and some school projects. Needless to say, It was busy and it was so nice to enjoy the warmer temperatures, we needed a little break of the cold and snow!

Today I wanted to talk about a little trick to fake that you had a good night sleep :) I'm sure all you moms out there can appreciate something that can make you look a little more rested!  I sometimes pull this trick to open my eyes, and try to look a little more awake. It is a simple trick of lining the waterline of your eye with a nude eyeliner and also curling the eyelashes to open up the eye for "wide eyed" look. The eyeliner I choose to use is the Rimmel Nude eyeliner. It is a creamy eyeliner, and is a great price. You can find it anywhere Rimmel is sold. I purchased mine at Ulta.

I also curl my eyelashes, not everyday, but when I remember :) The eyelash curlers that I love are the Shiseido and the Shu Uemura, they both are great, they grab the lashes at the root and give them a lifted appearance.

Rapsberry Lemonade cake

I know this is a beauty blog but cake is beautiful don't you agree??  In honor of my daughters birthday, I decided to post a cake recipe. We have had so many cold and snowy days, I am thinking spring and what screams spring and summer better than strawberries and lemonade?

 This one is a wonderful cake that should be in your recipe box. It is the perfect summer cake that is light and full of flavor. It is easy to prepare and you can make it a day ahead of time ( minus the cool whip step), because it gets more delicious as it gets colder. My family loves "poke"cakes and I have made so many variations but this one is a top favorite next to the lemon lime and basic strawberry of course. A no fuss cake that is easy to bring along to your next holiday gathering or barbecue. Enjoy!


Raspberry Lemonade Cake via Betty Crocker

 12 servings

 1 cup very hot water 1 box (4-serving size) raspberry-flavored gelatin 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix 1/2 cup frozen (thawed) lemonade concentrate 1/4 cup water 1/3 cup vegetable oil 4 egg whites 1 container (12 ounces) Betty Crocker® Whipped vanilla frosting 1 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, if desired Lemon peel strips, if desired 1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour. In small bowl, mix hot water and gelatin until gelatin is completely dissolved; cool slightly. 2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, 1/4 cup of the gelatin mixture, 1/4 cup of the lemonade concentrate, the water, oil, and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pan. Reserve remaining gelatin mixture and lemonade concentrate. 3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Poke warm cake every inch with fork tines. Remove 1 tablespoon of the reserved gelatin mixture to microwavable custard cup or small bowl. In another small bowl, mix remaining gelatin mixture and remaining 1/4 cup lemonade concentrate; pour slowly over cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour. -

Here's to Spring!

Review: Physicians Formula CC Cream

From tinted moisturizer to BB Creams and now onto CC creams… what will be next? Maybe DD creams for the drab and dull skin, haha… All jokes aside, the buzz is that DD Creams are going to be next!
I have tried many bb creams with much success, so I wanted to try a cc cream. I didn't want to spend a lot of money so the new Physicians Formula Super CC+ line was a great option because it was only $14.00!  I really love PF products. I especially love their bronzers, blushers and eyeliners. So, needless to say, I was excited to go to Ulta to try their new Super CC+. For those of you that are new to CC creams, they are a color correcting balm. However, this one is a color correcting and concealing cream.

Overall, I was not impressed by this balm. It was much like a tinted moisturizer, which I liked, but the color was a bit off, and it was too "cakey". I felt like it settled into my fine lines. It did last throughout the day but,  I generally was not impressed by the finish of the product.  Everyone has different expectations of their foundations, tinted moisturizers, so this product may be a win for you, however it was not a winner for me!

Yogurt face mask

I love to make homemade face masks. The girls like to do it with me and we have a spa night together.... I just love having my  girls to do that kind of stuff . My boys are so special and adorable, with their curious little minds, however they probably would be more into mud masks than this yogurt mask I am about to talk about!

It is important to try to incorporate natural products into your beauty routine, and this mask is all natural ~ just as far as your refrigerator and pantry! It combines plain Greek yogurt, because it is thick and creamy, as well as raw honey, to help with dryness. My skin is dry, so I put the full fat organic Greek yogurt and raw honey in, but if you have oily skin, use the less fat yogurt and you can leave out the honey if you wish and add some lemon juice.

Yogurt has antibacterial properties and its lactic acid content clarifies pores, soothes inflammation and softens the skin. The probiotics present will help with acne and eczema. Honey is a natural antibacterial and moisturizer.


Organic Yogurt Face Mask

1/2 cup Plain full fat organic Greek yogurt ( less fat if you have oily skin)

1 tsp. Organic Raw Honey

(oily skin) add 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Mix together and leave on 15 to 20 minutes. Use a soft warm cloth to remove.

Happy Spa Night!