Nail polish of the Week

This week I am sporting white nail polish. I am wearing Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in White On. I applied three coats for a perfectly smooth and opaque polish but two wasn't far from perfect. I am also wearing two coats of Revlon's Top Coat. I will post an update next week on how my polish is holding up! 

I think white nail polish should be a staple in ever girls collection. It can be used for many different things. You can use it as a base coat, a decorative design, or like I am by itself. It is perfect this way in the spring and summer and can also be a great base color in the winter with glitter or wintery designs on top! 

I hope you enjoy this post and have a great day!

Love Always,

Marlee

May 2013 Favorites!

Today is the last day of May. As beauty gurus do, I am going to show you my favorite products from this month! Most of these products you have already seen in recent posts so I will post links instead of going super in depth here.

My first favorite from this month is my Michael Todd True Organics Jojoba Charcoal face scrub. I talked about it in my Colors of the Rainbow post. It is by far the best scrub I have used. It is gentle so it doesn't irritate my skin but it gets the job done.

Next I have my Covergirl BB Cream in the shade 805 Fair to Light. Now this BB cream does not do everything it claims. In reality it makes my oily skin worse BUT it does do a good job as a sunscreen. It provides a very sheer coverage without  producing a white cast on my face like sunscreen does. I got this to wear on a daily basis because the Michael Todd system made my skin very sensitive to sunlight and so far it has done what I wanted it to.

This is my Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder. This has been my best friend this month! Using the BB cream made my skin way oilier than normal so I used this over it to absorb some of the oil.

Here is my Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation. It is a medium to full coverage foundation, SPF 20 sunscreen, and a primer in one. I am in love with this foundation! It provides coverage without feeling heavy or looking cakey. It is also buildable so you may not need to add concealer. And it lasts all day! With my oily skin I have trouble getting foundation to stay on all day without just sliding off. I have not had that problem with this even with the extra oil from the BB cream.

This is my new favorite mascara! It is the Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express in Black. It is a little clumpy and acts better as a lengthening mascara than a volume mascara but I pair it with the Mega Plush from Maybelline and it is the perfect combo!

Lastly is my Beautiful Day body splash from Bath & Body Works. I also talked about it in my Colors of the Rainbow post. So go learn more about it there!

Those are all my favorites from this month! I hope you enjoyed this post. What are some of your favorites from this month? Tell me in the comments!

Love Always,
Marlee

HAUL #1

This is my first haul since starting my blog! I went to Walmart (where I get most of my stuff because I'm broke lol!) to get a different shade of foundation for summer, a cleansing astringent for in the mornings, and a face masque... I think I need to learn how to stick to a list! Everything you see here I got from Walmart except for the face masque. Walmart didn't have any I liked so I went to Sally's Beauty Supply. I will start with the stuff I was planning to buy and then go into all the extras!

This is the masque I got from Sally's. It is supposed to be purifying and revitalizing. It is a bright green color and smells very clean and refreshing. The bottle says "An energizing treat, this unique, gel-clay formula gently lifts away impurities. Smoothing Avocado and anti-oxidant rich Grapefruit extracts nourish and revitalize tired-looking skin." I got this because I have been needing a new face masque. I have one that came with my Michael Todd set but I don't really like it that much. I haven't tried this one out yet but I will review it whenever I do.

The face wash I have been using lately is a gel wash which means I have to actually use water and a wash cloth to wash my face. Even with a head band on I have so many baby hairs that get in the way and get soaked when I do this along with the whole vanity getting wet. This is fine at night because I have more time and I don't have to worry about messing my hair up if I straightened it. In the morning however, I don't have as much time and I do have to worry about my hair. I got this astringent for sensitive skin to use instead of my gel wash in these cases. It claims to remove "oil, dirt and makeup that soap and water leave behind." All you do is put this on a cotton ball or cotton pad and wipe it over your face like you would a toner and it doesn't have to be washed of. I will let you know how this works out for me!

The third thing I went to get is this Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation. I have been using it for a few weeks now in their lightest shade Ivory 805. Now that summer is just around the corner and I have been laying in the tanning bed my skin is obviously darker. So I went back to get the foundation in a darker shade and ended up with Medium Beige 842. It is a lot darker than the Ivory which is fine but I'm worried it might be a little too dark. If this is the case I will use my lighter face powder over the top to lighten it up.

Now onto the extras that sucked me in today!

I don't usually use a blush simply because I didn't have any good ones. I saw this Maybelline Fit Me! blush in medium coral. It is formulated for medium skin (my summer shade) and errs on the pinker side of coral. I am excited to try it out and see if I like it!

I also got this NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in Pink Cheek Glow (723A). It is a bit brighter and more pink than the Maybelline blush and I am also excited to try it out! I will let you know how they work out for me.

Next I got this Conair Paddle Brush because I needed a bigger one and my old one is getting kind of gross from using it with dry shampoo. I plan to use this for drying and straightening my hair.

I also picked up this mirror. I have been wanting a bigger hand held mirror and when we got back from vacation I realized I left my old small one in my sisters luggage. This seemed like a good enough excuse to finally get a new one.

Last but not least I got this Remington 1 1/2" ceramic curling iron. I have a You Curl wand but right now my hair is too short to use it without burning myself. On top of that the curls I get from it are a little tighter than what I want for a casual look. I got this curling iron because it has a clip making it easier to curl short hair and it has a bigger barrel so the curls will be looser. I am really looking forward to trying it out! If I like it I may do a tutorial on how I curl my hair!

That is all I got during my haul today! After I try some of this stuff out I will make some new posts reviewing them and maybe integrate them into tutorials. I hope you enjoyed this!

Love Always,
Marlee

Colors of the Rainbow **TAG**

I have seen this tag going around on YouTube and decided I would do a blog version of it! The idea of the tag is to find an item that is the color of each color of the rainbow plus pink and multi-color. As you can see I do have one candle and that is because I honestly have nothing orange that is beauty related. I first saw Ingrid or missglamorazzi do this tag on YouTube. Click here to watch her video. Now onto the tag!

For red I chose my Essie Fishnet Stockings nail polish. I am very picky about red nail polish because I feel that a lot of times it is too pink or orange. This is the perfect red for me especially in the fall and winter. It is a deep red but not too deep. If you go out to purchase this nail polish be aware that the true color is a little darker that what it shows in the bottle.

For orange I chose this Mainstays candle in Peach & Mango. I got this candle from Walmart and it smells AMAZING! It smells just like a real peach and mango.

I chose my Designer Skin Angel lotion for yellow. This is the lotion I use after I tan and after showering so that my tan lasts longer. It isn't as moisturizing as my Cetaphil so sometimes I have to put the Cetaphil on my legs if I have just shaved but it is still pretty moisturizing. It also has a really nice, fresh smell.

For green I have my Bath & Body Works Beautiful Day body splash. This is my current favorite body splash/perfume. I seriously wear this almost every day! It is the perfect blend of floral, fruity, and sweet which makes it a really good scent for spring and summer.

I chose my Equate Makeup Remover wipes for blue. These wipes are really good for taking off all of your makeup. I like to take my makeup off first before I wash my face and these are perfect for that.

For indigo I have my Maybelline The Rocket mascara. I am in love with this mascara! It gives the perfect amount of volume and length when you use it and is also really good for bottom lashes.

For violet I have my Michael Todd True Organics Jojoba Charcoal face scrub. This is probably the best face scrub I have ever used. It is super gentle but really exfoliating. It isn't too watery and has the perfect ratio of scrub to product. I have used a lot of scrubs that have a lot of the cleansing product but hardly any of the actual scrub but this product is just perfect! And it seems to last for a long time. You can kind of see that there is only about a quarter of the bottle gone and I have had this scrub for a month and use it regularly!

For pink I chose my Essie Miami Nice nail polish. I just did a post on this here so go check it out!

The last color is multi-color and I chose this Billabong dress. I just got it while I was on vacation. It is strapless, mid-thigh length, and super light and flowy. It would make the perfect cover-up for the pool or beach. I just love this dress for the summer on hot days because it is so light. You may need to be careful with what undergarments you wear though because it is slightly see through.

And that is the Rainbow Tag! I hope you enjoyed this tag and if you want me to do more tag videos let me know in the comments!

Love Always,
Marlee

Pamper Evening Essentials

Being a newly wed college student and working part-time is not easy. By the end of the day I am usually super stressed out. My favorite way to relax is with a pamper evening. Most people do these once every week or two, but to be honest I usually do this about twice a week! It is the perfect way for me to relax and unwind before bed.

The first thing I do is light a candle. My current favorite is the Tiki Beach scent from Bath & Body Works. If I had some, I would also light a few unscented candles around the bathroom so that I could turn all the lights off and make it a bit more relaxing. I haven't had a chance yet to go and purchase any of their new summer scents but hopefully I can soon!

After I light my candle, I start running my bath water. My baths tend to change based on my mood, but there are two things I always put in them: baking soda and epsom salt. These two things help draw out all of the toxins in your body which make you feel better overall when you get done. Another ingredient you can add is apple cider vinegar. It also helps detoxify your body. (If I had some at the house I would add it, but I keep forgetting to buy some lol!) Now on to the fun stuff, making the bath smell good! The epsom salt that I use is Lavender scented so sometimes I don't add anything else to my bath. If I am adding other scents I usually go for B&BW Beautiful Day body wash. I would use the bubble bath but I have not seen it yet so I use the body wash and it does just as good! I also sometimes use Carried Away if I'm looking for a different scent. You could also add bath fizzies/melts/bombs or even essential oils to the water to give it a scent.

While the bath water is running I take off my make-up and wash my face. This is a very important step because the heat from the bath opens your pores the same way a shower does. If you leave make-up and dirt on your face then it will just get even deeper into your pores. After washing my face I sometimes like to put on a face mask. Depending on what type of mask you are using you may want to wait until after your bath to put it on because the heat may prevent it from hardening and may even make it melt off while you are in the bath.

Now it is time to get in the bath! As a general rule, you should soak for about 20 minutes minimum for the epsom salts and baking soda to do their job. I tend to soak for around an hour just because it's so relaxing! This is up to you though. When I am soaking I try to keep as much of my body in the water as possible in order to really allow it to detox. It is also important to keep a glass of cold water or tea near by to sip on while you soak. This will keep you from getting dehydrated while detoxing and the coldness will keep your body from over heating in the hot water. While I am in the bath I like to do a number of different things. Sometimes I read a book (I suggest reading from an actual book and not an electronic device in case you drop it) or I watch TV or a movie on my laptop. I will set my laptop on the toilet and watch it from the bath that way it doesn't get wet!

After I am done bathing, sometimes I take a shower. I have dry sensitive skin so if I add bubble bath I have to wash it off afterwards to keep it from irritating my skin. I also wash and condition my hair. Then I move on to skin care. First I take care of my face and put on my toner, eye creams, and moisturizer. I do this first because my pores are still really opened up and I feel like it helps everything work better. Then I put on body lotion. This keeps my skin from drying out because hot water draws all of the moisture from your skin. Lastly I put on some pajamas and usually grab a snack and finish a movie or show before heading to bed.

That's it! My pamper evening routine. I hope you enjoyed this and maybe even try it out yourself! Have a great day!

Love always,
Marlee

Bright Summer Nails (Updated 5/31/2013)

I always like to use bright colors when I paint my nails in the summer. Last year I bought Essie's Miami Nice and fell in love! It is a hot pink with a bluish purple shimmer. It is the perfect color for both finger nails and toe nails. I don't change my toe nail polish nearly as often as I do my finger nail polish so I like to pick a polish that will last a really long time. This polish is perfect for that! I currently have this on both my finger nails and toe nails. Here is a picture of the polish on my nails

In order to make the polish look a little brighter I painted my nails white first then I painted them with the Essie. This is the perfect bright pink summer nail polish!

**UPDATE**
After wearing this nail polish for a week (the picture was taken last Friday right after I painted them) I thought I would show you how my nail polish held up before I repaint them.

This is from today Friday the 31. I know the lighting is a little different but whatever. This is how my nails are looking. You can see where they grew out just a little bit and if you look at the tips there really isn't much chipping. I used two layers of the Revlon 010 Top Coat when I painted them and never did any touch ups. This polish survived packing for vacation, traveling, an amusement park, a water park, and every day life. I am very pleased with how this polish held up!

Body Lotion for the Beach!

So I decided I would go ahead and talk about the lotions I am bringing with me on vacation. I am a girl that has very dry, sensitive skin and it is important for me to always have a good lotion with me when I travel. Since I will be at the beach, I am also bringing along a tanning lotion and a tan extender so that I can tan while I'm there. My skin tans very easily but I like to use lotions to help the process so I tan more evenly otherwise my tan will be really splotchy. Now I know that tanning is bad for your skin and all of that and yes I do lay in the tanning bed on a regular basis. For me personally, I like the way I look when I'm tan better than when I'm not. Even though tanning is bad for your skin I do it in moderation so that it doesn't completely destroy my skin. Now onto the lotions!

Photo Credit: Walgreens.com

The first lotion I am bringing is my Cetaphil. This lotion is the only thing I have found to help my dry skin so far. I use this mainly on my legs after I shave and for the first couple days after. I also use it after I have been swimming. When I get back from the pool or beach I always rinse off in the shower first thing to get the salt and chlorine off my skin and then I apply this all over my body to put back some of the moisture. There are some generic brands of this lotion but I prefer the name brand. I have found that some of the generic brands have a different texture and thickness to the lotion and even the name brand has a difference in texture in the bottle versus in the jar. If you have dry or sensitive skin I would suggest trying this lotion and see if it works for you because it has really helped me!

Photo Credit: SunlessDeals.com

This is the tanning lotion I am bringing with me. It is the Smile! You're Darker! from Designer Skin. I use this when I lay in the tanning bed and I plan to use it while we are at the beach. As I said before, I have really sensitive skin so scented lotions tend to irritate it. This lotion so far has not irritated my skin. I really like the smell of it too. Most tanning lotions have a very distinct smell so if you go out afterwards everyone can tell you have been tanning. This lotion does not do that. The scent is very light and smells more like a typical perfume than it does a lotion. This way if you have stuff to do after you tan, you don't have to worry about smelling like the tanning bed. One down side to this lotion is that it does not have any SPF in it. If you are worried about the UV rays from the sun or tanning bed, you should put a layer of sunscreen on under the lotion to add some protection.

Photo Credit: SunlessDeals.com

This is the tan extending lotion I use. It's called Angel and is also from the Designer Skin brand. This is in the scent Kiwi Pear. I use this lotion a couple hours after laying in the tanning bed after my tan has had time to develop, and after I shower or take a bath. This lotion just helps keep your skin moisturized so that your tan will stay darker longer. It also has some ingredients in it that help extend the life of your tan. This lotion is good if you lay in the tanning bed so that you can keep a darker color longer and not have to lay as many times. Again, this lotion does not irritate my skin and I love the scent! It isn't too strong so you don't have to worry about mixing scents with your perfume. Another good thing about this lotion is that the pump can be locked down for travel. I always hate traveling with lotions that have pumps that you can't screw back down because it always ends up squirting everywhere and wasting the lotion. This pump is able to screw down so you don't have to worry about that when traveling.

Those are the three lotions I am bringing with me. If you are someone who has trouble finding lotions that moisturize effectively, but don't irritate your sensitive skin you should try these out. I know how frustrating it can be to buy a whole bottle of lotion and then not be able to use it because either it doesn't do anything for super dry skin or it irritates it. I have been using the Cetaphil for 2 1/2 years now and it is so far the best I have found. I have only been using the two tanning lotions for almost a month. That's long enough to know that they won't irritate my skin, but not quite long enough to know if they are actually helping it as far as the dryness goes.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and that it was helpful! If you want to purchase these lotions yourself you can visit the websites I got the photos from. Have a great day!

Love Always,
Marlee

What I'm Bringing on Vacation!

For my first post I though I would show you guys what I am taking on vacation with me! This will include skin care products and makeup that I have packed. (If you would like to see the shower items I packed just let me know in the comments and I will post that.) On our vacation we will be going to the beach, an amusement park, and a water park. With this in mind, I don't have a lot of makeup packed because I have no need for it as it would just get washed or sweated off. Now lets get started!

I will start with the products in the bag on the left. It has 3 compartments. The main one, a pocket on the inside, and a pocket on the outside. I ordered this bag from a Thirty One consultant.

This is what I have packed in the main compartment. First, I have my equate makeup removing wipes. These wipes are really good at taking off all my makeup including waterproof mascara. An added bonus is that they are really cheap! This is a pack of 40 (most come in packs of 25) and I paid about $2 for them compared to the $4-$6 range of the smaller packages. I have used other makeup wipes and these are just as good and much cheaper! Next I have my deodorant. It is the ban invisible solid antiperspirant deodorant in the sent shower fresh. Then I have my favorite body spray at the moment. It is Beautiful Day from Bath and Body Works. After that is my Redken Smooth Down leave-in conditioner. This stuff is amazing! I have tried a couple other leave-in conditioners and so far this is the best! It makes my hair incredibly soft and you only have to use a tiny amount. Then I have my Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-humidity smoothing milk. And last I have my Tresemme Heat Tamer spray.

This is all the makeup I am taking with me. I have it stored in the inside pocket of the bag. On top is my powder brush from ecotools. They are an eco-friendly brand and have some of the softest brushes and the handles are made of bamboo. Starting on the left I have my Neutrogena 3-in-1 concealer for eyes. I use this as my eyelid primer. It also has an SPF of 20. Then I have my Maybelline The Mega Plush Volum' Express mascara in Blackest Black and my Rocket Volum' Express waterproof formula in black also. Under that is my jordana FabuLiner. It is a liquid eye liner pen and stays on really well for all day wear. Lastly I have my Covergirl Clean pressed powder for sensitive skin in the shade 210 Classic Ivory.

In the outside pocket. Here I have all of the smaller things I am taking with me. I have q-tips, a comb, pony tail holders, a large clip, and a bag with assorted bobby pins, hair bands, and clips.


Now we can move on to the blue bag. This bag I am using for all of my emergency type products I may need while we are at the beach or amusement parks.

Along with bandaids, q-tips, and pony tail holders I am keeping these three products. First is a Dove deodorant. I like to carry deodorant with me when I'm going to be outside a lot because I know I will get sweaty. In the middle is a Neutrogena sensitive skin sunscreen with SPF 60. I am bringing this mainly for my face because I don't want it to get burned. Last I have an EOS lip balm in the mango scent/flavor. This is my favorite chap stick at the moment.

Lastly is the bag on the right. In here I have my facial skin products.

On the top I have the Michael Todd True Organic skin care system for oily/acne-prone skin. I am bringing the cleanser, scrub, toner, and serum. I will do a review on these products in another post and explain what each one is and what they do. On the bottom I have my eye products. On the left is the Garnier Ultra-Lift anti-wrinkle cream and on the right is the anti-puff eye roller.

I am also bringing along a few lotions. I will not be including them in this post but if you are interested let me know in the comments and I will make a separate post with them in it!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you want more in-depth reviews of any of the products I mentioned just let me know and I will make separate posts for that as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

Love always,
Marlee