Collective Haul!

So last weekend my family and I went out of town for my sister's birthday. One of the days we spent shopping at a really big mall that had a lot of stores that we don't have close to where we live. Then a couple days ago I went to Walmart to grab a few things I needed to add to my collection. So lets get started!

The first night we were there I saw this dress in H&M. It was on sale and the only one left but it wasn't my normal size. I convinced everyone we needed to go back to the mall so I could try it on and it fit perfectly! It is a light maroon color and has a unicorn and cupid arrow pattern. The back has these two buttons and it sort of open and is slightly longer than the front. It also has this cute brown belt to cinch the waist. I bought some cute sandles to wear with it that match the belt. I wore this dress to work the other day and paired it with some black leggings but I could have worn it without them. I'm so glad I got this dress!

 These are the Tommy Hilfiger sandles I bought to wear with the dress. I got them from Off Broadway Shoes and they were also on sale. I love the gold detailing and think it goes really well with the dress. I also plan to wear these sandles with a few other outfits I have for work.





We also went to J.Crew where I got two things because they were having a half off sale!

 First I saw this shirt. I got super excited because I loved the pattern (I LOVE anchors) but the only one they had left was a large. I decided to try it on just to see and when I tuck it in it looks perfect! I decided I needed something colorful to wear with it and that is where my next item comes in!

 I saw this scarf and thought it would be the perfect thing to jazz up my shirt! It is actually huge but I couldn't find a good way to get a  picture of the full thing but if you have ever been to J.Crew then you have an idea of how big their scarves are. I absolutely love this scarf and this is my new favorite outfit. I wore it to work with a pair of kaki pants and white sandles but you could also wear it with a pair of jeans.

Now that I am working full time I was in need of another pair of dress pants. I picked these up from White House Black Market and really like them. They fit pretty well and have a sort of satin finish which is nice. I haven't actually worn them yet but I plan to soon.









The last thing I got on the trip is the one I am most excited about! I was finally able to get my hands on Stila Kitten eyeshadow! I wasn't able to get a picture of the eyeshadow that was good enough to put on here but here is a picture of the swatch!

Now onto the stuff I got from Walmart! 

The first thing I got is the Revlon Colorstay 24 Hour foundation for combination/oily skin in the shade 220 Natural Beige. I really like my Covergirl foundation but I wanted to try something different and I really like this one! I have heard people say that it feels really heavy on the face but I haven't had this problem. Also this shade is almost a perfect match! I actually think I may like this better than my Covergirl foundation! It matches a little better and because it is formulated for oily skin it lasts longer. The only problem I have had so far is that it doesn't work well with my ELF translucent powder. When I apply the powder you can see it and my whole face looks white. Other than that it is perfect!

The next thing I picked up is the Maybelline Cover Stick Concealer. I have a lot of redness on my face so I decided to try using a green concealer to help balance it out because so far nothing I have tried can do it. I have only used it once and it actually did a pretty good job of covering the redness. I will give an update later on and link it here after I have used it for a while.

While I was browsing the Maybelline section I saw the Color Tattoo Pure Pigments! I was so excited and had to grab one! I made myself choose just one to see if I would like it before I bought a whole bunch so I grabbed the shade Brash Blue. It is super pigmented and I plan to use it as an under eye liner for a pop of color.

The last thing I got is the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in black. I got this to wear on my water and tight line because the eyeliner I had been using sucked! So far this one is much better but I still have to reapply throughout the day.

That is everything I have purchased lately! I will let you know how all the new makeup is working out after I have had a chance to use it a little more. If you want to see swatches of anything just let me know!

Love always,

Marlee

My Makeup Collection and Storage

I'm not really going to go into too much detail with this one. If you see something you would like me to review or that you have a question about then you know where the comments section is :) My collection isn't that big but it is growing and I'm happy with most of the things I have.

I keep all of my makeup except for my two large E.L.F. palettes and my brushes in these drawers on the bathroom sink counter. I keep the draws organized by products and the order in which I apply them.

In the top drawer I keep my primers, foundations, and concealers. Basically everything liquid I use on my face.

In the second drawer I have my powder face products. Blushes, bronzer, setting powder, and one mineral foundation.

I keep all of my powder eyeshadows (excluding my E.L.F. palettes) in the third drawer.

The fourth drawer contains a mixture of things. Here I keep my cream eyeshadows, eyeliners, mascaras, and lip products.

These are the only things in the bottom drawer. I keep my setting spray and BB cream there because they wouldn't fit with my other liquid face products. I also keep my Brush shampoo here because it doesn't really belong with anything in the other drawers. I guess you could call this my misfit drawer :)

That is everything in my makeup collection. There are many other things I would love to add one day and hopefully will get the chance.

Love Always,
Marlee

E.L.F. Haul! (finally)

I am finally posting my E.L.F. haul! The reason it has taken so long is because I wanted to be able to give a short review on the products I purchased instead of just telling you what they are. I don't have any pictures of swatches so if you would like me to swatch anything or post a more in depth review just let me know in the comments! I have divided the products up by category (eyes, lips, face, brushes) instead of posting a picture of each product so here we go!

These are both of their 144 palettes. I got them for less than half price. The pigmentation of the shadows is very spotty. Some of the colors are actually really pigmented and others are not pigmented at all. I had expected this simply because of the price so I'm not too disappointed. I have not really used the color palette yet other than to swatch some colors but I have been using the natural palette on a daily basis. I use a white cream eyeshadow as a base and that really helps the colors to show up more.

Continuing with eyes, I got the Mineral Eyeshadow Primer and the black liquid eyeliner. I love the primer! It works really well and is super cheap! I had been using an eye concealer as a primer which worked really well but this feels much lighter and nicer on the eyes. I am still deciding how I feel about the eyeliner. The brush is pretty stiff and I am not really used to using liquid eyeliner so it will take a little bit for me to decide how I feel. I can say that it doesn't smudge and comes off pretty easily with makeup remover wipes.

I only got two lip products because I really don't wear anything other than chapstick. I got the Lip exfoliator and a matte lip color stick/pencil. Let me start with the exfoliator. I love this thing! I use it after I shower and it helps me to not get chapped lips. It tastes amazing too! It has a sweet vanilla, brown sugar, cocoa-y flavor. As for the Lip Color I got a nude shade and have only tried it out once. I don't think it is the right color for me and it is a little drying but as is the story for matte shades. The product itself isn't that bad just not my favorite.

For the face I am really pleased with all of the products I got! On top is the mineral face primer and from left to right is the setting spray, blush in Tickled Pink, and the HD powder in Translucent. The primer is amazing! I can use it alone without the setting spray and I can go all day and only have to blot a few times. The setting spray is equally as amazing! I wore it one day and only had to blot once all day. Together these two are a summer staple for keeping my makeup in place! The blush is pretty nice too. It doesn't have the best pigmentation but it is better than a lot of others I have tried. As for the HD powder it is nice too. It gives a very slight white cast but nothing too noticable and it keeps my oil under control better than my Covergirl powder.

Lastly I got the Angled Blush Brush, Brush Shampoo, shadow brush, and blending brush. I love the eyeshadow brushes. I like them about as much as my ecotools brushes but these are much prettier! I have yet to use the brush shampoo but plan to soon. As for the blush brush, I don't really like it. It feels too rough on my skin and instead of picking up the blush it just scrapes it out and doesn't get anything on the brush. I was actually really disappointed with it. I like my ecotools brush much better!

That's it! These are all the products I got from E.L.F.. Overall I am pretty pleased with them with the few exceptions. Like I said if you want any swatches or a better review of a product just let me know!

Love Always,
Marlee

Tip of the Day #6

To prevent breakouts, wash your face every night before bed. If you have acne prone skin you should also wash your face when you wake up in the morning. Your body heals itself at night, that is why it is most important to wash your face before bed to get all the dirt and bacteria off of it.

Beauty Wishlist

I have been seeing other people post monthly wishlists of beauty items they want. I thought I would do something similar but this is going to be an all time wish list because I know I won't be able to get all of these products in one month. As a follow up, I will post at the end of every month any items I finally bought and items I would like to add to the list!

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette
2. Stila Kitten eye shadow
3. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque
4. Coastal Scents 120 Palette One
5. Lancome La Vie Est Belle perfume

This is all I can think of right now that I really really want. Like I said, I will update it at the end of next month! What are some products on your wishlist?

Love Always,

Marlee

The Liebster Award

The Liebster award is a way to give great blogs attention,  if they are in the shadows. The award encourages others to read these blogs.  This award has some rules, here they are:

• You must link back to the person who nominated you.
• You must answer the 11 Liebster questions given to you by the nominee before you
• You must pick 11 bloggers to be nominated for the award with under 200 followers
• You must come up with 11 questions for your nominees to answer
• You must go to their blogs and notify your nominees

I wasn't sure if I was going to do this because I wasn't sure if I was keeping this blog. Since I am for sure keeping it (and I have really missed it) I am going to participate! I was nominated for the award by Jaimie or Beauty Derp. 

Here are the questions she has for me:

1. What is one band/artist that is your guilty pleasure?  Aerosmith for sure! I grew up listening to 80's rock music and Aerosmith has always been a favorite of mine. No one else seems to understand my obsession lol!
2. Three makeup items that are on your wish list right now? Stila's Kitten eye shadow, the first Coastal Scents 120 palette, and the original Naked palette.
3. Can you play any instruments? I used to be able to play the piano but it has been so long that I'm not good at all anymore.
4. What is your absolute favorite lipstick? I really don't wear lipstick but my favorite lip balm is any of the EOS lip balms.
5. What is one item in your closet that you wear the most? I have a work out jacket from Fila that is black and the inside of the hood and underside of the arms are rainbow that I wear all the time!
6. Do you have/want any tattoos? I have 2 tattoos and want bunches more! I have an anchor on my shoulder that says "Two Hearts" and my husband has a matching one that says "One Soul". My other tattoo is on my ribs and says "Live and Let Live" which is my life motto.
7. Who is your all time favorite Youtuber? Tyler Oakley! He is so funny and just fun to watch and he posts regular videos!
8. What movie/book character can you compare yourself to the most? As much as I hate to say it Bella Swann. I married my high school sweetheart, we had an on and off relationship, there was another guy I thought I loved, we got married at a young age, the whole bit.
9. Who is your style and/or beauty icon? I honestly don't have someone whose style I model mine after, but I love Ingrid (missglamorazzi) and Lauren Conrad.
10. The best and worst part about running a blog? The best part is getting to help other people with beauty things and meeting new people who are interested in the same things. The worst part is trying to find time to actually post and not having unlimited amounts of money to buy all the products I want! 
11. Have you ever been personally victimized by Regina George? Of course! Hasn't everybody?

So now I am supposed to nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers. I am still looking for more blogs to follow because I mainly follow more well known blogs so I only have 5 blogs here sorry :(

1. Laura---> http://beauty2couture.blogspot.com/
2. Michelle ---> http://beautybeamish.blogspot.com/
3. Shelby ---> http://obsessionofmakeup.blogspot.com/ (no follower count but I know she is new here :))
4. Sloane & Claire ---> http://www.the-lipglossary.com/
5. Amanda ---> http://theeverythingbeautynetwork.blogspot.com/

My 11 questions for you girls to answer are:

1. What made you want to start a blog?
2. What are 5 beauty products you can't live without?
3. What are 3 products you regret buying?
4. Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
5. What is your favorite makeup brand?
6. How old were you when you started wearing makeup?
7. What is your favorite candy/sweet treat?
8. Do you drink coffee?
9. What is your everyday makeup look?
10. What advice would you give new beauty bloggers?
11. Where else can you be found (links)?

Michael Todd True Organics Kaolin Clay Face Masque **Review**

When I purchased the Michael Todd acne regime this is the face masque they had in the set. When I first used it I absolutely hated it! It was chunky and watery and hard to work with. My husband would actually laugh and say it looked like I had smeared chunky poop on my face! So I quit using it and actually went out and bought a new face masque to use. Well about a week ago I got a package in the mail from Michael Todd saying that they had changed the formula of the masque and they sent me a new tube at no cost to me! I was immediately excited and had to try it out and it is exactly what I expected the first one to be!

Here is a picture of the two formulas next to each other. The one on the left is the old formula and the right is the new one.

This new formula is so much easier to work with and is actually a lot better than the old one all around! Now will I actually repurchase this product? Probably not. I don't think it is that much better than the other face masque I have and this one is actually pretty expensive. It is a good masque though!

Love Always,
Marlee

Michael Todd True Organics Acne Regime **Review**

So I am finally reviewing the products I bought from Michael Todd a while back. They had a sale going on and I was able to get the whole system (3-4 months supply) at around half off. Before I get into the review I will say that these are high end products. If you buy them as a set it is usually around $140 or so. I got them for $70. You can buy the products individually but it is actually more expensive that way. Also, in this post I will not be reviewing the face masque. I am saving that for a separate post because there is a story behind it. 

I'm going to be starting with the Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser.

I actually really like this cleanser. It gets all of the dirt and left over makeup off my face, doesn't smell terrible, and doesn't make my skin super dry. The smell is strange at first but not bad. It just smells clean is the only way I know how to describe it. After using this cleanser, my skin feels a little dry but not super dry. I could get away with not using moisturizer but I wouldn't recommend it. I also like that this comes with a pump making it easy to get the product out. My only complaint about the pump is that you can't close it for travel and sometimes it leaks. Overall this is a very good cleanser but I'm not sure that it is worth the price.

Next I have the Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub.

I have raved about this scrub and will do it again. It's AMAZING! The formula is the perfect ratio of scrubbing beads to soap and its really gentle but gets the job done. Of course I have only ever used drug store scrubs before this but I would definitely repurchase this one! It isn't drying or irritating and it doesn't smell bad either!

The next product in the system is the Organic Lemon Toner.

I have used many toners before and I this is probably my favorite! It smells amazing! Just like a lemon! And it doesn't dry my skin out like a lot of toners do which is a major plus! I will say that the product itself feels a little weird. It is liquid but it almost feels dry. If you have ever used pure acetone before that is how this toner feels. It also isn't super intense. The first few times I used it, it burned really bad but after that it was fine. On top of everything it is actually helping my acne! I have never had a toner work so well at getting rid of my acne. I did test to make sure it was the toner by skipping just it a couple times and I immediately started breaking out. So this toner is definitely worth the money!

The last product I have for this part of the review is the Antiox Serum.

They say to use this serum in place of or along with a moisturizer. It takes just a very tiny bit of this to get the job done. If you use too much then your face will be super oily. This is actually a pretty good serum I guess (I have never used one before this), but I prefer a regular moisturizer. This one just seems to make my skin oily instead of moisturize it. They do offer a moisturizer for oily/acne prone skin but it didn't come in the set. After I use this up (which will take forever!) I will probably try the moisturizer.

Here is a picture of all of the products swatched on my arm.

From left to right is the cleanser, scrub, and serum.

All in all these products have definitely helped my acne. I know I will definitely repurchase the toner and probably the scrub. I am going to look around for a cheaper cleanser that is just as good and maybe try a different cheaper scrub too. I know I will definitely not be repurchasing the serum though. Not that it is bad, it just isn't right for me. It may be better for me in the winter when my skin is dryer so I'm not completely against it yet.

My next post will be a review of the masque that comes with the set so look for that!

Love Always,

Marlee

Tip of the Day #5

Dry shampoo is not only good for oily hair, it also provides volume. Even on clean hair, use a dry shampoo on the roots to add some volume in place of teasing and hairspray.

Tip of the Day #4

Instead of washing your hair every day, wash your hair every 2-3 days and use a dry shampoo on the days between washes. This is better for your hair because it allows the natural oils to coat the hair longer and if you color your hair it won't fade as quickly.

Tip of the Day #3

The key to keeping wrinkles at bay is to start preventing them before they appear. Start using eye creams early on to prevent wrinkles around them.

50 Day Makeup Challenge *Days 7-10*

I'm sorry I got so behind on these. I have been blogging from my phone and I didn't have the list of days but I'm back and here is my catch up post!

Day 07: Favorite eye shadow color?

I like shimmery natural brown colors a lot. I love the pinky/brown eyelid shade in the Wet ‘N Wild Comfort Zone palette and wear it all the time! I haven't broken down and bought it but I would love to have Stila Kitten. That is what the Wet 'N Wild shadow reminds me of.

Day 08: What’s your favorite day time look?

Something really natural. I don’t like for it to look like I’m wearing a ton of makeup. I usually go for a natural looking brown eye shadow with eye liner on my top lash line and mascara on both lashes along with foundation and a natural pink blush. 

Day 09: Picture of your makeup collection.

I would post this but I have some makeup that I am waiting to be shipped to me. It should be here later this week so I will post a picture of my collection then.

Day 10: Favorite makeup brush?

I don’t have a favorite brush but I like basically all of the Ecotools brushes.

Target HAUL!

Hey guys! It feels like it has been forever since I have had the chance to sit down and really write a post on here. Most of this week I have been posting from my phone and that just isn't fun because I can't really write to the extent that I want to. While running errands yesterday my husband and I stopped at target to pick up a few things. I tend to have a problem with buying a lot of things I don't need but I can say I honestly needing most of these things to some degree. So here we go!

The first thing I got is this Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco shampoo. I have always heard a lot of great things about Bumble and Bumble products but have never had the chance to try any of them because none of the stores close to me carry it. I posted a more in depth review of this product here so go check that out!

The next thing I got is this Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Finishing Spray. The past few years I haven't really had to use hairspray because I had a perm and my hair would hold a curl really well. Now that my perm is almost grown out I have found that my hair has gone back to not holding a curl very easily. I had been using a Treseme hair spray in the past and that is what I used yesterday (and a lot of it) but it still didn't hold my curls hardly at all! So I picked this up and hopefully it will work a little better. I will let you know how it goes and post a link to a review after I use it!

When I ordered my E.L.F. products online I debated on whether or not to get this High Definition Powder. I have a powder that I have been using and I don't love or hate it but I was afraid that this one would give me a white cast. After I decided against it and it was too late to go back and order more I saw a bunch of people recommending it and regretted not getting it. I was browsing the makeup section and saw the E.L.F. products and decided to grab this while I was there. I tested it on the back of my hand when I got home and it didn't give off a white cast which gives me high hopes for this powder! I will review it soon also after I have used it.

The last thing I got is this Tea Tree Oil. I have heard people rave about how good this is for acne and other skin problems/infections. I have had an infection on my legs for years and it just won't go away. The best thing I have found to help is laying in the tanning bed because the radiation kills the bacteria. I heard someone recommend putting a few drops of tea tree oil in a bath to help with body skin problems so I figured I would give it a shot!

That is everything I got from Target. Nothing too exciting but I will be posting reviews on everything after I have had a chance to use them all and decide how I feel about them! I hope you have a great day!

Love always,

Marlee

Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco shampoo *REVIEW*

I live in a small town and most of the stores here (even Walmart) don't carry the same variety of brands as most stores do in larger cities. Our Walmart doesn't carry E.L.F., Flower, or any of that stuff. We went into the city this week so we could go to Target and I finally saw Bumble and Bumble and decided to try it out!

I have heard so many great things about this brand and their products and since it was there and I needed shampoo I figured it was the perfect time to splurge and buy it!

This shampoo was actually really expensive (which I expected) but I think it was worth it! This stuff smells AMAZING! It smells basically like coconut and vanilla... yum! I used it last night when we got home and I loved it! I have pretty short hair (shoulder length) and with my old shampoo I had to use quite a bit to get my hair covered and clean. With this I used about a quarter size amount and it was too much! Next time I will use about half what I did last night. The shampoo is actually pretty thick compared to the ones I usually use and it seemed a little sticky at first but after I got it lathered up it was fine and it rinsed out really easily. After rinsing the shampoo out my hair felt super soft and not dry and stripped like it usually does. Let me say here that my hair was 2 days old and had dry shampoo and tons of hair spray in it, a job that would require 2 washes with my old shampoo and tons of it. I am so impressed with this stuff, and considering how little I have to use it will probably last me much longer that my other shampoo and that will help even out the large price tag!

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it maybe helped you out! Have a great day!

Love Always,
Marlee

50 Day Makeup Challenge *Day 6*

Do you like/wear false lashes? If yes, strip or individual?

I actually do not wear false lashes. I have worn them once in the past and hated them. I don't like the way they look on me, they are too hard to put on, and they just feel too weird. So no I do not like them.

Tip of the Day #2

No matter how tired you are or how little time you have, even if you don't wash your face with a regular cleanser you should always always ALWAYS take off your makeup before bed to avoid breakouts.

50 Day Makeup Challenge *Day 5*

Favorite lipstick, lip gloss, lip liner and lip balm?

I don't really like to wear lipstick or anything like that because I feel like it looks too unnatural and I have a hard time finding a color that looks sort of natural. I do however use the EOS lip balms all the time!

50 Day Makeup Challenge *Day 4*

Do you like wearing foundation? (if so, whats your color and favorite, and what tool/s do you use to apply it? brush, sponge, airbrush, etc)

I do like to wear foundation, but I don't wear it every day. I have acne and I like to give my face a break, but some days I want to cover it up. Since it is summer I am in the shade 842 in Covergirl's Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation. Before, I was using the lightest shade 805 but I think it was a little too light. I like using a sponge to apply my foundation because I feel that it gives the most even, natural looking coverage. I find with brushes my foundation tends to look really thick and cakey.

Tip of the Day #1

Between days of using a deep conditioner, use your regular conditioner as a deep conditioner for extra softness.

50 Day Makeup Challenge *Day 3*

Favorite brand?

I really like Maybelline and Covergirl from the drugstore. I don't own any high end brands yet nor have I even tried them. These two brands seem to be the most reliable for me and I like their selection and prices.