MAC Haul!

Lately I have been less of a Sephora junkie and more of a MAC addict...and I'm okay with that! Here are my most recent purchases.

• Mineralized Eye Shadow in Clarity from the Semi-precious collection, $20.00

I had never seen an eyeshadow like this before! It's described on maccosmetics.com as light pink, off white green, gold, and black. Isn't that the most interesting mix of colors? This is the swatch from the website:

It was hard to get a focused swatch because the eye shadow is so prismatic!

On the lid

Smoked out in the outer V for a simple smoky eye

I love this color! It's a gray with green undertones and lots of glitter (so if you aren't a glitter fan, stay away from this one!). I wore it to a baby shower because it was the day after I got it and I was so excited to to wear it, but it's probably better suited for a night out. Loooove it!

• Paint Pot in Rubenesque, $16.50

I love my Painterly Paint Pot so I decided to give this one a try. It's a golden peach with a golden frosty sheen.

• Plushglass in Ample Pink, $18.50

This is my first plushglass and I love it! It makes my lips look so soft and bigger than they naturally are. The color is such a full, soft rose that is perfect for everyday wear.

Thanks so much for reading! Any MAC products that you recommend?

Now reading:

Review: Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Shower Cream

Let me start off by saying that I love Bath & Body Works. They have so many wonderful scents and I have been a big fan of their body washes for as long as I can remember. They recently came out with these new Triple Moisture Shower Cream body washes that come in an 8 ounce tube and claim to be a new formula, enticing you to try it by saying "Feel it to believe it."  Well, I tried it, I felt it, and I am not that impressed. The particular scent I bought was Midnight Pomegranate, a smell I love. The scent lasts for hours on the skin, especially when paired with the coordinating lotion. But the body wash was a very thick white cream that was hard to lather and made my skin feel just as good as their regular formulas.

My biggest issue with this product is the packaging. The tube is hard to squeeze for me, especially when you get down to the bottom. I know there is still product left in my tube but there is no way for me to squeeze it out since it's so thick, which is a waste. And the second or third time I used it, the print on the outside of the tube began flaking off, so there are tiny metallic flakes all over my tub and often on me when I get out of the shower. If I am paying $12 for 8 ounces of body wash, I expect for the labeling to at least hold up! So that was very messy and annoying. Now my next complaint might be downright nit picky, but it really bothers me: the cap lets water get in and the next time you pick it up to use it, a splash of cold water from the last shower gets all over you. I hate that! It's so unpleasant, and it holds quite a bit of water in there.

Feel it to believe it! Bah...

Look how much of my label has flaked away!

Tiny metallic flakes from the label. These get absolutely everywhere! In my shower, on my puff, and all over me!

Look closely at where the cap meets the bottle....see that slight opening? That's what allows water to collect in it and the next time you use it, a splash of cold water comes out and is very unpleasant.

Pros:

• Scent lingers on the skin for hours

Cons:

• Tube is difficult to squeeze & get all of the product out, which wastes the last bit
• Labeling flakes off and makes an ungodly mess
• Water stores in the cap for an unpleasant surprise next time you pick it up for use

Overall, I would skip this formulation and purchase the signature shower gel. It retails for $10.50 in store for a 10 ounce bottle....cheaper and more product, that to me has the same skin benefits in a much friendlier packaging. 

Have you tried out the new formula of Bath and Body works shower cream or lotions? What did you think?

Summer Reads

As a jobless college student, summer means a blissful break from the strenuous school year....which can often times translate to sheer and utter boredom. Now that I am not continually busy with something, I don't know what to do with myself! Thus I have fallen back in love with reading....not the dull, dense assigned reading that I'm used to for class, but reading for my own pleasure. Here are some books I have recently read, have purchased recently to read, or are planning to purchase or check-out from the library.

Have Read: 
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne
This novel is for young adults, but I wanted to read it anyways. As with all novels about the Holocaust, it is sad but interesting. I also watched the movie that was adapted from the book.


The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
I was inspired to read these Holocaust books because of my Western Civ 390 summer course, and this one especially because I had read when I was younger but didn't quite grasp how touching and extraordinary it. Highly recommended.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
This book is what I'm currently reading, and I am completely absorbed in it! A great thriller and mystery. I can't wait to see the movie that is coming out soon.


Heaven is For Real, Todd Burpo
I am not usually one to read religious books, but I got this for my mom for Mother's Day and she insisted I read it. I read this over Memorial Day Weekend.


Purchased today:
The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson
I ran out and bought this today! It's the follow-up to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 


Little Bee, Chris Cleave
Honestly, I bought this because it has a cool cover haha.

Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski

Devil in the White City, Erik Larson


Plan on purchasing or checking out from the library:
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larson

The Help, Kathryn Stockett

The Hunger Games Trilogy, Susanne Collins

The Room, Emma Donahue

Something Borrowed & Something Blue, Emily Giffin


Catch 22, Joseph Heller (had to throw in a classic)


What are your recommendations for summer reads?

New hair!

Well here it is! My highlights. Candy Bright at Tangerines Salon and Spa in Maryville is my stylist. I have been going to her off and on for at least 5 years, and she always does great. I am happy with how it turned out, but next time I want more blonde in it. She wanted to take it slow & not do anything drastic since I freak out about things like that (she's known me forever). Here are some pictures:

Thanks for reading! :-)

I'm down with Jaclyn Smith!

The fastest way to drastically change the way your bedroom looks, in my opinion, is to get a new comforter! I was long overdue a new one even though I pretty recently received a "bed in a bag" set (got it for Christmas from Mom and Dad). It was so cheap literally falling apart. The white fluffy innards of the comforter was coming out in places. Also, it was the opposite of comfortable, as the name 'comforter' implies. It was so cheap and felt rough. I liked the way it looked (check it out here), just not the way it felt. So, I am happy to say that I picked up a new comforter at K-mart today! It was more expensive than the last set, $79.99 for a queen set that included the comforter, two pillow shams, and a bed skirt.

Still in the bag! I never thought I'd be a fan of Jaclyn Smith Today, but I love the hounds tooth print. Plus it's my favorite colors for decorating a bedroom (or any room really), good old black and white!

Cute matching accent pillow ($14.99)

The second I took it out of the bag I could tell that this comforter would actually be comfortable! And I couldn't resist buying the adorable matching pillow. They had another black pillow meant to go with it, but I had a similar one so I didn't purchase it. The matching sheets, which were basically white with a thin pink stripe on the edge were around $50, so I opted out of those too and used a plain white set we already had at the house.

 I love it!!

I can't wait to cuddle in :)

Thanks so much for reading! Do you like my new comforter? What are your favorite colors for decorating a bedroom?

HELP, I'm getting my hair done on Friday!

I am getting my hair cut and highlighted this Friday!! I am quite excited as my last few cuts have been at Great Clips just for maintenance. I have done pretty well at growing my hair out to a decent length, so I just want a trim and my long side swept bangs to have a little more shape. The color is what I'm nervous/excited about! I have had highlights in the past and liked them a lot, they looked like this:

My hair is about 3-4 inches longer now that in this picture. I found some pictures on Google Images that I might take to the salon. I want golden, summery highlights, maybe a little more dramatic than what I had before.

What are your thoughts on this hair color?

My secret for smooth summertime legs!

I hate shaving my legs A LOT. Let's face it, it sucks, and for me personally I struggle with razor bumps and irritation that can be really ugly and downright painful (I have very sensitive skin). However, I think I have finally found the perfect combination of products that reduce the red, irritated bumps! I wish I had discovered this routine years ago, so I just had to share it with you!
Step 1: EXFOLIATE!
This is really important. I have tried the routine without exfoliating first and it doesn't work as well.
I have been loving this Tree Hut Shea Sugar body scrub, you can find it for about $5 at Wal-mart and it smells awesome!

Step 2: Apply a thin layer of Bikini Zone Anti-Bumps Shave Gel
I know this is formulated for the bikini area, which it's great for, but it works wonders on the legs! The best shave gel I have ever used. Also found at Wal-mart for $6-$7.


Step 3: Shave! I don't really think what razor you use matters. I really like Bic Soleil disposable razors.

Step 4: Apply a pea-sized drop of baby oil gel to your legs before you get out of the shower, right after shaving.

Step 5: Towel dry legs and apply an unscented lotion. I love the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion for this. Anything with dyes or fragrance will irritate and burn my freshly-saved skin.

And that's it! My legs don't get ugly red bumps anymore! This may seem like a lot of steps---and it is---but the extra effort is totally worth it. Now I don't have to deal with razor burn or worry about how unsightly those bumps will look in shorts :)
Thanks so much for reading! Do you have any holy-grail shaving products?