makeup junkie - sephora VIB sale

Every makeup and skincare junkie like myself probably took advantage of Sephora's recent VIB 20% sale.  Apparently the website crashed multiple times the first day of the sale and orders took much longer than the usual 3 days to arrive.  Regardless, I was happy to be able to stock up on items I use daily as well as try a few new things at a discount.
 I found most of the things I wanted were out online but available at the store.  Although getting samples to try and free shipping is pretty awesome, there's nothing better than that instant gratification of bringing home your goodies, knowing you have new makeup and skincare to play with.

Here's my review on the products I bought: 

-The Porefessional by Benefit.
 Love this stuff.  It's a repurchase item for me.  I haven't been able to find another primer that I love as much.  Its got a silky texture that just glides onto your face and preps your skin for the ultimate foundation application.  If I forget to put it on I can instantly tell when I'm applying my foundation.  It just doesn't glide on as well.  There's a slight tint to it but it doesn't show up when you put it on.
-Sephora dual boar paddle brush
The first time I was in the store (I went twice during the sale)  I bought the travel sized one and ended up loving it so much that when I went back, I bought the big mama sized version too.  I love that one even more!  I don't know why I've waited so long to get a decent brush for my hair.  My hair is pretty long and gets tangled pretty easily.  Tangles don't stand a chance with this brush.  Everything just seems to come out so easily.  I decided to keep the itty bitty one too because I travel so much. (not really).  I know these brushes can get pretty pricey but I thought this was pretty reasonable.
-Marc Jacobs Full Cover ReMarcable concealer
I like this concealer a lot.  Its super creamy and easy to blend.  I will say I don't think its full coverage though.  For someone who is used to MAC's studio concealer (the one in the pot) this was pretty sheer.  I love that creamy texture though.  I also feel I do have to reapply on problems areas a bit more throughout the day but that also makes it not as drying.
-Marc Jacobs Bronzing brush
OMG lets be real.  As soon as the sale started I logged on and this was one of the products I wanted to purchase.  It was already sold out.  Of course this made me want it even more.  When I saw it in the store I was pretty shocked they had it in stock.  I decided to bite the bullet and try it, thinking I would probably return it because seriously, what makeup brush is worth the price?  There were 2 left so of course I had to grab one.  My first impression is that this brush is indeed pretty well made.  Very luxurious and soft.  I've used it for over a week and have had zero hairs in my cream bronzer which is pretty amazing.  The Sigma I was using got hairs in my bronzer daily and that was really annoying.  Every morning I tell myself to retry the sigma and every morning its the same routine.  I just keep reaching for the MJ one.  I really have fallen in love with it.  Using it is very easy and it blends like a dream.  My advice to anyone on the fence about getting one of these, don't do it unless you're positive you want it because its not going anywhere.


So pretty!

-Tarte blush palette An incredible value.  These blushes are huge!  Tarte's top selling Amazonian clay blushes are very wearable and stay on well.  I've tried a ton of other brands and none really last quite as long.  You get 5 generous rectangular pans of blushes in a pretty case.  I didn't realize it until a few days ago that the decals on the case are actually 2 very pretty pins you can wear in your hair.  I also got Fearless, a coral pink hue.  I own Blissful and its one of my favorite blushes of all time.
-Urban Decay revolution lipstick in Liar
I can't even remember the last lipstick I've purchased honestly.  I worked for MAC and UD years ago and just had a ton that are still untouched.  Then came the kids and wearing lipstick just seemed silly.  I was just playing around with these lipsticks when I came across this color and instantly felt like I needed it.  Of course they were out.  I immediately texted my good friend who is a MAJOR makeup junkie to see if she could snag one for me at her local Sephora.  They did have it!  Go check out this color if you're ever by a display.  It's such a pretty color that seems so universal and would go with any skintone.
-Urban Decay Ultra nourishing lipgloss

From top to bottom: Liar lipstick, Naked gloss, Nooner gloss

As with the lipsticks, its been ages since I've purchased any lipgloss for myself.  They're sticky, they dry out my lips and my hair gets stuck in it.  A while back I tried these on at Ulta and was pretty impressed so I thought what the heck,  for 20% off I'll give them a try.  I got the colors Nooner and Naked and love them both.  They are pretty similar in tone but different enough.  These glosses aren't drying at all!
-Anastasia Perfect brow pencil
I actually wanted the Brow whiz but was given this by a sales associate on accident.  By the time I realized the mistake I had already run out of my brow whiz and had no choice.  I actually like this one quite a bit.  I have a really oily t-zone and this pencil being a bit more on the dryer side didn't slip off as easily.  I do feel I have more control with the brow whiz though and I can't really tell why.  Maybe its the actual size of the pencil itself?
That's pretty much it for my goodies, I got a few other things that I wasn't too impressed with that need to go back.  Curious as to what everyone got and mostly, what are your repurchases?

Until next time!


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Baby / Mama must haves

As a mommy of 2, I feel like I have a bit under my belt in terms of what I've found useful, what worked well for me and my kids as well as what didn't.  I am in no way calling myself an expert when it comes to kids in general, but when it comes to my own, well, yea I am.  : )

Bree has recently just turned 1 so I feel pretty confident about the things I will share in this post, most of them, if not all,  I used for both kids.  Its hard for moms nowadays to pick and choose the necessities for themselves and their babies.  Baby stuff is expensive!  There is so much to choose from and so many different opinions and ideas.  There is a product out there for every purpose imaginable, some completely genius and some make you wonder, "who buys this stuff?"

-Summer Infant cozy bath sponge
This simple thing was the first product that came to mind when I thought about writing this.  It is the most unattractive, no frills baby product I own.  Its basically a big piece of yellow foam used for bathing baby in the bathroom sink.  It has sort of a baby shape cut into it to hug your baby's body to prevent slippage.  I think there was also a little safety dot in the middle that turned a certain color if the water was too hot.  I only used it for the first few months because then baby got too big to be bathed in the sink.  At a mere $6 it was functional, easy to use and helped save me a lot of anxiety that came with giving a newborn a bath.  It also dried really fast.  I tried the bigger systems but felt they were too much and too big and overwhelming for a newborn.  Use this for the first 2 months and toss it out, easy. 

-WubbaNub
Whoever thought of this is a genius.  Its a little stuffed animal (think beanie baby size) attached to a Soothie pacifier.  Soothies are hospitals choice for pacifiers so that's a plus.  Simple as the idea may sound, its very useful because you can lay the stuffed animal on baby's chest and it stays put without dropping.  It also teaches them coordination skills because baby learns to find it and put it in their own mouth to self soothe.  And lets not even talk about night time.  Have you ever tried searching for the tiny binkie in the dark while half asleep?  Yup, not so easy.  The animals are super cute too.  They have giraffes, elephants, lambs, and puppies just to name a few.  I got both my kids WubbaNubs on Amazon and I think some hospital gift shops may carry them as well.  At no more than $15 bucks I think this was a life saver.

-NoseFrida
When I had Brayden and he had clogged up snot my parents used to berate me for letting him suffer when all I had to do was 'suck' his snot out.  (Gross!)  Nothing is worse than hearing and seeing your child have a hard time breathing because of snot up their nose.
BPA free, this product has been a staple for me and both my kids.  I use it all the time.  So simple to use, you put the tube end just barely touching your child's nose (not directly inside) and suck on the opposite end and viola!  all the nasty slimy gunk comes right out.  Its so gross and gratifying the first few times you use it.  Way more sanitary then the bulbs you can buy because you can't easily clean those.  The NoseFrida comes apart very easily in a few pieces so you can clean it after every usage.  It comes with extra foam pieces too which is nice. The foam stops the gunk from being able to go into your mouth while sucking.  For the dried up gunk, spray some baby saline before sucking.  It literally melts everything within seconds, turning it into slime.

-Bravado
My favorite nursing bra. EVER.  I've had my fair share of different brands from different stores and these are by far my favorite beating out even their more expensive counterparts.  What I love most about these is that there is coverage without adding bulk.  The support is fantastic and the bra itself is so comfortable and doesn't move around.  They don't stretch out either.  Not the cheapest nursing bra, but definitely worth the money.  I tried ones from Target and Macys that were half the price but you really get what you pay for.  Included with your bra you get a little conversion kit where you can transform your nursing bra into a regular bra when you're done nursing baby.  My favorite style is the Bliss and Body Silk.

-Frame Stroller
Weighing only a bit over 10 lbs this stroller was a life saver for me who had to have c sections with both kiddos.  I always felt so bad watching moms struggle with their big stroller systems.  Elaborate as they are, they are big, bulky and extremely heavy.  With a c section you are restricted from carrying too much weight for weeks so this was very functional.  The stroller itself had 2 cup holders and a middle storage area perfect for keys and a cell phone.  The basket was also very generous in size and the stroller was so easy to open and fold up.  I had the Chicco Keyfit Caddy.  I used it until Bree was about 6 months old, when she got too heavy to take the entire car seat out.  At that age she was also ready to sit in her brother's hand me down BOB revolution.  (LOVE)

-Baby carrier
I've had the Bjorn Organic, Ergo organic and Baby Hawk.  The Ergo is by far my favorite and is extremely helpful esp when you have older children in tow and need both of your hands free. 

So there you have it, a handful of my personal must haves for infants.  The mini boss has just woken up, stirred a bit and soothed herself with her giraffe Wubbanub, patiently waiting for mommy to come smother her with kisses.