Beauty Fix: Help! I Have a Mustache!

I am not ashamed to admit that I may have some unwanted facial hair. I'm Italian and dark hair runs in the family so naturally dark hair= mustache. I haven't always been so accepting of this fact though.

I grew up with a younger brother and brothers can be kind of mean honest. I remember my brother pointing out the dark hair above my lip and I was SO UPSET. I was probably about 13 or so and was already having a rough time being a girl when a mustache was added to the mess. Back then I used to Nair my legs (didn't we all though?) and so I thought I would just Nair the 'stache right off my face. BIG MISTAKE. I ended up burning the skin above my upper lip and had to face middle school with that obvious burn covered in caked-on makeup. UGH!

After learning that tough lesson, I moved on to the Sally Hansen Wax Strip Kits that are actually meant for your face. These worked wonders for me. I felt SO much better about myself and used these all through high school and up until last year. When I moved in with my boyfriend about 5 years ago, he started assisting me with the waxing and it turned out even better having help (we're gross, I know). Last year, I either must have gotten a bad batch or they changed the formula because the wax would NOT remove any hair. It just melted all over my skin and made a big mess. We tried a few different times and had no luck so I decided I needed to find another solution for my...uh...problem.

I decided to purchase these mini facial razors and they have CHANGED MY LIFE. I know a lot of people find the idea of 'shaving' your facial hair really weird (my friends included) but I absolutely swear by these. I use these about once a week depending on how much hair you can see and use them right after I shower. This way my skin is already damp and the heat has opened my pores. I just run the razor along the hair quickly and it takes me about 5 seconds. You can also clean up your brow area, sideburns and any peach fuzz with these razors. I love this method because I can remove hair in seconds instead of having to wait for the hair to grow out in order to wax.

The only thing that I would caution you on when using this method to remove hair is to be careful. A razor can cut you if you are not careful and though I haven't cut myself yet, it can happen. Also, be careful when shaving close to the lip as you can cause ingrown hairs and they can be very painful. Again, this is not something that happens often but I would definitely caution you if you are not familiar with this method. I've been using them for over a year now so I know exactly where and how to use the razor on my face. I've linked to the razors that I use and recommend but I know there are all different brands out there that can do the same thing so find what works best for you!

Let me know if you have any questions! I consider myself pretty knowledgeable on the subject. ;)

April Favorites

April was a great month for products for me as I wore makeup more often. I work from home so most of the time I'm bare faced and in pajamas so it's wonderful when I have occasions to get dressed up for. The thing I love most about my favorites for April is that most of them are products that are easy to apply for a simple and natural look.


Makeup:


Nyx Butter Lipstick in Lollies- These butter lipsticks are amazing and I want more of them. They are so smooth and the colors are beautiful. I have 2 of the colors right now but I've been wearing 'Lollies' a lot since it's a light peachy pink that is perfect for a touch of color. The color 'Fizzies' is next on my list!

Benefit They're Real Mascara- I bought this mascara a while ago and while I liked it, I didn't like that it wasn't waterproof. I am all about the waterproof mascara so I kind of tossed this mascara to the side. This month I found it again and decided to try it out during the day and I actually ended up loving it! It is great for day time as it doesn't quite hold my curl as well as a waterproof mascara does BUT it does make my lashes look super long. Plus, it was so much easier to remove than I'm used to! ;)


Essie in Borrowed and Blue- I talked about this polish in my Spring Nail Colors post as it is one of my favorite nail colors for Spring. It's a beautiful pastel blue and I got so many compliments when I wore it!

Skin Care:

Hempz AromaBody Body Moisturizer in Pineapple Lily (Limited Edition)- I found this moisturizer in the sale section and I am so glad I picked it up. I have been slathering this stuff all over my body when I get out of the shower and it makes my skin feel so soft. Also, the scent is amazing. Especially if you like smelling like a pineapple. I am so bummed that it is limited edition because I won't be able to get another when I run out! They actually have it on Amazon right now but I'm not sure how long it will be in stock.

Hair Care:

Redken Hair Cleansing Cream Shampoo- I picked this up last month as I've been meaning to find a good cleansing shampoo. I usually use a very moisturizing shampoo but I need something to use every couple weeks to really clean my hair and get rid of any product build up. After using this I fell in love!!! It smells just like fruit Mentos. SO YUMMY! It makes my hair feel really clean and of course, my hair smells amazing after using it. This shampoo will be perfect for the Summer to pull out any chemicals after swimming in a pool.

KMS California Tame Frizz Taming Creme- I wanted to try a new product for my hair now that the weather has been getting warmer. I usually use the Argan Oil by DermOrganic (which I still love) but I decided to switch things up. KMS California's Tame Frizz line has a few different options, including an oil, but I chose the Taming Creme. This stuff smells amazing and I love how it makes my hair look and feel when I use it before blow drying. It smooths my hair so much and doesn't make it greasy. If you have thin hair like me, I'd suggest keeping it on your ends only. I use so little product each time that this bottle is going to last me forever!

Random:

Book: I read 4 books last month but my favorite was 'All The Truth That's In Me' by Julie Gardner Berry. When I first started reading this book, I was super confused because it wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be. The cover and description make it seem like a modern story but it's actually set back in the Colonial days. It doesn't give specific dates but based on the fact that they used a pillory, I think that could put it in 1700-1800's. The writing style is also a bit different but I'm so glad I stuck with it because it was SUCH a good read. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it if you love historical fiction or mystery novels.
Show: I'm currently in the middle of SO MANY tv shows. I am such a sucker for tv series and sometimes I overwhelm myself trying to keep up with them all. My boyfriend put on the first episode of House while I was picking up a pizza and by the time I got back and started watching too, I was addicted. Now we are on to season 3 and we just love it! Dr. House is my favorite, I love how snarky he is. Every episode his team always disagrees with him and I always scream at the tv "Don't argue with House, he always figures it out!!!"

What were some of your favorite things in April? Can you even believe it is May and Summer is coming?!

Spring Wishlist

Even though Fall is my favorite time of year, I am BEYOND excited for Spring this year. The weather is finally getting warmer and the sun is shining! I'm not much of a warm weather person (over 80 degrees and I am OVER IT) but since we got snow this year I am fully ready to move on to the next season. I can't wait to bring out all of my Spring dresses and start wearing brighter, more fun colors!

I put together a Spring Wishlist to highlight the items I am dying to get my hands on this year. Some items are old, some are new but they are all items I neeeeed! :)

1. Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Unapologetic: I am in love with these Revlon balms (especially the matte colors!) and can't wait to wear them during the Spring time. Unapologetic is at the top of my color wishlist right now.
2. Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Color in Make Waves: I saw this color in a magazine and I have been obsessed. I can't wait to get my hands on this color. It looks gorgeous!
3. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Tipsy: I still have yet to try these blushes but I've heard nothing but amazing things about them. I saw these blushes reviewed a few months ago on Essie Button and I decided I had to have that coral shade!
4. Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Turquoise: This is the prettiest eye liner I've ever seen! This would look amazing smudged under the eyes for a little bit of color.
5. Jouer Matte Moisture Tint: I'm not sure which shade would be best for my skin tone but I've always wanted to try this tinted moisturizer. I used to use Benefit's You Rebel tinted moisturizer and this product reminds me a lot of that. I don't like wearing much on my skin during the warmer months and I have to have SPF so I'm thinking this would be a great product to try.
6. Essie Nail Color in A Crewed Interest: I have been in love with this color for years but I never see it in any stores. I may have to order it online because it looks like the perfect peach shade. This color would also look fabulous with a tan!

What products are on your Spring wishlist this year?

February Favorites

February was almost a makeup free month for me. I came down with a Sinus Infection/Pneumonia combo and spent most of the month coughing, congested, and sleeping. Since I was feeling slightly better by the end of the month, I did end up applying makeup a few times but I really stuck to the same products I've been using since December and January. Most of my favorites for the month were items I used despite being ill and also the things I entertained myself with while laying in bed.


Makeup:

Real Techniques Stippling Brush- I picked up this brush last month during an Ulta haul. I had been using a sponge to apply my foundation but decided to try this stippling brush as I have read good things about it. I used it the few times I applied makeup during February and really loved it! It doesn't get my makeup quite as flawless as the sponge applicator does but it makes my makeup look more natural. It was great for quickly applying and blending my foundation.

Skin Care:

Formula 10.0.6 Best Face Forward Daily Foaming Cleanser- This has been one of my favorite face wash finds. I had never heard of the brand before when I saw the products at Ulta but they were on sale at the time so I decided to try one out. I am so glad I picked it up because I absolutely love it! The scent is amazing (Passionfruit and Green Tea) and it makes my face feel so clean and smooth. It's a gel consistency and does not have any microbeads in it so I was really surprised by how soft it made my face feel. I used this a bunch this month since my face was so dry and I was feeling so gross.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover- Here is another item I picked up during my last Ulta haul. I already use the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes but still seem to have trouble removing my waterproof mascara. This stuff is a miracle solution for waterproof makeup! I've tried quite a few different makeup removers that claim to remove waterproof mascara and this is the only one I've found that actually does! I will definitely continue purchasing this remover!

Hair Care:

Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo- I've been using this dry shampoo for a few years now and it's definitely my favorite. I had some greasy sick person hair this month so dry shampoo was my best friend! I'm not really a fan of the spray dry shampoos as they always seem to run out quickly and I don't feel like they do a whole lot for me. This dry shampoo comes in a large container (it seriously takes forever to use it all) and it smells like lemons.

Olivia Garden Turbo Vent Pro Shaper Brush- This brush right here is a miracle worker! It really deserves a review post of its own so I will probably put one together in the next month or so. Basically, this brush dries my hair in about 6 minutes (I have really thin hair) and makes my hair smooth and almost entirely frizz free. I couldn't live without this brush now. I can't seem to find the exact one I have online but here is a link to a similar one.

Random:

Book: I've been keeping track of all the books I read each month and this month my favorite was The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading it but it was definitely a page turner for me. I think I read it in 2 days! The story follows a middle age couple whose marriage is slowly falling apart. It starts out telling you that the wife kills her husband (not a spoiler, it tells you in the description of the book!) and then explains what happened to get them to that point in their marriage. It was a quick read and I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot.

Movie: Since my boyfriend and I had a super low key Valentine's Day and stayed home, we decided to go see a movie the Sunday after. We chose to see The Wolf of Wall Street as we both wanted to see it and both love Leonardo DiCaprio as an actor. The movie was phenomenal and we absolutely loved it. It is 3 hours long but we made sure not to drink anything so we didn't have to leave the theater the whole time. I will say that since it was a Sunday afternoon the theater was filled with people old enough to be my grandparents. The theater actually ended up filling up and I had an older gentleman sit in the seat right next to me. I hate when theaters get that full! Anyways, being surrounded by old people during this movie was super awkward as I don't think they realized how raunchy the movie was going to be. Within the first ten minutes my boyfriend and I looked at each other and both starting cracking up because you could tell that these people were blown away by the language and graphic scenes. Regardless, this movie is fantastic and we both really want to see it again. Except maybe this time when it comes out on Blu Ray and we can watch it in our own home. :)

What were your February favorites? Have you seen The Wolf of Wall Street?

February Ulta Haul

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that my flat iron broke back in the beginning of January and I have been sporting natural hair for the last 2 months. I'm not gonna lie, it's been rough. The times I did end up going somewhere I had to curl my hair because it looks awful natural. After seeing a deal on Ulta's website on the Chi flat irons, my boyfriend and I went to Ulta to pick one up. While we were there, I ended up browsing (while he organized shelves...he hates messes!) and picking out a few more products.

Original Chi Ceramic Hairstyling Iron- My boyfriend actually picked out the flat iron for me. I wanted one of the glittery fun colored Chi flat irons but the original was on sale for the same price and since it had a longer warranty and was made in the USA my boyfriend suggested that I buy the black one. See? He's actually quite helpful to take beauty shopping as I wouldn't have checked those things!

Queen Helene Grape Seed Extract Peel Off Masque- My current tube of this stuff has been almost out for a few months now but every time I go to buy it the shelves are empty! While I was browsing the aisles at Ulta this mask popped into my mind and I made a dash for the skin care aisle. There on the shelf was one grape seed mask! You can bet I snatched it up! Score!

Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick- I've been dying to try these Master Glaze blushes, especially the coral one so I was excited to see they had one left! Coral is my favorite for Spring and Summer so I'm excited to try this out!

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser- Since Ulta was having a buy one get one sale on Maybelline and I had already picked up the blush stick I looked around for something else to buy. I saw the Baby Skin package and asked my boyfriend if I had noticeable pores. He said no but I bought it anyways. We'll see if I like it!

Nyx Butter Lipstick in Fireball- The Nyx Butter lipstick display was one of the first things I came across while looking over the makeup aisles. I hadn't heard much about these but the colors were so pretty I had to try one. The selection was pretty picked over but I tested a few colors on my hand and decided Fireball was a gorgeous bright color for the upcoming Spring months!

Nyx Baked Blush in Foreplay- Nyx had a baked blush display on the end of one of the aisles and I was so sad to see that most of them were already gone. I tested a few colors on my hand and decided I really wanted the color Foreplay but of course they were all gone. I decided to go back to the Nyx section of the makeup aisle and found that they also had baked blushes there. Again, I got lucky and they had one more left! Happy dance!

Sweet & Shimmer Mirror- I saw this mirror on the Ulta website around Christmas time and thought it would be the cutest stocking stuffer. I forgot about it and when browsing the clearance section today I noticed they had an entire jar filled with these little compacts and they were only 49 cents each. I don't have a mirror that I carry in my purse (and honestly with the amount of time I spend with things in my eyes you would think I would carry one) so I figured for 49 cents It would be perfect.

All in all a successful shopping trip I would say! I'm excited to try these products out and share my thoughts with you!

Review: Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Eye Cream

Now that I am in my late twenties (Umm, how did that happen?!), I've realized I need to be proactive in taking care of my skin, especially the skin around my eyes. I actually used to use an expensive eye cream but I decided I wanted to try to find something inexpensive that can be purchased at the drugstore. After reading some reviews and doing some online research, I decided to go to Target and pick up the Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Eye Cream.

The reviews online were almost all great and the eye cream was just under $20 so I figured it couldn't hurt to try it! I started applying it to my under eye area morning and night and noticed a difference in the skin around my eyes right away. In the first few days of patting the product around my eyes, I realized the bags under my eyes were less noticeable. This product doesn't even claim to help with bags under the eyes so I was pleasantly surprised by this. The small lines under my eyes are also less noticeable so I am excited to see how my eyes will look after a few months of use.

I love that the product is in a soft tube, this makes it so easy to travel with and you don't have to worry about it breaking. Once the cap comes off, the applicator has a pointed end and the cream comes out of the center of the point. This makes it easy to dab small dots of product around your eye area. After dotting it on, I use my ring finger to gently pat it into my skin.

My favorite thing about this product is how moisturizing it is. I love that it helps with wrinkles but the selling point for me was to moisturize my eye area. When you are always applying and removing makeup, the under eye area can get SO dry. When my eyes get dry, I tend to notice the wrinkles and fine lines way more. I'm super excited to have found an inexpensive product to help keep my eyes looking their best!

Have you tried this eye cream? What do you use to keep your eye area moisturized?

January Favorites

I spent the majority of January sick and rarely left my apartment so I didn't end up wearing much in the makeup department. I did however end up using a lot of skin care products this month!


Makeup:

Physician's Formula Touch of Glow Nude Wear Concealer/Highlighter- I can't rave about this stuff enough! I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I do! The few times I did leave my place during the month of January (you know, when I ran out of chicken noodle soup or cough syrup) I would always put this stuff on under my eyes and it made me look a million times better. It conceals AND brightens and the packaging is super cute! I like the twist up design of this also but I've found I get a little overzealous when twisting the bottom and end up with a little more product than I wanted. I'm practicing though!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in Smitten- I did end up going to a concert this month as my boyfriend and I received tickets for a Christmas gift. It was at the beginning of the month before I got sick so I did end up getting at least one good face of makeup on during the month of January. I wore this lip stain for the concert and ended up loving it so much it's been in my purse ever since. The color is SO beautiful. It's slightly darker than my lip color and the color stays on for hours. I also love that it feels like a lip balm on the lips. No sticky feeling!

Skin Care:


Softsoap Body Butter Coconut Scrub- I usually use the St Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter Body Wash but when I ran out last month, I sent my boyfriend to the store for a new bottle and they didn't have it! He ended up picking up this coconut scrub for me instead (He knows me so well!) and it is amazing. I love coconut so the smell is so yummy but it's really the texture that is amazing. It's thick and creamy like a body butter with tiny exfoliating beads in it. I use this to wash my body and to shave my legs since it's so creamy.


Neutrogena Wave Vibrating Power Cleanser- I bought the Wave at Target about a year ago when it was on clearance. I'd always wanted to try it and it was about $5 so for that price I figured, why not? I don't use it every day but I use it whenever my skin starts to feel dry and dull. Since I was sick this month I ended up using it quite a few times. My skin just felt icky and dry and the Wave made my skin feel so much healthier.

Jurlique Moisture Replenishing Day Cream- This day cream came in a Birchbox last year and I used quite a bit of it this month. I use my Benefit Total Moisture at night but my skin was SO dry this month I needed more help. I don't love the smell of this (I'm so not an herbal scent person) but I love how thick it is and how it feels on my skin. It definitely helped revive my dry skin this month.

Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub-I've had this product for a while now and I don't even think they sell it anymore but since it's only a sugar scrub I still use it. Along with dry skin this month I've had crazy dry lips. I use this stuff to scrub away the dead skin on my lips before I slather on my lip balm. Even my boyfriend uses this stuff! You can find similar scrubs here.

Random:

Books:

I did quite a bit of reading this month and somehow have ended up with too many library books checked out (I use an online library check out app on my phone/iPad) so now I'm trying to get through them all. I read Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight and I really enjoyed it! It's almost like a dark Gossip Girl murder mystery full of twists and by the end of it I was dying to finish it so I could piece everything together. I also started reading the Little House on the Prairie Collection. My mom bought me the boxed set of books when I was a child and I've already read them but I decided to read them again after she found the collection the last time I visited her. They are pretty quick reads but I really enjoy them. I'm currently almost done with the second book and am reading them in between all of my library check outs!

TV Show:

Friday Night Lights- OH. MY. GOSH. I am obsessed. I watched all 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights in 2 weeks while I was sick. I couldn't stop. I have had it in my Netflix Queue forever and always wanted to watch it because HELLO CONNIE BRITTON (love her!) but always avoided it because...football. I am SO happy I started watching it though because the show was amazing. I already miss it and feel the need to start it over again. Also, Tim Riggins. He is probably my favorite character off any TV show I have ever seen. My boyfriend is tired of me saying the words Tim Riggins but I mean look at him!!! Did you watch this show? If so, we could talk about it all day if you want to! ;)

I cannot believe it is already February, where is the year going?!

Beauty Fix: My Secret Weapon for Getting Rid of Blemishes

At some point or another in your life, you're going to get a blemish (or zit or pimple or whatever else you call them). No matter how old you are, it still sucks. I have a secret weapon that I use against these blemishes that works for me 99% of the time! (Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor do I have acne, this is for the occasional blemish that pops up on my face and is all my own opinion).

I bought my first tube of Zapzyt when I was in high school. I was never someone who got bad acne, just the occasional blemish here and there. But these blemishes always made me feel awful. I think for me it was the fact that I had nice skin and then just one giant blemish somewhere on my face. If I had them all over it would be one thing but it drove me crazy to have just one or two and covering them up always made my skin look even worse. So I went on the hunt to find a spot treatment that worked quickly. To be honest, when I first saw Zapzyt I thought the name was so silly and it was so inexpensive that there was no way it could possibly work. After trying a few other products, I finally decided to give Zapzyt a try and I'm so glad I did! This is my go-to spot treatment and has been for years because it actually does what I need it to do.

Zapzyt calls this a treatment gel but I would consider it more of a cream texture. This treatment goes on white but dries clear on your skin. The active ingredient in it is 10% Benzoyl Peroxide which is apparently what my skin prefers to Salicylic Acid. While Salicylic Acid is great at keeping your skin from getting red and preventing inflammation, I prefer Benzoyl Peroxide as it actually kills the bacteria instead of just slowing the growth of it. I think this is why the Benzoyl Peroxide works so quickly at getting rid of my blemishes.

I use this product morning and night right after washing my face. Benzoyl Peroxide can be very drying so the best tip I can give you is to use a very small amount and only apply it to the blemish, making sure not to get it on the skin surrounding. Since Benzoyl Peroxide can also bleach fabrics, you may want to apply with a Q-tip to make sure you don't get any of this product on your hands, towels or clothes. In my experience, if I apply Zapzyt to my blemishes at night, they are practically gone by morning!

I usually purchase my Zapzyt at the drugstore and it's right around $5.00 which is amazing since the tube lasts forever! This is a product that I always have on hand because you never know when a pesky blemish is going to surface!

Have you ever tried Zapzyt? What do you use for your blemishes?