Instead of doing a tip tuesday, I'm going to share with you my new holy grail foundation.  I was sold after watching a few youtube reviews.  I'm SO glad I made the purchase, and hope you will to!

You can find the Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation at Sephora for $38.  Pricy, I know, but it will last you a long time and it's foundation that is actually good for your skin!  :)

This foundation is not formulated with: parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs or triclosan

I'm not even sure what some of those are, but they don't sound healthy for your skin

THE GOOD:                                       THE BAD:

- Long wearing                                    - The price

- Oil Free                                             - Not a huge color range

- Waterproof

- Lightweight

- Full coverage

- Chemical-free formulation

- Blendable/natural looking

- Don't need a powder to set it

- Contains sunscreen

My Shade: Light-Medium

                                            BEFORE                                              AFTER

Other products used:

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer 002

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser

Urban Decay Primer Potion

ELF Blush in Mellow Mauve

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara

NYX Lip Gloss in Sweetheart

Bottom Line: BUY IT!  Totally worth the $38 price tag!!  :)

Here it is again...time for more beauty deals!!  :)  Let me know if you guys like this format of me listing deals or if you would like something else.  

I've added a "double deal" category.  These are items that are on sale AND have some kind of reward attached to it.  Combine these offers with coupons to save yourself even more!  :)

CVS

DOUBLE DEALS

** = spend $30, get $10 CVS cash card (can mix and match)

- **Garnier (select products) $14
- **Garnier Skin Renew $10
- **L'oreal (select products) $12
- L'oreal Go 360 Clean $4.39...spend $30, get $10 ECB with any L'oreal skincare item
- L'oreal RevitaLift Clinical Repair $20...spend $30, get $10 ECB with any L'oreal skincare item
- Olay Facial Hair Removal Duo $22.99 + $2 ECB
- Olay Pro X Kit $64 + $7 ECB
- **Organix Body Lotion or Body Wash $5.99
- Suave Naturals 2/$6...spend $12, get $4 ECB

EXTRA BUCK DEALS

- Buy 2 Revlon, Nailene or Fing'rs Nails, get $5 ECB
- Cover Girl Face, Eye or Lip: spend $10, get $3 ECB
- Maybelline Eye or Lip: spend $10, get $3 ECB

ON SALE

- Jergens Natural Glow $7.99
- Olay Daily Facial Cleansing Cloths $3.99
- Physicians Formula 40% Off
- Select Olay Facial Products $11.49

BOGO 50% OFF

- Clean & Clear
- Sally Hansen
- Stridex
- Women's or Men's Designer Fragrances

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WALGREENS

DOUBLE DEALS

- Garnier Fructis 3/$15: Spend $15, get $5

REGISTER REWARD DEALS

- Suave: Spend $10, get $3 RR

BOGO 50% OFF

- Almay
- Aussie
- Aveeno
- Conair Hair Accessories
- Cover Girl
- Herbal Essences
- L'oreal Moisturizers & Treatments
- Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer or Nude Air Foam
- Revlon Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush, Lip or Nail

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RITE AID

DOUBLE DEALS

- Aveeno: $2 off & spend $15, get $5 UP Reward (can combine with clean & clear)
- Clean & Clear $2 off & spend $15, get $5 UP Reward (can combine with aveeno)
- Kiss, Broadway and Impress Artificial nails: BOGO 50% off + spend $10, get $2 UP
- L'oreal: BOGO 50% off + Spend $25, get $10 UP
- Physicians Formula: BOGO 50% off + Spend $20, get $5

UP REWARDS

- Cover Girl: Buy $50 and get $25 with a $10 UP and a $15 gift card

ON SALE

- Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush & Concealer: $5.99

- Maybelline Dream Foundation: $8

BOGO 50% OFF

- All Lip Balm, Gloss & Stick (excludes Cover Girl , L'oreal and Physicians Formula)
- All Nail Enamel (excludes L'oreal and Essie)
- Olay Skin & Bath

I don't know about you, but my closet has got to the overwhelming point of just "too much". It seems that on a daily basis I will just stare at my full closet and decide that I "having nothing to wear". Even my boyfriend comments that I have too many things in my closet.  So now I have decided to start organizing.

I have begun the task of weeding out my clothes. I used to go through each item and think "I don't wear this anymore" and throw it into a donate pile. But then I decide that I will for some occasion need it and then... back in the closet it goes. It has been counter productive, because I end up getting rid of maybe one or two things.

I got this organization idea I'm going to show you from pinterest and it has worked SO well!! Its easy, free and no time is spent sorting! I have managed to scale down my closet so much... and you know what that means....more shopping to fill it back up! :)

Here's what you do:

1. Turn all your hangers around so they're hanging backwards on the rod.

2. When you wear something & wash it, hang it back up like you would normally.

3. Keep doing this for about 6 months. That way you will include clothes that you would wear in cold & warm weather.

4. After the 6 months is up, get rid of any hanger that has not been turned around! Chances are if you haven't worn it in 6 months, you probably aren't going to.

5. The only exceptions I make are for things that you do wear, but not on a daily basis. For example, fancy dresses, interview/business attire, sentimental items, etc. Use your own judgement. This technique is best suited for things you wear on a daily basis.

Happy spring cleaning! Leave me comments and let me know if this worked for you or not. I'd love to hear about it!

xoxo. Laura

Can't believe another week has flow by!  Here are the beauty deals and steals this week.  As always, look for coupons to use with cash back reward deals to maximize your savings.  I also alphabetized the listings to make searching for your favorite brand a little easier.

I highlighted the best of the best deals that I would probably buy, making choosing which deals to cash in on easier for you.

Not too much is going on this week.  Last week was, in my opinion, much better in terms of makeup sales.  It always comes in waves.  If one week ends up being kind of crappy, another week will be better.

CVS

EXTRA CARE BUCKS REWARDS

- Colgate Optic White Toothpaste $3.99 + $2 ECB

- Cover Girl Face, Eye or Lip: Spend $10, Get $3

- L'oreal: Spend $15, get $5 ECB

- Maybelline Eye or Lip: Spend $10, get $3

- Olay Total Effects Facial Care $18.99 + $2 ECB

- Rimmel: Spend $10, get $3 ECB

ON SALE

- Garnier Skin Renew $10
- Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Corrector $14
- Garnier Ultra-Lift $12
- L'oreal EverPure, EverStrong, EverSleek, EverCreme or EverStyle Hair Care $5.99

- L'oreal Sublime Mousse, Root Rescue or Healthy Look Color $5.99
- Perfecta Wash $15.99

- Revlon ColorSilk or Luminista $2.99

- Treseme Hair Care 2/$7

BOGO 50% OFF

- Aveeno Face, Body Wash or Lotion

- Conair or Scunci Hair Accessories

- Maybelline Foundation, Powder, Blush or Concealer

- Neutrogena Cosmetics or Skin Care

- Nuance by Salma Hayek Cosmetics, Hair, Body or Facial Care

- Organix or Fx Hair Care

- Physicians Formula Skin Care (NEW)

- Revlon Cosmetics or Beauty Tools

- Sammy, Psssssst! or PureShine Hair Care

- Simple Skin Care

WALGREENS

REGISTER REWARD DEALS

- Treseme Hair Care: 4/$15 + $5 RR

ON SALE

- Garnier Nutrisse Herbashine $4.99

- L'oreal Healthy Look or Root Rescue $5.99

- Neutrogena $5.99

- Revlon Color Silk $2.99

BOGO 50% OFF

- L'oreal 

- Maybelline

- Nexxus Hair Care

- Revlon Cosmetics or Beauty Tools

- Sally Hansen Nail Color, Beauty Tools and Lip Care

RITE AID

UP REWARDS

- Cover Girl: Spend $20, get $5 UP Reward

- Garnier Skin Care (BOGO 50%): Purchase 3, get $10 UP Reward

- L'oreal Revitalift or Youth Code: Spend $15, get $5 UP Reward

- Maybelline Cosmetics (BOGO 50%) Spend $10, get $3 UP Reward

- Olay Base Skin Care ($20.99): Purchase 1, get $2 UP reward

- Olay Pro X Skin Care: Spend $35, get $5 UP Reward

- Prestige Cosmetics (BOGO 50%): Spend $15, get $5 UP Reward

- Rimmel Cosmetics: Spend $15, get $5 UP reward

ON SALE

- Almay Foundation, Powder, Blush or Concealer 40% Off ($1 Rebate available, too)

- Cover Girl LashBlast 24 hr Mascara or Blast FlipStick Lip Stick $8.99

- Cover Girl Tone Rehab Makeup $14.99

- Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Foam Hair Color $7.99

- Garnier Shampoo/Conditioner $5.99

- L'oreal EverCare Hair or EverStyle or Root Rescue Hair Color $5.99

- L'oreal Facial Cleansers $4.39

BOGO 50%

- L'oreal Lip and Nail

- Neutrogena Skin, Sun & Bath Care

I took advantage of the Urban Decay Friends & Family sale which entitles you 20% off your entire order.  I scored some great deals on eyeliners, so I decided to stock up.  I got 7 eyeliners with two of them being full sized.  Without the F&F deal and had I bought them individually, I would have paid around $126.  With the discount as well as them being in a couple different "boxed/travel sets" I'm only out $44!!  :)  Saving myself around $82!!

Now onto swatches, because I know you all would rather see those instead of me rambling on about my deal savings.

*NEW* 24/7 Travel Size Eyeliners in NAKED - $32

Full Size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Duo - ON SALE $12! (orig. $29)

I am mostly excited about Whiskey and Demolition because I hear such amazing things about them.  The color "Zero" for me wasn't as dark as I would have hoped.  I might just have to cave and buy Perversion, which is supposed to be their "blackest black" they have.

Sale ends March 10th, so make sure you get your order in before then!  :)

It's time to debut my "Tip Tuesday" Posts!!  These will be just little ideas that I use on a daily basis that hopefully you will find them helpful, too.

I wanted to share with you an affordable way to organize your fridge.  Places like bed bath and beyond sells these shelving units that are made specifically for refrigerator items.  The only problem with them is that they are so dang expensive!!  I have took it upon myself to find a cheaper alternative to turning the chaos of your fridge into something that is functional & visually appealing.

Behold...The plastic Target shoebox....

*These are that "Re" style brand found at Target stores

*They were only $5 for a pack of 5 (at the time, I'm not sure if they are still on sale right now)

*They're clear so you are able to see what's inside them.

*I like to organize mine by category.  There is fruit, veggies, meat, etc.  But get creative.  You can organize them however you want!  :)

*I kept the lids and put them in a storage closet.  I don't use them in the fridge bc I like having easy access to the foods.  Taking the lids on and off becomes kind of a hassle.

Aaaand here's the finished product!!  :)  I would have taken a picture of my entire fridge, but I'm in the process of cleaning it out and it looks a little messy.

Hope you got some ideas on how to organize your own fridge, closet, pantry or anything else that needs a little TLC.

xoxo Laura

I've decided to put together some of the best beauty deals of the week from CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens.  Now these are only the best of the best and there maybe other deals (I will list the not-so-good deals at the bottom).  Note: I am sticking to makeup/beauty items only that women generally use.  No household, men, grocery, etc. items will be mentioned.

**Now, remember, for these deals always google for coupons to knock the price down even more :)

RR = Register Rewards...like a store gift card you get back that you can use towards your next purchase
ECB = Extra Care Bucks...works the same way as Walgreens' RR
UP Rewards = works the same way

I think CVS wins for the best deals this week!!  :)

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WALGREENS

Register Reward Deals

- Clairol Nice N' Easy Hair Color: $7.99 + $1 in RR

- Soft Soap Body Wash: 2/$6 + $3 in RR

Walgreens Coupon Offers

- Wet n Wild Megalast Nail Polish:   $0.99 coupon in Walgreens circular (Limit 3)

- Studio 35 Polish Remover:              $0.99 coupon in Walgreens circular (Limit 3)

On Sale

- Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, Serum or Wrinkle Revolution: $21.99

- L'oreal Moisturizers and Treatments: 20% off

- John Frieda Hair Care: Sale $4.99

- Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color: $5.99

- Sinful Colors Nail Polish: 2/$3

- Family Size Pantene, Herbal Essences or Aussie Shampoo/Conditioner: $5.99/ea.

- $10 off Select Fragrances

- Garnier Nutrisse Easy Foam Hair Color: $7.99

- John Frieda Precision Foam Hair Color: $11.99

BOGO 50% OFF

- L'oreal Foundation, Concealer, Primer, Blush or Foundation
- Almay
- Broadway or Kiss Nails, Eyelashes, Applications, Tools & Files
- Roc Retinol Correxion Skin Care
- Australian Gold Spray Gels and Lotions
- Jergens or select Biore Skin Care
- Cover Girl

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CVS

ECB DEALS

- All Revlon Nail Color: Sale $4.79 + $3 in ECB! = $1.79/ea! (Limit 6 per CVS card)

- Buy Any Revlon Eye or Lip: Get $4 ECB (Limit 6)

- Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner: Sale 3/$10 + $3 ECB

- Maybelline Eye or Lip: Spend $10, get $3 ECB

- L'oreal Skin Product: Spend $30, get $10 ECB

- Olay Body Wash: Sale $6.99 + $2 ECB

- Gillette Venus Pro Skin, Embrace or Breeze: Sale $9.99 + $5 ECB

- Olay Regenerist Kit or Treatment: Sale $23.99 + $3 ECB

- Olay Regenerist Facial Cre, Total Effects Tone or UV Moisturizer: Sale $20.99 + $2 ECB

- Cover Girl Face, Eye or Lip: Spend $10, get $3 ECB

ON SALE

- Physicians Formula: Save $4 with CVS card

- Women or Men's Designer Fragrances: Save $7 with CVS card

- Jennifer Aniston, Mary J. Blige Fragrances: Save $10 with CVS card

- Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Foam Hair Color: $7.99

- Lumene Time Freeze, Vitamin C+ or Sensitive Touch: $14.99

- All Wet n Wild Cosmetics: 30% off

- Jergens or Curel: $6.99

- Jergens Natural Glow: 2/$15

- Biore Cleanser, Scrub or Towlettes: 2/$14

- Cetaphil: Save $2 with CVS card

- Clairol Nice n Easy Color Blend Foam: $8.99

- Olay Facial Hair Remover Duo: $22.99

- Olay Daily Facial Cloths: $3.99

- Clairol Natural Instincts: $6.99

- Aussie or Herbal Essences: $2.99

- Olay Complete Defense or All Age Defying Anti-Wrinkle Creams: $12.99

- John Frieda Collection Hair Treatments: $7.99

- John Frieda Shampoo, Conditioner: $4.99

- John Frieda Precision Foam Color: $11.99

- Fekkai Hair Care: $19.99

- Conair Hair Dryer, Ceramic Straightener or Instant Heat Curling Iron (excludes Infiniti): $18.99

- All Treseme: 2/$7

- Garnier HerbaShine, or Nutrisse Hair Color: $5.99

- Revlon Color Silk Luminista: 2/$6

- Dove Shampoo/Conditioner: 2/$7

- Renpure Organics or Infusium 23: $4.99

- Garnier Fructis Family Size Shampoo/Conditioner: $4.99

- Revlon Root Erase: $3.79

- Aussie, Pantene, Herbal Essences Family Size Shampoo/Conditioner: $5.99

BOGO FREE

- Fat Foam Hair Color, Samy Shampoo/Conditioner

- Goody Hair Accessories

BOGO 50% OFF

- L'oreal Hair Color (excludes Root Rescue)

- L'oreal Hair Care (excludes Salon Professional Brands)

-All L'oreal Face, Eye or Lip Cosmetics

-All Essence of Beauty Bath and Accessories

-All Almay Cosmetics

-All Milani Cosmetics

- All Sally Hansen Cosmetics

- L'oreal Hair Color

- Conair, Scunci or Nexxus Hair Brushes or Hair Accessories

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RITE AID

UP REWARD DEALS

- Clairol Nice N Easy Color blend Foam: $9.99 + $1 UP Reward

- L'oreal Vive, Studio, Kids, Everstrong, or 

  Eversleek Hair Care, Excellence or Preference Color: Buy $15, get $5 UP Reward

- Biosilk, Tigi, Bedhead or Tigi Catwalk Hair Care: Spend $15, get $5 UP Reward

- All Maybelline Great Lash Mascara: $4 (buy 3 mascaras, get $3 UP Reward)

- Cetaphil: Spend $15, get $5 UP Reward

- Physicians Formula BOGO 50%: Buy 3 items, get $5 UP Reward

COUPONS FOUND IN THE CIRCULAR

- L'oreal Superior Preference: Save $2

- Prestige Cosmetics: Save $3

- Revlon Nail Color: Save $3

- Oxy, Phisoderm and Softlips: save $3

- Finesse Hair Care or Aquanet Hairspray: Save $2

- L'oreal Color Riche Lip: Save $3

- Sally Hansen Beauty Tools: Save $3

- L'oreal Sublime Mousse Hair Color: Save $4

- Sammy Shampoo, Conditioner or Stylers: Save $3

- ROC or NuPeptin Skin Care: Save $4

ON SALE

- Nutrisse or HerbaShine Color: $5.99

- Garnier Stylers: $3.33

- Garnier Shampoo/Conditioners: $2.99

- Curel Lotion, Biore Skin Care: $5.99

- Revlon Lip & Mascara: $4.99

BOGO FREE

- PureShine, Jhirmack or Renpure Hair Care

BOGO 50% OFF

- Cover Girl

- Olay Skin and Bath

- L'oreal Skin Care & Sunless (Spend $30, get $10 UP Reward)

- c. booth Derma, DermaSilk, eclos, Vita-K or Yes To Skin Care

- NYC

- Almay

- Jergens Skin Care

- L'oreal Foundation, Powder, Concealer, Blush or Bronzer

- Maybelline Eye Shadow & Eye Liners

- Eucerin or Aquaphor Skin Care

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If you guys have any questions, let me know...otherwise Best of luck with your shopping!  :)

xoxo. Laura

Long time no post!!!  Sorry guys but I've been extreeeeemly busy as of lately.  I started a new job (which has taken up the majority of my time).  I've been getting more hours as a nanny, both Liam and I have started working out for 45 mins 6 days a week, we're kind of re-decorating the house and there has been talk in the air about adopting a dog!  :D  So, with all that said, blogging and youtube has been placed on the back burner until now.

I feel like I've kind of "re-organized" my life a bit and I feel like I'm ready to start fresh!!  :)

SO with all that out of the way, here are some things I picked up at Target tonight.  Nothing big, but thought it would be fun to show you what I got.

So first I picked up a basic black boyfriend-style t-shirt.  I was in my closet this morning and wondering why I didn't have just a plain black shirt??  Best part...it was on sale for $5!  :)

Second I got some Up&Up Target brand makeup remover wipes.  I used to be obsessed with the ones from ELF and wanted to try something different.  I've used one already and they out-do the ELF ones by a long shot.  They're so soft and moist.  Your skin will feel like you washed your face (even though you really didn't!) 

Third, I picked up another ELF eyelash curler for $1.  I lost my other one and I've been working with curl-less eyelashes for awhile now.

I got some of my favorite gum, because you never know when you're going to need it!

Last....this is my favorite find!......($6.99)

It's a little clutch-wallet type thing.  I've been looking for one of these things for awhile.  It's a pain to have to lug around your purse to grab groceries or to go to the gym.  This is going to be my little grab-and-go thing that I'll stash in my purse.

It has two pockets on either side.  In the picture above, this is just an open pocket that closes magnetically.  It is big enough for an iPhone.  You could also store lipgloss, gum, etc.

Then on the other side, you can store a few cards & your license.  Right behind the card holders is an opening where you could put extra cash if you need. 

The floral print is SO cute for springtime and I'm very excited to start using it!  :)

Hope y'all are doing well and I'll talk to you very soon!

xoxo. Laura

This is the second and final post about my new nail polish shades.  Like I said in the previous post, I have an ever-growing collection that is getting a tad out of control.  :)  All of the nail polishes were not purchased all at one time.  They were purchased over a period of a few months.  Plus I usually never buy anything at full price.  They were BOGO 50% off and I had coupons.  So that is how I ended up with so many.  Plus Revlon nail colors are usually inexpensive.

I'll start this haul with the new colors in their collection.

Colors from Left to Right are:

Flirt - A cool bubblegum pink. I'm obsessed with this one.  I find myself reaching for it again and again.

Naughty - A cool purple-grey with a duo chrome of pink.  So purdy!  ;)

Aloof - Your standard white.  This formula helps you achieve full opacity with just two coats.  And it has a taaaad bit of silver shimmer to it.  This is the perfect winter color.

Dreamer - A creamy sky blue.  Not much more to it.  I can't WAIT to try this color out.

Chic - A blue-grey that is just.....so.....Chic!

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Now onto the couple colors I bought, but aren't in their new collection.  I guess I was in a springtime/easter mood when I bought these.  haha.

Sunshine Sparkle - This yellow just looked soo nice in the container.  I'm not sure how the opacity or formula is, but it just looked perfect for springtime.  It doesn't have noticeable chunky glitters to it, but it does have a very slight shimmery silver tone to it.  Plus I don't have a yellow in my collection.

Minted - A soft-mint green.  No glitter or shimmer.  Just creamy and gorgeous! 

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I invite you all to click the links in the right hand corner and join me on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.  :)  I'd love to chat with y'all!

Much love, hugs and new nail polish colors!

xoxo   Laura

Lately I have been obsessed with nail polish.  I'll be out and pick up one or two new shades that are just staring at me...begging me to take them home.  My collection is now violently growing.  This is all probably thanks to the girls of Eleventh Gorgeous on YouTube.  (if you don't know who they are...check them out!)

I was at Walgreens this afternoon and thought I would treat myself to a few little $2 nail polishes.  I've never tried the "Sinful Colors" Brand before, but the line carries some of the brightest and most fun colors I've ever seen!  :)

Light Blue - "Why Not" - And why not get this one??  It's a fun bright aqua blue.  It makes me miss summer, though.  :(  I was inspired by one of the girls on The Bachelor.  I forget who...but she had gorgeous blue nails and I thought I needed a color like it!

Orangy-Salmony-Coral - "Hazard"- This is one of those where the picture does not do it justice.  I'm not a huge fan of straight-up coral colors, but this one was just calling to me.  This will make a pretty toe color this spring/summer.

Dark Blue - "Midnight Blue" - I jumped on the cobalt blue bandwagon finally.  I haven't tried it, but it looks gorgeous in the bottle.  It isn't completely creamy like the other two are.  It looks as though it has a little hint of shimmer and a duo-chrome of a purply/pink color.  So pretty.

So with all that said...Go get you some Sinful Color nail polishes!  :)

xoxo.

Laura

This is a long-overdue list that compiles my go-to products of 2011 all into one helpful shopping list for you!  :)  Just print this out and run to the store to grab you some beauty treats!

Or you can just read through it...think "this is awesome, I NEED to pass it along to my girlfriends!!" 

To break-up my rather long list...I've broken the posts down to categories.  Today's 2011 favorites feature products for your face. 

Most of these products are readily accessible at any drugstore and some are a little more high-end.  ;)  

So without further ado.... here is my winners from 2011!!

Concealer - Maybelline Age Rewind - gives just enough coverage without looking cakey.  Won't settle into fine lines or wrinkles and contains a healthy goji berry complex to keep your eyes looking young.

Foundation - L'oreal TruMatch - The color selection is massive.  The coverage is perfect.  Not to heavy and not too light.  The formula is long-wearing and there's no shimmer to make you look like a disco ball.

Powder - L'oreal TruMatch - This works well along with the liquid foundation.  It's great for setting your foundation and great for touch-ups throughout the day.  Won't make you look cakey or over-done.

Primer - Palletio Herbal Foundation Primer - Works like Smashbox's Photo Finish.  Leaves skin smooth and silky feeling and ready for foundation!

Blush/Bronzer - E.L.F. Contouring Blush/Bronzer - This is a dupe for NARS Laguna/Orgasm duo.  It's travel-friendly and works with virtually any skin tone.

Highlight - E.L.F. Shimmering Facial Whip in "Lilac" - Another dupe for Benefit's High Beam.  It has a more thin constancy than High Beam, but looks identical when blended in.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Facial Cleanser - Philosophy's Purity with Olay Pro-X Spin Brush - The natural non-drying formula of Purity paired with Olay's Facial Brush, leaves my skin feeling baby soft and just glowing.  

Day Moisturizer - Clean & Clear Pore Perfecting Moisturizer - The tiny (non-noticable) light reflecting particles will even out skin tone, hide pores and give your skin a glow without looking dewy.  The added SPF will protect your skin throughout the day from sun damage.

Night Moisturizer - Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle  - I can't tell you how soft this makes my skin feel.  It contains retinol so make sure you use this at night.  After just two weeks of use, my acne scars have almost disappeared and my fine lines I was getting are gone.

Eye Treatment - Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkel Eye Cream - This moisturizes the delicate eye area extrememly well.  Its antioxident formula is amazing for cell regeneration.  I wake up and my eyes look well-rested and younger.

Weekly Treatment - Olay Microdermabrasian Kit - I wish you could use this everyday, but the scrub is a little too harsh.  I use this 1-2x's per week to get those dead skin cells out of the way.  And let me tell you...it works!  It's a two step process that will only take you at the most 2 minutes.  It will leave you glowing and your skin baby-soft!

As always...if you have ANY questions...please feel free to comment.  I'm more than happy to answer your questions.  In the mean time, stay tuned for other makeup/hair favorites coming soon!

<3 always.

Laura

It's that time of year again.  I always find myself making new resolutions that I swear I'm going to stick to, but always end up breaking them.  I've made every kind of resolution you can think of.  I have promised to exercise more, drink more water, stick to my budgets, make new friends, etc.  For some reason I always end up breaking them.

I think one of the reasons I don't end up keeping my resolutions is because I don't have other people to hold me accountable.  When you share your goals with others, it's almost like rounding up your own set of cheerleaders.  They will be there when you need motivation, they will hold you accountable and pick up back up if you stumble.  No matter how big or small your goals are, having a support system is a crucial element to your success.

So with all that said.  I'm going to share with you all my goals and check in with you on how it is going.  I hope you will find some encouragement knowing that you are probably not alone.

1. EXERCISE MORE
Now I know this is one that I make every year, but I plan on keeping it this time.  I used to dance.  All day 3-4 times a week.  I loved it because it didn't seem like "excercise".  I believe that if you are doing something you love, it doesn't seem like just another workout.  And you will actually look forward to doing it!
I have my boyfriend working out with me 3-4 days/week.  I'm just starting slow walking on the treadmill, but even after a week, I feel sooo much better.  My mind feels less foggy and I just am more happy.  We love to hike, go to the gym.  And my personal favorite is dance classes.  :)  My ultimate goal is just to be healthy....the flat abs and lifted butt are just added benefits, in my opinion!  :)

2. THE "EMPTY BOTTLE" PROJECT
I can't tell you how many bottles of random cosmetics are half empty just chillin' under my bathroom sink.  I clean it out every January and I was able to fill two Target plastic sacks full of bottles of stuff I don't use anymore.
I want to use an entire bottle of moisturizer, shampoo, perfume, etc. before I go and purchase another one.  This just avoids clutter and allows me to give the product a fair chance.  I hate that I get distracted with the "latest and greatest" that I forget to use up what I have already.  This will, in the long run, save me time and money.

3. LIGHTS, CAMERA....VLOG!!!
I'm pretty excited about this one.  I look back on last year, and I don't have that many pictures.  I want to be able to look back and remember a year through lots of photos and videos.  Vlogging gives you the ability to capture your day-to-day life and share it with your friends, family and whoever else finds you entertaining.  haha.  You can capture everything form just cooking a Tuesday night dinner to vacations, events and other special moments.  I just got a new HD camera and I want to share my experiences with everyone!  :)

4. PUT MYSELF OUT THERE
I've always been a soft-spoken person.  I'm not good at sticking up for myself and I've found myself being more on the sidelines that in the middle of the action and enjoying myself.  It's strange, I feel confident on the inside, but it's hard for me to express it.  Not sure why.  I think my biggest fear is just being called "not good enough" or "dumb"or something along those lines.  Rejection is one of my biggest fears.

I'm the maid of honor for a friend's wedding this year and I'm going to have to find a way to be confident during my speech.  I'm going to land a job for what I went to school for by being confident in my skills.  I know others are proud of me.  I just want to find a way where I can be proud of myself.

5. SCARE YOURSELF SILLY
Ok, maybe not literally, but I believe in doing something that scares you at least once a month.  I don't mean like somebody jumping out from the closet, but something that gets your heart racing and gives your stomach butterflies and gives you that "I'm SO glad I did that" feeling after.  This takes the everyday-ness out of the everyday and puts that spice back into life.  Plus it will give you a good story to tell friends later on.
Here's a list of things I'm going to do that give me that "good scare".  I'm going kick my shy-ness to the side and try out for a pro football cheer team.  I don't care if I make it or not, but I just want to be able to say that I tried it & I enjoyed it.  I want to explore new places alone.  I want to nail my interviews and eventually land my dream job.  I want to try cooking new cuisines instead of the same old meat and potatoes I'm used to.  There's more, but hopefully that gives you guys some idea of what I'm talking about.


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What are some of your goals for the new year?  Comment below and tell me!  :)  Somebody else to reads this might have the same goal as you and you guys can keep each other going.

Happy Saturday Everyone!!  :)
xoxo.
Laura