June Beauty Favorites

Hey everyone! Hope everyone's weekends are going fantastic! Since it is the last day of the month I figured I would do my beauty favorites of the month. Along with some awesome beauty finds, I have some misc items in the mix as well, so here they are! 


So first is a hair product that I use almost everyday and I absolutely love! 

It's from TRESemme and it's the salon silk no frizz serum. I use a couple pumps everyday for silky, shiny looking hair. This stuff is great and really affordable. My big draw to this product was the argan oil in it. This product is only $3.99 at Target and that's an awesome deal compared to other brands with the same type of product.

Next up is another hair product that I discovered and am loving so far. This I don't use everyday, but if I am going out I will use it. 

So this is John Frieda full repair touch-up flyaway tamer. If you aren't sure what a flyaway is, those tiny hairs that stick up after you style your hair (typically at the top by your roots), those are flyaways. They are somehow so darn stubborn and with this product (which has a mascara brush) I found them to be minimized. Now they don't all go away forever, but they do help tame them and add a little shine to that area without making it greasy. I found this product at Ulta for about $8.99 so it's not too bad and it's a pretty big bottle for the price!

Next are some face wipes that I found to be the best working ones so far. They are from Neutrogena and they promise to take off even the stubborn waterproof eye makeup, which it truly does do!

not sure why it isn't rotating :(

So these makeup remover towelettes are super duty and like I mentioned above, they take off even the stubborn waterproof makeup. It is gentle on your skin and doesn't dry it out either. Great product and I used a $2 off coupon and scored this for less than $5 at Target!!

The next product I had for a few months, but really didn't start using it til this month, so that's why I'm including it. 

I got this from a recommendation by the lady who works at my Ulta to use as a makeup brush cleaner. It's made by Philosophy and it's the purity made simple one-step facial cleanser. This product is really great for cleaning brushes and you don't need to use a big amount to get the gunk off your brushes either. This is the travel size I got for $10 at Ulta and it has lasted me quite some time already. I occasionally use it on my face and it is really gentle, my only issue is the smell, I'm not loving it, but for a brush cleaner I don't mind it.

So another face product I've had for a long time, but haven't used in a while is made from Avon.

As you see in the lovely picture above, I showed you the product on my face, and it applies super thick and I only needed one coat. So the name is True Pore-Fection skin refining mask by Avon Solutions and since I got it a long time ago, they unfortunately don't sell it online anymore, but they do have similar products which I am sure work just as effectively. This is again super affordable and this particular one is used for oily skin (which I tend to have especially in the summatime). Once it dries it creates a crackle effect on your face and then you know to take it off and you literally feel like you got a professional facial afterwards. 

The final face product I have for you guys is Freeman feeling beautiful pink grapefruit facial scrub. 

Walmart sells these little guys for less than $2 and they come in a variety of scents. They are actually good for a few uses because the quantity in the packet is quite a bit. I particularly like the pink grapefruit because of the smell and because of summer it is a great summertime scent. They have some other great ones like chocolate/strawberry, creamy apricot, and mint/lemon to name a few. You should definitely try a few of these out and find your favorite!

The next item is one of those misc items. I got this for my mom for her birthday because she loves candles and I am so in love with the smell I had to get one for myself.

It's a natural soy candle in coconut creme and it smells so good I could burn this scent all the time. This candle is fairly lightweight and super affordable, I think I got it from TJ Maxx or HomeGoods for $4-$5!! My mom is also in love with this smell it is reminiscent of the beach and that is always a great smell!

The final product for my beauty/misc favorite is my journal that I got from Target earlier this month.

I was looking for a new journal since my last one was nearing the end and I knew I didn't want to spend a small fortune either. Target had so many cute ones to choose from, some more expensive than others, and then I came across this gem which I believe was only $2.99 or something. It is plain and simple with an adorable quote on the cover that reads "She's a dreamer, a doer, a thinker, she sees possibility everywhere." I also love that it is environmentally friendly being printed with soy ink. Even writing on the paper is so smooth I just love it.

What are some of your favorite items (beauty or otherwise) for the month of June?

Post your comments below!!

Nail Files {6/29/12}

Yay it's Friday!! So today I am linking up once again with the wonderful {Tara} and {Vicki} for Nail Files. If you haven't joined this link up you need it! It encourages you to paint your nails and make them look pretty every week!! This week I went bright, again. 



So I am not sure why the color looks red, but it is hot pink. Once I painted my nails I put a top coat of my new Sally Hansen insta dry/no chip and I absolutely LOVE how my nails look with it. They looked like I got them professionally done and having painted them 3 days ago, I still think my nails look pretty perfect.

So this is Sally Hansen salon nail lacquer in Orange You Cute? I absolutely loved how well this color looks and it was easy to apply. The brush is a little thinner and it makes it easier to get it in those tight areas. 

Do you have a cute polish on? Have you linked up? If not you should!!

It's 'OK' Thursday

Happy Thursday (I know I need to come up with something else, this is getting old even for me). So today I am linking up with {Neely} and {Amber} for it's 'OK' Thursday. 

...it's ok that I'm calling in 'sick' at work today to enjoy the zoo with my fave niece

...it's ok that I didn't win employee of the quarter at work (I promise I'm a good employee & don't call in, like ever), the nomination was good enough for me winning would have been cooler.

...it's ok that as much as I tell myself to save $$ for Vegas, I still managed to spend over $150 in 2 days!!!

...it's ok that UPS totally jipped me by charging me $15 to ship a package that definitely weighed less than 2 lbs.

...it's ok that I watch crappy reality TV, it's entertaining and sometimes makes me feel better about my life.

...it's ok that I painted my nails yesterday, but won't post pictures up until the Nail Files link-up!

...it's ok that I've already won 2 amazing giveaways, but I'm being greedy and hoping my luck continues for a few more giveaways :).

...it's ok that I just learned how to schedule posts, oh well, problems of a new blogger, I'm still learning new things everyday!

So what's OK with you all today, go and link-up!!

Kavalena {Look Good + Do Good}

Happy Wednesday everyone! This post is dedicated to the small start-up Kavalena. It is a clothing company based in Chicago, IL and they contacted me a few weeks ago to help them get their name out there. Kavalena's goal is to meet the biggest needs in the world. They partner with non-profit organizations to provide clean water, healthy meals, access to education, health care, and freedom from slavery of all kinds. The need for these basic human necessities are huge in our world today.


Kavalena is designed to be a way for everyone to have an opportunity to make a lasting and life changing impact in the world. With affordable and competitive pricing, quality products, and a giving plan that is designed to do the most good possible, everyone now has a chance to make their own little dent in the issue of global poverty. Together we can change the future for those currently living in poverty. Children do not have to die from preventable diseases, be forced into slavery, wither from lack of nourishing food, and drop out of school because they can't afford school fee's.

Kavalena partners with non-profit organizations who use 100% of the donations to meet these needs, they partner with: 

A Bright Connection

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A Better Life For Kids

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charity: water

With each purchase, the following is provided:

3 meals for a child and their family

1 hour's worth of clean water for a village

1 hour of aftercare for an individual freed from slavery

1 day of school for a child in Ghana, Africa

1 hour of therapy for orphans with cerebral palsy and autism

When the PR team at Kavalena contacted me to help them get their name out there, I was so glad to help them any way I could. They said they would send me a product to show me how wonderful it is. The tank they sent me is super soft and looks so great on me! Plus the packaging they sent it all in was so awesome, they really take the time out to make sure it looks presentable with a pretty bow and everything. 

I've already signed up to help package meals for children in need in August since it is real close to my house. I am excited to get my hands dirty and help make some sort of difference. For a way to help out you should most definitely visit the website Kavalena.com and help in any way that you can! For more information on Kavalena or their partnered organizations you can contact them via email at info@kavalena.com!

All opinions are my own and information was gathered from the Kavalena press kit given to me. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post, just a free tank.

Versatile Blogger Award

I know what you guys are thinking, two posts in one day! I had to post this though, how awesome is it to wake up on a Monday morning to an email from Jennifer at Party of One saying she nominated me for a blogger award!! This is exciting because it's my very first award and Jennifer is a fave blogger of mine so thanks for nominating me! If you don't already, you should definitely check her blog out, now!!

So I got nominated for the Versatile Blogger award and this is such a sweet thing because I've only been blogging for a little while now and to already have some amazing ladies reading my blog and commenting is such a great thing.

So here are the rules for this award:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you

2. Include a link to their site

3. Include the award image (above) in your post

4. Give 7 random facts about yourself

5. Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award

6. When nominating, include a link to their site

7. Let the bloggers know they have been nominated (email,twitter, etc)

7 random facts about me:

1. I don't function in the morning without my daily Starbucks

2. I hate hate hate creepy crawly things, especially spiders!!!

3. I have over 50 cousins (that I've actually met, I'm sure there are way more)

4. I am 100% of Indian origin, but can hardly speak the language

5. I am a huge basketball (Chicago Bulls) & football (Chicago Bears) fan!

6. I can't leave my house without some sort of makeup (foundation, tinted moisturizer, etc)

7. I have 2 tattoos and am already planning on some more (they are totally addictive)

15 nominated bloggers:

Vicki @ My Vickilicious Life

Alyssa @ Never a Dull Moment

Nichole @ Life as a Newlywed

Lyzz @ Defying Gravity

Lauran @ The Real Young Housewife of Southern VA

Meg @ More from Meg

Anne @ Hell on Heels

Kate @ Green Fashionista

Bronwyn @ Our Beautiful Blessings

Leslyn @ Leslyn's Lovely Life

Holly @ Running in Stilettos

Laura @ Under the Suburban Sun

Lauren @ Pink on the Cheek

Amber @ Brunch with Amber

Tiffany @ Austin Family Diary

If you haven't already, please check these ladies blogs out, they are daily reads for me and amazing "versatile" bloggers!!

Panda Cupcakes

Morning everyone! I wanted to do a post on some pretty delicious cupcakes I made with my sister and friend. They were for a bake sale and I have to admit they turned out better than we expected. Now I make a LOT of cupcakes, but never really do any fun designs or themes, just stick some frosting on there and maybe some glitter, sprinkles, that type of thing. Well this time we aimed high, and attempted to make panda cupcakes. We were going to do a pop-out cupcake, but quickly realized it would take us much longer than we expected. So we just drew the face onto the cupcakes and added some ears. 


-I started with making the cupcakes, and to save time we just bought a box and baked it that way. I used Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate. 

-Once those were all done baking and cooled down, we started with the frosting. Now I just used vanilla frosting and covered the entire cupcake with a nice thick, smooth layer.

-I also cut mini oreo's 3/4 of the way to use as ears. 

-Once I got a good outline of the face with a toothpick, I then used black writing gel frosting to make the eyes, nose and mouth. 

-Once that was done I took mini chocolate chips and put them in as the eyes and used a white writing gel frosting to make a pupil. 

This was honestly so simple to do and it looks really cute, my suggestion is to place more frosting where the ears go or they will start sliding. Also, stick these bad boys in the fridge as soon as your done because the summer heat will make those ears start sliding off. 

Have you guys made any cupcakes lately?

Let me know what you have tried & you can send me a pic of it too!!

Sunday Social Week {3}

Happy Sunday Funday everyone!! I'm once again linking up with {Ashley} and {Neely} for Sunday social and this week it is all about music!! I'm very excited because I love all types of music, my pandora stations range from 90's pop to Rihanna, Adele, Jay-Z, Country, John Mayer, & Usher. I know, all over the place. Well hopefully I can answer these questions (some of them were hard to really think of).


What is your all-time favorite song? So just like last week, I need to have a list, because naming one thing is quite impossible for me...here a few faves:
-Billie Jean by Michael Jackson

-Yesterday by The Beatles

-Wonderwall by Oasis

-Crash into me by Dave Matthews Band

-Waterfalls by TLC

-Paradise by Coldplay

-Snow (Hey oh) by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Wow that was quite a list, I promise I will try and shorten the rest of them :).
What is your favorite singer/band? I like a lot, you can include all the above in this list and a few more,-Carrie Underwood -Taylor Swift -Jason Mraz -Lupe Fiasco-Katy Perry -Kid Cudi-Jack Johnson-Luke Bryan-OneRepublic-Maroon 5-The ScriptHonestly my list can go on and on, but I'll stop it there! 
What is your theme song/song that best describes your life?-Good Life by OneRepublic

-The Show Goes on by Lupe Fiasco*

What songs put you in a good mood?

-Imagine by John Lennon 

-Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield 

What is your favorite road-trip music? 
I think anything by RHCP, DMB, The Beatles, The Fray in a mix-tape!!

What song are you embarrassed to admit you love? 

-Call me maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen (unfortunately I'm loving this song)

-Pieces of me by Ashlee Simpson

Basically anything from the 90's pop era, I loved it, but it's embarrassing looking back on it all now (e.g. Backstreet Boys, N'sync, 98 Degrees, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, etc)

Well I know I have quite a lot written for all these answers, but I would love to hear yours, so go and link up!!

Nail Files {6/22/12}

Happy Friday everyone! Today I am excited to do my 3rd week of the link up Nail Files with {Vicki} and {Tara}!! I went to f21 and went pretty crazy and bought like 7 different polishes, but at $2.80 can you really feel bad. I sure didn't. Since I was home today I decided to really spend some time on my nails, really cleaning them up, doing the whole cuticle thing, and even learned some cool tricks {thanks to pinterest}. Nothing real fancy just a way to quick dry your nails and I'd say it works pretty well, not perfect, but it'll do until I go to Target and buy this little guy: 

It's supposed to dry your nails within 1-2 mins and it's top coat is anti-chip! Once I get it I will make sure to do a review on it. The trick I learned is after painting your nails to submerge them in ice cold water for a minute or two. Maybe you knew about it, maybe not, try it I think it worked pretty well!! Well anywho, onto my nails...

So this week I went a little bit darker, but it's still bright enough for summer. I used f21's love & beauty in purple.

I thought it was too plain and boring with just the purple so I did a little bling bling sparkle on my ring finger again with f21's love & beauty in purple/multi sparkle. I'm not sure why in the picture it is coming up on the blue side, but it really is a vibrant purple. I took about 30 pictures and it kept coming up blue-ish so I just said forget it and went with the best pic out of them all. 

What color are you guys wearing this week? Link up!!

It's 'OK' Thursday

Happy Thursday (my Friday) everyone! I am excited because today is the start of my weekend! Yay!! I haven't had a Friday off from work in like forever, so this is a nice treat, especially after the hell-ish day at work today. Well anywho, I am linking up again with the beautiful {Neely} and {Amber} for it's OK Thursdays! I really enjoy this link up because it makes you think about what is going on in your life and this is a way you can come out and say "you know what, it's ok." Well let's get to it...






...it's ok that I am already in vacation mode for my Vegas trip that isn't until August.


...it's ok that even after 9 years your best friends can disappoint you, but you can't do anything about it.


...it's ok that all day at work I rubbed it in all my coworkers face that I am off tomorrow :)

it's my Friday at least :)

...it's ok that when asked what exciting plans you have for your day off you answer "sleep until I can't sleep anymore!"

...it's ok that no matter how long I try to sleep, my body is so used to waking up early that it simply won't let me sleep in.

...it's ok to have bought 4 new swim suits for my upcoming Vegas trip, I still need to buy some new outfits and not be broke by the end of it all.

...it's ok that all I want to do is eat unhealthy stuff during the summer, but can't so I don't look like a whale in my  4 new swim suits in Vegas.

story of my life

...it's ok that there are multiple times during the day where I think to myself, I'm sure there is an ecard on someecards.com about this exact moment.

...it's ok to be super excited about Magic Mike coming out next week, who isn't?!?

umm yes, I'll have a scoop of each please :)

So what's OK with you guys today? Go link up!!

The Bachelorette Dish Week 6

Hey guys, I know I am getting this post out pretty late, and I am doing this link up 6 weeks late, but oh well. I have been watching The Bachelor/The Bachelorette for years now and as bad as it's gotten, I still watch. So this week I am linking up with {Anne} to do a little Bachelorette Dish.




So this week, they went to Croatia and I just want to put this out there, it is breathtaking there!!!

via

So the first 1 on 1 date went to Travis, this is the ostrich egg guy, and although he is sweet, I always thought he was a bit weird for doing that whole egg thing.

via

-On the date itself I thought he was a really sweet guy, but I see him as more of a friend for Emily. No real big sparks going on. Sad to see him go, but I hope he finds someone special for him and his egg friend!

On the group date: I thought it was so cute that they went to see the movie Brave before it came out. Sean in a kilt is the hottest thing ever, yum yum!!

-I thought it was sweet she gave the brave award to Chris even though he lost all rounds of the games.

-OH MY KISS. Oh Arie. That kiss was super romantic and couldn't have been more perfect timing. 

-I think Emily is falling more for Jef than he is for her and I agree with {Anne} and think he's a perfect fit for Ali.

-I think Sean or Arie should have gotten the rose, oh well.

via

Ok this little section here is going to talk mostly about the douchebag that is, Ryan. Here are my thoughts on him for this episode.

-That white tank top, what the heck was that?!? Did he get that at Baby Gap??

via

-Plus, his beard shape looks ridiculous, or is that just me who thinks that?!

-He admitted to having a "mean man" inside him, ummmm red flag??

-He is just soooo into himself and that is just obnoxious and disgusting!

-Honestly, I don't even think he is that good looking, please tell me I am not the only one who feels this way.

1 on 1 date: Unfortunately, Ryan got the second 1 on 1 date with Emily and so here are some of my thoughts on the date.

-Firstly, does he think those lame pick up lines are working for anyone??

-Second, what are those shoes he was wearing, turquoise blue dress shoes?!?! Those just SCREAM douchebag!!

-I also tried to keep count of how many times he brought up "trophy wife" on the date, I got 6.

-I cannot believe Ryan was trying to manipulate Emily into keeping him around and making her second guess her decision.

-Is it bad that I laughed when he thought he made some true "friendships" on the show all the while the guys are celebrating him going home??

-Annnnnd finally, I'm pretty sure an "arrogant ass" is NOT what you are, at all....yeah...RIGHT.

Moving onto the Cocktail Party:

-John's story was very touching and you could just tell it was a tough subject for him to talk about, and I think he surprised Emily too!

-Can we just talk about Emily's dress, I LOVED it!!

via

-Also, does anyone else think Doug is kind of creepy/awkward around Emily. Nice guy, but weird vibe.

Rose Ceremony:

-So she decided not to send anyone home during the rose ceremony since she sent home Travis & Ryan which I thought was nice because she was giving guys like John & Doug another chance to see if there was anything there.

So I can't wait until next Monday, I know a lot of exciting stuff is supposed to happen between Arie and an ex and am excited to see how that all plays out!!

June Birchbox

Happy Monday everyone! I'm excited today because after coming home from work I was greeted by my very first Birchbox for the month of June. This month's theme is Jet Set and I think this is a super cute and very appropriate theme. I am excited to get this because I am most likely going on a trip at the end of August {Vegas, baby!!} for my birthday! So I just wanted to do this post and do a review of all the products and basically an overview of what I thought of my very first Birchbox.


My initial reaction was oh how cute is this box!! Love the all pink and when you open the outer box the box that contains all the products is equally as adorable as well as clean, and simple.

Cute right?! So these are the products that I got in my box. First up is the Eyeko London skinny liquid liner.

Eyeko London $15

I already know I will be loving this liquid liner! I used it just to show you guys how it looks on and it applies very easily, even for liquid liner novices like myself. The liner I use now is from elf and it's only $1 and so far I haven't had any issues with it, but this one was just so much smoother to apply and looks great!!

No other eye makeup besides the liner.

Moving right along, next up in the box is from Melvita and it's a rose floral water. I wasn't really sure how I felt about this at first because it kind of reminded me of the smell of my nasal spray {yuck!}, but surprisingly I think it is really light and airy. Not too much and it is explained on the card as a "delicate scent" and I completely agree. Plus I love the fact that this is 100% organic and natural. Working in the medical field I think it is important not to spray super strong scents while working because it isn't for everyone, but after my lunchtime walks I think this would be a great skin refresher.

Melvita $22

Next is theBalm cosmetics stainiac in beauty queen which is a two-in-one lip and cheek stain.

theBalm cosmetics $17

This product is actually pretty cool. I wasn't really sure what to expect because I have never used something like this. I have a picture below of the stain on my lips and cheek. When I first saw the color I was nervous because it was a pretty deep red. The stain on your lips kind of burns at first which I am thinking maybe because it is also a plumper?! 

Stainiac in Beauty Queen

I realize it doesn't come out great on my iPhone

The good thing about this product is that it comes on sheer. On your lips you have to apply 2-3 coats to get a pretty good red color {which isn't coming up in the pic, but I swear it is a really pretty red}. On your cheeks a couple of streaks on your cheek and then I used my ring finger to blend it on the apples of my cheeks. It doesn't come up a ridiculous red which is great and rather it creates a slight flush on your cheeks {again you can't totally tell in my pic above, I apologize}. The only thing I am not sure of with this product is spending $17 for the size, if the full-size is a decent size bigger I could justify that. 

Up next is Yu-Be moisturizing skin cream. 

Yu-Be $16

I kinda had a feeling I wasn't gonna use this product much and I think that's probably true. I really hate the smell of this product. It claims to be the bestselling Japanese cream that heals cracked hands, chapped lips, and other forms of dryness. I really think I can be ok with not using this mainly because of the smell. I may just try it out since I have the sample size on my heels to see if it helps that and I will report back. 

Next up is Band-Aid Cynthia Rowley dress up Band-Aids. I actually was like WTF when I got this because I couldn't believe they had designer Band-Aids, and they are charging $15 for a box of 20. No thanks, I will just use these because I got them in the box, but there is NO way I would spend that much on a box of Band-Aids that will get thrown out after they become ratty. I like my free ones from the hospital, thank you very much. 

Band-Aid $15

I was pretty upset with the Band-Aid item because although I use them I would have preferred a cute nail polish color or something more useful to me, not a $15 box of Band-Aids. Ridiculous.

Anyways, the final item is another bust. They sent me a sample size of John Varvatos star USA which is something that might be found in the Birchbox Men's box. This was kind of dumb to send to me along with the Band-Aids because I would have preferred something that I would have used and now a lucky guy will be getting this. I am sure it smells great, but obviously not for me to review. The card says it is a "blend of ginger, juniper berries, and vetiver." Not even sure if my dad would like this, but I am sure I can find someone to give it to.

John Varvatos $55-70

Well for the most part {besides the dumb Band-Aids and John Varvatos Men's cologne sample} I would say I am pretty satisfied with my Birchbox this month. I am pretty excited for next month's and hope they don't have bust items like this one. But again, very happy with my lip/cheek stain and liquid liner. If you guys don't have Birchbox or have been contemplating getting it I really do suggest it. It is only $10 a month and you don't have to commit to any long term contract. You can use this link to sign up for a monthly Birchbox, www.birchbox.com. 

Do you subscribe to Birchbox? Are you happy with your box this month, any bust products? 

Leave your thoughts in the comments below!!