Go Back to School with SinfulColors! A Class Act

*Disclosure* Products were provided complimentary for review. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always!

Hey everyone! I have an exciting post for you today where I'll be sharing 10 colors from the new back to school 2015 line from SinfulColors called A Class Act. There are 27 colors total in this collection and I was able to pick out 10. 

Here is a bit about this collection from SinfulColors:

Get ready to hit the books and go back to school in style with the latest collection for Back To School from SinfulColors, A Class Act. The extensive array of fresh shades are perfectly on-trend with the latest fall fashions and will ensure that your mani is top of the class. Dusty pastels and pops of color come in a demi-matte finish that feels soft yet looks striking and is deserving of nothing but straight A's.  Denim blues and ready-to-burst brights capture an effortlessly cool and rebellious vibe, while shimmering silvers, purples and teals with eye catching 3D glitters look just as chic during a night out on the town as they do in class the next day.

Top row from left to right: Glass Pink, Pink Break, 24/7, RADient, Energetic Red

Bottom row from left to right: Truth or Lavendare, Purple Diamond, Ice Dream, Why Not, Ice Blue

You can probably see a theme with me, I love my pinks and purples. Usually I'm not a fan of blue, but that Ice Dream glitter polish will look so nice over the Why Not shade. Pink is my all-time favorite color so naturally I had to get 4 different shades. 





These are all of the colors that will be available in August and September 2015. You might already be seeing them pop up here and there, but I haven't seen them in my stores yet. SinfulColors is sold for only $1.99 so it's incredibly affordable, and is sold at Walgreen's and other mass retailers. Even though I don't always have my nails done, I've always been a fan of SinfulColors, so I know these will be awesome. 

If you want to learn more about the brand, check them out on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

What do you think of this collection? Will you be picking any of the shades up?

Exuviance Daily Protector SPF 50 Giveaway

 

*Disclosure* This giveaway is brought to you by Exuviance and BrandBacker. Not a sponsored post.

Hi guys! I wanted to let you all know that Exuviance is giving away a full size of their Sheer Daily Protector with SPF 50 to 25 winners! This is a US only contest. Click here to enter.

Here is a bit about the product:

This weightless fluid blends effortlessly on clean skin, or layered under makeup in a daily skincare routine. Broad spectrum SPF 50 protects against photodamage, the primary cause of signs of aging. An ultra-fine transparent mineral sunscreen in a virtually invisible universal tint smoothes imperfections and helps natural skin tone appear more even.

Multi-Antioxidants Vitamin E and Lactobionic Acid fortify skin’s natural defense, scavenging free radicals brought on by daily environmental aggressors before they can cause premature aging. A PHA/Bionic complex helps prevent collagen breakdown to maintain a healthy skin matrix and firmness, and helps prevent signs of photoaging such as lines and wrinkles. A highly purified and concentrated form of Green Tea Extract reduces cell breakdown and helps protect cellular DNA for healthy skin. PA++++ highest level of UVA protection.

Suitable for all skin types. Product is fragrance-free, paraben-free and oil-free as well as non-acnegenic, non-comedogenic.

Good luck to everyone who enters the contest! Again, click here to enter! 

Review: The Wellbeing Centre Ultimate Prenatal Multi-Vitamin

*Disclosure* I received this product complimentary for review thanks to the brand and Tomoson. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always!

Hey everyone! I'm pretty excited I got the chance to try out these Prenatal Vitamins from The Wellbeing Centre as I've had a bit of a tough time finding a good one for me. I got the ok from my doctor to use these first, since I obviously want to take as good care of myself as possible. I've been taking them for a few weeks now, so lets see how I feel about them so far!

These prenatal vitamins are said to be simple to take, since they are easy to swallow, aren't too large, and have a mild smell. These also have no GMO, no wheat, no gluten, no sugar, no milk, no yeast, no shellfish, no artificial flavors, no preservatives, and they are sodium free.

There are many health benefits for the baby such as having a high level of folic acid. Folic acid is said to help make red blood cells, stimulate metabolism and copy genetic material such as DNA. Without enough folic acid, the risk of neural tube malformations in the fetus like spina bifida is much higher. That's pretty scary to think, so I'm glad I started taking one as soon as I found out I was pregnant. There are good levels of calcium and vitamin D, which help aid in the growth of babies little bones. 

These have the best quality natural and pure ingredient benefits like vitamin C, which is essential for the growth and repair of collagen, blood vessels and other tissues. Vitamin B6 helps produce energy and makes red blood cells. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12 all help the babies brain and nervous system develop. Vitamins A, C and D all help healthy bones of myself and baby. All good stuff that I and my growing baby need right now!

I think these are some pretty nice prenatal vitamins! They cost only $29.99 on Amazon for a bottle of 90, and you only need to take one a day. You can also take these if you aren't pregnant as well, since they will still have health benefits for you. Of course I still have the typical pregnancy symptoms, but as long as I can keep taking my prenatal vitamins, I know I'm safe and my baby is as well. 

What kind of vitamins do you take?

Review: Colourpop Lippie Stix in Juicy & Go Fish

Hey guys! Today's review is going to be of the two Colourpop Lippie Stix I own in the shades Juicy and Go Fish. I purchased these along with a couple other products a little while ago and realized I never reviewed them. Stick around and see if I liked these lip products!

There's no description of these Lippie Stix on the Colourpop site, but they're basically just lipsticks that come in a twist-up container and they come in a wide variety of colors and finishes. The finishes on these two I have a called Hyper-Glossy. 

When I was looking at these two colors online, their pictures looked different. In person, they look so similar and you really have to look to see the differences. In the picture, Juicy is on the left, and Go Fish is on the right. When I got these in the mail, I was a bit disappointed at first, but on my lips and in swatches they do look a bit different. 

Lip swatch of Juicy, which is described as a bright strawberry pink shade. 

Lip swatch if Go Fish, which is described as a vibrant coral red. 

You can definitely tell in these swatches that Juicy is alot more pink than Go Fish. I have to say, I absolutely love how these feel on the lips! They're so soft and moisturizing, and while they go on a little patchy at first, they're easy to work with and blend. Since these are a glossy finish, the wear time isn't the greatest. Once you decide to eat or dink something, it's pretty much gone. I also think these shades go nicely with my fair skin. You get a somewhat decent amount of product at 1.0 grams, or 0.0352 ounces. The great thing about these Lippie Stix is they only cost $5. Yes, just $5! I'm blown away at the price of these because the quality is pretty nice for the price. Do I want more of these? Eh, maybe. I do want to get the Lumiere shade that Kathleen Lights came out with, but that's it really. I'm not overly picky with my lip products and like to try out all different kinds. I used to be strictly a lipgloss girl, so the fact that I'm branching out to lipsticks (and liking them!) is pretty nuts for me. 

You can find these Lippie Stix on the Colourpop website, and it's saying on the site that they now ship to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which is pretty neat!

Have you tried any Lippie Stix? If so, what shades do you like?

July 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! It's finally Ipsy time, where I get to show you what I received in my bag this month! The theme is Summer Lovin', and it's currently feeling very Summery and humid here, so the theme definitely fits. Lets see what I got this month!

So the actual bag that everything comes in, it's just alright. I'm not a fan of the color scheme or the design, and I personally don't think it looks Summery. That's alright, it's what's inside that counts, and I'm a bit meh with that as well.

The first product I received is the Nudestix Magnetic Eye Color in the shade Gilt. It's a pretty champagne color that says it's waterproof, easy to blend and long wearing. I've heard of this brand alot lately so I am curious to try this and see how it works. The cool thing is it comes with its own sharpener as it's not a retractable pencil. 

Next up is the Be A Bombshell Lip Balm, and I received the shade called French Kiss, which is a light pink. I'm all for lip balms, I can never get enough really, but this is just a plain ole balm that doesn't have any color payoff or scent whatsoever. I don't really understand why there are different shades. Maybe the other one that was sent out is more pigmented.

Next we have the Aurora Gel Effect Nail Polish in the shade 4 Alarm Fire. I do admit that the shade is very pretty, but I've said it many times before and I'm saying it again: I CAN'T STAND GETTING NAIL POLISH!!! Seriously, I've had so many bottles of nail polish sent to me in Ipsy bags, and I'm so over it. I never really do my nails that often, so most of the polishes I have are just sitting in a drawer, unloved. I've retaken the quiz and reviewed the polishes I've gotten to hopefully have them realize no more polish, but I guess it doesn't work.

Now we have the Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten Up! Exfoliating Cleanser. I was acutally pretty excited to get this in my bag, but when I picked it up, it's basically empty! I can probably try and get maybe 2 small uses at most out of this, but I'm incredibly disappointed that there is hardly any product in the container. 

The last product is the Coolway Beachy Salt Spray. I also don't really like getting hair sprays in my Ipsy bags either and I wish they would stop sending them. I'm fine with getting shampoo or conditioner products, as I will always use them, but anything that's a hair spray, texturizing spray, or anything that gives hair that crunchy feeling, forget it. I'll never use it! 

Overall, I am pretty disappointed this month. Now I could just be angry because of my pregnancy hormones, but I won't get use out of the majority of this bag. Normally Ipsy is pretty great and if I have a disappointing bag, the next month is usually better. 

If you're not subscribed to Ipsy and you would like to be, you can do so here via my referral link! It only costs $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you typically get 4-5 deluxe sized products along with a makeup bag. Occasionally they will send full sized products, which is a nice treat!

If you're already subscribed to Ipsy, what did you get in your bag? Are you happy with the products this month?

Makeup & Beauty HAUL! Ulta, Sephora & Makeup Geek

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be showing you some makeup goodies I had purchased over the last few weeks or so. Alot of sales were going on, and there were a few things that I just wanted to try. I know I say this in every haul post I do, but I think it's going to be a little while until I do another haul. If you saw my last post, you know my husband and I are expecting our first baby! Since finding out we're expecting, I was in the mindset of changing some of my habits like eating differently, and I want to change around my skincare. Being pregnant and having oily, acne-prone skin is proving difficult to take care of properly. Anyways, forgive this long intro, and lets see what I picked up!

I'll start off with the products I picked up from Ulta. The day I went, Ulta was having a 40% off sale on certain brands and I also wanted to get some advice on skincare I can use during pregnancy. Salicylic Acid, moisturizers/serums/toners with Tea Tree Oil, Glycolic Acid, and possibly Benzoyl Peroxide are ruled out. In turn, that rules out almost all of my skincare because Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree Oil are the only ingredients that help with any acne I get. Instead of buying a totally new regimen, I decided to try out the Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash. My mom has used this in the past, but I had never tried it. The ingredients look safe, so I'm excited to see how this does with my skin. 

I had been so curious about the it Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream for ages. During pregnancy, I have read that you can only use a physical sunscreen like Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, and not chemical sunscreens. I found a regular sunscreen I can use at Walmart, and I was very pleased to see this it Cosmetics CC Cream having both physical sunscreens. I have already used this, and I absolutely love it! I bought the shade Fair, and it's almost perfect, but it leans a little yellow on my skin. I can work with it though and it blends in incredibly well. 

I'm in love with Too Faced products and was standing at their section for close to 15 minutes, while my poor husband waited patiently. Their Melted Lipsticks are fantastic so I decided to get the shade Melted Jelly Donut, which is a bright fuchsia color. I have yet to try it, but I think I'm going to love it with my fair skin. 

L'Oreal and Physician's Formula were two of the brands that were 40% off. I picked up the L'Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray due to all the great reviews I hear and read. I love setting sprays, especially during this time of year, and I typically like what I try. For Physician's Formula, I picked up the Matte Collection Quad Eye Shadow in Quartz Quartet. I don't hear alot about these shadows, but what I do hear is typically good. I have yet to try this, but I have pretty high hopes. 

I also had a coupon at Ulta for 20% off one item (excluding high-end brands), so the nice girl ringing me up split up my purchase and rung the L'Oreal spray and Physician's Formula quad separate. Also during that time, there was 5X points for Platinum Members and there was also something else going on, so I have a ton of points to use sometime!

Oh Sephora, how I love thee! I don't know what it is, but everytime I see or hear the words "Limited Edition", I tend to freak out inside a little. Kat Von D had come out with a LE version of her Tattoo Liner in Trooper. The packaging is all fancy, and a portion of the proceeds from every sale of this LE liner go to charity, which I found really sweet. This is one of my favorite liners as it makes it super easy to do wings. 

Another LE product I decided to buy is the Becca and Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop. Good Lord, is this stunning in person! Honestly, I didn't want this at first. I'm not typically a highlighter kind of girl because of my oily skin, but looking at swatches and seeing how much people have been raving about it, I had to have it. I don't know what my problem is, it just had to be mine! I haven't even tried it yet because I haven't really worn much makeup lately and it's so pretty, I don't want to touch it. I'm weird, I know. 

I also wanted to try out the Bite Beauty Neutral Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo. One end is called Fig, the other Date. I'm not the biggest fan of Date, but Fig is beautiful. I can probably mix the two and come up with something pretty! I'm a huge fan of the Bite products I've tried so I'm sure I will love this one too. 

I got a few deluxe sized samples as well, the first one being the Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm. It's got an SPF of 45 and Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, so I can use it! The Clinique Acne Solutions BB Cream has Titanium Dioxide in it, but it also has two chemical sunscreens, which is a bummer. I also have no idea what color they sent me, because it's so dark, I may not be able to use it at all!

Last, but not least, we have Makeup Geek! It had been almost a year since my last MG purchase, and recently there was a coupon code for 10% off Make Up Geek products. 10% doesn't seem like alot, but hey, it's something! I chose to purchase 3 of their Foiled Eyeshadows, and the shades I got were Caitlin Rose, Starry Eyed and Grandstand. These look so gorgeous, but I have yet to play with them. From what I hear, I won't be disappointed. I also picked up 3 of her regular eyeshadows in the shades Bitten, Barcelona Beach and Baby Face. I have 13 of here regular eyeshadows, so I'm already a huge fan. I really want to do a post on either my Makeup Geek shadow collection, or my favorites out of the ones I have. Once I test out these new ones, I'll do some kind of review. 

Well, that's my haul! If there is anything here you want a review on, let me know! It might be a while since I still don't feel too good alot of the time, but I promise I will get to it!

Is there anything you've purchased recently that you've been loving?

Also, remember I'm still doing my Summer blog sale!

Review: Dr. Xu's Restful Sleep

*Disclosure* Product was provided for review thanks to BrandBacker. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always!

Hey everyone! Today's review is going to be of a natural sleep aid called Restful Sleep. I was definitely interested in trying this as I usually have trouble falling and staying asleep at night. 

Here is some info on the product from the brand:

Natural sleep supplement calms your mind, so you can wake up refreshed...but not drowsy.

Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs and essential minerals in Restful Sleep™ help to:

- Calm and quiet a restless mind and body
- Promote a full night’s restful sleep
- Nourish chi to bring harmony and balance into the body
- Promote calm throughout the day
- Restore vitality to the spleen and heart organ systems

The capsule is the typical size for a supplement, so it's not hard to get down. The directions say to take 2 capsules 30 minutes before bedtime with a 4 ounce glass of water. After taking these, I can say that they do make me feel more sleepy in that time frame. I was able to fall asleep relatively quickly, and I did sleep pretty well throughout the night. I only woke up a couple times, but that's better than how many times I normally wake up. I ended up taking these for about 5 nights, then decided to stop taking due to personal reasons (which I will be able to touch on in the next week or so). In those few nights I took them, I was pleased with the results and I didn't wake up feeling groggy or weird, like other sleep aids tend to do. 

These are fairly pricey at $39.99, but you can find them here on Amazon, and I also have a 20% off code for you if you're interested! The code is SAVEREST and it's good til December 31st of this year.

June 2015 Empties

Hi everyone! It's been a while again, I know. I'm still not feeling too well and I'm just exhausted, so bear with me for a bit! Today I'm sharing with you all the products I used up last month. Looking at the bag of stuff I had saved, it turned out I used up alot more than I thought, which I'm very happy with!

Starting off with some skincare, I used up The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner. I love this toner in the Summertime as it really helps to lessen the amount of oil my skin produces. I always have backups of these, but right now I'm using something different that I've really been enjoying. 

I used up the Philosophy Never Let Them See You Shine Cleanser. I can't remember if I talked about this cleanser here on the blog or Instagram, but I ended up not really being a fan of this. It does really eliminate any shine and oil you may have, but it was fairly drying to me. I don't think they even make this anymore, because when I purchased it, it was on major clearance. 

I also finished up the Origins A Perfect World Moisturizer SPF 25. I really, really liked this! I'm pretty sure I mentioned it in a favorites before, but this was just a great moisturizer. It felt nice and hydrating on my skin, but not greasy, and I loved that it had SPF in it, so I didn't have to worry about putting extra on. Not sure if I would repurchase though. I have so many moisturizers in my stash. 

Next up is the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion. I thought this was really nice. The scrubbing beads were very fine, but they made my skin super soft and feeling nice. I think this is an expensive product so I probably won't buy the full size. 

I got the Eclos Plant Stem Cells Regenerative Cream in a previous Ipsy bag. I honestly don't even know which one, it's been that long. I thought maybe this was bad, but it smelled fine and wasn't separated, so I used it up. I used it only at night and got about a week's worth of use from it. I liked it, it made my skin feel soft and hydrated, but it's nothing special, if you ask me.

Now for a few makeup-type products. I finally used up the Soap & Glory A Great Kisser lip balm, and boy am I glad to be rid of this! At first I liked it. It smells nice, gives a nice glossy sheen to the lips, and it actually tastes good too. That's where it ends really. I didn't find this to be hydrating, it just sat on my lips without sinking in, and I just got tired of it real quick. I stuck it out and used it up because I hate being wasteful. 

I have finally used up The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Facial Blotting Tissues. I had this one package for years, honest. Even though I have really oily skin, I could never really be bothered with blotting off extra oil during the day. I made an effort more and am really happy I used this up. 

Now I didn't fully use up the Too Faced Mood Swing lip gloss from the Smurfette Collection. Don't even ask me how old this is, because I have no darn clue! I went to use it, and it was all separated and it smelled funky so in the trash it went. I did like this gloss though as it gave me the prettiest shade of pink to my lips. 

Now for some health-type products! I used up this ginormous bottle of the Crest Pro-Health mouthwash. I was a fan of this, but my husband was saying someone told him this will stain your teeth blue with constant use. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but I had opened another one of these big bottles, so once I use that up, I may switch to something else. The reason I like this is because it's got no alcohol in it, so it doesn't burn my mouth! Mouthwashes like that are hard to find. 

I used up a Bath & Body Works antibacterial hand soap in the scent Berry Sangria, and I loved every second of using this. I had kept this in the kitchen, and it just smells wonderful, like you're sipping on a fruity cocktail, sitting on the beach. I am currently using the foam version of this in my bathroom, and that will probably be in this month's empties. 

I used up a Nature Made Super B-Complex. I had always read that B vitamins are good for boosting energy, but I never noticed anything. I'm starting to really streamline what vitamins I take now, so if I do repurchase this, it won't be for a while. 

I don't always wear my contacts, but when I do, I use Renu Fresh multi-purpose solution to clean them, and soak them overnight. This is the only contact solution that doesn't feel like I stick acid in my eyes when I put my contacts in. I will always and forever repurchase this brand as long as I'm wearing contacts. 

Last few random products! I'm so glad I'm finished the Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo. This did absolutely nothing for my greasy roots, if anything it made it worse. I was close to chucking this multiple times, but like I've said, I hate wasting product. 

I also used up The Body Shop Spa Wisdom Africa Ximenia & Marula Oil Shower Cream. This stuff was amazing! It smelled really nice and clean, and it did its job nicely. I had purchased this ages ago when it was on clearance, and I wish they would bring this back, it was that lovely!

My last used up product is the Udderly Smooth Udder Cream. Now I'm not sure how readily available this product is, but I would purchase these creams out in a little shop in Amish country (aka Lancaster, Pennsylvania). I have also seen them in some Walgreen's near me. I used to be obsessed with this stuff because it was incredible for dry, cracked hands. You could use this anywhere really, but this particular bottle didn't do much for me. I have had it for a while, so maybe it just thinned out over time, but this was my jam years ago!

Phew, that's everything! It's such a great feeling being able to use up all this stuff and get rid of clutter. How much did you use up last month?

June 2015 Favorites

Hello everyone! June was a long month for me, but July definitely seemed to creep up at the same time. Weird, I know. I wasn't in the mood to wear a ton of makeup last month, but I do have some favorites to share with you!

My first favorite is the L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2. I've done a full review of this here, and since using it more, I really love this palette alot! I find it to be a great drugstore palette, and while it's a little on the high-end retailing for $19.99, you can find sales quite frequently, and also Walmart sells it for about $16. I just think this palette is really nice quality and I love these cooler, purple shades.

My next favorite is the Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. I had ran out of my nighttime cleanser and was looking through my stash for something that was gentle, yet helped to get rid of any makeup residue left behind from a makeup wipe/cleansing oil. This cleanser is most definitely my answer to that! It's so incredibly gentle that I can use it on my eyes to help remove mascara, and it doesn't burn one bit. I love how this gel turns into a slightly foamy/milky consistency and it does get rid of every last trace of makeup, dirt and grease. Absolutely love this stuff!

Next up we have the Caudalie Instant Detox Mask, which I reviewed here. In my review I raved about how this has changed my skin, and I still mean that. When I don't use this for a while, my skin starts feeling more rough and textured. This mask totally cleans out my pores, evens out my skin, and gives me such a nice glow. It is a bit pricey, but it's worth every penny!

My last favorite is the e.l.f Therapeutic Conditioning Balm in the scent Orange Cream. I just checked their website, and they do still carry this lip balm but it's under a different name, and it looks like they no longer have this scent. That's such a shame because I've been obsessed with slathering this stuff all over my lips at night before bed. I do find this to be hydrating, but it doesn't last very long on my lips. I also tend to go through this pretty quick as there isn't a whole lot in the tube. I just started using it about a week and a half ago, and I already see myself using it up in the next couple weeks, if that. It's only $1, so it's not that big of a deal. 

That's everything! Might not be too exciting, but like I said, I haven't been in the mood to wear much makeup, plus I haven't been feeling well. Hopefully July is better! 

*Remember I still have my Summer Blog Sale going on!*

What were some products you were loving in June?

*Product links are affiliate links*