Monday, December 29, 2014

Products I've Used Up December 2014

The trash can under my makeup vanity is getting pretty full of beauty trash....which can only mean one thing. It's time for another blog post for products I've used up. It's a little weird to save your empties instead of throwing them away. This is probably my favorite blog post to do!! I love sharing what I've tried and if I like what I've tried.
First up is an Olay bodywash. This I didn't like and I wont be repurchasing. The smell was pretty good but it didn't give me that really great clean feeling.
Next up I've already done a blog post on. I love this Alterna mask and I will defiently be repurchasing. It leaves your hair feeling very soft and smooth, it's great for color treated hair and wont fade your color.
I gave a drugstore night cream a try and I didn't enjoy it. This is the Neutrogena Light night cream, it wasn't very moisturizing and I felt like the product just sat on the top of your skin instead of soaking in.
This is a holy grail product. This is the Estee Lauder day wear moisturizer. I used this for my day and night cream, I've already repurchaser another one and I've already half way through.
The Loreal serum is a dud and I didn't even finish the bottle. This was very oily and I found it was pretty drying. I can't make it through this bottle so it's just going in the trash.
Another Estee Lauder and another product that is my holy grail. This is the night eye cream and it's amazing! I haven't repurchased it yet but it's on my list of things to get.
Another eye night cream and this one isn't my favorite. This eye cream is from Neutrogena and it's not as great as the Estee Lauder one so i'll pass on buying it again.
Next up is a product that is hard to find. This is the Arbonne makeup primer, this is my most favorite primer. It's not oily and dosen't clog any pores. It's velvety smooth on your skin and keeps your makeup in place.
I purchased this mascara on a recommendation and it's okay but not my favorite. This is the physicians formula organic wear. I'm undecided if i'll repurchase or not. The forumula isn't great and it dosen't flake, however, I don't like the wand. It's a jumbo wand and I find it hard to apply as i have small eyes.
Last up is another Neutrogena product. This is another serum, I found it very oily and it sat on top of my skin. Not something I would repurchase.

Thanks for joining me for makeup Monday!!! What are some of your favorite products you would repurchase??

Friday, December 26, 2014

P90X Update Week 6

Happy boxing day!!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and hopefully everyone is having a relaxing boxing day.

Week 6 marks the half way point! This week I followed the same schedule at week 5. It's been difficult following all the workouts during Christmas as I've been very busy with family gatherings. I haven't noticed any changes this week. My weights that I've been lifting have stayed the same and my weight has also not changed.

Sorry there were no pictures this week, I haven't had a lot of spare time to set up the camera while working out. If you have any questions about the program please feel free to ask in the comments.

Thanks for joining me for fitness Friday. Check back next Friday for my week 7 update.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Planning a Successful New Years Resolution

Merry Christmas Eve!!! With New years coming in one week it's time to start thinking about a setting some New Years resolutions. But lets do it different this year. Lets set some goals and stick to them! Here are some tips to set yourself up for success!!

1) Write them down - get out a pick of paper, put them in your phone, jot them down in your day planner. Whatever works for you. Write down what your resolutions are in detail

2) Plan ahead - you need an action plan. Write down how you plan on obtaining your goals, make an action plan and stick to it

3) Pick a start date - it's great to make a plan but decide when you plan on starting it. Write in in your day planner or kitchen calendar.

4) Keep them realistic - keep your goals realistic, make sure they are obtainable

5) Stay accountable - keep a journal or track your goals. Keep yourself on track throughout the year. You are more likely to keep to stick to your goals if you are tracking them

6) Reward yourself - make sure you reward yourself for completing or sticking with your goals

Monday, December 22, 2014

Rimmel Wonder Lash Mascara

Recently I picked up the Rimmel Wonder Lash mascara, I was very interested in trying this out because I saw that it had argan oil. 
The tube is a little interesting. It's twisted so you have to make sure you click the tube closed. The formulation isn't super wet or dry. 
 I like the brush but it's very flexible which I don't really like. I like stiff wands so that I get really get into the lash.
The results gives you a very natural look. You'll notice on the left I have one coat of the Rimmel mascara on, the right has nothing.
I don't have too many complaints about this mascara. It's advertised to be clump free and I can say that it defiantly is. I've been using it for less than a week so I can't really say that I notice the argan oil but I'm hoping that over time I'll notice that the mascara conditions the lashes. 

The mascara definitely lengthens but I don't notice any thickening.

All and all I would say that this is my new favorite mascaras. I don't typically gravitate towards drug store mascaras but I will be keeping this one into the mix.

Friday, December 19, 2014

P90X Update Week 5



Another week of P90X has come and gone. It was a tough week and not necessary successful.

I'll start out by saying that the Christmas season is not a great time to workout. I have been so busy doing other things to get ready for the holidays. Out of the 7 days I was supposed to workout I think I did about 3...yikes!!! Not great. Trust me I've beaten myself up about it as this has been a huge disappointment. But hey what can I do?

This week there were some new workouts thrown into the mix that I haven't done yet. I really enjoyed mixing it up after doing the same workouts for almost a month. I did my best at trying to take some photos (credit goes to my trusty tripod). Sorry they aren't the best I'll try to take some more in week 6 that will hopefully turn out better.
This workout consisted of chest, shoulder and triceps. Lots of lifting weights and man were my arms sore the next day.

Of course P90X wouldn't be complete if I didn't do push ups every workout!

And doing some variations of push ups....they make you stronger so keep doing them...even though I don't like them.

I have noticed one thing this week, I have been able to lift heavier weights this week which means that I must be getting stronger!

When I first started P90X back in October I know that for this specific exercise above I was lifting two pounds less.


It's important to count the little victories from week to week. It's sometimes hard to notice changes when you are the one doing the workout and going through the experience. I've found that taking pictures and documenting the process I've been able to pick up on small changes that I've made throughout this journey. It's important to reward yourself for making these small accomplishments, I like to use it for fuel for me next week.

I will say that this program isn't easy to get through and I've already found myself getting discouraged. The main thing is doing beat yourself up too badly. If there is one move in the DVD that you struggle just do your best. Each move does get easier from week to week but when you are in the moment trying to struggle through it's defiantly more of a mind game than anything else.

Remember to stay stronger and keep going!! If you need any motivation or if you are struggling and need some support leave me a comment.

If you have any questions about the program or my progress so far that I haven't included please feel free to leave a comment.

Check back next week for my week 6 update!


Monday, December 15, 2014

Sephora Reward Cash December 2014

Sephora was giving some spending cash to their VIB rouge members this month. I received a $25 to reward cash. As soon as saw this in my inbox I knew what I wanted to pick up.
 The Anastasia dipbrow pomade and brow wiz have been on my wish list for a long time. There are tons of blogs and YouTube videos already on this product and everyone raves about this product. I can defiantly say that I agree with them! This is a great product.
 The brow wiz is two sided. On the one side you have the brow pen and on the other you get a spooli which is really handy.
 The color I picked up is Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Soft Brown 0.003 oz .
 I also got the dipbrow pomade. This is supposed to waterproof and makes your brows stay put! I opted for this instead of a brow gel and I am very happy I did.
The color I picked is Dipbrow Pomade - Soft Brown (the swatch on the right). When i use this product I tap off the excess on the lid which is why it's a little dirty. 

The combination of these two products are awesome!!! These are the most natural looking brow product I've ever had. If you want something more dramatic you can defiantly use more product, however, I work an office job so I need something more natural. This product stays put all day. This picture was taken after work so about 12 hours after application. 

If you have any questions about these products please leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Thanks for joining me for Makeup Monday!!!

Friday, December 12, 2014

P90X Update Week 4

I am back on track!!!

I complete week 4 of P90X, if you are curious on why there is such a delay between week 3 and week 4 please click here where I explain. So after taking two weeks off it was very difficult to get back into my routine. Thank goodness that week 4 is sort of a rest week.

Week 4 follows a different sequence than the first three weeks. It consists of yoga, stretching and a little bit of kenpo which is sort of like kickboxing. Kenpo was probably the most difficult day because it's a lot of cardio.

Even though I stopped doing P90X for two weeks I kept my diet very healthy. I continued with my healthy eating all through week 4 and I really do think it makes a difference. I am down two pounds since I started the program, I know it's not a lot but I really wasn't expecting to loose anything at all so I was really excited when I stepped on the scale and saw that.

Biggest tip for this week....keep going!!! I had to take two weeks off but I worked around and so can you. Make P90X work for you and fit into your schedule.

If you have any questions about the program or my progress that I didn't include please feel free to ask away!

Monday, December 8, 2014

Chanel Angled Powder Brush #2

Welcome back to Makeup Monday!!! 

Today I thought I would share a new makeup brush I recently purchased. I just wanted to add really quick that all credit goes to makeupbytiffanyd, she is the reason I picked up this brush. After watching many, many, many of her YouTube videos I decided to give this brush ago.
 I picked this brush up at The Bay, it comes in a beautiful velvet packaging. Let me tell you, this is not a cheap brush but I personally feel it was well worth the money.
 I first off love this brush because it is very fluffy and angles. I use this brush for my bronzer, I don't necessary love a really chiseled look. This makes my bronzer very natural and it really blenders your makeup without taking your foundation off.
Check back next Monday for another Makeup Monday blog post!! Have a wonderful week. Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, December 5, 2014

5 Foods You Should Eat To Loose Weight and Stay Healthy

1) Kale - Kale has so many great health benefits and is very low in calories. Just one cup of kale has 33 calories, 3 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fiber, vitamin A, C and K. This is great to add to smoothies and juicing or pack yourself a kale salad for lunch.

2) Yogurt - yogurt is a great snack option!! This is a good that has probiotics which is bacteria that can help you reduce the amount of fat your absorb. There are tons of different flavors out there, enough for everyone to find something they like.

3) Fruit/Veggies - another great food that you can take on the go for a snake. Veggies are an easy snake food that everyone should be eating. It's recommended that everyone eat 7 serving of fruit and veggies everyday. A good quick way to make sure your getting enough is drinking smoothies or juicing.

4) Extra - Virgin Olive Oil - this can help lower cholesterol, it contains antioxidant compounds, vitamin E and oleocanthal (which can reduce inflammation). This is great to use in your cooking and is very easy to incorporate. You can also find a lot of recipes for salad dressing which you can add to your kale salads.

5)Dark Chocolate - treat yourself! Just because you are eating healthy or trying to loose weight you can still treat yourself. Dark Chocolate is packed with disease fighting antioxidant, it can help reduce the risk of blood clots and lower blood pressure and inflammation. But remember, everything in moderation. You can eat a couple pieces a day...don't start eating chocolate by the pound and expect to loose weight or stay healthy.

Monday, December 1, 2014

November Favorites 2014

 Here are my November favorites! It was a great month, winter is definitely here.
 During the winter month my lips get really dry. I've found that the Vaseline lip therapy has really helped keep the moisture in. This product is nice and small so I can throw it in my purse and take it with me on the go.
 If you've been following me on Fitness Fridays you already know about P90X. I've challenge myself to complete this program and every Friday on my blog I've been posting updates. I've really enjoyed doing this program and it very quickly became a favorite of mine. I'm almost a month done so I still have two more to go! If you want to follow along check back every Friday for my blog post updates.
Finally, my last favorite is my candles. These are from Bath and Body Works, I absolutly love their candels! These two are the ones I've been buring latley. They are almost finised and I can't wait to head back to the store and pick up some Christmas candels for December.