DIY Christmas-Homemade Peppermint Sugar Body Scrub

The time has come where I am again a crafting fool making things to give as gifts this year.  I absolutely love making unique things for people all year round but Christmas is especially fun.  For the family members that read my blog, be warned, I expect you to be full of surprise in the event you receive any of the gifts that I post over the next week :)

This is probably the easiest gift I have ever made and I hope you all will try it, if not for a gift but for yourself.  This is an all natural exfoliating body or foot scrub, perfect for the dry winter months.  This can be made with any oil or scent you want, too.  I am going to use white sugar, olive oil and peppermint but you can swap the olive oil for coconut oil and the peppermint for vanilla.  You can swap the white sugar for brown sugar.  Add some lavender, add some lime juice.  This is easily customizable and lasts for up to 2 months.

First you want to pick the jars you are going to use.  Hobby Lobby had all glass 50% off so that is where I went.  I wanted cute jars but also ones that would be easy enough to get the product out. Next time I may go with plastic but I really couldn't find any that I liked.

Grab your ingredients.  I am going to be using about two and a half cups of sugar for these 6 jars.  Of course I didn't know that until I made them :) The olive oil I did not measure as you are going to make it to the consistency that you like.  And I had this peppermint oil in the cupboard, had I not I was going to use vanilla.

Pour your sugar into a large bowl and slowly start pouring your olive oil in.

I kept stopping to check the consistency until I got it where I wanted it to be.  Rub it through your fingers so you can feel it instead of only looking at it.

Once it was perfect, I added several drops of peppermint oil and mixed it really well.

It smells divine.

Then I scooped it into the jars.

Oh and I got these really festive labels that fit on them perfectly.

I, of course, did it the hard way and labeled my jars once the labels were on them.  To make it easier, write on them before hand :)

And there ya go! I mean super simple yet a perfect gift for anyone and everyone.  Especially people you just don't know what to get for.  My family loves my homemade gifts as they truly know I am taking the time to do something for them and that is what the holidays are all about.

I'd love to know if you try this recipe or have made your own homemade body scrubs before!

Let me know in the comments below and be sure to share your variations!

Have a great day!! xo

December 2014 Sample Society Unboxing

The last few months were meh months for Allure's Sample Society in my eyes, including last month's.  Read about it HERE.  So of course I was super excited when I opened this month's box. They surely made up for it with the goodies in the December Sample Society box which I was hopeful for with it being the holidays and all.

For those that are new here (thanks to my last giveaway we have tons of new people.....say hello ya'll!), Sample Society is a monthly beauty subscription full of deluxe to full sized items for $15 a month.  We all get the same box so that is the only drawback, that there is no personal profile to fill out.  Each month you also get a $10 off $50 purchase coupon to be used on Beauty.com (just like Sephora's site).  Click HERE to sign up today!

Let's get to reviewing, shall we......

Now I am excited about each item so this is surely not in order of preference here.

First up is Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Eye Creme.

Since I am piggybacking off of the Double Wear post I thought I would do this little guy first.  Okay, he may be small but he packs a punch (ha, I feel like I've heard that somewhere before I was married)......this creme reduces all the signs of aging around the eyes.  It is cool and more like a gel than a creme.  I have been using it every night for the last few nights and I will tell you it is making a difference.  My under eye area is much more hydrated and I can tell when I put my concealer on. The price point is high, as with most Estee Lauder items, but it inevitably seems like it will be worth it for the results.

Next up is Burberry Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base.

I love highlighters and luminizers so was happy to see this.  And what is even better is all the ones I have ever used have been pink or golden and this one is like a white sheen.  It comes in two colors and this is called Nude Radiance.

with flash

without flash

It is pretty and thin so it doesn't make your makeup drag or move when applying it.  Perfect to have in my makeup bag in my purse, but the staying power on this over blush and other points is great.  I am going to try adding this to my foundation next to give an all over healthy glow.  This seems just the right consistency and is not shimmery but luminous (duh, Brooke, that's the name of it....)

Next, is RGB Nail Polish in OxBlood.

Full size bottle valued at $18 so we have already exceeded the cost of the box.  This picture does not do it justice.  I love dark colors and this is no exception.  And funny enough it does look like blood on my fingertips.

I also think it complements my skin tone which is just another plus.  This is two coats and you can't get away with one.  But I don't have a glossy top coat on (just a quick dry) so you can see how shiny the polish itself is.

Next up is Butter London's Lippy in Abbey Rose.

This is also a full size product, valued at $20.  The color is very pretty.  Perfect for work and light skin tones.  It is more of a neutral than a pink.  This lipstick glides on and is full of avocado and shea butter.  Almost good enough to eat....almost :)

And last up is a favorite brand of mine, Crabtree and Evelyn's La Source Hand Therapy.

Growing up, my grandmother would always get me the fanciest products for Christmas.  I mean I wasn't showered in lavish gifts and stuff, I just mean she always knew just how to spoil me.  Whether with fancy bubble bath or shampoo or gift sets from brands I had no idea who they were.  I only knew if Nany liked them then they were good because she had impeccable taste.  This lotion melts into your skin and immediately soothes any dry patches and crusty cuticles.  More avocado in this baby.  I mean this could be the best hand creme I have ever used.

And there ya have it.  December's Sample Society box.  They hit it out of the park as far as I am concerned.  A great holiday box and each item I have used daily since I got the box.

Also, there is a new feature on the site, you can order any of their monthly boxes if you don't currently have a subscription for the same $15 fee.  They always have 2 day shipping which is amazing!!  Click HERE to get this December box yourself!

Have you signed up already? What did you think of this months box?  Which item is your favorite?

Let me know in the comments below!!

Have a great day!!xo

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review aka My New Holy Grail Foundation

I am a foundation and concealer junkie, I am always looking for the next best thing.  Let me tell you guys, I have found it and am done looking.    I recently just did a post on Kat Von D's Lock It Foundation (check it out HERE).  Based on several recommendations from my beauty junkie friends, this foundation is better than Kat Von D.  So I had to put it to the test since I liked KVD but there were enough cons to make me look elsewhere.

I blindly ordered my color online at Sephora since there was no exact color match for me based on my color IQ number.  I ordered Rattan.  Now, just so you know, Estee Lauder has so many shade options covering all ranges of skin tones.  Many more than Kat Von D.  From warm, to cool to neutral.  I am usually warm in other foundations, thus the reason I chose Rattan.

When I got the actual foundation though I was worried it was too yellow.

Hard to tell from the swatch I know since it actually looked like a perfect match to my hand.  So I thought I would still apply it to my face to see what I thought....did you hear that? It was angels singing when the foundation touched my face!   Now I am a committed beauty blender user since all the foundations I have tried using brushes with just smear and look cakey.  But I did my research and it does say this is best applied with a foundation brush.

I used my Real Techniques foundation buffing brush (all the way to the right) to apply.  It went on smooth, it covered my blemish, it covered my pores, it looked airbrushed and it was overall beautiful.

The problem was that yes, this color was much too yellow for my face and there was a noticeable difference in my face and my neck, my ultimate makeup pet peeve.  But I thought maybe it would tone down throughout the day so I bravely left the house.  Luckily I have long hair (long hair, don't care) and could hide my neck.

Now, those who know me, know I want what I want when I want it.  Sooooo, I spent all day trying to figure out how I could get my right shade since I don't have a Sephora right by me.  Well, Carson Pierre Scott down the street from me has an Estee Lauder counter and not only will they color match you, they will give you a 10 day sample of your shade! Done!  I knew that would get me through till Friday when I could exchange my Rattan for my correct shade.

It turns out that I am Desert Beige, a neutral shade in this foundation line.  The match is incredible.  My dream foundation look is one that completely matches my face so I can really rock a bold eye or a lip.

SO I got my sample and used it this morning and it matched perfectly.  Unfortunately for me, I tried a new lotion and primer (today I used NYX pore filler and yesterday I used Benefit porefessional) and my face is pretty dry today which affected the flawless look I am going for.  I am also on fertility medication (another post for another day) and that is of course affecting my skin.

But I love it, I love the way that it looks and it literally lasted all day, no smudging, no blotching.  I looked the same at the end of the day as I did when I walked out the door at 7:30 am. And best of all, I did not ever once even feel like I was wearing makeup.  And I obsessively checked this stuff out on my face all day to make sure it looked the same.

Now this one does dry quickly too so work on small sections of your face.  But even when I did that with Kat Von D, I couldn't get a seamless look and it just wouldn't stay on and it oxidized throughout the day no matter what I did.

The con is the price point at $38 a bottle and that there is no pump on the bottle.  It is a pour top which can be quite messy especially if you are in a rush in the morning.  But other than that I am in love.  If I feel the need for a bit of extra coverage in a spot, it doesn't look cakey at all.

So I went out and got my full size bottle :) EEEK! I love it!!

Here are a few more pics in different lighting.  The last one is at the end of the day, it looks the same as when I put it on.

Now this foundation also claims to be transfer proof, well I don't believe that any makeup is truly transfer proof. I mean if I put a white shirt on over my head I am sure this is going to smudge.  But I will tell you I am sick and blowing my nose, and I don't get a tissue full of makeup when I do so it doesn't come off easy.

That being said, it is a 15 hour wear makeup so make sure you are using a makeup remover prior to cleaning your face to ensure that you got it all off.

And there ya have it, I am in love.  If you are on the fence about this foundation, GET THE FOUNDATION :)  The end.

Have you tried Double Wear yet?  What are your thoughts and tricks?

Let me know in the comments below!!

Have a great day!! xo

Body Merry Retinol Moisturizer and Eye Cream Reviews

Today I am going to do a quick review on some products that were sent to me for testing.  The brand is Body Merry and I was provided with both a Retinol Surge Moisturizer and Age Defense Eye Cream.

I have been using these products for a few weeks now and have mixed reviews.  First, I will preface and say I believe you are never too young to start using preventative products that will help you age gracefully.

The retinol cream has 2.5% in it and is also full of other organic ingredients such as green teas and Vitamin E and B5.  It claims to fight fine lines and wrinkles and even skin tone.  I have been using this cream in the morning and the evening.  I cannot say that I am noticing immediate results or a drastic difference in my appearance.  Yes, I am only 34 but I was an obsessive self tanner and used the tanning bed frequently so I do have fine lines and discoloration.  I do like that the cream is not greasy at all and absorbs into the skin immediately.  But at the same time, it is a bit drying on my skin and I have developed dry patches where I did not have them before.  I also love that it comes in a pump bottle so I don't have to dig in a jar with my fingers.

The age defense eye cream is for dark circles, crows feet and bags.  This cream also comes chock full of organic ingredients such as cucumber, retinol and several natural oils.  This has a nice scent and also goes into the skin quickly and is not greasy feeling.  I only use this at night as it did make my under eye concealer slide off when I applied in the morning.  I am always talking about how bad my under eye circles are and again, I don't see immediate results with this product.  I really had high hopes for it because even if the bags didn't go away I thought I would at least see some firmness under my eyes.  This is my no means a a miracle cream but it is a nice cream especially if you have a sensitive under eye area.

Have you tried these products yet?

What are your thoughts?  Did you find the moisturizer to be a bit drying?

Please let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!! xo 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Kat Von D Lock It Foundation Review

I just recently was introduced into the world of full coverage makeup.  There are so many foundation options out there right now.  Tinted moisturizer, beauty balm (BB), correcting cream (CC), daily defense cream (DD), mineral foundation, medium to full coverage foundation.......I am sure there are more that I did not think of, too.  In the summer I love to be tan and not wear makeup unless my fight club under eye bags are visible still and in that case I will put concealer on.  But in the winter, when discoloration and uneven skin tones and blemishes are more easily spotted, we reach for a fuller coverage makeup.

I asked numerous people which the best one to use was.  I got a 50/50 response to Kat Von D and Estee Lauder.  Estee Lauder review will be coming up soon!!

First impression, I love the packaging.  It is girlie but gothic and I love that style!

I also love that the bottle comes in a pump and that you can see the amount of product left in it.

 The compact has a mirror and also an applicator sponge underneath so it fits perfectly and isn't always being rubbed on the product.

I got color matched (Light 48) in store at Sephora and I highly recommend doing that since there are so many color shade options.  I bought the powder foundation online and got the same color which ended up being darker in powder so that will be going back.

I also got a sample of the concealer (Light 18) since that also received such rave reviews.  It is not as thick as the foundation and I love it and it is the exact color of my face.  It is actually perfect for touch ups or to cover blemishes especially if I don't need a full face of makeup that day.  It is $25 for the concealer and a little goes a long way.

Okay so on to the Kat Von D Lock It Foundation review.

You can use with either a beauty blender or a buffing/stippling brush.  I prefer a beauty blender as I thought the brush gave me "makeup mask face".

Now this stuff is thick, thick, thick and it dries quick, quick, quick!!  Work in small sections of your face.  Don't do half a face at a time, lesson learned from trying it myself.  I pump some on the back of my hand and dab the beauty blender and then quickly dab on my face.  This is actually used to cover tattoos in the workplace so you can imagine the coverage!

As you can see from my hand alone, the coverage is full and you only need a little.  So for the price, $34, I think that is very fair.  This bottle should last me a very long time. You probably need half a pump to a full pump to cover your whole face.

Here is a close up and you can see it really makes for a flawless face.

Here is at the end of the day and while my concealer has worn off a bit, my makeup still looks great!

Full face from a distance.

Another day, same results.

So pros, this will cover anything you want it to.  The price is super affordable considering how little of it you need.  Large shade selection for all types of undertones.  Although it is full coverage, it doesn't feel like you are wearing anything.

Now for the cons.....the only big one I have is I am still trying to figure out the correct moisturizer/primer combo to wear under this makeup.  It does NOT like argon oil and will pretty much melt off as the day goes on.  It does not like water based primers as this is a silicone based foundation.  So it's like mixing oil and vinegar.  Now Kat Von D used to make a primer that was formulated perfectly to go under this and she no longer does.....why Kat?? WHY?!?!  But again, using my beauty blender during the day to kind of touch up any patchy spots works wonders.

So anyone reading this review I would love your thoughts on how to get it to stay on all day.

It also claims to be transfer resistant....well, I have been able to disprove that theory.  Again, maybe it is because of what I have going on underneath it.

If you have dry skin, this is NOT for you as it will make any dry patches on your skin stick out like broccoli in your teeth.

This will also make your entire face one color and take away any and all highlights and natural shadows so you will need to use bronzer and blush.  Read my review on contouring HERE for some tips.

Now, the Kat Von D Lock It Powder is really not the right color for me but I liked the powder itself. You just use the included sponge and pat it on your face (no buffing like Bare Minerals) and it covers anything and everything. You could even use this as your touch up powder throughout the day but that is how I figured out it was too dark for me :)

Overall, I have become a lover of Kat Von D based on both the foundation and the concealer.  She has an incredible selection of lipsticks and everyone loves her eyeliners too.  ALSO, coming in 2015 she is releasing a contour palette and a cosmetics website!! So stay tuned for that gem as I will surely be announcing the details when it is here!

Again, please let me know in the comments, any and all thoughts and what your favorite KVD products are!

Happy Friday and have a great day!! xo

Makeup Collections by One Direction Reviews & Giveaway

A few months back I did a post reviewing makeup that was sent to me by Markwins featuring a new makeup line by the band, One Direction.  Check it out HERE.  Sure, I am a country music lovin, rock and roll girl but I love my fair share of pop music and we all know I LOVE makeup! So I was glad to receive these products to review! I am even happier to offer you all the chance to win your own! So keep reading and find out how!  In fact, this giveaway is just in time for the holidays and can be a stocking stuffer for a special little girl in your life :)

Okay, so let's get to it!

Here are all the items that were sent to me for review!

1 of 5 limited edition makeup tins

Goodies inside each tin

Liquilights glow lip gloss

Electroglam Mascara for lashes and hair

Rock me nail varnish with glitter pots

Okay so I like to consider myself on top of fashion trends and am always willing to try new things, however extreme they may be.  And I definitely am not too old to rock any of these colors and I hope you guys feel the same way! If you are not as bold, then I just hope you enjoy the reviews of the products.

First up, the limited edition makeup tin.  I said 1 of 5 as each band member has their face on a tin.....ah....I would love to have my face on a makeup tin....I would also love to be a famous singer, but that is a post for another day.  "Dreams and Aspirations by Brooke Miano".

with camera flash

without camera flash

Now on to what is inside the tins!

6 eye shadows (of course all after song names):

• Nobody Compares-metallic silver
• Tell Me A Lie-metallic nude pink
• Same Mistakes-metallic mint
• I Would-smokey brown shimmer
• Summer Love-smokey purple haze
• Everything About You-smokey black shimmer

eye shadow with camera flash

eye shadow without camera flash

 4 lip glosses:

• Loved You First-bubblegum pink
• One Thing-frosted pink ice
• Irresistible-shimmered pearl
• Heart Attack-creamy rose shine

lip gloss with camera flash

lip gloss without camera flash

Nail polishes:

• Stole My Heart-magenta pink shimmer
• Alive-multicolored glitter flakes 

nail polishes

pre glitter

with glitter and camera flash

with glitter and without camera flash

The kit also includes a black eye pencil (I Want-true matte black), lip gloss top coat (Over Again-silver sparkle glitter) and two eye shadow applicators and a lip gloss applicator.  The shadows are all smooth and go on very nice, without a lot of fallout and the lip glosses are also smooth and not sticky.  Nail polish did a great job with two applications and it's 3 in the afternoon and still no chips in it and my eye shadow is still in place :)

eye shadow look

All of these kits are available in the states now at Sears, K Mart, Target and Walmart. Learn more about both the brand and the idea behind it HERE.

Okay now let's look at swatches of the other items I received.

Here is the lip gloss, which I am in love with! The shimmer and the colors are so beautiful!  And these actually glow under UV lights, which is really cool :)

• Kiss You-orange glitter rush lip gloss
• Through The Dark-electric glitter poppy lip gloss
• Taken-powerhouse glitter pink lip gloss

with camera flash

without camera flash

 The mascara can be used on your lashes or in your hair!

• Why Don't We Go There-shock of blue
• Does He Know?-pinkest hot pink
• Story Of My Life-amped canary yellow

with camera flash

without camera flash

 Nail polish:

• Happily-UV iced blue glitter
• Moments-UV neon pink
• Diana-UV 3D holographic

Nail toppings:

• Kicks-UV snow cone blue
• Not Afraid-UV electrified pink glitter
• Star-UV holo glitter

Once you add these toppings to the polish, they also react to UV lights!  Where was all this stuff when I was clubbing? :) 

This makeup is available in Macy's, Dillards and Lord and Taylor.  You can also learn more about the brand and the idea behind it HERE.

Now, I would love to share with you!!  I am going to give two lucky winners an entire collectible makeup tin with all the items that come in it listed above!!  All you have to do is comment on this post on my Facebook page letting me know who the tin is for, either yourself or a special someone! I love hearing stories about where prizes are going, especially with the holidays coming up :) Click HERE to be directed to the post!  The contest begins 12/4 4:30pm CT and will end 12/5 at 4:30pm CT!!

Good luck!!

Have a great day!!

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