E.L.F makes me want to watch Elf

Totally random header, I know, but let me explain - I am taking all your girls reviews of E.L.F cosmetics to heart, and got myself some. When I saw the E.L.F sign at Target however, I said (in my head of course) "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" Yeah I know, Im random. 

I knew I wanted to try this brand. After seeing a ton of y'all talking about how you love the price & the product, I was sold. We are a 1 income family, so money saving is sorta my thang. I needed 2 things - bronzer and a concealer brush. Believe it or not, I have never owned a concealer brush, and since I was sick of having concealer on my fingers, I thought why not? 

Now that you know what I NEEDED, here is what I walked away with:

Elf Bronzer, Elf High Definition Powder, Elf Concealer Brush

Being the GIRL that I am, I had plans on trying these bad boys out that day. As in, right when Troy when down for a nap. So after T Pain was down, I laid out in the sun a bit, showered, and then was ready to do my face. Now, I've only used these products once, but I am liking them so far. The bronzer goes on SUPER evenly, which was a problem I've had before. Sometimes my previous bronzer would go on heavier in some areas of my face than others and I ended up looking like someone pimp handed me with a handful of dirt. *Note: Now that I right this, it reminds me, I also purchased the full face ELF brush. Soft has kitten fur and I felt like it was the helping hand in applying everything evenly* I have been known to break out with certain bronzers & have been using Physicians Formula for a few years now, so I hope this stuff doesn't make me break out. The HD powder is something I've been hearing about for-ev-eeerrrr. I REALLY like this stuff. At $3 a pop, I was very happy. It gives this sorta glow to your face that I think will majorly compliment smokey eyes on date nights (one of my favorite looks). Im going to have to play around with it more *thats what she said*, and put it on a couple areas of my face and not just  my cheek bones. Lastly, the concealer brush. Since I've never owned one of these before, I have nothing to compare it to. It did the job, but I think I need to learn exactly how much concealer I need to start out with. Cause I just eyeballed it and put some on the brush, and it ended up to be way too much and I wasted some of the concealer. But it did the job, and I found I was able to get under my eyes much better than when I was using my finger.

I definitely want to go get some more stuff, but I will slowly build my supply up on an as needed bases. I've only ever used liquid eyeliner on my top lids, but I've seen people rave about their eye liner pots that comes with an angled brush, so I might have to try that out, but that's gonna have to take a steady hand and a sober self ;)

***This post was not sponsored by ELF nor was I given free products (but I'll take them!). This was my own trial of ELF******

Blogger Love

Morning loves!

So have you girls checked out Ms. Amber's bloggy poo?

If you haven't, you must. She has the sweetest little red head you've ever laid eyes on, and her baby girl has the yummiest cheeks. If that doesn't blow your skirt up, definitely check her our for laughs as she is so hilarious and is a fellow Real Housewives lova', so she is golden in my book.

You may remember this post where I bragged on how Amb's and I would be getting our samples of ThinShots courtesy of Ms. Dana Wilkey - one of the hot and gorgeous messes from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Dana created this little magic potion after she had her baby to help her not only shed that baby weight, but also to give her the energy she needed to function.

Well, Amber was the lucky one and Miss Wilkey gifted her with samples to review. Being one who never likes to feel left out, Amber sent me my own sample pack to try out & I got it today.

Here is what Amazon had to say about ThinShots:

"Thin Shot is a 2 ounce liquid that is the first Diet Accessory. It was personally developed by Dana Wilkey while on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo and allowed her to lose her last 15 pounds following her pregnancy and feel great doing it. The liquid shot is made of vitamins like B6, B12, D, Folic and some caffeine from tea (see label for full breakdown). Some of the reported results from taking the shot are weight loss, happiness booster, energy enhancer, focus and improved hair, skin and nails. Also many users report that it does not make them feel speedy, which has been a complaint on other energy shots. The shot can be used as an appetite suppressant, work out booster, work motivator, focus enhancer, hangover cure and part of a daily vitamin routine. Recommended dose is one to two bottles a day in the morning and late afternoon. As with all Diet products you should check with a doctor before taking especially if on medication. The product will last up to 2 years if unopened. How do use your Thin Shot? Let us know at info@thinshot.com and we may post or promote it."

*Side note* When I looked ThinShots up on Amazon, I found this. Apparently, these two go hand in hand?

Amber has reviewed the product which you can read here. I will be giving my own review in about a week or so, so I can give it a fair review. Im really hoping I can see some results, even if its just more energy. The early morning weekday workouts are taking all my energy out. By the weekend, all I want to do is nap, and thankfully I have a husband who is happy to oblige with that & he watches T Rex.

Top of the mornin to ya

Good morning and happy Saturday - By this time next Saturday, I will be thankful for the weekend, since I will one again be part of the millions of people who go to work Monday through Friday :) The thought of working doesn't make me smile, but the $2 pay increase (and money in general), going into my bank account will make me smile. I calculated it and I'll be making about $300 more a month than I was at the last job. Not too shabby if you ask me. Nick and I will be stashing that money. As I have mentioned in a previous blog, Nick is a penny pincher and I LOVE IT! He is always checking our bank account, paying things off as soon as we get money in and we have more money in our account than we have had in MONTHS! Muy bueno!

So get ready to once again hear about another NEW job and it's adventures and quirks. And honestly, I prefer jobs that I have found on my own and not through a hiring agency. Although, my last job in CA that was like that was the CPA firm where my boss turned out to be an embezzler...hmmmm......Update on that though - the local newspaper and news have reported that he is currently on a house arrest sorta deal till his trial, whenever that may be.

Oh and I have to review 2 products for you all (*I was not given any of these products for free or was asked by the companies to do a review- these reviews are based on my own trial and error)

My lower chin, jaw has been breaking out like it's going out of style and I can't figure out why. The only thing I could think of, was I had quit fake and baking (due to money and the whole wants vs. necessity's convo with Nick), and the tanning usually dried them up once they popped up. My diet has not changed in the least bit, and according to one of my good friends who is an Esthitician, it's due to my hormones (I guess that area of your face is connected with them). Since I have been off birth control for about 6 months now, she thinks my body is still getting used to having to produce it's own hormones. My answer to this? Whatever- just want them off my friggin face! It's gross, and I never really have had anything but clear skin. I wanted something that was going to dry those bad boys out and make them wish they never popped up on my face. I remember when I worked at a day spa in Raleigh, there was a product line called Murad, created by a Dr. Murad. They have an acne line that the girls there used to recommend, so I headed to Ulta ASAP. I walked away with:

Murad Acne Clarifying Cleanser

The rating: 9 out of 10. I have only been using it for about 5 days and I can already see a difference. It has a cooling effect when you rinse your face that calms irritation and my face feels so clean afterwards. I use it 1x in the morning after the gym, and 1x at night when I wash off my make up. I will do another review of it in about 2 weeks. This bad boy runs a bit on the expensive side, if your like me who is used to paying $6 for Neutrogena, but this was an emergency and I felt like a hormonal teenager and something needed to be done quick!

Then there is this little gem:

Murad Acne Spot Treatment

I have used this little baby for years whenever a pesky PMS zit would pop up, and it did really well frying the sucker and erasing it from my face in no more than 3 days flat (with continuous use). So about 3 times this week, I have dabbed a bit on my problem areas and slept with it on, and it's done wonders! The zits I've had have gone down noticeably and the redness is disappearing. I'm giving this product a 10 out of 10 because I have used it for so long and know it works.

A few blogs back I was looking for a sunless tanner and Kristen recommended Arbonne Sunless tanner (she sells Arbonne products just FYI) and I thought why not? There was a money back guarantee and it's gonna be a whole lot better for my skin and the whole aging process.

I am rating it a 8 out of 10. Unlike other sunless tanners, I have no experienced the orange tint or the spottiness. It goes on evenly (if applied and rubbed in like you would lotion), and the color last for a good week (I applied it twice over 2 days). My knees, elbows, and ankles have had no issues with the "Darker orange" effect brought on by most sunless tanners. Not only that it, is safe when you are pregnant, which is great for me because I am not one who would do good with being one with nature and going au natural for pregnancy (I know, it sounds vain, but I promise, I'm not THAT vain). The only reason I am not giving it a 10 out of 10 is because it takes a good 40 minutes (At least that's what I experienced), for it to be completely dry. I normally just get out of the shower and spray it on so it has about an hour and a half to dry before I head out to work.

So there you have it ladies - my new favorite products :) Do you have any products you think I should know about? C'mon ladies, whats your favorite must have product?