Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Glitterdaze Mom Jeans

Hey everyone! How is your week going? The roads around school are soooo bad - snow piled up everywhere! And the snow piles are starting to take on that nasty grey color. Ew.

A couple weeks ago I placed my first order from Glitterdaze. I picked up Mom Jeans and their top coat. I don't know how I managed to only order one polish, all of the colors are so beautiful! Mom Jeans is a stunning azure blue creme. I paired it with L'oreal Masked Affair as an accent nail.





Have a great rest of the week!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Monday, January 25, 2016

Fedoraharp Lacquer Swatches

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? We got 2 feet of snow AND we have a snow day today! (insert happy dance here).

I'm really excited to share some polishes I recently received from Leah at Fedoraharp Lacquer. These awesome polishes are actually made in Israel! It was pretty freakin' cool to get that package in my mailbox. Leah has a shop on Etsy with her polishes and some beautiful jewelry that she makes! You should definitely go check it out.

First up we have Grootling from the Tu B'shvat 2016 collection. My camera kept capturing this a bit darker than it actually is. Grootling is a deep forest green with gorgeous sparkles and flakies. Also, I'm kind of obsessed with the fact that it's named after Groot! I'm wearing three coats here.




Next we have Join the Macabbim See the World! This polish is part of the Hanukkah 2014 collection. This is a fabulous glitter topper filled with silver shimmer and blue and white matte triangles (think deconstructed Jewish Star). I definitely recommend wearing this over a blue or maybe a silver polish, but for swatching purposes I'm wearing it solo. Shown here is two coats.



Last up is a mystery prototype polish. This is a light purpleish pink with lots of micro glitter. When I look closely I see flashes of silver, blue, purple, and green. This truly is my kind of polish and as soon as I put it on I fell in love. Shown below are two coats.



I hope you all have a great week!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Saturday, January 23, 2016

New to My Skincare Routine

Hey everyone! We are snowed in and I'm holding onto slight hope for a delay on Monday or, even better, no school. The BF and I are having a chill day watching movies and I did some baking. I didn't do my nails yesterday because my cuticles need some recovery time this weekend.

Instead, I thought I would share some new products I've recently added to my skincare routine. I've thoroughly tested everything out and I've noticed a huge difference in my skin.

See the snow in the background?!

Origins Clear Improvement charcoal mask 
I like to use this once a week to draw out anything deep in my pores. I start by opening up my pores with a warm, moist towel and then I layer the mask on. I give it about 15 minutes to dry before rinsing it off and I'm left with super smooth skin and visibly smaller pores.

Belif Eucalyptus herbal extract toner
This is the newest product I've added to my skincare routine. I've been through so many toners and they always leave my skin dry! This toner is super soothing with Eucalyptus and Apple Mint Extracts that help to eliminate oil without stripping my skin. After cleansing I apply this toner with a cotton pad by gently sweeping it across my face.

May Coop Raw Sauce
Out of all the products listed here, this is the stuff you MUST get. I have no idea what prompted me to purchase this, but I'm so glad I did. Raw Sauce is an essence made from a maple-tree sap base. It quickly absorbs into the skin and instantly gives hydration. The best part about this product is that it helps you make the most out of your serums and moisturizers. I've found that when I use my serum after this essence, it absorbs super fast. My skin has looked way more radiant since incorporating Raw Sauce into my routine.

Tarte Maracuja Oil
I only use this product at night because I find it to be way too heavy for daytime use. During the day I prefer to use Argan il. The addition of Maracuja oil to my skincare routine has definitely helped to make my skin look brighter. I like to gently pat a couple drops in with my fingertips before applying moisturizer. However if I'm feeling super lazy I just mix it in with my moisturizer and apply both at the same time.

Caudalie Grape Water
I wasn't sure about this at first, but it has been a great hydrator for my skin this winter. I've been using at the very end of my routine, after moisturizer, if my skin is particularly dry that day. I just need a few spritzes and I feel refreshed. The smaller size is also great to take on a long flight.

Have you added anything new lately to your skincare routine? I'm always looking for great products to try out! Have a great weekend and if you're somewhere snowy like me stay safe and warm.

xoxo,
   Brooke

Monday, January 18, 2016

Zoya Blu & Florals

Happy Mani Monday! How was your weekend? I had a fantastic birthday, especially since it was a long weekend. The BF took me to Woodbury Commons on Saturday and he bought me a couple of things from Kate Spade - I'm a sucker for purses. We drove up to the Culinary Institute and had a delicious dinner. All in all a fantastic day!

Since I had today off I got fancy with my nail art. I started with a base of Zoya Blu, one of my all time favorite creme polishes. It applies beautifully in two coats. Even though it's winter, I was feeling some floral nail art. I always love the way hand painted flowers turn out and they're so easy.





Hope you all have a great week!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Friday, January 15, 2016

MidWest Lacquer Custom Polish

Happy Friday and happy birthday to me! I turned 25 today...eeeeeek! The kiddos at school were so sweet today, I was bombarded with birthday cards and love. And some treats from the bakery (yum!) As a reward to myself for successfully making it through another year and the first half of my first full time teaching gig, I had a very special polish made.

I reached out to Lizzie over at MidWest Lacquer and asked if she could create a birthday custom for me and boy did she deliver. Great turn around time and every detail was just as I had imagined. She mixed up a stunning magenta berry holo packed with glitter. So much sparkly goodness! My best friend helped me come up with an awesome name - January Jewel. So excited to finally be sharing this beauty with you! Photos can't capture just how sparkly and amazing this polish is.

I also requested a 25 label for the bottle - I'm obsessed!

 

This weekend the BF is taking me to Woodbury Commons to pick out a birthday gift and then we're going to the Culinary Institute for dinner. So excited! Hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

xoxo,
   Brooke

Monday, January 11, 2016

Julep Octavia & Shelly

Happy Mani Monday! I spent the whole weekend resting and I'm finally feeling better. 

Today I let my BF pick my polish and he chose Julep Octavia and Julep Shelly. I always forget how amazing Octavia's formula is. It's an inky and glossy deep indigo creme. I'm loving the minty pop of Shelly on my pinky!





Hope you all have a great start to your week! My birthday is coming up on Friday and I'm looking forward to sharing a very special polish with you :)

xoxo,
   Brooke

Friday, January 8, 2016

Essie Merino Cool

Happy Friday! What a week. We had our first day back from break on Monday and then I got pink eye plus I came down with a nasty cold. Ugh. I'm starting to feel a little better and I'll be resting up all weekend.

Today I used a polish I haven't used in a couple years, Essie Merino Cool. This polish is a little tough to describe, but to me it's a taupe/grey/purple. It's super pretty and I definitely don't have anything else like it in my collection. I used Julep Goldie to do a fun geometric nail design. I don't think I've ever done a design like this and I really like it!





Hope you all have a great weekend!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Monday, January 4, 2016

Formula X Alchemy II

Happy Mani Monday! I made it through the first day back at school and I'm exhausted. The kids were great though, so that made coming back a little easier. The BF and I decided to order in sushi tonight so I wouldn't have to cook, which gave me some extra time to do a little nail art!

Over the weekend I found Formula X Alchemy II at Sephora in JCPenney. Sephora's website describes it as a platinum-infused nail polish with a champagne rosé shimmer. To me, the polish looks like a coppery rose gold with beautiful multi-color flecks. I also love the gorgeous golden cap!





Hope you all have an easy start to your week!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Friday, January 1, 2016

Influenster Jingle VoxBox

Hey everyone! Right before going on vacation I received the Jingle VoxBox from Influenster and I was so excited! Influenster is an online community of consumers who give reviews on products and experiences. If you are active on the site, Influenster may invite you to participate in their VoxBox programs, where members receive complimentary products to review! Now let's get into this awesome mix of things.



Kiss True Volume Lashes ($3.99)
Made with 100% natural hair, Kiss True Volume Lashes blend beautifully with your own lashes. The tapered end technology creates natural-looking ends that resemble real lashes but give eyes that perfect "vavoom" without looking too made-up.

Kiss Strip Lash Adhesive ($3.99)
Provides superior hold for long lasting, beautiful lashes all day long.

NYC City Proof 24hr Waterproof Eyeliner ($3.99)
A waterproof pencil that is perfect for your on-the-go lifestyle. Just glide on for long lasting 24hr color!

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream ($8.99-$15.99)
A rich, quickly absorbing, non-greasy cream that provides long-lasting relief for even severely dry skin. This unique formula attracts water to skin and helps prevent moisture loss.

Pure Ice Nail Polish in the shade Keep Walking ($1.97 only at Walmart)
For the girl whose got passion for the hottest nail colors and trends. Offering an array of nail polish colors and effects, from high-pigment creams to shimmering iridescent pearls and multidimensional single coat glitters, you can always play with color! Pure Ice is proudly made in the USA, with formaldehyde, toluene or DBP.

Ore-Ida Tater Tots ($3.99)
We always have a bag of these in the freezer. Perfect as a snack or part of a meal!

Biscoff Cookies (250g $2.99)
Since 1932 Lotus Biscoff Speculoos have been Europe's favorite cookie with coffee. Delectably crunch with a unique taste and flavor, Biscoff is perfect for taking the timeout that you deserve.

Hallmark itty bittys (Starting at $6.95)
Characters include Star Wars, Barbie, DC Comics, Inside Out, Rainbow Brite, and many more. Collect them all. Available at Hallmark Gold Crown stores and Hallmark.com.

Isn't he cute?!

Definitely check out www.influenster.com if you're interested in receiving free products (who isn't?!)

xoxo,
   Brooke


Disclosure: I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.