Our Weekend + Recent Purchases

Happy Leap Day! What an exciting and fun day! I love leap years and consider them lucky. This weekend was super mellow, we stayed in Friday and I picked up some Mexican food and we just relaxed and caught up on some TV. Since moving, we haven't found a must-have, go-to spot for Mexican food yet. At our old place, we had this little shop around the corner had the best ceviche ever. This new place was just ok, but they accidentally gave us a carne asada burrito and it was so bomb. Bomb! So we'll definitely go back for that! Otherwise, we're still on the hunt for a place.

Bikini so Teeny, Fiji, Topless and Barefoot, Go Ginza, Lilacism, Ballet Slippers, Pink Parka, Blossom Dandy

Saturday morning I went for a mani and pedi with a girlfriend. We met up at Target for a little bit of shopping and then went out for our appointment. It was so nice to relax and catch up on some gossip and girl talk. I went in with my own colors, but we both ended up doing a China Glaze shade on our toes. It's funny because I've had this color on my Amazon list forever and when I saw it in person I immediately bought it.

Fingers: Lilacism // Toes: Too Yacht To Handle

On my way home, I picked up a movie for Ellie. I really wanted The Good Dinosaur, but it was out everywhere! Instead we got Hotel Transylvania 2, since she's been watching the first one. We spent the day being lazy, doing endless loads of laundry, and snuggling. It was one of very few Saturdays that we had no where to go and nothing we had to do. It was just a great day snuggling my two girls and just relaxing.

Shorts // Dress and Romper Set // Sunnies // Blue Romper
Floral Romper // Top and Short Set

I ordered some shorts for Ellie and some summer clothes for Emma a few weeks ago and have forgotten to share them. I was hoping that the Ellie's clothes would overlap more for Emma to use, but Emma's going into 9 month sizing and Ellie was that size during Christmas so almost everything of Ellie's is fleece or long sleeved. I think that's how most of the clothes are going to work. Womp womp. Ellie had so many cute clothes that she never wore or only got to wear a few times! I guess that means we'll have to have one more girl right??

Sleepsack // Jammies

On my Target run, I also picked up a Sleepsack for Emma. We've been swaddling her below her arms and needed to get a sleeveless swaddle for her. I have one like this from Ellie and I can't find it anywhere- it's driving me nuts! Especially since I just recently sorted and vacuumed sealed Ellie's previous clothes. I don't remember seeing it in the mix, but maybe I missed it? I also couldn't resist these sweet mint jammies with the mommy and baby zebras. Too cute!

Concealer // Matte Balm in Showy

Friday morning, I used the last of my Holy Grail concealer (see my HG Post to see what else I swear by) so I needed to pick one up asap. This is probably my 4th or 5th, maybe even my 6th tube of this stuff? I swear by it and wear it every single day. I've tried a lot of concealers and they don't work as well for me as this and still look natural without giving me a raccoon eye. After falling in love with Revlon's Honey, I wanted a bright shade to add and Showy is perfection!! It really stains and a swatch on my hand took forever and some makeup remover to get it all off. Another win! I posted a quick shot of it on Instagram if you'd like to see it on, but I'm sure I'll be posting about it more!

ClarityRX

So, Hyluronic Acid is a huge skincare trend right now, I first heard about it from Meg (I know you're all shocked, since most of my beauty products come from her reviews), and then I started seeing it everywhere! ClarityRX sent me this sample and after using it for just a few days, I could see such a huge difference I ordered more immediately! From their site, "This hydrator serum, made with a water-soluble formula, erases dull and dry skin, leaving you with a supple complexion." My skin is so soft, it's no wonder at all why all the beauty and skin gurus are swearing by this stuff!

We ended the weekend like we usually do, more laundry, some good food, and more snuggles. It was another nice weekend for us together. I was able to relax and get a lot done around the house. Now I'm all ready to take the week head on! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, thank you for stopping by and reading!

Product Review: Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

A few weeks ago, I posted about wanting a new eyeshadow palette and at the time I was checking out this and this one, but a makeup artist at Ulta suggested skipping them both in favor of the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette instead. I had heard about this palette and I didn’t consider it because I thought it would be a lot of bright colors, lots of glitter, and shades that I wouldn’t be able to get a lot of use from. I’ve been in love with Urban Decay Naked palettes (I have One, Two, Three, and the first Basics and they all get a lot of use), so I wandered over to check out the Gwen Stefani collaboration and I was floored, it was not what I expected at all! All of her collection was stunning, the palettes, lipsticks, all of it. The eyeshadow palette had beautiful, neutral colors with three jewel toned ones. The colors were gorgeous and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it!

A big difference with this palette is that there are fifteen shadows 0.04 oz (the Nakeds have twelve 0.05 oz shadows), twelve of which are new and exclusive to the palette and three that are from their permanent line and renamed for the collaboration. In the set, there’s a nice range of matte, shimmer, and pearl finishes. The shape is also different, it’s a large rectangle instead being slim. I do prefer the slim Naked cases since their shape makes them easier to travel with, but the Gwen Stefani set comes with a giant mirror which I really love.

Since my Gwen Stefani palette arrived, I’ve been using it non-stop and I didn’t expect to be using it every single day. I haven’t even picked up another shadow since it came and I’m so in love with it! The colors are gorgeous and blend beautifully, I’ve created different eye looks that are very natural and perfect for work using the top two rows and the first pot in the last row. Punk (a reddish brown matte, last shade in the first row) and Baby (a metallic rose, first shade in the second row) are two of my favorite colors. Punk blends beautifully with the other colors into the crease and Baby is a gorgeous transition color. For some extra shine, I’ll use Pop (a pale coral with iridescent sparkle, first shade in the third row) in my inner lid and blend out to the middle, although I do get a bit of fallout from this shade. Admittedly, I have not used the bottom right four shadows, I just haven’t had a use for them yet. I think Danger (a deep metallic blue, middle of the bottom row) and Blackout (a black matte, last shade in the third row) would be gorgeous blended into the outer lid or as a bottom liner.

Overall, I’m very happy with this collaboration, it really is gorgeous and I love the mix of shades and finishes. I think if you’re on the fence about the shadows, I would suggest going in and testing them out. I thought a lot about this palette and checked it out in person twice before purchasing. I wanted to be sure it offered something different than what I already owned and would be a versatile product to add to my collection. The quality is exactly what you expect from Urban Decay- long lasting, pigmented, and buttery. The colors really outshine my initial expectations of a Gwen Stefani collaboration. I think it offers colors and combinations you don’t get from the Naked collections and provides more than a generic nude, smoky, or bronzed palette. The colors really are so beautiful and make your eyes pop, and I know I sound like a broken record saying that, but the more I play with the palette, the more I love it!

Spring Haul for the Girls and a Little Something for Me!

Spring is my jam people. It's my favorite season and all the bright colors, pastels, sandals, rompers, and swim suits just call my name. Since I live in California, where El Nino is no where to be seen, spring pretty much starts like the second week of January. It's been in the high 80s for the last few weeks (it did rain yesterday though) and I've had to dig for some short sleeves and shorts for the girls. I've picked up a few things for them, so we're ready now for those high temps!

Mint Dress // Yellow and Striped Top (not online) // Floral Romper 

Gladiators // Jellies // Chambray and Floral Set 

Target has the cutest spring items right now, I wanted to buy one of everything! I got these during the week and I can't wait for the girls to wear them! I love all the bright colors and I'm already picturing cute outfits and matching bows. I love all the bright colors and patterns they have this season. They had so much to choose from! The gladiator shoes are my favorite!

Navy Striped Dress // Mint Dress

Old Navy also had some steals for their President's Day sale and I somehow only snagged these two dresses. They have a ton of cute everything right now, but with Easter and birthdays coming up for the girls, I've learned not to buy too many clothes. They get so much stuff as gifts and it's best to buy just what they need (yay for summer babies!). How cute will these dresses be with the bows below??

Sweet Baby Paige Bows

How sweet are these bows? I love their shape and colors! The nylon band is extra soft and I have a giveaway coming up later this month so be sure to keep an eye on my Instagram!!

Blush Palette // Eyeshadow Palette

My palettes came in and I have been loving them!! I've worn all of the blush colors and the shadows are super neutral and beautiful. I'll be doing a full review of both soon (I've been working on it this week), but if you're on the fence about getting them or are in the market for a new palette, I would definitely say to snag these!

Hope your Friday work shifts are short and your weekend long! Thanks for reading!

Our (long) Weekend Recap

These past two weeks have been so crazy! So much has been happening in our family and it's been quite a roller coaster. The girls have been sick, we're changing daycares, work has been busy. It's just been one thing after another! This week things should be settling down and we'll be finding a new routine over the next few weeks.

Scooter // Helmet

This weekend, we were supposed to be camping, but with nearly everyone feeling under the weather, we decided to just go for the afternoon to visit. It was such a beautiful day, high 80's with a slight breeze, and the kids loved being outside. We've been cooped up at home with the worst flu and it was just the change of scenery we needed. Ellie has been loving this Scooter my sister gave her for Christmas. We stayed til we ate a few s'mores and then headed back home.

Sunday we ran some errands just to get out of the house again. We also went back to Bahama Bucks so Matt could try it (the girls and I took my sister on Tuesday). It is the best snocone I've ever had in my life! That sounds like a bold statement, but I am picky about my snocones. I hate when it's all ice and chunky and this one really is like snow and just melts in your mouth. I'm glad they're a bit of a drive, otherwise I'd be eating one every day of my life.

There were lots of cuddles this weekend and the girls haven't napped so much in their lives! Ellie has pretty much given up naps altogether and she took one every day! It was like a Christmas miracle, although, really, it was just the end of a terrible flu. Emma took several naps on me and it was glorious. There's not much that's sweeter than a baby napping on your chest and I really haven't had to experience that many with her since she typically sleeps best on her own. During this nap, Ellie was so sweet and kept rubbing her arm or face and I snapped this sweet pic of her holding her foot. Ellie has become such a great big sister and is so loving to Emma. I love watching them interact, Ellie is hands down Emma's favorite person in the world. She just lights up every day when Ellie goes into her room in the mornings and no one can get Emma to laugh as hard as Ellie.

I took advantage of the long weekend and naps to sort through Emma's clothes. She's wearing 6 months right now, but is starting to outgrow those, so I took out all of our nine month clothing to wash. Since we're completely out of the three month clothing, and I've already went through them and donated what I'm not keeping, I folded and put them away in the garage in an airtight vacuum bag. I could have cried putting away all of the clothes, remember Ellie and Emma wearing them, I have so many favorites and thought about which I would save forever and which I would save to hand down to nieces. It's so cliche, but time really does pass too quickly.

Mirror // Prints Frame

I finally took imprints of Emma's hand and foot. It's meant to be done when they're newborns, and we have the same frame set for Ellie and did hers at three months, so I'm quite behind on Emma's. I guess that's how it goes for the second child. I tried taking 6 month pics on my own too this weekend... major fail. I tried last weekend too, but it was a bust. Her newborn pic will have to suffice for now in the frame! Geez louise people, the to-do list never ends and there's never enough time in a day.

That's was our weekend and now we're about to fold some laundry and order pizza while we watch the Grammys. Hope you had a great weekend and a great start to a new week!

Romantic Valentine's Makeup Look

With Valentines day just around the corner, I've been thinking about my favorite pink hued makeup products and have been practicing different looks for Valentines day. I've been doing romantic eyes with soft pink cheeks and lips. I went through my makeup and I have so much pink so it was nice to put some items I've forgotten about back into the mix. Nearly all of my lipstick and blush were shades of pink. Does anyone else do that? Buy a lot of really similar items that only you and other beauty junkies could tell a difference of?

I've been mixing up my usual shadows with deep browns and dusted off my Naked 3 Palette too. I have all three palettes, and 3 gets used the least, but I've really been loving it lately and have been wearing it so much! The colors are really pretty and I've been using more of the darker shades on the right side of the palette. Factory (the fourth color from the right) is my favorite right now and I've been using it on a larger part of my outer lid. It's just such a rich beautiful color. It's really easy to wear for day and creating a smokier look for night with the shade.

MAC Lipstick: Snob, Pink Nouveau, Creme Cup, Lickable // MAC Lipglass in Angel

MAC Blush: I’m a Lover Blush // Essie: Ballet Slippers, Fiji, Mod Square

Urban Decay: Naked 3 Palette // NARS: Orgasm Illuminator // Milani Blush: Romantic Rose
Revlon Colorburst in Honey // NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul and Butter Gloss in Strawberry Parfait // Maybelline: Fuchsia Flash

For this look, I used the Urban Decay Naked Palette on my eyes, MAC I'm a Lover blush, and MAC Creme Cup lipstick. On my eyes, I used Strange on the brow bone and inner corners, Dust on my inner lid, Factory on my outer lid and crease, with Buzz and Liar blended between Factory and Dust. Then I just lined my eyes and put on several coats of mascara. I left my cheeks and lips subtle so my eyes would be the standout.

Are you doing anything special for Valentines? I bought the girls cute outfits and small toys and Matt and I will just exchange cards and candy. In years past we've done dinner at home, or dinner with his parents, and this year we'll be camping with his family. It will be nice to get away and spend time outside with everyone. Hope you have a great weekend and holiday!

Holy Grail Beauty Products

One question I get asked often about is my Holy Grail products- what are my favorite eyeshadows, lipsticks, etc. It’s a fair question and I love knowing what other women swear by and trying it out for myself.  When I posted my Drugstore Mascara Review, it got me thinking about what products I couldn’t live without and while most of them have been the same for the past several years, I think it’s time for there to be a dedicated post to my tried and true beauty products. I try to keep my Fave Products tab at the top updated and every couple of months or so I go in and edit, but I’m sharing today my absolute must haves. These are the products I have used countless tubes of and if they’re ever discontinued I would cry myself a river and buy every last one I could find online.

Since there's 15 products on here, it pretty much covers my entire face. I love to try new items, but I continually use these products over and over again. No matter what I've bought, I haven't found anything that better to replace these and there's a little bit of something for every thing except face primer and eyeliner. If you have an HG item for those, please share!

Here's my faves:

MAC Studio Fix Powder in C4 -I've worn this for so many years, I wear it along, over concealer, or for full coverage over foundation.
MAC Blush in Warm Soul - the most perfect and flattering blush ever! It's such a beautiful shade and is truly the perfect every day color.
MAC Eyeshadow: All That Glitters, Naked Lunch, Blanc Type, and Satin Taupe - these colors blend so perfectly together and give me my favorite eye look. They're easy to wear each alone and blend beautifully!
MAC Eyeshadow in Brun for brows - I felt like my brow game totally changed once I started using this shadow. It wear all day and looks natural and soft.
MAC Lipsticks in Hue, Creme Cup - love, love, love these two colors. I've gone through so many tubes, I've started buying them two at a time.

L'oreal True Match in W3 Nude Beige - Of all the liquid foundations I've tried, this one is the best. It has buildable coverage, wears all day, and the formula is so smooth.
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in Brightener 60 - when you're up all night with the kids, this baby gets me looking bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original - I've tried several high and low brand primers, but this little number works best for me. It makes your shadow last all day without creasing and make the colors more vivid without changing the shade of your shadow.
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara - I've used so many tubes of this mascara, it's been in my makeup bag for years.
Maybelline Colossal Chaotic Masacara - this item is the newest to my Holy Grail collection, but I love the drama it gives lashes and the brush is amazing!
NYX Matte Bronzer in Light and Medium - This bronzer is a total dupe for higher ends bronzers and I really like that it's matte (so hard to find!) and that it comes in varying shades. It's one of the few bronzers I've found to leave a warm glow and not and orange glow on your face.

These are my favorite products and I absolutely swear by them and always seem to be recommending them over and over again. I really hope they never get discontinued, I would be so devastated! What are your Holy Grail items? What couldn't you live without?

Our Weekend

Happy Monday and happy February! Where has the time gone already? I can't believe we're already in the second month of the year! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, we had another great family weekend full of pizza, cuddles, and play-doh.

On Friday after work, we decided to go out for dinner instead of cooking at home. Ellie loves pizza and playing games so we went to a local family pizza place near our home. It was kind of late, but it was so much fun! The pizza was great and Ellie loved playing all the games. She even won 50 tickets playing some game and the look on her face was priceless! Now our diaper bag is full of useless "prizes", but she was so proud of herself and took her time picking out exactly what she wanted.

Bronzer // Mascara // Brow Pen // Lip Balm // Beauty Sponge

Saturday the girls and I ran some errands and did some chores around the house. I picked up some goodies at Ulta. I went in to check out some eyeshadow palettes, I'm torn between the Tarte Matte, Tarte Bloom, and the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani sets.  The blush palette from the Gwen collab is truly stunning and I think I'll have to get that too. The colors are so gorgeous! Do you have any of these palettes? Let me know what you think of the sets! While I was there, I picked up the brow pencil and beauty sponge after Meg recommended it and I'm really happy with them both so far, I'll do a full review soon. I also grabbed the lip balm in Honey after Veronika posted about her favorite pinks, I love the color and how it feels on my lips. I want to buy more shades! It has a nice minty smell too. The clear mascara and matte bronzer are repeat buys for me.

Booties (old from Old Navy, similar) // Jeans // Top (sold out, still in stores) // Purse

That night Matt and I went out on a double date for dinner to Lucille's BBQ (their peach lemonade is my favorite). It was so much fun to have some adult time together! We really needed a break, the terrible twos have kicked in and this week has been a power struggle about everything will Ellie. We had a great time talking and laughing and it was nice to have some time just us.

Chalk Sign // Letter // Family Proclamation // Window Frame

Sunday it rained all day so we stayed home in our pajamas and worked around the house. Our front room walls have been bare since we moved in (although we put up a giant framed Santa at Christmas time) and I've just gone back and forth about how I want to decorate it. I finally got sick of the plain wall and hung up a few things we had to make the start of a gallery wall. I like it and I'm so glad we have something up. It's not my favorite and I'd like to add on to it, but it's a start!

We ended the night with some delicious chicken enchiladas and white sauce Matt made (he's amazing in the kitchen) and some cuddles on the couch with the girls. Another simple and great weekend for the books! Now a full week of work and the start of a new month! I can't believe January is already over!

Hope you all had a great day and today starts off your week and month to a wonderful start!