[Review] Physicians Formula Wrinkle Corrector & Firming Cleanser

Have you ever tried a product you didn't like for a really stupid reason? This is one of those products for me. Frankly, it may be an awesome product. But I can't get around the fact that this cleanser just doesn't lather.

I use a Clarisonic daily, and I just hate that I can't tell if this is properly reaching my entire face. So, if we're being honest here - I have no idea if this stuff actually works. I bought it on a recommendation - I can't remember whose recommendation - and was confused as to whether I was actually getting my face clean.

Buy

Has anyone else ever used this? Does it work?

[Review] Vitabath Cupcake Couture Heavenly Coconut Creme Body Wash

I'm always on the search for my "holy grail" products - for skin, for hair, makeup, etc. I've been working my way through some body washes, and finished two recently. The one I'm going to write about here is the Vitabath Cupcake Couture Heavenly Coconut Creme Body Wash.

Buy here.

This body wash is sulfate & paraben free, and contains coconut extract. And let me tell you - it lives up to its name in terms of scent. OH. MY. GOODNESS. It smells like heavenly coconut - rich and just sweet enough - I would love a candle that smells just like this!! It's not, however, a smell that lingers after you're out of the shower. For me personally, I like a slight lingering smell with my body wash - usually because I shower at night and head into bed, and I like having a very slight scent on me prior to jumping under the covers. This, however, doesn't linger. Which could be great, or not so great, depending on your preference.

The consistency of this body was was a creamy, opaque gel that is white in color and lathers beautifully. I always use a loofah/shower poof/whatever you wanna call it, and it lathers great. The bottle also lasts a really long time. 

Overall, my skin is normal, and I didn't find this to be super drying or super moisturizing. I don't know that I'll repurchase it because I love it, but perhaps only if I'm swayed again by the delicious smell....

[Poll] M&BB Monday Poll

Every Monday, Karen over at the Makeup and Beauty Blog does a poll asking visitors to comment. I thought it might be fun to occasionally post it and answer it on my blog. And if you're into makeup, Karen's blog is an awesome resource for all things makeup!!!

This week's poll:

1. Your favorite pair of pajamas?
I really don't wear pajamas in "pairs" persay. I have a bunch of pajama pants that I usually just pair with tees or tanks. But my favorite pair of pajama pants are navy Nautica ones with multicolor anchors on them. I got them at Macy's during an after-Christmas sale 2 Christmases ago and haven't been able to find them for such a steal since.

2. Do you still de-fuzz your legs in the winter?
I do, but less frequently. And I probably wouldn't at all except that I work out and wear capris or shorts, so I don't want to be the girl with the gross legs at the gym.

3. When was the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes?
Last Sunday. I spot clean them daily but on Sundays I actually give them a real wash.

4. Have you ever worn eyelash extensions?
Nope, and I don't have the desire to, simply because they're so expensive for how long they last!!

5. What are three of your eye makeup staples?
Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Too Faced 3-Way Liner, Urban Decay Big Fatty mascara

3*Way

6. What’s your stance on long, pointy nails?
I think they look dated. Kudos to gals who have the confidence to wear them, but they're definitely not something I'm personally into.

Not my thang!

7. What’s one weird thing your pet does?
She chews on her face. She's a boxer dog, and they have these jowls - and so often they get stuck in her mouth. It makes me laugh every time.

8. Are you more of a palette or a singles girl?
Definitely a palette girl. I have singles because when I started out with makeup I didn't know palettes existed, and I've purchased some singles because I really loved the color, but my preference is almost always for palettes. I like how easy it is to create a look with a palette because the colors are so complimentary. I also love how easy it is to grab one when I travel and get multiple unique eye looks out of it over the course of a trip!

9. Do you take cream and/or sugar in your tea?
Neither because I think tea is gross.

10. To do great things, you must _____.
Work hard!! Give it some effort! Nothing great happens solely on its own.

How would you answer these questions?

[Beauty] The Lipstick Tag. Just Because.

I stumbled across this and thought it would be fun to do. I tag anyone else who wants to do it!

1. How many lipsticks do you own?

Too many. Next question.

2. What was your first lipstick?

I don't remember the color name but it was a CoverGirl Lipslicks Lipgloss. It was a really frosty ballerina pink. I probably still have it at the bottom of my lipstick stash. I was maybe 12 when I bought it?

Woot woot!

3. What is your favorite lipstick brand?

This one is tough. I have a hands down favorite lip product brand - Tarte - but more specifically I love their lipsurgence pencils. These are essentially lipsticks but they're not really called "lipsticks".

Fave!

If we're talking about a for real lipstick, I have to go with BareMinerals or MAC.

Marvelous Moxie

MAC

I have to give honorable mention to Kat Von D lipsticks - they have amazing staying power, but I find that many of the colors don't work with my skin tone.

Kat Von D

4. What is your most worn lipstick?

I don't really have one! I switch it up frequently. If I had to pick right now, I'd say that lately I've been reaching for Private Party by MAC. Bummer, it's a limited edition!

From the 2013 Holiday collection

5. What is your favorite lipstick finish?

I'd have to say satin, but I love the look of a matte as well. Problem is, many matte formulas are so drying!!

6. What was your last lipstick purchase?

From the 2013 Holiday collection

That's an easy one. MAC Viva Glam V.

Viva Glam V

7. How many lip products are in your bag right now?

HA. This is great. 15. Seriously. Revlon lip butter in Pink Truffle (1), MAC Viva Glam V (2), MAC Private Party (3), Nyx Matte lipstick in Whipped Caviar (4), Nyx Butter lipstick in Pops (5), Rimmel Show Off lip lacquer in Celestial (6), Wet N Wild Mega lip color in That's Berry Beautiful (7), Tarte Lipsurgence lip lustre in Kind (limited edition - 8), Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick in Untainted Spice (9), Clinique Long Last Glosswear in Clearly Pink (10), Revlon Colorburst gloss in Orchid (11), ELF lip gloss in Take Me Out (limited edition - 12), an Ulta lip liner in Flesh (13), Too Faced Lip Insurance lip primer (14), and a company-branded Ericsson lip balm (I'm guessing it's made by Nivea by the looks of it - 15).

8. What's your favorite red lipstick?

I really don't have one! I have a hard time finding the right toned red for my fair skin. I'm still looking for a red I love!

9. How do you store your lipsticks?

If it weren't so embarrassing I'd show you. Right now, I have a drawer full of them, plus a plastic shoebox that's also full. I have a small cosmetics bag that houses only glosses, and a second cosmetic bag where my overflow lipsticks are now headed. I'm planning to reorganize them at some point this month and would like to have them all in two of the shoebox size plastic boxes.

10. What lipsticks are you currently lusting after?

Oh, there are plenty. Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Turn On:

UD Revolution Lipstick in Venom:

MAC lipstick in Ruby Woo:

Tarte Lipsurgence Matte Lip Tint in Berry

L'Oreal Color Riche in Purple Prelude

Nars Matte lipstick in La Paz

Wet N Wild Fergie Vicious Varnish High Shine Lip Stain in Global Fierceness

So that's it for the tag!

[Random] A Body Type Guide - WOW.

Seriously. This might be the most interesting YouTube video I've seen in ages. Who knew?

[Beauty] Why Is No One Talking About This Product?

I've mentioned previously that I have really gotten into makeup and beauty products as of late. I've been watching all my favorite beauty gurus on YouTube and trying to teach myself how to be better at putting on my face.

With this new-found interest has come a bevy of new-to-me products. I generally stuck to the drugstore (knowing little about mid-range or high end products, period), but as I discovered the world of beauty bloggers and makeup vloggers, I started to expand my interests.

Now, I have a great mix of both drugstore and mid-to-high end stuff. I don't have much of the super high end lines (Chanel, Dior, Guerlain, YSL, Marc Jacobs, etc) - but I have tried a lot outside of those. There are products recommended by lots of ladies that I have tried and loved - Urban Decay shadows, Tarte lip products, BareMinerals Mineral Veil....but there is one product that recently I have been loving and no one in the blogging/vlogging world is talking about it!!!! And it's a drugstore find!

Here

It's the ELF High Definition Powder. I got mine at Target. This stuff is "pricier" for ELF - I say pricier because most of the line is $1-$3. But oh wow is it amazing. It feels like silk on my skin. It makes my face look airbrushed. It's easily a dupe for the BareMinerals Mineral Veil that sells for $20.

I'm shocked as to why no one else is talking about this?? Is it hard to find? Is it hidden among other more attractive items in the rack? I have no idea. But its praises must be sung. What about you? Have you tried it?

[Shopping] I'll Stop the World and Melt With You

I spent the first day of 2014 relaxing and doing minor things around the house. It's so nice to have the time to be able to do these kinds of things when I haven't had many days like that in a long time. It was also super nice to not wake up on New Year's Day and be hungover - it's probably been a few years since that was the case, as much as it makes me cringe to say that. I didn't get dressed until 4pm. And it's ok to have one of those kind of days every now and again!!

Along with some cleaning and some DVR-catching-up, I also ran out to pick up a few quick things (which is really why I even got dressed in the first place). As part of my new goal to start getting back in the gym, and as a precautionary measure for my runs, I wanted to buy an armband for my iPhone. I've been carrying my phone in my hand on runs, but after my little "incident" with my hubby's phone (I dropped it in a parking lot and shattered the screen), I'd like a little more security for it! I not only grabbed one on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods, I also picked up a few of the Under Armor hair bands I love.

New Armband!

So cute!

While I was out, I popped into Payless since it's right by Dick's and I have had my eye on these shoes for awhile. I saw they went on sale online and also saw they had my size at my local Payless.

Here

Online, they were on sale for $20 (from $40), but in store they didn't appear to be marked down. I asked the girl who was working and she said 90% of the time they can honor the online price (some very specific online sales can't be honored). I brought the shoes up and they actually rang up for the sale price - plus Payless was offering 20% off sale/clearance items, so I ended up paying $16 for them!! They're actually super similar to a pair of Elizabeth & James heels that I have (see this post), but the E&J ones are super high (read: super difficult to walk/stand in for more than 10 minutes), and they're super expensive so I'm always hesitant to wear them for fear of them becoming all beaten up.

For $16, I can buy a dupe. And they're close to these, which were the shoes I was originally wanting when I bought the E&J shoes.

In the evening, I went to meet my dance friends at Wild Bill's for our normal Wednesday debauchery. There weren't many of us there but it was fun nonetheless.

Until next time...

[Random] A New Year is Upon Us

Last night I rang in the New Year with some of my favorite people - my husband and I attended a party at my friend Cheryl's house. All my dance team ladies and gents were there, and it was such a fun, festive atmosphere that started the new year with love, laughter, and good spirits.

We spent the evening eating delicious food, drinking sparkly drinks, and enjoying fun and entertaining conversation with old friends and new acquaintances. We began the new year with a countdown, the ball drop, confetti poppers, a champagne toast, and fireworks in the street.

As 2014 starts, like many of you, I'm thinking about new beginnings and clean slates. I'm beginning this year by focusing on 1-4 things each week that I want to work on. Some of these things will be new habits I'm trying to introduce, some will be tasks to be accomplished, others will be things I want to be more focused on.

To start 2014, I am focusing on three things in the first week. Number one sounds kind of ridiculous - but I'm trying to break a stupid habit. I often, when lost in thought or not doing anything, chew on the inside of my cheek. I look ridiculous doing it, and it's so subconscious I don't realize I'm doing that. I'm trying to be more mindful of when I'm doing it and make myself stop when I notice.

The second thing is to start lifting weights again this week, 3 times a week. I got a new gym bag and some new gym clothes for Christmas this year, and it's given me sufficient motivation to make this one of my first goals.

Number three is also sort of health related, but I'm just dipping in my toe. For this first week, I'm going to focus on wearing my pedometer each day. I want to monitor the average number of steps I take over a week, so that in week two I can set an attainable goal for number of steps each day. Just getting into the habit of wearing my pedometer is goal enough for me this week!

One kind of bonus focus is to start taking daily outfit photos so I can participate in What I Wore Wednesday, even if the photos are snapped on my phone.

What are you working on in the New Year?