Spring Break GRWM and Essence Cosmetics

Hi ya Gorgeous!

Ok you spring breakers- how much fun are you having?  How awesome is your adventure? Do tell because my son's school does NOT have a spring break and we are home...while our family friends are out enjoying beach time, camping, Legoland and beyond. Oy!

So today I have a fun GRWM video demo for you to get some spring break makeup or better yet, get your Coachella music festival look on that won't break the budget!

So the video features a look of the day using all of the products in this photo for an easy Coachella look! Enjoy!




Now this lil stick is the belle of the ball! Meet the Essence Cosmetics Prismatic Hololighter!

It's creamy, blends well, and I have used it under makeup, under shadows, over makeup and over shadows, then on my lips and on the bow of the mouth and anywhere that I felt like needed a little pop of shine!  Love this - and it's a must for spring break and music festivals! $5.99 at Ulta Beauty or on the essencemakeup.com website.

 I love a creme shadow and a great way to extend your long day of spring break celebrations of being out at a music festival all day, is to start with a creme and then layer a powder shadow over it as the day wears on.  From left to right the colors are: Stars and Stories, 1 second to mars, and solar explosion.  These metal inspired creme shadows are soft, long wearing, have good shimmer and wear well!  Find them on Ulta Beauty or essencemakeup.com  for $4.99

Now all long adventures need long wearing lipstick so you look good and don't have to worry about reapplying. These essence makeup lipsticks are smooth and butter on the mouth and wear for a full day through eating and talking. I did need to reapply a bit mid day to keep my lips moist, though the color was still there! These are $4.99 on the website and at Ulta Beauty.
These colors from left to right in the photo:  SO UN GREY-FUL, EVERLASTING LOVE and my fave, ETERNAL BEAUTY.


Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!

Dang! Dirtybird Energy - what spring break needs!

Hi ya Gorgeous!

Whoa! So much going on this month - it's March and that means March Madness, St. Patrick's Day, spring break, and the month ends with Passover and Easter!  Holy smokes that's a lot of celebrating!

So, my son's school does not do a spring break and it's a bit of a buzz kill. We like to travel and take wee trips to visit family and friends and this whole 'no spring break" stinks!  The trade off is he only goes to school 4 days a week. So there's that.

Now, I just received some samples from Dirtybird Energy, and these soaps are amazing. I'm so glad I got a chance to experience this brand. It's one of my favorite things about doing Makeup University - I get to meet new products that in normal every day makeup work, I may not meet!  My samples came as a 4 pack with one of each scent and formulation that Dirtybird Energy makes.

This soap is so big. It fits my whole hand. Speaking of whole - this soap is for the whole family but the size is definitely man sized!

The bar is a generous 5.5 ounce size (156 g) and retails on the website for $5.99 each or a multi 4 pack sells for $23.50.

I've already tested the Original formulation and like the lather, rinse and clean but not dry feeling on my skin. My son used the bar and likes the chicken foot imprint as well as the "zingy" feel of the soap formulation.

The black plastic case the soap comes in, is reusable, recyclable and the soap is made in the USA.
So this soap is ready to travel on spring break trips, or be used in the locker room during March Madness games and when the soap is all gone, you can store some LEGO in the black tub.

So why the caffeine and how does it make Dirtybird special?  More on that in a paste of info from their website - on me - I did not notice a big difference. But - I'm exhausted from a super hard hike yesterday, I took a benadryl for a weird itchy scalp thing I have going on, and normally, I mainline espresso.  I don't fault the soap for not making me zippy because there was a lot stacked against it.

Final thoughts from me before I paste in the brand info: I really really like these soaps. I'm a soap fan to begin with, so this product had to really impress me to actually get me to say that I like it and I would buy it. Yup. They can take my money.

I think these are perfect gifts- especially for Mother's day - 'cause Moms are tired. Perfect for graduation day because those kids be needing a boost after the graduation celebrations and because I love hand made, USA, good stuff for the body, and I think Dirtybird Energy is it.

Also, if you turn the black tub over and read the ingredients - there's some humor hidden in there and I think that attention to detail means from the start of the soap making process to the finish, there is attention to what matters in this product. Buy some for you and buy some to give - you won't be disappointed.

Now for some brand info:

Why Caffeine?  When caffeine is applied to your soap it has antioxidant properties that is great for your skin and when absorbed it ENERGIZES your skin and body.  The amount of absorption varies from person to person and shower to shower.  The DIRTYBIRD ENERGY bar of soap is a great way to ENERGIZE before your first cup of coffee.

THE CONTAINER:  The soap isn't the only thing that's special. DIRTYBIRD ENERGY soap comes packaged in our patented reusable container, that snaps shut and allows you to take your soap anywhere; the gym, camping, vacation, anywhere.

About the Original:
Give your body the boost to get up and go with DIRTYBIRD Energy Soap. This supercharged body bar helps to deliver some get-up-and-GO to your morning routine and post-workout scrub-down with a burst of CAFFEINE and Peppermint. Can you eat it? NO! But you can finally enjoy every last minute of your daily shower. Formulated with Jojoba beads, this power-packed soap will effectively scrub and smooth away dry, rough skin, preparing your body to best absorb the stimulating, skin-tightening effects of Caffeine while Palm Oil and Coconut Oil deliver an abundance of rich moisturizers to leave your skin feeling comfortable and soft after every use.
Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!

TGIF with Highlight Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick - what your spring break needs!

Hi ya Gorgeous!
Happy Friday! TGIF! Oh Friyay!

Woo hoo!  Ok, so now that you know I am ready for the weekend - here is what's on my lips for the weekend work and adventure!

I recently received some samples from Highlight Cosmetics of their new liquid lipsticks.

There are 2 neutral shades and one with a hint of highlight.  I've worn these several times through talking, working as an emcee, eating, sipping wine and again, talking.  The wear is phenomenal - so be careful in how you paint this on your mouth because where you put it - it's going to stay!

From left to right on my lips: Sandstone Cashmere, Terracotta Dream ( fave) and Desert Mirage.

The application goes on smooth and the color dries down to a matte look and then after a short bit it becomes dry on the lip and I have needed to reapply a slickery gloss over it.  Note to you - the original application of Highlight cosmetics liquid lip, stayed on, and in place when I applied my sheer gloss over the top to give my lips some moisture.


I like the lip glosses enough to say that if you like liquid lipsticks, you may like these too!

Here are some details from the Highlight Cosmetics website about the lipsticks:

The NATURAL infusion of TURMERIC, GREEN TEA, WHITE TEA, SEA KELP, and a BENEFIT PEPTIDE will give your lips a soft, moist, and smooth finish.

A high performance liquid lipstick that lies above all others. Made in USA, cruelty free, gluten free & paraben free!

These are available exclusively on the Highlight Cosmetics website and are currently on sale for $14.99 each!v


Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!

How to Gua Sha Lymphatic Drainage Massage at home with Nature's Secret

Hi ya Gorgeous!

Happy day to you! How is your March going?  Mine feels like it is moving a year per day while I wait to hear back from some film festivals on projects being accepted.  In this post I'm going to share with you about this new jade roller I'm using and my latest film project.

If you like, you can see the latest short inspiring film, 8 Days in Havasu, using this link here! 
It's available on Vimeo now and going to Amazon by the end of the month.
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/8daysinhavasu

Now in a commitment to a healthier self care regime, I tested a jade roller from Nature's Secret to do at home Gua Sha lymphatic drainage massage.  I know I'm over worked and stressed beyond belief and getting in for a full body massage is next to impossible. But! I can do some ancient Chinese secret to health and beauty massage at home using the Gua Sha technique.

I have two videos for you demonstrating both the jade roller and the Gua Sha tool.

This first video shows you how to do the Gua Sha lymphatic drainage facial massage using the flat with notch jade tool.  The secret is to do it nightly or at a minimum 3 times per week and using light pressure.




To clean your tool, simply rinse it off and wipe clean.  You can keep it in the refrigerator for added coolness  to the touch, though I find that the natural stone has a cool feel to it, naturally!

The next video is demonstrating the jade roller technique. Both of these tools come in the Nature's Secret box set and can be used interchangeably for your health and skin care.




To really see benefits from the Nature's Secret tools - you need to use them - consistently. If needed, perhaps keep it by the bedside so you use it right before sleeping?

You can order your set on Amazon and once it arrives, open the box, rinse the tools, dry - prep your skin and get started to better looking skin!


Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!

Clairol Root Touch Up - via Influenster - super easy to use

Hi ya Gorgeous!
Happy March!
Who else is ready for all the goodness this month?  I know I am - and I'm so looking forward to what's ahead.

I received a free sample from Influenster, of the new color powder compact with applicator brush for grey hairs and growing roots in your hair color from Clairol.

This sells for about $10 at Walmart and is super easy to use and it's compact, so if you need to carry it with you in your purse, say - because you do your roots with it in the morning for work but are going to the gym and then out after work, the small compact is easy to carry with a stiff snap so it won't break open in your purse!

I like the idea of a way to extend your color an extra week in between treatments.  Or if you are just starting to get a few grey hairs, no worries. You can easily color them to match the rest of your hair with this easy to use root touch up system from Clairol.

Easy peasy! Lemon squeezy! Just in time for a busy spring season! 

Thank you Clairol and Influenster for the free sample in exchange for my honest opinion!

Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!