Birchbox - May

It's here! My first Birchbox came in the mail yesterday and I am just so excited. While most of these 5 products are sample sizes, I think it was worth the money. I actually really like some of these products!




Supergoop Sunscreen
I have not actually been able to try this out yet, seeing that it's been gross and rainy here for the past few days. I am planning on bringing it on a short three day trip I am going on this Weekend. I'm looking forward to using it, it doesn't seem to have that well know sunscreen smell.



Hello by Harvey Prince
A small sample size of perfume won't last you very long if you use it every day, but they are great to throw in a purse. I absolutely love this perfume, it is so perfect for summer. I am a big fan of floral scents though, so if your not big on that you may not like this. It's a combination of lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, forsythia, and plumeria.




Shea Butter Intensive Nurturing Body Balm
That's quite a mouthful for lotion, but who cares if its good! I really really like this lotion. It is thick and creamy but not greasy, which I was expecting. The main ingredient is shea butter, so that is basically all you smell. I'm not opposed to the scent, it is very simple and actually growing on me!



Cynthia Rowley Black Eyeliner
I love eyeliner so I was excited to see a brand I have never tried before. I think this eye liner is pretty good! It has a nice rich color and glided on easily, however it didn't have the lasting power I like. I have only tried it once so maybe it will grow on me as I use it more!




Beauty Protector Leave In Conditioner
 Its like Birchbox knows I am on the hunt for a leave in conditioner. This seems to have the same concept of It's a 10, which I'm not a huge fan off. I am in absolute love with this product. It smells great and the scent lingers all day. It maid my hair incredibly soft and shiny and it stayed like that all day. I am seriously considering buying the full size!

I am actually pretty darn impressed with my first Birchbox! I am looking forward to receiving one next month, and hoping to receive my Ipsy box as well.

Is it Worth The Hype? it's a 10 miracle leave in product

This leave in conditioner is seriously all over Youtube. Everyone is totally in love with it! I decided to try it out to see if it was worth the hype.

Is it worth it? I honestly don't think so... It just didn't live up to my expectations! I have no problem spending a little extra money on hair products, but I want to see a big difference.

This is a spray leave in conditioner that is supposed to do the following ten things instantly:
- Repair damaged hair
- Add Shine
- Detangles
- Controls frizz
- Protects hair color
- Prevents split ends
- Stops hair breakage
- Creates silkiness
- Enhances natural body
- Flat iron spray

That's a pretty large list for one product! I think this could be great for someone who doesn't want to waste time using several different products. I personally have separate products that were less expensive and do a better job, so I don't mind using them one at a time.

I'm on a hunt for a leave in conditioner that I love and I have not found it with this... The search continues!

My Top 3 Drugstore Face Washes

I am obsessed with skin care... I could easily spend an hour looking at products at Walgreens or Target. If your in need of a new face wash, check out the ones I love!









Clean & Clear Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub
I am a serious believer in exfoliating face washes. I love the ultra clean feeling after using a scrub with little tiny beads in it! This specific scrub has a cooling effect on your face, it's actually pretty refreshing. It smells great as well. I can find this at any drugstore for $5.30!




Nuetrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask
This is the only scrub I will use that does not has some type of exfoliating power. This wash/mask is much thicker then other products. My face gets really oily and I find that this is a really great mattifier. A majority of the time I use it as a mask and not a wash. I can really notice a difference after wearing the mask around for 30 minutes or so!




Garnier Clean Plus Blackhead Eliminating Scrub
This is definitely my favorite face wash at the moment. It's a new product, you may have seen commercials for it. Garnier jumped on the charcoal bandwagon and I have to say I'm in love. It's much less intimidating then the black face masks you see on Pinterest.

Mialisia Jewlery

About a week ago, I went to a neighborhood open house that was selling Jewelry. My Mom and I had thought it was going to be someone making and selling their own jewelry, but it was actually from a company! It was like a Pampered Chef party but it had jewelry instead, woohoo!  

 

My Mom and I were actually pretty impressed with the concept, so I thought I would share what I bought. If your interested in an introduction to the company, check out this short video. I think it would be a little confusing to write about, it's definitely something that needs to be visualized to get the full effect.  

 

 

Its a pretty cool idea right? I am in love with having the ability to make a necklace, bracelet, belt, or headband out of a single piece of jewelry! I decided to purchase a "style kit" that came with three coordinating pieces instead of purchasing separates.  I ended up getting the Spirited Style Kit for $85, it's fun and summery. I also got to pick out any necklace I wanted for an additional $10. It might seem a little pricy but think about how much you spend on necklaces and bracelets separately!

Gluten Free Adventures: Banana Bread

 
 




I decided to make some Banana bread this morning! It was fairly easy thanks to a premade bread mix from King Arthur. I just followed the directions from the box and added a few ingredients.














Ingredients
- 1 box of gluten free bread mix
- 3 room temperature eggs
- 3 Bananas
- 1/2 Cup of Truvia (One cup of regular sugar)
- 4 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil (I use this instead of butter or oil)
- 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
- 1 1/2 Cups of Lukewarm Water

Directions


1. Combine mashed bananas, eggs, coconut oil, sugar, vanilla, and water with a beater in a medium sized bowl.

2. Add the packet of yeast and 1 cup of the bread mix to the bowl. Continue to add the bread mix one step at a time theres no neeed to rush... Its like learning to fly or falling in love... And I'm not Jordan Spraks. Make sure too add one cup of flour until everything is combined!

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 30 minutes.

4. After the 30 minutes, spoon the mixture into an oiled bread pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap (lightly so there is room for expansion)  and wait for an additional 20-40 minutes.

5. Bake in the over for 50-60 minutes at 350

Enjoy & happy eating

 

- Katie

Bath & Body Candle Haul

So... I may have gone a little candle crazy in Bath & Body. In my defense, I had a coupon that made each 3 wick candle $11. Obviously I had to buy these! Yay! Let's get talking...

Mango Dragon Fruit
This is one of my favorite scents for summer. This candle smells so fruity, I'm thinking about eating it! Not really, I'm weird but not that weird...

    "Rare and refreshing dragon fruit is mixed with juicy island mango to create the ultimate tropical fruit blend" (Bath & Body). 

Coastal Cool Scents

I bought three of the new summer scent candles. I am totally in love with the new packaging. Instead of standard glass, these candle jars are all frosted! They are all beach themed and totally smell like summer (Minus the sunscreen)! 

Endless Weekend

Oh my gosh this candle... Love it! I think the body wash smells great but I don't need any, so I got the candle instead.

"A blend of fresh summer mandarin, sun-kissed magnolia and blue coconut water that evokes days of sunshine and happiness you wish you would never end"  (Bath & Body).

That description is seriously spot on. I never want to stop smelling this... NEVER! 

Sunset Beach

All I can say is.. If happiness had a smell it would smell exactly like this. I was so surprised when I gave this candle a wiff and did not smell like sunscreen. 

"The sweet fragrance of easygoing days at the beach filled with fruit pops, sugarcane, and sunrays" 

Eucalyptus Mint & Waves

This candle is so different from the other three, but I still really like it! It's very calming and honestly almost smells like cologne. I feel like a really attractive lifeguard would smell like this...

"Enjoy the ride of a lifetime with this blend of water flowers, eucalyptus and surf"

I am going to die a happy candle death... Seriously, how am I going to pick the one I want to light first?

- Katie

Monthy Subscription Box

Okay guys, I am SO excited! I just placed subscriptions with two monthly beauty boxes. I ordered both Birchbox and ipsy. When I saw that they were only $10 a month I said why the heck not!

Ipsy

Ipsy was the first box I subscribed to! The company was created by the YouTube Beauty guru Michelle Phan.

    

"With infinite beauty product combinations in the marketplace, choosing the best items for your needs can be a challenge! That was why Michelle created ipsy. Michelle and her team of stylists have selected products they love, for you to try." (www.ipsy.com)

When you create your profile with ipsy you take a short quiz so they can better match you with products. You get 4-5 products a month and they all come in a cute ipsy makeup bag! I was actually placed on a wait list... Which is why I subscribed to Birchbox as well!

Birchbox

I have seen ads for Birchbox EVERYWHERE! It was also only $10 a month and since I was wait listed at ipsy I figured I'd sign up here as well.

"Each month, you'll receive a selection of samples the we've tried (and retried) ourselves. We source our samples from both well-known brands and emerging gems. The women's subscription includes everything from skincare to makeup, as well as fun non-beauty extras." (www.birchbox.com)

You take an optional quiz on Brchbox after your order you first subscription box. It asks similar questions to ipsy but is definitely not as in-depth. My Birchbox is schedules to ship on May 27th!

I am so excited to start receiving these beauty boxes! I am planning on doing monthly reviews so you can all see what comes in them. Lets see which one I like!

- Katie



Beauty On a Budget: Urban Decay Naked Basics

 

Who doesn't love Urban Decay shadow pallets? Well, if you like them then it obviously means you love the price tag as well! Wrong... Let's get real here not everyone has the ability or even wants to spend $30 on six shades of eye shadow. I'm going to show you how to get the same look from the drugstore!








What You Need
Wet n Wild: Comfort Zone $4.99
Wet n Wild: Don't Steal My Thunder $2.99
Revlon Color Stay: Moonlit $5.99
Revlon Color Stay: Attitude $5.99

If your doing the math, the grand total will be about $20. Why would you not just spend $10 more and get the real thing? You get 19 shadows instead of six. More bang for your buck!



What are we trying to imitate?
(From left to right)

- Venus: Revlon Color Stay Moonlit
- Foxy: Wet N Wild Comfort Zone
- WOS: Revlon Color Stay Attitude
- Naked 2: Revlon Color Stay Moonlit
- Faint: Revlon Color Stay Attitude
- Crave: Wet N Wild Don't Steal My Thunder

 

 Swatches
 

Foxy vs W&W Comfort Zone Top Left Shade

Venus vs Revlon Moonlit Top Left Shade

WOS vs Revlon Attitude Top Left Shade

Naked 2 vs Revlon Moonlit Bottom Left Shade



Faint vs Revlon Attitude Bottom Left Shade

Crave vs W&W Don't Steal My Thunder Middle Shade



 As you can see, not all of these were perfect matches! I don't buy single shade compacts and I wanted to keep it under four pallets for you. If you purchase the two Revlon compacts you will be able to recreate a lot of the same looks as you could with the basics pallet! 

 

Happy Budget Hunting!

- Katie

Gluten Free Adventures: Saint Louis Bread Co. (Panera)

A friend and I stopped by Bread Co. for lunch today! You may not have known, but they actually have quite a few gluten free options. You just have to order from their "Secret Menu"!
(If your not sure the rating system goes up to 5)

Breakfast                                                                Lunch/Dinner
- Power Breakfast Egg White Bowl                        - Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad
  with Roasted Turkey ♥♥♥                                     - Power Mediterranean Roasted Turkey Salad
- Power Breakfast Egg Bowl with                          - Power Chicken Humus Bowl ♥♥♥♥
  Steak                                                                     - Power Steak Lettuce Wraps ♥♥♥

Today I tried the... (Drum Roll Please)

(Before Eating... Looks good!)


Power Steak Lettuce Wraps! I have to say, it was pretty delicious but I like the Hummus Bowl a lot more.

    "Seared top-sirloin, leaf lettuce, cucumbers, diced tomatoes & red onions, basil pesto and finished with fresh lemon juice" (panerabread.com)

Sounds yummy right?

After reading the description I realized mine did not come with any pesto! While it was still good, the wraps were a little dry and could have used some sauce!

 

Happy eating!

- Katie

Heatless Summer Curls

It's almost summer time which means everyone is going to want beautiful beachy waves! Save your hair from the extra dose of heat in the morning by following a few simple steps.

What You Need?
The first thing you need to do is purchase a set of spiral rollers. All the major hair accessory companies produce them and they can easily be found at Target, Walmart, or Walgreens. I personally have a set of the pink and blue Conair curlers that I got a target for $15. (Tip Time) I have seen similar products at Walmart for the less than $8, so if your looking to say a few bucks definitely check there!

What You Need To Do
1. Take a shower: As Jenna Marbles said you are probably dirty... You HAVE to start with damp hair to get the curls to stay all day. Wait until you hair is 80% dry or dampen it with water!

2. Get your curlers ready: Select the amount of curlers you will need according to your hair type! I personally use three curlers on each side of my head. Make sure your using large chunks of hair and not small one inch sections. Otherwise, you will have spiral curls not waves!


This is what your hair should look like!

 3. I like to place the curlers near my ear, so the curl will begin close to my chin. This makes it look like you have used a curling wand and it's much more comfortable to sleep in!
    A. Take one section of hair and wrap it going away from you face and then bend the bottom of the curler to lock it in! You want both of the plastic tips to be pointing at each other.

1/2 way done!

   B. Finish curling the rest of your hair! I personally like having all the curls face directionally away from my face, but you can do whatever works for you!

4. Go to sleep: Now that you have your curlers in you can go to bed! If you want the curls to set with out heat you need to let them set for at least 4 hours. However, if your in a rush and don't mind using heat you can always use a blow dryer!

 5. The next morning all you have to do is take the curlers out and set with hairspray! Can you beat having your hair done in less then 5 minutes? I think not... I always like to add a headband or clip so that my hair is out of my face.

 

Don't forget to subscribe!
- Katie  (:

Gluten Free Adventures: Nutella French Toast

I made this yummy treat for breakfast on Mother's Day! Everyone said it was good so I think it passed the test.

Ingredients
- 8 slices of bread (I used 2 slices of gluten free, 1 bagel thin, and 4 slices of regular bread)
- 4 eggs
-3/4 Cup of Heavy Cream (I used fat free coffee creamer and it work perfectly)
-1/4 Cup of Nutella
- 1 Sliced Banana
- 2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon of Sugar (I used Truvia)
- Butter



Instructions
1. Spread the Nutella on half of your bread and then add your sliced bananas!

2. Crack your 4 eggs into a medium sized bowl and lightly beat them. Add the cream, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar to the eggs. Mix until blended.

3. Add butter to a medium sized frying pan. You want the temperature to be hot enough to melt the butter but not smoking.

4. Place your nutella/banana sandwich in your egg mixture. Make sure you fully submerge both sides!

5. Cook your toast in batches! I placed two sandwiches in the pan for each batch. Let the sandwich sit for three minutes then flip and cook for another 3 minutes.

6. Cover with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Gluten Free Adventures: Pasta House

My family decided to go out to eat a late dinner at Pasta House today. This is my second time eating off the gluten free menu. Last visit I ordered the Pasta Con Broccoli and this time I ordered the Chicken Parmigian. I enjoy being able to eat out at an Italian restaurant because not many have gluten free options! I believe they have so many options because some one high up in their rank has a wife with celiac!

I'm creating a rating system

Why not? Let's put these emojis to good use! Low ♥ to High ♥♥♥♥♥

The meal

- Started off with your standard Pasta House Salad (Low Fat Dressing) I'm not really a big salad eater but it came with the meal...

♥♥

- Chicken Parm: The chicken was okay. Not terrible but definitely not great. At first they had just brought a plain chicken breast but quickly sent it back to the kitchen. The broccoli that was served with it was also on the dry side... It also didn't come with pasta! I mean that's my own fault for not reading the menu but a little disappointing none the less. I think the kitchen may have been having some issues seeing that my moms GF pasta was undercooked. Overall, not worth $18 a dish... 

♥

Spring/Summer Beauty Tag

Alright... No, I didn't get tagged to do this post seeing that I just started blogging. I tag myself! That counts right? (Lets just pretend to say yes). I want a few posts of the blog to have a YouTube feel to it, hopefully you guys enjoy it!
If your ready for warmer weather read on!

Do you change your makeup when spring arrives? If so, how?
You bet I do! I'm all about lighter makeup for the spring/summer seasons. My foundation routine doesn't change at all. I love BareMinerals and find it light enough to wear in the summer.  I have TERRIBLE allergies so I really limit the amount of makeup I wear around my eyes, otherwise I look like a raccoon. A light eye shadow, pink blush, nude lip, and a waterproof mascara keep me cool and in the heat!

What is your favorite spring and summer fragrance?
Bath & Body Country Chic! Sunflowers are my favorite flower, so logically I want to smell like them (; "Our exclusive Country Chic fragrance is inspire by the fresh air and natural beauty of the countryside. This effortlessly sexy scent is a bright blend of sparkling lemon, marigold and golden sunflower with a subtle glow of orange blossom" I think that is pretty much spring in a sent...

What is going to be your favorite accessory this season?
Watches! I never leave the house without one. I received a rose gold Michael Kors watch as a Christmas gift (thanks Santa) and can't wait to start showing it of in spring! I have been wearing it all year but it will look much more festive and spring with bright colors.

What is going to be your most worn clothing item?
I have a pair of distressed jeans I have been living in! It is way to cold to wear them where I live during winter so I plan on wearing them until it gets to hot.

Top 3 nail polishes?
1. Essie "Madison ave-hue"
2. Red Carpet "Papparazzied" (This is a gel polish I use with my LED lamp!)
3. Salon Perfect "Bermuda Baby"

Do you prefer pumps of sandals?
Sandals 100%! I have a sandal addiction... There are so many options and you get to show of your pedicure!

What is your favorite spring jacket
Honestly, I don't really need one where I live! The temperature goes from 25 degrees to 75 in a span of 24 hours (Midwest REPRESENT)... I do use my pink rain jacket frequently, but it's not exactly a fashion statement!