August Favorites

So, a lot of my favorites this month don't have anything to do with makeup, but that's okay right?

I do have a couple of makeup favorites though so lets start with those...

No Place to Run- Jet Set

I'm using this all day every day. It's great for a basic black liner and it last all day. The only bad thing about it is the fact that you have to sharpen plastic, which means sometimes you get this not so pleasant surprise of plastic poking your eye.

i-marks in shades Biscotti & Tiki

 

These have been my go too this month. Its a great neutral combo for the transition from summer to fall!

And for skincare, I've been loving mark's That's Deep Cleanser 

I feel like this cleaner does a really nice job of helping my acne stay at bay. 

All of which you can grab through my friend here.

As you can tell, I've been using up my mark stuff!

Okay so now for non-makeup or skincare favorites...

Schick Quatro for Women

I had a super crappy razor, so I decided to check this one out. I am so glad I did! It is super sharp and just amazing! Other great thing? It's not too expensive!

Suave Clinical Protection Deodorant 

So, we're going to be a little awkward here for a minute... sometimes, regular deodorants just aren't enough. In rolls, clinical protection. I bout Suave because it was the cheapest type and I actually think it works better than Secret's clinical protection.

Spotify

So, I LOVE Spotify. I pretty much listen to music all the time at work so, 8 hours... I love making and curating playlists. I also end up falling in love with people's voices. Such as Jeremy Jordan and Rachel Platten. 

Stay Beautiful,

Kailey

Back to School Basics

In honor of my first day of classes (yesterday),

I thought it would be a good idea to go through some

(Google Image Search Result)

I didn't really need to go shopping for school supplies this year, which kind of makes me sad because I LOVE back to school shopping, but, its also kind of a happy thought because it means being FRUGAL, which is always a good thing when you're trying to purchase a home.

Anyway...

Here is my list of my 

TOP TEN ITEMS FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

1. Binders- So, depening on what I have a surplus of, I either do binders and loose leaf paper or notebooks+ folders. However, I have come to the realization that I like binders much better. 

Really, its just a personal preference thing but I like that I can hole punch anything and keep it organized. I also feel like it stays more organized because I can rearrange notes and such.

2.Paper- This one is sort of obvious. I mean you need something to take notes on. While some teachers will let you take notes on your computer... which can help you to organize your notes better, I find  that when I use my computer to take notes in class I just end up getting distracted. I also don't read over my notes as often, for some reason. 

3. Multi-colored Pens- For taking notes, and even in-class assignments, I like using pens. Its just more festive and bright than using a pencil. I like to alternate the colors in my notes so that the different dates are clear but, again, that is a personal preference. These are also great to color code your planner!

4. Pencils- However dull they may seem, pencils are still an essintail part of school. Some tests require that you take them with a Number 2. What I end up using my pencil the most for is writing in books (gasp! I know), as an English major, its often necessary for me to write notes in stories or novels and I would rather do that with something erasable and faint.

5. Pencil Sharpener- This is a no brainer, if you have a pencil, you'll need a way to sharpen it! There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a test with no sharpener in sight!

6.Mini Stapler- These little babies are super handy to have around. Trust me, everybody will be wanting to use it in class!

7. Post It Notes- These are so good to have around! I'm not even going to begin to explain all the uses for post it notes... there are too many to count.

8.  Index Cards- I know there are a lot of flashcard apps but, to me, nothing beats the good old-fashioned index cards.

9. Big Pink Erasers- These are great to have around with your pencils for those bigger mistakes.

10.  Colored Pencils/Markers- These are great not only for projects but also for notes and coloring maps. 

Is Your Chapstick Drying Out Your Lips?

Well hello there beauties!

Remember last week when I talked about my Mary Kay Facial and told you that my Mary Kay lady said something interesting that caused me to do some digging? 

Well, this is it....

And what I found out? Very interesting! It's definitely made me aware of what is in the products I am putting on my lips! 

So, what exactly did I find out about if certain chapsticks actually dry out your lips?

Well, according to an article by America Now News, certain lip balms do in fact dry out your lips! Now, despite a little marketing deception, I don't think these brands are trying to swindle us out of our money by making us use more and more product. They use these certain drying ingredients to help get rid of cold sores. 

Wait, use chapstick to get rid of cold sores? Yup. Thats what some brands like Carmex and ChapStick were originally made for. 

Now, just what are these not so magical ingredients?

According to the article, the harmful ingredients are:

Camphor

Menthol

Phenol

OL (usually stands for some kind of Alcohol)

and

 Salicylic Acid 

Keep an eye out for these ingredients the next time you go searching for the perfect lip balm to keep your lips hydrated all day long. For your convienece, I've compiled a list of three lip balms to try for long lasting lip wear, and three to avoid.

Do Use:

Baby Lips- It has petrolum in it, one of the BEST things for lip moisture.

EOS- Was there ever any doubt? This doesn't have any of the drying ingredients listed above.

Burt's Bees- I love Burt's! None of the ingredients listed above and no active ingredients, which can only be a good thing!

Don't Use:

Carmex- This was made for cold sores so, its one of the worst offenders out there for using drying ingredients. This contains Camphor, Phenol, Menthol and Salicylic Acid. 

SoftLips- contains methol, to give you that "tingling" feeling.

ChapStick- Not too bad of an offender but, it does contain alcohol, which can be drying for your lips. 

Be sure to check the ingredients next time you reach for your favorite chapstick! There could be a reason you feel like you have to re-apply it 50 million times throughout the day. 

Stay Beautiful,

Kailey 

Mary Kay Facial Review

As you may or may not know, I recently "left" mark and I've been looking for a new direct sales company. Mary Kay was one that I was interested in but, had never really used their products before so, I didn't know how I would like it. Luckily, I know two people that already sell Mary Kay!

One of them just happens to be living in the same city with me so, I had the pleasure of getting a Mary Kay facial from her. 

Before I went I decided that I was going to take a before and after video, to show the effects and get my initial reaction...

However, I had to take the video on my phone because I still can't find my camera battery charger :( , and now I can't get it to process anywhere! I'm not really sure what the problem is so sadly, I'm just going to do this post without video.

My Mary Kay lady was kind enough to provide me with a list of products that she used so, here goes nothing!

Time Wise Miracle Set- Included 3 in 1 Cleanser, Acne Fighting Solution, and Night Solution. All of this stuff was great and felt really good on my skin but, I'm not sure how different it is from other products I've used since a one time use for face cleansers can't tell you a whole lot. One thing I did like was that all of these products had anti-aging benefits.

Time Wise Eye Cream- She did not specify in the list if she used the firming eye cream or the anti aging eye cream but I was really impressed by how quickly and how long it made my under eye circles appear lighter. Besides, its never too early to start the anti aging process! 

Acne Gel- This is a new formula, but, my mom would always only buy Mary Kay's acne gel because she said it was the best. What I liked about this product was that it didn't burn at all when I put it on. I also felt like it actually did help my breakouts a bit when I looked at them the next day. 

Satin Lips Set- These was by far my FAVORITE products. Its a lip mask and a lip balm and ohmygoodness were my lips so soft afterwards! My lips were chapped too so, getting all of that dry skin off and making them feel baby soft was no small feat. If you've never tried Mary Kay before, I would try this product first! Its cheap and amazing. (and no, I'm not being paid to say this!). P.s.While she was explaining this product she said something that really intrigued me and made me do my own research... keep a lookout for a blog post about it on Tuesday!

Foundation Primer- The last step was foundation primer. I know I need to use foundation primer in my everyday life but I think I don't because it always makes my face feel funny. Not quite oily but just heavy. This did feel a little strange because I'm not used to wearing primer but, it didn't feel oily or heavy on  my skin. It also did the job and helped my foundation look great. The only downside I can see is that you have to wait for it to completely dry before you but mineral makeup on it. 

As you can see, I was pleasantly impressed with my Mary Kay facial! I think I would have to try it out a bit more to get a clearer opinion about the TimeWise Miracle Set but, I definitely love the Eye Cream and Satin Lips Set. I also just want to mention that I had a really great time at my Mary Kay facial with Amber. She was great and made sure she told me all about the Mary Kay Opportunity because she knew I was interested. She was great! :)  

If you are interested in any of these products click here.

Do you like Mary Kay? Do you have a rep you love?

Stay Beautiful,

Kailey

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Touchably Full Shampoo & Conditioner Mini Review

                I’m one of those people that is a SUCKER for marketing strategies especially commercials. That’s why I’ve always been intrigued by John Frieda. Although, I’ve never actually tried it out because it’s a smidge expensive and I didn’t want to spend that kind of money on something I wasn’t sure about. Especially not on shampoo and conditioner which, lets be honest, don’t tend to last very long.

So of course, I was thrilled when I found a free sample from target. I received my sample of John Frieda Luxurious Volume Touchably Full Shampoo and Conditioner from Target a few weeks ago, and I have to say I’m not that impressed. I was able to squeeze two uses out of the sample pack and while I was using it my hair felt great. My hair felt clean and soft. A definite win. However, I didn’t feel like it did anything by way of volumizing. Honestly, flipping my hair over and blow drying it does better (and its less expensive.) 

It definitely did not weigh it down or make it limp and lifeless but I don't have a huge problem with that in the first place. 

However, when I went to get my haircut today, I told my hairdresser about the experience and she said “oh honey, you don’t need it.” So maybe the fact that I didn’t really see any results from this shampoo and conditioner is because my hair isn’t actually “flat” enough. That being said, I give this product a B-. It’s good, but it’s not great. Have you tried it? What do you think?

What Shampoo and Conditioner do you suggest?

Stay Beautiful,

Kailey