Best of Amazon Beauty

One of my favorite places to shop is Amazon. I love how fast the shipping is when you’re a prime member and that you can find pretty much anything you want on their site. Today I wanted to share some of my favorite beauty products I’ve gotten from Amazon and why I love them! You can find my Best of Beauty list on Amazon at the link here.

Over the winter I became obsessed with having my nails always painted all the time. I love the way it looks but I hated how fast it would chip so I knew I needed something to make it last. I did some research and poked around my favorite blogs to see what I could find. These two products were the most recommended and I found them on Amazon! If you are looking to make a manicure last for about a week, you need this and this. I could tell you all about my nail routine, but we will save that for another post.  

I have an obsession with blush. I love the way it looks on the cheeks and a touch on the nose. I think it brings an entire look to life and adds much needed color to the face. I found this palette from BH Cosmetics and I love all the different color options to choose from. This is the perfect palette for traveling, not because of its compact size obviously, but because you can pull so many different looks from it. I like to mix a few colors to get my perfect shade. This palette also comes in different shades here and here.  

I have ultra sensitive skin when it comes to the heat. I always break out on my face when I have to wear sunscreen and it always made me dread going to the beach. I’ve tried baby sunscreen, sensitive skin sunscreen but none of them worked. I kept hearing about Supergoop sunscreen from many other bloggers so I decided to go ahead and try it. My initial thought when I first used it was how nice it settled into my skin. It’s not greasy or oily and has a very light scent. I’ve worn this over the past 3 months under makeup, to the beach, and at the pool and not once have I broken out. I swear I recommend this sunscreen to all of my friends who will listen (sorry gals!). I will forever repurchase this sunscreen. I just bought the mist on Prime day and I can’t wait to try it!

There are a few other things on the list that I didn’t talk about in this post but be sure to check them out here. What are your favorite Amazon purchases? Would you like to see other non beauty things I’ve purchased and love? Leave a comment below! Stay beautiful! xoxo

Dulce de Leche Chocolate Bars

There’s no better way to satisfy a sweet tooth craving than with a decadent chocolate treat. The other night my husband I was craving chocolate. Not just a bar of a chocolate but an over the top chocolate baked good. You know when you just need that indulgence, ladies you feel me right? A while back I had bought a can of dulce de leche and I have been dying to make something delicious with it. If you haven't had this sweet caramel sauce you need to run, not walk, to the nearest grocery store and pick some up. Jay and I love the Stonewall Kitchen Dulce de Leche spread on crackers, as a sweet and salty snack. Mmm!

I did what any chocolate craving baker would do, I took to Pinterest to see what dulce de leche recipes I could find. I love Pinterest but it can definitely be a black hole. Sometimes I find myself scrolling for hours pinning new recipes and home decor inspiration. However, on this day, I was in and out of my app as soon as I found the perfect recipe. I stumbled upon The Domestic Rebel’s recipe entitled Dulce de Leche Chocolate Gooey Bars. Are you kidding me?! With that title, I knew I had to make them right then and there! I only slightly altered the recipe by swapping out the rolos for chocolate chips.

This recipe is super easy to whip together and throw in the oven. I ended up letting it cool overnight and eating them the next day so the dulce de leche could set completely before cutting into them, as recommended. It was hard to resist eating them fresh out of the oven but these are well worth the wait and did not disappoint! Gooey? Yes! Decadent? Double yes! Chocolatey? Triple yes!

What are your favorite chocolate recipes? Have you tried dulce de leche? Leave a comment below! Happy eating! xoxo

Best Blinding Highlighters

Who doesn't love to be blinded by a cheekbone highlight? My makeup feels incomplete without a touch {excessive amount} of highlighter on the cheekbones, nose, and cupid’s bow. I recently did a major makeup cleanout and found myself left with just 5 highlighters. These are my tried and true go to highlighters that cause that wet and blinding effect!

Maybelline Master Strobing Stick {shade Medium}

I like using this when I am going for a no makeup, makeup look. Yes I wear makeup to make it look like I'm wearing no makeup; makes perfect sense to me. I like how this is a stick because you can easily swipe it on your skin, or in my case paint it on (LOL), for a fresh glowy look.

Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighter {shade Kitten}

I’ve talked about this highlighter before and I’ll talk about it again (and again and again). I love the product itself because it’s almost bouncy to the touch. It goes on the skin so smooth and gives a more pinky golden glow. It comes in a range of shades, so every skin tone can find a highlighter that works!

E.l.f Baked Highlighter {shade Moonlight Pearl}

E.l.f. has really been putting out some great products lately. Not only are they way affordable but I love their compact size. This highlighter has more of a white to light golden tone. It is not as easily blended as the others mentioned here but it wears all day. For 2.99, it is a steal!

NYX Liquid Illuminator {shade Sunbeam}

I love NYX because of their price point. You get a high end feel with a much lower cost. This is a very bright and cool colored highlighter. I like to mix this into my foundation if I really want to glow!

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter {shade Champagne Pop}

Let me just start out by saying Becca makes amazing products. This is my favorite highlighter and has been for many years. I love the golden undertones and how easily this blends on the skin. I also have the shade opal which I like to use on my eyes, but there are 11 other shades as well.

What are your go to highlighters? Do you use a highlighter? Let me know in the comments! Stay beautiful! xoxo

Safer Beauty Products with Beautycounter

It’s no secret that I love makeup and skincare. I love how it enhances beauty and makes me feel like a million bucks. Recently, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what I put on my skin. I use a lot of different products, especially for my night time skincare routine. One night I was doing my thing when my husband said, “Do you even know what’s in all those products that you’re putting on your face?” At first I just waved him off, but then I stopped and thought, well actually I don’t!

I had heard about this tinted moisturizer from a brand called Beautycounter another blogger had mentioned. I was very interested in the product because it looked amazing. I hopped onto the website and I got to learn about this amazing company creating safer skincare. You can read all about their story, the CEO, and their mission to creating laws regulating ingredients in beauty products on their website. I attended a party where I learned more and got to test products on my skin. I knew I wanted to switch some of my daily beauty products out and replace them with this brand. I had no idea about the regulation of beauty products and it is true that knowledge is power. Here is a list of harmful ingredients found in many skincare and beauty products.  

Not all of my makeup is Beautycounter but I am now using some fabulous safer beauty products daily. Here are a few of my favorites!

1. No. 2 Plumping Facial Mist I use this to set my makeup everyday. It smells like peonies and makes my makeup stay all day!

2. Rejuvenating Eye Cream A little goes a long way with this cream. It's so light on the skin, you can barely feel it!

3. Nourishing Cream exfoliator LOVE this stuff. It smells like a citrus fruit cleanser and it gentle while still exfoliating the skin. I use this 3 times per week.

4. Nourishing Cream Cleanser This smells identical to the exfoliator. I use this on the days I don't exfoliate.

5. Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation I am about to order my second bottle of this product and ladies, it is so good! It is a tinted moisturizer with a bit of coverage so it doesn't feel or look cakey. What I love about it is that it is buildable. It comes in ten shades, I am shade sand for reference.

6. No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil I've been using this 2-3 times per week under my night time moisturizer. This smells just like an orange and even my husband loves the smell of it!

7. Cleansing Balm This should honestly be called the holy grail balm. It is a cleanser but it can be used as a makeup cleanser or overnight mask. This stuff takes off all my makeup in a snap! I follow up with a cream cleanser wash. If I'm feeling rather dry or drab I will slather this on my face at night and in the morning, oh my goodness your skin will feel like a baby's bum! If you get nothing else, GET THIS.

8. Nourishing Night Cream What I really like about these products is you don't need much, a little will go a long way. I tend to be more dry than oily so I love this stuff!

9. Charcoal Cleansing Bar I actually got this as a gift and I am going to be purchasing this when I run out. I love how this soap doesn't dry out my skin and bubbles up as you lather.

I hope this helps as you enter your journey to safer skin and beauty products! Would you want an updated skincare or makeup routine? Please leave any comments below! Stay beautiful! xoxo

Stay beautiful! xoxo

Hair Products You'll Love

Having a four day weekend was definitely what the doctor ordered. The weather was so gorgeous, it was making me so anxious for Spring! I am so tired of wearing sweaters and boots - isn’t it funny how as soon as Fall hits we’re all like yay it’s sweater weather! Now that I’ve been wearing these clothes for what seems like too many months, I’m looking forward to tank tops, dresses, and open toed sandals. The cold dry weather has not been so kind to my hair. This winter, more than others, my hair has had so many flyaways and was fairly dry and brittle. I tried SO many hair products and a few of them are definite winners! I’m going to walk you through washing, drying, and styling with products that really make my hair feel nourished and look good.

I’ve been using Redken Color Extend shampoo and conditioner for about three months now and I love the smell of it. It makes my hair shiny and cleanses well, even when my scalp is caked with dry shampoo. I only wash my hair 2-3 times per week so I don’t mind paying a little extra for a good quality shampoo. I would say I go through a bottle every 3-4 months, and even though my hair is fine I have a lot of it.

After I wash and condition my hair I use this hair mask. The coconut oil really helps when my scalp is dry, especially in these winter months. You can get this mask at Target, Walmart, I’ve even gotten it at Ocean State Job Lot! It’s an inexpensive way to get swoon worthy hair. It adds shine and leaves my hair super soft. I use this every time I wash my hair and I use about a palmful amount so I get a few washes out of each package.

After I wash my hair I use one of two products to detangle my hair. My hair is always very snarly after I wash it, no matter what miracle product I use in the shower. My favorite leave in product has been by It’s a 10. This product smells heavenly and comes in a spray bottle, which is my favorite part. It is so easy to spray on and you don’t need to worry about slathering it all over your hands and running your fingers through your hair. My brush runs easily through my hair after I use this product. I got the sample sized bottle and I just ran out. Although I’m not looking forward to dropping $20 on a 4 oz. bottle, it is 100% worth it! If you don’t love a leave in conditioner but you need something to tame your mane before you brush it I have another spray-on detangler favorite. This detangler, which is not necessarily advertised as a detangler, is actually a fabulous detangler. Just a fair warning it does smell like straight up apple cider vinegar, but I actually like the smell. It is 98% plant based and helps to balance the ph in your hair and leave it silky smooth. I loved how my hair looked when I used this and let it air dry.

I use a wet brush to brush my hair and if you haven’t tried this brush yet, you need to! Even if your hair still has tough snags in it, this brush won’t pull or rip your hair out. I got mine at Marshalls, but you can pretty much find them at any drugstore.

I do blow-dry my hair at least twice a week because I wash my hair at night. I don’t like to go to bed with wet hair because when I wake up in the morning my hair is usually still wet - thick hair problems! I hate blow drying my hair. It takes forever, I end up sweating, and twenty minutes later I am cranky and hot. Not fun! Let me preface this by saying I was not in the market for a new hair dryer. If you know my husband Jay you know that he is a deal finder. He never pays full price for anything and will scour the internet looking for the best deal for about 99% of the things he buys. Anyways, my husband showed me this hair dryer that was a deal of the day on Amazon . I read the reviews, I was obviously intrigued by the promise of a short drying time, and just like that, it was here in two days; thanks Prime! Without sounding over dramatic, this hair dryer changed my life. Okay I know that sounded dramatic. You need this hair dryer ladies, it feels like it is salon quality! It is powerful, has numerous heat settings, and dries your hair so quickly.

Most days I straighten my hair with my very old Chi straightener but lately I have been loving curling my hair with this curler. I got mine at Marshalls for a fraction of the price, so check your local TJMaxx or Marshalls before you order it from Ulta. My hair is very fussy when it comes to holding a curl but this curling iron really has the magic touch. I like to spritz my curls with this hair spray when I’ve finished. It holds well without feeling sticky or looking crunchy.

On the days my hair needs a quick refresh I use this dry shampoo. It is SO good! It makes my hair super soft and the best part is it is tinted brown. Often dry shampoo would make my hair look white or leave some kind of residue on my scalp. I highly recommend this dry shampoo, and it is super inexpensive.

Any suggestions on hair products I should try? I’m also looking for a new straightener, what are your favorites?! Stay beautiful! Xo.

Valentine's Day Outfit Inspiration

Dresses 1|2|3|4 ⤖ Clutch 1|2 ⤖ Pumps 1|2 ⤖ Jewelry 1|2|3

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner I thought it would be fun to share some outfit inspiration. Jay and I always celebrate Valentine’s Day the weekend after because restaurants are SO busy on the actual day. We enjoy it much more and most places are a lot less crowded. Last year we made reservations at The Republic in Bloomfield and the food was to die for! I accidently made the reservations at The Republic in Hartford but the hostess was kind enough, I think she felt bad for me, and let us have the next available table. My favorite thing there is the bacon wrapped dates stuffed with cream cheese - so delicious. This year we made reservations for a couple’s massage and I really want to try a new restaurant for dinner. I love getting dressed up and going to new places, who doesn’t? Answer: my husband. He would be so content getting take out and cuddling up at home and watching a movie. Most nights I would agree, but there’s something special about getting all dolled up and going out on a date.

Jay and I have been making it a point to go on a date night at least once a month. Life gets so busy, and weekends especially, that we often forget the importance of dating. Even though we are happily married, it’s nice to go out and just talk and reconnect without the distraction of things to do around the house. When we first started dating I was home from my freshman year of college and that’s when our relationship really started to grow. We would sit outside in the hot summer air, under the stars and we could talk for hours just getting to know each other. There was something so romantic about it. Many of you who know me know that I am rather shy when I first meet someone but with Jay, I felt like I could be myself instantly. His sense of humor, his charm, and his attentiveness set me at ease. I specifically remember the moment I knew he was the one. I was having a family birthday celebration and of course everyone wanted to meet Jay. He was the boy next door, my first serious love, and older than me- ooo scandalous! (I kid, he's only 3 years older than me). Jay seemed to fit right in with all my friends and family, he was the center of attention and making everyone laugh. In the middle of all the laughing and joking I knew right then that I would spend the rest of my life with this man. He still makes me laugh every single day and I do not take that for granted. Jay is my biggest supporter and would do absolutely anything to make me happy. I am so fortunate to have met a man like him, I truly am blessed. So needless to say, I’m really looking forward to our next date night which happens to be for Valentine’s Day!

I found the most adorable and affordable dresses, heels, jewels, and clutches for Valentine’s Day, or any date night. Even if you’re going out with your gal friends these outfits will make you feel like a million bucks without breaking the bank. I think I am going to order the black off the shoulder dress and the Sam Edelman heels. I have been wanting leopard pumps for a while now and this is the perfect excuse to order them! What are you wearing for Valentine’s Day? Do you have any special celebrations with your spouse? Stay beautiful. Xo.

Sneakers under $100

As you know one of my biggest goals this year is to live a healthier lifestyle. My husband and I joined the gym in our town and I couldn’t be happier with that decision. I decided to vamp up my workout clothing, and with that I of course had to purchase some new sneakers! Sneakers can be really expensive, like OMG expensive. I try to get my sneakers at Kohls when I can because they always have great sales. I’ve also found a few pairs at TJMaxx, but that is always a hit or miss kind of store. I’ve rounded up several sneaker options under $100 to help you look cute and feel good while you workout.

I’m usually drawn to Nike sneakers because they are so lightweight and come in a variety of colors and styles. I want these because you can’t go wrong with a black sneaker and I LOVE these. The color on these are so different, almost effervescent in person. I have two pairs of Nike sneakers that I love but are pretty old so I couldn't find a link to them. I was walking in Kohls one day and I saw the most gorgeous pink sneakers. I was instantly drawn to them and had to have them right then and there - the drama, I know! To my surprise they were not Nike but Adidas! The last time I wore Adidas sneakers they were flat bottoms and had a shell toe, anyone remember rocking those in middle school? These are much different and have become quite popular. What I love most about these sneakers are the inner soles. They are made out of cloud foam, and yes it is as good as it sounds. It feels like you’re walking on clouds, they are seriously the most comfortable sneakers I own. I also have them in grey and blue, which is why they are my favorites. I love the stretch that this shoe has and feels really supportive when I exercise. The sneakers seem to bend with my foot and stretch when necessary. I’m having a hard time justifying not buying them in every color, they are that good! I highly recommend these! I recently found these and decided that I absolutely want need them. I guess you could say I have a slight obsession with Adidas sneakers now.

What are your favorite sneakers to exercise in? I’d love to know what I need to add to my shoe collection, and I’m sure my husband would love that too hehe. Stay healthy! Xo.