Review | Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm

Before I start this review - I want to chat about the obvious. I am sorry. I have been on hiatus for a while now. So many things have been going on lately between work and day to day life. In less than a year and a half my husband has lost all 4 grandparents. Needless to say, it has been an incredibly difficult time for our family. This is why I disappeared for a while. Recently - the blog has been calling my name. I think it would be a healthy choice for me to come back...and do something that I am passionate about. :) So there.
I purchased a new lip product today! It's the little things guys.  It's from a relatively new line by Revlon - called ColorBurst Matte Balm. I picked up one of these bad boys in the shade "#225 Sultry." It's $6.49 at Target and is currently available in 10 shades. 

Let me start out by saying that I am in love with this color. (#225 Sultry) I have been wearing it all day - and I must say that it is a refreshing break from my normal classic red lip. (I said break...not replacement) It is super creamy and did not exacerbate my chapped lip problem at all. (Thank God) My poor lips have been in a horrible state lately...this Alabama weather has been the culprit. FYI - I have been treating my dry lips with this lip butter by PureLips on Etsy. ------>Lemon Butter Cake flavor. ;)

This "balm" has great staying power and is very pigmented. The color is just the bees knees. I would call it a vintage-rose-mauve? I intended on posting a photo of it actually on my lips - but my face is...just unfortunate right now. The stress finally got to me and my face decided it was going to literally break out all over. :( The following swatch will have to do for the moment. 

Don't worry - a photo of my lips sporting "Sultry" will pop up on here soon. I have a feeling that I'm going to be enjoying this product for quite some time. It's a great transitional shade for any time of the year. I hope everybody has a painless Monday hahaha. I hate having a case of the Mondays. 

Wordless Wednesday (Late)

September's Lust-worthy Items | Birthday Edition!

.50 ct Vintage Style Sterling Silver Ring

$54.99 on Amazon.com

MLP Pinkie Pie Ceramic Mug

$11.94 on Amazon.com

Feather Alex and Ani Bracelet

$28 at alexandani.com

Blanket Crossbody Handbag

$22.99 at Target

Katy Perry "Killer Queen" Perfume

1.7 oz $49 at ULTA

Starbucks Giftcard

Any amount! at Starbucks.com

I'm turning 27 on the 20th of this month. :) Matt is taking me to see Mumford & Sons on Monday - I am so excited that I may pee my pants, just sayin'. I will try to get some photos while we are at the concert. I will certainly post a picture of the concert t-shirt that I pick out. (I'm sure it will be like $50 lol) I hope everybody is having a nice weekend!

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Review | e.l.f. Studio Lip Exfoliator

e.l.f. Studio Lip Exfoliator 

$3 on eyeslipsface.com

I suffer from really dry lips that have an obnoxious tendency to peel all of the time. It's most likely due to all of the extended stay lipsticks I wear. (I especially love red) 

So - I was pretty excited about this e.l.f. Studio Lip Exfoliator when I spotted it at my local Target. I've already tried Lush's Bubble Gum lip scrub with mixed success. (Meh - I consider it more messy than helpful) It tastes really yummy though! This lip exfoliator by e.l.f also taste very nice - I would call it a pleasant maple syrup flavor. :) Nom nom nom...

I find e.l.f's packaging to be very hit or miss, in this case I think it's very nice. (The studio line is prettier in my opinion) I was really drawn to this scrub because it seemed so convenient. (You have to apply the Lush scrub by finger) I imagined myself driving down the road and exfoliating/moisturizing at the same time. (Super easy/no worries)

My first two applications went great - it buffed away the dead skin and left a layer of smooth jojoba oil and Shea butter in it's path. (Be gentle - this scrub can be quite rough) Sadly - It has left me a bit disappointed every time I have used it since then. Maybe it's just because I picked up a faulty tube? It seems like the exfoliating granules are the only thing I'm getting when I apply it. (Which can be kinda painful) I have been having to use the sides to glide over my lips when I'm done using the top. So strange! I really had high hopes for this lip treatment! Maybe if I hang with it long enough I will get back down to some balm? I sure hope so! I do believe it is worth a try, maybe you will have more success than I did. If not...it was only a $3 loss. :)

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MLP:FiM Fangirl Ramblings & Review | Princess Cadance Toy

(Miri's first trip to the barn - she loved it & didn't want to leave!)

The apple has not fallen far from the tree folks! Miss Miri Mouse is just as obsessed with MLP as I was when I was little. Anytime she is crying - we just turn on "the ponys" and everything is suddenly right in the world lol. 

(Fizzy - Generation One)

Pretty much anybody that is female (or even sometimes male) and born in the 80s has been obsessed with MLP at one point or another in their lives. I never really stopped loving them. (Special case haha) I have a vintage Fizzy that sits on display in my bathroom - she was always my favorite pony. (I ended up having a Ferret named after her lol) I was completely unaware that Hasbro had reintroduced the franchise (for the 4th time/Generation 4) until after Miri arrived. When I first laid eyes on the show on Netflix, I was initially very irritated by it. (Who do these new ponies think they are? They don't have 80s hair - complaints hiss hiss etc.) We finally decided to give them a chance in the Cherry house, and we are all very happy that we did. I'm almost 27 years old and I will proudly say that I think it is a fantastic show. It's entertaining for both children and adults, and I find it to have very sophisticated writing and nuanced characters. So - if you have not heard of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic by now...you must be living under a rock, because it is a huge success. (Point and laugh at me all you want) I will always have mad love for the ponys. :) No shame.

Ok...

---------- Let's chat about the FiM toy line ----------

I'm not going to lie, the single packaged G4 pony toys have left me a little disappointed. I think the price is great ($4.99-ish) but they are tad too small in my opinion. But - then again I will always think G1 ponys are superior. ;)

(See G1 verses G4?)

I will say - that Hasbro has introduced some larger toys recently that I am pretty impressed/pleased with.

MLP:FiM Princess Cadance Pony Figure

$19.99 at Target ♥

Miri and I are loving our new Princess Cadance! Yes, I am aware it is for ages 3 and up. (I always stay near while she is playing with it.) Silas asked me where Shining Armor was when I showed it to him lol. Cadance stands about 8.5 inches tall with a 7.5 inch wingspan. She comes with a a styling comb and her crown/dress are removable. She requires 2 AAA batteries (included) and she plays 8 phrases/songs when you push the blue button on her cutie mark. It's made of hard plastic which seems very sturdy, and her wings move/light up when you push said button. I only have two minor complaints with this pony. She has a cutie mark on only one side of her body. (I know I am not the first person to complain about this) The bigger problem I have is with the quality of her hair. It tangles horribly - I had it knotted all on my own within 2 minutes of taking her out of the packaging. I was being extra careful too! (My Fizzy is over 20 years old and her hair is fine!) Whatever - I plan on trying to take extra good care of it so Miri can enjoy it for years to come. I think it is totally worth the $19.99 price tag. (Not saying that $14.99 wouldn't have been better lol) We actually purchased another one tonight for Silas and Miri's cousin's birthday. I feel that with supervision Princess Cadance would be great for all ages. :)

Hasbro.com

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Nails of the Day

Happy 4th of July y'all! :) It was pretty gloomy in Auburn today, we ended up carrying Miri to the pediatrician. (Only to find out nothing is wrong.) We really thought she had an ear infection. Then we ate some mexican food, so patriotic right lol? Mmmm...cheese dip.

Cute right? I really thought this polish was going to look like a hot mess, but I ended up pleasantly surprised. Plus, now my nails make me feel like Nicki Minaj! (Lets take a moment and sing along to Super Bass)

$2.99 at Target

I only $1.99...oh snap!  (Due to the coupon from my Teen Vogue magazine) I had a hard time deciding between the polka dots and the holographic. (Matt was no help) I figured that they would probably sell out of the polka dots quicker than the holographic. I plan on going back and picking up a few more at a later date. The photos above show my nails after three coats were applied. Again, I used my Seche Vite top coat. Now everybody can have a good idea of what it looks like when they spot it in stores. :) It is deceivingly unattractive in the bottle.

I hope everybody had a fun (not so rainy) holiday! 

PS - I'm doing another giveaway soon! :D

Scented Candles & Meet Bumper!

We have been trying to sell our house for a couple months now. It's a 2 bedroom, and obviously we need a 3 bedroom. ;) Miri needs a place to put all of her amazing girly things. Well - we finally had a lady come look at it. (She came on Wednesday) Before she arrived I ran to Target to search for a nice candle to burn in the house. The problem I've been having is that I cannot find a scent I like because I'm so in love with "Illume's Red Cedar Candle." I featured it on my June's Lust-worthy Items post. I actually got this little candle for free from Birchbox last year. I instantly fell in love, it is my favorite scent of all time! (If only they made perfume!) Well, on the Illume website it is $10 for 2.5 oz...plus shipping. I was really depressed about this because I have not been able to find it in stores so I could avoid shipping costs...until now! 

Would you consider this a dupe? Hmmm...

Target now carries a range of candles that is called Bella by Illume. (Praise Jebus) I only paid $10.79 and it's much larger than the monogram candle! (10.2 oz) The scent is identical, except this one is called "Mandarin Woods." I nearly did a little jig on the candle isle inside Target. ;) Do yourself a favor and go buy this candle today, if somehow you manage to hate it...give it to me! (LOL) It smells of red cedar infused with essential oils of mandarin, vetiver, vanilla, tobaccos leaves, and cedar-wood. Moving right along...

I know you guys are probably thinking "who the heck is Bumper?" Let me introduce him!

It's so fluffy I'm gonna die! 

Silas finally got old enough to ask for a pet. He really wanted a pet lizard for a while there. Reptiles are pretty expensive...food, special lights, habitats etc. Plus - some of them carry salmonella...and that just makes me a little nervous. (I used to work at Petco, no I'm not scared of them.) They don't tend to be very cuddly either lol. 

Well - I finally decided that a bunny would be a good match for us! On Tuesday, Silas and I drove to Lanett AL to purchase this little floppy eared guy. (I found him on Craigslist) I'm sure you can tell that Silas picked the name haha. He is really sweet and Silas and I are having nice bonding time each day while playing with the rabbit. Bumper is currently living inside Harley's small dog crate, but his cage just arrived via FedEx from Amazon. (I will post pictures of it later.) 

How precious is this? (Ignore the bedhead and no pants) We were letting Bumper hop around and play for a bit. Silas was lovin' it! I think he is such a handsome rabbit, and he has a very good temperament. 

Bumper now owns the bathroom, can you tell? :) Ignore the messy floor...Georgie walks litter everywhere. I have to vacuum it every other day. I hope you guys are having an awesome Friday! 

Review | e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths

I went to Wal-mart in search of makeup remover wipes the day that we were leaving for our North Carolina trip. I was in a big hurry and these happened to catch my eye, so I quickly grabbed them and ran. Little did I know that I would be so darn fond of them! (This was a couple of weeks ago)

e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths

$3 at eyeslipsface.com

(You can also find e.l.f. products at Target, Wal-mart, and sometimes the Dollar Store)

The package (in the above photo) is actually my second one. I loved them so much that I just had to go out and purchase them again when I ran out. Unlike most makeup remover wipes, these do not dry my face out at all. I find them so refreshing...and affordable! I've tried much less impressive wipes at a much higher price before. I find e.l.f. impressing me all the time! They are very gentle and you can really tell that they are infused with Aloe Vera Extract. Initially - I was a little worried about the Aloe, I was afraid my skin would freak out on me. I've had a good bit of acne problems since Miri arrived, although I now "think" it is due to the Biotin I'm taking for my hair. (More on the current state of my hair later.) I really feel like these cloths have actually improved the appearance of my skin. They are even tough enough to remove waterproof mascara! Let me say it again...they only cost $3...so go try them. :)

Eyebrow Products Worth Taking A Look At

I'm cursed with something my sister and I refer to as "The Powell Eyebrows." This is a very depressing condition. Symptoms include - thin and widespread brows. See old photo below, (and marvel at the cuteness that is my sister's dog Prada.)

Awww right?!

Thankfully, I've learned to fill in my brows quite successfully. (See current photo below) Please keep in mind i'm in a transitional period with my brows right now. I'm actually applying Rogaine twice a day, so i'm not getting them waxed regularly. Yes, you can use it on your brows and yes it is working. 

Bam! Suddenly I have eyebrows. ;) I thought I would share some of the products that I reach for on a daily basis. I personally feel like I cannot walk out the door till I have my brows on. Defined brows are essential! Let's talk about the products...

I'm going to go in order from top to bottom.

Maybelline New York DEFINE-A-BROW in the shade dark brown.

I actually found this roll-up pencil at the Dollar Store believe it or not. You can also find it at Target for $5.99, and honestly I would pay that price when I run out. I have been reaching for this pencil alot lately, and I used it to create my look that I am talking about today. 

Sonia Kashuk Core Tools Spoolie Brush $1.99 at Target I picked this brush up last week. I use it to comb through my brows after I apply the pencil I mentioned above. Plus - I really like the word spoolie. Spoolie spoolie spoolie spoolie. :P

Wet N Wild Mega Eyes defining marker $3.99 at Walgreens. I purchased this marker to see if it could be used as a dupe for the marker I'm going to talk about next. It's several dollars less and it kinda does the job. It's essentially the same thing - the shade just isn't quite right. It comes out a little too red/purple toned for me. I do like it though...and it looks nice used in combination with some of these other products. 

MILANI BROW TINT PEN FELT-TIP BROW COLOR $6.29 at Walgreens. This has been my favorite brow product for about a year now. I love it, I'm on my second one. The end result is a little bit more natural than the pencil. It comes in two shades, this one is 02 Dark Brown. My sister bought the lighter shade after being impressed with my pen. (She is a blonde) I highly recommend it, I do find it much better than the Wet N Wild marker...but hey...you get what you pay for in most cases. ;)