Roxy Tries

The Best Deals and Where to Find Them

2020-11-26T20:10:00.004-06:00

*All store links are clickable and will bring you directly to each store's website. I do earn a small commission when you shop through my links. Thank you for the support!

Sephora: Almost 900 products marked down up to 50% Including items from Fenty Beauty, Pat McGrath Labs, Huda Beauty, Marc Jacobs and many more! Enjoy free shipping with code: FREESHIP

Target: $230 65 inch 4k TV $45 Amazon echo Alexa, B2G1 free all books and movies,

50% off select games, puzzles, and more, B1G1 50% off select toys

Ulta: Free eight-piece gift set, $10 select mascaras and lip products, $15 cleansers, 50% off

Urban Decay palettes, Anastasia Glow Kits, Tarte foundations, etc. 40% off kylie lip kits

and powders. Free shipping over $35

American Eagle: 40% off + free shipping

Aerie: 40% off Aerie collection, 50% off sweatshirts + free shipping

Macy's: $7.99 Appliances, $6.99 Ralph Lauren pillows, 25% off top active brands 60% off

coats, 50% off tarte, $102.60 designer bags, 60% off Holiday items, free shipping over $25

Michael's Craft Store: Up to 70% off, $19.99 prelit trees, 60% off all trees, B1G1 50% off all

Crayola, B2G1 free all yarn $2.99 100 piece Art Set

Kohls: $15 Kohls cash for every $50 spent, 50% off all toys and games, $12.74 SO women's

winter boots, Sherpa sweatshirts, vests, puffer vests, and select jewelry gift sets with

code: THANKS for extra 15% off

Francesca: $20 sweaters, 50% off gifts and homes, 50% off accessories, All clearance and

jewelry $10 and under

Amazon: Up to 50% off Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price toys, $69.99 Ring video

doorbell, up to 50% off Champion, Jockey, Russell Athletic, $28.99 Echo Dot (4th Gen),

up to 30% off Le Creuset, new lightning deals available every hour

Best Buy: $149.99 50 inch LED 4K TV, $24.99 Skullcandy wireless headphones,

$799 HP ENVY core i7 12 GB, $159.99 Powerhouse Pro Beats by Dr. Dre wireless,

$5.99 & $7.99 on select Blue Ray movies

Walmart: $160 Airpod pros, $478 70 in 4K TV, $179 portable hot tub, $5 each select kids

socks, underwear, and pajamas, $29 toddler and kids bikes, up to 60% off men's and

women's clothing

H&M: 30% off everything, $12 and under kids clothes, $8 and under women's sweatshirts,

$7 and under men's shirts, 60% off doorbuster deals

Carters: 50-60% off everything, $6 Christmas jammies, $5 and $6 long sleeve shirts and

sweatshirts, $16 snow boots

Oshkosh: 50-60% off everything, $6 fleece cozies, $4 two pack gloves, $5 shirts, $6 and

under leggings

Express: 50% off everything, up yo 70% off clearance, 65% off outdoor furniture,

free blanket with $100 purchase

Oakley: Up to 50% off sitewide

Columbia Sportswear: 50% off Door Busters, $20 When you Spend $50

Eddie Bauer: 50% off Site Wide, $24.99 men's flannels, $19.99 select fleece styles

Old Navy: 50% off Everything

Express: 50-70% off everything, $35 jeans

Soma: 30% off almost everything, $39 pajama sets

Overstock: 70% off 1000's of items, free shipping

Wayfair: Up to 80% off, free shipping

Nordstrom: Up to 50% off specific items including designer. 20% off Spanx, Additional

25% off clearance

Disney Store: Up to 50% off with code: EXTRA20

Bed, Bath & Beyond: 20% off site wide, 25% off in store pickup save $155 off

robotic shark vacuums, $26.25 faux mink weighed blanket, $29.99 1200 tread ct

sheets, $7.49 super stretch bath towels

Sephora Holy Grail Beauty Products

2020-04-20T08:25:00.010-05:00

*I'm able to earn a small commission when you shop through my links. This in no way affects the way I feel about these products. Thank you for your support!*

It's that wonderful time of year my friends where Sephora is having their semi-annual sales event! This sale is a big deal, because Sephora doesn't have sales very often, and they usually only last a short period of time. If you know me, you know I'm a bit of a Sephora snob and have counted on many of their brands over the past 10 years. I know from experience it can be overwhelming when shopping at Sephora with how many brands and products they offer from all different price points. I've rounded up my all-time favorite, ride-or-die, Sephora beauty products that I've counted on for years. If you're curious about how the sale works, check out the image down below. It's completely free to become a Beauty Insider and take advantage of this sale. I'll leave the link right here for you if you wish to sign up. I've also added clickable links throughout this post to make it super easy for you to shop. Because this is the Holiday Savings Event, that means there are lots of value sets available as well, so I made sure to link my favs for you (indicated by VSF - Value Set Fav). Okay, let's get into product recommendations!

Makeup

Anastasia Beverly Hills - ABH is the OG when it comes to brow products. I'm pretty sure they're the reason, "brows on fleek" was a thing back in the day. The Brow Wiz and Dip Brow Gel remain favorites of mine, but now that ABH had taken over the makeup world, I've added in another favorite. The Dewy Setting Spray is the most hydrating, soft glow, yet makes your makeup last all day, spray I've ever used. I picked this up on the day it launched and from the first use knew it was going to be a forever favorite. It even won an Allure Best Of Beauty award last year. Since The Spring Bonus Event, I now own the Powder Bronzer in Cappuccino and it has become a go-to of mine.

VSF - Perfect Your Brows Set

Benefit - Benefit also had some great brow products that are super easy to use and great on the go. The Precisely My Brow and Gimme Brow Gel are my go-to for work. I also love their Hoola bronzer, It's creamy, buildable, and lasts all day. Weird brag, but I've had mine for over five years, it's expired and still works just as good as the first time I got it! The Bo-ing Cakeless Concealer is in my top three favorite concealers. It's full coverage yet hydrating so it doesn't dry out your under eyes - a rare combination. The Roller Lash Mascara adds volume and doesn't run even on those hot summer days. I like the curved wand as well, easy to get the lower lashes. Last but definitely not least, The POREfessional Primer. I used their original for years and loved it, didn't think it could get any better than that. Then the Pearl version came out, and I was hooked. If you have dry skin like myself and would like a bit of glow that smooths out your pores, the Pearl is the way to go.

VSF - Eyes, Brows, and Face Holiday Value Set

BITE Beauty - Clean beauty and their lip products are bomb! The Agave + Daytime Vegan Lip Balm can be used before or after you apply your matte lipstick to make it less drying without changing the formula. I also own the Power Move Creamy Matte Lip Crayon lots of shades to choose from, the color holds up nicely and isn't drying.

VSF - 3-Piece Agave + Lip Care Set

FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna - Fenty Beauty has changed the game since they entered the scene with their diverse line of products for every skin tone. I picked up the Pro Filt'r Matte Foundation as soon as it came out and quickly learned it was not for a dry skin girl like myself. I looked like a dried-up turd to be honest. Last year they came out with the hydrating version of the Pro Filt'r, and I finally met my match. This foundation is full coverage, hydrating, and lasts all day. You can go in with a small amount with a beauty sponge for lighter coverage and it blends out like a dream. They also have high-quality products in their Sun Stalk'r Bronzer, Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter, Mattemoiselle Matte Lipstick, and Vivid liquid Eyeliner Trio (on sale!) - all of which I use on a regular basis. The Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer had become a staple of mine, I use it almost every time I do my makeup. It blends out easily, is self setting but still plays nice with powders. I recently picked up the fairly new Mini Gloss Bomb Set and omg is this gloss soo beautiful and luxurious feeling. It comes with four travel-size glosses that are all univeral in tone and add a nice tint of color.

VSF - Glow Trio Face, Lip, and Body Set

Hourglass - Veil Translucent Setting Powder. That's it. I don't know how many times I need to tell you, but this is the best dang setting powder for dry skin and you need it in your life. Sorry to get sassy on you, but it's true! Here, I'll also link the mini version if you're not ready to commit and want to sample it for yourself.

VSF - Transformative Mini Set

Huda Beauty - I haven't tried much from Huda Beauty, but what I have tried, is some of the best in the game. I own the Nude Obsessions Eye Shadow Palette. It's easy to blend, hydrating, and the colors are perfect for everyday wear. The palette size is easy to travel with while being able to create multiple, complete eye looks. I also own a few of the Liquid Matte Lipsticks and it's hands down my favorite formula. It gives off a pigmented, smooth matte finish, yet somehow remains hydrating and comfortable on the lips. I'm able to drink and eat without much transfer, and it fades evenly - not patchy or cakey at all.

VSF - Contour & Strobe Liquid Lip Set

Milk Makeup - They love to mix in skincare and makeup, and most of their products are clean at Sephora Certified. They remain innovative in a super-saturated market, which makes them stand out in my mind. The Hydro-Grip Primer is in my top three favorite primers. The tacky texture makes your makeup cling on for dear life, yet feels comfortable. I recently picked up the new Hydro-Grip Setting Spray , I've only used it a few times but let's just say, I can already tell this is a dynamic duo! I also love the KUSH Lash Primer, which adds length and volume to my lashes for the days I don't feel like wearing falsies, but want that extra POW. It looks natural and is easy to wash off.

VSF - Mini Face Set

Pat McGRATH LABS - This is a new addition for me, as my first time picking up their products was during the Sephora Springs Sales Event this year. Their concealer has become a go-to of mine, and I plan on picking up their new Celestial Divinity Eyeshadow Palette as I've heard great things about their eyeshadow formula.

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez - This brand is very new and had some big shoes to fill as a celebrity makeup brand. I'm happy to say I'm so far a fan of their mission and products. I'm very into liquid face products at the moment, and I think they have the best Liquid Blush formula I've ever tried. I also love their Lip Souffle Matte Cream Liquid Formula. I love the look of matte lipstick, but hate the drying feeling. This has a nice feel to the lips while still remaining matte.

VSF - Mini Lip and Cheek Duo

Sephora Collection - Sephora offers its own brand of makeup at a discounted price. Like most "house" brands, there are hits and misses. I have tried a lot of SC products in attempts to save some coin, and in that process, I've found some keepers. I absolutely love their 12 Hr Eyeliner, Lux False Lashes (on sale!), Gel Lip Liner, and the Lipstick. All of these items are just as good, if not better than their name brand counterparts. I'll also add here some Sephora Favorites Value Sets that go across all their makeup brands and are an amazing deal during this time of year.

VSF SC Edition - Eight Luxurious Lipstick Set

Makeup Must Haves

Lashstash Set

Tarte - Tarte is the first luxury brand I fell in love with. No matter how big my collection gets, I still turn to their products. The Amazonian Clay line is a favorite of mine, in particular, the 12-Hr Blush, Gifted Mascara, Full Coverage Foundation with SPF 15, and Airbrush Foundation Powder. I love their base products in particular, the Tartiest PRO Glow Highlight and Contour Palette is a great one to have for your all in one base makeup.

VSF - Amazonian Clat Cheek Wardrobe highlight, bronzer, and blush

Urban Decay - Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray is a holy grail for a lot of people - myself included. I always make sure I'm stocked up on this because I know it'll lock my makeup in place all day long. I use the Anti-Aging Eye Priming Potion whenever I'm wearing eyeshadow because it prevents creasing. The 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, particularly in the brighter and more fun colors for the lower lash line. The formula is very vibrant and holds up well in my waterline. Last, my most favorite brow product The Brow Blade Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil and Stain. I use this in almost all of my looks because it lasts all day and doesn't smudge. I do recommend getting a shade lighter than you think you'd need, because it does tend to go on a bit dark.

VSF - All-Nighter Setting Spray Gift Set

Violet Voss - Don't sleep on this brand, because their eyeshadow is bomb. My most favorite formula - easy to blend, buildable, creamy, pigmented, and consistent. The two palettes I own are Flamingo Pro Eyeshadow Palette and HG PRO Palette - both I count on for eye looks that last all day.

Skincare

Boscia - This is the first skincare brand I started using and saw the biggest change in the health of my skin. I love the Luminizing Black Charcoal Mask - it's a peel-off and doesn't hurt. It's satisfying to see all the gunk being pulled out of your pores, and it leaves your skin feeling smooth. I've also picked up their Muti-Tasking Medley a few times, which has a variety of single-use masks you can pick from - a great way to try out all of their masks. I use the Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser at the end of my shower to wash my face. The warming effect is relaxing, and it feels like it's getting deep down into your pores.

Dr. Jart+ - Korean Skincare is my favorite, and Dr. Jart does it RIGHT. My first ever review on my blog was on the Shake & Shot Rubber Masks, they're super fun to mix up yourself and feel very soothing. I love their sheet masks in general, especially the Dark Circle Micro Tip Patches. I was a bad blogger and didn't document the results, but when I wore these patches overnight, it looked like I had undereye filler for about a week. Each packet comes with two sets, I picked up two packets myself.

VSF - Soothing Hydration Set

Farmacy - Clean at Sephora Certified and has become a favorite brand of mine over the past year. I haven't used a product from them that I didn't like. The Clean Bee Ultra Gentle Facial Cleanser feels very hydrating and has a nice sweet floral scent. The Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Serum goes on soo gently that you think it's doing nothing, yet you wake up with soft, smooth skin with fine lines reduced. My favorite has to be the Makeup Meltaway Balm. I'm trying to reduce the number of makeup wipes I use because it's terrible on the environment. I picked up the Makeup Eraser but noticed I'd have to scrub at my face pretty hard when wearing a full face of makeup, which is something a gal in her 30's like myself doesn't want to do. If I add a small amount of this balm and rub that into my face, that breaks up the makeup enough so the Makeup Eraser can do its thing more gently.

VSF - Green House Set

First Aid Beauty - If you have sensitive, eczema-prone skin, you will love this brand. Even if you don't, their products work wonders and leave your skin feeling hydrated at a very affordable price point. I particularly love the Facial Radiance Pads, Pure Skin Face Cleanser, Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration, Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer, and the Eye Duty Triple Remedy Brighten, Depuff and Smooth. If you have dry skin and haven't tried the moisturizer before, start there. You can also use it on dry patches all over your body.

VSF - All That Fab

GLAMGLOW - I love the SUPERMUD Charcoal Instant Treatment Mask. It burns in a good way, and as it dries, you can physically see the impurities rise to the top of the mask - soo satisfying! I pair this with the SUPERTONER Exfoliating Acid Solution Toner after I wash off that mask to get rid of any dead skin hanging on for dear life.

VSF - Clear Skin Value Set

Kate Somerville - She's pricey. but she's a girl that knows her worth because these products work instantly. The ExfoliKate Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment works in only a few minutes to reveal smoother skin. The Retinol Firming Eye Cream is the only thing that will instantly correct my dark circles. I've had the same tube for years and whenever I bust it out for special occasions it works wonderfully to plump, brighten, and blur fine lines. My bestie Dany's favorite moisturizer is the Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream so you know I have to try that out for myself.

VSF - Face The Glow (on sale!)

Laneige - The Lip Sleeping Mask is worth picking up on its own. I've talked about this product a lot because I've never tried anything like it. It creates a smooth moisture barrier that soaks into your lips overnight making them look and feel more hydrated and smooth like a baby. They also added a Lip Glowy Balm for daytime that does the same thing but not as intensely, which is great because I was using up all of my sleeping mask. Both come in four different scents.

VSF - Daydream Gift Set

Sephora Collection Skincare - I'm the most impressed by the SC Skincare line, there's barely anything I've tried that I haven't liked. My favorites in order are Eye Masks, Brightening Eye Cream, Glow + Vitamin C Serum, and The Freezing Mask. All very affordable and work wonders. Like the Sephora makeup, The skincare value sets are really good so I'll list a few!

VSF - Holy Sheet Masks

Echanted Jungle Set

Power Of The Petal

Tatcha - Tatcha is hyped up and for good reason. Their products are unique and some of the best in the game! They are a skincare company, but they also make my most favorite primer the Silk Canvas Protective Primer. It has a putty consistency that blurs pores and makes your makeup last all day. The Luminous Dewy Skin Mist is what I use to add a nice glow to any base makeup look. I spray this on my sponge and gently press it into my skin after using powders - it gets rid of any cakiness. The Luminous Dewy Skin Sheet Mask is the best sheet mask I've ever used. Every Sephora sale I pick one up, and I have smooth glowing skin all week after I've used it. The Water Cream and The Deep Cleanse Exfoliating Cleanser is an amazing power duo of basic skincare. The water cream feels like little bursts of water beads are being rubbed into your skin, and the cleanser feels like it's penetrating deep down into your pores. All Tatcha products have a light, pleasant smell that I love and is distinctive to them. If you're interested in trying these products (minus the sheet mask) I did find the Tatcha's Bestsellers Kit where you can grab the travel size of everything for a great deal.

VSF - Skincare For Makeup Lovers Set

Haircare

BRIOGEO - Their Don't Despair Repair Deep Conditioning Hair Mask helps tame frizz and adds shine. The Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioning Spray helps detangle and smooth out my ends when I'm overdue for a hair cut.

VSF - Detox & Restore Kit

dpHUE - So far all I've tried is the Apple Cider Vinegar Scalp Scrub but it's become my go-to hair mask that actually tames my psoriasis while leaving my hair silky smooth. They're a local Minnesota business that offers an array of haircare products including the Allure Best Of Beauty 2020 award winner Root Touch-up Kit.

VSF - Scalp Scrub & Hair Rinse Duo

IGK - I don't use a lot of hair care products, but what I do use works amazingly so I'm able to keep my hair care low maintenance. I count on IGK to keep my hair looking fresh, clean, and voluminous from day 2 after washing and beyond. I love the First Class Charcoal Detox Dry Shampoo and Beach Club Texture Spray to make it look like I took the time to shower and style my hair.

VSF - Detox Dry Shampoo Set

Moroccanoil - Best hair oil in the game and trust me, I've tried tons to tame my frizzy wavy locks. I've also used their Moisture Repair Shampoo and Hydrating Conditioner for years.

VSF - All-Star Treatment Set

OUAI - The Kardashians use Ouai products if that's a selling point for you. It wasn't for me, but once I tried them out I understood why. They smell and feel rich while doing exactly what you want them to do. I love the Leave-In Conditioner for detangling my hair and adding shine, along with the Air Dry Foam for heatless tousled waves.

VSF - Get You Way Set

I'm not going to lie, that was hard for me to narrow down, but I did it! This is all of my holy grail Sephora products that's worth picking up during this sale. Make sure to keep an eye on my Instagram stories to see some of these products in action throughout the week. If you need farther information on products or any recommendations, feel free to DM me on Facebook or Instagram.
Thanks friends and happy shopping!

Winter Haircare Empties Review

2020-04-08T08:47:00.000-05:00

*I do earn a small commission when you shop through the links in this post. That does not affect my opinion on these products, thank you for your support!*

You know how we all have a thing, that's probably been our thing since we were little? Well, that thing has always been my hair. Probably hard for you to believe since I tend to focus on makeup, and don't even get me started on losing a good chunk of my hair after having Vela that never seemed to grow back the same. I was born with a full head of dark hair, no scalp in sight much like Vela. I've taken pride in my locks and do my best to keep it looking it's best. To say I'm picky when it comes to hair care products would be correct.

Because my hair has changed soo much over the past few years, I've branched out into trying different products and brands in hopes to up my hair game. These empties are a mix of holy grails, new favorites, and thanks, but no thanks(s)!

For reference, I have lots of hair that's average thickness, wavy in texture, color-treated, and I deal with scalp psoriasis. Now let's dig into these products!

Favorites

IGK First Class Charcoal Detox Dry Shampoo

This is IGK's heavy-duty dry shampoo great for thick hair or if you tend to produce a lot of oil. Detoxifying charcoal powder lifts dirt while absorbing oil and sweat. Vegan, cruelty-free, no harmful ingredients and protects against UV and heat damage. First Class is a top three favorite haircare product of mine, that I've used for about two years. I find this formula to be quite cooling and soothing even during bad psoriasis breakouts. It doesn't leave a white hue on my dark locks which is an issue with other dry shampoo formulas. Most importantly, it works really well. I spray my roots once a day with minimal product to keep the oils in my scalp in check. This is great for all hair types, however, if you'd like a lighter dry shampoo effect, IGK also has Jet Lag and Direct Flight dry shampoos.

IGK Beach Club Volume Texture Spray

Beach Club is used to achieve beachy waves while adding touchable volume and shine. Vegan, cruelty-free, salt-free and made without harmful ingredients. I love this product because it enhances my natural waves by making them look more uniform all while taming frizz and static, depending on the time of year. Beach Club also leaves no residue behind, just a light pleasant summery smell. Perfect for all hair types, however, your hair type will determine how you use it. Since my hair is already wavy, I use it on dry hair while spraying and crunching my locks at the same time. Super easy to use for all-day shine and volume.

OUAI Leave-In Conditioner

A leave-in hair mist great for detangling, heat protection, tame flyaways, frizz, all while adding shine. This product is not tested on animals. Off the bat, I will say all OUAI products do have a pretty heavy perfume smell to them, which makes sense because the fifth ingredient is fragrance. Although I'm not the biggest fan of the smell, it does dissipate over time and I'm willing to smell the other way because of how amazing their products work for me. This had become a top three favorite product of mine. My hair is bleached, which causes it to become tangled after it's washed and still wet. Because my hair is wavy, I don't brush it out after I washing it, I reply on a detangler to help finger comb through my hair instead. This leave-in conditioner makes it possible to finger comb through my hair without pulling at my scalp, causing breakage. It also leaves my bleached ends feeling smooth and healthy. I got this in a beauty subscription box, but you better believe I'll be picking up another one!

OUAI Air Dry Foam

A mousse-like consistency that detangles, conditions, and creates instant air-dried waves. Made for wavy to curly hair. This product is not tested on animals and it's parabens, sulfates, and phthalates free. This is a top three favorite haircare product of mine, I discovered this product about four years ago and never went back to mousse again. Wavy and curly hair tends to be a bit heavier, so if you don't use a mousse, your hair will become bottom heavy. I find mousse to be the best product for wavy hair to use after washing, but if you use too much product, or don't set with heat, it'll become crunchy. I don't have any of those issues using the Air Dry Foam, yet I get the same benefits. My waves are enhanced, smoothed out, and more bouncy while remaining low maintenance.

Amika un.done volume and matte texture spray

Un.done is a texturizing spray for undone tousled hair with a matte finish. Certified vegan, does not use harmful ingredients, less than one percent synthetic fragrance, and does not test on animals. To be honest with you, I have no idea if I used this correctly, nonetheless, it worked out for what I used it for. I'd use this to spruce up my hair in the middle of the day by concentrating the product on my roots, using light spritzes down my hair, and giving it a good tousle. I saw this as meeting in the middle between a dry shampoo and texture spray, without creating more build-up. Un.done brought back volume to my hair while controlling oil and taming flyaways. The trial size bottle is perfect while on the go, which I will pick up another bottle to keep in my work bag.

Least Favorites

Deva Curl Melt Into Moisture Matcha Butter Conditioning Mask

This is a moisturizing hair treatment for wavy, curly, and coily hair, but that's all the information I'm going to give you on this mask and I'm not going to bother linking it. A pretty bold statement coming from me, but in case you didn't know, Deva Curl is in the middle of a lawsuit because thousands of people are claiming their products are causing hair loss, dandruff, and relaxing their curls. I happen to be experiencing all three of these issues myself, and I've used this mask pretty consistently over the past six months. I will say, I would have never connected the dots if information about the lawsuit was never shared, but I did notice these issues were happening and couldn't figure out why. There's speculation that Deva Curl is using ingredients that they're not disclosing, but all of that will be revealed as the lawsuit progresses. My hair would feel more hydrated and shiny after use, but I don't think it's worth the risk. Shea Moisture has a ton of hair masks for a third of the price and performs even better if you're looking for a good hair mask to try out.

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Volume Texture Spray

It provides lightweight volume and instant fullness in a translucent airy texture for straight and wavy hair. Cruelty-free and free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and mineral oil. This is a 2019 Allure Best Of Beauty certified product, which makes me soo sad that I didn't like it! I feel like they took that airy texture thing too seriously because I felt like I was spraying my hair with nothing. Maybe if you have more fine, straight hair you'd like this product, but unfortunately, I didn't notice any sort of difference, at least not enough to make me want to buy the product again.

Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo

This absorbs excess oil, cleans without water, has a light matte finish, and not tested on animals. With a $5 price tag, I was excited to give this a go because it seems to be a holy grail for a lot of people. I actually did a full week wear test on this about a year ago on my IG stories and found it to be just okay. I didn't find anything necessarily bad about it, so I continued using it. I'd have to use a ton of product every day just to get it to feel like it was working. Within a few hours, it felt like it was gone besides the grayish hue it left on my roots. After a few weeks, I swear my hair was getting more oily. It's taken the past year to use it up, because I only used it whenever I was desperate and ran out of my other dry shampoos. I have a dry shampoo addiction, okay! I will say I have a few friends with more fine hair that love it and think the lightweight texture is perfect for their hair type.

IGK Low Key Cleansing Walnut Scalp Scrub

A gentle cooling exfoliator that removes build-up, clarifies and balances the scalp. This product is cruelty-free, made without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or mineral oils. Walnut scrub is technology not good for the skin because it can create tiny tears, but for use in the scalp especially when you deal with any form of dandruff, it has good benefits. When your scalp is wet, dandruff will restick to your scalp making it hard to remove. This scrub makes it easy to remove all that dandruff from your scalp. It also provides a nice cooling effect to offset that burning sensation a lot of us with dandruff deal with from scratching our scalps. With that being said, I do have a few issues with this scrub. It costs $36 for only 5oz of product. I was only able to get eight uses out of it, which to me is a lot of money. With my thicker hair, it was hard to rub the product more in the center of my scalp, therefore I had to use more of it. On two separate occasions, the scrub got stuck in the tube and wouldn't come out, hense why the packaging looks soo recked. I'd have to wait until my shower was done to take a toothpick to unclog it. I'm not sure if I'll be repurchasing this, I do overall enjoy this walnut scalp scrub, but I'd like to see it in an 8oz jar instead of the tube.

Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner

This conditioner helps smooth your hair and aids in repairing damage from sun and heat. This is organic, cruelty-free, and only $3.99! This is actually my second time purchasing it because I can't resist the low price. This formula is very thin and unfortunately couldn't stand up to my thicker, color-treated locks. If you have more fine, to normal hair, you may enjoy this. I need the help of something thicker to smooth out and detangle my hair.

Haircare products can be a tricky thing. This is my first hair empties and it looks like we're standing at a 50% product success rate - I told you guys I'm picky! I still have a lot of hair products that I haven't even touched that came in my beauty subscription boxes, so you know you'll have another haircare empties coming your way in the future.

2019 Skincare Empies

2020-01-17T09:33:00.000-06:00

*I do earn a small commission when you shop through the links in this post. That does not affect my opinion on these products, thank you for your support!*

Keeping it real with you, as I tend to do, this isn't all the skincare products I used in 2019, nor did I expect to do an empties blog post at any point. I decided early on in the year that it'd do individual product reviews once I completely used up all of the said product. Revolutionary, right?! haha but of course life got busy and I started collecting empty products (when I'd remember and if Matt didn't throw it away on accident), and now here we are. I used up a lot of old favorites (sometimes multiple times) and tried a lot of new products along the way. I'm happy to say that last year was a good year overall with the products that I used up, but there were some missed along the way. Let's get into the tea, shall me!

My Favorites:

Derma-e Vitamin C Concentrated Serum - Vit. C serums are my go-to because they are acidic, taking away any dead skin hanging on for dear life in a gentle way. Because of this, they naturally smooth and brighten the skin, and after a period of use can aid in the reduction of scars and dark spots. I like to use Vit. C serums in the morning because it is gentle and I've never had any issues with putting makeup on top of it. If you've purchased a Vitamin C serum at any point, then you know they can be quite expensive. Last January I did my research to find one that works well and is cost-effective. I'm happy to say I found that in the Derma-e Vitamin C serum! It's stabilized, making it less likely to degrade over time, includes antioxidants to protect against UV rays and environmental stressors, along with hyaluronic acid which keeps your skin nice and hydrated. Derma-e is 100% vegan, cruelty-free and recyclable. Other Vit.C serums I've used would sometimes tingle or slightly burn when first applied, but this doesn't do that at all. It's super gentle and I love the slight citrus smell. This is a no BS Vitamin C serum that does exactly what it says it's going to do - I highly recommend!

Origins Make A Difference Hand Cream - Okay so this isn't for the face, but it most definitely is included in skincare in my option, just skincare for your hands. The winters in Minnesota can be quite rough, and it's no secret that our dry, cold air can cause havoc on our skin. I'm always washing my hands (hello, germ-ridden three year old onboard), so my hands take a beating. I deal with cracked knuckles most winters, that is unless I'm using this hand cream. This cream is infused with the self-hydrating rose of Jericho, also known as the "Resurrection plant". This ancient zombie plant can withstand almost total dehydration, looking completely dead, and come back to life with only a little bit of water. I've used this hand cream on and off for the past 15 years and I keep going back because it's the best. I know it can be a bit expensive coming in at $26 for a hand cream, but one bottle will last you the whole winter. A little goes a long way. If you're a skeptic, stop into your local Sephora or Macy's and request a sample. It's okay, I'll be on stand by ready to say I told you so.

Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil - Now that we already know the benefits of a vitamin C serum, this includes that and soo much more! This includes Squalane, which helps lock in moisture; hyaluronic acid on crack. I received this little guy in a Sephora skincare favorites box I purchased, and it's my favorite new product I tried in 2019. I noticed an instant difference in the way my skin looked as soon as this serum was rubbed into my skin. Fine lines were smoothed out, my face appeared plumper and glowing, and the slight rose scent made me want to bathe in the stuff. Multiple times I wore this under makeup at work, and I'd get tons of compliments on how great my skin looked. Don't be surprised if you see me rocking the full-sized version of this bad boy in 2020 because I think you should be too!

Glam Glow Super Mud Clearing Treatment - I've talked about this mud mask loads of times because it is the OG for calming a breakout in its tracks. I'm also the type of person that likes to physically see results, and this mask delivers. As it dries, it brings all the gunk clogging your pores to the surface, which is both gross and satisfying at the same time. I prefer a mud mask over a clay one because unlike clay, mud actually helps lock in moisture instead of stripping it away. The only negatives I'd say about this mask is it does slightly burn when first applied, but I do have more sensitive skin and in some weird way, it makes me feel like it's working extra hard. It also has a pretty heavy licorice smell that does dissipate over time, but if you have traumatic memories involving Jagermeister, this might drudge that up for ya. Right now you can get a gift set including the full-sized version of this mask for cheaper than the mask usually retails for. You should hop on this before it sells out, I already did.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask - This is another great find of 2019. At first I thought this would be a gimmick and would essentially be a thick lip balm, but boy was I wrong! It includes Exclusive Moisture Wrap technology (they're keeping how that works a secret, and rightfully so) that boosts hyaluronic acid and minerals for a protectant layer across the lips. This technology locks active ingredients and moisture into your lips. You only need a small amount and somehow it'll stay on your lips throughout the night, revealing baby smooth lips in the morning. I was so obsessed with this that it'd try to use it during the day, but every time I drank or ate something it'd wipe away. I now own a few of these along with their day time lip balm so now I'm totally covered.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream - You know those products that work better than you could've dreamed of, but the price tag is high so you're mad that you like it so much? That's this right here. I got this face cream in a BoxyCharm box meaning I got a crazy good deal on it and now I keep going back and forth if I need to buy it or not. This cream is packed full of ingredients that work together to firm, blur, and hydrate the skin. I immediately saw results and my skin was as smooth as ever by the time I finished the bottle.

Clinque Pep-Start 2-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser - Don't sleep on Clinque because this brand has reinvented itself to show these new guys whos boss! This is a gentle cleanser and exfoliator in one, that's gentle enough to use every day. It has a slightly rough texture that's super fine, getting rid of dead skin while also keeping the skin hydrated. I used this cleanser every night until it ran out and it was the most satisfying feeling. I highly recommend this to people with sensitive skin that have had issues with exfoliators in the past because it's also fragrance-free.

Dr. Brandt 24/7 Retinol Eye Cream - Dr. Brandt has yet to release a product I haven't fallen in love with. Because Dr. Brandt's Needles No More eye cream is soo wildly popular, I feel this one has flown under the radar. I'll be honest, I didn't notice a huge difference until I stopped using it, and realized it actually helped the discoloration under my eyes while plumping them up. I have soo many eye creams in my collection at my moment, but you bet when I run out, I'll be picking this bad boy up.

Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Night Cream - If you're looking for a good drugstore dupe for the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, look no farther! Cetaphil is the brand we trusted on our daughter as a baby, so when I saw this at Target I had to give it a try. It has a nice wiped texture that isn't oily or heavy. I would say it isn't as thick feeling on the skin as the First Aid Beauty, but it still does the job for normal to dry skin. I do suggest if you're a super dry girl like myself, making this your daytime moisturizer because it does soak into the face nicely and doesn't mess with the appearance of makeup.

Make Up For Ever Sens'Eyes - I can't tell you how many times in the past I've used an eye makeup remover and my eyes would burn the rest of the night. I received this trial size and was amazed that I didn't have that happening, and it removed my eye makeup super easily. I bought the full size and it's only halfway gone after being used over the past year. You only need a little bit and nothing compares to removing waterproof eyeliner and mascara, not even cleansing balms.

Tatcha Water Cream Moisturizer - Remember when I mentioned that I hate products sometimes because I love them soo dang much and the price tag messes with my brain? Yeah, Tatcha likes to do that to me in general but especially with the water cream. I have a soft spot for Korean skincare products, especially Tatcha. This is a lightweight moisturizer that feels like bubbles of water are being locked into your skin. I like this more for the summer months, I still have one more trial size that I'm saving for this next summer.

It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Hydrating Moisturizer - Can you tell that I love my moisturizers? I use this as my nighttime moisturizer in the winter months. This moisturizer has all of my favorite ingredients for dry, aging skin, is stupid hydrating, has anti-aging ingredients, actually works, and a price to match. This is my favorite moisturizer I used in 2019 and I have a backup I know will be used before the year is up.

Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser - Glow Recipe is a new brand for me this past year. I've found their products to be quite pleasant. Pleasant is the perfect word to describe them. They're Clean at Sephora certified and super gentle on the skin. This cleanser has a lightweight gel texture and has plant-derived AHAs for gentle exfoliation.

Soo last decade!

Luckily only a few products didn't make the cut this year and it wasn't because I had some sort of bad reaction to them, like what's happened to me in years past (knocks on wood). This is a total personal preference, so here are the details on these products. Who knows, maybe you'll love them!

Sunday Riley Good Genes - I fell into the hype back in 2018 and got my hands on the Power Couple duo set as soon as I could. I heard great things like baby smooth skin which made me justify the $85 price tag. Not only did I not notice a difference in my skin's texture while using this, but I ran out of product less than a month in. I investigated farther and discovered the product was actually kept inside this little bag inside the jar - talk about misleading! Of course, the bottle says .5 fluid ounces in tiny letters on the bottle, but I do think they packaged it in a way to make you think it was the standard 1 fl oz size they also offer. I'm sure you may have also heard the drama with Sunday Riley that affects this product in particular. They paid people including their own employees to give false positive reviews online. All of this is soo shady to me so I don't think I'll be purchasing anything from Sunday Riley in the future.

Tula Probiotic Skincare Face Cleanser - Also known as the never-ending face wash that lasted me half the year! If I had liked this face wash, that wouldn't have been an issue, but unfortunately, it wasn't for me. It's very harsh on the skin, stripping away all of your natural oils making your face feel super dry after using it. It reminds me more of body wash than a face wash and smells like it to. It smells exactly like Dove soap, which isn't a bad thing, but not something I'd want to put on my face. If you have super oily skin that easily gets clogged, then maybe you'd like this one.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Dark Spot Serum - I really love this brand and it's a well respected high-end skincare brand that's been around for a hot minute. I started using this serum to get rid of my dark spots caused by acne. It did help minimize the appearance of scars, but coming in at $79, I expected more. Now that there are soo many options out there on the market, I feel they are other products that can do an even better job at a lower cost, like my Skin Of Gold face cream for example.

Ole Henriksen Truth Advanced Moisturizing Creme - I know it doesn't seem like it from this post, but I'm super picky about my moisturizers. I have kissed a lot of frogs in the moisturizing department so I know what works well for me. I want it to hold up to my dry skin, leaving me feeling plump, my face smooth, and my laundry folded. The first turn off for me was the smell. It has a very strong orange scent that lingered, not a soothing night time scent in my book. My face also somehow felt oily and dry at the same time. I'd look in a mirror, and see this oily shine, and when I smiled, I could feel how dry and tight my face was. I know this is a face cream that a lot of people swear by, so many I somehow got a bad patch. Anyway, I already have soo many options as far as moisturizers are concerned so I think I'm covered.

Although I didn't accomplish nearly as many product reviews in 2019 as I would have liked, I think doing this empties style review is a great way to give you the scoop on multiple products all in one place. If you've seen my latest IGTV video where I talk about my goals for 2020 (If you haven't you should tap here to check that out), then you already know my budget for beauty products is taking a major dive this year. I hope to add more empty reviews either here on the blog or in an IGTV video as I use up items from my collection this year. I hope you enjoyed this post, I'd love to hear your experiences if you've tried any of these skincare products, or if you plan on trying any of them out for yourself! Let me know in the comments below.

Shop These 15 Small Businesses This Black Friday Weekend

2019-11-29T07:22:00.000-06:00

Can I keep it real with you? Okay good. Last year was my first time taking advantage of Small Business Saturday. It's easy to get caught up in big company's ads for cheap TV's and all that, but what you're missing out on is the amazing deals smaller businesses are running. Since starting my influencer journey, I've been introduced to quite a few small businesses that are absolutely killing it. I've gotten to know the owners behind the brand and I've tried their products out for myself. The personal touch each of these 15 businesses I'm going to share with you puts behind their brands is 100% unique to them. If you take advantage of these wonderful deals by picking something up for yourself, as gifts, or both, I know you'll receive items made with pride, packaged with care, and you'll receive with excitement.

I wanted to create an easy way for you to shop some of my favorite small businesses this holiday season while also providing you with their Black Friday deals. Some of these businesses even offered up a special discount for all of you shopping through this post!
If a * is present before a discount, it means I receive a small commission when you shop. This in no way changes my view on these brands, it's just a win-win-win situation for everyone.
Okay, Let's get started!

Skin Of Gold Face Cream

I've written a skincare blog post featuring Skin Of Gold you can check out by clicking here if you'd like, but spoiler alert: It's the best face cream you'll ever use. This face cream will replace your serums and toners, making your skincare routine more simplistic while providing your skin with the tools it needs to be healthier. Not to mention the woman behind the brand, Ariana, is one of the sweetest humans you'll ever meet, with skin soo smooth it'll make you mad. I'm also on my third bottle if that means anything. Plant-based, Vegan, Cruelty-free. Handmade in small batches in Michigan.

IG - @realskinofgold

THE DEALS: 30% off the website through Cyber Monday, 12/2, no code needed. Free shipping over $40. *Add, "Roxytries" or "Referred by Roxy" in the notes section at checkout so Ariana knows I sent you

Tap here to shop

JORD Watches

I've recently posted a review on these beautiful wooden watches I'll link here. The craftsmanship, detail, and durability are outstanding. You can get the watches themselves engraved or upgrade your packaging to a wooden box that can also be engraved, making them a great gift for the holidays.

IG - @jordwatches

THE DEALS: Enter for a chance to win $100 off a watch by clicking here. Holiday deals TBA Black Friday.

Tap here to shop

Hello Gregory Personalized Gifts

Gregory is one of my closest friends, you may know him from his cosmetic line of bomb loose highlighters. Although I'm sad Hello Gregory Cosmetics is no longer, this creative soul is still putting in work! Gregory is making custom shirts, wines glasses and coffee mugs this holiday season, giving them a nice personized touch. You can pick out your own colors, fonts, designs, and wording!

IG - @hellogregoryoffical

THE DEALS: $16 shirts or 2 for $30. $8 wine glasses/coffee mugs or 2 for $15 throughout the holidays

Send Gregory a message over on Instagram to order

The.Kat.D Maskcara Beauty

Maskcara Beauty is an MLM company specializing in cream-based makeup products and eyeshadows. I personally don't have an issue with MLM companies as long as the products work, and the person behind the business makes it fun without pressuring me to buy. That is my girl, Kat. She's soo sweet, full of personality, and soo stinking beautiful! I did a review of Maskcara Beauty over on IGTV I'll link here for you. My favorites are the cream-based highlighters (concealers) and the Restore Brush Cleaner. You spray your dirty brush, swirl it around on a microfiber cloth, and BOOM, dried and ready to use.

IG - @the.kat.d

THE DEALS: Tons of discounted bundles while supplies until 11:59pm Cyber Monday 12/2. Kat is running a skincare and makeup giveaway over on Instagram that ends 12pm Saturday, 11/30.

Tap here to shop

TOPFOXX Sunglasses

I recently received two pairs of their sunglasses and one pair of their blue light blocking glasses in PR, and let me tell you, the quality is there. Vela has gotten her hands on them a few times, and the fact that they're not broken is a miracle. TOPFOXX is a woman run and owned company based in New York offering unique designs. I especially love the blue light blocking glasses. They're super cute and with the amount of screen time I've had lately, I've been wearing them a lot. I've noticed my normal headaches and restless sleeping has gone down, they really work!

IG - @TOPFOXX

THE DEALS: One pair = 30% off, two pairs = 40% off, and three pairs+ = 50% off. *Add, "Roxytries" or "Referred by Roxy" in the notes section at checkout so TopFoxx knows I sent you.

Tap here to shop

Britt's Glitz & Glamz

Britt specializes in colored contacts and lashes. When Britt sent me some of her items to try, she included some goodies for Vela which was such a nice touch. If you haven't seen my video trying out contacts for the first time, I'll leave that link here - probably the funniest video I've ever done. Outside of my user error, the contacts were quite comfortable and the blue color somehow looked natural on my brown eyes. Britt's eyelashes are soo pretty with tons of styles to choose from. I also love that they're synthetic so they're cruelty-free.

IG - @brittsglitzglams

THE DEALS: *Send Britt a message over on her Instagram page using Roxy4 to get $4 off your order. Orders over $50 include a free gift

Tap here to shop

Oh It's Natural Skincare

PJ Johnson, the woman behind the brand uses locally sourced ingredients, is eco-conscious, and cruelty-free. I have a dedicated post on Instagram you can check out here, but just know that her products do exactly what they say they're going to do. Her packaging is on another level, the attention to detail is apparent. I especially love her sample sets and I think they'd make amazing gifts!

IG - @oh.its.natural

THE DEALS: 50% off everything with code, "BLACKFRIDAY". until 11:59pm 11/30. BOGO on everything until 11:59pm Cyber Monday 12/2. *Use my code, "ROXYTRIES" for free shipping
Tap here to shop

Lit Supply Shop Mugs

The Lit Supply Shop currently offers three super fun mug designs that give back. Part of their profits goes towards cancer awareness and prevention programs. This is a huge passion for the company, as one of the owners, unfortunately, had a loss in their family due to cancer. I love that their business plan is to create items that have a personal touch, are simple, and doesn't look like it came from a corporation, no matter how big they get.

IG - @litsupplyshop

THE DEALS: *Use code: ROXY30 for 30% through the holidays!

Tap here to shop

Captain Blankenship

First off, thank you to Kat for sending me their Mermaid Dry Shampoo, because I'm truly obsessed and almost out. Captain Blankenship is a woman-run company based in the Hudson Valley. They specialize in skincare and haircare that uses all-natural ingredients and eco-friendly packaging. They keep their brand fun and unique with products like sea salt glitter spray, mermaid hair oil, sea mist refreshing toner, and even a spot treatment - just to name a few products. I also used the dry shampoo in a Halloween look I did you can check out here to see it in action.

IG - @captainblankenship

THE DEALS: The BODY section is 50% off until 11:59pm Black Friday 11/29, the HAIR and SKIN section is 30% off with code, "WILDFRIDAY30" until 11:59pm Cyber Monday, 12/2

Tap here to shop

Rek Cosmetics

I have the longest standing relationship with this company and its owner, Ryan. They have a beautiful lipstick and blush formula that I use on a regular bases. Rek Cosmetics is based in New York, specializing in makeup and skincare while also being cruelty-free. I highly recommend trying out the color matching CC cream, it's like magic! Rek Cosmetics also has new products launching this weekend including molten powders and lip scrubs. I have soo many posts using their products including a shared to highlights dedicated story over on Instagram you totally should check out.

IG - @rekcosmetics

THE DEALS: 25% off the entire website, no code needed. Free gift over $35 and $50, free shipping over $50. Valid through Cyber Monday 12/2. *Add, "Roxytries" or "Referred by Roxy" under the special instructions at checkout so they know I sent you.

Tap here to shop

beMndful Personal Care

beMndful is a local Minneapolis, family-owned company, that specializes in teeth whitening, skin care, and body care products. They use natural, plant-based ingredients while keeping their products affordable, and cruelty-free. They have a lot of charcoal-based products formulated in a unique way you need to experience for yourself. I'm OBSESSED with their charcoal teeth whitening powder, it works soo dang well and isn't harmful to your enamel. Dan, the founder is also the definition of Minnesota nice and really goes the extra mile for his ambassadors and customers alike. I did a review on beMndful over on IGTV I'll link here for you to check out.

IG - @lovebemnful

THE DEALS: *25% off with code, "RoxyTries25" and free shipping
Tap here to shop

Orchid Lane Poshmark

Poshmark is a website were you can buy and sell gently used or never worn clothing, accessories, and home decor at a cheaper price than if you were to go out and buy those items directly from the retailers. My friend Jess runs her own business as a reseller through Poshmark and she's absolutely killing it. She goes bin hunting at thrift stores and even helps others sell their own unwanted items, like me! I know the holidays can be quiet expensive, yet you have soo many parties and gathering to attend. Why buy a brand new outfit you'll only wear once when you can buy gently used at a quarter of the cost?

IG - @_orchidlane_

THE DEALS: Already low prices, accepts reasonable bin offers.
Tap here to shop

Caitlin Johnson LimeLife by Alcone

Limelife is an MLM style company specializing in professional makeup and all-natural skincare. My friend Caitlin whom I've met through the wonderful world of social media is a Beauty Guide for Limelife. She's always one of the top saleswomen on her team, and for good reason. Her makeup skills are incredible. She can do anything from a detailed Halloween look to flawless everyday glam. She's one of the kindest souls you'll ever meet, you'll want to be her best friend! About a year ago Caitlin sent me some samples of the skincare line and I was super impressed by how smooth and hydrating it made my face feel.

IG - @caitlinaudreyjohnson

THE DEALS: 20% off Glamcor RIKI skinny mirrors and price reduced bundles available through 12/2 or while supplies last.

Tap here to shop

Vintage Pooleboy

Vintage Pooleboy is owned by Broderick Poole who creates custom clothing and art pieces. Broderick is one of my oldest friends and one of the most talented people you'll ever meet. He's from the Rondo community in Saint Paul and his roots reflect in his artistry. Broderick did the illustration for the book, Joey and Grandpa Johnson's Day in Rondo. Broderick has made me many custom pieces over the years, from my Packers sweater including detailed patchwork to matching screen printed t-shirts for Matt and Vela. Broderick is all about educating the youth in the community about art and starting their own business. A portion of his profits goes towards art supplies for the youth.

IG - @vintagepooleboy

THE DEALS: $10 off T-shirts and 50% off Hoodies through Cyber Monday 12/2.

Tap here to shop

Maggie Mittendorf Rodan + Fields

Rodan + Fields is an MLM style company that specializes in skincare. This company was started by the two women behind proactive. I'm sure you've heard of Lash Boost, that's these guys right here. Maggie is a consultant for R+F and to say she's passionate about the company would be an understatement. She's extremely knowledgable about the products they offer and gets genuinely excited about skin concerns because she knows how to fix them. Maggie has sent me samples in the past including samples of their Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid. I did a challenge where I used this to do a complete full-face makeup look and I was shocked by how well it turned out. The Radiant Defense provides a nice light-medium glowing coverage to the skin, but it's considered skincare and is actually good for your skin. Maggie later sent me the full-sized bottle with the brush and I wear it all the time.

IG - @maggiemittenrf

THE DEALS: New customers receive $20 off and free eye cream. Discounted gift sets, including lash boost at only $56 (retail value $155) *Purchases will enter you in a raffle for my favorite, Radiant Defense. Must sign up as a, "preferred customer" at checkout, to take advantage of these deals, ends Cyber Monday 12/2.
Tap here to shop

I'm soo proud of this collection of small businesses I've put together, but there's, of course, tons of businesses I'm missing. If you're an owner of a small business or have a favorite small business you love to support, leave the info in a comment below (including website and holiday deals) so everyone that stumbles upon this post has an easy way to shop.

Vela's Christmas Wishlist

2019-11-25T07:51:00.000-06:00

There's no way I could go this holiday season without including Vela's Christmas wishlist. Let's be honest, the majority of my Christmas shopping is for this little cutie, and oh my is her list long this year (thanks a lot Frozen 2)! It's soo fun now that Vela is three, she understands what the holidays are about and her excitement is infectious. I put this gift guide together based on gifts Vela has asked for, her interests, fun activities for the family, and items she physically circled in the toy catalogs we received in the mail. Vela has a wide range of interests, everything from makeup and princesses to dinosaurs and trucks. I believe this is true with most toddlers, and I know you'll find something for the toddlers in your life.

I shopped multiple retailer's websites, finding some really unique gift options along with the cheapest prices on popular toys this season. I linked lots of options that are $14.99 and under. When you shop through my links it gives me the opportunity to earn a small commission. Thank you for your support and happy shopping!

Tap any link below the collages to shop or add to your wish list.

(top left to bottom right)

PAW PATROL Light Up Bowling Set - Bowl indoors or bring outside in nicer weather

PINKFONG BABY SHARK Let's Go Hunt! Fishing Game - Great for hand-eye coordination

SPICEBOX Kits For Kids Window Art - Color and create cool window clings

PHIDAL PUBLISHING INC. Unicorns My Busy Books - coloring fun!

B. TOYS Toulouse LapTrec - Tomato - Bring a bit of your childhood to the mix

MELISSA & DOUG Wooden Princess Stamp Set - Stamps are soo fun to play with, ink washes off easily

LEAPFROG Storytime Buddy Reading Toy - a squirmy reader will love this interactive toy

DISNEY JUNIOR Minnie Mouse Necklace Activity Set - reusable necklaces with silicone pieces

CANDYLAND Board Game - Another classic that's fun for everyone

PAW PATROL Chase & Marshall Walkie Talkies - Walkie freaking talkies. Enough said

B. ALPHA Chunky 27pc Puzzle Shop all B. Toys - Learn and play

MELISSA & DOUG Deluxe Combo Scratch Art Set - Creative alternative to coloring

DYSON Toy Ball Vacuum With Real Suction and Sounds - Todders can now help vacuum while having fun

FISHER-PRICE Jumptacular Bounce House - Big enough for four little jumpers

PAW PATROL Licensed Erasable Activity Tray - Able to do arts and crafts other than a table

DISNEY Cinderella, Belle & Rapunzel Magnetic Dress Up Bundle - A fun way to dress up princesses

MISS MONA MOUSE Critter Sweater Dress - Omg the faux fur is super cute with the animals

MY LITTLE PONY Ultimate Equestria Collection - Normally expensive but great deal

Frozen Olafs Musical Jewelry Box - I didn't know this existed, Vela needs

DREAM BATH 12in Bath Time Unicorn Baby Doll Set - Cute bath tube upgrade for a toddler

PRINCESS CASTLE Large Indoor/Outdoor Kids Play Tent - Vela loves hers along with all her little friends

DISNEY FROZEN Petite Character Gift Set - Great alternative to the Frozen Barbies

LEGO DUPLO Disney Minnie Mouse's Birthday Party - Vela's super into building things

DISNEY FROZEN 2 Elsa's Enchanted Ice Accessory Set - Add on for the Vanity below

DISNEY FROZEN 2 Elsa's Enchanted Ice Vanity - What Vela is asking Santa for, for Christmas

CLICK N' PLAY Princess Dress Up Set - Cute, compact size for dress up

LITTLE TIKES Princess Cottage Playhouse, Pink - Comes in other colors, super cheap

PILLOWFORT Unicorn Hooded Blanket - Other styles available

CUDDLE BARN Pets Walking Unicorn - I can see Vela walking this all over the house

DISNEY Princess Ariel and Sisters Dolls Mermaid Dolls - Another bathtime upgrade

DISNEY X PIPPA & JULIE Toddler Girls Frozen Dress - Under $25 Frozen Dress, unheard of

CAT & JACK Toddler Girls' Unicorn Slippers - Great paired with blanket

LEARNING JOURNEY Remote Control Abc Dancing Dino - Interactive playtime
SESAME STREET Potty Time With Elmo Book - Potty training + Elmo = Win
LEAPFROG 2-in-1 LeapTop Touch - Great learning tool for 2-5 years
PAW PATROL ultimate rescue fire truck with extendable 2 ft. tall ladder - Vela has been requesting this all year
TONKA Steel Excavator - Classic and will last a long time
BIRTHDAY CAKE PLAY FOOD 75 Pieces Plastic Kitchen Pretend Play - Big sturdy pieces great for play dates
FISHER-PRICE Laugh and Learn Servin' Up Fun Food Truck - Indoor or outdoor fun
JURASSIC WORLD Dino Rivals Primal Pal Blue - Not loud and scary, important for toddlers
MAXX ACTION Mini Resue Vehicles - Take out of the package for stocking stuffers
MELISSA & DOUG Scoop and Top Wooden Ice Cream - Who doesn't love ice cream, even make-believe
PAW PATROL Snuggle Up Pup Skye - Inneractive, all the Paw Patrol pups available
VTECH Drill and Learn Toolbox - Tools actually drill
FISHER-PRICE Cash Register Set - Great pairing for children with kitchens
RADIO FLYER Classic Red Dual Deck Tricycle - Great deal on a tricycle
TONKA Steel Front Loader - Great pair with the Excavator
FURREAL HOPPIN TOPPER Interactive Plush Pet Toy - This dino does soo many things

Sephora Holiday Gift Guide

2019-11-22T11:38:00.000-06:00

*Updated 12/13/2019*
It's the most wonderful time of the year for Sephora deals! If anyone understands the struggle of how expensive Sephora can be, it's me! I've been a Rouge Member since 2012. If you don't know what that means, look it up and don't tell Matt. It's safe to say I know my way around a good Sephora deal and the biggest bang for your buck is through the value sets.

"What's the big deal with value sets?!" Soo glad you asked! A lot of beauty brands offer value sets specifically around the holidays as a great gift option and a way to try multiple products of theirs on the cheap. With most value sets you'll save at least 30% off the bat upwards of 50-70% when they go on sale. I've picked up value sets around the holidays for years. I discovered some of my favorite products this way. Now that I pretty much know what brands and products I like, I'll pick out a value set that already has a product or two that I know I love.

I still use this time of year as a way to try out new beauty brands/products I've been eyeing but didn't want to fork out the money to commit to the full-sized, full-priced item. For gift options, I pick up a few value sets and break the products up to give to multiple people. I feel this makes them a bit more personal like you're creating their own little beauty box tailored to them. I call mine, "The RoxBox".
I've spent hours digging through the Sephora website looking for the best value set deals. I've broken everything down by price as you'll see below. All of these boxes are Roxy approved and will give you your best bang for your buck. When you shop my links you are giving me the opportunity to make a small commission so thank you soo much! Okay, let's get to the good stuff, shopping!

Tap any link below the collages to shop or add to your wish list

In order top left to bottom right

** indicates on farther sale

BECCA Prime, Set & Glow - Becca has one of the best highlighter formulas around

DR. JART+ Mini Must-Haves - Korean skincare leaving your face feeling plump and hydrated

NARS Mini Blush and Balm Set - Three different shades to choose from

BIOSSANCE The Stay Balanced Duo - Great for acne-prone skin, vegan

MILK MAKEUP Triple The Kush Set - This Mascara is the best at lengthening

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Full of Cheer: Volume Set - Adds volume and tames static

VIOLET VOSS Sparkling Cherry Limeade Palette - Vibrant pops of color

WANDER BEAUTY Prep and Set Essentials Kit - Worth it for the eye patches alone

CLINIQUE's Best-Selling Minis - You should check up on Clinique, they're slaying

GLAMGLOW Selfie-Approved Cleanse And Glow Sheet Mask Trio - $19. Glamglow.

VIOLET VOSS Oh Snap Gingerbread Fun Sized Palette - Formula is like butter

SEPHORA FAVORITES Beauty Unmasked - Luxury brands face masks on the cheap

CAUDALIE Natural Cleansing Trio - Natural cleanser, exfoliator, moisturizer

TOO FACED Keep it glossy - limited holiday glosses, different scents

FENTY BEAUTY Mini Lip Gloss and Highlighter Set - Any Fenty is good Fenty

BENEFIT COSMETICS Precisely Plus One Brow Pencil Duo - Dude, free brow pencil

(Top left to bottom right)

ABH Best Brows Ever Kit - Known for the best brow products around
DRUNK ELEPHANT The Midi Committee - Popular clean skincare
FIRST AID BEAUTY FABLANTICS - Dry, sensitive, eczema skin needs this
HOURGLASS Mini Duo - My fav translucent powder is a mini-set?!
**GLOW RECIPE Let It Glow - Feels like butter on the skin smells like melon
LANEIGE Kiss Me At Midnight - Have I mentioned I love this lip mask?
SOL DE JANEIRO Bum Bum Carnaval Celebration - A brand I want to try
IGK Smooth Moves Good Behavior - Medium/thick hair tame frizz add shine
TARTE Cheek Wardrobe - Clean beauty blush, bronzer, and highlight
**DR. JART 7 Day Mask Experiment - Best Korean face masks
BRIOGEO Healthy Hair Game Kit - For all hair types (even coily)
IT COSMETICS Super Powers Set - Complete eye set for on the go
BRIOGEO Superfoods Hair Bar - hair care inspired by smoothies
JO MALONE LONDON Travel Duo - Two wonderfully scented perfumes
THE ORDINARY The No-Brainer Set - Smooths out aging skin
SEPHORA FAVORITES Skincare's Next Big Thing - Discover new brands

(Top left to bottom right)

**PETER THOMAS ROTH Must-Have Vault - A complete skincare routine
CAUDALIE Premier Anti-Aging Solution - French skincare. Enough Said
YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE The Discovery Kit - Powerful vegan formula
**GLAMGLOW SUPERMUD™ Pore Clarifying Skin Set - Fav clarifying face mask
DRUNK ELEPHANT Precious Cargo™ Kit - Baby smooth skin, gentle exfoliator
FRESH Hydration Ever After Gift Set - The most hydrating products
SEPHORA FAVORITES Perfume Sampler - choose full-sized perfume of your choice
VERSACE Bright Crystal Gift Set - I mean, it's Versace. Show this to Matt
ALGENIST Secrets of Algae Kit - I'm mad about how much I love this moisturizer
TATCHA Skincare for Makeup Lovers - Dewy Glow Set - My favs in one set
**HERBIVORE Self Love Facial Ritual Kit - Soo beautiful and luxurious
YVES SAINT LAURENT Black Opium Holiday Gift Set - Perfume and lipstick OGs
SEPHORA FAVORITES Skin Wonderland - 15 mini luxurious glowing skincare
LANCÔME A Skincare Dream - I'm getting this for my mom (mom don't read)
KATE SOMERVILLE Glow-Cation: Radiant Skin - My fine lines disappeared, need!
**GLAMGLOW Glow game strong - Firming face mask with illuminating moisturizer

Sephora is currently running some amazing deals for their rewards program members. Beauty Insiders (free for everyone!) save $15, VIB (spend over $350 per year) save $20, and ROUGE (spend a lot) save $25 with purchase of $75 with code: 2019HOORAY - ends December 17th. I hope you enjoyed these Value Set suggestions from Sephora. I'd love to hear if you'd like more gift guides like this in the future. Will you be picking up any of these value sets? I'd love to know!

My Quick Glam Routine: Video Tutorial

2019-11-16T11:35:00.004-06:00

My most favorite thing about makeup is the ability to enhance my features while faking glowy skin. The makeup routine I've been favoring the most lately gives me exactly that. It makes me feel soo beautiful and it lasts all day.

Today I bring you that glam routine via voice-over video - my very first one! I'm curious to see what you think about this style of filming and editing so please let me know. I, unfortunately, wasn't able to post the video directly to this post, but tap on any of the highlighted words like this one to watch.

As you may know, I'm now apart of the liketoknow.it family. This makes it easy for you to shop my favorite products while giving me the opportunity to make a small commission. I've added the links to all the products I used in this video that's offered under the liketoknow.it umbrella. All you have to do is tap the product picture of whatever you're interested in, making it super easy. You can also follow me over on the liketoknow.it app (it's free)! Thank you for supporting this small business of mine.

JORD Watches

2019-11-07T12:00:00.000-06:00

Okay friends, I have a confession to make - I have a watch addiction. Well, it's more accurate to say I used to have a watch addiction. It's funny how children change things like that for a person. I'd buy at least one new watch every year and I'm talking about a Fossil, Micheal Kors, or Coach watch to be more specific. They were my babies, my collectibles, a token of a job well done with amazing bonuses; they look bomb and I always know the time. When Vela was about six-month-old I stopped wearing my watches because I was afraid she'd slobber all over them and ruin them. Last fall when we bought our house, I very carefully packed them away and never unpacked them. When JORD reached out to me about a potential collaboration, a spark went off in my mind. WATCHES! My first love, how have I forgotten about you? I combed through their website mesmerized by all the unique wooden watches they offer. I knew right then that this collaboration would be perfect for me. The hardest part was only picking one.

JORD is based in St. Louis, MO (hello midwest!). They use a mix of natural and largely reclaimed materials to develop their watches, giving them high quality, craftsmanship charm. I chose the Frankie 38mm in Dark Sandalwood & Espresso (swoon!). This watch costs $179 which is comparable to brands like Fossil. I was curious how the quality of the Frankie would compare to other watches in this price range. I was amazed by the amount of detail they put into this watch, including packaging. They include a microfiber cloth along with preserve oil so you can keep your watch looking as good as the first day you got it. Some wooden watches I've tried on have seemed flimsy and easily breakable, hence why I never bought them. This watch is very strong and durable like it could withstand the power of a toddler if they got their hands on it. It's safe to say that I'm impressed. The hardware is solid yet delicate and pretty looking. Dare I say the quality is better than any other watch I've owned?! I'd say their pricing is spot on for the high quality and attention to detail.

JORD made it easy to determine the sizing I needed. They have a ruler by cm you can print out and use to measure your wrist. All you do is wrap the ruler comfortably around your wrist and round up to the nearest 1/4 cm. They'll customize the watch to fit you perfectly, no need to do it yourself. With the holidays coming up, you can upgrade to a personalized wooden box or engrave the back of the watch itself making it a lovely personalized gift option. They also offer a one year warranty giving you peace of mind in case anything were to happen to your watch.

Now, what we've all been waiting for; it's giveaway time! JORD is offering $100 off any watch to one of my followers. All you have to do is click here and enter in your general information. This giveaway will run for about a month, pending at least 35 entries, so make sure to tell your friends and family. Every person that enters will receive a 10% off gift code so it definitely pays to enter.

Thank you to JORD for thinking of me for this wonderful collaboration. You've brought back to life my love and appreciation for watches at an even higher standard. I dug out my old watches which all need new batteries at this point. I'm soo happy to add Frankie to my collection. I know what I'll be adding to my Christmas wish list this year!

Let me know if you pick up any of JORD's beautiful watches, I'd love to check it out. Wooden Wrist Watch

Sephora's Spring Bonus Sale

2019-04-30T12:10:00.000-05:00

Sephora only has two sales a year, and one of them is starting soon. The sale is available to everyone, all you have to do is sign up for their free beauty insider program. Insiders get 10% off May 2nd-May 6th, VIBs (Spend $350+ per year) get 15% off May 2nd-May 6th and Rouges (you spend way too much it's an addiction aka me) get 20% off April 25th-May 6th aka now.
These are my top 40 products sold at Sephora I find worth taking advantage of this sale on. To save you from having to read tons of information (and frankly this is pretty last minute), I didn't want to bombard you with information on each product. Just know these products are tried and true favorites of mine. I didn't link any products I haven't used dozens of times and love. Each picture has a direct link for you to use if you wish to learn more information, create a wishlist, or shop. I do receive a small compensation every time you shop through my links however, that does not affect my option. As always, if you have any questions I'm available. You can dm me @roxytries on Instagram or in the comments below.
Happy Shopping!

Bundles

Okay, one last thing, I'm a huge fan of product bundles in general. Usually, you get a better value and it's a chance to try out different brands or products you wouldn't normally try. I've found quite a few of my holy grail products by purchasing bundles.

Skincare

Makeup

Hair

Getting Real About Skincare

2019-04-05T22:25:00.001-05:00

The time has come to my friends. No, not that I'm writing on my poor neglected blog for the first time in nine months, but it has officially been a month into my new skincare routine.
*hold for applause*
As most of you may know, I focus most of my energy into micro-influencing on Instagram, (follow me @roxytries if you don't already) and a little over a month ago, I went on a little rant about how I treat skincare like a fun hobby that I can decide to participate in whenever I feel like it. I have eczema along with dry, sensitive, acne-prone skin and now that I'm 30, it's time to get real about skincare (see what I did there?!). I have tons of skincare products that each target different skin concerns, need to be used in different ways, on different days of the week, can't be mixed with certain ingredients, has to be followed by this product, applied using a feather gifted from a Phoenix, etc. That last one is obviously a joke, but bottom line, it became impossible for me to stick to a routine that requires soo many products. I'd dedicate at least half an hour every night to skincare. I don't know about you, but I am exhausted by the end of the night. All I want to do is get in bed and watch youtube videos. If I wasn't in the mood for the whole shebang, I'd skip it altogether. For days - for a whole week from time to time. I was essentially wasting my time because I never stuck to a routine long enough to notice a difference. By falling into this pattern of complete skin negligence, I was doing more harm than good. The texture, dry flaky skin, and hyperpigmentation was getting out of control and I needed to make a change. I did my research and decided to stick to no more than five steps every morning and evening, taking minutes to complete. Everything I use is also cruelty-free, which is very important to me. Here's what that routine looks like for me:

Washing My Face

A simple task, that even the most basic of skin routines requires, is something I set out to do two times a day. Even when my routine was a lot more complex, I'd often skip washing my face in the morning. While you're sleeping, you sweat out a lot of toxins that's important to wash away, especially if you haven't washed your pillowcase in a while (btw you should be on that weekly, and a silk pillowcase is the best option to help your skin breathe). If you workout in the mornings, waiting until after a workout is a great time to wash your face. Being the dry girl that I am, I wanted to make sure I was using a gentle cleanser that wouldn't suck all my natural oils away, yet still eliminating impurities. The face cleanser I've been loving is by First Aid Beauty. This cleanser is fragrance-free, suitable for all skin types - even us sensitive skin folks. This formula is non-stripping, full of antioxidants which safeguard the skin against environmental aggressors, and it balances your PH levels. This cleanser eliminates the need to use a toner, erasing a step in my routine.

Exfoliating

Exfoliating gets rid of dead skin holding on for dear life (yes, I'm talking to you crusties around my nose), and it helps even out texture, fine lines, and dull skin. Exfoliating is not necessary to do every day, in fact, you should avoid that or you may build up a callus on your face - not cute. I exfoliate twice a week, once by shaving my face, and once by using an exfoliating pad. Shaving gets rid of the initial layer of dead skin, while BONUS eliminating peach fuss, which makes your foundation look flawless. I don't use any old razor, I use a specific facial hair trimmer that's super gentle by Panasonic.
The use of exfoliating wipes is a new step in my routine, but one I'm soo happy to have added. I use the Go-To Exfoliating Swipeys, which is Clean At Sephora certified. They use AHA (Lactic Acid) which is a chemical exfoliation, but don't let that scare you. AHA is a gentle exfoliant that is far more effective than scrubbing your face or even shaving. I love the Go-To brand because it's super easy to use. You take one pad, wipe your face and neck, wait 60 seconds, and rinse off with water. I kid you not, I've had zero issues with dry patches since using these pads, and with my eczema, that's unheard of. Totally worth sparing a minute of my time once a week.

Serums and Face Creams

Okay, my friends, this is where things start to get tricky. The amount of serums out there is overwhelming, to say the least. When it came time for a daytime serum, I stuck with what I knew. I'm a big fan of using a Vitamin C serum during the day. Vitamin C serums are great for aging skin because it stimulates collagen production, which reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also helps protect the skin from sun damage, which is why I love using it in the day time. The issue was I wasn't using it regularly and most Vitamin C serums out there are expensive. I found Derma E Vitamin C and it's been life changing! Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but this retails for only $14.79 which is super cheap for a Vitamin C serum and it's now available at Target. This Vitamin C serum is infused with hyaluronic acid which is a popular ingredient in skincare at the moment. Hyaluronic acid is naturally occurring in the body, helping your cells regulate moisture. By adding this into the Vitamin C serum, it helps to lock in moisture.
My nighttime cream came very easily for me. I was gifted a full-sized Skin of Gold cream by Ariana the owner, in exchange for my honest review. This is the only skincare product Skin of Gold sells - talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket! Ariana is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to skincare, (seriously, you need to follow @realskinofgold on Instagram, they share the best tips and ingredient knowledge around) they're very transparent when it comes to the ingredients they use in their cream, breaking down every component, what it does, and why they use it. I'll leave a link right here if you're interested in reading more about that.
I quickly learned why this was the only skincare product they sell. The Skin of Gold face cream is designed to replace your serums, toners, oils, and moisturizer. This face cream targets the toxins in your body by excreting them out through your skin. I was warned that during this process, my skin would look rough, and yes, that did happen. On day five, I broke out pretty badly and I had an oily sheen across my normally dry face. This process lasted about a week, and now my skin has never looked better. Physically seeing the toxins leave my body was unlike anything I've experienced before. By going through this detox, my skin has been reset to a normal state. It's hard for me to explain, but I've had dry, acne prone skin my whole adult life, that's left my face feeling tight, dull, and in a constant state of dehydration. Now I have more normal oil production, and I'll go weeks without even one blemish. At this point, over a month in, I see the hyperpigmentation due to acne scarring on my face diminishing. Skin of Gold is a miracle cream, and I highly recommend everyone trying it out! Give it a month, and you'll be hooked like I am.

Moisturizer

As the Skin of Gold cream states, you can skip this step altogether, which is something I may do in the more humid summer months, but for now, I prefer more hydration so I still moisturize. During the day I moisturize right away, but at night, I like to give the Skin of Gold cream time to soak into my skin, getting the maximum benefits it offers. I wait 15 minutes or so before applying moisturizer. I'll usually get the dishes done, take Nugget out, clean up Vela's toys, change into some comfy jammies - whatever I need to do before getting cozied up in bed. I'll then go in with my tried-and-true Ultra Repair Cream by First Aid Beauty. This moisturizer is suitable for all skin types but is specifically marketed to those with dry skin and eczema - hello, me. This moisturizer can be used anywhere on the body and is so safe, you could use it on babies. It has a whipped texture, is non-greasy, and absorbs immediately, making your skin instantly feeling hydrated. What more could you ask for from a moisturizer? This is the GOAT.

Before

After

Eye Cream

Oh eye cream, my arch nemesis. I haven't had much luck with eye cream in the past, I was convinced it didn't work for me because of my deep-set, dark under eyes. I realized that I was expecting too much out of my eye cream. I was expecting it to do something only a procedure could do from a dermatologist. I was shocked when I saw the, "After" photo because I didn't realize there was as much of a difference as there is. For me, I wanted to find a cream that could add hydration, while slightly plumping up my under eyes - making them appear a little brighter. I'm currently using two different eye creams, and I love both. During the day I use the Firming DMAE Eye Lift by Derma-e and at night I use the Sephora HYA Brightening Eye Cream. I was originally testing out both to see if I liked one over the other, but I found I like both for different reasons. The Derma-e eye cream is more for preventative care at this point. It softens crows feet and wrinkles while softening the facial muscles. the texture is really thin, so I like using this during the day because it plays nice with makeup. The Sephora eye cream has a little thicker consistency, providing tons of hydrating while slightly reducing the darkness under my eyes. I thought I liked this one the best, and tried to use it during the day, and found out the hard way that it does not play nice with makeup. It made my concealer peel off my face - not a look I'm ever going for. For now, this is my power under eye duo.

I'm still learning and growing when it comes to skincare, but I hope to maintain my new minimal approach. Yes, I am an influencer and I know it's a part of the job to test out different skincare products, and I do enjoy doing that. Moving forward, I want to use products that target multiple skin concerns, without adding an extra step into my routine. Of course, if I find products or brands I'm loving I will share them with you. How do you feel about your skincare routine? Is there room for improvement one way or another?

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.*

Summer Glow Makeup Routine

2018-06-04T15:48:00.002-05:00

This may be hard for you to believe, but my everyday makeup routine is a pretty minimal one. Most days I don't have much time to put on a full face of makeup, but being the makeup lover that I am, I try to get the most out of my look in about a 10 minute period. During the summer, I tend to lean towards a more natural dewy look. My skin is still dry, but the humidity and the more time spent outdoors takes a toll on the longevity of my makeup. I want any makeup I wear to look minimal, fresh, bronzed, dewy, and most important, protect my skin from the sun. This summer makeup routine I've been leaning towards the last few weeks has proved to withstand the hot humid days we've had here in Minnesota and has gotten me tons of compliments!

Prep and Prime

I prep my face the same way I would for any makeup look, by priming and color correcting. My go-to primer at the moment is by Tatcha, the silk canvas primer. This primer makes my skin look airbrushed, and any makeup applies smoothly and evenly. The color corrector I use is the same one I always talk about, the Lancome Ultra Wear Camouflage. What more can I say about it? A little goes a long way, and I haven't had anyone ask me if I'm sick or tired while wearing it - therefore it remains a staple.

Tinted Moisturizer and Hydrating Concealer

I'm not looking for full coverage, as much as I'm looking for evening out my skin tone, and protecting my face from sun damage. I like when my beauty marks show through, and even if I have a few blemishes, the tinted moisturizer and concealer help mute their appearance. A few weeks ago I picked up the Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer by First Aid Beauty with SPF 30. They have five shades to choose from, so I picked up the second darkest called, "Tan". I've only used it three times, but that's enough for me to know that I'll be using this all summer long. First Aid Beauty is one of my favorite skincare brands, their line is aimed towards those who have sensitive skin, and skin issues like eczema or psoriasis. I know First Aid Beauty has branched out into makeup that still has a skincare tie, like their primer and now tinted moisturizer. This tinted moisturizer is super pigmented yet goes on smooth and effortlessly like any good face lotion would. I apply this with my fingers and rub into my skin. I still apply my normal moisturizer (which happens to be First Aid Beauty) before applying this product, but if you are more combination to oily, I can see you being able to go right in with this tinted moisturizer - double duty!

The concealer I've been loving for this more minimal sun-kissed glow is the Aquacealer by Tarte, in the shade Light-Medium. I picked out this concealer as apart of my full-size bundle deal Tarte had a few weeks back. I was super sad that picking out the Tarte Shape Tape wasn't an option, but was still excited to give this one a try. This concealer is super hydrating and gives a more medium coverage. It doesn't crease or take forever to blend out like the shape tape does. I take my damp angled beauty sponge to blend that out. Yes, my dark circles still peak through, but they are less noticeable and it's hard to tell I'm even wearing concealer in the first place.

Powders

Yes, this is a more minimal look, but I'm not crazy, I still want it to stay in place and last all day! Jaclyn Hill just had to come out with an April Favorites makeup video right when I decided I wasn't buying any more beauty products for a while (more like my bank account decided for me) and recommended this translucent setting powder by Hourglass called Veil. For those of you that have read my beauty posts, you know I've struggled with finding a translucent powder because every one I've tried will soak up any moisture and leave a white hue on my tan skin. Jaclyn is a fellow dry girl, so I just had to swoop this one up! I don't mess around when I say this powder is like butter on the skin. It has no flashback and somehow leaves my skin looking dewier and never cakey. If I had one negative, it'd be that there's only a, "H" made up of tiny holes for the translucent powder to come out of, so it can take a minute to get enough powder into the cap to set your face - something I'm okay to deal with. I take the same damp angled beauty sponge I used to apply my concealer, load that up with translucent powder and set my T-zone. If you're a dry girl like me, you need this powder in your life.

I then apply my bronzer, but not just any ole bronzer, the Park Ave Princess bronzer by Tarte. I received a trial size of this with the Sephora Sunkissed Glow favorites bundle, and this is my favorite product from that bundle. It's, of course, a part of my all-time favorite, the Amazonian Clay line. The consistency is creamy, it goes on smoothly, and has the tiniest bit of light reflects in it, without being too chunky. This bronzer is waterproof - perfect for the summer! I don't worry about contouring, and I won't be applying blush *gasp* so I take a big fluffy foundation brush, hit the hollows of my cheeks, my hairline and my jawline. I love this bronzer on my skin tone because it is subtle enough, but not so much so where it gives off a nice sun-kissed glow.

Life Back into the Eyes

By now my brows and lashes are full of powders and creams, so I want to bring them back to life. I comb through my brows and apply Gimmie Brow tinted brow gel by Benefit - I use the shade number 5, which is a dark brown. I recently noticed they extended their brow shades in this product, so make sure to stop in your local Sephora or Ulta and find your perfect shade - you know I will once I run out! The tiny pointed spoolie makes applying this brow gel easy and precisely while keeping them in place. This is my go-to brow option for any minimal makeup look. It hugs my little eyebrow hairs, filling out any patches along with providing some color.
The mascara I use is the Roller Lash by Benefit - another Roxy staple. Once this mascara is dry, it doesn't move which is hard to find in a mascara that isn't waterproof and can still hold up to the hot humid days. The way I apply this is different than normal because I still want to maintain that minimal makeup look. I apply a thin coat to the top lashes, and nothing on the bottom. For me, as I sweat I have a higher chance of my mascara smudging on my under eyes because of how heavily hooded they are, so it's best just to skip for a look like this. I'll take a tissue and give my bottom lashes a wipe so you at least know that they're there.

Time to Glow

You can't have a summer glow without the glow part, right? I, of course, lean on my Twinkle Stick by Tarte in shade Spotlight and apply that using a pointed beauty sponge. A cream-based highlight typically wears more naturally than a powder, making it ideal for a sun-kissed glow. I apply that everywhere I want to glow, usually above the arch of my eyebrows, my cheeks bones, cupids bow, and sometimes my chin. I called it early and said that this would be a summer staple, and so far I'm right!

I usually wrap up this makeup look by applying a pinky nude colored gloss, or chapstick. I'll use a setting spray to make sure I get the longest life out of this look, which bonus tends to make my face look dewier and calms down the appearance of powders. A summer glow to me is all about accentuating the skin and leaving a minimal look on the rest of the face. You can go to the beach, for a hike, or hit up a patio for happy hour, and your makeup will give off a fresh, young, care-free sun-kissed glow that represents everything summer is about.

Do you have any summer makeup staples? I'll love to hear about them in the comments below!

My Top 12 Morphe Makeup Tools

2018-05-14T08:25:00.001-05:00

What tools you use to apply your makeup can make a difference in how your makeup looks and applies to your face. Finding that sweet spot where your skin looks flawless and perfectly blended, can have everything to do with what brush or sponge you use. If you're a beginner, you may be overwhelmed by the number of brushes you can use for applying makeup. Morphe is a company that got their start from launching affordable, easy to work with, yet high-quality makeup brushes. Some of these brushes I've had for years and they've still maintained their shape without shedding.
Here are my top 10 brushes and 2 sponges I use to complete any makeup look.

Beauty Sponges

I'm a huge fan of using a damp beauty sponge to apply any liquid base, such as foundation and concealer. I'm a dry girl, and I no longer deal with my foundation and concealer settling into fine lines or clinging on to dry patches (especially around my nose). At one point, I seriously thought my face was soo dry, that no foundation or concealer was formulated for my skin until I started using this method to apply those products. You don't need to be dry to enjoy this method of applying your foundation and concealer, by using a beauty sponge, it helps ensure you aren't using too much product on your skin because the sponge will pick up any access. You do get more of a sheer, natural finish using sponges, which I really enjoy. I use the pointed beauty sponge for applying foundation. It fits nicely in my hand, and I can use the backside to pick up any additional product or to help blend. I also like to use the point on this sponge for applying stick form highlighter. For blending out concealer, I use the angled sponge. The angle on this sponge is made to blend under the eye, making it easy to push product close to the lash line. You can also use this sponge to blend out a stick contour or apply translucent powder.

Brushes

E41 Large Powder Brush - This is the biggest, fluffiest, softest powder brush I've ever used. I use this brush to apply powder foundation or bronzing my face. I sometimes use it to just to rub all over my face with nothing on it, it's that soft.

R10 Tapered Powder Brush - This is a goat hair brush, which is great for apply powdered products. This brush is perfect for applying a powdered contour. I use this brush to apply a light layer of translucent powder to set the under eyes.

E4 Powder Blush Brush - This isn't exactly my brush, mine is from a limited

holiday collection, but this one is very similar and comes with high recommendations from some of my favorite beauty gurus. The angle on this brush makes applying super easy by having more control over where your blush is placed.

E53 Pointed Powder Brush - The brush pictured is from that same holiday collection, but I actually own this one as well! They are very similar, but this one has more of a point to it, great for blending out a powder contour on the chin, forehead, jawline, and hollowings of the cheeks.

M158 Brow/Spoolie Brush - My version of this brush is from the holiday collection (last one I promise!) But this is the same exact brush, without the glittery rose gold on it. The spoolie is my go-to for combing through my brows while filling them in. The angled brush is thin and less stiff then others I've used, which is perfect for cleaning up my brow line, although the main purpose is to sculpt the brows if you're using a brow pomade.

R37 Blender Brush - This brush was the winner of a short list of eyeshadow brushes. I really wanted to include a brush that could be used for multiple purposes if needed. This brush is made of goat hair, which wonderfully blends out powdered products. The slight point on this fluffy brush makes it great for blending eyeshadow, applying a powdered highlight, or simply adding a transition shade (nude colored eyeshadow base) all over the lid.

M522 Oval Brush - This brush is round, soft but stiff. I use this to push color into my crease, to pack on glitter or foiled eyeshadow, or for my nose contour.

E18 Round Crease Brush - This brush is great for beginners if you want more control when blending out the crease, or when applying dark colored shadows. This brush is also a great size for blending out your first initial color for the lower lash line.

E36 Detail Crease Brush - This is my go-to brush when applying a cut crease. It looks similar to the E18 but even smaller. You can use this to blend out the lower lash line as well - perfect for layering shadows in that area.

M213 Smudger Brush - I use this tiny guy when applying my inner eye corner and brow bone highlight. I also use this when created more of a smudged liner look, or when using one of my shadows as eyeliner.

I've used a few different brands of brushes in the past, but Morphe brushes are really where it's at. The quality is there, they're easy to clean, and I don't have issues with either eating up too much of my product or hairs shedding on my face as I'm applying makeup. By writing this post, it made me think about what brushes I reach for the most, and these are it. With these tools, you can complete any makeup look whether you're a beginner or more experienced. Morphe offers affiliate discount codes for 10% your order, so if you buy anything, make sure you're using one of those! My favorites are: mannymua, larlarlee and jacattack.

If you pick up any of these brushes, make sure to let me know what you think
Happy shopping!

Refreshing Skinny Margaritas

2018-05-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm hosting a girls' night makeup party at my place on Cinco de Mayo - the perfect opportunity to make my oh-so-yummy "skinny" margaritas. Margarita's may be my favorite drink of all time, and there's no way I'm going to settle with pre-made margarita mix. One thing I hate about pre-made margarita mix is how sweet they are. My recipe cuts the sugar in half, without sacrificing any of the flavors. This fresh mix is great for a crowd or for yourself. The mix stays good for two weeks in the fridge - although I have a hard time believing there'll be any left!

Here's how I like to make my margaritas:

Ingredients

2 cups lime juice (2 1/2 pounds of limes)
2 cups water
1 cup agave nectar
sparkling water
silver tequila
orange wedges
lime wedges for garnish

I prep the limes by rolling them on the counter to loosen up the pulp. I cut all the limes in half and use a citrus hand press juicer over a liquid measuring cup. Once I'm done juicing the limes, I start working on my simple syrup. I pour the water and agave nectar into a saucepan, stir until it reaches a boil, then remove from heat. I let cool and add both into a quart-sized pitcher. I let my fresh margarita mix chill in the fridge for at least a few hours.

To make my margarita, I add salt to the rim of a glass, fill with ice, add an orange wedge and set aside. I like to add an orange wedge instead of triple sec or orange juice because it's fewer calories and not so sweet. I take equal parts tequila and fresh margarita mix and pour over ice in a shaker. I give that a good shake and pour into my glass. I fill the rest of my glass with sparkling water - I prefer lime La Croix and add a lime wedge to the rim.

It's simple but tastes amazing! I like my margaritas with a bite to them, so feel free to adjust accordingly. You can add more margarita mix or add a splash of orange juice for a bit more sweetness. If you give this a go, I'd love to hear they turned out!

A Non-Parents Guide to Buying Baby Shower Gifts

2018-04-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

With spring and summer upon us (finally, Minnesota!) that usually means baby shower season. Buying a baby shower gift when you aren't a parent yourself can be an intimidating experience. I take pride in being a good gift giver myself, but looking back on some of the baby shower gifts I've given in the past, I've realized I may not have given the best gifts to help out new parents. It's easy to get sucked into the cute little baby clothes and trendy baby toys - while there's nothing wrong with giving those items as gifts (I know I received some that I really loved!) everyone else may be thinking the same thing. Shopping from a parent's registry is definitely a great place to start, but from my experience, I used my registry mostly for my big ticket items (great group gift idea!) to receive a discounted priced once my registry expired. I did get help from mom friends of mine to create my registry, but I still forgot items that I didn't even think I needed. Here are some ideas to keep in mind that will make the future parents lives easier and are fun to give!

Clothes

Everyone is excited to gift the parents with cute little newborn clothes. I found this to be especially true with older family members. While the cute little clothes are fun to give, you never know how long a newborn will fit in that size. I learned that baby clothes sizes are made to fit up to the monthly amount, not through that month, which is what I previously thought. For example, clothes marked 3 months, will only fit until the baby is three months old (in theory). In my case, I had a huge baby that only fit in newborn-3 month clothes for three weeks - so most of those clothes never got worn. I suggest finding clothes that are a little bit bigger 6-12 months (including socks with grippy bottoms!). By gifting clothes that are bigger, you are also able to shop the sale items that are out of season, saving yourself some cash. I don't recommend buying clothes bigger than 12 months (unless you have hand-me-downs) because you never know how fast a baby may grow and what season clothes they'll need.

Shop clothes that are easy to put on and take off. If the clothes have a ton of buttons or parts to put together, you better believe they won't get much use. Babies are constantly needing to be changed out of their clothes. I remember one day Vela when through 10 outfits! Parents will quickly gravitate to clothes they find user-friendly. Bodysuits, sleepers with zippers, rompers, and pants with elastic bands will be super helpful and get a ton of use.

Make your own themed bundle

This is my favorite thing to do for baby showers - putting different products together with a cohesive theme for any occasion really, just takes gift giving to the next level. It's a great way to show you really took the time to pick out a present for that person. For baby showers, this is a great way to shop items from the registry, along with sneak in products or brands that the future parents might not have realized they needed. This will surely impress them with your baby product knowledge - life badge unlocked! Here are a few of my favorite themes:

Bathtime

Depending on your budget, or if you're going in with a few people, filling an infant bathtub with bathtime essentials is an amazing gift basket in itself. This pink tub is what we used and it's only $20! When it comes to baby shampoos and lotions, opting for a product for sensitive skin will ensure the baby doesn't have a bad reaction to it - Cetaphil is our go-to. You can never have enough of those products, so if other people give baby wash items, the parents will utilize the backups. Having thick and soft baby washcloths and hooded towels will get a lot more use than the super small and thin ones. I think we used those for the first few sponge baths only. A lot of new parents won't think of this, but once the baby is able to bathe in the tub itself, making sure the tub is safe by adding a spout guard (We love this whale one with the matching rinser) and a non-slip mat with mold resistants and washing machine safe will make life easier. You can tie everything together by adding a bath toy, these stackable boats will grow with the child. They're great to chew on during the teething phase, stacking and color coordination to develop their fine motor skills once they're a bit older and easy to wash - win! Wrap a few large ribbons around the body of the tub and tie at the top. Add a large bow and ta-da!

Diaper Bundle

Anything you can give a parent to help them with changing diapers will get a ton of use. This bundle is always the safest because I don't think you can have enough of any of these items. You can use a storage bin to hold all the items for a nice DIY gift basket with a purpose. This storage bin is collapsible and travels well, so it can be used for anything. Picking out diapers of different sizes will ensure that the diapers will get used eventually. We love the Huggies brand because the leg holes are the most flexible for bigger babies. Adding in diaper wipes with a traveling wipes bag will be easy to grab on the go. A good diaper cream is a must, and this diaper cream by Boudreaux is great for a diaper rash and using a little each diaper change for preventative care. Changing table liners are a must, and can be used on any surface you change your baby on. I even keep one in my diaper bag for changing Vela in public restrooms. Speaking of changing Vela in public, I was given these dirty diaper containing bags as a baby shower gift, and it's gotten a ton of use. The stinkiest of diapers will not smell through one of these bags, perfect when your visiting friends or out in public.

Meal Time

I had plans to exclusively breastfeed, so I didn't add much from this category to my registry. Luckily, mom friends of mine filled my diaper bag with mealtime essentials, some of which we still use now. I don't recommend buying bottles, formula, or breastfeeding supplies unless it's on the registry. Those items you want to make sure are right for the family but if it's on the registry, those items would make the perfect addition to this gift bundle.

You wouldn't think to pick the right bid was all that important, but it actually is. For cloth bibs, pick ones with a snap button on the side. If the baby has a ton of hair, this will make sure it's not getting caught and having a snap button vs. velcro won't get stuck on the laundry and will stay on the baby better. We also love these adjustable plastic bids for solid food, we still use them now - makes clean-up so much easier especially when eating out. This grass drying rack and bottle brush are amazing for washing bottles, sippy cups, and pumping supplies. The parents may not have thought about solid food supplies, which they'll need all too soon, so adding these items to the bundle will be a nice surprise. We love the EZPZ table mat in mini (better size for a highchair and traveling), these snack bowls, and non-spill sippy cups. You can also add in baby and toddler spoons (yes, there's a difference) to the bundle, I just didn't have a specific brand to recommend.

Bedtime

Awe, catching some Zzzz's, something these new parents will wish they had! This is my favorite bundle because we've come across some awesome products that I swear made sleeping through the night possible for us! We love this sound machine we were given at our baby shower. It has tons of different sounds to choose from, we use the one that sounds like the inside of the womb. It has a night light, plays classical music, alarm clock, you can plug your phone into it, and it can run on batteries for traveling. Bonus: it's under $23! These pacifiers are great because they're Orthodontic developed and the handle glows in the dark, making it easier to find in the middle of the night. Swaddle blankets and sleepers are important because you want to make sure you're keeping the baby safe. These sleeveless wearable blankets are perfect for when the baby is rolling over and no longer needs to be swaddled, but not old enough for a blanket in the crib yet. We were given these Muslin swaddle blankets during our baby shower - you can double them over to make them smaller and warmer for newborns, or still use them at the toddler stage as a lightweight blanket. You can add crib sheets or a waterproof mattress protector, hopefully, the style the parents want is in the registry. I know I've already said this, but it's worth mentioning again. If you add jammies to this bundle, make sure they are the zipper kind to make the middle of the night diaper changes easier.

Add a personal touch

I remember everything I've been given from my baby showers that have a story behind it, and I share those stories with Vela. Did you have a favorite book as a child? Give that as a gift and add a note to the inside cover page. Do you knit or sew? Making a hand-made blanket, hat or any baby clothing item is sure to impress the future parents-to-be. I was fortunate enough to be given three beautiful hand-made blankets, and those are our favorite blankets at the moment. We recently transitioned to blankets instead of zip-up swaddles in the crib, and those knitted blankets give us the peace of mind that even if she covers her head with the blanket, there are still natural holes for her to breathe through. Lastly, do you have children in your life you are close to? Maybe you're an Aunt/Uncle or God Mom/Dad and want to find inspiration from things they loved as a baby. This is my favorite thing to do at the moment, to tie in a "Vela favorite" to every baby shower gift. I try to think of things that helped make that first year easier for us as parents, as well as items that Vela seems to gravitate towards.

It's hard to believe my baby is almost 18 months old. It's crazy going through these pictures and remembering all the baby stuff she loved. Vela was always cuddling her Elephant WubbaNub, but she only used the pacifier to chew on. Vela always wanted to sit upright - never wanting to miss a thing, so the Bumba was great to give her that freedom. Vela had soo much fun on this playmat, it made tummy time more bearable for her. You can also add more attachments, and we were given this elephant attachment that Vela still plays with now (it has a mirror on the ear and she likes to stare at herself.) Last, this Baby Einstein tunes toy was always a must grab for traveling (until a few months ago when water spilled on it, and it died) Vela loved the music, colors, and chewing on the plastic balls on the handle.
I hope you were able to gain some inspiration for any baby showers you will be attending in the near future. What are some go-to baby shower gifts you like to give? I'd love to hear about it!

My Work Makeup Routine

2018-04-15T12:18:00.000-05:00

If you're anything like me, you have different makeup routines for different occasions. I have everything from my, quick I need to leave the house makeup routine (aka bb cream, concealer, and chapstick) to my full-on, 2-hour glam sessions (where I somehow use every product and brush I own). My makeup routine for work is the look I go for the most. I've had the same job for the past nine years, and it's taken me until now to realize every step in my routine has a rhyme or reason. The brands may change, but the products and how I use them remain the same. I work in hospitality at Target Field - the home of the Minnesota Twins. During home games, I want my makeup to look fresh, bright, and like I took the time to put on a glam face. I'm on my feet running around during the game, so I don't want my makeup to melt off my face especially during those hot summer days. I feel I have accomplished that, and let me tell you, this routine has been tested plenty of times. This year, in particular, I've had to keep a closer eye on time management (toddler mom problems) so I have gotten this look down to 20 minutes without sacrificing any of the steps. That's right, drawn in eyebrows and eyeshadow included!

I start off by making sure my face is prepped and ready for makeup. I wash my face, tone, and moisturize, at least half an hour before I apply my makeup. You could have issues with your makeup sliding around your face if you don't wait for your skin to drink in the moisturizer. If you don't wash your face at all, you could have issues with texture, streaky and patchy foundation, along with your pores appearing enlarged, which nobody wants. It's all about finding that balance for your skin type.

Time to Prime

I'm currently loving the POREfessional Pearl primer. It has the same great pore minimizing effects as the original but adds a slight glowing radiance that my dry skin needs. I use a pea size amount on my fingertips and push that into my skin in the areas where my pores are enlarged - my forehead, chin, and cheeks. Primers help lock your foundation into place, so I consider this an important step. I "prime" my under eyes using the Lancome Camouflage Correcteur in color peach - always a must for my dark circles. I go into more detail about this product in my post about dark circles. This is an absolute must for anyone that has dark circles because the orange tint helps balance out the darkness, so it doesn't show through your concealer, instantly making the under eye area look bright and more awake.

Double Duty: Apply Concealer and Foundation at the Same Time

I feel silly because it has taken me until recently to start practicing this. By applying your foundation and concealer at the same time, you are virtually eliminating a step, saving you time. I've practiced this in the past, but the coverage would go on sheer, and the areas I concealed would mesh with the foundation, making it look like I didn't conceal in the first place. I now use TWO sponges - one for concealer, and one for the foundation. I work in my foundation first using a damp pointed beauty sponge, then go in with my small damp angled concealer sponge blending that into the foundation. I bounce and press the sponge into my skin, making sure not to rub or wipe the product - that can cause smearing or movement of the primer. The foundation I'm using right now is the tarte shape tape hydrating foundation in the color medium sand. It leaves a dewy look that I love and is easily buildable for the days I'd like a full coverage look. The concealer I use is the tarte shape tape in the color light sand, however, it is too light for me but I did order a darker color recently so I'm excited to try that out!

All of the Powders

I use a translucent powder under my eyes, using the same angled sponge I used to blend in the concealer. I dip right into the powder and pat that back and forth bringing it down the length of my nose and over top of my eyelids. For the rest of my face, I use a big fluffy brush and apply tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation. I love this powder because it's waterproof, breathable and adds an extra layer of coverage. During the hot summer months, I'll take this along with me to work to touch up my T-zone during the game. I've used this foundation powder for the past six years - definitely a Roxy staple! For Contour and blush, I use the Sweet Peach Glow Palette. This palette gets a bad rap, which I get because the powder is pressed too hard into the pan. It still gives off good pigment, and I've probably used this 100 times and it barely looks used. Because of this I can rub my brush into the pan and apply it to my face without worrying about it being too pigmented and blending forever. It's a very natural illuminating product that gives my skin a sun-kissed look.

Set Your Makeup Take One

Now that all the powders are all put in place, set your face with setting spray and give it a minute to dry. I'm really loving the continuous setting spray by Morphe, I almost always go overboard and have to remind myself to stop spraying my face!

The Five Minute Brows

If given the opportunity I could spend 15-20 minutes solely on my brows, but recently I have been growing them out and embracing the wild brow look. I take a piece of paper towel and wipe off the powder and setting spray. I trace the bottom of each brow using my Brow Wiz and add a few hair-like strokes in the inner part of the eyebrows. I continue to fill in my brows concentrating on filling in the gaps rather than shaping. I'll comb through them using a spoolie to make sure all the hairs are in place and to soften up any harsh strokes. I set my eyebrows in place using the Benefit Gimmie Brow. On the days where I'm running late, I'll only use this. It gives off a tint of color that hangs on to your eyebrow hairs, keeping them in place.

All About the Eyes

My goal with my eyes is to make them look brighter, bigger and pulled forward. I only have about five minutes to accomplish that, so a more minimal look is what I go for. I already have on concealer and translucent powder on my lids, so I use that as my primer. I use my favorite eyeshadow, the Jaclyn Hill Palette and go in with a transition shade all over the lid. I take a soft brown and run that above my crease to pull my eyes upward, along with smudging that in the outer corners and below the lash line. To give my eyes a pop of brightness and color, I take a soft pink shimmer on a small damp blending brush and pack that all over my eyelid, going slightly above the crease. I use this shade as my inner corner highlight and blend that below the lash line. Last, I go in with the same brush I used for the soft brown and sweep back and forth above my crease to give it a bit more definition. Applying eyeliner is my weak spot, and takes me forever, so I opt to line the upper waterline with a black pencil brush, slightly pushing above my lash line. I apply two coats on the Roller Lash mascara by Benefit - my current favorite. I love the lifting power, and it doesn't run down my under eyes during my workday. To pull everything together, I line my lower waterline with a pearlescent liner, instantly making my eyes appear bigger and more awake.

Don't forget to highlight

How can you have a bright, dewy, fresh look without a bit of highlight? I don't think you can! I have a new favorite that I've already ordered the full-size version of. I know this will be a summer staple of mine, it's the twinkle stick by tarte in color spotlight (champagne). It's a cream-based stick form that I apply using my pointed beauty sponge. I apply the product directly to the tip of the sponge, and press into my skin in the areas I want a bit of highlight. My cheekbones, above my eyebrows, the ridge of my nose, cupid's bow and a bit on my chin. I may go a bit overboard, but this highlight is so natural looking and creamy, it really works well with my dry skin. I'd recommend this color for medium to deep skin tones, they also have a pearlescent pink twinkle stick for those with light to fair skin tones.

Changing up My Lips

I switch up my lip color based on my mood, the season, and time of day. For night games I may go a bit darker with a mauve-y color, during the day I may stick to a pink gloss. I don't want to worry about smudging, lipstick getting on my teeth, fading in a patchy way, or having to apply super precisely. I normally go with a gloss or velvet lip color. I absolutely love the lip plumpers by Buxom. I use their original lip cream and now their new VA-VA-plump pigmented lip colors. In the picture below, I'm wearing color Come to Dolly.

Final Set

Everything is where I want it to be, so now I want to make sure it doesn't move from my face. I give my face one last spray with setting spray, wait a few seconds for that to dry a bit, then pat down using a powder puff. A little bit of product will come off on the puff. This is most likely the stuff that would have moved during the day.

This look does not move, and I get tons of compliments on how fresh my face looks. I was hoping to take, "after" photos for you but all the games were canceled this weekend! You'll just have to take my word for it, for now.

Being a Mom That Puts Herself First

2018-04-04T15:20:00.000-05:00

Crazy, right? Okay, I'm being a bit dramatic because I am responsible for another human being's safety and well-being - so most of the time, my 17-month-old comes first. I name my blog posts in a way that would make sense if, "Roxy Tries" was in front of it so the title of this actually reads, "Roxy Tries Being a Mom That Puts Herself First" meaning I'm trying to remain genuine to my own wants and needs in life, as well as being a mom. In the early infant stages of being a new mom, life became a guessing game. I broke down a few times while trying to leave the house because I would finally have the baby all feed, with a clean diaper on, all the essentials packed, and then I'd go to put on my shoes, and realize I personally was nowhere ready to leave the house. I'd still need to pump, I'd have on the same spit-up clothes I've been wearing for the past three days, and I'd be in desperate need of a shower, like five days prior would have been great. This to me perfectly sums up the first year of being a new mom; trying to find that balance is really hard and I definitely struggled. I'd like to think I'm finally finding that balance between motherhood and maintaining my own identity.

The day we brought Vela home, Matt and I talked about how weird it felt that we were actually allowed to just leave the hospital with her. No instruction manual? All we had was a poop guide that we taped to our living room wall for reference. It's crazy how easily the switch into parenthood happens, at least for me - and by, "easily" I mean how aware you become that you are no longer the most important person in your own life at that time. It's like you're fueled by adrenaline, fear, exhaustion, excitement, and coffee all at once. I did suffer from postpartum depression (which I hope to talk about on this blog one day, but it's still a hard place for me to go back to at this time) so the line becomes blurred to what's normal and what's not, but I do believe going through some sort of adjustment period is completely normal. Just like any major life change in your life, in the beginning, you may spend more time on that change until you're comfortable. Motherhood is like that x100. As the months past and I became more comfortable in my new role of being a mom, I became painstakingly aware that my own needs were being neglected. Self-care went completely out the window, along with finding any alone time or engaging in my own interests. I always felt like someone else needed my attention more. Mom guilt is a real thing, and I was swimming deep in it.

Like most things in my life, for me to make a change, I have to break and break at the seams I did! Last year during baseball season, I adjusted my schedule to accommodate Matt's - meaning most of my days off were spent alone with Vela while Matt worked. I remember one night-to-day game turnover (two games in 24hrs) I got home that evening and when the babysitter left, I dreaded the hours I had left until bedtime. I missed my daughter terribly, but I was exhausted and I hated myself for not wanting to spend time with her. What I should have done, is asked our babysitter if they could stay another hour so I could take a nap, or grab a drink after work to unwind. This baseball season, Matt and I are able to work a more similar schedule. We'll be spending more money on babysitting this year, but it'll be worth it for both of our sanities. I've realized changes like these need to happen, not only for myself but for my daughter. It'll benefit Vela to have a mom that's happy and engaging, then a mom that is simply there.

During my first year of being a mom, I got my hair cut and dyed once, and if you know me at all that's crazy. I'm known for my always changing locks, my makeup skills, and my glowing skin. Self-care is important on so many levels, and it's also my favorite hobby. BB cream, mascara, and makeup wipes became my go to, and mom buns were always in full effect. My skin, hair, and nails became dull, and I easily looks 10 years older. I wanted to take pride in the way I looked, and I knew the only way I'd make the time, is to physically go to an appointment. I saw my stylist for my hair, I got a mani-pedi, eyebrows waxed, and I even sat in the chair at Sephora and got my makeup done. These were all spread out over a month, but every appointment made me feel more like myself, and put that pep back in my step. I started implementing my own changes at home, like adding a facemask every Sunday, trying out new makeup techniques during nap time, organizing my office, heck, I would take a shower! I took pride in my appearance again and made it a priority in my life. Self-care isn't only skin deep, it's also about things that may not be super fun, like realizing you can't be everything to everyone anymore or setting meetings with yourself to reflect on your goals in life. Taking care of yourself involves some self-reflection, and sometimes the changes you need to make in life aren't all that fun but will be worth it in the long run.

Blogging has become a monumental part of my life because it's my little world. I can write about, research, make anything I want for my blog, and my only rule is does this make me happy? I don't want to start blogging for the sake of blogging, it's a lot of work, but it's fun work for me. Finding the time to blog has been challenging, but I'm learning to block out times during the day to work on my blog or engage in social media. I'm trying not to spend every evening after Vela goes to bed working on my blog, because I would like to have those evenings to unwind from my day, and prepare for the next. Getting over the hurdle of feeling guilty and selfish has been the hardest part, but I'm learning it's okay to be selfish! It's hard to admit this, but as Vela gets older she'll need me less, and I'm sure all too soon she'll grow up and be out in the real world. I love being a mom, and it's a huge part of my life, but it's not my only identity. Putting myself first is important not only for my own well being but for Vela's. Seeing her mom doing her best to take charge of her own life it a great representation of what it means to be self-reliant. This is such a huge leap out of my comfort zone, but the more I step out of my bubble, the more I feel I'm finding myself.

I hope you've been able to gain some reflection on what I mean about being a mom that puts herself first. I'd love to hear about the things you implement in your own life to hone in on yourself. Let me know in the comments below!

A Skincare Routine to Get Rid of Blemishes

2018-03-31T16:08:00.000-05:00

This hits home for me at the moment, so why not talk about it? During my pregnancy, my acne was at an all-time high, and now that I'm a month out from breastfeeding, I'm hitting another gnarly breakout. My breakouts are few and far between, but when they come, they're out for blood. Because I have sensitive, dry skin, I don't buy a lot of acne targeted products. I find most of those products to be harsh on the skin, and simultaneously targets excess oil - which I have none of. On day three of my breakout, I was DONE. I had texture all over my cheeks and forehead, along with zits on my cheeks, chin, upper lip, and in between my eyebrows! I decided when Vela went to bed for the evening, I'm doing major damage control. During her naps, I did my research to see what products would help that I already own, along with some home remedies. Feeling confident and ready to kick this breakout's butt, I got started!

Wash and Exfoliate

I wanted something that would get deep into my pores, so I used the charcoal cleanser by Bosica as my face cleanser. This was my first time using this cleanser; I'm a huge fan of their charcoal peel-off mask, so I picked up a gift set around the holidays. I applied one pump onto a cleansing brush and worked that all over my face. I love the warming sensation it gave me, and how sudsy it got as it worked into my skin. It felt like it was getting all the gunk out of my pores, which is exactly what I wanted.

Now that my face is all squeaky clean, it's time to exfoliate. Exfoliating is an important part of anyone's skincare routine because it removes those pesky dead cells that are holding on for dear life. I typically exfoliate before applying any face mask, so my pores are able to soak in all the goodness from whatever mask I'm using. I used an exfoliant by Kate Somerville - my favorite! I rubbed that all over my face, avoiding the eye area, and kept it on for one minute before rinsing.

Clay or Mud Mask

The type of mask you use depends on your skin type. Clay masks are great for getting rid of blemishes by lifting oil out of the pores, while mud uses its natural healing agent to treat acne and keep the skin hydrated. As you may have guessed, I used a mud mask, specifically the SUPERMUD by GLAMGLOW. I know this mask is pricey, but it's worth it! I do have less expensive mud masks that I like, but I needed my big muscle for this one. I sometimes use this as a spot treatment and it will work wonders, but let's be real, I needed to bathe in it this time - so all over the face it went. PSA: I do notice a burning sensation that tends to linger a bit in some areas (around my nose and any dry patches) and my face will remain a bit red for the rest of the evening. By the next day, the redness is gone and my face looks and feels great. I'm sort of on the border sensitivity-wise, but the pros outweigh the cons for me on this one. If you have super sensitive skin, you may want to pass.

My favorite part about these types of masks is how you can see all the gunk coming out of your pores as it drys. It's like those pimple-popping videos - so gross yet so satisfying! I left this on my face for the full 20 minutes, letting it completely dry. I took a warm wet washcloth starting at my jawline and used gentle upward strokes to loosen up the hardened mud while wiping it away. I have no real reason as to why I remove my masks in upward strokes, but that's the way my mom taught me how to remove face masks, and sometimes you just do what your mom tells you!
Hydrating Mask

Yes, I'm being THAT person right now, and doing another mask! This is completely optional, but if your skin is anything like mine, you may want to do a quick hydrating mask so you no longer look like a dried up tomato. I used up a trial size of the Rose Face Mask by Fresh, left that on for five minutes, and rinsed away. Aww, soo much better, okay, we can move on now.

Toning

Toning gets a bad rep, because it used to be made with alcohol, and wasn't very good for your skin. The toners used today is not the same from our mothers' generation. You can find all different types of toners that target different needs, but the main purpose is to prep your skin for your serums, and to balance your skins pH levels. I look at it like the primer of skincare. I use a toner called, "Alcohol-Free Toner" by Neutrogena - straight to the point. I've tried other toners in the past, but have noticed no difference to justify the price. I use a generous amount - soaking two cotton balls and rub that all over my face.

Witch Hazel and Serums

I've heard that witch hazel is great for your skin, but I've never tried it on my face before. After doing some research, I learned witch hazel is a natural astringent, so it works wonders to get rid of acne. I happened to have a bottle left over from postpartum recovery, so I might as well give it a shot. This is my first time using witch hazel, so I used a q-tip to concentrate on just the blemishes.

Now it's time to go in with my serums. I don't have any serums that target acne specifically, but I think I have my bases covered as far as that's concerned! I used the same undereye serum from my post about dark circles, and I went in with a recent favorite of mine, a retinol serum by Dr. Brandt. for the rest of my face. I've used it a few times before this breakout, and it really reduced the texture on my skin - I'm hoping it will do the same for me now! I took two pumps and applied that to my face and neck.

Moisturize

This is my absolute favorite part! (have I mentioned I'm dry yet?) I love the dewy hydrated look and feel at the end of a great facial. For the nights that I exfoliate, I use my brightening moisturizer by Olehenriksen. It's full of omega-3 and vitamin C that my newly cleansed pores drink in. I take a huge glob and mix argan oil by Josie Maran into the moisturizer. I rub that all over my face and neck - heck, I'll throw some on the back of my hands while I'm at it! I would recommend 100% pure argan oil to everyone. The natural healing properties can benefit every skin type, and if you're oily, it can actually help tell your body, "Hey there, yeah we have enough oil, thank you!" and over time you will notice a difference in your oil production. It's all about using that perfect amount that's not too oily, yet you want to make sure it's there. That amount for me is four drops.

The next morning, like magic, the texture on my face was gone. You could still see my blemishes, but they were flat and small - the redness and irritation were visibly gone. I washed my face with my normal gentle cleanser, applied witch hazel as a spot treatment, and moisturized. That evening, I added in my serums, but still kept things simple. By the morning of day two, my acne was completely gone, besides two zits that half-asleep Roxy picked (and are still currently there - don't pick!).

Before

Two days later,

I swear this is the same side of my face, I must have used my front facing camera for one of the pics! My face was on track to get worse instead of better, and I believe this skincare routine helped flip that around! I'd love to hear what products you love to stop a breakout in its tracks, let me know in the comments below.

Three Prep-Ahead Breakfast Options for on the Go

2018-03-18T10:42:00.000-05:00

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, but I don't give myself enough time to make breakfast for the family, eat it, and clean up after myself. Matt and I both work nights, and now that I don't have to get up early to pump anymore, I'm staying up late to work on my blog, and sleeping in as late as Vela will allow. I still want a well-rounded breakfast to give myself the energy I need to start my day, but also something my toddler's not going to get bored of. These prep-ahead breakfast options are great to freeze or keep in the fridge for up to five days, so even if you're meal prepping for one or two people, you can still benefit from these meals. Alright let's get started, these are three of my families favorite prep-a-head meals.

Breakfast in a Blanket

Three words: Crescent. Roll. Sheet. - major time saver! I know I'm not the first person to stuff food inside a crescent roll, but when I think of stuffing a crescent roll, I think of an appetizer. I use my families favorite breakfast items as the stuffer and mix up the ingredients every time I make them, to keep things interesting.

I start by preheating my oven to 375° and lining a cookie sheet with tin foil - as stated on the crescent roll tube. I sautée my veggies for my filling, thaw out precooked chicken breakfast sausages (one per roll), and cut strips of cheese (one per roll). I place all the filling at the biggest end of the crescent roll, wrap the dough around the filling, and pinch the ends so all the filling doesn't fall out. Cook until golden brown, in my experience this takes about twice as long as directed on the tube, to make sure all the dough is cooked around the filling.

Quiche Cups

Anytime I get to bust out my cupcake tin, I consider it a good day - everything looks so cute in a cupcake cup! The great thing about this recipe, I will use the same filling I used for the breakfast blankets for these cups. It takes me less than an hour to prep and cook both recipes, and I have a week's worth of breakfast for my family.

I like to use tater tots for the crust. Any potato substance or pre-baked cheese will help keep the quiche cups formed. I thaw out three tater tots per cup and use my fingers to press and move it evenly around the paper liner. I stick that in the oven for the recommended amount of time but keep the oven on 375°. Once that's done, I will add a layer of the veggies, and then add my egg (one large egg per cup). You can pre-scramble the eggs if you'd like, honestly I usually do, but I thought keeping the egg whole would look better in pictures - was I right? Vela really liked this, she plucked the yolk right off the top and ate that first. I place the tin back in the oven and cook for an additional 8 minutes. I undercook the eggs a tad and make sure to let cool before storing. I'm not a fan of rubbery re-heated eggs, so by doing this method, you'll avoid that.

Quinoa a Breakfast Bar

Did you see what I did there? Okay, maybe I was reaching a bit, but I wanted to stay on the breakfast theme! This is a great recipe to use up your pantry items. You don't have to reheat (although, it does make them gooier) and you could have this as a 2pm snack to give you an energy boost before that mid-day crash sets in. If you have a sweet tooth, this is a healthy protein packed breakfast option that I've recently fallen in love with, along with Vela, who calls them, "cookie". I found the recipe over at Tasting Table - I'm not going to list all the ingredients because you seriously need to head over to that link and make it yourself! Well, after you've finished reading this post, of course.

The only modifications I made to this recipe are, adding pistachios instead of almonds because that's what I had in my pantry. I unshelled a cup of sea salt roasted pistachios (that wasn't so fun, but worth it!) and blitzed that in the food processor, leaving some chunks. Because these were roasted in sea salt, I didn't add any extra salt to the recipe. I mixed all the ingredients in a bowl with my hands, until evenly distributed, and used my fingers to spread evenly on a cookie sheet. Maybe it's just my oven, but I had to cook these an extra 10 minutes to reach that golden brown color. This recipe makes 10 bars - you want to cut them before it completely cools, otherwise, these bars can crack on you.

I hope you were able to take some breakfast prep inspiration for this post! As I post more content on my blog, I'm beginning to realize posting full recipes may not be apart of my blogging journey at this time. My mom was a chef for 30 years, and cooking is a huge passion of mine which is why I want to keep it around and do more posts like this! I may post the occasional full step-by-step recipe - if it's something I've developed, but my goal at this time is to inspire meal ideas for those that may be in a rut.
I'd love to see what meals you love to prep ahead of time, feel free to tag me on social or let me know in the comments below.

Kat Von D I Am Divine Palette

2018-03-11T12:29:00.003-05:00

I was browsing the Sephora app, per usual, when I came across this magnificent palette. I was in the market for a palette of greens and grays. I want to step out of my comfort zone, eye-look wise, and with spring coming up I figured this would be the time to explore with brighter colors! I wanted something small, without a ton of warm shades, because let's be real - all my palettes are warm toned already! I'm a huge fan of Kat's tattoo liner, but that's really the only product of hers I own. I love that her makeup is never tested on animals - that is something I want to support, so choosing this palette was a no-brainer. I couldn't wait for this to be delivered to my house, so I ran out and picked it up at Sephora the next day!

The I Am Divine Palette is a collaboration inspired by the late drag queen Divine, it embodies her iconic look. This palette includes eight shades, a mix of matte, shimmer and metallic shades. I didn't swatch this palette in store *gasp* I wanted to wait until I got home to play with it!

First Impressions: The colors looked stunning in the palette - unlike anything I own. It doesn't include a transition shade, which isn't that big of a deal because most of my palettes already have a few. I could see soo many complete looks with this palette, from big and bold - to subtle but fierce. From my finger swatches, the shimmers were soo creamy but the mattes were a bit drying. All the shades were true to color, besides Female Trouble (the matte white) didn't come off as pigmented as I would have thought, but I don't own any other matte white shades, so for all I know, white can only get, well, soo white.

The look I decided to do today, was inspired by Manny MUA's Youtube video where he recreates a fan's makeup. He did this rainbow, ombre, eye look with a white cut crease in the middle of his eye. He looked like such a bold bitch, and that's everything this palette represents, so I went in. Let's get started!

I start off with primed eyes and run a transition shade, that I grabbed from another palette, and run that all over my lid. I used translucent powered to bake my under eyes and to help swipe away fallout. I start by taking the shade pink flamingo (pearlescent lime green) on a crease brush and work that above my natural crease staying close to the inner corner.

The next shade I went in with is waters (matte baby blue) followed by the shade baltimore (blue-purple shimmer) and last, the shade filthy (metallic gun metal). I used the same crease brush for all of these colors. I would give my brush a quick wipe down on a washcloth, before dipping into the next shade. I believe this helped naturally create that blended ombre look without having to blend forever. I made sure to concentrate the color above the crease.

I'll admit, I got a little excited by how the look was turning out, and I stopped taking pictures. I'll walk through the rest with you though, it really was quite easy. I cut out my crease with concealer (see my post on cut creases if you need some help creating that) and packed on the shade female trouble (matte white) onto my lid using a pencil brush. If the cut crease looks a bit messy on your eyelid, don't worry about it, we'll get to that later. I swept away the translucent powder, so I could work on the ombre liner and undereye at the same time. I took a clean E36 from Morphe (detail crease brush) starting with the shade pink flamingo really working that into the inner corner lash line, the inner corner undereye, and last, I used that shade to clean up my cut crease, just in the area that had the shade pink flamingo. Similar to how I applied the color above the crease, I wiped off the same brush, and went in with the next shade, following the exact same pattern. I don't have a ton of small detail brushes, so this reduced the number of brushes I had to use, and I also found this to be time efficient. Once that's all done, you can use the same brush you used to pack on female trouble onto the lid, to clean up that ombre liner.

To complete the look, I added a touch of female trouble to the brown line and the shade hairspray (silver foil) as my inner corner highlight. I'm not a huge false lashes wearer normally, but this look deserved to be bumped up an extra notch. I used falsies by Tarte, in the style Flirt.

Final Thoughts: These colors played so well together I am super impressed. I originally thought the mattes would blend out matchy, but I didn't experience that at all. All the shades played nicely together, and the white seemed to pop once I applied it over concealer. I kept this look on for 6 hours, and it did not move, smudge, or disappear what so ever - which is unheard of with my hooded eyes. I do think the white cut crease helps keep things together as well. This palette is $38 for 8 x .06 oz of product, which to me is worth it. This may be the most expensive eight color palette I own, but these colors are hard to come by, and the story behind it is absolutely beautiful. This palette gets 14 Roxy Tries stars out of 11 - it's that good.

If you're interested in any of the other products I used to create this look, just let me know in the comments below. Don't forget to tag #roxytries if you pick up the I Am Divine palette. I'd love to see what looks you create!

Postpartum Weight Loss and Body Image

2018-03-08T08:46:00.000-06:00

The last full body picture taken of me at 38 weeks - a month before Vela's birth

My daughter is officially 16 months old, and I'm still hanging on to a lot of pregnancy weight. This is a hard subject for me to talk about because I'm ashamed for not snapping back like I wish I would have. I was an athlete in high school and through some college, and I was always in incredible shape. The past 10 years I've progressively gained weight, but I've always fluctuated between the same 20 pounds. At my biggest, the day I gave birth, I was 260 pounds. That was a hard pill for me to swallow.

I tend to fully embrace the holiday season foodwise, starting with Halloween candy every year. Thanksgiving rolls around, and I'm in full-on comfort food mode. Pie, cookies, pasta, cheese plates, beer, wine, hot dishes, you name it, I'm all in! My new year's resolution every year is to lose weight. My job with the Minnesota Twins keeps me active, so between my complete 180 in eating habits, and my job that starts every year in April, I've been successful at losing the winter weight, until fall rolls around and I start all over. Well, in 2016, I got pregnant in January. That put a huge damper on my weight loss routine. I'm 5'6, curvy, and my comfort zone is around 140 pounds. The day I found out I was pregnant, I was 170 pounds - at the time, the biggest I've ever been. Losing the weight was the last thing on my mind, I was having a baby! and everything made me nauseous and exhausted. During my first trimester, I wanted nothing to do with meat, or produce; just looking at it made me want to vomit. I would constantly snack on carbs. My favorite meal was buttered noodles - not very healthy. I was a server at the time, and it took all my energy to pretend like I wasn't completely nauseous or experiencing random spurts of dizziness, so when I wasn't working, I would lay around, doing nothing. or eating.

I experienced swelling off the bat, I would look down at my legs, and I wouldn't recognize them. Every prenatal check-up, My doctor showed concern about the swelling, but with no other symptoms, it was just something to keep an eye on. Well, there was one other symptom, I was consistently gaining too much weight, and I am part to blame. I was hungry all the time, so I thought, why not indulge in those cravings! No, I wouldn't sit there and scarf down a whole pizza, but I was constantly snacking, the worst being in the middle of the night. I used to be a hard sleeper, but since pregnancy, I tend to toss and turn all night. I would get sick of laying there trying to sleep, recognize the feeling of hunger, wake up and chug orange juice, along with eating whatever snacky thing was hanging around the kitchen. Sometimes this would happen a few times a night. This is a habit I didn't completely break until this new year. It became such a routine, that at times, I didn't even realize I was doing it - it was like it happened in a dream. In my last trimester, my body felt like it was shutting down. My whole body was so swollen, it was hard for me to sleep because I could hear the water behind my eardrums. I thought it was caused by my eating habits, so I really watched what I ate the last few months. My blood pressure progressively got higher, I would experience shooting pain followed by numbness in my legs and hands, along with dizzy spells. I was diagnosed with Preeclampsia at 10 days overdue and was immediately induced. Due to the extreme swelling during pregnancy, I experienced joint pain and ab separation for months after giving birth; to help with this, I went through physical therapy once a week for six months.

Between my eating habits and the Preeclampsia, I gained 85 pounds during my pregnancy. To help me get through my pregnancy, I would constantly tell myself, "Don't worry, you're going to bounce back." even though my doctor told me it would take two years to lose all the weight. I was determined to get back to my old self. The weeks and months postpartum, the swelling slowly subsisted, and I dropped 25 pounds pretty easily. I had loose skin absolutely everywhere. My ankles, back, armpits, everywhere. I was so ashamed of the way my body looked, that I refused to look at myself in the mirror. I couldn't help but compare myself to other moms that gave birth around the same time as me. They seemed to be losing the weight, but I could seem to shake it off. I was breastfeeding and assumed the weight would fall off because of that. After talking with my doctor, she said that is only true in a third of breastfeeding women. It does help shrink the uterus, but you do need to maintain a higher caloric intake while breastfeeding so most women will hold on to a bit of weight until they're done. However, she was talking about 10-15 pounds, not 60. My priority during Vela's first year wasn't losing the weight. I wanted to make sure I was producing enough milk pumping, but most importantly, spend time with my new baby.

This fall I really started to kick my butt into gear. As Vela's first birthday approached, I wanted to take family pictures, but after shopping for clothes to wear, I decided not to. I didn't want to spend money on pictures when I was soo uncomfortable in my own skin. That's when I really started to realize I needed to make a change. Baseball season was coming to an end, so with my new found "free time" I decided to get a membership to the YMCA. This was the perfect decision for my family because it also gave Vela time to play and socialize. I loved the idea of being able to take her with me, and check in on her. When I first started working out, I started off slow. I would work out a few days a week, cardio for 20 minutes, weight training for 20 minutes. I had to accept the fact that I would be starting as a beginner, and that was okay. The thing I didn't realize would be so hard, was all the mirrors everywhere. I would catch glimpses of myself working out, and I wouldn't recognize the person staring back at me. This holiday season, I didn't lose any weight, but I also didn't gain any, which is a first for me. As the new year approached, I didn't want to have my generic, "lose weight" resolution, I wanted to go deeper than that. This year, I've decided to put ME first. This was a hard resolution for me to make, being a mom it comes naturally to put myself on the backburner, but what I've come to realize is to be a better mom to Vela, I have to take care of myself. I didn't want to make any crazy life changes that I would neglect a few weeks later, I started with baby steps - the first being to stop the mid-night eating. Now, over two months in, I'm working out three days a week, with my first personal training appointment starting next week! I'm so excited to make these changes for myself, not only physically, but mentally. Whenever I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror at the gym, instead of looking away ashamed at what I see, I'll say out loud, "lookin good mama" - I feel it's important to give myself that reassurance, and really practice self-love.

I'm currently at 185lbs, down 75lbs since giving birth - something I am very proud of. I hope to reach my goal of 140lbs by the end of this year. I'll make sure to update my journey as it unfolds.

DR. JART+ Shake & Shot Rubber Masks

2018-03-04T16:54:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my very first literal Roxy Tries post! One of my goals for this blog is to review skincare and makeup. I love trying new beauty products and why not give you the tea as they say, on the new products I try!

The first thing I'm trying out is the Shake & Shot Rubber Masks by DR. JART+. I ordered these the day they came out from Sephora. I love how fun they look and I've never tried a rubber mask before. These Korean rubber masks are typically mixed in a spa, but now you can do them at home. What originally drew me into these masks is the cute packaging. I know, it's not about the packaging but these are seriously adorable! I have heard how good their rubber sheet masks are, and these are the second generation of that original mask. They are one-time use for $12 which I think is a fair price for a high-end face mask. They offer four different masks each targeting different needs. I thought I'd get all four to see if there's a real difference between the masks and if they really do as they promise. Although I haven't used a rubber mask before, don't worry I'm no amateur! I've easily tried at least 50 different types of face masks! I'm interested to see how rubber masks will hold up compared to other types I've tried. I wanted to give these masks a far shot, and incorporate them into my normal skincare routine. I never use more than two masks a week, so I spread out these masks over two weeks. I exfoliate before applying each mask to soak in more of the goodness each mask has to offer.

Brightening Mask

This was the first mask I tried. I hate reading directions because no matter what, I tend to mess it up somehow! The directions for this mask are super easy. The "straw" in the baby's mouth is a plastic spatula. You take that out, mix both packets inside the cup provided and boom - ready to use. This mask is used for uneven skin tone, uneven texture, dark spots, blemishes, and dullness. This mask uses vitamin C and buckhorn fruit extract to achieve that. You have three minutes to apply the mask before it starts turning into rubber, and won't move around your face. I found this out the hard way. I was trying to take pictures of it mixed together before applying, and by the time I got to my forehead, it started breaking up. You keep this mask on for 15-20 mins. The mask didn't seem to harden at all, but did dry in spots, so I kept it on for 30. I found out although it is a peel-off mask, it doesn't completely dry down, it's normal for these masks to keep their rubber consistency. I was surprised how easily it removed, unlike peel off masks I have used in the past, this doesn't pull at your skin; taking this mask off was surprisingly refreshing. My face felt really cool and hydrated immediately after rinsing. The next morning I did notice some texture was gone. I don't suffer from dark spots, and I didn't have any blemishes at the time, so I'd say this mask did what it claims to do.

Hydro Mask

After a night out with friends, and having a few drinks, I knew my skin needed some hydration. I just can't hang like I used to! I have naturally dry skin, so I'm always in the market for an amazing hydration mask! This mask uses Vitamin B5 along with something they call "Expert Moist Complex" which is rich in Amino Acids. This time I made sure to apply the mask right away, so no hiccups there! This mask, in particular, had a cooling effect on my face while I was wearing it, which was very relaxing. I did not notice a surge in hydration in my face like I would have liked, but my face felt smooth the next day, similar to the brightening mask.

Soothing Mask

Soothing? Seriously? I found the first two masks to be the most soothing masks I have ever tried, so is it possible for this one to be the most soothing of them all? This mask is supposed to soothe and calm the complexion of redness, dryness, and blemishes using Vitamin K3. I did notice a tingling feeling in the areas where my face is the driest (around my nose and cheeks) that I didn't experience with the other masks. The tingling turned into a cooling sensation, which lingered long after the mask was removed. I noticed a difference in my complexion off the bat. My skin had a soft glow, that lasted a few days.

Firming Mask

I saved this one for last because I was the most excited about it! Being 29 and having a baby, I can tell my skin just isn't the same. At this point, I'm doing more anti-aging preventative care. This mask claims to be the solution for fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness and elasticity, along with dullness and uneven texture. They use Vitamin A (retinol) along with something they call Oxyforce - which helps support natural collagen. The mask was thicker and went on more patchy, without the cooling/tingling sensation I got from the other masks. This mask did dry firmer than the others and was less hydrating. My face did appear more plump and smooth after removal.

If you are here for the tea, here it is. The containers come with a lot of product. You have to use these masks as soon as they are mixed, and there's enough product left over for another person. If you want the most bang for your buck, split it with someone and make a night of it! The Rubber formula can clog your sink, so be careful! I had to fish some out of the sink which wasn't fun. The spatula however cute, was unnecessary and made it messier to apply. They recommend you shake these masks, not stir, so it serves no purpose. Get in with your fingers and you'll be fine!

Final Thoughts

I love how soothing all the masks were on my face. I always wear my masks before I go to bed, and these helped relax me to where I was ready to hit the pillow after my skin routine was done. After using these masks the last two weeks, I can tell a difference in the texture of my skin. Smooth like a babies butt! Do you need to try all four of these masks? I'd think not. The results were very similar, although pleasant. If I were to try one again, It'd be the soothing mask. I was the least excited to try this one - it's just not the type of mask I usually go for, but It was everything I didn't know I needed. The containers come with a baby face lid, and it totally makes sense. Your face feels like a baby after you've worn them. I love the fun containers they come in, and they are recyclable which is important to me.

I hope you enjoyed my product review on the DR.JART+ Shake & Shot Rubber Masks. If you ever want me to review a certain product, let me know!

Cut Crease for Hooded Eyes

2018-02-28T08:25:00.000-06:00

I'll admit, I found eyeshadow to be intimidating ever since I've started playing around with makeup. It wasn't until Jaclyn Hill announced her eyeshadow palette collab with Morphe last spring, did I get excited about eyeshadow again. I bought the palette, along with her Morphe favorites brush set and I was determined to learn how to do good eye looks. I watch countless tutorials, read articles and even practiced with friends. I did get more comfortable with my blending ability, but my eye makeup never looked like the makeup gurus I see all over social media. It wasn't until I starting taking eye look photos of my own, did I realize the problem. I have hooded eyes, with tons of landscape above my brow bone. Whenever I wore eyeshadow, it'd look nice, but you could barely see it with my eyes open. Whenever I felt adventurous and added color above my brow bone, I looked like Mimi from the Drew Carey Show. My eyeshadow was either very subtle or very bold, with no in between.

I learned to fake a larger lid using eyeshadow, which unintentionally made my eyes look bigger. My go-to eye look right now is the cut crease. The biggest issue with a cut crease on hooded eyes is the lid color will touch the top of the crease color, virtually erasing the cut crease altogether. I've found a way to make a cut crease look good on me while lasting all day. I'm using the Jaclyn Hill palette to demonstrate how I achieve a cut crease. I'm also using the duo chrome top coat by Natasha Denona for the first time - I've been excited to try out. Alright, let's get started!

I start off by priming my eyelids and cleaning up my brows using a flat concealer brush. I blend the concealer down to the primer. I bake my under eyes with translucent powder. Not only does this help set your undereye makeup, but it makes to sweep away eyeshadow fall out.

With a fluffy blending brush, I run Pooter all over my lid. This helps the other colors blend more easily. I then take Creamscicle and concentrate it above the brow bone, sweeping back and forth. I am now starting to create a higher eyelid focal point. I find it easiest to apply eyeshadow with my eyes open. That way I can tell how to create that faux arch.

I go in with Buns using a large pointed blender brush and really concentrate that in the outer corner. I'm keeping this tight on my brow bone, where I'm creating the arch. Again, I'm keeping my eyes open to make sure you can see the brown poking out.

I go in with Enchanted on a pencil definer brush. A little goes a long way, so make sure to shake off the access. You can always go in with more if needed. I'm sticking to the outer corner to really define that crease. I slowly bring the color all the way to the inner corner being careful not to add color to my lid. If your line seems harsh, you can always go back in with the big fluffy brush you first used and sweep back and forth to blend even farther.

Now it's time to create that cut crease. I use the same flat concealer brush I used to clean up my eyebrows to create the cut crease. I add concealer onto the brush and work it onto my eyelid. You can really tell by this angle I have gone above my natural crease. I like to angle my desk mirror up so I'm looking down at myself. This really helps me see where I'm applying the concealer while keeping my eyes open.

Time to add the cut crease color! This has always been my favorite part because you can really see the eye look come together. This was my first time using this duo chrome topper. I was very interested to see if the different shades of copper and green flecks would appear with this eye look. I used a detailed crease brush to pack this on the eyelid.

I use the same brush I used to apply Enchanted, without any added color, and sweep the top of my cut crease. This will bring back that definition that was covered up by the concealer. I also use the same fluffy brush I used to apply my transition shade to clean up any harsh lines.

Sweep away the setting powder underneath your eyes. It's time to apply eyeshadow to the lower lash line. This is what really ties everything together. I start by taking Creamscicle and sweep that all over the lower lash line. I then go over with Buns, making sure to avoid the inner corner. I connect Enchanted from the lower lash line to the eyelid. For this eye look, I don't like to add eyeliner, because it will take away the little lid space I have exposed. Instead, I have Enchanted connected at the outer corner, giving the illusion that my eyes are bigger. I did add black liner to my waterline on the top, and the duo chrome to the waterline at the bottom. I highlighted my inner corner using Beam, added mascara and the look is complete.

I do wanna note, that the duo chrome topper is supposed to go on top of another shadow, to give it more dimension, but I liked what it did to just my eyelid. I know it's hard to come across in photos but the different shades of copper and green really shined through when I moved around. It doesn't look like a super precise cut crease because of this, so if you're recreating this look, go in with a base color first. Meeks or Queen from the Jaclyn Hill Palette would be perfect for this look! If you give this look a go, please use #roxytries so I can see what you've done with it.

Dairy Free Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2018-02-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

My whole little family has a milk sensitivity, however, that doesn't stop us from indulging in ice cream and cheese from time to time! I try to avoid dairy-based products in our food, but we are a foodie family so sacrificing flavor is never an option. You'll swear there's buttermilk in these pancakes! I use the Easy Basic Pancake Recipe by Martha Stewart as my base. This is hands-down the best pancakes I've ever had. I've used this recipe since all I had to feed was myself. I love how this recipe serves 4 people (about 8 pancakes). A lot of pancake recipes make a huge batch. I modified these pancakes to make them dairy free and full of flavor from the bananas and chocolate chips. Okay, let's get started!

Ingredients needed:

1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of unsweetened soy or almond milk
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 large egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
1 large banana (sliced in small cubes)
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Coconut oil for skillet

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt - set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, add soy/almond milk, and stir in lemon juice. You'll notice it will curdle and thicken a bit - this is our faux buttermilk. Mix the egg and melted butter into your "buttermilk". Add the liquid ingredients to your flour mixture. Whisk until most lumps have dissipated. Gently fold in bananas until evenly distributed. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of batter once in the skillet. This batter is a bit on the thinner side, but I promise it will fluff right up once on the skillet.

You can use your favorite pancake toppings to finish, my go-to for this recipe is to cut up a banana and add a honey drizzle. That's it, easy peasy lemon squeezy - literally, in this case! I'd love to see your variations, make sure to use #roxytries if you give this recipe a go.

Nine Life Hacks for an Exclusive Pumper

2018-02-22T08:12:00.000-06:00

Having shared my breastfeeding experience with you earlier this week, I wanted to share some things that helped make exclusively pumping a successful one for me, while it's still fresh on the brain. I do want to start off by saying, I won't be diving into breastmilk food safety, for the sake of this post, because I could probably write a whole blog post on that subject. Breastmilk is a perishable food item and food safety is so important. I'm assuming your doctor has provided you with some literature on how to store breastmilk properly, and if they haven't you can easily find that information on the internet. If you plan on pumping in any capacity, do your research girlfriend! Okay? Okay cool, moving on!
During my early stages of EPing, I joined different breastfeeding support groups for advice. As my journey continued, I found myself in a good place with pumping and was able to help quite a few different women out. I noticed a lot of the questions were the same, but there wasn't a specific place where you could find the answers. I hope to provide some of those answers for you, at least in the way I was able to navigate this EPing lifestyle.

No need to wash your pumping equipment after every pump. I would wash my pumping supplies twice a day, not after every pump. After every pump, I would put my supplies in a ziplock bag, and put them in the fridge. This one took me a while to realize, but it's a total time saver. This is defiantly great for when you're at work. After my last pump of the day, I would wash my ziplock bag, along with my pumping supplies, and let them air dry overnight. Finding a great bottle brush is key. I love this one because it has a small nipple brush at the bottom, that is perfect for cleaning the pumping valve and membrane when milk starts to accumulate in that area.
DIY hands-free pumping bra. Take an old cami style sports bra, remove the pads, and cut two holes to fit your sized shields (also known as flanges) in. If you're unsure where to place your holes, start by wearing your designated pumping bra, place the end of your shield (the end that connects to the valve.) where your nipples sit and trace it. You don't need to be super precise, this fabric is super stretchy and forgiving. The cami style is easy to take on and off, and you can find them at a way cheaper price than premade pumping bras.

Storing Breastmilk can be really intimidating for an exclusive pumper. I only have a refrigerator with a door freezer, so making sure to store milk properly, while utilizing the small space I had, took some time. I wanted to organize it in a way, that made sense to whoever was babysitting while I was at work. Buying larger milk storage bottles helped utilize optimal space in my fridge. You can combine freshly pumped milk over the last 24 hours into the same container. I used the same corner in my refrigerator for my pumped milk and would make sure to rotate the oldest bottle to the front, so you knew which one to grab first. For freezing milk, I loved the Lansinoh, over the Medela brand storage bags. This bag has an extra ounce for storing, easy to pour milk in and out of, they can stand up on a counter with milk inside, and I didn't notice any leaks while unthawing like I did with the Medela. I would store the individual frozen milk bags in a gallon size zip lock bag and put the start and end dates of the frozen milk inside. Each ziplock bag held 10 breastmilk storage bags. Every time I filled a ziplock bag, I would rotate it to the back of my freezer, to make sure the oldest ziplock bags were in the front. By front, I mean still in the back of my freezer, to keep them fresh longer, but to be honest, it didn't take long before frozen milk took over the whole freezer. Once you're ready to unthaw the breastmilk, place the frozen milk bags in a bowl (in case of leakage) and put it in the refrigerator. In my experience, it takes 8-12 hours to unthaw. The milk will stay good for 24 hours.

Pump based on ounces of milk produced, not by the number of feedings a day. My milk supply was great, so in my case, I was producing too much milk. At my peak, I was producing 50oz of milk over 7 pumps. At the time, my daughter was taking 7 bottles a day, so I thought this was what I was supposed to do, but she was only drinking 28oz a day. I decided to drop a pump to see what that would do. After a week, it didn't drop by much, so I drop another. I found my sweet spot at 5 pumps a day, producing 35-40oz. I knew my daughters' milk intake may still go up, so this was fine with me. If you're having the opposite problem, you may need to add extra pumps to up your milk supply. It's important to know, that doesn't mean you need to get up at all hours of the night.
The number of pumps in a day is more important than the space between them. Maybe you add another pump in the morning, when your body naturally produces more milk, even if it's an hour after your last pump. Your body will respond to this extra feeding and produce more milk.
Pumping sessions should last no more than 20 minutes. I ran into this issue a lot on my breastfeeding boards. I would constantly read, "I pump for an hour at a time, but it isn't making a difference." an hour is way too long. For one, feeling like you're always attached to the pump, is already an issue while exclusively pumping, let along actually being attached to the pump an hour at a time. About five minutes after your initial letdown a second wave will hit, triggering a second letdown. A few minutes after this letdown you should stop even if you notice some dripping. By pumping a few minutes after your second letdown, you're telling your body to produce more milk.
Feeding your baby on the go is easier than you think. Freshly pumped milk is good for 6 hours. I would pump before I left the house, and bring that freshly pumped milk with. If you need more milk than that, invest in a traveling bottle cooler. This one by Skip Hop comes with a freezer pack, can attach to a stroller or diaper bag easily, and can fit up to three bottles. If your baby is anything like mine and refuses to drink cold or room temperature milk, an easy way to warm up milk on the go is to use a thermos. I would use a travel size, typically used for coffee on the go, and fill it halfway with boiling water. When it came time to warm up milk, I carefully placed my bottle inside the thermos and within a few minutes, we were good to go!
Caloric consumption and the amount of water you intake is important for your milk supply. Okay, this one you already know, but it may be the most important thing to remember as an exclusive pumper. You don't have a baby latching to help remind your body to produce milk, so making sure you're doing your part by taking care of your body is vital. One way I'd make sure to drink enough water is by drinking a big glass every time I pumped. Making this a part of my pumping routine became second nature. I found out the hard way that making sure to eat enough food will really affect your supply. Back in June, when I wanted to really kick start losing the baby weight, I reverted to my go-to diet for losing weight - low carb, about 1500 calories a day. Within a few weeks, my milk supply dropped in half. When you are breastfeeding or pumping, you should consume an extra 500 calories a day on top of your normal caloric needs. Getting these calories from proteins and healthy fats will benefit your milk supply the best. I found adding avocado, nuts, cheese, and beans to be the easiest way to add extra calories to my meals and snacks. I would constantly snack on hard boiled eggs, turkey bacon and greek yogurt mixed with different fruits to keep things interesting.

I hope you were able to find these nine EPing life hacks useful to your breastfeeding journey. If you have any questions or any advice for other EPing moms out there, please let me know in the comments below.