Stuff That's Been Making Me Happy

As the savvy reader may have ascertained, it's not all sunshine and sprinkles over here - although both of those things have definitely been featured on my blog before. (For sure.)

I haven't felt like myself since leaving Vancouver, which is kind of a long time for me to be feeling so low. It still feels like there's a big hole in my life, and I've been trying really hard to fill it in with saying "yes" to things, making plans with friends, buying new clothes and beauty goodies, getting my health in order (chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists, oh my!), being creative, eating junk food, lining up trips (heyo, Panama!), and exercising.

So how is it working? Well... it's not curing me of my blues, that's for damn sure. But it's all chipping in to keep me momentarily happy/preoccupied and make me forget about being sad for a little while everyday. Here's a random, unorganized look into some of the things that have been making me happy....

My sister Markie works for a Nike store, and shares her family discount with us. I've never taken advantage of the perk - a 30% discount - until the weekend before last, when I stopped into the Nike outlet store near my apartment. I picked up a new pair of trainers... the Nike Flex Supreme in black and pink:

They ran large so I actually had to go back that night and exchange them for a half-size smaller. I also got a new pair of workout leggings - Nike Dri-Fit capris in the "tight" fit. These felt a litttttle loose on me, but the XS felt a little too - ahem - familiar (if you nahmsayin), so I stuck with a size small. From this trip to the Nike store, my takeaway was: Nike is clearly into vanity sizing. That makes me feel terribly insecure in ever shopping for that brand online, without trying on first.

Also pictured above are a grey American Eagle workout tank and a pink cotton Hollister tank top, both from my local TJ Maxx.  I love the hourglass seaming detail on the grey tank - it's super flattering! Having made a couple trips to that same TJ Maxx recently, I also picked up a few other new tops...

This chunky, oversized black cardigan by Max Studio:
 

And this woven oatmeal-colored sweater from the brand Dalia:

I'm obsessed with both of these sweaters. You can seriously catch me wearing each of them once or twice a week lately. Here's the last shirt I got from TJ's:

As a blue-eyed girl, shirts like this really make my eyes pop. So... shoutout to turning your face

into an optical illusion.

While killing time in Brookline's Coolidge Corner back in February, I stopped into a consignment shop (Second Time Around) and spotted this pale pink asymmetrical BCBG Max Azria sweater (shown below in both white and pink)...

... I'm a sucker for interesting hemlines, and I fell head over heels for this sweater's unique criss-cross front, high-lo hem (with BONUS banded hemline in the back!), fitted sleeves, and soft merino wool fabric. It was $50 at the consignment shop, which is certainly more JoBros than I'd normally toss up at a second-hand store, but it was such a "GOTTA EFFING HAVE IT" moment that I surrendered to the flow. Once I got home and discovered that this is originally a $200 sweater... well obviously I went from scolding myself to patting myself on the back.

Some weeks back I received a surprise package in the mail - a gift box of Lush goodies from my friend Stephanie. The Hello Gorgeous gift set includes the Sakura bath bomb, the Comforter Bubble Bar, Tender Is the Night massage bar, Rub Rub Rub shower scrub, and a 0.2oz pot each of Lemony Flutter cuticle butter and Gorgeous moisturizer. I've already enjoyed the bubble bar and the bath bomb, and am slowly starting to make my way through the other products as well. Thanks Steph!

.  source  .

Would you believe that I only owned one face brush that I actually liked? I wanted to get a higher quality brush that would work for bronzer/blush, or just all-over the face for blending. This Eco Tools face brush is super fluffy and gentle on my skin:

In other beauty-related acquisitions, here's a bunch of stuff for me to play with:

1. Benefit Hello Flawless sample trio - a sample from Sephora that was included in a recent purchase (#7), this includes the Stay Flawless primer, Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow brightening sunscreen makeup, and the Hello Flawless power cover-up. I have no idea how to use any of these yet, but... someday an opportunity will present itself to figure it all out.

2. Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel - also a sample from that same Sephora purchase. Has anyone tried this gel before? Let me know!

3. Aesop Parsley Seed Cleaning Masque samples. To warm up one chilly evening, Kara and I popped into the Aesop store on Newbury St and were immediately given 100% of the attention of the lone store clerk. She gave us each a bunch of samples, and the 3 packets she gave me will be enough for one face mask. This one is a "perfectly formulated clay-based masque containing parsley seed and rosehip seed extracts. Suited to most skin types, this masque removes impurities and refreshes the skin." WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT.

4. ESCADA Joyful perfume - again, a sample from Sephora. The very accurate description of this scent: "ESCADA Joyful is inspired by positivity and a joyful spirit. The luminous scent embodies the beauty of a bouquet of flowers. Bright, fresh blooms of jubilant pink peony release a sense of elation. Juicy blackcurrant sorbet adds a cooling top, and the warmth of honeycomb and sandalwood give depth to the floral notes. The fragrance embodies beauty and confidence and invites you to experience each day filled with joy and positivity." Sidebar, you've got to check out the gorgeous bottle that the full-size version comes in!

5. Full Lash Bloom mascara from Covergirl. This isn't something that normally happens to me, but I saw a beauty guru wearing this in a YouTube video and immediately wanted to know what mascara she was wearing. What struck me about the mascara was that her lashes looked soft and touchable - not hard or crispy. Imagine my surprise when that actually ended up being the chief claim that Covergirl makes about this mascara!

"With Full Lash Bloom Mascara, get exceptional lash fullness that’s soft - even to the touch. With our new petal-shaped brush and mousse formula with natural beeswax, lashes are never stiff or brittle."

It's not a thick lash, it's not a super lengthened lash, it's not a dramatic lash... but it's a nice, soft, everyday kind of lash.

6. Benefit Roller Lash mascara - I got this as a 100-point VIB present to myself upon checkout for #7. This mascara claims to have an exciting "Hook 'n Roll" brush that "catches, lifts and curls." I love trying out new mascaras, and since my go-tos are usually drugstore brands, it's always exciting for me to try the higher-end stuff, too. I won't be opening this up till my current mascaras are done, but it's something to look forward to!

7. Shiseido Ibuki Multi-Solution Gel - this was the reason I was making that big purchase from Sephora in the first place. My face has been hurtin' for certain, for the last several months. If I could put a bag over my head, I would. I've tried all sorts of things to calm down my breakouts, and this gel is just the latest in the string of attempts. It claims to be "a uniquely textured beauty gel that targets breakouts, roughness, and the look of visible pores for clearer, smoother, and more beautiful skin." So far... I just don't know! It does seem to be making the breakouts go away faster, but it's not preventing them yet... which would be really god-damn ideal. I've been using it for 2-3 weeks now, and am hoping that I can see some really amazing results soon. Otherwise... paper bag, for the win.

8.  Twisted Peppermint Sparkling Snowflake Scrub from Bath & Body Works. This isn't new, but I've been using it sparingly because it was a seasonal shower gel being sold back around Christmastime, and I can't bare the thought of running out. This sugary sweet peppermint scrub smells SO good that all I have to do is catch a faint waft of it to instantly feel happier. Sometimes I just pop open the cap and breathe it in, without even using it.

You know what else I've been loving? Game of Thrones. My golden goddess of a swan friend, Kate, gave me the first 3 seasons on a flashdrive back in early January, and I have been powering through them. What a good show! It's so exciting and SEXY all at once. I'm a little over halfway through Season 3, so now I'm fixing to get my hands on the 4th season, too.

Internet-wise, I've been loving Rap Genius. This is a lyrics/song interpretation website where I can get lost for hours at a time - especially if I'm educating myself on an entire album. One time I was going track-by-track through Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and it took me 20 minutes to get through the first chorus of All of the Lights. I've most definitely always been a person who focuses on the lyrics of songs, and even as a young child I would re-listen to songs intently to decipher the lyrics. As an adult, the interest clearly hasn't left me. Thanks for stoking my verbal fires, Rap Genius!

Lastly, my friends, guys. My friends have been making me happy and making me smile. Thank you to everyone who hangs out with me or chats with me or leaves me comments every day/week. It's more important to me than you probably even realize!

Well I hope that I sufficiently Debbed you out at the beginning of this blog and then swooped in swiftly with buckets and buckets of joy to make up for it.

What have you been into that helps to keep you smiling? Any good shopping websites or places to buy workout gear or any fun new beauty/fashion finds to share with me?

FACEBOOK TWITTER PINTEREST INSTAGRAM BLOGLOVIN

Recent Acquisitions: Thrift Store, Forever21, LUSH, The Body Shop, and More

It's been awhile since I did a round up of some of the deece purches (um, that's decent purchases for anyone NITK) (that's "not in the know," for all of those who weren't in the know) that I've been making over the last couple of months, so UM let's do one of those, EH?

(That wasn't a genuine "eh," I confess. I was being facetious.)

Here we go!

Shoppers Drug Mart:

Maybelline Color Show Gilded Rose nail polish - $3.99 (for .23 fl oz)

I showed off pictures of this polish in last week's nail polish post, plus a description of its fabulousness. Go there to read more.

LUSH:

Big solid conditioner - $12.34 for 124g (in the US, it's $9.95/3.5oz) 

Alright, this stuff is a bit weird to use, but I can't argue with the fact that it leaves my hair feeling nice and soft. The idea of a solid conditioner was completely new to me, so I made sure to get a full run-down of how to use the damn thing from one of the friendly LUSH store employees. There are a couple different ways to use this: 1) Moisten the bar a bit under the warm shower water, then apply the product directly to your hair by running the bar down the length of your strands. Massage the conditioner into your hair well, then rinse. 2) Break off a small bit of the conditioner bar and rub it between your hands, then use your hands to coat your hair. I prefer the second method, because the first method results in the conditioner bar being covered in stray hairs, which is just not attractive.

I've been using this conditioner in conjunction with the Davines Mellow Shampoo I bought back in May as well as my Kevin Murphy hair oil (both products are spotlighted in this blog) and it leaves my hair feeling lovely for days.

Here's what the LUSH site says about the product:

Big conditioner livens up dull, limp and fine hair with a jolt of volume and shine. It carries with it the beautiful fragrance of the vanilla, jasmine and tonka absolute to perfume hair while the sea salt goes to work building body. Extra virgin coconut oil and toothed wracked seaweed infusion soften and condition hair without weighing it down, while a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh lime add even more shine.

Forever21:

Blue flannel snap-button up - $23.80

I'm a sucker for a good flannel button up! Especially with autumn approaching, this one was a must! Makes me wanna throw on some torn jeans and hop on a hayride.

Lacy mint bralette - $6.80

This is the cutest damn thing. It's a super soft and thin bralette with a goose-bump style fabric detail and a lacy trim. Perfect to wear as a pajama top on these hot summer nights. The one pictured is obviously pink, but mine is in a pastel mint.

Hooded jacket: $41.80

This jacket is so me! It reminds me of something I would have owned in elementary school. It's lightweight, and isn't as doubly layered as it appears. The entire jacket isn't lined in the grey sweatshirt material - only what you see. There's a rope around the waist for cinching and snap buttons on the front, pockets and sleeves. So "fall in New England"!

Floral Sunglasses - $6.80

When my colorful turquoise sunglasses fell into the English Bay last month, I needed to run out to Forever21 for a replacement pair (... or two). These floral glasses have been on my face everyday since then!

Mint square sunglasses - $6.80

Big, mint, square and FABULOUUUUUSSSS! No seriously though, these bad bitches are actually maybe a touch too fabulous for me. They're pretty serious, size-wise!

Green and grey baseball style burnout tee - $9.80

Suuupuer comfy, this shirt has been a nice one to throw on for an evening walk or to run out for a quick errand. It'll obviously transition perfectly into fall as well.

The Body Shop:

Moringa Hand Cream - $10.00

I'd never been to The Body Shop before, but I heard from a couple of my local Vancouver blogging buddies that the Shop was having a pretty good sale, which made it seem like a fairly attractive time to check it out. I sniffed several of their hand creams before deciding to buy a small 1.0 oz tube of this handsomely floral smelling lotion. Made with cold-pressed seed oil from hand-picked moringa pods, this cream is lightweight and absorbs quickly. The scent is pretty potent though - and a little goes a long way.

Cocoa Butter Body Butter - $6.00

I've never really been a purchaser of body lotions or cocoa butter products, but the term "body butter" is pretty inviting, right? For $6, this seemed like a low-risk way to try out another product from The Body Shop, so after sifting through their bin of 1.69 oz body butters, the Cocoa Butter scent emerged triumphant. I've been using it sparingly on my shoulders, elbows and some stretch marks on my hips. Of course I'm not exactly expecting any magic to happen on those stretch marks, but the lotion most definitely leaves my skin feeling soft, without an overpowering smell.

Salvation Army:

You guys know I love a good trip to my local 4th Ave Salvation Army here in Vancouver. If you're in Vancouver and don't frequent this thrift shop, you CERTAINLY can't blame me. Ok, now bear with me here because several of these items are now no longer available for me to photograph because I've packed them away into boxes in preparation for an upcoming move. (I'll also explain that last sentence soon.) We'll start with the items I do have pictures of:

Thin brown belt - $3.99

Not too much to say about this should-have-already-owned-one closet basic. I needed one. Now I have one. And it fits perfectly.

Flower painting - $3.75

All photos were 25% off that day at my Salvay, so I took advantage of that sale and browsed through their awesome photos and paintings selection for a good long while. This painting is reminiscent of all the cherry blossoms that are all over Vancouver, which is why I liked it. I'll probably try to paint the frame white, because the salmon color isn't really working for me.

Tiny brown ceramic pot - $1.99

You can never have enough small ceramic pots, I always say.

Thrift shop purchases that I can't photograph because they are packed away:

• blue knit poncho/shawl (imagine this, except human-sized and only covering the chest/shoulder region)
• fuchsia, retro-looking sundress (which I might need to either alter in some way or re-thrift)
• book with healthy smoothie recipes
• random purple athletic t-shirt with sweat-wicking fabric (should be perfect for hikes)

Well I hope you've enjoyed this virtual trip down Shopping for Shit Lane. Any of these items make you wanna go spend some money on things you may or may not totally need?

FACEBOOK TWITTER PINTEREST INSTAGRAM

My Workouts of the Week, Braids and Bubble Baths

Dudes. My legs are SO sore. From a workout I did ON THURSDAY. Your girl is out of shape!

I took a bit of a hiatus from working out for most of the month of June. It's my tendency to not exercise whenever I'm home in Massachusetts, and this past trip was no exception. #Oops. After returning to Vancouver on June 23 and taking a couple of days to decompress from my "Oy!"-inducing travels, I hit the gym again.

My first workout on 6/26 was my attempt at waking up my whole body and all of its many muscle groups. That's why I did leg, arm and core exercises that day. Here's what else I've been up to since my return to the gym at the end of June:

6/26 (full body)

5 mins elliptical

12 chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand

12 squats, 12.5 lbs each shoulder

30 weighted v-sit twists, holding 12.5 lbs

15 deltoid flys, 5 lbs each hand

60 calf raises, 12.5 lbs each hand

30 Russian get ups, 5 lbs each hand

12 close grip chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand

12 deadlifts, 12.5 lbs each hand

30 leg raise + reverse crunch

15 deltoid raises, 5 lbs each hand

60 bridges

30 lying overhead raise + double crunch, holding 5 lbs

6/28 (core) 

5 mins elliptical, .53 miles

40 weighted v-sit twists, holding 15 lbs

40 leg raise + reverse crunch

40 alternating weighted side bends, 15 lbs each hand

40 Brazilian crunches

40 Russian get ups, holding 5 lbs

40 cobras

40 lying overhead raise + double crunch, holding 5 lbs

40 plank knee to elbow

7/1 (upper body and core)

3:10 jumping jacks

2x:  12 overhead press, 10 lbs each hand 

2x:  12 deltoid raises, 5 lbs each hand

2x:  12 chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand

2x:  24 alternating chest flys with 8 lb medicine ball

2x:  12 bent over rows, 20 lbs

2x:  12 deltoid flys, 5 lbs each hand

2x:  12 close grip chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs

2x:  12 upright row + tricep extension, 5 lbs each hand

2x:  12 lat pulldowns, 50 lbs

40 weighted v-sit twists, holding 12.5 lbs

40 leg raise + reverse crunch

40 Russian get ups, holding 5 lbs

40 cobras

40 crunches on exercise ball, holding 12.5 lbs

40 Brazilian crunches

7/2 (cardio)

15 mins elliptical (1.45 miles)

15 mins biking (3.5 miles)

7/3 (this is the lower body workout that I'm still sore from)

5 mins elliptical, .5 miles, 60 calories

40 alternating forward lunges, 10 lbs each hand

60 bridges

1:00 jumping jacks

20 sumo squats, holding 20 lbs

40 diamond clamshells each leg

1:00 jumping jacks

40 calf raises, 20 lbs each hand

40 crab bridges + alternating arm reach

1:00 jumping jacks

15 deadlifts, 20 lbs each hand

40 side lunges each leg + plyometric push off

1:00 jumping jacks

15 squats, holding 15 lbs

15 squats, holding 20 lbs
15 squats, holding 25 lbs

7/5 (upper body)

30 alternating shoulder raises on exercise ball, 5 lbs each hand

15 chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand

20 deltoid raises, 5 lbs each hand

15 bent over rows each arm, holding 20 lbs

15 tricep extensions on exercise ball, 5 lbs each hand

10 overhead press, 12.5 lbs each hand

15 deltoid flys, 5 lbs each hand
15 close grip chest press, 12.5 lbs each hand

Sidebar - here's a fun way that I did my hair before going out for errands and the gym last week:

It's a French braid down the center on top, which I secured into a ponytail at the crown. Then I braided the ponytail in a regular braid. I like how it looks like one long, continuous braid from front to end.

Did anyone else in the Pacific Northwest/Vancouver area catch the Seattle fireworks display on TV (or in person) on Friday night? I thought it was incredible! Last year the fog made their fireworks an absolute disaster, but this year was perfect. I especially enjoyed some of the bright/neon blue ones - those ones seemed particularly new-age.

Other things that happened this weekend:

• Threw the football around on the Kits Beach lawn with David
• Rented The Lego Movie - wasn't disappointed
• Enjoyed a solo late breakfast at Sophie's Cosmic Cafe
• Got a haircut (just a trim)
• Went for a 7-mile walk around False Creek in Vancouver
• Ate gourmet hotdogs, coleslaw and potato salad at home on the evening of 4th of July (bringing the America into our Canadian kitchen)
• Brought 3 bags of stuff to Salvation Army
• Indulged in Lemon Bismarck and Strawberry Rhubarb donuts from Lucky's Doughtnuts on 4th Ave
• Also indulged in an oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie from Whole Foods
• ... Also indulged in some Half Baked Ben & Jerry's ice cream

Is it still considered "indulging" if I do it all the time? Things to ponder. I also got into thisssss delightful situation last night:

It's the Christmas Eve bubble bar from Lush's last Christmas line. WHO CARES if it took me 6 months to use it?? It was just what my sore leg muscles needed.

I hope you all had a great holiday! What was your favorite part of the weekend?
Did you watch fireworks at home or on TV?
Anyone else super sore from a recent workout? (If so, get it, girl!) (If not... go get it, girl!)

FACEBOOK TWITTER PINTEREST INSTAGRAM {Linking with Katie's Healthy Habits}

New Beauty Products - Mascara, Nail Polish, Perfume, Lipgloss and SO MUCH MORE!

Y'all know me - accumulating a nice stock of new beauty products every couple of months and just DYING to share the fun here on my blog. The rest of this post is going to be hella long, so I'ma keep the intro short and dive right in. Sidebar, you guys have no idea how long it's taken me to write this blog. I swear I started it in March.

LONDON DRUGS

Maybelline's The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara (on sale - $5.99)

The end of my current tube of The Rocket is nigh, so I needed to re-up on this trusty mascara. It's one of my very favorite mascaras - particularly for any night-time looks. It was even a part of my 2013 Favorites round up, if you want to read more about it there.

Maybelline's Great Lash Lots of Lashes (on sale - $4.99)

Even though Maybelline's Great Lash mascara is probably the most ubiquitous mascaras of all time, and a seemingly timeless staple of drugstore makeup departments, I've never tried it before. This new "Lots of Lashes" version of the product piqued my interest just enough for me to scoop it up. I've used it a few times now and am forming my opinion. So far, I'm really impressed with how the uniquely shaped brush head hugs my lashes during application, especially the bottom lashes. The first swipe of the first coat leaves my lashes a little wet, but the second swipe separates and combs through quite well. The actual mascara packaging/wand feels really cheap - almost like it's toy makeup. There also seems to be an Achilles heel in the wand, just beneath the brush head. If you aren't careful with it, you could accidentally bend the wand quite a bit at that point when you're replacing the wand into the tube. But despite those last two things, this mascara is doing its job so far. (Which is to make my face look less corpse-like.)

Update on 5/27/14:  My opinion on this mascara is now growing increasingly dismal by the day. You know how some mascaras give you a false negative impression in their first few uses, as they kind of settle into their formula? Well this Maybelline mascara did the opposite of that - it gave me a false positive impression in its first several uses, and then settled into its true formula... CLUMPY. Seriously, this stuff is making it nearly impossible to achieve separated lashes. Spend your money on a better mascara than this.

Revlon Parfumerie Polish in Moonlit Woods (on clearance - $3.99)

There were a few varieties of the Parfumerie polishes on sale that day in the London Drugs clearance bin, so I tested them all out and selected Moonlit Woods. I adore the scent of it. It's quite similar in color to the Nicole by OPI Gumdrops polish that I also picked up recently - Blue-Berry Sweet On You - but without the texture.

SHOPPERS DRUG MART

Aveeno Fresh Essentials Hydrating Night Cream ($4.49 because of pricing sticker discrepancy!)

So I was looking through the face creams at Shoppers when I noticed that there was a row of these Aveeno products on sale for $4.49, marked down from $20.99!! Whaaat!? But upon closer inspection, I realized that the $4.49 sale sticker had been placed on the wrong product. I brought it to the attention of a nearby store clerk and asked if he'd honor the $4.49 price for me, since I'd so nicely spotted the problem and quietly pointed it out to him. He did!! Ladies, that's how you spend $4.49 for a $20.99 night cream! I've been using the cream (almost) every night for the last couple of weeks, and I'm obsessed with the way it smells. It also makes my face feel soft and moisturized in the morning, which I appreciate.

Revlon Fuchsia Fever nail polish ($7.99)

You guys have seen this on my blog already - I bought it specifically for my Emma Stone Met Gala nails. I can't say enough about this polish - but I already raved about it here!

SEPHORA.com

Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss in Lovechild  - 0.13 oz ($20.40)

This is the product that I was actually shopping for on Sephora.com that day. All the rest were just bonus add-ons. After receiving a sample size of this lip gloss as a 100-point gift from Sephora earlier this year, I fell in love with it and decided to get the full size.

Marc Jacobs Honey perfume - 0.04 oz (free sample with purchase)

I was so happy to have gotten a sample of this perfume because I'd been wanting to check it out for a couple of years. With the overflowing box of sample perfumes that are already in my stash (a confession I made in this blog), there was a chance that this Honey sample would just get lost in the abyss of them all. But I'm happy to report that I've used up almost all of this sample already because it smells SEW DAMN GEWD. If you love sweet scents, you will no doubt love Honey.

GlamGlow BrightMud Eye Treatment (free sample with purchase)

Ok THIS is a weird product that I do not understand. I still don't, even after using it. It's an undereye treatment that comes in little individual pods, one for each eye. It's supposed to somehow brighten the undereye area, but after smearing on the gel-like, slimy, seemingly seaweed-infused substance, leaving it on for 5 minutes, and then wiping it off... I noticed absolutely no difference.

Kat Von D Unlock It Makeup Remover Wipes (free sample with purchase)

There are two wipes in here and I haven't used them yet because I'm so infrequently wearing enough face makeup that would require a remover wipe like this. Normally I'm only wearing mascara for makeup, which I'd remove with my Almay gentle eye makeup remover, rather than a face wipe. But one of these days, when I have something fancy to look nice for, I'll use my special Aveeno + DD Cream combo on my face, plus some bronzer (see Essence purchases below), plus some blush, plus some eye makeup... and ON THAT DAY, I will try out these Kat Von D makeup remover wipes to see how they do.

Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Sophia  - 0.07 oz sample (100 VIB points)

Oh heeeey, tingle city! This is a lip-plumping gloss that leans more "cool, tingly" than "burning," if that's your thing. The color, Sophia, is a rosy pink with golden microshimmer. It's a skosh on the sticky side, I'm not gonna lie. But it's not the very stickiest in the world, and the cool plumping sensation lasts for quite awhile. It also tastes/smells like... mocha? Sort of coffee-ish? All in all, I'm very pleased to have spent 100 points on this one.

ACACIA HAIR BOUTIQUE

Kevin Murphy Young Again treatment oil - ($40)

When I (finally) got my hair cut back in March, the treatment oil that the stylist used on me that day made my hair feel SO amazing that I actually purchased a bottle of it right then and have been using it almost daily ever since. Guys... get some. Two pumps of this Young Again oil applied throughout damp, towel-dried hair will make everyday a good hair day. After my hair dries, it feels nourished, healthy, soft, moisturized, AND it's shiny. As a little bonus, rubbing any leftover product into your hands will even leave your hands feeling amazingly soft! And as a further bonus, the oil smells like yummy vanilla perfume.

CANVAS HAIR SALON

Davines Melu Anti-Breakage Shampoo ($26)

Again, going back to the hair appointment I had in March, my stylist also recommended that I switch to using the shampoo brand/line that complemented the conditioner that I was already using - a Davines Melu Anti-Breakage Conditioner. Shampoo and conditioners apparently really do work best when the same kind is used in tandem, rather than using one brand for shampoo and another brand for conditioner. So to give my "anti-breakage" regimen a boost I went into a neighborhood hair salon, Canvas, and picked up the Davines Melu Shampoo. I have to be honest... I do NOT like using this shampoo, but hear me out.

The #1 reason that I'm frustrated with this shampoo is because it does not lather. And yes, I know, I KNOW, that's actually a good thing. Shampoos that lather up nice and frothy with big bubbles actually contain ingredients that aren't great for your hair. This is a well-known fact among people who pay attention to hair stuff, so when this Davines shampoo didn't lather up during use, I knew that it wasn't a mistake or a product defect. I knew it was a sign of the quality ingredients in the shampoo... but that doesn't make it any easier to spread the product throughout my long hair! Bubbly shampoos are easy to disseminate throughout a full head of hair, because you can just work the frothy bubbles all the way down the length of your strands, and all the way down to the nape of your neck to scrub them in and get everything clean. But when there is no lather to disperse, what the hell do you do??? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?? It's so hard to feel like the shampoo is reaching every part of my hair and head when there are no bubbles.

Anyway... despite that frustration, I don't think my hair is feeling any negative effects of the non-lather yet. It certainly still feels clean and smooth when I'm done using this shampoo. So basically I've got lots of conflicting feelings about this product, so I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I FEEL. #HidesInACorner.

IN MY EASTER BASKET (AKA... gifts to myself)

I like to make Easter baskets for David and myself every year (when I remember), because why the heck not? It's fun to go shopping for tons of small items and candies to put together for a Sunday morning surprise. This year I made our "baskets" by trimming down a couple of paper bags, folding over their tops, and stuffing them with shredded magazine pages for "grass." Atop the bed of mag-grass went all of the other goodies. Some of you may remember the picture I shared of it on Instagram:

Among all the other candy treats, these were the beauty products that the Easter bunny left in my basket this year:

Essence Sun Club All-in-One Bronzing Highlighter (in shade for blondes/lighter skin) ($3.49?)

YouTuber Tati recently reviewed a whole line of summery Essence products, one of which was this Sun Club bronzing highlighter, which looked really pretty to me. Knowing how insanely affordable Essence products are, this product went onto my list of things to try. I love this stuff! It's my very first bronzer, EVER, if you can believe it. I know it's not a full-on bronzer, but still - more bronze than anything else I own. I got the shimmery "blonde" shade, but this also comes in a darker, brunette version. Of note: this product smells like summer - a piña colada, specifically.

By the way, if you're interested, Tati is one of my new favorite YouTubers to watch. She's gorgeous and has tons of knowledge about makeup and beauty and life, but one of my favorite things about her is her voice! It's so soothing to listen to, and I literally don't even care how creepy that sounds. Check out her channel here.

Essence Lipstick in #53 All About Cupcake ($1.99)

It was the cute packaging that made me buy this raspberry-coral lipstick. I didn't notice until writing this blog that it's got an adorable name too (All About Cupcake). This is totally not a lipstick you need to buy, because it's nothing extra special. It's a relatively sheer lipstick that takes a lot of work to build up, but it does apply really smoothly and smells like candy necklaces... so. You decide if you want to spend your hard-earned $2 on this 'stick.

Eos Lip Balm in Passion Fruit ($3.99)

Just another eos to add to my stash! This is the passion fruit flavor - lovely.

Lush Fluffy Egg bath bomb (I can't remember how much this cost!)

I've not used this yet, so there's not much I can tell you besides the fact that it smells super sugary sweet and it will allegedly fizz up when it hits the water.

Oh my god, are you still reading? If you are - thank you for sticking it out. We've reached the end of this beauty round up!

Now tell me - have you tried any of these products? If so, let me know your thoughts! Shop them below using the Shop The Post widget ~

FACEBOOK TWITTER PINTEREST INSTAGRAM

{Linking with Beauty Buzz and Kelly's Korner Blog}