Girl Chat: Favorite Makeup/Beauty Products

I'm linking up today---yay!!

I've wanted to share my current favorite beauty products for awhile now.  I just pulled a few of my recent go-to must haves that I have been loving!

For my hair, I only use this line of products.  I find that spending a little more money, washing my hair every 2-4 days, and not curling/straightening every day has really helped!  This spray is fabulous for spraying directly on my hair before I use my curling wand.  The curls hold and last longer for sure!

Sealing Spray

Curling Wand

This is what my hair looks like right after I finish curling. I love to run my fingers through or even a brush to give it the looser look too. I let it cool down first though!

For my eyes I've been loving Younique!  I find this palette to really compliment my brown eyes.  My sweet friend Elizabeth has an amazing group on Facebook where she shares tips, tricks & lots of amazing deals!

Glamour & Grace with Elizabeth

I typically wear Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue daily, but for a night out on the town or if I'm doing any photos or filming, this is what I prefer.  It lasts and really gives a gorgeous glow in a photo! I use the shade Pure Beige.

Foundation

If I wasn't a Stella & Dot Stylist, I would probably be a LipSense lady! I am obsessed with this product for a few reasons.  I have always been a lip gloss kind of girl, but love the look of lipstick.  The problem with lipstick is that it ends up on my teeth, my husband, and all over my straws and cups.  It's annoying! I tried Gingerbread back around the holidays and I was hooked.  It tingles a little when you apply, but man oh man, it's so fab!  I also love that I can layer colors and create custom looks.  It helps that one of my best friends (maid of honor!) sells it.  Check out her Facebook Group for some deals and lots of pretty lip looks!

Ann Gets Lippy

I tried this bad boy out last night--a little out of my comfort zone but I totally think I rocked it!

I also only have to tote around a gloss or two when I'm out and about.  Winning!

I'm really into self-tanners and I have tried quite a few! Hands down, this has the best smell, least streaks and gives a natural glow.  Even my husband commented how much he likes me tan!

Ann Gets Lippy

Here was my "Purple Reign" lips.

Here I'm wearing Roseberry.

Date night was Napa.

Beige Champagne is my favorite for a mom on the go look!

Being a momma of two kids, 2 & 4, I feel like I am finally starting to feel like a woman again. I'm taking the time to make myself pretty--yes, I get that beauty is on the inside, but let's be real.  I feel my best when I am working out, eating healthy, and getting my glam on!! I am blessed to have such amazing friends who are total girl bosses and I feel like I have such a support team.  

Taking time for ourselves is so important.  It's impressive what a little makeup, lip color & some jewels can do for me!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!

I'm fighting so hard to stay healthy.  Both kids are still coughing, but they seem to be on the up and up.

I wanted to share a few of my favorites here and lift my spirits up!!  My friend Lindsay and I decided to run with this new monthly gift-giving project.

She writes more about it here on her blog .

We are pairing women up each month to get to know one another, connect, uplift and spread more positivity and joy!! You do not have to do it every month, but we do expect you to follow through if you're signed up and paired with another lady.

You simply fill out the form and be sure to stay active on social media so your partner (new friend!) can connect.   You do NOT have to have a blog to participate!

We ask that you spend $15 (before shipping) to keep it fair.  We will give ideas for monthly themes, but ultimately it's to have fun, spoil someone else and get spoiled in return!!

I hope that you join in on the fun!

Another thing I'm trying to get better at is posting on instagram.  Sometimes I just get busy with life, kids, and get into a rut, but I love sharing ideas and such with friends and learning new ones too! My friend Shelby and I came up with a list of topics to try and share each week.   The #redpinkweek was so much fun, we'll be doing a #goldgreenweek coming up soon in March!  @styled_by_jenn is where you'll find me and @shelbys9 is where you'll find my girl Shelby!

Since it's #winowednesday I have to say Rosé is still a fave.  I'm trying to not drink much wine (at all, ugh!) but if I were to have a glass, it'd definitely be pink.

For our Girls' Night last week I went with the flight of bubbly and the Rosé was by far my favorite!  I love that it's a mix and not too sweet or too dry.  I guess it's more of a Summer drink, but I am a Summer girl, so that totally makes sense.

I have officially ditched the store bought shower gels and lately have been loving chunk bar soaps.  They make the bathroom smell like a spa and leave my body feeling so clean! I just got this scent from my friend Michelle.  

I finally finished this book my mom bought me for Christmas. I definitely love it!! She has some really great tips for balancing life with littles and staying in shape as well as finding time for you.  Her healthy recipes sound great and I cannot wait to try them!! She inspired me to start Yoga in the beginning of the year, I just need to get back into it again.  I love that the book has a lot of photos and is so easy to read through, pick up randomly and helpful.

The last thing that I am LOVING is that our mini Summer capsule comes out tomorrow! Look at those sunnies! I will for sure be getting a pair of the pink ones.  I also am adoring the first necklace, as it can be worn as a bracelet AND for the month of March, our hostesses will be getting one for free!  Be sure to check them out when they release tomorrow.

Favorite Beauty Products

I'm definitely not a beauty guru, but with the help of my girlfriends, I am slowly becoming more confident with makeup.  I have some tried and true favorites as well as some newer additions to my routine.

I am not a huge makeup risk taker, but I am trying to venture out of my comfort zone and am willing to try new things!  That said, my skin is super sensitive and very picky.  I have to be really careful with what I use so that I don't breakout. These are just my thoughts and no, I'm not getting paid or sponsored to talk about about any of these!!

Lashes:
I use an eyelash curler and L'oreal has never done me wrong!  I am lucky to have decent lashes and I struggle trying to apply fake ones, so I gave up on that. This is my current favorite!

Toner:
I love the feeling of something freshly sprayed on my face before applying makeup or after taking it off at night.  This Rose water from Younique smells amazing and really helps refresh my skin.

Skin Care:
One of my sister's good friends sells MK so I decided to give it a shot. I have had a few pimples, but I don't think they were caused by this.  (I do get a few every other month) so far I've been using this routine for about a month and a half.  I think my skin is looking quite nice and so far I'm very pleased!  I feel confident just wearing a little cover up and my complexion rescue out and about.



Primer:
After I moisturize, I will put a little bit of this around my nose and forehead.  I feel that it helps my pores look smaller & keep the makeup in place.



Foundation:
This is the hardest for me; I love trying new and different kinds of foundation but my skin really only likes Bare Minerals it seems.  I do like their original mineral powder, but lately this has been my go to.  I like the "Natural 05" shade best for me.  It gives a little bit of a tint; I don't like to look pale.



Under Eye Concealer:
I've tried others, but ALWAYS come back to this. It helps the dark circles and I use it to cover up blemishes too.



Setting Powder:
I didn't really "get" what this did until recently.  After I apply my complexion rescue, I brush on a little bit of this to keep it in place.





Bronzer:

This is a great little travel case and my favorite bronzer right now.  I love that it has a place for lip gloss as I always need gloss.

Brush:
I scooped this big boy up at Target and love using it for my bronzer. It's big and fluffy!

Blush:

If I'm feeling extra flirty, I'll add a little blush to my cheekbones. This is my favorite!

Eye Liner:

I use Bare Minerals. I like the absolute black and usually only line my upper lids slightly; if I want more dramatic (date night) I will line the bottom too.

As for eye shadows, I tend to stick to neutrals/browns. I do like pinks/jewel tones, but I'm still playing around with those.  

New Products:

Eye cream

Liquid Lip 

Eye shadow palette. 

I need to play and report back on these!

Eye cream:

I do wear this at night.  I try to put it on in the morning but there's a lot of other stuff going on and I don't always remember.

After my birthday facial, the girl told me this would help with my "pregnancy mask" and to apply it in the morning.  I am almost out of it and my skin issues have resolved...but the sun has disappeared, so it could be that too! I like this though and would probably use it again.

Removing makeup: 

I'm lazy at night. I try to wash, but some nights I just wipe. These are my go-to.

Sunless Tanner:
My favorite sunless tanner is still this one. I like others, but this gives me the best non-orange, no streak look. I can apply it a few days and it doesn't look weird.  I'm out and need more before Vegas!

I am half tempted to do a get ready with me video, just because it may be fun! But I don't know if I'm ready for that.  

What are your favorite beauty products?  Any tips to share?

Day 6: Dance

Sometimes ya just need to move and groove.  Pull up your favorite song and just start dancing around.  Dance like no one is watching, or record yourself so someone is!

It's no shock that I love to dance.  Anyone who knows me, knows it's probably my favorite thing to do!  While I am struggling to get into an adult class (that whole selfish/me time!) I can dance any time or anywhere, especially while I am home!

My favorite thing is when we'll be eating dinner all together, listening to Sinatra, and Joe will pull me up out of my chair.  It instantly lifts my soul and we have a great time twirling around the kitchen. 

I know that when the kids get a little grumpy or seem like we need a mood change, this is exactly what we do.  Joe will play videos and I'll throw on Pandora.  We love Kidz Bop music channel or even the top hits (I censor them).

The kids requested Rio (it's their favorite movie right now! We have seen it a million times!) So here ya go. Perfect for Friday.

Dance away my friends, dance away!

Curling Wand [hair talk]

Hey hey hey!! I feel totally revived after our relax/staycation! I have lots of goals and am ready to keep sharing lots of fun things on this here old blog. Hope ya don't mind!

Today I thought I'd share how I get my hair curly, like so-

It's a different curl than when I use the straightener, and I honestly love both!  This is more of a flirty, fun, beachy wave, and it can get a little crazy! In my opinion, it's perfect for date nights and times when you want to stand out a little bit. Plus, the hubs loves it, so that's always good.

I have ridiculously thick hair, which lead to the mom chop pre-Bradley and post Brooke.  I loved it, but then missed my  longer locks.  I have been growing it out since then, and the last hair cut I got, I actually added more layers so it evened out when I part in the middle and I think it looks fab!


My products I talk about are sold in salons only, I believe, but I am sure you can find similar products!  For me the key is to use a volume mousse--something to give your hair texture before you blow it dry.  Usually I use smoothing creams or gels, but when you want that crazy curl, I think that works best.   A good hair spray is key after you curl it, but I hate the crunch of some sprays, so a sea salt spray works best for me.  I like to be able to still run my fingers through the curls.


I just started recording on a whim, I thought maybe it'd be helpful for some of my friends to see how I achieved this type of curl, so by no means is this an excellent tutorial! I was getting ready and the kids were playing--Bradley was in his crib with toys and you can clearly hear, them…hope it's not too distracting.  If you'd like to see more tutorials, let me know!  PS you can totally see my crazy bruises--I still don't know how I got the big one on my wrist, I think I banged it in the door Halloween, but the small ones on my triceps are from the baby! He's such a pincher---ow!

Curling Wand is $21 on Amazon!

Feel free to subscribe to my You Tube Channel! 

5 on Friday

Happy Fri-Yay!!! I figured I would link up with Five on Friday--

---ONE--

Can I get an "Amen" to this?!  I am truly adoring the changing of leaves, cooler temps, and lots of warm bevvies!  We are so lucky to get to experience all four seasons here.  Winter may be my least favorite, but I will take it, just so we get these gorgeous autumns.



---TWO---
In my Fall Fab Fit Fun box, we received these amazing 20 minute facial masks.  They're gold. They're so awesome and I actually may try to purchase/ask for more for Christmas!  It smelled so good, felt cool and refreshing, and let me tell you…after the day we had on Monday, I NEEDED this.  {similar here}

I waited until the kids went to bed, so I didn't scare the daylights out of them…BOO!

In all seriousness though, I laid on my bed, sipping some "calming tea" and felt rejuvenated.

---THREE---

I've been looking for some over the knee flat black boots.  I love my UGGS, but I think they're too hot for right now. I want something more than a flat, but less than winter -so I am curious if anyone has tried shoes from EXPRESS?  I kind of like these, but my size is only available in stores right now.

---FOUR---
During nap time, if I don't workout, I am really trying to do something for me. Not the house. Not the kids, not the dog….me. So I'm really trying to get into this book, because I hear it will suck me in…but I'm still not there yet.  I'll keep at it though!

---FIVE--- 

I'm getting my hair done today!! I think I'm going to have him add more layers so it curls better when I part it straight… I also want it blonder. I'm crazy. I am loving the length but I think a little more around my face would help when I go to style it.  

Fashion & Beauty

Mmmmmm it's THURSDAY!! This means that today is MY SPECIAL DAY! I am really truly over the top ridiculously excited for a little ME time.  Long. Over. Due. 

Anyway, I've started this post a gazillion times and never finished it.  I just love fashion and girlie things, so I wanted to share some of my faves.   I am still wearing a lot of basic tees and clothes aren't totally fitting quite yet, so I am all about the accessories.

I still obsess over this one's hair!  [ps. when does PLL start back up?! I'm dying to know about this Charlie character?]  

My hairdresser says those are def extensions, but I just can't wait til my hairs grow just a weeeee bit longer. Not that I have much time to do much with them, buuuut, it's so pretty!

And I really became fascinated with some pretty jewels.  I feel like my wardrobe is pretty basic as I'm still working on dropping the weight, but jewelry?  It lasts forever [the good stuff anyway] and it can dress up the most basic of things.

Enter my girl Amber  as a Stella and Dot Stylist.

I had a hard time deciding on which piece I wanted, but when I saw this Kaia pendant, I was in LOVE!

And the matching earrings…I die! They are a wee bit heavy, but I was fine wearing them one day.

Cheesy selfie--- I wore this on Easter Sunday.

I also found this beauty at Target--

The statement necklace…

And these two (BOGO 1/2) at Francesca's



This one is super light and so pretty!





I am a tad still a Bare Minerals obsessed.  I love this pinky blush I found in my purse that I hadn't used in a year--ha!  Maybelline lilac lip color for the win.

I even tried out some Jamberry nails.  To be honest, I don't love them…it's fun for a pop of color but doing my own nails in any fashion, does not really relax me.  It kind of stresses me out.  Plus, I can easily peel these off and that's just annoying. Fun to try though, but not something I'll do all the time.

For a good drugstore lotion--this smells so yummy! It takes awhile for it to soak into my skin, but totally worth it.  I hear the other products in the line are fab as well.

In other makeup news, I am finally going to try some Younique 3D mascara.  My eyelashes (along with my hair) have been falling out a ton because of postpartum.  I don't recall the eyelashes with Brooke, but I did lose a lot of hair.  It's a little alarming at the amount that is coming out, but I am sure it will even out soon.  

Any other new beauty supplies I should try?

Happy Thursday beautiful friends!