Baby Update and a Small Favor

Oh. My. Goodness. My little yum yum is officially 4 months old. It is amazing how quickly time flies by when you are counting every week, every development and every smile.

Being a mom is by far the most important and fulfilling job I've ever had. Sometimes when she looks at me I swear she sees right through me and into my soul. It's usually when she makes this face.

I call that the "I've seen things" face. She is so stinkin cute!

It's amazing how much she has changed. It is a lot easier to take her places, especially if I time it correctly. The trick is to get her out of the house right after eating. She's nice and full and happy. One of our favorite things to do is to go visit daddy for lunch at Rudy's BBQ.

It's amazing to see how her relationship with her dad is forming. She is starting to figure out that he goes away in the morning, but he comes back in the evening. She has started getting very excited right around the time he gets home. She absolutely loves her dad.

 

Isn't that bow adorable? Anthony has started getting her dressed in the mornings. I decided it was a great idea to make that his special time with her as soon as I saw the beautiful outfits he was putting her in. The other day he put her in a dress (white with a hot air balloon pattern) and a red skirt (bright red with some white flowers). Once I realized his eye for fashion I knew that my carefully curated outfits were a waste. 

 

Auntie Naomi also came home for the weekend to visit. They always have a great time together. I knew from the moment I got pregnant that Naomi would be the quirky fun aunt. I have a super close relationship with my niece Alice, as does Naomi. It's wonderful to watch them have fun together.

That picture makes me laugh every time. She hasn't quite rolled over yet, but she is right on the cusp! I realized today that I absolutely cannot leave her on the couch in her boppy anymore. She is able to squirm out and it is definitely going to be a problem when she can roll.

Uncle Mason

This little angel pie is Uncle Mason and Auntie Summer's daughter Auggie. AKA Mad's bff. I went over to visit with them today and Augs was in the cutest onesie. Damn right she is Auntie's Little Lady! I swear. This baby is going to be a model. Look at that face!

Ok. So. Now that I have covered family, time to move on to friends. When I first moved home from Seattle a few years ago I met my dear friends Codi and Chris. AKA CocoChrispies  (I am so damn clever).

We bonded over a lot of different things including our love for travel and volunteering. When Codi told me she wanted to move to Prague to teach English I supported her with a heavy heart. I knew that when she left she wouldn't come back. She always told me stories of her time volunteering in India and traveling through Africa. I had the same feeling with her that I had with my best friend Kirsta when she left for Africa. I knew from experience that there are some people who were meant to travel and have adventures far away.

I was hoping when they went to Prague they would realize how awesome Arizona is (or not) and come home. That definitely backfired. Codi and Chris have been in Prague for quite a while and they have decided to go to Cambodia to volunteer. They will be teaching young children and women English, Business and other skills in order to help them succeed. This is a project that is very dear to both of their hearts. They are asking for donations to help them bring school supplies, clothes and other items that are needed. Any little bit helps. If you are interested in donating here is their gofundme link. Donate Here

 Coco puff, I love you dearly and I can't wait to see what kind of adventures you both have in Cambodia.

Review: Smashbox Master Class III

I am so excited to be writing this review! It took me a lot longer than I thought I would, but given how many color options there are, I wanted to give a thorough and educated review. The verdict is in, this palette is absolutely amazing.

So this is their 3rd palette in the Master Class series. I was a little bit hesitant to purchase this palette because the Master Class II palette was not my favorite. The colors were sub par and the packaging was terrible. I ended up returning it right after purchasing it. There is a little bit of overlap with the colors. The two palettes share 7 shades; Nectar, Flirt, Vanilla, Ambient, Golden Orchid, Blackout and Serpent. I don't know if they changed their formula, or I just didn't give the last palette a fair shake, but I love these colors.


This palette is great. The official title is Smashbox Master Class III Color -  Contour. There are 32 highly pigmented colors ranging from warm neutrals and cool tones. The way this palette is setup is fairly simple. For basic looks I tend to go down the rows, top to bottom. The top row is the highlight color, the next color I use as the crease color, the lid and the last row I use in the outer V.

I can get a full and comprehensive look out of this palette. At the bottom of the palette are the contour, bronzer, highlight and the blushes. I've definitely played around with these. The colors are nice, I can't really complain about them. For the blushes, I definitely prefer my Milani Luminoso blush. You can find that here Milani Baked Blush.



Let's talk packaging! It is flawless. I am a huge fan. It's clean, sturdy and well thought out. I love that there is a plastic guard over the shadows. It helps keep them clean. Each side also snaps out. There is an elastic band that secures the whole palette shut.

So I played around a little with the neutrals to create a natural look.  I used the first row for my eyes. Naked as the highlight, Drizzle in crease, Topaz on the lid and Royal in the outer V. I didn't use any bronzer, just the blush in Flush. (Ha, that rhymes!)

 

 I am definitely more comfortable with warmer, more neutral tones. I decided to play around with the cooler shades as well. I didn't go totally crazy. but I switched it up a bit. 

This look used Oyster as the highlight, Zoom in the crease,Ivy on the lid and Serpent in the outer V. I then went on the lower lash line and lined with Ivy and black eye liner. Ivy is such an amazing color, you can blend it out to be nice and subtle, or you can really pack it on for more drama. 

This look used the pink shades. Snow as the highlight, Rose Petal in the crease, Papaya on the lid and Peony in the outer V. I used Rose Petal and Papaya to line it as well as black eyeliner. I love, love, LOVED this look. I never thought I would look good with pink eyeshadow, but I feel like it can be blended to look amazing. I also used their contour to make my face look a little thinner.

So. Let's talk overall impressions. I adore this palette. It is a limited edition, so if you can, I would pick it up ASAP. You can find it at your local Sephora or here Master Class III 

Here is a link to the Master Class II just in case you are interested in trying that out. Master Class II

Haul: Ulta, Walgreens and CVS

So I have been putting off this haul post for about a week and a half. As you all know, it was my birthday recently. I received a couple of gift cards so I wanted to spend them before I posted a haul.

I love this time of year. It's the end of summer and everyone is marking down their seasonal items.  These Sally Hanson nail polishes were a total steal! I have several coupons for $1.00 off and target had a ton of colors on clearance for $1.74. I signed up for the Julep Maven box and was able to get my first box for the price of shipping. They still have that deal going on. You can sign up here http://www.julep.com/

On top of finding great sales on nail polishes I found great discounts on nail files, clippers and stickers!

I found these brushes on clearance for about $7.50 at target. I bought two sets, one for me and one for a giveaway. You can find more info about the giveaways on my Instagram MRS_STEVIE_  I have tried out the brushes and I really like them. I use the short, flat brush for contouring. So far it's been working out really well.

I use makeup removing wipes all of the time. When I'm doing swatches it makes it go by so much quicker when I don't have to wash my hands every time I swatch something. I will have a review on makeup wipes in a week or two. I'm also very excited to try out the L'Oreal skin products.

I found a lot of sets on clearance as well. The only one that wasn't on clearance in this picture was the Smashbox master class palette. I absolutely love this palette so far. I have swatched the Pixi palette as well and so far it's great.

I bought a couple of new foundations. I have tried and reviewed the Maybelline Dream Wonder foundation and I love it. You can find that review here: Maybelline Dream Wonder Review

I bought a ton of single eye shadows as well. I have tried a couple of Essence shadows, but  not enough to review. I'm very excited to try the NYX loose pigments as well.  I have a review of the Milani Gel Powder eye shadows here: Milani Bella Eyes Review

To finish off the haul I got some new eyeliners and mascaras. I'm very excited to try the NYX purple mascara. I'm hoping it's really pigmented and makes a statement!! I've heard great things about jane cosmetics and essence mascaras.

I cannot wait to try out all of my products and review them. I hate opening up my goodies before I take pictures, so most of these items have gone untouched for a week. It's been pure torture! I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will have a baby update posted soon!!

Review: Milani Bella Eyes

I am so very, very excited about this. Milani is one of my absolute favorite drugstore brands. I love their baked blushes and bronzers. I could talk about this brand forever. Milani just released their new eyeshadow collection. I went to CVS the day they received their shipment because I was so excited. There are 30 gorgeous colors in their collection.

The formula is phenomenal.  They call it a gel powder. I have never heard of a gel powder before, but if this is what I can expect, consider me sold! The texture isn't a gel at all, it starts a gel and gets turned into a highly pigmented powder. They have three different finishes for the eyeshadows. They have a satin matte, shimmer, and metallic sheen.



I have a couple from all three categories. In total I purchased 8 colors. I find that I was drawn to each and every shade. I stood there for 15 minutes debating on whether or not I should just purchase them all. Thankfully my hubby was there to reign me in (temporarily).



Here are the satin matte shades.

They are absolutely gorgeous. The texture is so buttery and nice, I couldn't even believe these shadows were around $4.50. The satin matte finish is lovely, it has no shimmer but it still has a lot of dimension. They are incredibly pigmented, but that is the case with all of the shadows. I used these a lot to create more natural looks.

Bella Ivory, Bella Cappuccino, Bella Espresso

These are the shimmery shades. Initially I was drawn to these shades because I love me some shimmer! The description is very accurate, shimmery is an understatement. A little bit goes a long way. I love how gorgeous and feminine these colors are.

Normally these are shades that would intimidate me, but I found them to be really gorgeous. They are very shimmery and when I used them I did so sparingly.

Bella Charcoal, Bella Violet, Bella Rose

Here are the metallic sheen colors. Holy cow these are so, so bright. I keep saying how pigmented these shadows are, and it's true. They are so wonderfully bright. These ones are great for creating a more dramatic look.

These ones swatched the brightest. They are highly pigmented. I found that I reached a lot for the bronze shade and less for the red.

Bella Rouge, Bella Bronze

My overall impression of these shadows is great. I absolutely love the colors. The textures are wonderfully buttery and the application is flawless. There is little to no fallout, even with the shimmery shades. The price point on these is really astounding. One of their claims is one stroke application and that is definitely true.



Milani also came out with new nail polishes. I am doing my best to stop buying nail polishes because I have so many. So... it will probably be a week until I break down and buy them. I will also be purchasing the rest of these shadows. I really, really enjoy them

Review: Maybelline New York Dream Wonder Foundation

During my latest drugstore haul I picked up the newest Maybelline foundation, Dream Wonder. I've been playing with it for the last week or so and I think I can give a pretty solid review on this product.

So. Let's start with overall performance. I really, really like this product. It's super matte and it feels nice and light on the skin. The coverage is great. It's light to medium coverage that you can build up so you have a more full coverage look.

The consistency of the foundation is very, very thin. It is comparable to the Bare Minerals Bareskin foundation that came out recently. I actually like this much, much better because it has a matte finish. Also.. being less than half the price certainly helps. 

I do have one complaint. The applicator is stupid. I absolutely hate it. It has an interesting shape to it, but it is a hard plastic. The formula is super thin, so it doesn't stick to the applicator. It drips off of the applicator and on to my hands or my desk. This was not a well thought out design. This is perhaps my biggest pet peeve with makeup, frivolous designs that get in the way of application. 

So. My overall impressions about this foundation are good. I love it, the price point is phenomenal and the coverage is really solid.  I do recommend a primer underneath it in order to make it last longer and some setting powder if you get oily. This is definitely on its way to becoming one of my favorite drugstore foundations. 

Review: Covergirl XL Nail Gel

I know I have a problem. My name is Stephanie, and I'm a nail polish junkie. Whew. Ok, I feel much better now!

So, I went to Walgreens recently and bought a ridiculous amount of nail polishes, as well as other items. I am currently writing that haul blog right now. It should be out by Wednesday. So, I found these beauties at the drugstore. I was watching a haul video from some beauty vloggers that I love. They said they had tried these polishes and they were like gel. Now, I was a little wary because they are Covergirl spokeswomen. I am naturally a little hesitant when I try products that are recommended by a representative of that specific brand. Anyways, here are the colors.


The pink is Whole Lotta Guave and the yellow is Haughty Lemon.

So I tried both colors, but the pink was the only one that applied well. I was kind of impartial about the formula and application. The color didn't last a long time and it wasn't super shiny. Overall, I will probably be returning these to the drugstore or putting them in a giveaway. Here is the pink.

Now, it appears that having polish that is just as shiny and long lasting as gel nails is all the rage. I feel like the first brand to do it was probably Revlon. I picked these up about a month ago. You don't use a base coat and you use their Colorstay Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat. Overall, I wasn't super impressed. It wasn't long wearing and the top coat takes a very, very long time to dry. 

When I went to the drugstore last week I saw that Sally Hansen came out with Miracle Gel. This says it lasts up to 14 days. The directions for these are to use two coats of the color, one coat of the miracle top coat and let natural light do the rest. I haven't tried these, they are brand new, but I will be writing a review when I have tried them. They are a little more on the pricey side. At CVS they were 9.99 for each color or 15.99 for this set. 

I would love to find a good alternative to gel nails. I hate having to go to the salon for an hour because it means I have to pack up the baby and find someone to watch her. It's also really annoying having to try and take them off myself. The cost of gel nails is also quite ridiculous. I'm really hoping that the Sally Hansen ones work. I have liked most of what I used from Sally Hansen, so hopefully this lives up to my expectations. 

Baby Update!!!

So. My little girl is almost 16 weeks old. I can't believe that my little newborn is now a baby. She is doing all kinds of fun and exciting baby things. Like right now.. she's pooping in her diaper. As. We. Speak.

She is right on the cusp of rolling over on her own. I discovered this while trying to get the baby to nap in her pack n play without me holding her. It has been a difficult task to say the least. I'm not sure if it's harder on her or on me. Probably me.

That was her towards the end of her little temper tantrum. No one was there to take a picture of me.. crying in the corner.. haha. Seriously, this is probably the hardest thing I've ever done.

This is my "I'm weak and I picked her up" face. 

I just have to remember, this is only temporary. One day she will be able to sleep in her own room, in her own bed. Hopefully before she is a teenager. Anyways, moving on...

She is also getting much stronger. She can support her weight on her legs and stand up if we hold her hands.

We recently went to Once Upon a Child to buy the baby some new sleep sacks and onesies. I love consignment store shopping. Cute clothes at a fraction of the cost.

I hope that Mads has a penchant for bargain shopping just like her mama. I love going there, especially when I have my friends with me. We live really close to Mads Auntie Summer and Uncle Mason. It's great hanging out with them because I've known Mason for years and we have babies that are very close in age. 

That mustard chair really compliments Mads red hair. The baby to the left is Mads best friend August. I just can't get enough of little August's cheeks. They are seriously so squishable. I'm so excited for our babies to grow up together. 

This kid loves her accessories. I absolutely love her red hair and her giant smile. This little girl is the light of our lives. I can already tell that she is a daddy's girl.

And then Dad came home....

She loves her Dad, and who can blame her? If you ask me, she has excellent taste. 

Can I just say how much I love these leggings? Thanks to my dear friend Kirsta for passing them on to Mads. We got compliments left and right. 

Thank you to everyone for reading and sharing my blog. I'm starting to get a ton of views every day and I really appreciate it. I'm really glad that I have an outlet to talk about the things I love. I have a few different posts that I'm working on including my most recent drugstore haul, a review of the new Smashbox Master Class palette and my top 10 drugstore and high end products.