drugstore scores part 1: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

It is the general consensus that drugstore cosmetics have really upped their game this year. With all the talk surrounding the release of a few hyped products I had to see for myself what all the buzz was about. I realize that in blogging land these products are old news but I purchased these items earlier this year so these are my reviews on them after a few months of use.

The first product I had to check out were the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters. Being a lipstick/lipgloss/lipbalm/lip-anything girl I was anxious to see if these lipstick/lip balm hybrids were up my alley. Revlon promises 'buttery balm plus shiny color.' Sounds good to me! I didn’t want to go overboard and buy all 20 colors in the collection so I picked up the 2 I thought I would use the most – pinks. I grabbed Cupcake and Strawberry Shortcake.

L-R Cupcake, Strawberry Shortcake

 Cupcake is a light lavender/pink while Strawberry Shortcake is a brighter berry pink.

 Cupcake

 Strawberry Shortcake

I am totally impressed with these Lip Butters. Not only are they soft, smooth and non-drying on the lips, they are more pigmented than I was expecting. They have a beautiful shiny finish without looking glossy or sticky. I can see these being really appealing to a gal that doesn’t love the feel of lipstick but would like more color than a gloss provides. These lippies retail for $8 or $9 and can be found at Wal Mart, Shopper’s Drug Mart, Zellers, London Drugs and other drugstores. I would recommend purchasing them at Wal Mart as I learned the hard way they are more expensive other places. As much as I love them I am content with just these 2 for now. When I do purchase another Lip Butter it will be in the shade Peach Parfait as it looks like a nice nude that suits everyone.

pic stitch

I have to tell you about the new (new to me, I’m always slow with these things) app I’ve been loooooving. It’s called Pic Stitch and look what it can do!

Choose the layout you want (there’s many) and then choose photos to put in it. You can then edit those photos – color, crop, brightness, rotate, etc. – the usuals, to your liking. You can change the size of each layout to better suit each photo as well as add text or silly stickers (mustache anyone?)  to the photos. I was really impressed with how many features the app offers.

I quickly made up these few collages of pics I had on my phone to show you a bit of what the app does.


I have been using it on my facebook and am excited to implement it on my blog. It makes presenting your photos in a creative and professional way so easy.

Pic Stitch – go get it!

bachelor finale

In high school I had a girlfriend that although we had our ups and downs I still considered us to be friends. Apparently she didn't feel the same way because years later when I got engaged her brother told me that when she saw our announcement she said,

"Oh good, now they can be miserable together forever!"

Haha, seriously. Well although I don't think that's a matrimonial well wishing anyone deserves I have to admit I'm feeling that way tonight. If you are an avid Bachelor watcher you, along with the rest of us are certain that Ben is going to pick Courtney tonight and well, I think he deserves her. She has been nothing but mean and manipulative and Ben has only made me like him less and less each week. Who does he think he is? They make quite the pair. 

I hope for their sakes that much like my friend we are all wrong and they aren't miserable together forever but I'm not sure that's possible in this case. We'll have to tune in tonight to see how it all plays out. Have you been following and what's your prediction? 

remember Sleek Storm? FOTD

It has been so long since I’ve said anything about the Sleek Storm palette. It’s been so long since I’ve used the Sleek Storm palette. I blame that Naked couple in my bathroom.

After perusing through some old My Funny Valentine’s posts I came across her review of the drugstore favorite and remembered why I love it so much. It really is great quality for such a great price. I dusted the old friend off and created this look. I’ve been sticking to neutrals so much lately I decided to add a punch of slate blue to the outer V and crease with blue eyeliner on my waterline.

I was once again impressed by these Sleek eyeshadows. Their pigmentation and finish is really something you would find in high end makeup. If you have wine taste on a beer budget this is a great find! Sleek cosmetics give you an opportunity to wear incredible makeup without breaking the bank. I would love to try some of their blushes and pout polishes. I'd like to explore this line some more. What are your favorite Sleek products?

a portrait

Porter finished this and said, “I’m sorry I drew your hair like that momma. Do you sometimes wear it like that?”

Love it. 

upside down french braid

Every time I see this hairstyle I want to try it myself but have never gotten around to it. This morning on my newsfeed I saw Whippy Cake had posted a tutorial on how to create this look and so while Rigby napped and Porter played with bubbles in the kitchen I decided I’d give it a go.

My style is a little less polished so I didn’t do the braid as tight as she did nor did I take as small sections. This was my first attempt so that tells you how simple it is. I was certain I’d have to start over a few times but I actually didn’t have to. It was a little tricky to wrap my brain around doing it all upside down but when it came down to it the worst part of the process was just a sore back from bending over. If you can french braid your own hair already I don’t see why this should give you any trouble.  



I followed Whippy Cake’s tutorial exactly and although I think it turned out cute I’ll probably try something different with the front next time. Having my hair all pulled back isn’t my favorite look for myself so I will try and work some kind of side swept thing or something next time. I have appreciated not having to fiddle with my bangs and pull hair out of my eyes all day though and having the hair pulled up off my neck without chance of loosening and falling out is really great too.



I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this hair-do is. I will definitely do it again and I’d like to try it while my hair is curled and has a little more volume and texture. Have any of you tried this style before? Do you have any variations of what could be done with the front?

the kindergarten question: we have made a decision

If you know me you'll know I did not arrive at this decision lightly. Choosing what scent of dryer sheets to buy sends me into a panic so you can imagine this was a big deal. I want to thank all of you again for your input and advice, we really did consider a lot of your thoughts when making our decision.

It's funny because even typing this now I am somewhat surprised at the choice we made. From the get-go I felt good about putting Porter into school this fall and thought that we would just go ahead with that plan when in fact, we have chosen to keep him home another year. I guess the most simple way to explain why we chose this is because it will make our life as a family unit much easier. As you know we move away every summer and with our job starting at the end of April we would have to be apart for 2 months. Not fun. Keeping Porter home this fall gives us one more year doing this job before we have to make any kind of decisions regarding how we will work that out. This wasn't our only consideration while making our decision but it was a big one, and I think a very valid point.

Of course we were also sure to consider what would be best for Porter individually. We took into account the fact that while yes, he is very bright and articulate he would definitely benefit from another year at home to grow and mature emotionally. I am not in a rush to get him off to school and think that another year home with his family will be a positive thing. I found myself saying over and over, "well, if we don't have to send him..." I don't see a point in making him grow up any faster than he has to. I foresee going to kindergarten at age 5 instead of 4 will help build his confidence and make him a leader as he will be one of the oldest in his class and will be with kids closer to his age which will be a more comfortable environment for him.

I believe he would have been fine either way but as so many of you have said there are no risks in keeping him home whereas there are potential risks in sending him too early. I felt like if we didn't have to send him, why would we when it would make our family life less confusing and he would have another year to grow and develop which only improves his opportunity for success.

So there. We decided. I have spoken to his teacher and she is in full support and looks forward to having him next year. I think we've done the right thing.

hair revolution

I know, another post about hair. I have mentioned a few times now that I don’t feel especially talented in the hair department but after a recent hair-doing-tutorial from my amazing friend Rachael I am confident in saying that deep down I really do have some skills. Look what I did!



Besides the insightful and helpful tips she gave me she also told me about a thermal spray she has been using and really likes. I have used thermal sprays in the past but after finding they made my hair too sticky, too heavy or too limp I stopped using them. She told me about an inexpensive (around $10) product from Sally Beauty Supply called Flat Iron Addict.

It’s an aerosol spray (I find those pump sprays disperse too much product and make your hair wet and weighed down) and it has a mild smell. Best of all while it protects your hair it makes it shiny and helps hold the curl. I think the lasting curl was what thrilled me most about using this product, surprisingly the above picture was taken after a long Sunday afternoon nap. :) This spray does not leave my hair feeling sticky, heavy or flat at all. I am really impressed with this thermal spray and wanted to share as maybe some of you have had a hard time finding a product that works for you too.

Happy good hair day!

Hard Candy Glamoflauge

I had been using MAC Pro Longwear concealer and absolutely loved it but when that pump pumped it’s last pump I was in need of something in a hurry. I knew it was getting low but hadn’t planned ahead and we don’t have a MAC in town to go and replace it. I had remembered Natalie from Miss Natty’s Beauty Diary say she had used Hard Candy Glamoflauge before and loved it (you can read her review here) and frankly if that gal told me rubbing peanut butter on my face was the next hot thing, I’d at least try it. I had to look at 2 different Wal Marts but I finally found a selection of these concealers. I don’t remember the exact price but this tube was around $7, much cheaper than $21 price tag of the Pro Longwear. I picked up the shade ‘light’ and it’s perfect for my skin tone.



The things I like most about this concealer are similar to the aspects I loved about the Pro Longwear. It is so blendable, almost to the point that no blending is even needed. It melts right into your foundation and some light tapping to smooth out the edges is all that is really required. This concealer is quite a bit thicker and more heavy than the Pro Longwear (the packaging says it can be used to cover tattoos. I don’t have any to test it on but I thought that was an impressive claim) and a little goes a long way. I have not had any creasing problems with this product as I have with other under-the-eye concealers, and it really covers. I have a small problem area on my chin right now and a little dab of this truly conceals any redness.



After using Glamoflauge for a couple months I don’t feel the need to go back to Pro Longwear. With the price of this concealer and it’s easier availability to me I am quite satisfied to say it is my new go-to. Once I learned that only a small amount was needed (the above dot would do for a week, no joke) I have been really happy with this product and think Hard Candy has done a great job with an inexpensive offering. I would highly recommend checking this out.

$1 cardigan

You know I love a good bargain but an exceptional bargain is something I get really excited about.

The other day when I was in Wal Mart I happened past a $5 clearance rack and saw these cute grey cardigans. I love me a cardigan so I stopped to take a look. I am on a shopping hiatus right now as there is nothing I need and I don’t wear all of what I’ve got. But a cardigan, there’s always room for a cardigan. I liked the fit and the light grey is versatile so I thought that for $5 this was allowed to come home with me. Wouldn’t you believe my surprise when I took it to the till and it rang through at $1! One dollah! I thought a $5 cardigan was a steal but a $1 cardigan is a joke, a purchase my deal-attracting-mother would be proud of.  She always takes things to the till just to have them ring in cheaper and I’m pretty happy she’s passed on those genes to me.



What’s your greatest bargain story? I once bought an $85 toaster oven for $30 because it was priced wrong, that was a good deal. Or the $20 jeans I loved so much I went back to buy another pair and they were marked down to $10. Or the jacket I bought for $15 when the original tag was for over $60.  I love a bargain.