Review: Bobbi Brown Hot Cocoa Palette

Hi Ladies! 

For the month of December, Bobbi Brown was running a Facebook Gift of Glam giveaway. They were giving away tons of the Hot Cocoa Palette ($80.00 value) and a grand prize of $500.00 worth of Bobbi Brown products. This was really an awesome and generous contest. I was one of the lucky winners of the Hot Cocoa Palette. I was very excited to win this since I don't ever win these type of things. Also, I have never tried any Bobbi Brown products before (primarily because of the cost). Below is a review of this palette and a look that I created with it.

First off, here is the packaging:

BEAUTY CROWN AWARDS 2013: Facial Care Products and Tools

Hi Ladies,

Here are my top picks for Facial Care Products and Tools for the Beauty Crown Awards 2013!

The Beauty Crown Awards are a yearly favorites collaborative effort including beauty bloggers around the globe. The Beauty Crown Awards were created by Lily from Beauty with Lily Liz from My Pretty Obsessions, Jackie from Five Two Certified, and Shalunya from Shalunya & Boyet. We felt that a collaborative effort from a large number of beauty bloggers would be much more interesting to our readers and would garner more attention. The Beauty Crown Awards are a 5 week event with each week covering types of products.

Week 1 - Personal Care Products - Dec 2 - Dec 8, 2013

Week 2 - Facial Products - Dec 9 - Dec 15, 2013

Week 3 - Lip & Nail Products - Dec 16 - Dec 22, 2013

Week 4 - Eye & Misc Products - Dec 23 - Dec 29, 2013

Week 5 - Facial Care Products & Tools - Dec 30 - Jan 4, 2014

Week 5 of the Beauty Crown Awards covers Facial Care Products & Tools. Below are my selections:

FACIAL SKIN CARE

Cleansers-Clarins Water Purify One Step Cleanser with Mint Essential Water

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from The Lovetere's

Hello Ladies! 

I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday from my family to yours!

Enjoy the time off with your family, friends, and loved ones... since this is what life is really all about!

Love, 

Tanya

xoxox

BEAUTY CROWN AWARDS 2013: Eye and Misc Products

Hi Ladies,
Here are my top picks for Eye and Misc Products for the Beauty Crown Awards 2013!

The Beauty Crown Awards are a yearly favorites collaborative effort including beauty bloggers around the globe. The Beauty Crown Awards were created by Lily from Beauty with Lily Liz from My Pretty Obsessions, Jackie from Five Two Certified, and Shalunya from Shalunya & Boyet. We felt that a collaborative effort from a large number of beauty bloggers would be much more interesting to our readers and would garner more attention. The Beauty Crown Awards are a 5 week event with each week covering types of products.

Week 1 - Personal Care Products - Dec 2 - Dec 8, 2013

Week 2 - Facial Products - Dec 9 - Dec 15, 2013

Week 3 - Lip & Nail Products - Dec 16 - Dec 22, 2013

Week 4 - Eye & Misc Products - Dec 23 - Dec 29, 2013

Week 5 - Facial Care Products & Tools - Dec 30 - Jan 4, 2014

Week 4 of the Beauty Crown Awards covers Eye & Misc Products. Below are my Week 4 selections:

EYES

Primer-M.A.C. Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly

Get the Look for Less

Look 1: Keri Washington Wrap Jacket

Not Just a Pretty Face Wrap Coat $58.00 at The Red Dress Boutique

Look 2: Salma Hayek  Mixed Fabric Dress

Sleeveless Dress $34.95 at H&M

Review: Ipsy Glam Bag December 2013

Hi Ladies! 

I FINALLY received my first Ipsy Glam Bag! I was SO excited when I was handed the metallic hot pink bubble package that came for me in the mail. For those of you not familiar with Ipsy, it is a monthly beauty subscription service.  For $10.00 a month you receive 4-5 deluxe or full size beauty products. You fill out a detailed profile so that they have a better idea of what type of products to send you. There are all kinds of fun contests and giveaways each month on IPSY and their Facebook page. There are also special offers by the featured brands of the month. For example, this month, Be a Bombshell is offering 40% off your order plus a free blush with purchase when you enter a special Ipsy code. This subscription service has received awesome reviews and blows Birch Box away. 

Makeup Brush 101

Hey Ladies!

I decided to do a video with a run down of all of the makeup brushes that I use on a daily basis.  I also wanted to explain the uses of each and where you can get them. Enjoy the video!

Note: Please excuse my bra that is quite visible in this video...going forward I will not wear this shirt while shooting lol.



These are the e.l.f. Studio Brushes that I discussed in the video. 

e.l.f. Studio 11 Piece Brush Collection $30.00 

You can purchase them online HERE!

What are your favorite makeup brushes? Post your comments below!

BEAUTY CROW AWARDS 2013: Lip and Nail Products

Hi Ladies,
Here are my top picks for Lip and Nail Products for the Beauty Crown Awards 2013!

The Beauty Crown Awards are a yearly favorites collaborative effort including beauty bloggers around the globe. The Beauty Crown Awards were created by Lily from Beauty with Lily Liz from My Pretty Obsessions, Jackie from Five Two Certified, and Shalunya from Shalunya & Boyet. We felt that a collaborative effort from a large number of beauty bloggers would be much more interesting to our readers and would garner more attention. The Beauty Crown Awards are a 5 week event with each week covering types of products.

Week 1 - Personal Care Products - Dec 2 - Dec 8, 2013

Week 2 - Facial Products - Dec 9 - Dec 15, 2013

Week 3 - Lip & Nail Products - Dec 16 - Dec 22, 2013

Week 4 - Eye & Misc Products - Dec 23 - Dec 29, 2013

Week 5 - Facial Care Products & Tools - Dec 30 - Jan 4, 2014

Week 3 of the Beauty Crown Awards covers Lip & Nail Products. Below are my Week 3 selections:

LIPS

Lipliner-M.A.C. Creamola

Recipe: Crockpot Beef and Pea Pods

Hi Ladies!

Here is a yummy dinner recipe that is SO easy! I changed a couple things from the original recipe.



Ingredients:

1 pound Stir Fry Beef
10 1/2 ounces beef broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (I use the ginger powder from my spice rack)
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
7 ounces frozen chinese pea pods (I use sugar snap peas since that is what is at Market Basket)

Directions:

Combine strips in crockpot with broth, soy sauce, ginger and onions. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours. 

Turn to high. Stir in cornstarch dissolved in the cold water. Cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened. Drop in pea pods the last 5 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/442/Beef_And_Pea_Pods55432.shtml

Enjoy!

xoxo Tanya

Holiday Looks

Hi Girls,
I have come up with some cute and affordable looks for the holidays. 

Casual Looks

Studded Front Tunic Sweater $59.90 at Express

Favorite Jeggings $19.80 at Forever21

Studded Chelsea Boots $37.90 at GOjane

Fall Lip Trend: Dark lips

Hi Ladies,

I decided to jump on the band wagon and try out the dark lips look. Check out my video below discussing the topic.



Here are the swatches of the lip color and liner that I went with:

M.A.C. Lipstick in Hang-Up $15.00 at M.A.C.

M.A.C. Lip Pencil in Burgundy $15.00 at M.A.C.

What do you think of the berry/wine lip color trend? Love it or leave it? Post your comments below!

BEAUTY CROWN AWARDS 2013: Facial Products

Hi Ladies,
Here are my top picks for Facial Products for the Beauty Crown Awards 2013!

The Beauty Crown Awards are a yearly favorites collaborative effort including beauty bloggers around the globe. The Beauty Crown Awards were created by Lily from Beauty with Lily Liz from My Pretty Obsessions, Jackie from Five Two Certified, and Shalunya from Shalunya & Boyet. We felt that a collaborative effort from a large number of beauty bloggers would be much more interesting to our readers and would garner more attention. The Beauty Crown Awards are a 5 week event with each week covering types of products.

Week 1 - Personal Care Products - Dec 2 - Dec 8, 2013

Week 2 - Facial Products - Dec 9 - Dec 15, 2013

Week 3 - Lip & Nail Products - Dec 16 - Dec 22, 2013

Week 4 - Eye & Misc Products - Dec 23 - Dec 29, 2013

Week 5 - Facial Care Products & Tools - Dec 30 - Jan 4, 2014

Week 2 of the Beauty Crown Awards covers Face Products. Below are my Week 2 selections:

FACE

Primer-e.l.f. Studio Mineral Infused Face Primer in Brightening Lavender

BB Cream-M.A.C. Prep and Prime BB Beauty Balm

Holiday Treats: Cookies and Cream Bars

Hey Ladies!
Keeping in theme with the holidays, here is a SUPER EASY treat to make for your parties. 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/174373816793542988/

Holiday Look: Hair Tutorial

Hi Ladies,
Here is part two of my Holiday Look Tutorial.

This is my first video tutorial so bear with me! Hopefully I get better as time goes on.

 Here is the finished look! It didn't come out perfect but it worked for my pictures. I did learn that my hair doesn't curl well after straightening it the day before. I will most definitely remember this for next time....

Holiday Look: Makeup Tutorial

Hi Ladies,
I had holiday pictures taken and figured I would do a makeup and hair tutorial to go along with my look. I didn't decide until AFTER I did my make that I was going to do my first video tutorial.

For my makeup I wanted a bright festive look. I decided to use a gold very shimmery/pearl shadow on my lids (Too Faced Honeymoon). I used a velvety shadow not something that was heavily glittered. I used a matte brown shadow on my crease (Too Faced Teddy Bear) and a white matte shadow on my brow bone(Too Faced In the Buff). After applying the matte brown I felt as if it didn't complement the lid color as much as I wanted so I went in with a warmer brown matte shadow with some specs of shimmer (M.A.C. Texture).

BEAUTY CROWN AWARDS 2013: Personal Care Products

Hi Ladies,
Here are my top picks for Personal Care Products for the Beauty Crown Awards 2013!

The Beauty Crown Awards are a yearly favorites collaborative effort including beauty bloggers around the globe. The Beauty Crown Awards were created by Lily from Beauty with Lily Liz from My Pretty Obsessions, Jackie from Five Two Certified, and Shalunya from Shalunya & Boyet. We felt that a collaborative effort from a large number of beauty bloggers would be much more interesting to our readers and would garner more attention. The Beauty Crown Awards are a 5 week event with each week covering types of products.

Week 1 - Personal Care Products - Dec 2 - Dec 8, 2013

Week 2 - Facial Products - Dec 9 - Dec 15, 2013

Week 3 - Lip & Nail Products - Dec 16 - Dec 22, 2013

Week 4 - Eye & Misc Products - Dec 23 - Dec 29, 2013

Week 5 - Facial Care Products & Tools - Dec 30 - Jan 4, 2014

Week 1 of the Beauty Crown Awards covers Personal Care Items. Below are my Week 1 Selections:

Holiday Wish List

Hey Girls,
There have been a ton of great holiday sets coming out from all the different cosmetic companies. For someone like me who is in heaven when I walk into a Sephora or Ulta, its so hard to decide which ones to ask for. In honor of Cyber Monday I decided to share my Christmas List with you all.

Here are the new sets at the top of my wish list:

Too Faced A Few of My Favorite Things $56.00 at Sephora

Website and Product Review: Simple Addiction

Hi Ladies, 

I have posted about this site once but I wanted to touch back again after purchasing from the company several times now.

Simple Addiction is a website that sells jewelry, clothing items, shoes, accessories etc. Each day they put up new offerings that are available for a limited time. (The item is usually available for a week or so). Once the item is off their site you can no longer purchase but they usually rotate items and they become available again at some time in the future. I came across this site on Facebook and am so happy that I found it. I love costume jewelry but have found that much of it is overpriced. This site has AWESOME prices for very unique and beautiful pieces. The most I have seen for a necklace was about $19.95. After purchasing from them I can tell you that the quality of these items are great for the price you pay. Their shipping is only $2.00 and it is free when you spend $35.00 or more. The only thing even remotely negative I have to say is it takes a little longer then normal to receive them with the standard shipping (took about a week and a half to receive my last order). But, I am always in a rush to get things so this may not bother other people. It most definitely does not stop me from ordering for them. Below are the statement necklaces that I have purchased from them in recent months. 

Celeste Jewel Necklace $8.95

Hair Tutorial:Fishtail, Dutch, and 4 Strand Braid

Pop Sugar Beauty Braid Tutorial

Hi Ladies,

 Here is a quick tutorial video that I found on the Pop Sugar Beauty Blog that I wanted to share. It shows how to create three different types of braids: the fishtail, the dutch braid, and the 4 strand braid. I loved their video because it was simple and to the point. Check out their blog or you tube page for more beauty related videos, tips, etc.

I love braiding my hair on workdays that I just really don't feel like straightening or curling it. They are quick, cute, and you can find ways to dress them up. You may not get some of these braids on the first try but practice makes perfect. 

However, a little advice....do not try new hairstyles for the first time while you are getting ready for work in the morning. I am almost always running late when I do this and end up with a simple pony when the hairstyle doesn't come out right. Practice on the weekend or the night before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohmn0tW3Ha4

What is your favorite of the 3 braids? Post your comment below!

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Hair Tutorial: Half Up Half Down Bow

Here is another bow hairdo. This is easier than the last bow tutorial. 

This only has 5 steps. 

1. Grab hair from each side of your head and pull back like you are doing a half up half down hairdo.

2.When tying the ponytail, wrap the elastic around 3 or 4 times and on the last time leave a bump with a tail on the end.

3. Take the bump and separate it down the middle.

4. Take the tail of the pony and wrap it around the middle of the bump to create the center of the bow and pin the end where it is hidden.  You can either wrap the whole tail around the middle or wrap half and leave the rest hanging.

5. Lastly, puff out each side of the bow to make it look full.

What do you think of this look? Post your comments below!

Get the Look for Less

Look 1: Miranda Kerr Maxi Dress

Short Sleeved Maxi Dress $15.80 at Forever21

Luxe Waist Belt $7.80 at Forever21

Makeup Tutorial: Classic Smokey Eye

Here is a tutorial for the classic smokey eye. You will need a matte bone/off white shadow, a matte black or dark brown shadow, and a black eyeliner. Blending is the key to this look. Start off light with the shadow and build on the color to create the look that you like. Make sure to use a blending brush to smudge the eyeliner along the lash lines. Finish with few coats of mascara.

https://www.facebook.com/makeupideass

Favorite Retail Stores

Some people may not consider me a "true" fashion blogger because I am not posting about high end designers like Versace, Carolina Herrera, D&G, etc. This is not because I don't appreciate the trends that they have created (that trickle down to the little people) but because I am interested in fashion that is obtainable to me and other people like me. These runway looks are awesome and many of the brands that I wear are inspired by these designer fashions. In this post, I am going to discuss my favorite retail stores that the average woman can shop at. There are many great brands out there but I decided to narrow it down and discuss 5.

Studded Side Slit Shaker Knit Sweater

Acid Wash Chambray Convertible Sleeve Tunic 

Hair Tutorial: Greek Goddess Updo

Here is a cute hair tutorial that would look great with a fancy dress for a wedding as well as with a blazer and jeans for a casual day out. I would consider this a moderate to hard hairsyle as the braiding underneath could get a little tricky. The woman in the tutorial named Lilith Moon has a lot of great hair tutorials on her you tube page. Click on the link to get to her page http://www.youtube.com/user/lilithedarkmoon?feature=watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZykS1hBPyg&feature=youtu.be

Would you rock this updo? Post your comments below!

Product Review: e.l.f. products

Hi Ladies,
I recently purchased my makeup wipes from e.l.f. and a special offer was being promoted on the website. You had to spend $25.00 to get the free gift so, of course I found some things to try out to get my total to reach the minimum order.

Besides 5 packs of makeup remover wipes I purchased a mascara, 2 eyeliners, and an eyeshadow.

This is the free gift that I recieved with my order. You had the choice of a warm or cool kit. I chose the warm.

Here is my review of the items that I purchased:

Hair Tutorial: Bow Updo

Here is a cute and quirky hair bow updo. It may be a little tough for people that can't french braid.

There are basically 4 steps. 

1. You start by making a french braid starting from the nape of your neck upwards. 

2. Next gather the hair into a ponytail. Once you wrap the elastic around the third or 4th time leave a bump sticking up with the remainder of our hair hanging in a ponytail.

3. Take the bump you created and part it in half. Next, take half of the hair left out and wrap it in around the middle of the separated bump and pin.

4. Lastly, take the rest of the left over hair and wrap around the base of the bow, tie the hair in a knot, and pin.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Step-by-step-hairstyle-tutorials/531075003636823

Try this out and post links to your pics below!

Makeup Tutorial: Red Bronze Eye

Here is a quick makeup tutorial. You need a reddish-brown shimmer shadow, a beige or off white shimmer shadow, and a matte dark brown shadow.The top lid is also lined with a black eyeliner. Finish with mascara.

https://www.facebook.com/makeupideass

Stitch Fix Review: Fix #4

Hi Ladies, Here is my review of Fix#4. For those of you unfamiliar with Stitch Fix, you can read my other two reviews here Stitch Fix #1 & 2 and Stitch Fix #3.

I want to start off by saying how impressed I am with the customer service at Stitch Fix. I have been in contact with the stylists several times since I have started this service. They have always been pleasant and responsive. Also, they really seem to care about making sure I have a positive experience with Stitch Fix.

After getting my last fix I was a little disappointed that I only got one long sleeved top. The other items where short sleeved/tanks. When I sent an email expressing my disappointment, I was told to always make sure I note specific requests when I schedule my fix (which I had not done). This was my second correspondence with the stylist Jenni and she assured me that she would do everything in her power to get me a fix that I am happy with. She even offered to pick the items her self for my next fix since we already had a couple conversations regarding my price point, style, etc.

At the beginning of the week my fix was due to set out, I checked in with her to make sure my notes in my profile were clear. She informed me that another stylist had already packed my fix and must have missed her notes. She said it was ready to get shipped out but that she would do her best to try to find it, pull it, and re-pick it. If she couldn't stop the shipment she said she would credit my styling fee and reship me a new order if I was not happy with what I received.  Luckily, she was able to stop it and re-packed it.

Below are the items that she chose for me.

Decker Mixed Material Hi-Lo Top $58.00