Audible Book Recommendations 2016

I’m a HUGE audiobook fan I’m pretty sure I’d go insane driving in LA traffic if I didn’t have audiobooks and podcasts to listen to. I’ve been an Audible member since 7/8/2011! I pay about $15 a month and get 1 credit for a free audiobook monthly. The Audible app is great and super easy to use as well and keeps your bookmark in the place you left off even if you switch between devices. My favorite part about the Audible app is being able to adjust the speed of the speaker which I usually put at 1.25x. You can sign-up for Audible and get a 30 day free trial with 2 free audiobooks:

As you’re about to see, I read almost exclusively non-fiction and love biographies, science, and self-help type books. Here’s some recent books I’ve been enjoying from Audible: Continue reading “Audible Book Recommendations 2016”

Amazon Holiday Gift Ideas 2016

Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed my Holiday Gifts Ideas for Her 2016 post with tons of ideas from Nordstrom! One of my hobbies is cooking and I have a lot of kitchen gadgets and tools that I have ordered from Amazon and love. So even though these aren’t beauty/dating/travel related I thought it might be helpful to see some items that could be good for a range of people on your shopping list. Also lots of these are Amazon Prime which means they have free 2-day shipping so these are great for last minute gifts too!

Continue reading “Amazon Holiday Gift Ideas 2016”

NARS Ita Brush Dupe

As an Amazon Prime member and shopaholic, I have bought all kinds of makeup and skin care goodies online hoping that they will live up to their great reviews. Spoiler alert: this NARS Ita brush dupe did.

NARS ‘Ita’ Kabuki Brush

For a long time I lusted after the NARS ‘Ita’ Kabuki Brush, but at $55 I never could bite the bullet and actually purchase it.  I also had watched a video review where the girl talked about how badly the brush shed and how disappointing it was which made me decide it probably wasn’t worth the price tag.

nars-ita-brush
NARS ITA Brush for contouring
Continue reading “NARS Ita Brush Dupe”

Makeup Remover Cloths Review

A while ago I made a post about how to avoid How to Gently Remove Makeup and Stop Ruining Your Towels and I recently tried the S & T Always Off Makeup Remover Cloths ($3.79 for 3 on Amazon) and they are amazing! These are plush microfiber (88% polyester 12% nylon) face cloths that will gently remove dirt, oil and makeup and they eliminate the need for disposable makeup wipes.

How to Use Makeup Remover Cloths

Continue reading “Makeup Remover Cloths Review”

The Face Mask You Must Try

I had seen a lot of hype online about the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Deep Pore Cleansing Mask, but I was hesitant to buy it since I was afraid it might dry my skin out a little too much.

Then I got an amazing facial from Vanessa at VaneBee Skin Care in Glendale and she recommended the mask and said it was excellent for ANY skin type so I was sold. Who doesn’t want to clean all the crap out of their pores!?

Some tips for using this mask:

    1. Wash your face first.
    2. When mixing it, be sure to mix it in a plastic or glass bowl AND with a plastic (not metal) spoon or fork! You can also use a cute lil mask kit like this:

3. The first time you use it, try mixing the clay with water instead of Apple Cider Vinegar to ease your way in. That way your face won’t have the intense pulsating feeling and if you have sensitive skin it won’t get as aggravated.

4. You’re supposed to let it dry for 5-10 minutes for sensitive skin and 15-20 for normal skin. Vanessa gave me the tip to be sure to take it off before it’s completely hardened because if you wait too long the stuff clogging your pores will also harden and won’t come out.

5. After you use it use the mask and clean it off with water use a toner and cotton round all over your face to make sure you get every last bit off. Thayer’s Witch Hazel Rose Petal Toner is a nice natural one that I use.

6.  After you’ve used the mask and toner your skin will feel tight and dry so be sure to use a good moisturizer.

7. Only use this mask about once a week so you don’t dry your skin out too much.

My pores definitely appeared smaller after using this mask and my skin felt nice and smooth- I love it and plan on using it weekly! If you try this mask, let me know!

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Last year for Father’s Day I gave my dad a themed gift that was semi-“beauty” related so I thought I’d share the idea here! I’ll start by saying that the photo in this header is from when my dad took me to Turks and Caicos. We’ve been boating and going to tropical locations since I was in the womb (literally) so this is a “fun in sun” gift idea that isn’t actually fun at all, but it is super useful and practical, so… But seriously, thank you so much daddy-o for inspiring my love of travel and exploring!

I’ve posted about how I’ve had melanoma before and my dad had basal cell carcinoma removed from his head somewhat recently. This means I try to be VERY diligent about my sun protection and try to convince my family to do the same since we live in Florida and Southern California. Here’s what I got him:
icon
icon
 Jack Black ‘Double-Duty’ Face Moisturizer SPF 20 ($28) This is a broad spectrum sunscreen meaning it protects agains UVA and UVB rays (major key). The ‘Double-Duty’ part is that it contains powerful antioxidants that help protect skin from aging from sun exposure. No matter who you are those 2 things are what you should be looking for in a sunscreen. This also had great customer reviews. Also, what man knows how to buy himself a moisturizer… Continue reading “Father’s Day Gift Ideas”

Chic Chilly Spring Fashion Deals – Faux Fur Poncho, Leather Booties, and Liquid Leggings

I’m headed to Toronto next week and needed something cute to wear in the chilly weather so I wanted to share some of the pieces I found last minute! 

Continue reading “Chic Chilly Spring Fashion Deals – Faux Fur Poncho, Leather Booties, and Liquid Leggings”

What Clothes You Need for Skiing

I’m absolutely not an expert (far far from it), but I planned my trip to Mount Hood, Oregon a few months in advance so I had plenty of time to ask everyone I knew about what clothes I needed to stay warm and comfortable while skiing. If you’ve never skied before, you’re going to need to buy or borrow the following:  Continue reading “What Clothes You Need for Skiing”