Favorite Thing #207 - Black Amethyst from Bath and Body Works

This is my new favorite fall/winter non-perfume scent. Favorite Thing #207, Bath and Body Works' Black Amethyst is the perfect scent for days when I don't want perfume but still want a subtle scent. It's the perfect blend of scents - not to floral, fruity or musky. It's hard to describe what the scent actually is but the website says it has Italian Bergamot, Rare Camellias, Exotic Sandalwood and Vetiver in it. I definitely recommend it and for the new followers this might be one of the surprise giveaways!

My first Gilt purchase!

I finally made my first Gilt purchase. I bought this Sheila Fajl Lemon Quartz 18k gold-plated ring. The ring was on final sale at Gilt for $95 and I had $50 in credit so it was a great price. It's the perfect gold cocktail ring that will go with any outfit. I looked the ring up and found that it's currently selling on Endless for $160 so I definitely got an amazing deal! Here are a few pics of the ring that I took with my blackberry. Sorry the quality isn't very good.


For those of you that don't know, Gilt is an invitation, online sample sale site, like Rue La La. Click here to sign up using my personal link. I still like Rue La La better - wide variety of prices, easier to view site and better selection. Click Here to sign up for Rue La La using my personal invitation link.

Weekend Recap - Holiday Fun

This weekend we started celebrating the holidays with family and friends. Dinner out in the city on Friday night and then a day of fun with my BILs, SILs, nieces and nephew.

Favorite Thing #206 - Bare Minerals All Over Face Color

The final step in my new makeup routine is Favorite Thing #206 - Bare Minerals All Over Face Color. This bronzer is amazing. I'd been wanting to try Bare Minerals for awhile because I've heard nothing but great things about the products. This product adds just a little bit of color to my pale winter face. This is going to sound cheesy but I think it gives me a glow. One of the things I love about it is that it blends so well and doesn't look fake. It doesn't dry me out which is great for winter skin but might not be the best product if you have oily skin. A little goes a long way with this one. I definitely recommend this product!

So now you have my full winter foundation/powder routine. Let me know if you have any questions!

Favorite Thing #205 - Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation

I needed a new foundation for winter and have heard lots of great things about Make Up For Ever's HD Foundation so I decided to try it. It instantly became a favorite thing. I apply the foundation after Favorite Thing #204. The foundation is nice and light but still gives me full coverage by evening out my skin tone and making my skin look so clear and fresh. And the best part is it lasts all day long! I absolutely love this foundation which is why I had to make it Favorite Thing #205. Check out all the reviews on Sephora I'm not the only one with great reviews of this foundation. Stay tuned for the final favorite thing in my new makeup routine.

Favorite Thing #204 - Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer

I was recently introduced to this favorite thing when I went to Sephora for a foundation match for my pastey winter skin. She put primer on and I really liked it so I decided to buy it and try it out. Favorite Thing #204 - Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer is amazing! I wasn't a believer in primers until trying this one. You put this on after your moisturizer. It's a gel based primer that goes on light (you don't need a lot) so you don't feel like you have a lot on your face...moisturizer, primer and foundation. I feel like it fills in my lines and evens out my skin. Stay tuned for my new favorite foundation!

Product Review: Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potions

I absolutely love Favorite Thing #197 - Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer in Sin. I use it almost everyday. Since Sephora is offering all of the primers in a trial set for $29 I decided I've try all of them and maybe fall in love with a few more. I was super disappointed in all of them except my favorite sin. The original primer I felt didn't really give me good coverage and didn't lighten my eye lid at all. I also felt that my eye shadow didn't stay on as long as it does when I use sin. Eden was more of a matte finish with yellow tones which I hated. The coverage was better than the original but I was not a fan of the coloring. I was hopefully that I would like Greed because it has the shimmer sheen that I like about Sin. The coverage was great, love the sheen but hated the color. It has yellow tones and I just didn't like how my eye lids looked. So after trying all of them I've decided I'm going to stick to my favorite one - Sin.

Almost to 200 followers and an eye cream update

I can't believe I'm almost to my 2010 goal of hitting 200 followers. I have a very special surprise for my 200th follower and a few other surprises for the new followers #197-#205. :)

I wanted to updated everyone on my eye cream search. I've decided to try Bosica's Intensive Eye Treatment. I picked it up yesterday so I will definitely keep you posted with my thoughts on it.

A New Etsy Find!

A found these adorable bags while browsing Etsy a few weeks ago. KaraMiaSofia has an adorable shop with so many cute makeup bags in really great patterns. I ordered a couple and they are absolutely ADORABLE. The price is great and each bag came individual wrapped. She has an array of makeup pouches, gadget pouches and clutches. I definitely recommend you check her stuff out - great quality, very affordable and super cute.

Favorite Thing #203 - Oxo Pop Containers

I kept seeing this containers in Target and Crate and Barrel so I decided to pick one up and try it out. These quickly became Favorite Thing #203. The Oxo Pop Containers are containers that have create an airtight seal and keep food fresh. Containers come in all different sizes. They are dishwashers safe (containers not lids) and made of BPA-free plastic. We primarily use these for chips, pretzel, crackers, etc. I definitely recommend them!

Holiday/Winter Home Scents

There's nothing like a house over the holidays that smells like a Christmas tree and fresh baked cookies. Since we don't get a real tree and I don't have time to bake cookies I get these smells through candles.

For the fresh cut Christmas tree scent my go-to is Slatkin & Co.'s Evergreen. It can be found at Bath and Body Works and I get this in both candles and refills for my Wallflowers. I strategically place the Wallflower near the tree and when I pass by it smells like a real tree.

For that fresh baked cookie smell my go-to is Yankee Candle's Christmas Cookie. It's the perfect scent to burn in your kitchen, if only you got cookies right along with it. :) I picked up Yankee's Red Apple Wreath this year to try. I'll let you know if it makes the holiday/winter rotation.

What's your favorite holiday/winter scent?

Favorite Thing #202 - The Original Gal Pal

I can't remember how I came across this favorite thing and can't believe I haven't blogged about it sooner! I've been using Favorite Thing #201 - The Original Gal Pal for years to take deodorant off my clothing. It never fails that every time I put on a shirt I end up with deodorant marks on either side. This sponge is the only thing that I have found to really remove it. You don't have to get it wet just buff away with the sponge and the deodorant disappears. They are available at drugstore.com for $11. Perfect gift or stocking stuffer. If you go through drugstore.com you can get 6% cash back from Ebates. My regular readers know how much I love Ebates but if you are new to my blog here is some info on it.

This is by far the easiest way to earn FREE money by shopping online. All you have to do is go to Ebates, log in, search for the store you plan on shopping at, click the link and voila you are taken there and all you have to do is shop! Each store has a corresponding percentage of cash back. For example when I ordered stuff from Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale I received $6.18 in cash back. And the money just adds up. Every quarter Ebates will send you a check and all you have to do is cash it. My next Ebates check will be for over $100! If you haven't already signed up, I definitely recommend that you do. You get $5 just for signing up! Click here to start getting free money!

Eye Cream Suggestions

My eye cream is pretty much gone and I'm not in love with it so I thought before I try a new eye cream, I would ask my readers for recommendations. Currently I'm using Murad's Intensive Wrinkle Reducer for Eyes. My main goal from an eye cream is to diminish fine lines and wrinkles. Let me know your suggestions.

Thanksgiving Recap

Sorry I've been MIA this past week. We got back from Thanksgiving week and then I went to NY for work and I've been home sick since I got back. Thanksgiving was great. This year we went to Hubby's family for the holiday (we will visit my family for Christmas). First half of the trip was spent at my father-in-laws. While we were there, I made a turkey breast in a crock pot. Super easy recipe and the meat was so moist. All you do is put a cup of chicken broth, cut up white onion and celery in a pot with seasoned breast and let it cook for a couple of hours. It was perfect! Here are some pictures from the first half of our trip.


After a few days at my FIL, we headed to my MIL for the rest of the trip. We had a great time visiting with family and friends. One big accomplishment of this visit was capturing a picture of all the grandkids on that side. A few years ago my MIL got married so between her and her husband there are 13 grandchildren and counting. Here are pics from rest of our trip.