Empties: Products I've Used Up

Welcome back!! Today I thought that I would finally get rid of the trash that has been sitting in the corner of my dressing room the last couple months!  Its finally time to throw out the garbage I've been hoarding.  I did film a video going through all of this, if you'd like to check it out, CLICK HERE. But, as promised in the video, I am listing out all of the products below for your reference!  Hope you enjoy!!  Please note that I have kind grouped things together in a way that made it easy to photograph, this may not be the same order they are talked about in the video. 

Bath & Body Works Body Spray in Pink Chiffon -- I am SO sad, I just got an email saying this is on the retiring list

Dove Advanced Care Cooling Essentials Deodorant in Cucumber Mellon

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

Mary Kay Clear Proof Blemish ControlToner

Mary Kay Oil Free Eye Make Up Remover (x2)

Mary Kay Timewise Day Solution

MAC Brush Cleaner

Mary Kay Timewise Moisturizer for Combo to Oily

Dollar Shave Club Razor heads (Click here for review of dollar shave club)

Almay Get Up and Grow Mascara in black brown
L'Oreal Voluminous Extra Volume Collagen Mascara in black brown (x2)
Revlon Lash Potion Mascara in blackened brown
Maybelline Line Stiletto Liquid Eye Liner in blackened brown
Revlon Color Stay Eye Liner in black brown (x2)

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Face Primer
Cover Girl 3 in 1 Foundation in Creamy Natural and Classic Ivory
Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo Metal Barelu Branded
Orly Nail Defense Stregthening Protein Treatmen
Mary Kay Eye Brow Gel
Mary Kay Pressed Powder

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Tropical Mango
Equate Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaning & Disinfecting Lens Care System
TRESemme' Tres Two Hairspray
Suave Revitalizing Lotion
Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser
Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Conditioner
Mary Kay 2-in-1 Wash & Shave
Dermarest Psoriasdis Medication Shampoo Plus Conditioner

And there you have it!! This is the trash that I've been hoarding!  I must say, this bunch contains a ton of my go to stuff.  Very little of it is stuff that I wouldn't or haven't re-purchases.  Which probably tells me that I need to push myself out of my comfort zone for the next one!

Until next time...

xoxo,

Mikal-Anne

***** Links listed above may contain affiliates links.****

** Not a sponsored video. Post contains my genuine recommendations and opinions. ***

Get Ready With Me Series Part 2 & CoverGirl 3-in-1 Foundation

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed last weeks blog! I am really enjoying doing a series of blogs that are linked together! If you missed it, last week I talked about the NYX HD Concealer, if you'd like to check that out, click here!

Now... onto today's product... I used the Covergirl 3-in-1 foundation in shade 820, creamy natural.. When I am doing a full face routine my foundation is actually my second step ... well, third, if you count primer.  I will apply primer, a concealer that matches my skin tone to cover up my dark circles and then I will apply foundation.  

The 3-in-1 is a glass bottle with a pump.  Can you say YAY!  I love products that have a pump.  I feel like they are less messy and that it's easier to get to the product.  

I will pump about 1.5 to 2 pumps to the back of my hand.  I will apply a little more on the days that I skip using concealer under my foundation. 

I have applied this foundation both with a brush and a beauty blender and it works well both ways.  However, right now I am leaning more towards applying with my beauty blender for one reason.  I am struggling with a little bit of dry skin on my nose.  When I apply foundation with the beauty blender, my foundation doesn't seem to stick to my dry spots.  I just end up with a better finished product.

Now, addressing the picture.  The picture on the left I have only applied my moisturizer and primer.  The picture on the right is after I've applied the concealer and then my foundation.  

Now, what do I think ... you can probably already tell :-)

I LOVE this product and have been using it for a long time.  This is probably my 4th or 5th bottle that I've purchased.  It's one of those products that when I notice that I'm starting to get a little low, I go buy another bottle! I don't want to run out!

I would say that this a a medium coverage foundation that is definitely build-able.  Because I have freckles, I can't really rock a true full coverage foundation because it looks weird if I completely cover up my freckles.  However, I do need a good foundation that will even out the way my skin looks and this product does this!

I do notice that I will get a little bit of break down around my chin but I think that's because I am a face toucher.  I find myself resting my chin on my hand throughout the day and I think this cause it to break down a bit.  I have not noticed a breakdown anywhere else.

Easy to apply, long lasting, and a drug store foundation... SCORE!!

Have you tried this foundation out? ... What do you think?

Make sure to come back next week for a review of Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes Review!!  This series will pick up the week after!

Until next time!

xoxo,

Mikal-Anne

Monday Morning Coffee: Liebster Award

Good morning lovelies!  As you can probably tell, I had taken some time away from the blog.  If you follow me on twitter (link) you may know that I had a family member have some medical issues.  I spent some time with them and had to get back into the swing of things.  When I logged back into write today's Monday Morning Coffee post, I found a comment on my last Monday Morning Coffee talking about my mini weekend away (link).  The comment was from Janine Hill, writer of A Beautiful Whim (link),  nominating me for a Liebster Award! 

I'm not going to lie, I had to do some investigating because I wasn't sure what this award was! The award is given to bloggers by bloggers.  First, the person receiving the nomination answers eleven questions chosen by the person who nominated them. Second, you nominate other bloggers.  Lastly,  you come up with eleven more questions for the people you nominate to answer. 

This is such a fun concept! Connecting bloggers and giving them kudos for what they are doing it! I love it! This was such an amazing thing to find today! I write this blog because I enjoy sharing and I wonder if anyone is actually reading and gaining something from it.  Finding this comment from Janine was so heart warming!!  Please stop by A Beautiful Whim.  I hadn't read her blog before my nomination, but if only one thing comes out of this, I have found another blog to read! 

Now off to the questions!

1.  What is a cosmetic brand that you have always wanted to try but haven’t yet?

I must say I have to go with Make Up For Ever.  Everyone raves about the HD foundation and I really want to try it!  

2.  Do you wear false lashes and if so, what are your favorite lashes to wear?

I don't wear false lashes on a regular basis, but yes, I do wear them occasionally.  The ones I currently have in my make up drawer are the Ever Ez Lashes.  These are a combination of individual lashes and full strip lashes.  They are small clusters of lashes.  Way easier to apply than individual lashes but you have more control of the look then you do with a full strip false lash.  Easy to apply and easy to work with!

3.  What beauty product do you have in your collection right now that is your absolute favorite?

This one is a hard one! There are so many things that I love.  I actually had to go to my collection and look through it to decide. But I would have to say the Cover Girl 3-in-1 foundation.  It's truly amazing.  I can use this foundation to created both a medium and full coverage look.  Plus it's such a natural look!!

4.   What makeup brand has always been a disappointment to you?

I don't think I have ever had a brand where the whole brand has disappointed me.  I think that every line has it's amazing products and it's duds.  For this questions, I would have to pick Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundation.  It was a major disappointment for me.  I had seen many bloggers and YouTube vloggers rave about this product and it just didn't work for me!

5.   What is your favorite food?

Do I have to pick just one thing!? Haha, I come from a family of food lovers and there are so many options.  Anything that my Grandmother makes is truly amazing, but specifically she makes this BBQ chicken that is AMAZING! It practically falls off the bone.  Man, my mouth is watering thinking about it!!

6.  What is funniest or cutest question a child has ever asked you?

I can't currently think of a question I've been asked, but I can think of a statement.  Does that work? ... I was in a shoe store in our local mall and one of the sales associates was helping a lady and her son.  The boy was probably around 5.  This was right after Kung Fu Panda came out and he caught my attention because I heard him make karate noises.  As soon as I look over, he says to the sales associate, "Watch Out! I know Kung Fu!" It was so super cute! I love kids!

7.  What is the best liquid foundation that you have ever used?

Ok, so I think I should have read ahead and read all of the questions because now I'm going to duplicate my answer to #3.  This has to my the Cover Girl 3-in-1 foundation! I honestly think that everyone should have this in their collection! Plus, it's a drug store foundation. Can you say SCORE!?

8.  What is a smell that immediately reminds you of your childhood?

This one is easy! It's usually the smell of something cooking.  My mom makes a dish that we call Ranch Chicken.  It's chicken cooked in ranch and served with mashed potatoes.  Ugh, it's so good! Not healthy, but how many of the true comfort food dishes are?!

9.  How do you take the photos for your blog (camera, iphone, type of lighting, etc)?

Since I am a newbie at this, my photos are taken on my Iphone 5 and any lighting I have is usually natural lighting.  I should probably take the leap to a more professional set up, but for right now it's working.  I hope! :-)

10.  What is the next cosmetic product on your wish list that you are going to buy?

I am actually going to complete an Ulta order once I am done with this blog!  The new thing on my list to buy is the NYX HD Concealer.  

11.  What is an interesting fact that people would not likely know about the city or country that you live in?

I live in a fairly small town, Missoula, Montana. It is an amazing town. I love it.  If you ever have the opportunity to visit, please do.  There are a few things that are fun about this town, but for the football fans, it would probably have to be that John Elway lived here and played in our football program for young kids!

For those of you who are reality TV fans.  The Real Housewives of New York actually visited a upscale resort, Paws Up, that is just outside of Missoula in season 6 (I believe).  The town that they fly into is Missoula!

Now on to the blogs that I nominate! 

Sara McNultt (saramcnutt.blogspot.com)

Pores for Thought (poresforthought.com)

Living with a Boy - (http://www.livingwithaboy.com/)

Freckled Fox - (http://www.freckled-fox.com/) 

My Questions for you:
1. What inspired you to start blogging?

2. When you have had a bad day, what is the comfort meal you make?

3. What is a random or unknown fact about you?

4. If you had one day with unlimited funds, what would you do?

5. What make up product could you not live without?

6. What is one make up tip do you think everyone should know?

7. What is your favorite way to relax and unwind?

8. What is your most favorite moment (or moments) of your life so far?

9. Where do you find the inspirations for your blog posts?

10. What would be number one on your bucket list?

11. What is one thing you want readers to walk away with after reading your blog?

I am so excited to see the answers to my questions!  Thank you again Janine, this was so much fun to do!!

XOXO,

Mikal-Anne

Monday Morning Coffee - Weekend Away

Good morning lovelies! Hope all of you had a wonderful weekend.  I know I did!  I got to visit my parents and my parents this weekend.   Which is way this blog is late getting up!  Technology just wasn't my friend!  Maybe it should be Monday Evening Wine instead!

My parents moved from Montana to Washington almost four years ago now.  I remember when they told me they were moving, I had a moment thinking, hey, isn’t it the kids that are supposed to move away, not the kids?  I feel like we’re doing this backwards! I was a grown adult and had been living on my own for years, so I was stable and good.  But, I had always lived in the same town as my parents and had made choices after college to stay in town so I could be close to my family.  I have a younger sister and wanted to be able to stay active in her life.  Thankfully, they only moved about 3 hours way, so I get to see them on a fairly regular basis!  I am thankful for that!

Anywho!  I headed over to Washington to spend the holiday with my family and thought I would share with you what I packed! 

When it comes to packing, I will NEVER be accused of under packing! I am very much so an over packer.  I have this fear of forgetting something and being in need of it.  I don’t know why, it’s not like  I’m out in the middle of nowhere and couldn’t get my hands on something, if I did happen to forget it!  But I commonly will throw something else in my bag, "just in case".

This trip had nothing special planned, so I just needed my everyday things, clothes, makeup, and bathroom stuff for me and then dog food, some treats, harness, and leash for the little man. Seems simple, but yet for being gone for four days, I still managed to over pack!

Lets start with my first bag. I like to separate my stuff out by when it's used.  My frist bag is my bathroom stuff.  So I have the stuff I have to take with me to shower in the morning or get ready for bed at night.  I like to separate this from my make up because I don't always need both at the same time. Plus who would want to lug a bag that's big enough to lug all of that stuff around?!?!?

I have had this pink and black bag forever! I'm not positive, but I think I got it at the drug store. The bag has the following:

- Shampoo and Conditioner.  These are just refill able bottles.  I haven't had to refill them in a long time, so I'm not totally sure what brand is in there, but I think it's the volume version of  Tresemme'

- Refillable pink squeeze bottle with the Mary Kay shave lotion/body wash.

- Travel size lotion.  

- Travel size bottles of both Tresemme' dry shampoo and hair spray.

- Refillable white bottle with Mary Kay Blemish Control Toner.

- Contact solution, case, and spare lenses.

- Toothpaste and floss.

- Carmex

- Orange container with small clear hair elastics

- Pink container with Mary Kay Timewise Moisturizer.

- Mary Kay Day and Night Solution

- Mary Kay eye cream

- I have repurposed a lotion container (the white one that the pink conttainer is on top of), and now I put my normal sized hair elastics and bobby pins in it.

- You may not be able to see it in the picture, but there is also my tooth brush, a wide tooth comb, and a nail file in there.

To save space in my bathroom bag, I take my normal containers and put the product in small travel sized containers.  My moisturizer, eye make up remover, and toner are all put into travel sized containers to save space.  I also have a baggie that has some q-tips, cotton squares, and face cleanser towels. 

Now, I keep my make up separate.  This is for ease and space.  For camping weekends or weekends at the softball fields, I pack a little lighter on the make up, but heading to my parents, I bring whatever I need for a full face.  Just in case we head out for a girls day shopping or anything, I know I can put together a full face!  Here's what I brought with me this weekend:

- I pack all of my make up in a Glitzy Glam make up bag.  This is the online store of YouTuber's Elle and Blair Fowler. (Click here for the website).  I like this bag, it's big and durable and is the perfect size!

- Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer

- Cover Girl, Ready Set Gorgeous in shade 105

- Cover Girl, Outlast Stay Fabulous Stay Fabulous 3 in 1, in shade 820.  I'm currently mixing foundations to get the right shade and combining these creates the perfect foundation!

- Real Techniques beauty blender sponge.

- Rimmel Match Perfection 2 in 1 concealer.  I use this one to cover up my dark circles and any other spots that are acting up.

- Cover Girl, Ready Set Gorgeous concealer in shade fair.  I use this one to highlight.  I am really fair skinned and it have to work to make sure my face doesn't fall flat. 

- Tarte Smooth Operator -  This is a small sample size that I got in a holiday collection.  I'm currently using this to set my under eye concealer. 

- Revlon Nearly Naked pressed powder in Fair 010

NYX Matte Bronzer in Medium - To be honest, this is probably a bit too dark for me, I have to use a light hand with it because it packs a punch!  It is a beautiful bronzer though!

- Jane Iredale, Bitty Brow Kit 

- Mary Kay eye shadow primer.

- Z Pallet with blushes and shadows.  I grab this almost anytime I travel because it has many shades of blushes and some staple colors of eye shadows, plus a bronzer and a highlight.  It's perfect

- The original Lorac Pro eye shadow pallet.  I like to take a pallet that has a full spectrum of colors, so that way I can do any eye look I may want.

- Pacifica eye shadow in Ethereal.  This is the perfect highlight for the inner corner of your eye!

- Pixi by Petra eye shadow duo in Apricot Glow.  I got this in my Ipsy bag this month and it's a current favorite!

- Revlon, Color Stay, eye liner in black brown.  This is a long standing favorite.  I have been using it for years and can't run out of it.  I always have an unopened back up waiting to be used!

Now, don't judge me here, I use three different types of mascaras!  Yes, three! they each do something different!!

- (first) Revlon, Lash Potion in black brown.  This us a great lengthening mascara!

- (second) Almay, Get Up & Grow in black brown.  Great for separating and avoiding spider lashes!  This is a great multi benefit mascara!  It does it all.

- (third) is a Revlon mascara in black brown, but it's so loved that I can't read the name!

- Travel container of all my favorite brushes!

Wow! Ok, I definitely don't travel light!! Please tell me I'm not the only one!!

Here's a picture of a look I put together with what I packed!

I love going out of town and having adventures, but hate the prep!  It seems like on either way of the trip there is always lots to do!  I work full time, so I have to do most of my errands and chores on the weekend.  So, when I’m gone, I have to get those things done during the week before I go and after I return.  I do see laundry in my future tonight!  I have to say, that is one of my least favorite things!!  I do wish I had the life of my little man though (pictured above), he’ll sleep all day today after being with my parents’ pups all weekend!  He has some recovering to do!!  

Hoping everyone's Easter was wonderful and blessed!!

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!!

xoxo,
Mikal-Anne