Review: Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in Shocking Coral and Vivid Rose

A makeup post! Ermahgerd! I know I'm a little late with these Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids but late is better than never. I was already a big fan of the regular line of the Color Sensational lipsticks so I figured I would have an affinity towards these. Bright lipsticks can sometimes be the perfect accessory to complete a look and these are perfect for anyone who wants to experiment some louder colors without spending a ton of money.

It was a tough decision for me to settle on only two, but I picked the two that I thought would best compliment my teeth and skin tone. I may venture towards the Electric Orange in the summer when I'm tanner but I will settle for these two for now. There are a total of 10 permanent shades in the Vivids line. 

Shocking Coral and Vivid Rose

I'm in love with these. They don't dry out my lips and go on opaque and smooth. I find no issue with the product settling into lines. There was only one issue when it came to one of these lipsticks for me. I think depending on the pigmentation of your lips, the color may appear different. For example, Shocking Coral is suppose to be a bright coral red, but it pulls quite pink on me. It looks more coral in the tube than it does on my lips, which makes me a little sad but I still love the color. Vivid Rose is pretty true to color on my lips. It's a great choice for girls who don't want to go with red but want a bright lip!

Pros:

-Bright, opaque color
-Reasonably priced
-Variety of bold shades
-Creamy feeling

Cons:

-Has the same scent as regular Color Sensational lipsticks so if you hate those, you'll probably not like these
-Some may find the packaging tacky
-Colors may pull differently on different people

Quick Recipe: Chai Spiced Apple Tea

I have always loved tea. Maybe it's the Chinese in me, but me and tea have always had a great relationship. Lately I've been drinking more tea to add variety and flavor without adding a ton of calories and sugar. This recipe I whipped up the other night to satiate my sweet tooth and have made it a bunch of  times since. I haven't tried this with green or white tea. Unless it's matcha, my preference for green and white tea is plain.

What You'll Need:
-Your favorite mug
-Your choice of tea. I'm using Twinnings Chai Spiced Apple.
-Half to one cup of almond milk. You can also use soy or regular milk. If you're feeling really indulgent you can even use half and half. The amount of milk you use depends on how creamy you want your tea.
-Sweetener, any kind you wish to use. I'm using Truvia.
-Cinnamon (optional)

What To Do:
1-Brew your tea. I'm using my Keurig.
2-Heat up your milk while your tea steeps. You can do this via microwave or stovetop. I nuked my milk for two minutes after I measured it out.
3-Let your tea steep for four to six minutes. I add my cinnamon at this point. I feel it brings out the chai in the tea. Plus apple and cinnamon compliment each other so well.
4-Pour your warmed milk and sweetener into your mug. Stir to mix well. You can also discard your tea bag at this point. I like to leave mine in.
5-Sit back and enjoy!

The finished product!

Macros:

For half cup of almond milk: 

Calories: 15

Total fat: 1.2 g
Carbs: 0.5g
Protein: 0.5g

Please let me know if you try a version of this! I would love to hear about it! Happy Tuesday!

By the way, did anyone watch The Biggest Loser finale? Congrats to Danni for that victory! It was well deserved. I love this show because it shows how discipline, motivation and drive can truly transform people inside and out.

(image rights: NBC)

**All products included in this post were purchased with my own finances unless otherwise stated.**

Mini Date Haul

Having an entire lifestyle change means looking at your life, well in all aspects. This means bettering your mind and body as a whole and finding new ways to do this. So when the Mister and I decided to change our minds and bodies for the better, we needed to take a look at our diet and clean it up. To be frank, it was horrendous. Tons of refined carbs, sugar and sodium. Like they say, you can't outwork a bad diet. We cleaned out our fridge and filled it with healthy, leafy greens, lean proteins and complex carbs. Now, a giant misconception about eating clean or healthily is that it's tasteless and boring. I beg to differ. I've been finding more ways to season my food without the aid of tons of salt and I love it! I actually prefer eating cleaner than eating all the junk food I used to love (I'm looking at you Son of Baconator!)

On Saturday after our workout, the Mister and I saw just how gorgeous it was outside. We decided to take a walk to Pier Village, a shopping hub along the beach, and take in some vitamin D. The walk is about a mile to and back but in great company it doesn't feel long at all.

After treating myself to some frozen yogurt (yummmm) we stopped by one of our favorite stores, Carter & Cavero. This store is amazeballs. It specializes in olive oils and several types of balsamic vinegar. The store also dabbles in some olive oil based beauty products and contains other miscellaneous treats like specialty teas and plates made out of Himalayan pink salt! The store is very dangerous because you can sample each and every type of oil and vinegar and you can easily spend a good hour in there tasting everything. After much sampling and debating we decided on four bottles: two oils (garlic and tuscan herb) and two vinegars (red apple and coconut.) I also helped myself to some boxes of tea because I'm a tea hoarder and also because drinking water can get kinda boring!

Precious treasures waiting to be upwrapped!

The Tuscan herb olive oil is the bomb-dizzle! Dip some warm french bread in it and trust me, you'll be in heaven! The coconut balsamic vinegar smells and tastes delicious, I added a bit of this to my grilled tuna and it was a party in my mouth. I haven't used the apple balsamic yet, but I think it will be great with some grilled asparagus or salmon!

 

I've tried Harney & Son's tea in the Barnes and Noble Starbucks near my house and have loved every flavor. While I was in the store, they had "test tins" which was basically a tea bag in the tin so you could smell each one. These three were my favorite. I love any type of green tea pretty much and the Mister loves cinnamon tea. The vanilla comoro was so decadent smelling and it's decaffeinated, which means I can enjoy this at night without worrying about sleeping troubles!

I hope you liked my mini haul! As I find more interesting finds in food and health, I will post more. I'm thinking of incorporating reviews on different types of health foods, I know there are some readers who are interested in improving their overall health. If you would like to see that, please let me know! Feedback is always a plus. Hope you all had a great Wednesday. Two more days till the weekend!

February Favorites

It's been a relatively quiet month for me for beauty products. I have put myself on a shopping ban (necessities not included). Again, it's a way to cycle through the things I have and also to discipline myself. I know I have a very BAD shopping habit which I need to take control of!

My current favorites have been things I've been using religiously, I've noticed that I can't force myself to use a product if I don't like it. I guess I don't like to settle on things, which can be both a good thing or a bad thing if you want to think about it!

Favorites from left to right:
1-NARS Pure Radiated Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska - This is by far my favorite TM. Laura Mercier comes a close second, but I love the way this makes my skin glow. The downside? The color is too dark for me now! I wore it out yesterday and noticed that my face was slightly darker than my neck (btw an instant fix for that during the winter is to wear a scarf!) So when my shopping ban is up, I think I'll need to pick up Finland, the lightest out of the line.

2. MAC Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder - This is the best setting powder for me, winter or summer. I use a lighter hand during the winter because my skin tends to be very dry. I rarely have to retouch my face when I use this, other powders not so much.

3. Josie Maran Argan Oil - I got this with my Clarisonic Mia set along with some other Josie Maran products. This winter has been brutal to my skin, especially my face. My face still feels dry and tight regardless of how much lotion I put on. So I layer this underneath my moisturizer and it does wonders. My face feels supple and my dark marks are slowly fading away. When my small jar is used up, you bet your bottom dollar I'll be getting a regular sized version of this!

4. Laura Mercier Secret Finish - I bought this on a whim in the summer and forgot about it. I was trying to rotate my products and look for products that would make my skin look dewy and fresh. Ideally, this should be applied as a finisher to your makeup, kind of like a spray but I've noticed that if you use too much you can move around the coverage you have on your face. The way I like to apply it is before my foundation. I feel it adds a nice amount of tact to help the foundation adhere to my face. I'll have to play with it a bit more (the proper way) to see how I feel about it.

5. Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer - I've had a love/hate relationship with primers. Some break me out, some feel gross on my face, some do nothing etc., etc., This keeps my foundation on my face without that slick feeling and makes my face feel smooth. The pump is an additional bonus!

6. CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara - Lengthens my lashes without the clumps. I love the brush on this mascara and the formula isn't too wet which is what I prefer. The version I have is the regular because I couldn't wait for the waterproof version to come out. You all know my love for waterproof because of the curl hold. This is a great mascara to use when running errands, the curl doesn't completely drop on my lashes which is a plus!

7. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipgloss in Mirrored Mauve - I did a previous post on these glosses here. My favorite has been Mirrored Mauve because of the versatile ways I can use it.

8. Urban Decay Theodora Palette - I LOVE this palette. It has been the only palette that I've been using. Highly recommended for those of you who are Oz and makeup fans. I have to say, every UD palette I've gotten I have not been disappointed in, so kudos UD!

Whoa, what a long post. I guess I always get carried away with my favorites. Anyway, hope you all are having a wonderful weekend and Happy March! We are only 19 days away from spring!