April Favorites!

I love the month of April! It contains my birthday and the weather starts to get warmer and most of the time Easter is also in April. It also means that school is almost over for the semester! Overall, I had a great month! How was your month? Let me know in the comments below. Below are the products that I loved during the month of April. 

1. Cadbury Mini Eggs- We are starting with Chocolate because who doesn't love chocolate? This is the best chocolate it is only available around Christmas and Easter time. Target actually had a white choclate version which was good, I still think I like the milk chocolate version better. 

 

2. John Frieda Frizz-Ease Leave-in Conditioning Spray- I have talked about this product before, but it is great! It leaves my hair so soft and tangle-free which is awesome! 

 

3. Head & Shoulder Dandruff Shampoo in Green Apple- This shampoo has really helped my dry scalp. I love the scent of this shampoo, its awesome! I also have switched up how I was my hair, watch my video (which is linked at the bottom) to hear the explanation! 

 

4. E.L.F. Acne Fighting Foundation in Ivory- I have been loving this foundation! It is $6 and has great coverage! It can look a bit cakey if you but too much on, but you don't need much! I love how you squeeze to get the product, you can get the perfect amount this way! 

 

5. E.L.F. Shimmer Palette in sheer sunrise- This is palette that you can use anywhere (eyes, lips or face). I have mainly used it on my eyelids. They are oily, but on my "normal" eyelids they work well. They don't have a lot of color, they just add a little shimmer underneath my eye-shadow which I love! 

 

6. Color Club in Aquamarine- I received this polish in my April Birchbox and fell in love. Here is a blog post, showing the nail-polish in different lighting.   

 

I hope you enjoyed reading! Let me know how your April was? Have a fabulous day! 

~Annelise

NOTD: Color Club Aquamarine

This week I knew exactly what color I wanted to paint my nails. I received Color Club's Aquamarine in my April Birchbox and I instantly fell in love. It is a beautiful pearl blue color that is perfect for spring!  

Inside- Natural Light

Inside- Yellow Lighting

Inside- Flash

Outside- Direct Sunlight

Outside- Shade

I hope you enjoyed! What is your favorite nail polish brand? (Comment Below) This is my first time trying Color Club and I am pretty impressed so far! Have a wonderful Day! 
~Annelise

 

Watch my April Birchbox video below! 

My Golden Birthday Story

Wednesday April 23rd was my golden birthday. Yes, that does mean I am now 23 which sounds so weird! I don't feel like I am 23 at all! 

My husband and I after IHOP

For my birthday my husband and I woke up early and went to iHop because I had a free entree for my birthday. I then went to an elementary school and taught 6th grades about catapults! They loved it! My husband and I both have a break from school after that and so we went on a walk around our neighborhood. Unfortunately, I had to go to one class in the afternoon, but I left early so we could make it to the movie theater.

My husband and I before Divergent

My husband I went to see Divergent. We both liked it! My husband has read all but the last book in the trilogy and I plan on reading the trilogy this summer. After the movie we went to Panera and I got a Pick two with Mac and Cheese and Bacon Turkey Bravo with a side of bread. To drink I got some green tea, it was so good!  

My yummy dinner at Panera

After that we went to a bookstore and walked around. We then went to an ice cream shop and got some ice cream! After that, we went home, watched some Big Bang Theory and went to sleep.  

My mom, dad and I after dinner

So that is my Golden Birthday Story! When is/was your golden birthday?

My mom, my brother's girlfriend (Claire) and I after dinner

The next day (the 24th) we met my parents and my brother's girlfriend at a restaurant and had a delicious meal!  

 

My brother's girlfriend, my husband and I after dinner

NOTD: Julep's Sheryl & Easter Outfit

Since this last week was Easter I wanted to choose a nail color that matched my dress. I found this orange-yellow color that matched perfectly. This color is Sheryl by Julep. I am not a huge fan of Julep nail polishes, I feel like they are so thick it is hard to apply them. I still use the ones I have, but I have to be patient because they are so thick they take a long time to dry.  

Inside- Natural Lighting 

Inside - Yellow Lighting

Inside- Flash 

Outside- Direct Sunlight

Outside- Shade 

For Easter this year my husband and I stayed in our college town instead of going home. With our jobs and our two kittens it would have been hard. I am going to see my parents this week because we are meeting half-way to get some dinner for my birthday. My in-laws might come up Sunday to bring us a lawn mower. But this is the outfit I wore on Easter! I have had this dress forever, but I finally got it fitted to me and it was warm enough to wear it. To see the outfit in more detail watch the Youtube Video Below!  

 

I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day! Let me know what you did for Easter? 

~Annelise

April Birchbox Unboxing

I got my April Birchbox in the mail yesterday I was so excited when my husband brought it in! If you don't know what Birchbox is, it is a monthly $10 subscription, which gives you great samples to try! I love it! I will have a video on my YouTube Channel (it will be up April 21st)  below if you would like to watch that.  

This is the box the products come in.  

This is what the box looked like when I first opened it, there is always a card that tells you what is in it. 

Under the card, some of the products! 

 1. Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant- I am excited to try this! It is a liquid exfoliant, that honestly looks like water. All you do is apply it to clean skin up to two times a day. I have never tried a liquid exfoliant, but I love exfoliating so we will see how I like this! 

 2. Kind Snacks Healthy Grans Bar in Maple Pumpkin Seed with Sea Salt- I love snacks! I also really like granola bars because they are quick and easy! I would have never picked out this flavor so I am excited to see how it tastes! 

 3. BeeKind Body Lotion- I love trying new lotions! This lotions is from the UK and it says it sinks in to restore skin. I am excited to try it to get my legs moisturized for the warmer weather.

 The next thing in my Birchbox went with the theme for the month which was rainy days and it gives a few fun tips for things to do on rainy days. Watch my video to find out what they were. 

 4. Color Club Gala's Gems Collection in Aquamarine Azulino- If you can't tell by my NOTD posts, I love nail polish! This polish looks gorgeous! I love the pearl finish, a NOTD post will be coming soon on this polish! It is a perfect color for spring and this shade of blue is one of my favorites! 

5. Sumita Color Intense Pencil in Black- This is a wax liner that is suppose to have lasting power and good for sensitive eyes. My eyes aren't very sensitive but they do have their I don't like any products moments. I am excited to try this out, I am not normally a huge eyeliner girl but it makes my eyes looks SO much better so I have been trying. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about the products I received in my April Birchbox. The video will be linked below, don't forget to watch it to get a different look at the products. I will be doing a review of the products toward the middle/end of May! Enjoy your day! 

~Annelise 

My Two Favorite Bronzers!

Spring is here and summer is right around the corner! This has caused me to want look to little more bronzed and tan especially when everyone came back from spring break tan and I wasn't!

I wasn't sure what I wanted to post, but my friend Sydney sparked an idea. The other she texted me and asked what concealer and bronzer I recommended on a budget. I instantly knew what products those were. This time we will focus on bronzers because the concealer I recommended is one that I am currently out of.

I have two bronzers that I love. The first is one I wear a lot is by NYC (New York Color) Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny I got mine at Walmart it is cheap and works wonderfully. It is a matte bronzer with wonderful color payoff. It is a great bronzer to contour and it isn't super pigmented but you can easily build it up which is great for a pale skin person like myself. I have heard many people with many skin tones like this bronzer and with around a $3 price tag how can you argue! 

The second bronzer is completely the opposite of the NYC Sunny Bronzer. It is a wonderful shimmery bronzer. It is Laura Geller's Beauty Baked Blush-n-Brighten in Honey-Dipped I usually only wear this in the summer when my skin has some bronze from the sun with it. I usually place a little bit higher up on my cheeks and I usually don't wear a highlighter or blush with it. It works wonderfully on it's own for a quick put together look for summer and spring. It has great shimmer and color, it is also buildable. This bronzer is more pigmented, so if you have a heavy hand with makeup you will have to be a little more careful! I received this in my Birchbox a few years ago and I instantly fell in love. I use it quite often and it still has a ton of product left. This is more expensive, around the $30 mark. 

On the left in Honey-Dipped and on the right is Sunny

I hope you enjoyed! What is your favorite bronzer? Have a fabulous day! 
~Annelise

March Birchbox Review

Birchbox is a box I receive each month, I always do a unboxing haul and then a review to see how the products were and if I would purchase them. Enjoy!

1. Air Repair by Rescue Balm (Won't Purchase)- This product is suppose to be a multi-use product that repairs dry skin. I used it on my lips and it was too oily and it isn't super moisturizing either when I used it on my elbows. I did use it on my cuticles before I painted my nails and it did help, however I have another product that I like better for that. 

2. Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face by Coola (Repurchase)- I love this stuff! I like that it has SPF 30 but it still makes your face look so good. It is similar to a BB cream in the fact that is hides your flaws and evens your skin! I would definitely recommend it!  

3. Go Be Lovely Lavish Hand Creme by Illume (Might Purchase)- The smell of this product is amazing! I got mine in the scent Thai Lily which is bali mango, Asiatic lily and teakwood. This hand cream is moisturizing, however it's not the most moisturizing hand cream. It smells amazing and mositurzies well enough that I might have to purchase this product! 

4. Argon Oil7 7 in 1 Non-Foaming Shampoo by Nelson J. Beverly Hills (Not Repurchase)- I wanted to love this shampoo, it smells amazing (citrus mint). It did make my hair soft, but it also seemed to make my hair greasy. It also had tiny blue beads in the shampoo and I found a few in my hair, which I didn't like. My hair is picky, but this shampoo is not for me. 

This picture was taken when I first got my box and before I had tried them

5. Tea Pouches by Might Leaf- I love tea, so I was happy to  get this in my birchbox! I liked the Chamomile Citrus and the Green Tea Tropical a lot and the organic early grey was okay. I am not usually a fan of black "bitter teas, but it was okay not my favorite. 

This picture was taken before I tried it

6. Dark Chocolate Cherry Tango by Ghiradelli-  This was a fun surprise in my Birchbox. I am not a huge fan of dark chocolate but this was good, I liked the hint of cherry! I am not sure if there were a display of Ghiradelli chocolates if I would pick this one, especially if white or milk chocolate was an option 

Thanks for reading! Have a fabulous day!  

~Annelise

NOTD: Zoya's Izzy

 

This week I went for a shimmery maroon color, that I love! It is Izzy by Zoya which is a natural company which has great polishes! I got this nail polish in a birchbox, so it is smaller size. I got this in a December Birchbox, but I love it as a transition color between winter and spring. It's gorgeous! 

Inside- Natural Light Shadows

Inside- Yellow Lighting

Inside with Flash

Inside Natural Lighting

Outside- Natural Lighting (it was cloudy)

 I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day! Let me know if you're excited spring is here? I know I am! 
~Annelise