And the winner is...

SANDI HILL!!! YAY!  Congratulations! 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d0df544/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Naturopathica Lavender Honey Balancing Mist and Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex plus GIVEAWAY!!!

 

So you've heard me profess my love for Naturopathica on various occasions right? You can read some of my previous posts here and here!  Well, I've recently had the pleasure of adding a couple more products to my already fantastic collection courtesy of my friends at Naturopathica.  I was dying to try their Vitamin C complex as well as their Lavender Honey Balancing Mist.  Well, here's my review for both... and stick around because at the very end of the reviews, i will be hosting a wonderful giveaway from Naturopathica so that you can see for yourself just how uhhh-mazing they are!

 

Lets talk about the Lavender Honey Balancing Mist.  OK, I'll admit, I'm a HUGE lavender fan period!  So basically, anything that smells of the bloom, i'm immediately smitten! It's so calming and soothing... trust me, when you chase after twinadoes all day long, you need a bit of 'calm and soothing' in your life.  Well, enter the Lavender Honey Balancing Mist!  This is a wonderful mist is intended to tone and hydrate your skin while restoring equilibrium to the mind!  If you're not quite sure what the "restore equilibrium to the mind" means, I'll give you a perfect example.  Without fail, every single time I've used it, i utter the words "OHHHH MY GO"!  Seriously, i catch myself every time!  It feels incredible and smells as though I'm laying in a field of fresh lavender!  Trust me, one spritz of this beauty and you too will be uttering those words... trust me!  It's love at first mist!

So with the wonderful Fall season practically upon us, the days get a little bit cooler, the nights... a little crisper which can only mean one thing!  It is imperative that we up our vitamin C intake right?  No, i don't mean just for your body but for your skin as well!  If you have yet to try a vitamin C complex for your skin, do yourself a favor and pick some up asap!  It's a perfect blend of essential antioxidants that penetrate deep into the skin protecting it from 'environmental assault'.  Most importantly, it contains anti-aging properties to help extend the life of your skin.  I know many of your reading this may think, 'well, i don't have wrinkles, I'm too young for this product etc' but trust me, you are never too young to start thinking about prevention! I mean, do you actually want to wait until you have your first wrinkle to start doing something about it?  Doesn't sound right to me!  So do yourself a favor and start now!

And now for the best part!  Lets talk about the wonderful GIVEAWAY Naturopathica has in store for you!  They and I feel so strongly about these products that we wanted to give one lucky reader a chance to try the Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex (A $58 value)!  So here are the rules for the giveaway:

You must be or become an official follower of Fashion Maven Mommy on GFC.  In addition, you must "like" the Naturopathica and FMM facebook pages.  OK, so those were the mandatory entries.  You will also have some bonus entries which are as follows:  You can follow @naturopathica & @fashionmavenmom on twitter for extra points as well as follow Fashion Maven Mommy on Bloglovin.  These are not mandatory but will give you plenty more chances to win!  This contest is only open to USA readers.  GOOD LUCK!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d0df544/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Peek Inside My Makeup Bag

As a beauty blogger, I often get asked what products I carry with me at all times.  Well, this is actually a tricky question as I often switch out products!  You see, my makeup bag is actually a bit on the small side and there's a good reason for this!  The bigger the bag, the more stuff I carry, making it so difficult to track anything down!  So, I try and limit myself... yes, this is limiting myself!  So without further ado, let me walk you through my current must haves!

First, here's my super cute Kate Spade makeup bag which i scored at Marshall's for an excellent price!  Woohoo don't you just love finding something you love for practically a steal??  Me too!

Ok so here are some of my lip products... from left to right:  Stila Long Wear Liquid Lip Color in Fiery  (warning, once this gorgeous color indulges your lips... it ain't going anywhere!), NARS lip gloss in Wonder (Love this pretty coral & love the texture even more!), and Bobbi Brown Creamy Color for Lips & Cheeks in Pink Truffle (It's no secret that I'm a huge Bobbi Brown fan, but what i love even more, is multi-tasking products... this one does NOT disappoint!).

Here are the swatches!  The top color is Bobbi Brown, the middle color is NARS, and the color on the bottom is Stila.  I love the range of colors stemming from a classic red, to coral-y orange, to a pretty rose, 'cause you just never know what you're gonna wanna wear!  What do you think?

Next are some of my favorite lipsticks... hey, you gotta have options!

 

 

 From left to right, Chanel Rouge Coco in 18 Rouge Noir (To quote the stunning Rachael Zoe... 'it's my day to night situation'!, MAC in Lady Danger (For when I'm feeling bold), and lastly MAC in Rocker (I snatched this pretty baby when they re-released 'candy yum yum, moxie and rocker'.  Hopefully you can too! It's a limited edition). 


I've actually already blogged about this Lip Paint in Rouge A Levres 61 that i picked up at Inglot during my vacation in Curacao.  I'm so in love with this stunning hue... i find myself reaching for it often.  I love the way it feels on my lips!  It's so silky and smooth... love!

 

Here's a swatch!  You can also see it here and here where I'm wearing it in the 'before' picture.

 

 

The next set of products are great for brightening up the eye area.  Very important after a long day, especially if you want to head out somewhere after work and don't have time to freshen up at home.  The first is NARS the multiple in Copacabana.  This is an awesome highlighter but is also one of those multi-tasking products i love so much because you can wear it on your eyes and lips as well.  This particular color is a bit too light for my lips, however, i have dabbed a bit in the middle of my lips over my lip color for some added dimension!  Clever huh?

 

 

This Bobbi Brown cream shadow in Bone is the perfect color for brightening the eyes.  It's matte and it doesn't crease.  I have dabbed this under my eyes when i don't have concealer at hand!  It's puuuurrrfect for this tired mommy!

 

 

OK so can we please talk about how obsessed I am with this Naturopathica eye serum?  OMG i carry it with me everywhere... did you hear me?  EVERYWHERE!  In fact, i need another one for my nightstand!  I blogged about Naturopathica (my new skincare obsession) recently, and i professed my love for this Vitamin K Brightening Eye Serum.  However, at the time, i was in love with the way it felt on my skin, not realizing the brightening effects!  The other day i applied it in front of a mirror and realized that (woohooo), i could wear this and skip my concealer all together!   I may cry when i run out... It's uhhhhh-mazing! 

 

 

 

Here are the swatches... from left to right:  NARS, Bobbi Brown, and Naturopathica.

 

 

 

OK so yes, all these beauty products are essential... however these next two items are always a MUST!  Repeat after me... I solemnly swear to always carry a nail file and a little pill box!  Yes, because have you ever been in a situation where your nail chipped and it's tugging at everything making you want to pull your hair out?  Yes, I know you have... so arm yourself ladies!  I opted for a cute Sally Hansen file.  The pretty pill box was gifted to me by a wonderful friend and I use it to house some headache medicine because... again, mommy of twins (aka twinadoes) hence... headache prevention medicine!

 

 

Here are a few other necessary products i carry with me at all times. From left to right: Melvita Eau Florale de Rose, thank you Birchbox (I splash this on my face to refresh on those scorching hot summer days... it literally saved my life on my flights to/from vacation), Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream, thank you again Birchbox (I use this on my lips, cuticles, hands, etc... great stuff), lastly, Bath & Bodyworks antibacterial soap in Fresh Lemon. I LOVE this stuff and as a mommy of 4 year old double trouble, germs just seem to find us! So I like to be armed with this great product... and did I mention it smells incredible??

 

 

Lastly, it's very important to carry around some cute hair ties and headbands, because you never know when you may need to keep your hair out of your face.  However, you still want to look super cute and not frumpy right?  I love these sleek hair ties (I don't remember the brand, but I purchased them at Target), and I'm obsessed with this sparkly headband!  Yes, i know I'm a mom and should have outgrown sparkles by now, but c'mon... can you ever really outgrow sparkly things?  I think not!  I picked it up at Bath Junkie but I've seen similar at Anthropologie!

 

And there you have it, my makeup bag must haves.  Soooo tell me, what's in your makeup bag?

Thank you SO MUCH for reading! 


Don't forget to become an official follower of FMM!  XOXO Carla

 

Naturopathica

So a few months ago, when i did the HBA Global Expo event for Allure magazine, i mentioned that i met with some really wonderful beauty companies.  One in particular was Naturopathica.  They are a skincare company that combines active, certified organic and anti-aging ingredients to deliver powerful results.  They so generously sent me a package of their most popular skin care products.  I've been testing every single one of them out for almost a month now.  I wanted to be sure to give you the most honest review possible.  Truthfully, I'm totally smitten by these amazing products not only because they feel wonderful on my skin, but they really appeal to my 'green' side.  Who doesn't love organic products right? So in this package, I'd say there were a few products that really stood out from the bunch which i will review for you today. 

First, lets talk about the Vitamin K Brightening Eye Serum.  When i first sampled this product, i was a bit taken aback by the texture and scent.  Lets just say i didn't love the scent necessarily, but i will tell you that the texture is amazing... did you hear me?  AMAZING!  I probably use this product about three times a day because its texture makes this eye serum so easy to manipulate and massage around the eye area.  I simply dab it in the area under my eyes and proceed to massage all the way around including the area above the eye by following the bone structure. It's honestly, a little bit of heaven.  I have sampled many many eye serums, but this one just feels different.  As for the scent, it's an acquired taste... it's light and I've since learned to like it.

The next 'must have' product is the Plant Stem Cell Serum. This tiny little powerhouse is a certified organic concentrated serum, designed to significantly slow down the aging of cells due to inflammation caused by UVA photodamage and oxidative stress.  I'll take FIVE please!  OMG i love this product!  I wear it every single day under my moisturizer and love the fact that it slows down the aging process.  I may have to dab this pretty baby on more than just my face... ahem!

OK if you're obsessed with lavender like me, you'll LOVE the Lavender Protective Moisturizer Sunscreen SPF 17.  This has been my go to daily moisturizer since it arrived and when i run out, i will replenish it!  The scent is sooooooooo wonderfully soothing and it feels light (which i love in a moisturizer this time of year) yet provides just the right amount of hydration.  A wonderful product in my book!  If your skin is a bit on the dry side, i highly recommend the Calendula Essential Hydrating Cream.  It smells incredible and is a bit heavier then the Lavender Protective Moisturizer.  I will definitely sport this pretty baby during the winter months, when my skin tends to get a bit on the dry side.  If you're in the market for a new facial scrub, check out their Oat Facial Polish for all skin types.  I like to keep it in the shower, this way I'm sure to use it daily.  After all, clean skin is imperative!

 

Overall, I'm so grateful to the wonderful people at Naturopathica for introducing me to such amazing products.  I will definitely do some shopping on their gorgeous site.  I already have my eyes set on the Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex as well as their Lavender Honey Balancing Mist.  So, if organic is your thing (and even if it's not at the top of your list), do yourself a favor and check out these amazing products.  Your face will thank you for it! 

Thank you SO MUCH for reading!  Don't forget to become an official follower of FMM! XOXO Carla