Baby It's Cold Outside

Baby it's cold outside!  Seriously!  I'm currently sitting under a super soft and cozy faux fur blankie in hopes that my tootsies warm up a little.  I have a little bit of a love/hate relationship with the cooler weather.  I love all the cozy things about winter such as flannel sheets, faux fur blankies and pillows, hats and mittens, lattes and of course my hair looks way better in the winter than it does in the summer (i hate you humidity)! What i don't love however, is feeling cold, the aftermath of snow (you feel me right now Buffalo peeps right?), and of course, dry chapped skin!  Thankfully, I've got a few beauty essentials to share with you that may just take care of this little situation.

Chapped lips?  No problem!  Swipe a dab of NUXE Reve De Miel lip balm and your lips will feel like new again.  This even took care of my little girls' horrible chapped lip situation. Mia now visits my room every night after I've already tucked her into bed to make sure i swipe her little lips with some "chackstick". This creamy formula is so hydrating, smells incredible and I'm loving their new packaging in order of their anniversary celebration!

Phenome 24-Hour Moisturizing System is your one stop shop to beautiful skin.  This cream can be worn day or night and works hard to truly sink into skin, plumping fine lines and wrinkles.  Also very noteworthy, this beauty is vegan so you won't have to worry about exposing skin to dyes, fragrances and other harsh ingredients.  The vegan formula utilizes a base of ecological plant waters, nutrient-rich liquid culled from plants that serves as the basis for the entire Phenome line!  You'll want to keep in on your nightstand for sure!

Teadora's line of nourishing creams and balms is seriously designed for dehydrated skin.  I know this because a while back, my legs felt so dry and awful and i knew i needed to bring in the 'big guns' to really take care of my little situation.  I reached for Teadora's Body Butter to help me bring my skin back to its normal state.  In just a couple of days, my skin felt silky smooth and so soft to the touch.  Teadora's Body Butters are available in Rain forest at Dawn and Rain forest at Dusk. Both come housed in an 8oz jar and will last you for quite some time as a little goes a long way!  Give them a go... you will love them!

OK i already adore Tatcha... but bring gold into the equation and suddenly my skin is like yes, YES! This sudden weather transition has been so harsh on my skin.  When Tatcha's Camelia Beauty Oil arrived at my doorstep on one of the coldest days this season, i took it as a sign from above!  I massaged a few drops into my skin and i swear my skin was like 'omg thank you Carla'!  No, it totally spoke to me for real! I saw and felt the difference almost immediately.  But here's the thing, what i really love about this beauty oil is its versatility! Did you know you could wear this beauty on your nails and hair too???  OK, now i need a truckload of this amazing beauty oil because I'm seriously addicted!  You will be too when you see what i can do for you and your skin, hair and nails.  Oh and the little specs of gold floating around inside the bottle will make you feel fancy!  It will!  Wait there's more!  How much do you love me??? I have a special code for you beginning 12/28-12/8 save 20% at Tacha.com.  Simply use code FF2014 at check out! Happy Shoppping!

These are just a few of the products I'm loving right now to transition my skin into the cold weather.  I hope you'll give some of them a try.  I know you will love them too!

Thank you so much for reading! Xo, Carla - FMM

(press samples - all were tried and loved by me)

DIY Tips From Miranda Kerr's Facialist!

Lets face it, we all want beautiful skin!  Who else to look to for advice than Miranda Kerr's facialist Ildi Pekar.  With the COLD Winter upon us, keep your skin in tip-top shape this season with some tips from Pekar.  

Tips to keep your face  Hydrated This Winter:

·         Using krill oil/fish oil is great to have hydrated skin!

·         Stay away from scorching hot water, this over dries your skin!

·         Use gentle products. Anything that is soothing for the skin like honey

·          Lay off the caffeine, it does dehydrate you

·          Almonds/Avocados oils are great to eat to keep your skin hydrated within

·          Pumpkin seeds and walnuts are also very high in oil! Add it to your diet

DIY Winter Mask (Once a week to keep the skin hydrated)

½ Banana and Smash

3tsp. Of raw honey

3tsp. of sour cream or yogurt (with fat!!)

Blend the ingredients

Apply to face, Sit for 15 Minutes

Rinse with cool water

I'm totally trying this easy DIY mask!  Sounds delicious and easy to make.  If you try it too, let me know how it worked out for you!  Thank you so much for reading and stay warm! Xo, Carla - FMM

Drugstore Beauty Faves!

I'm a huge fan of high end beauty products... but more and more I'm finding that there are so many drugstore products that are equally amazing!  In fact, i have quite the list of drugstore holy grail products!  I've been shopping CVS since i was in my early teens.  Growing you, i had one two blocks away and i still remember the feeling of walking down the beauty aisle and peeking at the array of nail polish colors or lippie options.  I'd always toss a few beauties in my shopping basket followed by a magazine or two.  This was my way to unwind from a long day.   To be honest, it still is!  I love beauty products and i adore reading magazines, so during my down time (oh who am i kidding, I'm always chasing my twinadoes around), i simply love to explore new beauty options and cozy up with a great magazine!  OK so i totally just got side tracked with that flashback... but i kind of enjoyed it!  Getting back to some drugstore products I'm really loving right now!

I recently purchased Milani's Bella Eyes Eye Shadows at my local CVS and fell madly in love!  These shadows are insanely pigmented and could easily stand up to any of my favorite high end shadows!  These are easily the best bang for your buck when it comes to shadows!  I will be doing a full review on the ones i picked up along with a few more things but wanted to include them in this post because they are an absolute must have in my book!  Years ago, i found myself spending so much money on high end mascaras! While there are a few that i still love, i have to say, I'm so blown away by several drugstore mascaras!  There are two in particular that have completely wow'd me.  CVS sent me L'Oreal's Butterfly Effects (although I'd already purchased myself and loved it) and it was love at first swipe! This mascara has such a way of separating lashes! On me, it creates the most beautiful feathered lash effect!  It's just so different from any mascara I've ever tried! Another mascara i fell hard for was Revlon's Lash Potion.  I was sent this mascara initially by Allure to use in my Beauty Blogger Awards challenges and i was completely smitten.  This mascara will extend and voluminize your lashes!  It's so so soooo good that i have since purchased several!

Are you looking for a great cleanser but don't want to break the bank?  Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Cream Cleanser is a perfect option!  I love that it's free of harsh chemicals, sulfates, parabens, dyes, etc.   Really, this cleanser leaves my skin feeling clean and prepped for my skincare!  L'Oreal's BB Magic is one of those products that i have purchased over and over again.  It's light in coverage but really smooths out the skin.  It feels very similar to Sarah McNamara's Skin Transformer!  Yes!  It's a great product for when i don't really want to do up your entire face and just want to keep it simple.  I have recommended this to friends who've become equally smitten!  Great product!  Lastly, L'Oreal's Color Riche Extraordinaire Lipstick/gloss in Nude Ballet is absolutely, positively my favorite nude in the whole wide world!  The texture and pigmentation of this product is incredible!  This beauty can easily stand up to some of the most luxurious brands out there!  Everyone needs to own it!

So these are just a few of the drugstore products I'm absolutely loving right now.  Stop by your local CVS and check them out!  So lets chat... what are some of your favorite drugstore favorites?  I want to find more drugstore gems!!!  Thank you so much for reading !

Xo, Carla - FMM

Some products were sent for review and some were purchased by me.  All of the products in this posts are amazing.  This opinion is my own and not influenced by outside factors.

Fall Beauty

So i recently purchased this gorgeous dress and was instantly inspired to search for the perfect beauty accessories to compliment it!  This is what i came up with!  

Risen Sun Sweater Dress

Tory Burch Lipstick in Pretty Baby

NARS Nail Polish in China Town - side note (this was the very first NARS polish i ever purchased a good 16 years ago - yes I'm old- but it just goes to show you how timeless this color is!)

Rebecca Minkoff Mini 5 Zip Bag 

Stila Convertible Color in Gladiola  - Another makeup bag staple of mine for years and years!

But lets get back to the dress!!!  How stunning is it?!  When it arrived, it was seriously everything I'd imagined it to be.  It's very versatile.  I wear it with leggings, skinny jeans and short booties etc.  The possibilities are endless. Plus, i feel that it's so unique.  You don't see dresses like this one very often!  I'm seriously in love!  

Thank you so much for reading!  You can shop the post below! Xo, Carla - FMM 

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Hello Fall - Hello Dark Lips!

This is the most exciting time of year for me personally!  You see, Fall means dark lips.... and i love a great, bold, dark lip!  While there are many wonderful deep hued lippie options out there, i wanted to highlight one that I've been wearing for years!  MAC's Media is a great, deep, berry wine hue that applies semi-matte.  This beauty stays put all day long!  I actually wore it this week. The funny thing is, i applied once in the morning and that was it for the entire day!  This is definitely very long lasting!  The other beauty i wanted to highlight is Stila's Mile High Mascara.  When they initially launched a couple of months ago, i quickly ran to my local Sephora to see what all the fuss was about!  I'm so glad that i did because for me, it was love at first swipe!  This mascara gave my tiny lashes major umph!  Yes, i made up that word but basically it made them look longer and fuller immediately.  Upon initial glance, the brush is nothing out of the ordinary.  However, when you apply, you'll quickly realize that its lean shape helps create the perfect looking lashes!  After all, what else do you need this Fall but gorgeous lips and lashes for miles right?!  Thank you so much for reading!  Xo, Carla - FMM  

Shop the look here

Shades of Nude

While i love a bold lip every now and then, there's something so beautiful about sporting a nude lip with a smokey eye!  No matter what your lip options are, it's important to properly prep your lips for your lippie!  Listen up chocolate lovers!  Teadora Nourishing Lip Butter is not only great for your lips but smells/tastes like chocolate!  Whaaaat?! Oh yes, this beauty gently exfoliates your lips while packing on the hydration making it the perfect for transitioning to Fall (buh-bye chapped lips)!

I've recently discovered a fun lip palette that houses the perfect nudes for just about every skin tone!  Gabriel Cosmetics' Zuzu Luxe Shades of Nude Palette is the perfect lip palette for your make up pouch!  This set of four nude lippies glides on sheer with a touch of color.  It's equipped with a dual ended lip brush making application easy and mess free! The perfect compliment to this palette is Beauty Addicts' gorgeous lip liners in Glow and Express!  OMG these liners apply so beautifully on the lips!  You can simply line your lips with them or cover your lip in the liner and then layer using the Zuzu Luxe palette! Either way, you can go wrong with these beauties!  They're gorgeous, portable and will look amazing on just about anyone!  Check them out!

Thank you so much for reading! Xo, Carla - FMM

Beautyblender Solid Cleanser

Have you guys taken advantage of Sephora's Make a Match Daily Deal???  Well, i did! Lucky for me, i scored 150 points with any purchase!  While i need more makeup like i need a hole in my head (oh who am i kidding, i always need makeup!) i decided to replenish my beautyblender solid blendercleanser!  I'm so obsessed with this stuff. I've used the liquid cleanser before and while it's good, i find the solid to be the best!  I simply rub my beautyblender on the solid cleanser under water and it washes all of the makeup right off!  I'm running low on mine so this was the perfect opportunity to earn my 150 points!  Then i saw the Royal beautyblender and simply could not resist this beauty!  Hello!!!  Look at it!!!!  It's GORGEOUS!  So, on to my shopping cart it went!  Can't wait for it to arrive!  Be sure to take advantage of Sephora's Make a Match Daily Deal where you can score all kinds of deals and treats!!!  Oh and if you do, i want to know what you got so be sure to tell me OK?!  Thank you so much for reading! Xo, Carla - FMM

KISS Salon Secrets Nail Art Starter Kit GIVEAWAY!

Congratulations to Monica D. - the winner of the Julep Nail Polish Giveaway!

I'm so grateful to each and everyone of you who take the time to visit my blog, leave comments, follow me on social media, etc! I simply want to thank you all by hosting as many giveaways as i can because if i could, I'd make each and every single one of you a winner!  Since that's sort of impossible, I'm going to host back to back giveaways in hopes of spreading as much love as i possibly could!  Does this sound good?

This week's giveaway features a KISS Salon Secrets Nail Art Starter Kit!  You'll have a blast creating gorgeous nail art with all the awesome things included in this kit! This giveaway is open internationally!  So anyone can enter!  Simply use the Rafflecopter widget to enter!  There are two mandatory entries, the rest are optional but will give you extra changes to win.  Thank you all who enter and GOOD LUCK!
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Two Steps to Clean Skin!

I'm pretty certain  that i have found the perfect combination when it comes to perfecting the art of cleansing skin!  Introducing Daily Concepts' Facial Micro Scrubber!  This facial Micro Scrubber is the perfect shower companion as it provides gentle exfoliation and helps create a rich lather with your favorite cleanser!  (We'll chat about my current fave in a few).  Unlike any other face or body scrubber on the market, the label indicator, which fades when it's time to replace your bath accessory (approximately 90 days) makes this beauty so unique. This well designed line also has a natural cotton-based layer with nylon exfoliating loops for ideal texture and a built-in antimicrobial that inhibits the grow of mildew, mold and bacteria in the sponge.  Additionally, this innovative facial scrubber has an easy-to-use hook and biodegradable packaging!  Genius right?

So a while back, while visiting my local Sephora, i chatted with a skincare specialist who guided me towards First Aid Beauty's skincare line.  He highly suggested i try the facial cleanser.  I opted to take home a sample to try first, just to see how my skin reacted before making the commitment.  Well, it was love at first wash because my skin felt refreshed and very clean!  I quickly headed back to Sephora to pick up the full size and deluxe travel size (for traveling purposes of course).  I'm absolutely loving the way my skin feels after each wash.  The only con for me, personally, is the smell.  It's not exactly pleasant... but it's tolerable and certainly worth dealing with since i love the way it makes my skin feel.  After all, that is its main purpose right?

So you see, when i pair these two beauties together, i know that I'm treating my skin right!  It feels clean and prepped for my skincare!  The best part, these products are relatively affordable! The sponge is only $8 and the cleanser is only $20 (and it will last you quite a while as a little goes a long way)!

Thank you so much for reading! Xo, Carla - FMM

Dirty Hair Don't Care!

Dry shampoo is perhaps one of the best hair inventions in a long time! How genius that you can now apply a product on your hair that leaves you looking as though you just stepped out of the salon!  Until now, i preferred powder formulas simply because i didn't love the way the aerosole versions made my hair feel... until i met Batiste Dry Shampoo.  This beauty was a game changer for me!  No more messy powders here... a few sprays and my hair looks refreshed and full of body.  Honestly, you don't have to have dirty hair to take full advantage of this product.  You see, my hair is quite thick, however, the roots at times get somewhat limp.  When i spray Batiste Dry Shampoo on the root area, it immediately gives my hair texture and body.  I'm not gonna lie, i'm a total sucker for Batiste's cute packaging.  Their bottles come in all kinds of prints and corresponding scents.  As a jersey girl, i had to represent with the leopard print (chuckle) but i have tried and loved others as well.  I also love that these beauties come in sample sizes.  In fact, that's how i came to love this product.  I found it at Ulta in a travel size and decided to try it.  Had i not done that, i never would have purchased the full size bottle!  Sometimes it's nice to not have to make the full investment until you decide if it's perfect for you.  I love that!  Overall, i'm so pleased and am officially a fan of Batiste's Dry Shampoo!  My hair is very excited!

Thank you so much for reading. Xo, Carla - FMM

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Sephora Summer Surge - My Haul

When i first learned of Sephora's Summer Surge event, i jumped at the chance of earning FOUR times the points!  I mean, as a VIB Rouge Member, this is just one of the many perks! If you're not a VIB Rouge, no biggie... VIB's get 3 times the points and Beauty Insiders (anyone can sign up for free BTW) get 2 times the points! You see, it's a win-win situation!  My mission was to accumulate enough points (1000 to be more specific) to score the 1000 point Marc Jacobs (full size) lippie set!  Mission accomplished!  It's gonna be a great mail week around here!  Oh and FYI, Sephora's Summer Surge ends Sunday so act fast!  Here's are the details of my haul!

Beauty Blender Micro Mini - I was stoked when i saw this new launch. It's the same favorite beauty blender that we all love but much smaller making it perfect for concealer application or highlighting/contouring!

Phillip Lim for NARS - I've wanted these for a while but kept forgetting to pick them up! I cannot wait to swipe these on my nails! I picked up the shades 'Dark Room' and 'Crossroads'.

Tarte's Be Charmed Limited Edition Eye Lash Curler equipped with a deluxe sample of their awesome Lights, Camera, Flashes mascara!  I love my current rose gold tweezerman eye lash curler but when i saw this beauty, i simply couldn't resist purchasing it!  It's seriously gorgeous and will look amazing on my vanity!

Sephora Collection Kiss Me Balm in Strawberry Fizz - I saw these in a magazine and knew that being the lip balm lover that i am, i needed to add this beauty to my stash... stat!

Stila Mile High Mascara - OK lots of hype on this mascara... i simply couldn't resist trying this baby out! The verdict?  I'll keep you posted!

Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye-Con No 7 Plush Shadow Palette in The Siren 210 - I mean, could you resist these gorgeous jewel tones? Didn't think so!

Sephora's Favorite Summerstash - Seriously, this was the deal of a life time.  I personally am not ready for summer to be over so i think I'll still get plenty of wear out of the wonderful assortment of products in this pretty little pouch!  

Marc Jacobs 1000 point lippie set - I'm SO EXCITED i can hardly contain myself!  I accumulated enough points to get this beauty which BTW includes TWO full size lippies! Can i get a woooohoooo?! 

So i wanna hear about YOUR Sephora Summer Surge haul! Spill it! 

Thank you so much for reading! Xo, Carla - FMM

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