Hello lovelies! Welcome to my first ever February Favorites! I selected just a few items for my first favorites post as to prevent it from being exceptionally long. So without further ado, here are some things I have been loving through the month of February.

Lukas Graham - 7 Years

I first heard this on the radio and ever since I have been obsessed. I don't know what it is about this song but I can't help but sing along whenever it plays. I am 90% sure that the day I first heard this, I ended up playing on repeat a solid 15 times. Music has been the most important part of my life for as long as I can remember. Discovering new music is my favorite activity of all time - this month, "7 Years" is my favorite song.

And there you have it - my first ever favorites/my favorites through the month of February. Let me know if you like these types of posts! Comment below what some of your favorites this month are.

XOXO

- K

Happy Sunday my digital peeps!

Today I thought I'd write more of a chatty post. So just for the heck of it I thought I'd examine my slight obsession to makeup.

The above picture is just some of my recent makeup purchases (including my monthly Ipsy bag). 

My name is Kristin and I am a makeup addict. I think I have hit my rock bottom (cue the Hailee Steinfeld track). Let's take this back to the beginning.

I was never a particularly girly-girl. During high school I genuinely couldn't care less about makeup. I had my drugstore makeup in my target makeup case. All was well. Around 2013 is when everything took a turn. I started watching makeup YouTube videos. My resolve was strong. I didn't buy into the hype of high end makeup - I couldn't fathom how one could spend so much on makeup. It was the beginning of 2015 - January to be exact - that I caved. I asked for the Naked2 palette for my birthday. After that, I started going to Sephora but just for Soap and Glory products. I had my Naked2 palette and my Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick (which is technically a drugstore brand in the UK). The rest of my makeup was still my good ol' fashioned drugstore brands. 

As the year progressed I kept looking into more name brands. I held out (probably because I was a broke college student). When I got my tax refund check in May, I took my booty to Ulta and bought a couple Tarte products. Once I started my "big girl" job, as I call it, all hope was lost. I finally had an income. I could buy what I wanted. Don't get me wrong, I still put money away in savings every paycheck. But the amount of makeup I have accumulated in the last year (maybe it's a better estimate to say 9 months) is disgusting, but I love it. 

Now sometimes I ask myself - Kristin, why do you spend so much money on makeup that you don't even wear everyday? Yes, it is true that more often than not I do not wear makeup. If there's something I love more than makeup, it's sleep. My sleep is a valuable thing on work mornings. As far as my answer, I just do. I don't have a rhyme or reason. I just love makeup (My 13 year old self would be shocked to read that sentence right now).

I think the saddest part of my makeup obsession is that most of my makeup - including all of the makeup in the above picture - is stored in boxes. I order makeup and store it in the boxes it comes in. I will use them, but then back in the box they go. I just have no storage space for my makeup. There are several Ikea pieces (I know, typical) that I have my eye on. Sadly, the closest Ikea is about three and a half hours away. And I refuse to pay $350 dollars for shipping.  I am planning a trip to Ikea, but that's in a couple of months. For now a box shall remain the home for my makeup.

If you find yourself in the same situation let me know, or if you have any storage suggestions!

XOXO

- K

Hello lovelies! I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's day. This week's post is the final post in my Battle of the Lip Fixes series. I enjoyed trying out different products each week and comparing them. So, without further ado - Battle of the Lip Fixes: The Results.

For the last four weeks, I have been trying out three different lip products. The first week was the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, the second week was the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil, and the third week was the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask. You can read their respective reviews here, here, and here.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream - This "cream" is more of a gel (think of blistex) consistency. This product does have a scent; however, it is not particularly strong, nor is it particularly unpleasant. I love this product, and as an added bonus, it will last you a ridiculously long time. I don't think I've even made a dent in mine. During the week I was using this, I kept it right next to me on my desk at work and constantly reapplied it. I also used it at home. My lips did become more soft and the chapped spots did heal. I don't know what is in this product but it is magical. I did get sick at one point and put this on my nose as well (we all know how chapped noses can get when you're constantly blowing them). Overall, I think this product is a great investment. It is so versatile and is definitely going to be my go to winter lip product.

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask - The Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask has a similar consistency as the  Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream if only a little more solid. It is still a gel - but it is not as soft as the other product. This also has a flavor - after all it is agave. It is just slightly sweet. Also unlike the other product, there is no scent. I don't know about you, but I would probably rather have a product that has a favor instead of a scent. This product works amazingly. My lips became incredibly soft - dare I say the softest they've ever been. This product is so thick, I would only use it in the morning when I got up and at night before I went to bed. The only downfall of this product was the fact that I didn't want to use it over the course of the day. Because I work in an environment that has such dry air, I constantly wanted to use another lip balm such as EOS. I feel like this may be best used as a summer product when the air isn't so drying. This will definitely be my summer lip balm and possibly my winter one as well (but only if I use another balm during the day).

Clarins Instant Light Comfort Lip Oil - Ahhhh Clarins, I had such high hopes for this product. Don't get me wrong it is a great product. I think this is amazing if you have done simplistic makeup for the day and need a slight tint, but also want to treat your lips. But I don't see this as being my go-to, constantly reached-for product. I'll use it up, but I don't know that I would repurchase. This product doesn't necessarily heal your lips so much as prevent them for being chapped. If you buy this, I would use it more as a preventative measure than a curative product. 

All in all, I think the product I would be most likely to repurchase is the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask (let me tell you I would have been wrong in my prediction at the beginning of this venture). I would also probably repurchase the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. The only product I don't think I would repurchase would be the Clarins Instant Light Comfort Lip Oil. Although I do have two, so I don't think I will be hard pressed to make this decision anytime in the near future.

I had such a great time making this series for you guys. Let me know how you liked this and if there are any other products you like to see me review and compare!

XOXO

- K

Welcome back to this space! I just wanted to start off by saying thank you! I cannot believe how many views I have gotten in 2016 so far. I hope you continue to read and feel free to share with your friends!

Today is the third and final review in my Battle of the Lip Fixes series. This week, I tried out the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask. I have a couple of sample sizes (.18 oz) that I received in Bite's Christmas set, as well as purchasing their 5 Night Fix for Lips. It does not look like either of these options are available on Sephora's website, but you may want to keep an eye out in the store. It also appears that Bite came out with two tinted Agave Lip Masks as well, so if you're one for tinted balms (or masks in this case) take a look at those on Sephora's website. 

This mask is very thick - a little definitely goes a long way. You need just the smallest amount and smear it across your lips. There is a sweet flavor to the mask, but what else should I expect from an AGAVE mask. It is a nice flavor which is always a plus in my book (not that you should eat this product). 

The Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask does have a nice texture. As I said, it is thick; however, it does not leave your lips with a sticky feeling. On the contrary, I enjoyed the feeling of this product on my lips. For the application for this product, because it is a mask and not like a chapstick that you can apply throughout the day, I applied this twice per day - once in the morning and once at night. 

I just have one thing to say about this - my lips are so soft. I don't have any chapped skin or anything. My only qualm about this product is using it in the winter. I don't know about you, but the air in my workplace is very dry in the winter. Because of this, all week long I wanted to use a chapstick or lip balm during the day. It took all of my will power not to use another product with this. I think I will continue using this product but with another in cunjunction with it during the day. I think this would be the perfect product for the summer months when you're not super worried about chapped lips, but still want soft lips, and the air isn't as dry. 

Next week will be the final post of my Battle of the Lip Fixes series. Next week will be an overview of all three products and which ones I would repurchase and if there are any I probably will not use again. Let me know if you enjoyed this series and if there are any products you'd like to see reviewed and put up against one another (i.e. face products, eye products, skin products, etc.). Keep an eye on this space for Battle of the Lip Fixes: The Results.

XOXO

- K

Welcome back! And welcome to the second installment of my Battle of the Lip Fixes series!

For this week's post, I tried out the Clarins Instant Light Comfort Lip Oil. I think I was most excited to try this product out.

The Clarins Instant Light Comfort Lip Oil comes in two scents - Raspberry (a sheer berry shade) and Honey (a golden shade). Now don't be fooled when I use the term shade. When I swatched them on my wrist, I could barely tell the difference as there is minimal color to the oil. I also used the term scent instead of flavor. The product itself does smell like raspberry and honey, respectively. I'm slightly obsessed with the raspberry one - it has become my go-to of the two products. There is no flavor though. It is simply an oil for your lips. 

I was actually slightly nervous about the texture of the product. I'm not one for sticky glosses and lip products. If a product is overly sticky, I won't use it no matter how amazing the other aspects of the product are. The first time I applied this product, I was pleasantly surprised. It is not sticky at all. It is so smooth on your lips. It is truly an oil. Even if the product didn't do a thing, I would recommend this as a gloss - it makes your lips just the perfect amount of shiny. The slight tint to the product also causes me to favor the raspberry scent. It is almost a "your lips but better" product.

Now onto the actual performance. The Clarins Instant Light Comfort Lip Oil does just as the product description (courtesey of the Macy's website) states: "Clarins' newest treatment oil transforms lips from dry and damaged, to plump and luscious--while adding just a hint of colour." As previously stated, it does add just a hint of color. It did make my lips look slightly more plump (though it wouldn't be my sole reason for purchase), as well as hydrated. I am not sure that I would recommend this product to heal severely chapped lips, but I do reach for this as a more preventative product. If you use this, surely you can help prevent chapped lips. 

If you can swing the price tag of $25 for this product, and you are looking for something to prevent instead of heal, I would go for this product. Sometimes I feel like a preteen again - I'm sure we all remember that age when we bought lip gloss to seem cool but we really just liked the scent/flavor. It reminds me of that part of my youth... or rather, my early youth.

Let me know if there are any specific products you would like to see in this series for review!

XOXO

- K

Hello Interwebians! 

(wow, I don't think I've said that since one of my first posts)

Welcome to my new and improved blog!

I thought I would try out a new set up for a bit. Sometimes change just feels so good. Speaking of change, I'm hoping you like the influx of posts that the new year has brought in. I'm thoroughly enjoying writing my bum off. I am working on lots of posts and I've been keeping a running list of new ideas (which never happens!).

So I thought I'd just stop by and say HI!

I'll see you here on Sunday!

XOXO

- K

Every year, in the dead of winter, I find myself searching high and low for something to keep my lips soft and smooth. And every year, after just picking up any old lip product, I throw my hands up, give up on my search and resign myself to the fact that I will never have soft lips in the winter.

This year I decided to take my search seriously and find the best product for my lips. I hope this helps you find a product that you can love and reach for every day of the winter season. I decided to start my trials with the beloved Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. Many individuals across the internet rave about this product.

I was extremely excited when my order finally came in the mail. I thought that with so many people raving about it, it had to work. My first instinct when I opened the packaging was to smell it. I don't know why but that is my first instinct with a lot of products I buy. The scent is something that you may need to get used to. It is not too strong, but it is noticeable. If you are not one for scented products I would recommend their fragrance free version (You can get it here). The scent does not create a flavor for this product. It is actually flavorless (If you are thinking "why would you mention a flavor?" Be honest, we all know we care about if a lip product tastes like anything). The product itself is more of a gel than a cream - think more of a Vaseline consistency. I actually quite liked this aspect. Prior to purchasing, I would wonder what it was like to put a lotion-like product on my lips. 

Now on to the effectiveness of the Eight Hour Cream. I reapplied the product several times throughout the day - desperately needed as my office is as dry as the Sahara; I go through hand cream and lip products like no other. It made my lips feel protected and I like the feel of the product on my lips; it was not particularly sticky. It did protect my lips and it did seem to heal them. However, with this product I did notice that as the product wore off, it did leave my lips feeling dry. It did not make my lips chapped or feel chapped; they just felt dry - a minute but important distinction. 

I do quite like carrying this product around in my handbag. I kept reaching for this product all week long. To hear my verdict on this product, keep an eye on this space. I will be reviewing several more lip products (each of which I try out for a week). Once the products are reviewed, I will make a post of my results on which product I would most likely reliably reach for. Let me know if there are any specific products you would like to see in this series for review!

XOXO

- K