what i'm giving up for lent

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I've never spoken about religion here on the blog, but I did want to share what I decided to give up for Lent this year. When I was younger, it was always about going without chocolate, candy, or soda for 40 days. In college, I tried to challenge myself more and would give up coffee {so rough} and cursing {which I never do anymore, success!} As I've gotten older, I've realized that these 40 days aren't just about giving up a favorite food but about doing something good and bettering yourself.

1. Eat less chocolate. // OK, so I know I just said that this time is about more than just giving food, but I always give up one vice. Chocolate made the cut this year since I've been having a lot of dark chocolate lately.

2. Shop my stash. // Though I haven't been spending so much lately on new clothes and makeup, I really want to crack down on it during these 40 days. I know that there are some things in my closet and makeup collection that I need to give more love.

3. Hit the "snooze" button less. // Oh my gosh, I do this too much. TOO MUCH! I know that if I didn't, I could get so much more done before my day even really starts. So here's to hoping that I actually start getting up when my alarm goes off every day.

4. Do at least one good thing every day. // Whether it's for myself, for someone else, or for both, I want to just inject a little bit of happiness into the day. Hopefully, they'll pay it forward and start a nice chain reaction.

Let me know if you're giving up anything or doing something good during Lent!

five valentine's day treats

I love baking and making themed desserts and treats is one of my favorite things. I may not be a fan of Valentine's Day, but you can bet that I will be whipping up something chocolate for tomorrow. I browsed around and found some desserts to whip up before putting on your best outfit and some pink gloss for your Galentine's celebration or romantic dinner for two.

 Chocolate Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Neopolitan Bonbon Cupcakes

Chocolate Cream Pie with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Manhattan Cocktail Truffles

Italian Almond Valentine Cake

An almond cake for two, perhaps? Or maybe a plate of mini waffle ice cream sandwiches? Yum! I don't think I'd be able to turn that down.

I hope you have a great weekend and a wonderful Valentine's Day!

review: make up for ever x fifty shades of grey

I know, I know. Fifty Shades of Grey isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea, but I'll admit it, I'm a fan. Their collaboration with Make Up For Ever was one I just couldn't pass up when I saw it online, and the price tag was even better. One singular eye shadow retails for $21, something I just couldn't justify. So when I saw that none of the sets were over $80 and what was in each collection, I had to make it mine!

The Give In To Me Makeup Kit {$79, a $179 value} comes with a lipstick, lip gloss, mascara, liquid eyeliner, and eye shadow quad. It comes in a black keepsake box with several quotes from the book imprinted on a light pink trim.

Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4 is a great neutral pinky beige. You can buy this on it's own, but you get a full-size in the kit. The formula is super creamy and on the sheerer side, so don't expect anything opaque when you swipe this on. It's not at all drying, a plus, but that means that it's not long-wearing. I don't mind though since this more natural shade means the fading isn't obvious. Retails for $20.

Lab Shine Lip Gloss in D14 is a sheer pink with quite a bit of shimmer in it. It isn't sticky so you don't have to worry about your hair getting stuck to your lips throughout the day, something I really hate. I love the brush applicator, as opposed to a doe foot that most glosses have, because it makes it much easier to apply. You wouldn't notice it when you have it on, but it does have a sweet scent to it. It's great on it's own or over the lipstick on just the center of your lips. Since it has a lot of glitter throughout, it might not be for everyone. Retails for $19.

The Smoky Extravagant Mascara in black is one that I've tried before. I didn't like it then, and I unfortunately still don't like it now. I prefer waterproof formulas so I didn't have such high hopes for this. I like the conical shape of the mascara wand, but that's about it. I find this one to be too wet and thick, which results in clumping when applied. Not a good look. I think it's also why my lashes don't hold a curl when I use this. Not a favorite in this kit. Retails for $24.

The Graphic Liner pen is a pretty good one, if you ask me. The pen form makes it easy to hold when applying, and the pigmentation is great here. The only downside for me is that it's a felt tip, something I think makes it harder to create a winged liner. I can never get it to be as thin as I'd like, but I can see why something like this would be great if you're either a beginner or like a thicker liner look. Retails for $24.

Hands down my favorite part of this collection is the eyeshadow quad. It comes with four shades - I-514 {an iridescent pink ivory}, ME-612 {a metallic silver brown}, S-556 {a satin taupe gray}, and I-628 {an iridescent dark khaki taupe} - in a customizable palette, meaning you could switch any of these shades out for other MUFE shadow pans. These are all super pigmented and incredibly creamy, not at all chalky. For me, I love wearing ME-612 as an all over lid shade and using S-556 and I-625 for a smoky eye. I-514 is a highlight shade for me but would work well as an all over lid shade for fairer-skinned ladies. Personally, I wish  S-556 was more on the brown side than the gray side, but it works. Each shadow retails for $21.

Now onto the Desire Me Cheek Set {$49, $112 value}. It comes in a black velvet pouch that I love for jewelry and such when traveling.

The cheek set comes with a trio in I-526 {an iridescent pearl beige}, I-808 {an iridescent bright cool pink}, and S-748 {a satin coral orange}. Again, these are just as pigmented and creamy as the shadows - in fact, I-526 and I-808 are listed as eye shadows. I know that they look a bit scary in the pan - a cool-toned pink and a vibrant orange probably don't seem so wearable - but they can be as sheer or as pigmented as you'd like depending on how much you apply. While you can wear I-808 and S-748 alone, I like to mix them together to get the perfect neutral cheek color. I actually think I-526 is a really pretty cheek highlight that's more of a champagne pink that a light gold. It's a nice break from my normal NARS Albatross. Each retails for $21.

Let's talk about this amazingly soft travel-size blush brush. It is so good! It's soft and doesn't shed. It applies product just where you want it and not all over the side of your face since it's smaller than most blush brushes. I can only imagine that this would work well to sculpt and contour with. A dual purpose brush. Great in my opinion. Full size retails for $40.

Whew! A lengthy post, but there were a lot of products to include. If you can get your hands on these two sets or the lip sets {I decided to skip on those because I have so many lip products}, then grab them. You won't be disappointed by the quality or the price!

a valetine's day outfit

J. Crew Structured Flutter Tee // BLK DNM High-Rise Skinny Jeans // Kristin Cavallari 'Copertina' Pump // Clinique Lash Power Mascara // Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Rose // Essie Matte Nail Polish in Wrap Me Up // BaubleBar Ice Wrap Two-Finger Ring // Rebecca Minkoff Leo Clutch

A new post just in time for Valentine's Day!

If you ask any one of my friends or family members, they'll tell you how much I detest Valentine's Day. But I can get down with injecting a little bit of red and pink into an outfit so here's something really simple for you to wear on a date with your guy or your best girls. You can never go wrong with a white tee and jeans and, my go-to makeup look of the moment, some mascara and a long-wearing lipstick.