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Sunday, December 29, 2013

The leap into the new year...Happy Early New Years!


The next several days are going to be super busy in my life and this great blogging love of a hobby is going to see some really cool and new posts after the first of the year. I am so delighted to have met some really cool women in the blogging world and to learn more about how to make my blog the best blog it can be. I have enjoyed finding new blogs to follow and my brain has about 1000 ideas for posts and I am excited to start on them as the end of the year madness with work happens. Thanks again for all the lovely and cool followers, ya'll rock!

Have a blessed and fruitful Happy New Year 2014! Sherry

Saturday, December 28, 2013

My lipstick addiction continues!!


Clinique Chubby Trio- Voluptuous Violet, Two Ton Tomato, Pudgy Peony
Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Volumizing Lip Treatment
Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope in Black Tie
Gloss D'Armani in 103
Armani Rouge Ecstasy in 400


I can't resist them at all *sigh. I don't need another lipstick, gloss, crayon or balm. But they get me every time and I carry a minimum of 8 to 10 in my purse and 2 in my pocket when I work. I have always felt that a pop of color and moisture revitalizes me when I need a pick me up and they are so easy and fun to have. So the addiction continues and I will be wearing some really cool lip colors and feeling pretty zany doing it! What a way to make me smile :).

Do you have an addiction to a particular makeup product? Share your thoughts, would love to know what ya'll are into? Have a good one!! Sherry

My first foray into Naked palette territory!



I have many many Urban Decay products that I use daily and I love all of them. However, my confession is that I have never bought a Naked palette for myself and although lusted after them never made the jump until I saw the Naked 3 palette. Oh my these are colors that I love and wear and although some of the more shimmery ones scare me because of crepey lids, I think I will wear them sheerly and in strategic places! This palette has been talked about, raved about and sold out in minutes. Then in my local Ulta there they were, a bunch of them on a table and I walked right past and didn't even entertain the notion. Then I walked back and looked a bit closer and then picked it up, set it down and then because it was right on the table on the way to the register (where REALLY I was just there to pick up a No 7 Glycolic Peel kit, review to come) I went ahead and grabbed it and now it is home.

I just got the IT Cosmetics Matte Palette and that should have been enough palette for the year (who am I kidding?). So along with my theme of putting some spark into my life and playing a bit more and challenging old rules, I will make the year 2014 even more colorful and fun because, hey! life is short and the older you get the more you can see that all the times you didn't have a little fun, were wasted.

I am not into making huge resolutions anymore at the beginning of the year, I have just made a weekly goal list to ponder upon and put into motion. This year is no different but there will be more using that beautiful palette or lipstick or illuminator and finding Sherry in the midst of all!

Hope you have a blessed and happy weekend! Sherry

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Holy Grail foundation found me....



I originally received a sample of the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk and it sat unused for a long time. I have heard awesome stuff about this foundation and the Maestro as well. 2 days ago I tried the sample and let me tell you it is the absolute most sensuous beautiful foundation I have ever tried. There have been many many foundations in my lifetime that have impressed and made me love them, however none have grabbed me the minute it was on my face and then delivered impressive results throughout the day. I didn't think the color was quite right and went to the department store to get matched and they gave me 2 more generous size samples. I have worn the foundation every day and then made the split second decision to buy the full size.

Part of me thinks that this should be worn only for special occasions as it is very pricey. The other part of me says nope use it! I have put so much back for "special occasions" and this year I am going to use my fun and beautiful pieces of makeup hiding in my considerable stash!

Have you used Luminous Silk foundation? Do you have a HG foundation?

Thanks for reading the blog......Sherry

Day and night skincare routine

Garnier Radiance Renew Cleansing Gelee
Lancôme Dreamtone #2
Bobbi Brown Eye Repair Cream
ROC Multi Correxion Day Moisturizer with SPF 30


This is my quick and to the point morning routine, the moisturizer combines SPF and sinks in quickly. I do my morning cleansing and routine while I style my hair. Then I am ready for my makeup.




Clarisonic brush
Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleanser
Nip & Fab Glycolic Pads
Strivectin SD Eye Concentrate
Lancôme Dreamtone #2
Strivectin AR Advanced Retinol Night Treatment
Sometimes I will add a heavy cream depending on how dry my skin is.

Night time is a bit more complicated as I like to really make sure that skin care products work really well and use a heavier cream depending on how dry my skin is. Sleeping is the time to refresh and renew. I also like to use a sleep mask like Korres Greek Yoghurt overnight mask to plump and hydrate my skin.

I on occasion use Strivectin scrub in the shower as it makes my makeup really go on smoother when I exfoliate in the morning.

I use a peel weekly and also have been addicted to paper and peel masks :). I have found that the better I treat my skin, the results are totally worth it!!!


What are your skincare secrets? Do you have a multi product routine?

Have a blessed day! Sherry

A big thank you and Happy holidays to all!

I hope each and every one of you had a blessed Christmas and got to enjoy your family and friends. I want to say a big thank you for all the new followers to the blog and I hope to continue to grow the blog in the new year and work through the kinks I am encountering.

Please bear with me as I figure out how to get this back up and running and able to get pictures loaded. I have several blog posts written and as soon as this gets fixed there will be new posts.

Blessings upon you and yours and have a wonderful New Year as well!!

Love and best, Sherry

Monday, December 23, 2013

Problems with Blogger

I apologize for the lack of posts. There is apparently some issues with Blogger and I am unable to get pics and posts to be done complete. Please have a wonderful and Merry Christmas and blessings on you and yours!!!! Sherry

Hair Protectors


Alterna Bamboo Color Care UV+ Fade Proof Fluide
it's a 10 miracle leave in product
Rusk Thermal STR8 Protective Shine Spray


I rarely use my curling iron, but use my hairdryer often. I do not color my hair, except in the summer when I put a little John Frieda Sun In. My hair is very fine and gets frizzy and damaged easily so I use products to help protect and keep shine prominent.

These products are necessary and I have noticed they make my hair shiny, healthy and manageable. My hair fortunately has some awesome natural highlights and I have noticed that when I use non fade color products and UV protectant (Texas sun is brutal) my hair is so much prettier.

Have you used any thermal protectors? Do they work for you?

Short but sweet post :)

Skin Transformer Lip Rewind Treatment



I have been carrying this in my pocket for the last 3 weeks while I am helping deliver packages for UPS with my husband. I have been windburned and uncomfortable and this lip treatment is frickin awesome! The shade is Berry and goes on very smooth, its a bit sticky but smooths in quickly. It says that it hydrates, restores, enhances and protects and has advanced peptides with an SPF 20. It is touted as an anti-aging lip treatment and I don't know about the long term effects but it has kept my lips from being scaly and uncomfortable. It comes in 4 colors and is available at Ulta. My husband has made a comment on how pretty my lips are when I use this!

It fits well in my pocket and is easy to twist up and get the color when you need to use it. Skin Transformer is a well known and great line and I for one love this product.

Have you used Skin Transformer before? Are you interested in this lip treatment? Let me know in the comments below. Have a great day, Sherry.

PS: I bought back ups lol

Poise products necessary for my life




Poise Hot Flash Comfort Body Cooling Towelettes
Poise Roll-On Cooling Gel

I can just imagine the head shakes and giggles that might be happening when some may read this post. However, my lovely ladies; this is something that at one time or another you may experience in your lifetime. I am talking about those lovely hot flashes that happen as you enter into peri-menopause or menopause. It happens and I can remember my mother in law about 20 years ago sticking her head in the freezer and being red as a beet and sweating. I seriously thought she was having a stroke! Years later I have learned what those hot flashes feel like and to begin with my face is already red enough without help and then to have hot flashes OH MY!!!! To begin with I researched everything and then I got on some menopause sites and Poise products were featured. I found them at Wal-Mart and CVS and Walgreens. The wipes let me tell you work AMAZING! They have a wonderful scent, cooling on contact (back of neck, chest, low back, abdomen and face) and it lasts too. Same with the roll on gel. Instant cooling on contact and lasts.

Ok if nothing else they sure bring down my outer temperature and makes my brain think that the internal temperature is better. I use them often and carry them in work bags, purse and car. They work and they are inexpensive enough to haul multiples around too. They are not overly fragranced to compete with other perfume, they are clean and fresh.

So ladies, if you have hot flashes and are looking for something easy and quick as well as refreshing, these are the ticket!!! Later, Sherry

NYX Butter Glosses


NYX Butter Gloss in Cherry Pie
NYX Butter Gloss in Strawberry Parfait

Ladies I am an admitted lippie addict! I saw the NYX Butter Glosses at Ulta and decided on the spot to buy the 2 brightest and prettiest colors that I wear all the time. Pinks and reds just make me smile!
These are sheer, and as the name says buttery on the lips, not sticky and not very fragranced at all. They don't last very long as most glosses don't but they feel so great being reapplied. It tucks into my pocket easily and because I stay very warm all the time, I tend to melt lipsticks and twist up lip products in my pocket. These are intact and ready for whenever I want to apply them.

Have you tried the NYX Butter Glosses? Give it a whirl, they are fantastic! Sherry

Friday, December 20, 2013

Awesome and needed sunscreens for Texas

I have learned the hard way about wearing sunscreen. I have some serious sunspots to the left side of my face that despite lightening treatments and peels refuse to budge. Yes they have lightened but stubbornly persist. However, I have to have sunscreens that don't break me out and make my skin feel like its suffocating! Trial and error and I found the best for my skin and thought I would share!

Although ROC Multi Correxion Lift is a moisturizer it has an impressive SPF 30 and combines 2 steps in one for my morning routine. Surprisingly it dries quickly, doesn't leave a white cast to my face and feels wonderful. It has not broken me out and that means a lot to me. The fragrance is light and negligible.

The Neutrogena Age Shield Face with helioplex with an SPF of 70 is for when I am out hiking, fishing or spending major time outside. It is supposed to help with anti-aging and trust me I will take it! It's a little thicker and takes some time to sink in, but am intrigued that there is an anti-aging component and Neutrogena is a trusted brand.

Mineral Fusion Brush on Sun Defense with an SPF 30 is great for touch up while out and tones down sweat and reminds me of Bare Minerals. It is not cakey and I love that it makes me look made up without makeup. Great for my out and about bag.

LaRoche-Posay is by far the most expensive but well worth the money. The Anthelios Mineral fluid with an SPF 50 is tinted and I love it looks like base when I am on the beach or hiking or fishing without all the fuss of makeup. Sinks in quick, looks smooth and lasts.

The Anthelios sunscreen cream with an SPF 40 is thicker and definitely has a white cast but doesn't break me out and works well for serious sun exposure.

Last but not least is the Shiseido powder sun compact that I picked up at Dillards. I read reviews on it and love the touch up sunscreen abilities that it affords. I do have to be careful not to overuse as it tends to cake up on my face and make me look like a 90 year old with her powder layered! This one was pure spontaneous buy lol, but I love it nonentheless.

Do you have some favorite sunscreens that don't break you out and work wonders? Let me know in the comments below. Happy holidays!!!! SHERRY

Patricia Cornwell's "Dust"



I am an avid reader and devour books at the rate of a couple a week. This is pure enjoyment and relaxation for me and has been since my mother helped me get my first library card at age 7. Oh the thrill of the library. All those books and I was reading textbooks and teen books early. I got caught up in mysteries and thrillers after my first Nancy Drew books, then Hardy boys graduating quickly to more hardcore thrillers. I adore horror movies as well. Patricia Cornwell rocks, mainly I think because I am in the healthcare world and I worked for a Dallas County scientist and did lots of mass spectrometer tests, DNA tests etc.

This book is pure Kay Scarpetta and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole book through. If you want to get into her books I suggest you start with her first one as it sets the tone for the whole series. If you love forensic thrillers, then this is the ticket!

What books tickle your fancy? Are you a thriller buff? Would love to know more about my readers!!! Have a great day and be well! Sherry

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Giveaway alert

Hi everyone! Today's post is probably one of the most exciting posts I've ever done in my entire blogging life- eep! It's a giveaway for you guys and it is for- none other than the newest hype in the beauty world- the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette.. what!?

www.beautynerdbynight.com



*THIS GIVEAWAY IS INTERNATIONAL!




Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette Giveaway/Sweepstakes


This giveaway is a collaboration between Beauty Nerd By Night, and four other amazing bloggers: Sockwun @ Extra Extravagant, Stacey @ Beautiful Solutions, Fay @ Pretty Polish and Sarah @ Small n Hot!




The holidays is all about giving, so we thought we'd give the Naked 3 palette away to one of you lovely people so you can start the new year with a fabulous, new palette that we know you'll love!




Some boring old rules:

1) Be over 18 OR have parent/guardian's permission

2) No multiple entries

2) All mandatory fields are required

3) No cheating!

All multiple entries, or entries we deem fraudulent will be disqualified. Yes, we check!




How to join:

Easy peasy! Just follow the Rafflecopter widget below :)

This giveaway is international and will end at midnight 2nd Jan 2014.





Wednesday, December 18, 2013

My gift to myself! IT Cosmetics palette




Naturally Pretty Vol. 1 Matte Luxe Transforming Eye Shadow Palette

I saw an awesome review on this palette and because the older I get the more cautious I am with overly shimmery shades that might sit in the eye wrinkles. This is a matte palette and that won me over immediately. The fact that it is IT Cosmetics definitely won me over and I didn't hesitate to order this from QVC. There is a shimmery pearl shade that can be added to the matte eyeshadow to make it into the shimmer shade that is subtle. The pictures don't do it justice and I will have further review coming. This is just a teaser and because I was so excited about getting myself this I had to at least share my joy :).

Stay tuned for further review! Sherry

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Philosophy winter game changers



Amazing Grace perfumed olive oil body scrub
Miracle Worker lactic acid cleanser and mask

I just recently (compared to the rest of the world:) got involved and loving Philosophy products. Ulta always has wonderful gift sets around Christmas time and I got several different product sets. Facial and body and perfume oh my!!!! After doing some research the lactic acid cleanser came home with me. Peels, exfoliants, acid and lactic masks are something I use once a week. I am welllllll over 40 and know that the better I treat my skin with skincare and regular maintenance, it seems to treat me back a lot better. I can either wash my face with this or place a good layer on and leave it for 2-3 minutes as a mask. Either way, I noticed brighter, cleaner and less broken out skin when I use this.

The Amazing Grace perfume has been one of my lighter staples and when QVC was having a Philosophy event, they were selling these huge bottles of the shower gel and scrub. I am so glad I bought this because as I have confessed I am not that great taking care of my body skin :(. This makes it easy, luxurious and takes care of my skin in the shower a couple of times a week. Great for the winter time dry skin blues! Smells amazing lol.

Philosophy is a regular staple in my skincare and bodycare now and I always feel a little decadent using them. They are an awesome brand and if you go to their website you will love their mission statement and "philosophy". http://www.philosophy.com Ulta and Sephora both carry them as well. Have a great week! Sherry

Skin saver for sure!!!!



I gave in to the urge and told my husband about a year ago that I wanted a Clarisonic. Ulta had an awesome sale with a bag and a face cleanser along with my purple color Clarisonic. I jumped on the sale and started using it immediately and haven't looked back!

At first I was concerned it would be too harsh (this from a woman who used multiple physical scrubs weekly:). It was gentle and worked absolute wonders on my skin from the beginning. I saw that my skin got deeper cleaned and there was no residual makeup left after cleansing and the dry patches were totally gone. Now that its winter, I use it every other day and it is gentle enough to help with the windburn dry and patchy skin that winter can bring. I love my Clarisonic!!!

I know there are less expensive versions out there and yet I am so glad that I got this one. Do you use a brush to clean your skin? Do you have a Clarisonic? Leave me your thoughts below, would love to hear from you! Sherry

A surprising Suave lotion


Suave Advanced Therapy Body lotion- relieves severely dry skin

Both my husband and I use hand lotion daily. As a nurse I wash my hands a billion times a day, my husband is handling cardboard and paper daily as UPS driver and his hands crack and get terribly dry. We are constantly on the hunt for good hand and body lotions. Then this little gem showed up in my Pinchme.com box and I kid you not, my husband used it immediately and without equivocation told me to buy a huge vat of this!!! It is not too thin, not too thick, and takes absolutely no time to sink in to the skin and its not greasy. Hmmmmm, we have used expensive and thick and oily and well let me just say girls this is a drugstore find with a trusted company and it works period. It now has place of honor on my husbands bedside table and I have a feeling I will never get to use it again LOL!

Suave makes good products and if you are looking for a great lotion that sinks in and works very well, grab you some during this winter months and watch pretty moist supple hands happen!

Monday, December 16, 2013

My favorite BB and CC creams



L-R
Ole Henriksen perfect truth cc crème
Vichy Pro Even Mineral BB Cream
Ponds Luminous Finish BB Cream
Lumene CC Cream
Smashbox camera ready CC Cream

In the summer these are quick easy and great coverage without being too heavy. Texas gets reaaalllllyyy hot and I need something that works but doesn't make me look heavily made up. Enter the BB and CC creams. I didn't even try these out when they were first touted in the blogosphere and in all ads. I kind of sat back and watched and listened and this last summer I went out and swatched and tried and read all the reviews.

The Ole Henriksen CC cream is a bit thicker and really is more full coverage and I really must use a moisturizer underneath to combat the dryness that I notice. It has an SPF 30 and smells like an orange dreamsicle! It lasts all day for me without touch ups.

Vichy Mineral BB cream is light and a bit runny, sheer medium coverage and is not drying at all. It has an SPF 20. It can look a little shiny for me, a little powder on my t-zone takes care of it and it lasts most of the day for me.

The Ponds Luminous BB cream is a dream! It is healthy dewy, sheer but builds from medium to great coverage and is not drying at all. It has an SPF 15. It lasts all day and I absolutely love how it feels on my face. It is my favorite of them all!

Lumene CC cream is my next favorite as it is also creamy, healthy dewy look and non-drying. It has an SPF 20 and can be sheer to medium coverage. It lasts all day. It has Arctic Lingonberry, smells wonderful and seems to actively help my skin when I wear it.

Last but not least is Smashbox camera ready CC cream. It is heavier coverage than most, a bit dry and needs moisturizer underneath. It has SPF 30. It lasts ALL day for sure and has a dark spot correcting component. It also takes the place of primer as well.

All in all I am impressed with some of the BB and CC creams out there and on the days when I want to get out the door fairly quickly and look decent as well as have some sun protection, these work wonders.
I know that the older skin (for me anyway) looks better sheerer and not cakey and dewy is always better than dry! I may have just bought in to the alphabet soup creams!!!!

What are your favorite BB and CC creams? Have you bought into the craze? Sherry

In-shower body lotion? Does it work?



Olay Ultra Moisture In-Shower Body Lotion with Shea Butter.

I purchased this primarily because I am terrible with body lotion other than hand, feet and face. I wanted to see how this would save some time, use something for scaly legs
and arms. It says to smooth on and then rinse off after you wash prior. Then gently pat skin dry with towel. I did it as directed and although the long term effect of the lotion didn't seem to last, the immediate effect was very nice. It felt smooth, a little oily which went away quickly and left a nice smooth non-greasy moisture in its place. It is not overly fragranced and doesn't clash with perfume. I did notice when I use this after my shower that my body parts that tend to get scaly were definitely better and my skin was soothed as well. I have been using this about 3 weeks and so far can say I like it and will continue to use this while the weather stays crisp and drying.


Have any of you used an in-shower moisturizer? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below! Have a safe and happy week. Sherry

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Correcting powder face-off


I adore Guerlain products and have the Terracotta in Blonde 04 and use it everyday. I have been tempted on more than one occasion to purchase this product but couldn't quite convince myself even after healthy swatching at the counter and using one of my brushes to dust across my face. I ran across the Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Correcting Powder in Translucent at Ulta.com and thought hmmmm maybe I will try this and see if it gives me that sheer non-powdery cover that I sometimes need for redness that gets overwhelming during the day (hello frickin hot flashes I'm lookin at you). I brought it home and was surprised at how light it is, it's mineral after all and that made it very light and non-chalky. You can just about see the different color swirls in the pan, but it is very sheer compared to the color in the Guerlain powder. I like it and it has proven not to chalk or cake up as I use it although I don't just rashly make that decision lol.

I adore my high end products and splurge rather regularly however, I also love a beauty bargain and there are times that you just find a really good one. This one is by no means an HG product, but I love its sheer ability to not cake up and covers quite well my redness. There just may be a day that I will jump at Guerlain again and get this powder but until then......this Physicians Formula mineral powder resides in my handbag.

What are your thoughts? Has anyone regularly used the Guerlain and love/hate it? Let me know in the comments. Would love to hear from you!! Sherry

PinchMe Box


I received the first sample box from Pinchme.com after going to the website, registering and selecting the available samples they had for the current time. I have found that you need to get on the website early each day to find samples that are available. Occasionally that is difficult for me as I work 12 hour shifts! They do send me an email as well to let me know that some samples are available. Once you receive your box you use the samples and then give a review of them on the Pinchme website. There is also a reward program that I have yet to find out the exact details as of yet, will definitely look into that!

I received Suave Advanced Therapy Severe Dry Skin Body Lotion (how totally appropriate for winter!)
Max Freeze Muscle and Joint pain relief gel (I use this on my forehead and neck during a migraine attack) and a one time usage Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream Moisturizer. I look forward to seeing what other samples that they will send and sometimes you just find that one thing you would have never known about unless you had tried a sample!!

DO you use samples and try things out (other than our lovely Sephora, Ulta samples:)? I will keep you posted on my review! Sherry

Howdy ya'll! My top 8 holiday helps.


Look at my poor wind-burned face!!! I have been a nurse almost 20 years, but in November and December I put on a brown uniform and am a driver helper with my husband for UPS. It's a kick in the pants to run your butt off delivering packages for Christmas. I have seen many and I mean many Sephora boxes passing through my hands. Don't forget to tell your UPS or Fed Ex delivery person thank you if you can, they bring each of us that are makeup junkies those wonderful boxes and packages :). But seriously, I cannot wait to put back on my scrubs and do the job I love.

This week has been fierce and I mean crazy fierce! I was thinking about so much and doing so much and not letting myself just be. When I forget that, my immune system and body and mind almost shut down in protest until I listen. The older I get, the more I listen. I have been a nurse for almost 20 years, I am able to take care of any kind of patient. I have been a mom for 26 years, 3 sons and feel pretty much nothing alarms me. However, listening to me and taking care of me is a far harder task. But let me tell you.......I now listen, I now slow my roll, I now do the very things I took for granted when I was in my 20's.

This time of the year it is easy to get overwhelmed, rushed and downright exhausted with work, family, shopping, decorating, dinners, parties etc ad nauseum. The older I get the more I understand the need to NOT be perfect, the need to slow down and enjoy the MOMENT (you can't get it back). Life is precious and I have personally thought back to even a few years ago and can't remember major moments of the month of December because I rushed through like a manic zombie(picture that)! I have decided to follow some basic facts and some funny ideas. Take a look!

1) Designate. Who says you have to do it all? This one is hard. It's gotta be done just so and just the way I want it and if someone else does it I might have to do it over or change it or.......yeah that. Let someone else help. Really. Is your desire for recognition, praise or acclaim so much that you forget the reason for the season? Yep pretty blunt there, but I read me in those sentences as well.

2) Rest. I know I know basic and most redundant. But hey! If you don't take the time to get some decent rest all the other things will be a blur and exhaustion will rule. Studies have even shown that a good 30 minute nap is refreshing for both mind and body. This weather is good for snuggling up and relaxing. Remember you will never look or feel very good if you can't get rest.

3) Make a list. I am soooooo that person lol! However, if you write things down, not only will it decrease the item or errand missing, it will keep it all in one place and make things easier to consolidate and what fun it is to see the list getting crossed off and shows just how much you got done!

4) Gratitude list. When the winter blues or even depression strikes in this time of year, write a list of all you are grateful for and no matter how small or large or silly, put it down. Great way to remind us of what we have, just not the "stuff". Really a great reminder of the here and now.

5) Play! Remember family game night? Remember playing with toys or video games or running through the snow with the dog? With all we seem to have to accomplish during this most hectic of seasons, it is so great to slow it wayyyy down and play. My brother and I used to go to the bowling alley for midnight bowling and bowl for 6 hours straight and laugh and talk and even though I was sore and tired it was awesome to laugh and goof off. Put a twist on a game in your own way and invite others to play with you!

6)Snack through the day. We run, we shop, we work. It's easy to not slow down and remember our fuel. Small steady snacks along with a couple of solid meals refresh and nourish us. Sugar spikes and spills destroy our adrenal and immune system. Carrying things with you as you go about your day will help to prevent that and keep you ready and fueled for all the things you would like to do.

7)Stop, be in the moment. Rushing tends to make everything a blur and memories are totally lost or opportunities are missed. That awesome lady at the makeup counter that let you swatch and hem and haw and decide? she may need a smile and thank you. Not all people are nice to those that work for the public. Did you see the ducks on the pond this morning? Catch the color of those gorgeous crunchy leaves that you walked through? Smile at the adorable little kids playing in the grass? Yep, we miss so much and it takes so little to make someone's day or pay attention to them. Then you can remember as well and it will bring you joy.

8) Faith. Regardless of your religious beliefs or not, hold on to your faith and let it keep you strong during this precious time of the year. Whatever you choose to do and how you do it, remember in the hustle and bustle of life, dropping into your church, parish, mosque or even at your home altar, God, Higher Power or whomever you know, is always there for you and your spiritual needs. This is important to me and reminds me that in the winter sometimes the "winter of the soul" needs to be fed for the new year and the new day.

I hope this finds each of you well and happy and starts some conversations or ideas. Blessings to each of you and happy holidays! Sherry

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Sonia Kashuk Bath and Body line at Target



I absolutely adore a beautiful smelling bath gel. It starts the day with such a brain kick and aromas, odors and scents are centrally located in my life. When I was browsing the beauty aisle in Target, I was astonished to see the Sonia Kashuk line and I snatched up Pink Inocencia Creme' Body Wash. This has tuberose, amber and magnolia for its unique and gorgeous scent.

As per Sonia Kashuk:
"A daily delight, this pearlescent wash conditions and softens skin as it cleanses. With moisturizing Plumeria, plus Edelweiss flower and white tea extracts."

The first thing for me with a body wash is the aroma followed by the creaminess and sudsiness. This ticked all my boxes and it actually lasts on my skin for most of the day. Softly and definitely not "in your face". Being a nurse I am very careful as some of my patient's illnesses make them super sensitive to fragrances. This is subtle and usually garners compliments!

Have you tried any of the new Sonia Kashuk line of bath and body?

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Winter Godsend


I was honored to participate and win in a rafflecopter contest from MakeupbyRenRen.com. I had never heard of this company or product prior to winning this contest and so I did some Google searching and this is a bit of the information I obtained:
Embryolisse was founded by a pharmacist in the 1950's to create his own pharmaceutical brand to meet -expectations and acceptance of his profession. The website www.EmbryoLisseUSA.com has a lot of cool information and products. Check it out, I have found there is some great skincare products.

I won the Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate Nourishing Moisturizer. Advice for use: Apply morning and/or evening to clean dry face. Massage in gently without applying pressure, and leave to penetrate. Can also be used to cleanse the skin, take off makeup, as a repairing mask, an after shave cram or baby-care product.


It is a beautiful light fluffy yet substantial cream, un-fragranced and very smooth. I thought the first time I used it after cleaning my face at night that it was maybe too much for my face as it felt a bit heavy and I was worried I would break out. I shelved it until this nasty cold and ice hit Texas and once my nose started peeling and my face got wind-burned, I thought I better get this out and see if it would help as I have no other "heavier" creams. In Texas I normally only wore lighter moisturizers because its so dang hot and humid, cream makes everything run down my face! I got this out 3 nights ago and lo and behold this stuff is miraculous for dry, irritated and downright pissed off skin! I have only been using it at night before bed and spot treating my nose and cheeks and this cream has been awesome! I have not broken out and my face feels smoother and plumper and my nose area almost immediately started to heal and prevent further breakdown. That is an A+ in my book. It's now got a permanent place in my winter skincare rotation and I am so grateful that I won this skincare gem.

Have you heard or tried any of the Embryolisse products? Any recommendations? Have a safe and happy holiday season!!! Sherry

Benefit Porefessional vs NYX Pore Filler- Dupe?


I was given a sample of Benefit Porefessional primer and loved the velvety smooth matte finish, light scent and somewhat tinted color. It felt very good and made my face feel smooth and my pores appeared smaller, my makeup applied easily. The length of makeup stay time was not as impressive as I would have liked. Sephora and Ulta sell this product for $30 for 0.75oz.

Then I bought the NYX Pore Filler at Ulta for $12.99 and was surprised that they felt the same velvety texture, smoothed on and became matte and lightly scented and somewhat tinted in color. I also noticed it helped to smooth out my pores. As with the Porefessional the wear time in makeup was not impressive. The above swatches show the Porefessional on the left and the NYX on the right. The consistency is very different and the NYX you have to shake to get the formula in the tube together. However, once applying to the face, absolutely NO difference to me at all.

Overall I am impressed with the Porefessional and the NYX. For the money and the closeness in performance I will stick with the NYX Pore Filler. However, I do have a stash of the Porefessional as well :). I really can't tell a lot of difference when it's on my face.

Have you tried either of these? Which do you prefer? Love to hear from you! Sherry

Pantone Color of the year 2014 Radiant Orchid


Although I am sad to see the gorgeous green leave the scene, I am a purple girl at heart and any and all kinds make me happy! I especially love wearing this color as it brings out my hazel eyes and its a soft color to put next to your face to pep and enliven. Ohhhh and the variations thereof, well Pantone had me at hello :) (so to speak). I am already thinking of the styles, colors, nails, purses, shoes and makeup looks to have a blast putting together. I actually have some scrubs in this color and I will love putting together a makeup look to go with them.

So what are your thoughts and suggestions on the new color of the year? Are you excited or bummed? Do you already have your eye on a particular makeup item that you can't wait to make a statement with? Do tell!!!! Sherry

Monday, December 9, 2013

Facial masks that I am loving


From Left:
Korres Wild Rose and Vit C Advanced Brightening Sleep Mask
No 7 Beautiful Skin Hydration Mask
Korres Greek Yoghurt Sleeping Facial Mask
Boscia mask Medley-Luminizing Black, Bright White, Cool Blue Calming

Sometimes a nourshing, moisturizing mask feels so good especially when the weather is cold and dry. I have fallen in love with the Korres sleeping masks as I can put them on before bed and wake up with baby smooth skin. Masks that are thicker and have clay or other good detoxifying ingredients in them help to "vacuum" out my pores and make me feel like I did something good for my skin.

With the weather change in Texas and the heat on in the house, I have been using more of the deep moisturizing ones and the No7 Hydration Mask is just lovely. It has a very heavy fragrance as do the Korres Sleeping masks and do not dissipate, so keep that in mind if heavy fragrances bother you.

Summer time I use more detoxifying masks and winter means more moisturizing ones. They feel a little like doing something very nice for myself even if its for 15 minutes or overnight. I also have quite the selection of paper masks that I will be reviewing later.

What do you do to pamper your skin when the weather changes? Have you tried any of these, let me know your thoughts! Sherry

How many lip products are in your bag tag

ciaobella0816.blogspot.com has the tag going around and of course although this may be extremely embarrassing I will own up to the amount of lip products I carried TODAY in my purse.

It has been soooo cold and windy and very gray out, so the lip color reflects my need to pop it up a bit to cheery :). Also nearly ALL of these are nourishing and protective, much needed!


L to Mid to R
Skin Transformer Lip Rewind in Berry
Juice Beauty Gloss in Pink
Bite Beauty Duo in Rose and Palamino
IT Vitality Butter Gloss in Ruby Slippers
Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Shock
Maybelline Color Elixir in Fuschia Flourish

How many lip products do YOU carry around? Leave me a shout and let me know if there are any that I should be interested in as well!!! Thank you so much for reading my blog! Sherry

5 minute IT Cosmetics Face


From Left:
IT Vitality Face Disc
IT Collegan Veil Serum Anti-Aging Primer
IT Your Skin but Better CC Cream in Medium
IT bye bye lids
IT bye bye redness
IT Vitality Butter Gloss in Ruby Slippers
IT Hello Lashes Mascara

Today is one of those days where I have to get out of the house quickly and look at least decent. The weather is very cold, windy and my poor nose is Rudolph red from running non-stop. I wanted a versatile, easy and great coverage look with a pop of color. This IT face sure did the trick and with the Butter Gloss in my pocket I can keep my lips conditioned and bright throughout the day. The Bye Bye redness helped to tone the Rudolph nose down and cover some spots that needed covering. With the Hello Lashes my eyes look bright, awake and loooonnnngg lashed :). So today, I can brave the workforce with a few tricks up my sleeve.

Have you tried IT Cosmetics? I have fallen in love with the line and love to use them as they are high quality and Ulta now carries them. Have a blessed day and be safe in the winter mess! Sherry

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Lipstick love-new find



I love the season's beautiful berries, plums, purples and oxbloods. This beautiful find was at CVS, Covergirl Lip Perfection named Embrace. Although the E is obviously missing on the end of the tube, I went to the Covergirl website to verify. As you can see from the swatch (one pass) this is easily seen with one pass and 2 passes allow a deep berry color that even after 4 hours of wear on me leaves a beautiful pink berry stain behind, The swatch had to be taken off with oil based cleanser, that is how well this lipstick stays on. I love the color and even if I wear a darker eye this sheers out for a pretty pop of color. It is so fun to find new colors and sometimes get out of my comfort zone,

What lipstick have you found this time of the year? Are you getting out of your comfort zone this season? Let me know if there is a lip color you think I would be interested in? Sherry

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Cream blush beauty


Left: Sonia Kashuk lip and cheek palette
Stila Self adjusting pink blush
Tarte Natural Cheek tint in Achiote
Tarte Maracuja Bouncy blush in Shimmering Poppy
IT Vitality Flush Color Stain Stick



I am a woman of 47 and I lose a bit of color in my face with each passing year. I love a pop of color to help me look a bit more alert and perky. My powder blushes have a tendency to get dry and look cakey and make me look a little older then I am. Thus the cream blush tryout began and I am in love! They are easy to use and I can either use my fingers, a sponge to dab blend or a blush brush. Bronzer is my go to for some contouring and then the beautiful cream blush on my apples of my cheeks really help to pull the look together.

I have also found that cream blush tends to stay on longer for me and I don't need to reapply like I used to with my powder; however, I sometimes carry a powder for touch ups if I feel a little blah :). Lipstick and blush prove to be the pick me up when I need a lift during my day.

Do you use cream blushes? What do you like about them and what brands do you love? Would love to hear your comments!! Have a great evening, Sherry

Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner/swatches


Colors from top to bottom:
Charcoal-gray black
Black Gold- beautiful dark gold with shimmer
Luminous Fig-deep soft brown
Shimmering Ivy-deep green


For years back in the day, I loved to line my eyes and loved how it made them pop. The older I got, along with allergies I had a hard time not having the liner bleed all over and made me look like I had black eyes so I quit wearing liner for a long time. Enter eye primer and waterproof easy to use pencils and viola' I am able to wear liner again! I found the holiday liners that came out from Smashbox and fell in love. Not only do they line and STAY put but they easily smudge out for a smoky look that is easy and pretty even for daytime wear. These come with an end that looks like an eraser and let me tell you smudge quick because these set very well.

The colors are absolutely beautiful and great for fall, although I will wear these year round! I picked these up at Sephora.com and am not sure if these are permanent to the collection or limited editions. When I started wearing liner again I noticed that people made more comments about my eyes, even when I wear my glasses and that felt really good :).

I am still learning how to use felt liners and gel liners, the lovely ladies at my local Ulta actually sat me down and gave me a great lesson for which I am grateful. Although I have been wearing makeup for years there is so much I can still learn!

So run out and check these beautiful liner pencils out and let me know your thoughts. If you have any great tips on lining your eyes be sure and let me know in the comment section.

Have a great day and blessings for the Thanksgiving holiday, Sherry