January Beauty Haul

I was finally in need of a good beauty haul from ULTA last month to repurchase some of my favorite basics and try a couple new items recommended by friends and my esthetician.

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Repurchases:

I received a sample size of the Better Than Sex Mascara almost a year ago and it's just about to be done so I decided to get the full size since it's one of my favorite mascaras. I do still love the less expensive Maybelline Falsies Mascara for everyday wear so I mainly use the Better Than Sex Mascara for nighttime wear or special events such as weddings.

This is my third tube of Tarte Amazonian Foundation because I love the full coverage it provides and the variety of skin tones it caters for. I reviewed this foundation in greater detail here but if you're looking for full coverage, this foundation is on point.

I bought this same EcoTools Bamboo Brush Set about 5 years ago and although I cleaned my brushes often, I decided it was definitely time for a new set. I use the bronzer brush on a daily basis and the price tag is very affordable for such amazing quality brushes.

The Clarisonic Radiance Brush Heads are a self explanatory purchase but I did decide to go with the 'radiance' brush heads instead of the 'normal' this time around to see how they differ. I don't notice a huge difference but they are both soft and gentle on the skin which is ideal.

I used to buy expensive toners until I found the SO Totally Clean Facial Toner. The smell isn't harsh and it works just as effectively as the expensive toners except with a $5.99 price tag at Ulta.

NYX Butter Lip Glosses are a repeat purchase times a million. When you find the perfect texture lip gloss (not sticky) that comes in a variety of pretty colors and is 1/4 the price of expensive cosmetics it warrants a repeat purchase for life.

New:

The Murad Facial Moisturizer was recommended to me by my esthetician recently when I went for a facial. I expressed to her that my combination skin often results in a slightly shiny forehead later in the day yet the lower half of my face seems to be on the dry side. She recommended the Murad moisturizer because of it's matte finish for oily skin and I've noticed a remarkable difference.  

Essie Gel-Setter Nail Polish - The set includes a colored nail polish + a gel-setter top coat and no lamp is needed to set the polish. I chose the color Watermelon which is very pretty in person and I thought it would be perfect for Spring and Summer. Admittedly I haven't used this set yet because my nails are currently the shortest they've ever been so I'm working on growing them out before prettying them up.

Well, that was a mouth full of a post. If you made it this far, thanks for reading my reviews and feel free to share any of your favorite beauty products that are a must try!

2015 Amazon Purchases

I became an Amazon Prime member exactly a year ago and I don't think I could go any other way. The wide variety of things that I buy from Amazon plus two-day shipping makes the annual fee well worth it. And when I say wide variety, I mean I really purchase the most random things. Let's take a look (titles are clickable):

FYI: If you download the Amazon App you can get an instant $5 credit.

#Tweet Mug
I bought this mug for a white elephant gift exchange at work around Christmas last year. I figured it was office appropriate and well-suited since I work in the digital marketing department. 

Makeup Organizer
This is a space-saver compared to the organizer I had before and it fits all of my makeup beautifully. Blogger blame for this purchase goes to Biana from BLovedBoston.

Tan Towels
I used to use self-tanning lotions which can be a huge mess until Kerri recommended Tan Towels so these have been a major repeat purchase to keep a slight tan throughout the year.

Pink Flamingo Pool Float
I bought this pool floatie as a birthday gift for Kate since she has a pool in her backyard and was looking for something different from the norm.

Solar Garden Lights
Another really random purchase but we needed some lighting for the walkway in the front of my house and instead of venturing to Home Depot, I browsed online on Amazon and found exactly what I wanted with free shipping.

Doggie Dental Treats
Lola absolutely loves these and I try to give her a toothbrush treat once a week usually on the weekends. Of course I like the fact it's good for her gums and teeth.

iPhone Case
This case is more pretty than it is protective but I bought it anyways because I thought it would compliment my rose gold phone nicely. Well I somehow purchased the 6 Plus size when I actually own the regular size 6S phone so I ended up giving it away to a coworker but it was still a purchase nonetheless.

I ended up purchasing a more durable and protective sparkly iPhone case which is also clear so you can see through to the rose gold. I'm jealous it's now on sale for 54% off from what I initially paid.

Mac 'Flat Out Fabulous' Lipstick
This lip color is just gorgeous and lasts a long time because of it's matte texture. Just being able to buy good quality, name-brand cosmetics from Amazon Prime is so convenient.




Blog Planner
I bought this planner as a Christmas gift for myself and, admittedly I haven't used it to it's full potential as yet but it's certainly a good way to stay organized and plan your blog posts ahead.




What are your favorite products to purchase from Amazon?

Cold Weather Favorites

The cold weather has hit us in Florida and there's some major essentials I've had to add back to my wardrobe and routine to keep warm and comfortable in this weather.

Faux Sherpa Vest  * UGG Slippers

Infinity Scarf  * Vaseline Lip Therapy

Military Wool Peacoat * Knee High Slippers

eos Body Lotion * Mossimo Shearling Style Boots

My lips and skin especially become dried out with the cold weather so I have to walk around lip balm and hand moisturizer in my purse to apply every few hours. The Vaseline Rosy Lips sent to me from Influenster has quickly become my favorite because it works wonders to heal my dried lips and smells good too.

Purse Essentials:
Sunglasses * Perfume Rollerball * Hand Sanitizer * Lip Balm * Hand Lotion * Lip Gloss

I received the Vaseline Lip Therapy from Influenster for testing purposes. My review above is my true and honest opinion.

Weekend Happenings

Another low-key weekend around here. On Friday K and I had dinner at Pom Pom's Teahouse which has amazing soups, sandwiches, and of course teas. I had the Cherry Bomb iced tea which was so good!

We rented Ted 2 from Redbox and had a relaxing night at home with lots of laughs.

On Saturday I finished organizing and decorating our home office and did a few errands around town. Later in the evening we went out to meet up with some friends for drinks at Firebird's and then dinner at Santiago's Bodega which has amazing tapas. We shared a variety of different tapas but the flaming cheese (saganaki) was a hit!








On Sunday, I went through my closet and purged 3 bags of clothes, shoes, and bags to donate to Goodwill. I then did some damage at Target shopping for warm clothes since it finally feels like "winter" here. Two of my favorite buys are this Mossimo Faux Sherpa Cardigan and the Kalliope Shearling Style Boots both under $35.

After said damage, I went to get an hour long facial at Massage Envy to use the gift package K gave me for Christmas. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at home, food prepping, and getting organized for the work week. I made this Chicken Tikka Masala recipe in the crockpot with lots of leftovers for this week.

Happy Monday...Let's do this!

Friday Faves

This was the first cold weekend in Florida and it was nice to bring out the boots and scarves however I don't have many warm pants other than jeans. Recommendations? I'm looking forward to another fairly quiet weekend with lots of R&R which sounds like perfection. I'm finally back on track with the work/blogging/personal life balance after the crazy holidays which is definitely good for the soul. So how about some faves for this week...

Favorite Article:
Ashley from The Grits Blog talks about her Blogging Pet Peeves and I couldn't agree with her more, especially #1.

Favorite Purchase:
This dainty silver leaf bangle bracelet from Express goes so well with my watch and has gotten lots of compliments.

Favorite Recipe:

This Healthy Kung Pao Chicken with brown rice recipe looks so good. I'm a big fan of stir-fry recipes and love trying different combinations of meat and veggies.

Favorite Holiday Gifts:

I didn't post much around the Christmas long weekend but two of my favorite gifts were both from K and I'm in love!

#1: Marc Jacobs 'Decadence' Perfume
Smells amazing! Definitely my favorite new perfume on the shelves.

#2: Revlon One Step Hair Dryer and Styler 
This is seriously a life-changer for me. My hair is very thick so it takes a long time to wash and dry which has always been a dreaded "chore" of mine. This brush/hair dryer combo has cut that time down significantly and I absolutely love hoow it styles my hair. I give it a 9 out of 10 because it could have more heat settings but otherwise it works wonders.

Favorite Funny:

Me everyday.

Have a great weekend lovelies!

Joining Amanda for Friday Faves.

Birthday & Holiday Gifts for Her

Tonight is the start of a long weekend for me with my work holiday party this evening and the day off tomorrow. It also happens to be my birthday on Sunday so there will be lots of celebrating going on which means I'll be MIA until next week.

I put together this wishlist/gift guide a few weeks ago but didn't get around to posting it. This year I want to keep it simple and wish for a spa day for Christmas, specifically a facial and massage. It's been a hectic year and I feel some pampering is in order to refresh for 2016 but I do have my eye on this Marc Jacobs Decadence perfume and this Kate Spade Champagne at Midnight watch for my birthday. Everything on the list I think would be perfect gifts for the ladies in your life whether it may be your sister, girl friend or mom. Ulta and Sephora have some amazing gift sets this year so I'm planning to purchase a few different ones for Christmas gifts.

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What's on your holiday wish or gift list? 

Let The Holidays Begin

Another warm and sunny weekend in Florida. We thought a cold front would be coming through but no such luck. The weekend was pretty relaxing and I only ventured out on Saturday to Kate's annual holiday party which was a blast. She really did it up with great food and drinks plus a photo booth and white elephant gift exchange which is always entertaining. So here's Saturday in photos...

The host and hostess.

I scored a pack of Cards Against Humanity from the white elephant gift exchange.

Festive Roxy

Lots of fun was had and I'm ready to take on more holiday parties ahead.

How was your weekend?

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Finally Friday

The broken record in me is here to say how happy I am we've finally made it to Friday and the weekend, of course. I finished up most of my gift shopping on Cyber Monday earlier this week so I'm so happy to check that off the list!

Then it was on to decorating the house with outside lights, stockings, random decorations, and of course the Christmas tree being the biggest time-consumer. All was completed this week and luckily my tree is fake and pre-lit so that makes the process a bit easier.

My online shopping haul from Express (all items 50% off last week) arrived and everything fits perfectly which is a huge relief since I guessed my sizes. A friend of mine was raving about how comfortable the mid-rise jeans and leggings are and she wasn't kidding. I purchased two pairs (here and here) and won't be going back to regular fit. I also bought a couple of their silky zipfront tops which come in a variety of pretty colors, a portofino blouse for work, and the softest tunic sweater for any occasion. 

Did you happen to catch my guest post over at MakeupHER's blog about some Wedding Day Tips for soon-to-be brides? I also included a picture recap of my wedding to relive my big day and give inspiration for future brides out there.

Ok here I am talking about shopping again but I love that Ulta has OPI nail polishes on sale right now for 3 for $19 (plus you can apply this coupon to get $3.50 off a $10 purchase).

I made my way over to the Ulta store on Wednesday night and they were sold out of a lot of the colors but these are the three that caught my eye: Suzy and the 7 Dusseldorfs, Peace, Love & OPI, and In The Cable Car Pool Lane.

I'll leave you with a weird fact about my Lola. She has a fear of iPhone cameras ever since we got her as a puppy. Well not fear but she shuns them and will look away as soon as you pull out your phone to take a photo. BUT as soon as I bring out my big girl camera, she will sit still and pose as if she's a Victoria's Secret model. She's has some work to do in the fashion model department and maybe some braces to boot (kidding) but I love that she'll let me take photos with one of my cameras!

Linking up with my fellow Floridian blogger, Amanda from Meet At The Barre.

Happy weekend everyone!

Swim Lover's Holiday Gift Guide

Luckily Florida doesn't stay cold for very long so beach/pool weather is usually in our favor. As you can probably tell from the name of my blog, I'm a big fan of swimsuits and beachwear in general. The holidays is the perfect time to stock up on some new suits for the year ahead and I usually pick up a thing or two for the husband and my girl friends as gifts.



SwimOutlet.com contacted me to review their online store and merchandise and of course I agreed. I purchased the Volcom Wild Marks Bikini top and matching Brazilian cut bikini bottom for myself and the Rusty Men's Boardshorts for K with the gift card they provided. I have to say the material of the bikini is so incredibly soft you can tell it's great quality. Actually same goes for the shorts. I also love that they kind of (not on purpose) match each other.



From growing up in the Caribbean I've always been a fan of good quality swimsuits and beach clothing that will withstand the salt and sun. Luckily SwimOutlet.com carries most of my favorite brands including Vix, Betsey Johnson, Volcom, Roxy and Kate Spade just to name a few. I picked some faves for Him and Her that would be perfect for gifts or just to gift yourself.

Gypsy Road Kimono / Wrap Bikini Top , Bikini Bottom / Pineapple Kaftan Cover Up
Free Spirit Dress / Jaime Bikini Top, Bikini Bottom / Pineapple Paradise Tank

Desert Fringe Crochet Shorts

Pineapple Paradise Beach Bag

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Garmin VIRB X Action Camera

They offer a whole lot more than just fashion swimwear like for competitive swimmers, techies, kids, and water sports such as surfing and water polo. The fashionista in me naturally drifted to the beach clothing and bikini sections of their online shop.

If you're looking for gift ideas, SwimOutlet.com's Holiday Gift Guide is a good place to start as they offer some great ideas for different types of swimwear and equipment. I also like that they offer free shipping on purchases over $49, which always helps to cut the cost of shopping online.