what's in my bag?

♥ The purse is from Elaine Turner and it was a gift from my sweet cousin.


♥ Wallet also from Elaine Turner


♥ Claritin Liqui-gels (I take these way too often as I have severe allergy/sinus problems)


♥ BlackBerry Torch smart phone


♥ Banana Republic (primarily for work) & Ray Ban (more for home/weekends since they are a bit more "trendy") reading glasses


♥ Nordstrom BP. sunglasses


♥ Majority of the lip products (& the eyeliner) shown can be seen here on a previous post. Also pictured: Baby Lips by Maybelline & Becker Vineyards Lavender Lip Balm.


♥ Sunglasses case from Ann Taylor-Loft.


♥ Day planner from Target


♥ Assortment of keys and pink skull lanyard (I got this ages ago and cannot recall where I purchased it from-so sorry!) 


♥ Pink USB flash drive from Office Depot


What items do you carry in your handbag?  Have a great day!

life lately according to my blackberry

♥ Enjoy!

gluten-free favorite snack.

I really enjoy quick and healthy snacks since I work full time and tend to stay pretty busy.  After hearing so many rave reviews about the Think Thin bars, I decided to give them a whirl.  The creamy peanut butter flavor is definitely my favorite (pictured above.)

This brand also includes the following flavors: chunky peanut butter, brownie crunch, white chocolate (if they sold this at HEB I would be all over it,) dark chocolate, chocolate fudge, chocolate espresso, chocolate covered strawberries, tangerine cremesicle, lemon cream pie & protein bar variety packs.  Regardless of the store I go to, I have only seen creamy peanut butter, crunchy peanut butter, brownie crunch, chocolate fudge and chocolate espresso.  I'm not sure if this is just the city I live in or if they typically sell the other flavors online only?

Believe it or not these bars are actually quite filling! I primarily have these for breakfast but will also have them as a mid-day snack if I know I won't be eating dinner for awhile.  The Think Thin bars do not seem like a diet product as they are absolutely delicious and just the right amount.

What are your favorite healthy snacks for on the go?

holy grail cosmetics part II.

When I wrote my first post about holy grail cosmetics (see it here) I completely forgot to mention my favorite lipsticks and eyeliner.  I'm assuming these slipped my mind since they are always in my purse and not in my daily makeup bag.  Oops! Considering these are always in my purse they definitely deserve some recognition and "holy grail status."  The last h.g. post did include an eyeliner, however, it was my liquid liner for my upper lashes and eyelid (as opposed to my liner for the water line.)

I decided to share two different photos of the lip products since they come across as completely different colors depending on the lighting.  

From left to right: Sephora-Maniac, YSL-Sheer Candy Succulent Pomegranate, MAC-Fresh Brew (absolute favorite lip product,) & Revlon-Kiss Me Coral # 750 (read about this one here.)

Above:
Alba Botanica-Coconut Cream Lip Balm (purchased this one at HEB.)
Maybelline-Master Drama by Eye Studio in Midnight Master (so black, creamy and long lasting--go buy this now!)

Happy Tuesday :)

holy grail products (outside of cosmetics.)

 ♥ Sexy Hair, Straight Sexy Hair, Smooth & Seal: I use this product every.single.time I style my hair (even if it's wavy/curly.)  It helps a ton with frizzies and creates a nice shine as well. Smooth & Seal works best with straightened/flat ironed hair, however, you can honestly use this with any style or tool.
  

 ♥ Neutrogena, Oil-Free Moisture, Sensitive Skin: This is the moisturizer I put on my face each morning after I wash my face and before I apply my makeup.  It's excellent for sensitive skin and seems to be just about the only moisturizing product that doesn't give my skin problems. I would highly recommend this for those with problematic skin.

♥ Biore, Revitalize, 4 in 1 Self-Foaming Cleanser: This cleanser does an excellent job with removing makeup! I love to wear really heavy eye makeup (i.e. several coats of mascara) and this little gem does the trick!  In the past, I have attempted to try new face wash brands and always seem to go right back to ol' faithful! 

harry potter meets sabrina the teenage witch.

No matter how much older I get I will always adore books and movies surrounding witches, vampires and all things magical (perhaps this explains my previous obsession with Lost--don't even get me started. Any Losties out there?) I'm not sure what the target market is for this particular series, however, I'm probably safe to assume it tailors more to the young adult crowd. Does it stop me from reading? Nope. I'm just now starting the first book of the "Hex Hall" series by Rachel Hawkins and have nothing but positive things to say about it.  If Harry Potter and Sabrina The Teenage Witch had a baby it would be Hex Hall.  Happy reading!

What books are you loving right now? Any recommendations? Also, if you have read this series, please let me know your thoughts.  I'm hoping to do a review after I finish the first two books. Rumor has it there is a third one being published in the near future.

orangy red lips.

Ever since my little sister, Natalie, posted about orange toned lipstick I was intrigued.  You can check out her blog post here.  The other day I picked up Revlon's Kiss Me Coral (#750, Super Lustrous Lipstick line) and have been in love ever since. The coral name makes it sound as if the color had more of a pink hue to it.  It's definitely a bright, poppy orange mixed with red. In my opinion, just about any hair/skin tone would look excellent with this shade. In these pictures the color is coming across a little more on the red side than the orange that appears in person. What new shades are you loving?