February Life Update

February has been crazy weather wise, from single digits to almost 70. Other than weather, February marked the 100th blog post! Yay!

Chris worked quite a bit of OT,  & I got some Valentine's card orders. 

We did our Valentines early and went shopping and out to lunch.

Mid month we did dinner and a movie with friends, which was a lot of fun (Deadpool).

We finally got furniture for downstairs, and it's been delivered. We are waiting on the projector and screen which should be here by March 10th.
I may post a blog when the room is finished if you're interested!

We spent the 20th with my sister, her kids, and my mom. 

Then I got sick, for about a week. 

This passed Saturday we bought more house stuff, and are trying to get it all done and put together before family visits during spring break (end of March).



Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Playing Catch Up (Faves & Fails, Product Review, MOTW)

I was sick last week so didn't blog at all. Here's the catch up blog!


Faves & Fails:

I have a couple fails this time, so I'll start with them.

1) Parlor by Jeff Chastain Detangling Leave in Conditioner~ Yuck! This feels more like a crappy hairspray than a detangler. The Barbie Cotton Candy Kids Detangler from Dollar Tree does a better job. After using this I had a really hard time combing out my damp hair, and felt like I was pulling some out. I even had to cut a bit from the ends on one side it was such a matted mess, luckily I was easily able to trim the other side to match and it didn't effect my hair style at all, but this is a horrible product. I will not give this another try, and will not subject my mom or sister to the horror that is this product by sharing it with them. The only plus? It smells really good.

2) Hey Honey Peel Off Mask~ Unlike most peel off masks I had no issues with spots that didn't dry or removing the mask, it peeled off pretty easily. I gave it several tries, I just didn't notice a bit of difference after using it.



Favorites:

1) L'Oreal Age Perfect Glow Renewal Day/Night Cream~
This product has been awesome, I have only been using it about 3ish weeks and already notice I no longer have dry patches, and my wrinkles are less noticeable. The slight shimmer/glow is much more subtle than other "glow" type products, which is nice.


I didn't really try a whole lot of new products this month so there wasn't much to rant or rave about.  What should I try next?
If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments below and I'll answer ASAP.




Product Review: 

Maybelline The Rock Nudes (Eye Shadow) Palette~

 I like that their is a variety of matte and shimmer shades, and while each one is pretty I don't understand how you can have a "Rock(er)" "Nude" look (opposite ends of the spectrum aren't they?). The shades are not near as pigmented as they make them out to be in commercials, similar to The Blushed Nudes, The Nudes, The Smokes, and The Brights (all from Maybelline). If you wanted to create a dark Rock Star look with this I think it would be nearly impossible with this palette alone, even with a primer and packing the shadow on.

This look isn't gonna happen:

That said I knew these weren't going to be highly pigmented when I bought them (I have all the other palettes, previously mentioned above) and I don't tend to do a really dark eye ever, so I knew what was going to be achievable with this palette.
I really like this one, however if you have the Smokes palette (no longer available)the two are very similar.Overall Blushed Nudes is probably my favorite palette from Maybelline within the past few years. My favorites colors in the Rock Nudes are the matte pink shade, the silvery shimmer, the gold, and the denim looking shade.

Do you have this palette? What are your thoughts?
If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments below and I'll answer ASAP.



 MOTW~

 All products have been previously mentioned, if you have any questions leave them in the comments below and I'll get back to you ASAP!



Have a great day!
~CraftinWife 

Recent Craft Hauls

(AKA My kind of Valentines!) 

I finally have something to share with you:

 Valentines/Clearance from Michaels.

 All DCWV paper (12x12 stacks) from Ollie's.  These were only $2.99 to begin with and I had a 15% off coupon! The Beginners Crochet book was 3.99 (before 15% off).

Disney Washi Tape, from Dollar Tree!



If you have any questions about a certain products just leave it in the comments below and I'll answer it there ASAP.


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Feburary Birchbox

 The theme this month was Date Night, and this is the first box I haven't found something I love. The box is cute at least, and while I didn't love any of these some weren't bad. (Others were a total flop, but I will try them out again, just to see if they'll be included in this months fails.)

 Juara~ This is my third Juara product. They've all worked well, I'm just not a huge fan of the scent they all seem to have.

Model Co.~ The packaging and pink on the cap were a bit misleading, this is a true nude shade. I've only used it once so I'm unsure how I feel completely but I noticed no "lip enhancement" it didn't have the sting most enhancers have, so that was nice. (I do not need lip enhancement, but I did need a lipliner, so I'll continue to try this out.)

Parlor~ Yuck! This feels more like a crappy hairspray than a detangler. The Barbie Cotton Candy Kids Detangler from Dollar Tree does a better job. After using this I had a really hard time combing out my damp hair, and felt like I was pulling some out. I actually had to cut a bit from the ends on one side it was such a matted mess. I will not give this another try as a detangler, and will not subject my mom or sister to the horror that is this product by sharing it with them. The only plus? It smells really good.

Hey Honey Peel Off Mask~ Unlike most peel off masks I had no issues with spots that didn't dry or removing the mask. I just didn't notice a bit of difference after using it. I will give this another try.

Whish Cleansing Oil~ I've yet to use this, so I'll let ya know!

Another reason I wasn't loving this box is I feel mine didn't fit the theme, and what's with the super thin, cheap, white, wadded up tissue paper?? Generally it's a nice box coordinating color, of better quality. Normally I wouldn't care as much, but in the date night box? No.



Bonus:
If the coupon code is still active feel free to use it:

What was in your box?


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

MOTW

Not a ton to share, but some new/rediscovered products make an appearance this week, if you have any questions about a specific product just ask in the comments below and I'll answer ASAP:

The 2 pics with different lighting/my hair up were taken at the end of the night. I thought it'd be fun to share the longevity of some products from time to time.

Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Jan/Feb Empties

Not a whole lot to share this time, all three are products I would use again, but I have other products similar to the Oribe that I like much better:

1) E.L.F. Makeup Mist & Set~
This is the only setting spray I use, and I continue to use it because it works, and is only $3! (I generally purchase mine from Target or Walmart, to save on e.l.f. websites insane shipping.)


2) Oribe Dry Texture Spray~
This worked well, and if someone were to give it to me I'd definitely use it. However, I have used other similar products that work with my hair a bit better, for a lot cheaper.

3) Revo Fruit Scented Lip Balm (Strawberry)~
I keep this in my purse and was surprised, at only $1, how great this was. I've already got a new one in my bag (watermelon) after that's gone I plan to switch it up, simply because I have a TON of lip products, and am always adding more.


What did you empty this month? Did you like it?


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Recent Beauty Hauls (Drug Store)

This months beauty hauls are all from the "drug store". Most of them were clearance, which means they aren't the latest and greatest products available:

 L'Oreal Age Perfect Glow Renewal Day/Night Cream~
I couldn't believe this was marked down to $5 at my local Walmart! It's been awesome, I have only been using it about 2 weeks and already notice I no longer have dry patches, and my wrinkles are less noticeable. I'm hoping that I'll be able to easily find it again. That's not always the case since this was marked down so drastically.

 Various Lipsticks & Glosses from Target Clearance~

L'Oreal Extraordinaire by Color Riche~
I already had one of these (Fuchsia Orchestra) that I had picked up at a local retailer. I really liked the formula, and pigmentation so I was happy to find these 3. (Molto Mauve, Rose Symphony, & Dancing Rose) 

Maybelline Color Elixir by Color Sensational ~
I've been looking for an intense purple (Vision in Violet) that was glossy, but not sticky and I think I finally found it! I've only used it one day, so this is just a first impression.

Maybelline Color Sensational~ Pretty in Plum. Very pretty, but not as pigmented as the Color Elixir.

Burt's Bees ~
I actually planned on purchasing their new lipsticks, but at 8.99 a piece I put the 2 I was considering back and got all 7 of these lip products for less. 
Lip Gloss in Harvest Time, I like the formula, but wish the color was a bit bolder/more pigmented.
Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus, I feel the same about this, the formula is awesome, the color is too subtle for me, but it works well under other lip colors.

Physicians Formula Nude Wear~
This gift set contained:
Bronzer
Blush
Touch of Glow
The packaging on this is adorable!
I got mine at Target, and used a $5.00 Physicians Formula coupon.
I've only used it twice, so first impression is the blush is a bit light, but I'm sure I can work with it a little more and get more/better color. The words "NUDE GLOW" on the blush and bronzer had the shimmer over-spray, one swirl and tap and they were gone. (Dear Physicians Formula, Please stop with the over-spray. Thanks!)


What new drug store products are you considering?

As always if you have any questions leave them in the comments below and I'll answer ASAP.


Have a great day!
~Craftin'Wife

What I'm working on~ Craft.

I have crocheted a few scarves for my niece (she's asked for one) made a few cards for a swap group I'm in, and am working on re-organizing my stamp storage (clear/unmounted). No pics of the re-organization yet~ it's still a work in progress.

Scarves can be seen on Instagram.

Cards:

Simple Snowman Swap~

Valentine's Swap~

I haven't started family Valentines yet, OOPS!



Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

MOTW (16)

All products have been previously mentioned or linked, (except new stuff (lipsticks) which will be mentioned in the upcoming Hauls blog, and the hair color from Dollar Tree 3RV, not what I was expecting, but still turned out nice) however fell free to ask any questions in the comments below and I'll answer them ASAP!


Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

January Planner Pages, and what I plan.

"The act of writing your to-do's by hand transfers them

from the realm of intention

to the physical world.

It's a powerful, energetic step

in making your goals

a reality."

~ Anne Sage

I use my planner to remember things we've done, like going to the park, birthdays parties, etc. I also like to remind myself when bills are due, just in case we haven't paid them before the date. I also use it to track my water (haven't done that lately), and to schedule my blogs, and daily cleaning.

I like to decorate my planner, because it's fun, and I have plenty of empty/open space in most days to allow for decoration/embellishment and still clearly read what's going on. I need to get back to using my planner stamps!!

For some reason the individual pictures wouldn't send, I tried so many times! After I made it a collage it sent the first try:

OK, after trying to upload that collage for over 30min, and each time it gets to between 50-75% then stops and starts over I officially give up.

I loathe AT&T internet. (It's the only option where we live.)


*Update, I decided to give it one more try. It took a solid 5min to upload but here it is!

Have a great day!
~CraftinWife

Hair~ Pin Curl Set

How to:
Pin-Curls
*You can also find a plethora of video how-to's on YouTube.
Their are many different ways to pin curl, each gives a different type of curl, they will look a bit different on different hair types. (See other blogs linked for ideas.)
I used method 1 for the most part, and slept in my curl set. 

Other good how to's:
http://www.vixen-vintage.com/2012/12/vintage-beauty-how-to-do-pin-curls.html 

https://sailorsandsirens.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/the-pin-curl-set/

 http://www.sugar-darling.com/2013/02/vintage-style-hair-tutorial-1-my-pin.html

 

Starting on with wet, clean, combed hair.

Set.

Set.

Set.

Set.

Removing the bobby pins.

Pins are out.

Finished style.

No products.

Curls!

All done!

I challenge you to try a pin curl set!
Let me know how it turns out in the comments below!

(I was playing with the lighting in today's pictures, since it's rainy and dark, but I've figured out what works!)



Have a great day!
~CraftinWife