Ipsy: September Glambag

My September Glambag from Ipsy arrived last week and I have had so much fun playing with the products. This is my second bag from them in recent years, and I am still so impressed with the quality and selection of products I received.

Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisturizer - This cream went on very nice and felt great on my skin. I was feeling really excited about it. But about 15 minutes after application, my eyes began burning and watering so badly I had to wash my face. I wanted to love it, but my eyes did not.

Skin&Co. Roma Truffle Therapy Shimmering Oil - This oil felt great and made my skin look so good on my no-makeup day. I just pressed this onto my skin after my moisturizer and took off for my day of chores. I felt the shimmer pigments were a tad large for my age, but it looks natural on my skin and I liked it a lot.

La Beaute Fatale Cosmetics Matte Liquid Lipstick in Tuff Love - As far as formula and staying power, this is a great product. The color just wasn't for me. It seemed a bit too purple for my taste. My daughter loved it and said it looked really good on me, but I just can't do it.

Ofra Cosmetics with Madison Miller Sweet Stuff Blush - Oh, I was so excited to see this in my bag and was shocked that it was a full-size product. This is a soft blush and goes on very smoothly. It stays all day and just looks amazing. I love the color on my cheeks. As an added bonus, I have also been using this on my eyelids and I love it there as well.

The Beauty Crop Eyeshadow in Seren - This is my favorite product in my bag this month. On first glance, I thought it was going to be too bold for me, but the color is just perfect. It goes great with my dark eyes and is easy to build to the intensity I want. It stays all day with no creasing.

Netflix: Falling Inn Love

Oh my goodness, this movie was so cute!

I first heard about FALLING INN LOVE from Netflix on a podcast I listen to. They mentioned it would be a Hallmark-type movie, so I had to check it out. It was so good and so perfect for a fan of romantic comedy and oh-so-sweet movies.

Gabriela (played by Christina Milian) is an adorable businesswoman whose life is just not going the way she wants at the moment. After a night on the couch with a bottle of wine, she enters a contest to win an inn in New Zealand. Crazily enough, she wins!

Almost immediately after arriving in New Zealand, Gabriela meets Jake (played by Adam Demos), the contractor jack-of-all-trades who just happens to be very good looking. The spark between them is immediate, but we all know how that goes :)

Gabriela soon discovers the inn she now owns is run down and falling apart. But she is determined to make it work. As she wraps her head around a successful fix up for the inn, she also finds herself creating friendships with the people in her new community.

Of course, there is drama, friendship, and that stupid ex-boyfriend who thinks he needs to make an appearance. But it wouldn't be a perfect romantic comedy if someone didn't fall in love. And I thought the falling in love was perfect in this movie.

If you are looking for the perfect movie for a night in on the couch, head over to Netflix and check out FALLING INN LOVE. You will LOVE it!

The Last House Guest: Megan Miranda

There are always books that have a huge amount of media attention and hype around them. I always try to read those books, but I usually end up disappointed. But I finally found one that lived up to the hype: The Last House Guest from Megan Miranda.

This book had all the elements I love in a story. Avery, the main character, grew up in the vacation town of Littleport, Maine, but was never one of the "it" girls. Until she was befriended by super popular and rich Sadie. The girls became like sisters and Avery even moved in with Sadie's family after Avery's family was killed in a wreck.

This book picks up in their adult years at the end-of-summer party. Sadie never arrives at the party, and Avery and friends soon learn she has died from a leap off a nearby cliff on the shore. Avery never believes the story, but accepts it as it is once the police have confirmed it.

A year later, strange things begin happening around Avery and she begins to suspect the police did not do their job adequately. The story and events that unfold had me on the edge of my seat and flipping pages as quickly as I could. I loved the suspense of watching the truth begin to unfold, and the conflict the characters had in interacting with each other.

This is a five-star book for me.

Hallmark: My One & Only

The Hallmark Channel's My One & Only is probably one of my favorite movies they have done this summer. It does not hurt that I am a huge fan of both Pascale Hutton and Sam Page, as well as The Bachelor franchise. But I thought this movie was fun and original, with a setting to make you ready for fall nights.

In this Summer Nights installment, Stephanie (Hutton) is "recruited" by her best friend and show producer to become a contestant on The One, a reality show where two contestants are set up and expected to fall in love after 13 days, and several dates, with each other.

Stephanie is introduced to Oliver as filming begins and it is pretty obvious from the start these two are not meant for each other. However, I thought to watch them try so hard to navigate the unmentionable non-relationship while going through the motions of dating was so realistic of how real-life relationships can be.

Of course, we have to meet the actual love interest early in the movie to make it a Hallmark movie (hehe) and I fell in love with Alex (Page) much faster than Stephanie did. Alex is the son of the ranch owner where The One is being filmed and he is everything Stephanie doesn't know she needs in a man. Alex and Stephanie have immediate chemistry, but of course, Stephanie is unavailable because she is supposed to be falling in love with Oliver.

If you are a fan of Hallmark movies, you already guessed how this one is going to end. But I truly enjoyed watching these actors embrace these characters in such an authentic way and I loved, loved, loved this movie so much.

Scrappy Little Nobody: Anna Kendrick

I'll be the first to admit I'm not usually a fan of non-fiction. But I'm trying to challenge myself to read a few this year, and Anna Kendrick seemed like a fun place to start.

I'm not a huge fan of mainstream movies, so I only knew Anna from the Pitch Perfect series, and Trolls. Apparently, I've missed out on a lot! Anna has been involved in acting through the theater and movies since she was 12 years old, and I thought this book was a great read.

In Scrappy Little Nobody, Anna walks us through her early days of elementary school and trying out for theater in Chicago. She laments her first theater gig and days of old at camps and various jobs. I thought her honesty in how hard it is to really make it in the movie star world was both raw and encouraging. Anna is not one to take herself too seriously and I think that is what makes her a relatable and likable celebrity.

A fan or not, if you are looking for some good stories and laughs Scrappy Little Nobody is one you should pick up.

Ipsy: August Glam Bag

Back in the day, I was a big fan of Ipsy Glam Bags and subscribed for a couple of years. And then the products started repeating and it was always stuff I didn't like. But here lately I have been hearing so many great things about improvements they made, so I gave it another shot.

I completed a much more detailed profile than was required in the past and really took my time putting in my preferences and personal details. My first Glam Bag arrived this week and I am totally thrilled with my selection. So much so, that I am fully committed and really looking forward to my future bags.

Without further ado, here is what I got in August and my thoughts so far.

Pixi by Petra Fresh Face Blush in Peach Parfait - I love, love, love this blush. It is the perfect color for me and it has just a tiny hint of shimmer to it. Enough shimmer that I can wear it alone without additional highlighter, but not so much that it looks inappropriate for my office job. I have been applying it with my EcoTools blush brush and it is just perfect. (I cannot find Peach Parfait on their website, so the link goes to the fresh face blush in a different color. Sorry.)

Ahava Dead Sea Water Mineral Body Lotion - This lotion smells amazing. It goes on very clean and not greasy, but I can definitely tell it is hydrating my skin. It does tingle a bit on freshly shaved skin, but it quickly goes away and I can feel the moisture benefits all day long.

Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash Curling Mascara in Black - This is a no for me. I prefer a natural feathered look for my lashes and this gave me the very spidery-leg look. On top of that, I could literally feel my eyelashes sticking together throughout the day. I only applied this to my top lashes (I also don't wear liner on the bottom) and I had dark circles under my eyes by noon from it wearing off. When I used my makeup remover, I noticed there was no mascara left on my lashes to remove that day. So, nope for me.

Space Case Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Intense Stargasm - This is a beautiful color. I swatched it on my hand, and have played with it in the bathroom, but it is a little more shimmer than I prefer for the office. I am looking forward to my first evening event that I can wear it because it will be perfect.

Biorace Pore Purifying Spirulina & Tea Tree Clay Mask - I haven't used this one yet, but I will update this post once I do.

Papa Recipe Bombee Honey Moisture Cleansing Foam - Ipsy now lets you add additional products to your bag each month, and this was an add-on for me. This cleanser feels so, so amazing. It has a rich foam that I enjoy in a face wash, but it demonstrated what all the beauty experts mean when they say it feels like a cushion. It literally felt so cozy on my face. It washed clean and left such a soft feeling behind. This is a love for me, and probably my favorite item in the bag this month.