Tips for Thrift Shopping

Hello! I hope everyone is having a great week so far. Before my internship last semester, I was in need of more professional clothes I could wear. I bought a few things from the stores, but didn't have hundreds of dollars to get a nice variety of items. My mom and I went to the local thrift store just to see what they had. I was surprised by some of the items I found. I got a couple of shirts from Express, Old Navy and a few other brand name items. I was able to get quite a few shirts for a few dollars a piece. It does take a little bit of time to look through things, but I feel like it is worth it. Today I wanted to share a few tips I use when I thrift shop. It can be overwhelming when there are isles and isles of clothes and it can be tough to find a place to start.

1. Decide what you are looking for. Are you looking for casual clothes or items for work. Sweaters, short sleeves, tank tops etc.
2. Have particular colors in mind. The local thrift store around me has things organized by type of clothes and color. So if I am looking for a blue sweater, I can easily locate all of the blue sweaters. It makes it easier to start with a few of my favorite colors and look through other colors later on if their is time.
3. Look for things you would pick up in a store. I know that if I wouldn't pick up something in a store, I most likely would not wear the item and it turns into wasted closet space.
4. Try things on. Make sure the item fits well and that there are no stains or holes. There is no use buying things that will just sit in the closet because they don't fit well.
5. If you can sew/ alter clothes, don't be afraid to buy things that may need altering. I am learning to sew and have done a couple of basic alterations to shirts. The nice thing is if I mess up, it was only a few dollars wasted.
6. Have fun! Try on clothes that you wouldn't normally pick up- you might end up liking it.

Do you have any tips for thrift shopping?
Thanks for reading!

First Aid Beauty Product Review: Lip Therapy and Eye Cream

Hello! I hope everyone's week is going great. A couple of weeks ago I reviewed a few of my favorite face products from First Aid Beauty. Check out that post here. I got a kit of 5 products around the holidays and these two product were in it. Unfortunately, they no longer have the kit I bought, but they do sell these products separately and they do offer a couple different kits.

Eye Duty Triple Remedy- This product is supposed to instantly brighten, depuff and smooth. It claims to be safe for sensitive skin. I was excited to try this product out, and I have been impressed
with it. I don't normally have any puffiness under my eyes, but I do have dark circles. This product
doesn't have coverage like a concealer, but it does help to mask some of the darkness. It blends nicely
into the skin and smooths. It also slightly brightens the area and I can notice a difference on the days I don't use it.

Packaging- The packaging of this eye cream is really nice. It comes with a squeeze tube, but the end has a metal applicator. The applicator is nice and cooling and is supposed to help with puffiness.  
Price- $36 for 10 ml

Ultra Repair Lip Therapy- This products claims to repair dry lips and is petroleum free. I normally will only use this lip product in the morning and at night. I use a different one during the day. I notice a big difference when I use FABs Lip Therapy. Normally during the winter months my lips get extremely dry and start to crack because of the cold weather and the wind. My lips still get dry when I am not consistently using this product, but my lips have not cracked once since using it. Often times I do wear lip products that tend to be more on the dry side, but this product saved them. Sometime I will use this product underneath lipsticks and liners to give some extra moisture underneath.

Consistency- This product is a bit on the thick side, but it feels nice and moisturizing on the lips. 

Finish- There is no color, but it is glossy, but nothing over the top. 

Price- $12 at Sephora for .5 fl oz. 

I would recommend either of these products. They work great and do what they claim to do.
Thanks for reading.

10 Marriage Tips for a Happy Marriage

Hello there! My husband and I will celebrate our 5th anniversary this year. Today I wanted to share some of the things we have learned along the way. These are 10 things we try to do every day to keep our marriage happy and strong.

1. Don't go to bed angry. I always find that if we don't resolve an issue, it will come up again, and usually worse. It can be tough, but we try to work through any argument before going to bed. It is actually in the bible: "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" Ephesians 4:26
2. On that same note, we talk and walk through any problems we may be having. If we let it bottle up instead, it has the potential to become a bigger problem.
3. Intentionally spend time together. Sometimes it's easy to get into the routine of daily life. We set aside time to go on dates, or just have a night in watching a movie. 
4. Do things your spouse enjoys doing. He will go shopping with me, I will watch sports with him. Its a good way for us to spend time together, and it is nice when he take interest in the things I enjoy and vice versa.
5) Be honest. It's not worth it being dishonest in a relationship- the truth will eventually come out.
6) Compliment your spouse. 
7) Learn the others love language. There are 5 different love languages- Words of affirmation, receiving gifts, physical touch, quality time, acts of service. Your spouses love language is ways they feel the most loved.
8) Make decisions together. If there is a big decision to make- or even a small one, talk about it with your spouse.
9) Plan for your future. What are your hopes for the year? for the next few years?
10) Motivate each other to go after goals.

What is your best marriage tip?
Thanks for reading!

Urban Decay Primer Potion VS.Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Hello! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Eyeshadow is my favorite part of makeup to do. I enjoy trying new colors and trying out different ways to put them together. It is always irritating when my eyeshadow creases midday and just looks messy. One way to help prevent creasing is to use an eyeshadow primer. I have used a few, but today I wanted to do a review on Two Face Shadow Insurance and Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer.

Consistency: Shadow Insurance has a thinner formula while Primer Potion is a bit thicker and takes a few seconds longer to make sure that it is blended well. Both look natural on the skin once blended in.

Color: I own the original colors for both brands, which is a light beige/skin color. Both brands have other options for colors including a champagne color for both, a glitter glue for Too Faced and an anti-aging formula for Urban Decay. Both primers help make the eye shadows more vibrant.

Formula: I have been using Shadow Insurance for quite a while now, but recently tried a sample for the Primer Potion. I have used the Primer Potion before, but forgot how well it works. I have oily-combination skin, which means my eyeshadow doesn't stay put for long without a primer. The Shadow Insurances works okay, but I find that my eyeshadow will usually crease about midday. But with the Primer Potion, my shadow lasts all day and into the night. 

Packaging: Both packaging's come with a screw top and squeeze bottle. I don't find that either one are messy or have any complaints for either. 

Price: The original formula for both brands sells for $20. You do get slightly more product with Urban Decay's. Too Faced Shadow Insurance is .35 fl oz and Urban Decay's Primer Potion is .37 fl oz.

I would recommend Urban Decay's Primer Potion to anyone looking for a good primer. I find it more effective than Too Faced Shadow Insurance for skin that is more on the oily side.

What is your favorite eyeshadow primer?
Thanks for reading!