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8 Skincare Products To Try in 2018

June 12, 2018 By Kara Larkin Leave a Comment

8 Skincare Products To Try in 2018

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website.

Hey Gorgeous!

A new week is always a good time for a fresh start!
Over the last year, I have really upped my skincare game. I have tried product after product and even hosted my own Skincare Awards. While I still plan to host my 2018 Skincare Awards later this year, I just couldn’t let you slide through 2018 without mentioning a few of my current favorites.

Before you go,
comment below and tell me your current favorite skincare products or if you have tried any of these skincare favorites below!

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8 Skincare Products To Try in 2018:

While there are SO many skincare products and brands on the market, these are the products I can’t currently get enough of. I either use them in my daily routines or think they are new products that haven’t received enough blog love from me yet.

1. Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment: While I own SO many products from Paula’s Choice [they are amazing], I really haven’t shown this particular product as much love as it deserves. I started to heavily use this product twice a week in my nighttime skincare routine. The results are WILD. By the next morning, my skin looks almost brand new. Any fine lines are minimized to the max, my pores are pretty much non-existent, skin is hydrated… it really is just an incredible product.

2. Derma-e Vitamin C Micellar Cleansing Water: Aside from the fact I love the lemon-y smell of this cleansing water, my face feels so refreshed and clean after using it. I use it in the morning to start my day and at night to make sure I remove any excess stubborn makeup.

3. Fresh Beauty Black Tea Age-Delay Body Cream: If you guys remember, I suffer from ‘chicken skin’. While I still use my Paula’s Choice Lotion for my arms at night, I have come to love the Black Tea Body Cream just as much for the rest of my body. I still love and use both Paula’s Choice lotions but the Black Tea lotion I can wear during the day without having to worry about my skin in the sun. I like it because it doesn’t make my body feel like a greaseball and my skin does look significantly younger, softer, and clearer after each use.

4. First Aid Beauty Coconut Water Cream: Can you ever go wrong with coconut products? This cream is another product I use daily. I like to wear it by itself throughout the day, before applying my makeup, or if I just need a light nighttime recharge. I love the texture of these cream. It is very lightweight on the skin. It hydrates and smooths. I get compliments on my skin all the time when I wear it out in public.

5. Dr. Brandt Hydro-Biotic Sleeping Mask: When I’m not using my Paula’s Choice Retinol Treatment, I’m sleeping with this mask. I personally can’t sleep if it feels like there is something stuck to my face so this mask has to feel barely there. It is hydrating, it reduces redness and irritation, and my skin feels super nourished the next morning. It also smells really good. Like a fresh, clean smell.

6. Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm: I have RAVED about this cleansing balm in the past and for good reason. It is hands-down one of my all-time favorite skincare products EVER. It smells incredible [key lime pie vibes], it removes ALL my makeup [I’m talking lash glue, glitter, and every ounce of foundation]. I love it because you don’t need to use any other makeup removing products after you use it. For example, when I use a makeup removing sheet, I still have to use a toner after to remove any excess foundation or shadows. If you try any product from this list, do yourself a favor and grab this one.

7. NeoStrata Triple Firming Neck Cream: If you guys saw my original after results, then you already know why this is on my list. I still use this neck cream all the time and each day I still see results. It’s incredible. I will be posting another after photo soon so stay tuned!

8. Pixi Rose Flash Balm: This product not only smells good but it is one of my favorites to use as a makeup primer. This balm makes my skin look and feel so radiant and I love the coverage it gives under my foundations/makeup. It can also be used as a mask but I prefer it as a primer.

Want More? How about 8 Easy Tips For Younger Skin?

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I Purchased The Tarte $63 7 Full-Size Products Promo…

June 5, 2018 By Kara Larkin Leave a Comment

I Purchased The Tarte $63 7 Full-Size Products Promo…

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website.

Hey Babe!

Happy Fri-yay!

In the beginning of May, Tarte ran a promotion. The promotion was for 7 full-size Tarte products for just $63 bucks! If you are familiar with Tarte products, you will know that most of their makeup products are about $20 and up. So when I saw this deal, I jumped on it.
Here is what happened…

Before you go,
comment below and tell me if you grabbed this Tarte promo too or if you have tried any Tarte products recently.

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I Purchased The Tarte $63 7 Full-Size Products Promo:

What I want you to know is what they don’t tell you…

I was shocked to learn that this deal happens twice a year or at least that was what I read [since I had never seen it before]. Anyways, I had been dying to try their new shape tape foundation [because the shape tape concealer is incredible] which is normally $39 on its own and I needed a new concealer so I decided to go for the May promotion.

What they don’t tell you, is you have to pick one of each type of product and they give you about 7 or so different product choices per type of product. Meaning, they let you pick from one of each: a foundation, a concealer, a highlighter, a lipstick, a liner, a mascara and a makeup bag. So it is really 6 full-size products and one makeup bag. Either way, for $63 it’s still a great deal but a little misleading and I don’t need any more mascaras at the moment.
You can’t exchange or swap which means if you pick the wrong shade, you are stuck with it. Also, right before I placed my order, I was curious to see the different shades on another website like Sephora and was shocked to find out they no longer carry the shape tape foundation or concealer. I don’t know if they are still available in the actual stores but they are no longer listed for purchase on the Sephora website which was interesting… [not sure if this was because of the shape-tape shade scandal a few months ago? Either way, still interesting]. After I purchased I found out that Ulta still has them listed on their website.

A lot of the product choices were products were either really good [like solid OG favorites] or older, limited edition products. There wasn’t much in-between. For example, a few of the product choices were from their older collections that they either don’t sell any more or that are currently on sale. I wish I had a screenshot to show the products or that I wrote down the actual products but since I don’t, I don’t want to throw out any false product names. With that being said, even though some of the products were sale items, they did have some highly-popular products like their lights, camera, lashes mascara and their clay pot shadow liners.

Also, and this is unrelated to the promo itself/I’m not sure if this is a normal thing on Tarte’s website, but it had a $10 add-on for their foundation brush which is normally $34 and one of my favorites that currently needed replacing so, of course, I added it. Oh, and you get two free samples… yay.

What did I order?

1. Tarte Shape Tape Foundation in shade Medium Honey: I don’t know how, but I happened to pick my perfect shade. If I didn’t I would have been stuck with a random shade [haha] but since I picked the right shade, I’m happy to say I really like this foundation. Even though there was an incredible amount of backlash over the shade range a few months ago, for me, this shade works. I do wish they would expand their range in the future but again for me, it works. The only slightly odd thing is the applicator is exactly like the concealer applicator. I don’t mind it since I use a foundation brush or beauty blend to apply the foundation but it’s almost like a giant version of the concealer. The coverage is a little sheerer than I was expecting too so I would say it is a medium coverage rather than a full coverage.

2. Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof 12-Hour Concealer: If you have tried any of the Tarte Amazonian clay products before, you know they are worth the price tag. This was the second product I was excited to get in the promotion and I’m glad it was available as a choice. I was looking for a new concealer since I ran out of my Estee Lauder one, and I LOVE that this is in a stick formula so I can carry it with me and can apply it without a brush or sponge. Again, I just happened to wing it on the shade choice and I went with ‘light’. There aren’t many shades so I assumed this one would work for me year-round. Thankfully I was right!

3. Tarte Gleam Team Highlighter in Champagne: I remember being a little disappointed in the available highlighter products in this promotion. This was the only highlighter I was a little excited to try. It has a liquid highlighter on one side and a cream highlighter on the other. They are both very pretty highlighters but they aren’t as ‘blinding’ as I prefer. I tried to find the description on the Tarte website and it is currently no longer listed so if I did love this product, I couldn’t repurchase. I did find it on Ulta but not sure how long it will be around.

4. Tarte Drench Lip Splash Lipstick in ‘Hey Sailor’: This lipstick is part of their Rainforest of the Sea collection. I normally wouldn’t go for this shade since it is a big vibrant [you know I love my neutrals] but I figured why not try a fun color. I’m happy to say I really love the creamy formula and the shade isn’t as hot pink as I thought it was going to be. I would wear this shade with a casual neutral eye or just winged liner. I’m happy to report this product is currently still available on the website in multiple shades!

5. Tarte Amazonian Clay Pot Waterproof Liner in ‘Brown’: Since I don’t own any brown gel eyeliners, I wanted to try one. My first thought was that the pot was really small and didn’t look like it had a lot of product compared to some others I own. So, of course, I compared it. Here is what I found: Stila’s Smudge Pots [my favorite gel liner] is 4g for $20, Colourpop Creme Gel Colour is 3g for $6, and Kylie Cosmetics is 3g for $14. The tarte Clay Pot is 2.5g for $21! That means it had the least amount of product and cost the most. I was shocked and sad. Anyways, do I love the product, yes. It is easy to apply and pigmented but there are a lot of other brands out there that have more product and cost less for a similar quality.

6. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara in ‘Black’: This mascara is a staple in most beauty guru’s collections. I too own a one of these full-sized mascaras and a bunch of their samples. It is a great mascara that has been around for some time so I knew exactly what I was getting.

7. Mermaid Makeup Bag: Although this is a good size, high-quality makeup bag. I already own too many. Would I purchase this on my own if it wasn’t included in the promotion? No, but that is simply because I don’t need any more bags and it also wasn’t for sale anywhere.

Add-On Makeup Brush: This foundation brush I’ve owned for at least a year. I think I washed it too much and that is why the bristles started to fall out but it is one of my favorites. It gives my foundation application an airbrush finish which I love and it is super soft on the skin. The add-on brush had a different/pretty handle than the older one I own. The first brush I bought for $15 instead of the full priced $34 and this one I bought for $10. Do I think it is worth $34? Yes. Would I buy it for $34? No, but that is only because I have purchased it two times for half the price.

Total Cost:

If I purchased each of these products individually, here is what they would have cost:

Shape Tape Foundation: $39
Clay Concealer: $25
Gleam Team Highlighter: $28
Drench Lipstick: $17
Clay Pot Liner: $21
Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara: $23
Mermaid Bag: not sold in stores or online so I don’t have a price
Total: $153 + a makeup bag

Would I purchase this promo again?

Honestly, it would depend on the selection of products available during the next promotion but I do think for $63 you get your monies worth. What I did like is that you do get full-size products that normally cost easily more than $63. What I didn’t like was that some of the products offered were either old collections, no longer available, or on sale. I didn’t like that because if I did truly love one of the products and went to repurchase it, there is a good chance Tarte would no longer be selling it which seems silly to me.

I also wish that instead of the makeup bag you got another product. I have more makeup bags than I can count and even though this one is a good quality, I would rather have another product [even if it was just a deluxe size]. Overall, I think the promo is clever and I am glad I purchased the products that I did. Tarte is a high-quality beauty brand that makes some of my favorite products.

Swatches + Extras:

Want More? How about Shayla x Colourpop Collection Haul?

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First Impressions: Kourt x Kylie Cosmetics Collection

June 4, 2018 By Kara Larkin Leave a Comment

First Impressions:

Kourt x Kylie Cosmetics Collection

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website.

Hey Girl!

Welcome back!

🙂

A couple of weeks ago I asked you guys on IG if you wanted to see my first impressions of the Kourt x Kylie collection. 100% of you said YES so today I’m sharing my thoughts.

I purchased this bundle with my own money but as always my opinions are always my own, honest opinions. I hope this post helps those of you who are on the fence about purchasing this collection. All of the products listed below are available/only sold on the Kylie Cosmetics website.

Before you go, comment below
and tell me if you have tried the Kourt x Kylie collection or any of her recent launches.

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First Impressions: Kourt x Kylie Cosmetics Collection

I can’t even lie, I was really excited when this collection dropped. The last item I purchased from Kylie Cosmetics was her wet set and I loved it. Pretty much all of the lip products I’ve purchased from her I love [the ‘so cute’ gloss is always in my bag] and the shadows I like but I don’t use them as much as my other palettes as of lately. These little shadow quads though… they spoke to me. I just loved the unique shade range and I wanted to try the new velvet liquid lipstick formula so I went for it and grabbed the $108.00 bundle.

Here is what I thought…

The Blue Palette + ‘Rad’ Velvet Liquid Lipstick: First, I want to say I adore the packing on these little quads. I also like that they come with a mirror and they feel like a good quality packaging. The pan sizes are surprisingly and pleasantly larger than I thought. With that being said, I think this palette would be the easiest to create a full eye look with. It has a nice, matte transition shade, a darker matte shade, and two gorgeous shimmer shadows that blend really easily. The shadow names are also cute but that’s just a bonus. The velvet lipstick that is paired with this quad is called ‘Rad’. It’s a bit different than most red-orange shades I own [it’s more tangerine]. I do really like it but I have other shades I love more. I do, however, love the velvet formula but I just wish they lasted a bit longer. Since they aren’t a full drying matte liquid lipstick, that is expected though.
Final Thought: 👍 Overall, I love the quad but I don’t think I would wear the lipstick enough to have to repurchase this shade. That is just a personal preference.

The Green Palette + ‘Minnie’ Velvet Liquid Lipstick: My obsession with this green eyeshadow is insane. It is SO pretty. I do really like this palette. The only shade that you can’t really use for an everyday look is the red shade ‘Ma$e’ which I am still playing around with but overall the other shades look really pretty together. I also love how easy the shadows are to work with. This set is paired with the velvet lipstick ‘Minnie’ which is a pretty pink shade. I think I will like this shade a lot more when I’m a bit more tan but it’s still a pretty shade.
Final Thought: 🎄This palette reminds me of Christmas but I’m not mad at it. It is still very pretty with beautiful shimmer shades. I do like the pink neutral lipstick too.

The Pink Palette + ‘French Kiss’ Velvet Liquid Lipstick: This palette has three shimmer shades and one matte shadow. Although I love the shades, you can’t really do much with just these shadows alone. I feel like I would need two more matte shades to make a complete eyeshadow look. However, the three shimmer shades are very pretty toppers for the eyelid of an eyeshadow look and the peachy transition shade works well when I used it. The lipstick paired with this set is a perfect neutral lipstick. It currently lives in my bag and I have been using it daily.
Final Thought: ✨ Here for the sparkle and perfect nude lipstick!

Swatches + more:

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Beachy Waves with Kenra Professional

June 1, 2018 By Kara Larkin Leave a Comment

Beachy Waves with Kenra Professional

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website.

Hey Beautiful!

Happy Friday!

I don’t know about you, but Fridays for me are all about
beachy waves and the perfect happy hour cocktail!

For those of you who have been around FCN for a while now, you already know I have nothing but love for Kenra Professional products. Seriously, I must own over 20+ of their haircare products and I use them all-the-time!

Today I wanted to share five products that I use to get my perfect beachy waves and two additional products for those who just want to add ridiculous amounts of volume to their hair.

Before you go, comment below
and tell me if you have used Kenra Professional products before and if so, what is your favorite product?

Disclaimer: This post is powered by BrandBacker.
However, as always, my reviews are always my own, honest opinions.

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Products For Beachy Waves:
Kenra Perfect Blowout
Kenra Moisturizing Shampoo
Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner
Kenra Thermal Spray
Kenra High Grip Spray

Products For Extra Volume:
Kenra Dry Shampoo
Kenra Volume Mousse

Step 1:

First I wash my hair with Kenra’s Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner. Make sure to only put the conditioner on the ends of your hair and not your scalp!

After washing and before blow-drying, I add a dime size amount of Kenra’s Perfect Blowout cream. This product gives my hair such incredible volume. I use it whether I curl my hair or straighten it. After running the product through my hair, I blow-dry my hair with a round bristle brush.

Step 2:

After my hair is dry, I apply my Kenra Thermal Spray to protect my hair from any potential heat damage. I let it sit for about a minute then gently brush the product through my hair so it isn’t condensed.

Note: I especially like to add this product when curling my hair because it helps my hair hold the curl a little better. It gives my hair a bit more texture which works well with curling wands or curling irons. If you don’t use a thermal spray that is okay but your hair my be a bit silkier/smoother and the curl may not hold as well or as long.

Step 3:

Using my clip-less curling wand, I wrap my hair around the barrel. Make sure any hair around the face gets curled away from your face for this look. Any hair towards the middle to the back of my head gets alternating curls [inward and outward] to give a more natural wave.

Once my entire head is curled/waved, I let it sit until my hair is cool. After about 5 minutes, I gently run my fingers through to break up the waves.

Step 4:

To keep my beachy waves in check, I add my favorite Kenra High Grip Spray or Finishing spray or hair spray depending on the humidity and that’s it!

Bonus:

If you really want your waves to stay tight, pin each curled strand as you curl. Also, if you are just looking for more volume, add either the Kenra Mousse or Perfect Blowout cream when blow-drying. After your hair has cooled down, add a bit of dry shampoo to the scalp to give it a little extra texture and volume.

Shop My Favorites:

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My Best Amazon Purchases

May 25, 2018 By Kara Larkin Leave a Comment

My Best Amazon Purchases

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website.

Hey Friend!

Lately, I feel like I’ve purchased some pretty amazing products off of Amazon. Most of them were personal products I wanted and some were for blogging but all the purchases I think you guys would deeply enjoy having in your life.

I broke it down into lifestyle purchases, books, and blogging purchases. I only listed my more recent book purchases but if you want to see more of my favorites, you can read all about them here and here.

Before you go,
comment below and tell me your best Amazon purchase or your number one Amazon recommendation.

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My Best Amazon Purchases:

Lifestyle:

Wireless Security Camera: So this purchase was actually for my fiance Steven. Not because I wanted to spy on him but because while we were at work, he liked to check on our pup, Leo. Now that I work from home, it’s not really necessary so we haven’t used it but it worked great for us while we weren’t home so we could see what Leo was doing. The picture was always clear. The app was easy to use and it was one of the few that didn’t have a laundry list of security and privacy issues.
Amazon Fire Stick: If you don’t own an Amazon Fire Stick, I need to know how you live. I love that I can access my Hulu account, YouTube, on-demand channels, movies, prime and everything all in one place. If you are thinking of purchasing one, wait until Amazon prime day when they are like half off. 😉
Portable Oven: Yes, I said oven! Okay so this purchase was more of a fitness purchase but I think it is a great lifestyle purchase too. For those of you who are always on the road traveling for work or just having adventures, this little travel container with a heating plate is awesome. I know when I was doing my fitness competitions, this would have been a lifesaver because the hotels I happened to stay in didn’t have kitchens or even microwaves so all we ate were cold food. I think it’s great if you travel and your car has an outlet [most jeeps do] for hot meals on the go. I just think it’s a nifty little gadget.
Heating Pad: The item I never knew I needed until I had it and now I can’t live without it. For my homegirls, this heating pad saves lives during that time of the month. I also love to use it after a workout to keep my muscles loose for when I am ready to stretch. If you have injuries, it is also helpful.

Cricut Explore Air 2: If you have an ounce of passion for DIY projects, you need this machine. I have created custom t-shirts, paper flowers, wedding signs, personalized glassware, you name it. They sell this machine at Michaels but I got it for a really great sale price on Amazon last year.
Waterproof Cosmetic Organizer: This is such a great product to travel with. It fits all my toiletries and it is waterproof! I love the drawstring closure too so everything stays compact.
Bathtub Caddy: Why I didn’t purchase one of these caddies earlier is beyond me. I love that I can read my book or watch my Hulu while relaxing. This caddy has a spot for a glass of wine, your phone, and it extends!

Books:

The 10X Rule: I love this book. Grant Cardone is wild. Seriously, this book just makes you understand life, personal success, and happiness. It teaches you how to apply ‘massive action’ to help you achieve results and accomplish your business dreams.
She Means Business: This book is all sorts of empowering. It was one of the books I read when I first started my entrepreneurial journey and I still reference it all the time. It is empowering challenging, honest, and inspiring.
SkinnyTaste Cookbook: I love SkinnyTaste cookbooks. Out of all the cookbooks I own [about 7 or so], the only ones I always find myself grabbing are SkinnyTaste. The recipes are delicious, quick, and easy to make. Enough said.

Blogging:

Sony A5000 Camera: This camera I just purchased about a week ago and it has made my blogging life significantly easier. It has a flip screen so it makes filming videos easier. It is drastically smaller than my DSLR camera so it is easier to travel and vlog with [which I can’t wait to start doing!]. Most importantly, since I have a beautiful camera already, I didn’t need the newest model and to save a few bucks I purchased a ‘used’ one which is like brand new.
Bendable Tripod Stand: This stand was a knock-off to one of the popular bendable tripods but it works just as well and it costs less. I debated putting this purchase under lifestyle because I think it is great for families or groups of friends who want to take photos. I like to bend it around branches or poles to get a nice full size shot and it is discrete.
Francierstudio Lighting Kit: If you want a professional lighting kit that won’t break the bank, this kit is awesome. I originally purchased this kit because I was doing a lot of work at night [videos, etc] but now I use it anytime to balance lighting on gloomy days or during filming.
Space Saver Hanger: I know these are for trousers but I like to use them for fabric backdrop storage. It really does save space!

Want More? Check out my full list of Amazon Favorites!

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