Tea Tree Crazy

I've never had too much trouble with breakouts or acne, but I do get the occasional spot here and there. Especially around a certain time of the month. And when I do they seem to stay around forever. But I've finally found the perfect products to really get rid of them and pretty quickly, too!

Tea tree is known for its antibacterial properties and in these products by The Body Shop and Lush, tea tree is the crucial ingredient that really gets rid of spots and helps tame breakouts. 

The Body Shop: Facial wash, Toner, Tea Tree Oil, and Lotion
Lush: Grease Lightning and Tea Tree Water (toner)

 Starting with Lush, I've been using the spot treatment and toner water for a few months now and I absolutely love both of these products. Grease lightning is a serum and is described to "strike the spot with lightning precision" and it honestly does! At night, after I've taken off all of my makeup, I apply just the smallest amount of Grease Lightning to any spot and allow it to dry. I'll then apply the Tea Tree Water all over my face with a cotton round removing the serum and leaving my face feeling completely clean and fresh. I'll then moisturize and leave it at that. 

On to the products from the The Body Shop. I purchased these products in a set from Ulta (that you can pick up here) for $29 which isn't a bad price for what you get (and how little you have to use at a time). I use these products in the morning before I do my makeup. I use the face wash in the shower and only need about a dime size to clean my entire face. After I get out of the shower I use the toner on a cotton round to really ensure my face is clean and then I moisturize with the lotion. However, I only use the lotion if I have quite a few spots and if my face isn't feeling extra dry, as it is not the best for really moisturizing dry winter skin. I also only use the tea tree oil on spots if I have any, but I usually prefer to use Grease Lightning for that. 

I've been using these products together for quite a while and I am very confident in saying that these products really do work! :)

xo

A Little Bit About Me

25 facts to be exact ;)

1. My name is Amanda Elizabeth,
2. But I like Mandee best.
3. I'm 21 years old.
4. My major is Kinesiology and my focus is Physical Therapy.
5. I'm currently obsessed with coffee, The Vampire Diaries and my boyfriend :)
6. My hair is super long and has a natural ombre going on.
7. Running is my natural stress relief.
8. I'm a self-diagnosed shop-a-holic.
9. I go to Target almost everyday, it's a problem.
10. Starbucks too...
11. I have the fastest metabolism. Ever.
12. I love being outdoors.
13. I can't sleep with any lights on. Even the smallest light will keep me up.
14. I love love love to cook and bake.
15. Rose gold is my go to color choice for accessories at the moment.
16. I change my nail color constantly.
17. Making lists is something I do on a daily basis.
18. Todo, grocery, goals, wishlists.. you name it.
19. I ran track and cross country in high school.
20. I know ASL and can speak a little Spanish.
21. I got an apartment with my boyfriend in March and I love it!
22. Twenty-two is my favorite number.
23. I seriously completely absolutely love cats,
24. But won't ever get one while living in an apartment.
25. I love my life and everyone in it :)

xo

Gift Ideas!

Like I said in my last post, I absolutely love Christmas and one of my most favorite things about Christmas is giving. I love thinking of all of the things I want to get each person on my list and I especially love going out and shopping foreach gift. This year I'm on a budget since this is my first Christmas that I'm living on my own, but I didn't want that to effect the quality of the gifts I'm giving. I put together four make up bags for the younger girls in my family who are just starting to play around and get comfortable with makeup. So, to stay within budget, but still give things I know they will love, I decided to buy in bulk and then separate everything I got into little make up bags. I also scored with all of the sales going on right now as well!

Ulta was having a buy one get one 50% off sale on most of their drug store brands. With this sale, I bought four of the natural palettes by NYX and four Maybelline's The Falsies mascaras to put in each. I also bought the Benefit's Little Love Potions gift set (that you can grab here) which included 10 sample sizes of their best selling products to sneak in each bag! Then I just bought a nail polish to pop in each bag as well.

 In the first bag I chose to pair the hoola lip gloss and blush together. And the nail color by Sally Hansen is in the color Disco Ball.

                   

The second bag has the high beam highlighter and the bad gal lash mascara. This nail color is in the color Coin Flip.

The samples in the third bag are the Watt's Up cream highlighter and "that gal" brightening face primer and this nail color is called Strobe Light.

And lastly, in this bad I added the posietint lip & cheek stain along with this stay don't stray primer. And this nail polish is in the color Pink Satin.

These makeup bags are perfect for girls who are just starting to use makeup or for those who like experimenting and trying out new products. I hope this gave you some inspiration for giving this year. Happy giving and happy shopping! 

xo

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I cannot believe another year has flown by and the holiday season is here once again! I wait all year long for December, as it is my most favorite time of the year. Like, I literally start counting down the days starting December 26th. Christmas time is just so lovely. I love the feeling I get when I hear and see all of the Chritstmassy things everywhere I go. I also really enjoy shopping around for gifts for my family and friends, baking holiday treats and singing along to my Colbie Caillat-Holiday Pandora station in the car. Oh, and the fact that I don't have to go to school.

What's special about this Christmas season is it is my very first one on my own. Every year we put up the same decorations in the same places at my mom's house, but this year I bought decorations of my own and I couldn't be happier!

I went to Michaels again for all of my floral arrangements. It takes me so long walking up and down the floral aisles trying to decide which pieces to buy, but once I get them home and arrange them how I want they usually turn out amazingly. I used the same mason jars from my fall decor and white vase from IKEA. They're just so versatile and appropriate for each season.

The rest of the decor came from, of course, Target. And it just wouldn't feel right without the winter scented candles from bath and body works. I chose the scents 'Tis the Season and Vanilla Snowflake, which both smell so delicious! 

And last, but not at all the least, is the tree! Christmas just doesn't feel complete without one. We bought a real tree, which is a tradition in my family, but my boyfriend's first one. It was so much fun decorating with him :) I love how it turned out even though it is quite simple. 

I hope you're all having an amazing holiday season and are looking forward to Christmas as much as I am!

xo

Face and Outfit of the Day.

This has been my go to, everyday make up look lately and I think it's perfect for fall. I like to keep my make up pretty simple for everyday wear and this subtle brown smoky eye look is perfect for that.

Foundation: Revlon's Nearly Naked (120 Vanilla)

Concealer: Maybelline's Dream Lumi Touch (Ivory)

Powder: Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder (001 Transparent)

Eye shadow base: Maybelline's Color Tattoo (Barely Branded)

Eye Shadows: Maybelline's Champagne Fizz

and the shades Naked and Buck from the Naked Palette

Mascara: Maybelline's The Rocket 

Blush: Covergirl's Classic Pink (it is very well loved an not photogenic ;))

All of the products I use, besides my Naked palette, are from the drug store and are very affordable. I have combination skin and all of these products last all day for me! This is a very natural everyday look that is easy to achieve with lots of blending and about 30  minutes to spare :)

The cold fall weather hasn't kicked in yet so I was able to wear my skirt from Brandy Melville. I paired it with a plain white tank to keep the focus on the adorable floral print of the skirt and I threw on my over sized knitted cardigan from American Eagle. I got my shoes from Tilly's and they add a bit of sparkle to this casual outfit. 

xo

Happy fall everyone! I am so excited to say goodbye to my shorts and sandals and hello to leggings and boots! Fall is one of my favorite seasons and it is so nice to have it back :) I'm looking forward to the chilly weather, pumpkin flavored everything, fall fashion, and most of all yummy hot drinks from Starbucks. And what better way to welcome this season than some decorations to make it feel official?   

I made a sneaky trip to bath and body works the other day and their mason jar candles were on sale and I just couldn't resist. The two scents I picked out were pumpkin cupcake and pumpkin caramel latte, which are both so delicious. I can't wait to start burning them! 

I picked up all of the other decorations from Target and Michaels. Target has decorations in their dollar section that range form $1-$4 and are perfect for setting on a mantle or even on a center piece on the dining room table. The sales at Michaels are amazing right now and I would definitely recommend checking both of these stores out if you are looking to decorate for fall! My apartment feels so warm and cozy now. It's amazing how a few simple decorations can change the feeling in a room and I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out :) 

xo