A couple product reviews.

I have done, I think, one product review on here before. Not because I am anything of an expert, especially not on beauty products, but because I always appreciate when someone shares something they've found to be really good. And the last time, I shared something like this, I actually had a lot of people tell me thanks!

So! Since I've moved here, my skin has changed drastically. Growing up in Houston, I had way too oily skin. I used a lot of powder to make it look matte, which always went to waste in an hour in Houston humidity. Living here is a much different story. Since the weather is extremely dry, my skin seems to have had a complete turn-around. I still have a little bit of oil, but now my skin is extremely dehydrated. My skin tone became very blotchy and dull. And the most annoying part was that my foundation and powder that I've always used seemed to rebel against staying on my face. It seemed to, for lack of a better word, "puddle up" on my face and easily wipe off. It never absorbed.

So I started moisturizing morning and night, something I should have always done probably, and I switched to a different foundation and stopped wearing powder since I don't have near the problem with oil.

I still was not happy and I began my search for a good moisturizer and foundation combination. I tried switching to Mary Kay and a couple other drug store brands but nothing really "stuck" to my face.

So I went back to Clinique (I think I'll always love them the best) and was happy to see that they came out with several new moisturizers and a new foundation! 

Clinique Turnaround Overnight Moisturizer

Click on the picture to go to Clinique's site.

Okay, I am so happy with this stuff. I only wear it at night. The Clinique lady, who was very knowledgable, said that as long as I wear a moisturizer with SPF in it during the day, I am fine. So for the day, I wear Oil of Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer since Oil of Olay seems to be the best quality that you can get at a drugstore. Its only $10 and lasts a long time. But back to the product I'm actually supposed to be talking about. This lotion is very thick and it makes your skin feel better automatically, which is not always the case with lotions. I have noticed a complete difference in my skin tone evening out and my skin no longer feels dull. Its supposed to help regenerate your skin cells overnight, which this Bible major knows nothing about, so I'll leave it to you to go check it out on their website. It is pricier than I know most people would like to spend at $45.00, but I feel that it is very worth it. It seems I've barely made a dent in it since using it every night for the last three weeks. When it comes to stuff like this, I've found that I'd rather spend a little more than usual to get a quality product that I'm really happy with than spend the same amount trying several different things. I don't feel the same way about most anything else, I'm a major bargain hunter.

And second...

Clinique Stay-Matte Oil Free Makeup

Again, click on the picture to go to Clinique's description of this product.

This is Clinique's new foundation that they just came out with. When I originally switched over to a new foundation, I switched to their then-new Even Better Makeup. Turns out its not better, because apparently a lot of people have had the same problem as me with it not "sticking" to their skin. After I used all of that, I switched to Mary Kay and found that to not be as good of quality. (I do like Mary Kay, just wasn't a fan of their foundation.) When I told the Clinique lady my complaints, she said this will be perfect for me. And it really has! It stays all day long and really does leave my face looking matted. I got their powder at the time, which I use on top, but I would be okay with just the makeup. It just feels like good quality makeup.

So there are the two products that I have been really happy with lately. I haven't branched out to other department store makeup counters much because I've always, with the exception of the Even Better makeup, been really happy with Clinique. Like any other girl, though, I have gone through all of the drug store brands and always regret buying it, again with the exception of my Oil of Olay day moisturizer.

gift ideas

Last weekend, Mom came home from her Walk with a gift for me and for Kanyon.. go figure. It made me want to share with you a couple of things that would be great Christmas gifts.

Two devotionals that I try to read everyday and that I really love are:

• "Starting Your Day Right" by Joyce Meyer

This is by far the best devotional I have come upon. It only takes about a minute to read through it but I haven't yet read any entry that didn't keep my attention. Some daily devotionals get repetitive to me or are too shallow but this one is neither. I love it.

You can get it on Amazon for cheap, otherwise its only like 10 bucks at B&N. You can also get it on Kindle.

Its kind of small too .. stocking stuffer size.

• "Love Letters from God" by Bonnie Shluter

This is a really cool book. It was written by Bonnie to her sons and sisters. She wrote it to encourage them when they left home and when going through a hard time. It is a collection of about 80 letters that Bonnie wrote as God to his child. The table of contents directs you to the individual letters by naming the theme of the letter. Some of the themes are "Let go of the Past", "Walk in Love", and "Fighting Satan with Forgiveness". I like going through the contents and choosing by how I'm feeling that day. It really is so good.

Just wanted to share my finds! We're headed to Post tonight to watch the Dawson Dragons play in their second play-off game!

Monday ...

Mondays at the church are pretty slow.. all the ministers have Mondays off so I usually have to figure out things to do.. thus.. I'm updating our blog.

If any of yall follow Ree Drummond's blog (Pioneer Woman), yall may have come across one of her "favorite things" post. I have a love/hate relationship with them.. I am always tempted to buy the things she posts about.

Well, there are a couple things that I want to share with you. This could get girly.

Number 1: Clinique Quick Eyes Cream Shadow in "Sparkling Nude"

I am pretty uncoordinated and inexperienced when it comes to eyeshadow. I never wore it in high school and never really learned how to apply it (kind of) until senior year of college.

BUT when I went to the Clinique counter to buy my wedding makeup about a year ago, the girl at the counter (with perfect makeup) showed me this life-saver.

It is liquid eyeshadow in a nude color with a little sparkle (hence the name, duh) and she showed me by applying it on her hand that if you put it on your eyelid first, it will make your eyeshadow .. 1) stay on all day, and 2) actually be the same color it is in the compact on your eye, if not better. My eyeshadow has never been the same since. I have even ventured out into using more than one color on my eyelid. Amazing! Seriously, I highly recommend this. Find it here.

Number 2: Thirty-Six Ten Jewelry on Etsy

(Amy, if you're reading this, I hope it's ok to be doing this!) I just stumbled onto my friend Amy's Etsy page. If you are unfamiliar with Etsy, it is a website where small business owners can sell some of their stuff. Most of it is handmade and unique. I was shocked by how beautiful everything was on Amy's page!

A couple of my favorites:
 

Here is a link to her page: ThirtySixTen


That's all I got right now. I hope this Monday is good for everyone!