Breckeblle's D'Orsay Flats - Leopard and Black

A new pair of shoes to me is like receiving a new breath of life. I get that little pep in my step and sometimes even a blister from breaking them in. But in the end I know it is worth it. I did another post featuring my new red flats I got from Breckelle's  and I am absolutely still in love with those. These, maybe not so much. I do find that these are not true to size and leave the backs flapping around while I walk. Everything I have bought from this brand had been true to size so I didn't even think about needing to ever size down. I really wish I did. Hopefully Amazon will let me return them for a half size smaller if they are available because these are just really cute and had some outfit ideas to use them with. 

Anyone else out there with a flat obsession like me? 

XOX

Verittypretty 

Mom's Choice Mini Haul

Ah, yes I do know its not Christmas anymore but you'll need to take up your issues with my mom on that because she recently dropped off a bag of goodies in this festive bag. She had some items to give me that she had extras of, special purchases for me and some stuff  she didn't want from subscription bags so she thought it would be awesome to hand them over to me to try them out. Thanks mom! 

I wasn't expecting the tea but I seriously have a love obsession with cinnamon and have been drinking this  everyday since she gave it to me. Also, my crazy cat lady is showing because she got me a reflective breakaway collar for her from the dollar store. I was unable to find any reflective ones the last time but always leave it to mom to find the one thing you were looking  for. 

Argh! Look at me booty in ye ol' ipsy bag! Argh!!!! 

Okay, I stop. But seriously, I got some good stuff. 

I am forever looking for a good eye cream and even though I found my HG for taking care of my fine lines under my eyes (that will be in another post) I am always down to see what else is out there. Both my mom and I are advocates of starting your anti aging regimen early so this is perfect. 

I am super excited to give these a whirl, as it claims to clear blackheads and acne. Right now would be the perfect time for testing because I have some serious hormonal induced acne all over my chin and left cheek. Its really horrible and I now remember what being 13 feels like all over again. I pray to the zit gods that I do not get a honker on the tip of my nose though. That is the one thing I do not want o deal with at the moment. Ain't nobody got time fo' that!

I love, love, love hair masks especially since I do color my hair and don't go get my hair cut as often as I should. All I really ask for is some smooth swigging hair until I can get to my hairdresser and my favorite way to do that is with some deep conditioning treatments. 

My mom kept bugging me and bugging me to try the Glam Glow mask and do a comparison on it to the Boots Clay Mask I love to death an d see if its a dupe or not. I can't wait to see if my cheapie mask holds up against this.  

I was super jealous my mom got this in her Ipsy bag and I didn't. I really love trying out new blushes and after trying a matte blush for the first time I had to get my hands on another. This bright melon color will be perfect for a nice fresh spring flush. Now to wait for some spring-like weather....

I am super grateful and happy that my mom has been encouraging me in my blogging efforts and I am glad I didn't keep it secret from her for too long. She even gives me some good ideas and tips and tricks for skincare that she has learned through the years. She will always be my life and beauty inspiration.

XOX

Veritypretty 

C. Booth Honey Almond Nourishing Dry Oil Mist Review

This honey almond dry oil mist by c.Booth is absolutely my favorite dry oil sprays of all time. All last summer this was a poolside favorite to re-moisturize after being in the pool all day. The combo of chlorine and sunshine can make my skin dry but this dry oil replenishes the moisture back without any greasy residue. Once on the skin it instantly soaks in the skin and gives a nice glow. I think my second favorite thing about this dry oil mist is the scent. Almond has to be in my top favorite scents because its just one of those scents that bring me back to being a kid. I used to love stealing my mom's almond cherry lotion and whenever we would go out to eat they always had hand soap in the same scent. Even though most of us haven't gotten much sun since summer this has been great for dry flaky winter legs and makes me look forward to future pool and beach visits. At only $8 for a 4oz. spray bottle, or less depending where you get it and lasts forever which for me makes it a bargain. I got this one in a Glossybox way back last year and barely knocked a dent in the 2oz travel size and would definitely purchase a full size once I hit the point where I was getting low. 

What is your favorite moisturizer that you've been using lately? 

Tony & Guy Casual Sea Salt Spray Review

I was actually very excited to receive this Toni & Guy Sea Salt Spray in February's Glossybox. I had been looking at this spray for months now since they started carrying the product line in Target. My hair is fine, I have a lot of it and is super straight. Some days my hair will hold a curl or wave and some days it won't but the lack of texture, sexy, and messiness really gets to me. I live in California, I should automatically have been born with that beach bum look to my hair. 

So since I am not blessed with the casual cool vibe I so desperately crave, a sea salt spray is my saving grace. This one is one of the better of the two that I have tried but cannot verify that it's the best out there. All I know is that it doesn't make my hair feel dry or greasy, it doesn't have an overpowering scent, and that it actually gives me some nice texture that lasts pretty much the whole day. 

My favorite way to apply this is to freshly washed hair that has been air dried to slightly damp and finger combed to keep any natural wave I may inherit from getting out of the shower. I then lightly spray it over all my hair then flip my hair over to thee side and scrunch up with a dry towel to dry it and also add more wave to my hair. If I feel more like a mermaid than a beach bum that day I will make a few small braids and pin them off the side of my face. I have done this process with a blow dryer when I was short on time and it just didn't end up the same for me. I feel I have more control over how much texture I am able to get by using the towel. 

I really love finding great items to try out via my Glossybox and if you'd like to subscribe you can check it out  here for $21 per month and there are discounts if you decide to buy a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription. But if you'd like to give them a try for just one month there is always a promo code flying around for about $5 off or to add on a free item which varies by month. I have always gotten my monies worth even if I wasn't able to use everything myself. If I can't use something I usually give it to my mom, sister, friend, or even coworker because it feels good to give something to someone else. 

Have you tried any other Toni & Guy products and recommend them? 

Have you subscribed to Glossybox and what was you're favorite item from them so far? 

XOX

Veritypretty

Clean and Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser Review

I'm on the search for a new cleanser at the moment and when I saw the Deep Action Cream Cleanser from Clean and Clear I decided, why not? I'm all for trying something new and even though this has been around for years it's still new to me because I've never tried it before. It claims to clean deep into pores to remove dirt and makeup with a cooling fresh feeling. As my pore are ginormous I thought this would be perfect. Plus it being on the market for so long already it has to at least work and do some good in the skin cleaning process otherwise it would have went away a long time ago. 

Boy was I wrong. 

As soon as I put this on my skin I got a nice tingling sensation. It was pleasant and then it wasn't. As soon as I started cleaning my nose and cheeks the "cooling" effect drifted up to my eyes and they started burning. I immediately rinsed off the product and had to run the water all over my face for a few minutes to get the burning sensation to go away. 

This whole burning sensation is a completely new territory for me because I don't do any crazy treatments on my skin and I have pretty normal skin, nowhere near close to being classified as sensitive. The only time my eyes burn is when I accidently use too much sunscreen near my eyeballs and it gets in there but that can happen to anyone. So for something to burn my eyes when it's not anywhere close to being in the vicinity of them then I should not use that product ever again. 

There will be no second chances for you. You've lost my trust Mr. Deep Clean. The saddest part is that my skins texture pretty much felt and looked the same. No nice glow, lumpy overfilled pores on my nose, and a slight residue left over. It just didn't feel or look very clean. Maybe next time I'll get myself a cream cleanser that doesn't promise a tingly clean feeling. 

Have you tried this one before? Am I being a big baby and think I should suck it up and give it another try? 

XOX 

Veritypretty 

New Breckelle's Red Pointed Toe Flats

I have been craving a pair of red flats to fill my shoe collection again for forever. My wardrobe is pretty basic and consists of a lot of striped everything, polka dots and neutrals to get me through the workweek whole week. I finally caved in and bought these on amazon for $24 with free shipping but you can also find them over at ZOOSHOO.com which is the actual site that sells these. 

I live for pointed toe flats because honestly, I'm short and have really small feet my sister constantly likes to laugh at. I like to think that no matter what color I get that as long as it is pointy toed it will make my legs look longer somehow. 

Honestly these are going to be worn to death because they're so gosh darned cute! I just love how the backs kind of turn up and adds subtle interest and are super comfortable to run around the office in or get some coffee on the weekends in. I'm just super happy that I pulled the trigger on this because they're just perfect. 

Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo Review

I have been trying to rehab my hair from some of the damages it suffered and dry shampoos have become my best friend. When I saw the new Herbal Essences Naked line and they finally had a dry shampoo for me to try I snatched it right up so I could try it. 

This particular dry shampoo is supposed to take away the greasiness of second day hair with tapioca and has a nice fresh citrus and mint scent. I think My favorite part was the scent of it because it was fresh and not too heavy of a perfume scent. It was perfect and fresh and...I wish I liked the way the  actual product worked. This was a complete disappointment on my end and I was really rooting for it to work well. It must be the tapioca in the formula because it gets this slick grimy feeling like there are beads of the product in your hair. That is the best way I can describe it. It just feels so strange and weird it's just...I don't get it. On top of this texture issue in my hair I felt that a lot of product had to be used to really soak up all the oils. I had it for only 2 weeks and went through almost half a can of it. At $5.99 a bottle per month even if I did like it is a bit pricey when compared to my HG Suave for $5.99 for a 2 pack and lasts a good few months each. 

Overall, I really wanted to like this but I feel the effectiveness  of it isn't very good. Also, the product, even though on the lower price range, is pricey because you have to use more of it to even work a little bit. The pros of it actually smelling nice and fresh and the packaging is very pretty and minimalist it just doesn't compensate for the cons at all and would never repurchase it unless they changed the formula. 

Have you tried this product yet? Hopefully it works for someone else out there because otherwise this is just another one to toss in the reject bin. 

XOX

Veritypretty

Boot's Botanics Conditioning Clay Mask Review

I think I have slowly but surely become a big fan of the Boot's brand because looky here, another Boot's product review but this time for the Boot's Botanics Conditioning Clay Mask. I have gotten tire of my face mask I bought awhile back because it honestly just works okay and I don't think it's something I would jump up and down for. I had been eyeballing the conditioning clay mask for months now and decided now is better than ever to give it a try. For $10 you get a 4.2 oz container which is on the smaller side of a bottle which is one of the main reasons that really held me back. 

The formula for this face mask is on the runny side and you may have to apply in layers if you are used to a thicker layer of mask on your face. It almost feels like the silt you would use in ceramics class but thicker. It is best to really give the bottle a good shake before opening because the product does separate just a little. I would describe it just as if you would open a bottle of mustard and there's that little clear bit of vinegar comes out and then a splat of the actual product if you do not shake. I don't like seeing it on my burger and I don't like seeing face mask splat in my hand in the same messy fashion. Overall I don't find it as a turn off because the packaging does say to shake before use so it's really my own fault for not following directions all the time. 

The face mask does dry pretty quick and I got this really nice tight feel like it was sucking everything off my face. after about 15 minutes I looked in the mirror to see that everywhere turned a light grey color as opposed to the dark charcoal it started out as. There were darker oil slicks that the mask sucked from my oily forehead which is my main problem area when it comes to oiliness on my skin. it was nice to be able to see that it really did work in drawing out impurities. After rinsing off the clay mask my skin had a nice glow to it and the pores on my nose shrunk a bit. The pores on my nose are the worst and I'm forever trying to shrink them. 

Overall I really like the mask even though my initial thoughts were that it was just going to be another overpriced drugstore product. I'm glad too see these preconceived notions blown away by beautifully smooth and glowing skin. If you're a fan of clay based face masks you should really give this one a try especially if you have oily skin as it sucks up the excess and doesn't dry up your skin. 

So have you tried the Boot's Botanics Conditioning Clay Mask? 

XOX 

Veritypretty

Ellwood Mesa Butterfly Preserve

I recently went on a road trip To NorCal for the chowder festival and cook-off and the Ellwood Mesa Butterfly Grove was a great little pit stop adventure. You can check out the website for the grove here at the official website. This place is one of the largest Monarch sites in California where you can come see large amounts of them in nature. 

You have to really get in a good stroll into the eucalyptus tree forest to see them. The further you go the better chance to see them. 

It really was the perfect day to take a walk except I was wearing boots and it was hot. My feet got super sweaty but to see the sunshine through the trees like this was well worth it all. 

There were some backyards of houses along the hiking trail and got super excited to see someone keeping chickens. I LOVE chickens even though the chicken we had growing up was kind of mean sometimes. Most of the time she was sweet and just loved sitting in the backyard with her in my lap massaging her neck. She would make really cute low clucks and have a relaxed squinty look on her face. 

The trail is both gorgeous and a bit spooky at the same time. 

The trail lead all the way to a cliff and the ocean. I love views like this, it just makes you feel that the world goes on forever. 

This is the view looking away from the ocean. 

Who could not love living here? 

This was the only picture I could get of any of the butterflies flying. They were up really high in the trees and looking at them with the super zoom on made me motion sick after awhile. This was not a good year to see the butterfly clusters according to some locals. I was still amazed by how many we did see. 

I got super lucky and caught these two making butterfly babies. These two landed right next to us and scared the crap outta me. As soon as I got my wits back I quickly snapped these two shots. 

Monarch butterflies are really special and hold a close meaning to our family. When my grandmother was a young girl in Mexico she remembered how beautiful the migration of the butterflies was. After she passed away we all would see a monarch butterfly on special holidays but mostly on her birthday. It could all be a nice coincidence but we all find comfort in just believing that it's a sign that she's with us still and watching over us. 

My favorite time of day is sunset and being able to see the world in a warm golden glow. There's no better way to spend the end of your day than looking out the window and just seeing the world around you and just thinking "Wow".  Sometimes you just have to step back and take it all in. 

XOX

Veritypretty

Covergirl Cheekers Classic Pink Review

Today's review is going to be on the Covergirl Cheekers Blush in Classic Pink. My mom had sent me a picture of her blush stash and she had a huge stack of the Covergirl blushes because they're her favorite. I decided to see if mom was right about this one so I picked it up on one of my last shopping trips I did. I think it was about $4 or maybe even less than that which is super affordable for everyone. 

I was really drawn to the classic pink because it looks like the perfect natural pink for spring. I'm a person who really cannot stand to not wear blush at all because I feel without it skin doesn't have that "kiss of life" look to it. So finding the perfect pink to wear alone or do a sheer layer with a bit of a dramatic eye or lip without looking costumey is essential. 

Without flash

With flash

Overall I feel the Covergirl Cheekers is a very nice drugstore blush and lasted for a good portion of the day. If you're really just looking for something to wear as an everyday no frills blush then you might want to give this one a try. 

I wanted to see what it would look like kindda piled on and I'd say it's a bit easy to get a clownish glow if you aren't having any good cold weather. Sine I live nowhere near the polar vortex going on in the East Coast it makes no sense to try the frost bitten snow bunny look. I would love to but nope! No bright pink blush for me. 

So hopefully you enjoyed reading along with looking at my new background. I dub it my "albino chewbacca" rug. I really love petting it and even named it Matt. Matt the mat, how original huh? Yes, I'm strange one. 

So have any of you tried the Covergirl Cheekers blush? What color is your must have? 

XOX

Veritypretty