happy friday, y'all!

Happy Friday everyone! I'm sorry for the lack of posts this week, it's been a sorta crazy week. Between Mardi Gras, Valentine's Day, and really not feeling great, I just haven't had the time or energy. I hope to get back to regular posts next week! Here's what my week looked like...

1. Spanishtown Mardi Gras Parade. I love this crazy parade. Good friends and good times. 

2. While my family is in Disney World, I've just been living vicariously through Facebook photos and group messages. There are times when I regret not going! 

3. I love finding good jewelry at Forever 21 without having to dig. I rarely go to the actual store, but I popped in one day and fell in love with this necklace. 

4. My first Lent dinner on Wednesday was probably a mistake. I've been sick ever since, but I refuse to swear off Frosty's and french fries! 

5. Hardly got to enjoy this beautiful Valentine's Day meal, but I couldn't have asked for a better date night at home with my man. Our third V-day cooking together and it was just perfect. :)

Have a great weekend! See more H54F posts on Lauren's blog! 

xo, Mal

january empties

In my ongoing efforts to use up the products I own instead of shelving them half-used, today I'm sharing some of my trash empty products from last month! 

Neutrogena Naturals fresh cleansing + makeup remover 
Love this cleanser. I use it with my Clarisonic to get all of my makeup off when I'm in the shower. It's gentle and does a good job at removing makeup. 

Sonia Kashuk eye makeup remover
This is the only eye makeup remover I can use that doesn't burn my eyes and removes every spec of eye makeup. It's around $10 at Target, depending on the size you get. 

Clinique acne solutons clarifying lotion (toner)
After completely using my trial size acne solutions toner, I decided to purchase this full size. I liked it, but even for my oily skin it felt overly dry when used every night. I would suggest using it every other night instead. I do like it (and the whole acne solutions line), but I'm not re-purchasing for now. 

Soap & Glory Hand Food 
I use this every night before going to sleep. You can find this at Sephora. More on this lotion here! 

Mary Kay Timewise moisturizer
My holy grail moisturizer. You can can see more of my thoughts on this product here. 

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle
A great deep conditioner for only $3.00. I use this roughly twice a week in the shower. Having such long hair, it's important to keep my ends moisturized to prevent breakage. I've re-purchased multiple times and don't think I'll ever not have this in my shower!

Dickinson's Witch Hazel
I love witch hazel. One of my first posts explained the benefits and uses of witch hazel. You can read all about those here! 

It feels good to use up products. What have you recently used up?
xo, Mal

new maybelline lip products

If you visit CVS or Target as often as I do, you may have noticed all kinds of new displays. 

I am loving pretty much all of what Maybelline has been coming out with. Today I'm talking about the new Color Sensational Vivid Lipsticks and Color Whispers. 

First up, the lipsticks. What drew me to these were the intense colors. There are no nude shades in this line; It's all about the pinks, plums, reds and corals. I much prefer pink lipstick, so I picked up Pink Pop and Hot Plum. Pink Pop is more of my go-to color, and Hot Plum is a fun/risky choice for me. I'm really loving both colors. 

The swatches above are with just one or two swipes. That's some serious pigmentation!

These don't claim to be a long-wearing lip color, but they wear just fine throughout the day. You'll have to re-apply every couple hours to keep the color intensity, but that's pretty standard. These glide on so smoothly, and that's probably because they contain honey nectar. I'm really impressed! 

There's 10 shades in this line, so if you see some colors you like, I highly recommend picking some up! 

And now the Color Whispers. 

These claim to be "truly translucent gel color, with no heavy waxes or oils, for just a kiss of shine." 

There are 20 shades in this line, so it was hard to choose just a couple. 

Here are swatches of the two shades I picked up. I don't recommend any of the nude shades (unless you just want it for the hydration) because these are very sheer, but then again that's the point. I of course purchased a pink shade, and the coral looks like a nice color for the summer time. These are very hydrating, add just a wash of color, and they lasted longer on my lips than I expected. 

Since these are quite sheer, these will show up differently on everyone, it just depends on your natural lip color. I'm really liking these too-- might have to go back and pick up more colors!

Which colors are you loving? 

xo, Mal

urban decay on sale

Urban Decay is on Hautelook today! Sale ends Wednesday morning, but most items do sell out. The reason some of these items are on sale is because the packaging has changed, that's it! 

Here's my top picks from this sale: 

I currently own (and love) the top 3 products. If your someone with oily skin and need help controlling it throughout the day/night, the eye shadow primer will do the trick to keep your eye shadows in place. The setting sprays will help your makeup last all night and keep the oil away. 

Let me know if you purchase anything! 

xo, Mal

happy friday, y'all!

Happy February, everyone! And of course... Happy Friday! Here's a glimpse of my week. 

1. I don't think I've ever pre-ordered jewelry before, so I was excited to finally get this rose gold pave necklace from Derng in this week! Not even sure when I'll wear it yet, so it's just a beautiful addition to my jewelry for now. 

2. I might have had a rough Saturday night, so Sunday lunch called for one of these. Don't judge my cheeseburger weakness! 

3. Super Gras (Super Bowl + Mardi Gras) is in full force in NOLA. And I'm very jealous of all the Super Bowl activities my family attended yesterday, but I'm loving the pictures. I mean, is that not the cutest future New Orleans Saint you've ever seen?! Or Dallas Cowboy... I'll take either one. :)

4. I've been missing a certain Houston friend this week. Especially hearing all about her dream house she's almost finished building. I can't wait to finally make a trip and visit in the near future! 

5. No fun nail polish this week. Trying to strengthen these brittle things in hopes of getting stronger, longer nails. OPI Nail Envy and Sally Hansen Maximum Growth are all I've been wearing. Not seeing any "earth-shattering" results yet, but I haven't given up hope. 

How was your week? See more H54F posts on Lauren's blog! 

xo, Mal