on the mend

So I've been totally MIA this week thanks to being bitten by the flu bug. I've been basically living in my bed and not gonna lie, it's been been pretty miserable. There's only so much tv you can watch, soup you can eat and sleep you can sleep. 

I had a blogging plan for this week, which obviously did not go as planned. However, I can't see a whole week go by without a post, so today I'm just sharing what has gotten me through the week. Obviously, physically, it's been medicine, fluids, and rest. To get myself out of the "sick funk" these are the things that have helped me mentally get through this week. 

Netflix [or DVDs, whatevs]

Classic favorites that I like to re-live: 

via                                                       via                                                             via

Yogurt 

Thanks to my roomie for this one!

A fresh mani

Bubble Baths

via

What kind of things help you feel better when you're sick? 

Next week I'll be posting my favorites from February and a review on a new skincare line I've been using. I hope you have a beautiful weekend! 

xo, Mal

happy friday, y'all!

Happy Friday, Y'all! It's been a pretty good week, but still glad it's Friday! Here's a few highlights of my week. 

1. LSU Baseball opening weekend could not have had more perfect weather. Had a wonderful Sunday Funday at The Box and Walkon's. Great way to start the week! 

2. Lavender nails and leopard scarf = love. 

3. I did it. I finally freaking did it. I purchased the new Macbook Pro! I'm LOVING it! 

4. Okay I could not pass up the notebook cuteness at Target. These remind me of Kate Spade, but luckily this 3-pack was only $4. 

5. What's a Friday post without my Carter bear making an appearance? I will finally get to see this munchkin today and I'm just plain excited!

How was your week?? 

Find more H54F posts on Lauren's blog! 

xo, Mal

Empties (part 2)

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

Up & Up Makeup Remover Towelettes (Target Brand)
These are my preferred makeup wipes. I use these every night before I wash my face to get that first layer of makeup off, so my cleanser doesn't have to do everything. I go through them very quickly which is why they are always on my Target shopping list. 

Seche Vite top coat
Love this top coat. It leaves your nails super glossy and it dries fairly quickly. I didn't re-purchase, but only because I wanted to try the Revlon ColorStay top coat, which I also really like, it's just not as glossy as Seche Vite. 

L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara
My holy grail mascara. I have no clue how many tubes I've gone through of this, but I always have to have it in my makeup bag.

Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation
This is my favorite foundation from the drugstore. It's seriously amazing how easy this applies, blends, and stays matte throughout the day. More on this foundation here.

Zoya Nail Polish Remover
My go-to nail polish remover. What I love is the packaging. You stick your cotton ball on the top and the product pumps out in a perfect amount. You can find this at Ulta for around $10.

Maybelline Babylips in Quenched 
It's no secret how much I love this lip balm. More on that here. 

L'oreal Elnett Hairspray
I much prefer a flexible hold hairspray, and I feel that L'oreal Elnett does just that. No stickiness but does give a good hold (for my hair, at least). To be honest, I don't go through hairspray that fast since I don't use it often, but I love how great this one works on my hair when I do need it. 

So that's what I've used up lately. See part one here.
What are your most re-purchased products?

xo, Mal

February Birchbox

Couture La La Perfume

This is a brand new perfume from Juicy Couture called La La. Of all the perfume samples I get, this is one of my favorites. It's up there with Kate Spade Twirl. 

theBalm MaryLou Manizer (highlighter)

I already own a full size of this product and I LOVE it. The full size compact is travel-friendly, but I can't complain about being able to sneak this little guy into my purse. More beauty products in my purse... just what I need. 

Tigi Flexible Hairspray

 Don't think I've ever tried a Tigi product before. And I just ran out of my travel size Tresemme hairspray so I'll be giving this a shot. 

Dr. Lipp Lip Balm

Was curious about this product so I looked it up online to see what this is all about. The Birchbox site says: "Packed with all-natural ingredients, the thick, creamy formula is clinically proven to repair rough, flaky lips in just one hour." One hour, huh? Have not tried this yet, but I'm going to put it to the test.

Ghirardelli Chocolate (the extra)

I love chocolate. Thanks Birchbox. 

Overall, it's a good box. But, not gonna lie, I've been eyeing other subscription services and thinking about trying more. Ahhh somebody stop me! My "sample drawer" is already out of control. So, just curious if anyone else subscribes to other beauty or lifestyle boxes and how satisfied you are with them. I've been getting Birchbox for well over a year, and I'm happy with them. For $10, I don't see myself ever cancelling. But we do see a lot of the same brands, so I'm interested to see how different other subscription services are. Let me know if you have experience with other boxes! 

xo, Mal

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