Happy Spring!



Courtesy of Pottery Barn

Happy 1st day of Spring! I love this time of year, minus the allergies of course. The trees are already starting to bloom. Luckily it's felt like spring since February...thank you God for blessing the South. Nonetheless, it's still nice to officially say goodbye to winter. Hope everyone has a beautiful week!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Don't forget to wear your green today :)



Groupon

On Saturday I had my first massage ever thanks to Groupon! A massage is not something I would normally spend my money on but when I was able to get an hour, full-body massage for $39.00...I couldn't pass it up!

When my husband and I went to Hawaii, I researched places to get a massage all over the island and it was going to end up costing us between $200-$300. We figured being in Hawaii was relaxing enough so I decided I would look for deals when I got home.
My co-worker recommended a spa day so we looked daily for offers until we found the right one. It turned out to be a wonderful experience! And the best part is I didn't walk away feeling like I spent a ton of money.

If you haven't checked out Groupon yet, I recommend signing up! They have awesome deals daily.

Foundation

Choosing the right makeup foundation can be tricky. Recently I've been having trouble in this department. Since I was a teenager I used Clinique, and never thought twice about trying anything else. I have worn every line of foundation that they have at some point or another.

Up until last year when I discovered the coverage and smoothness of Christian Dior's Nude foundation. At about $50 a bottle it's a bit of a splurge but worth it! You only need a small amount (1 pump) to cover the entire face and it lasts for a long time. I still had some left in that bottle that I broke and I believe it was purchased back in late summer or early fall of last year.

I had some concerns that it was causing breakouts though. By the end of the day, my face would have a shine to it from the oils so I was on the lookout for something new. When I dropped the glass bottle on the tile floor one morning, I was forced to go shopping that night. I also thought to myself, there goes about $10 worth of makeup.

That day in my email I received the daily bulletin from ivillage.com featuring Giuliana Rancic's beauty secrets. I think she's absolutely beautiful so I took heed to her advice. One of her suggestions was Smashbox's High Definition.

I purchased a little kit at Sephora for almost the same price as the foundation alone which includes: photofinish primer, concealer, a loose powder and the foundation. So I'm getting to dry all of their products which is great! While it doesn't cover as well as I would like, my skin is definitely not oily at the end of the day. Here's a little excerpt from their website that talks about the benefits:

Our revolutionary HIGH DEFINITION HEALTHY FX FOUNDATION SPF 15 is an oil-free, weightless formula packed with anti-aging, revitalizing, and firming ingredients that work overtime to provide cellular nutrition for skin. UVA/UVB SPF 15 offers sun protection, vitamin C fights free radicals, and new cell-energizing Ribose renews the appearance of skin. Our unique, patented bio-delivery system gives you time-released moisturization and firming benefits that last all day. Skin is refreshed and revitalized for a flawless future. Best of Sephora Award Nominee for Best Foundation.


I'm still going to be on the lookout for another foundation to try once I'm finished with this one but it's definitely a good one to try. My face is clearing up so it may be something I stick with.


I would love to hear about what you wear and why you love it or hate it!

Update

Dear Life,
You can seriously slow down a little!
Sincerely,
Courtney


Wow, I can't believe it's been an entire month since my last post! Time just got away from me in February. I also don't spend nearly as much time in front of the computer as I used to, and if I do... it's usually to pay bills or check e-mail. I promise there will be more posts in March though!

One good thing- we are officially moved out of Pittsburgh! And, I didn't have to lift a finger. I have a wonderful husband and father who took a few days last week to drive up, pack, load everything, and drive back down.
I am so grateful for them and all of the wonderful things happening in our lives right now!

Will update again soon!