A Ramble Here, a Ramble There

Hello all, and happy Tuesday! I hope your week is starting off well. 

I've been kind of contemplating if I should write this or not because I normally don't talk about my personal life on this blog. But I figured it's been eating at me and I do want to share a little of what's been going on.

For the past 2 weeks, I've been up and down, then up, then down. And the cycle repeats.

I've made the hard decision to resign from my current job to accept a new (and possibly better) one as a career move. I've been at my current position for 3+ years and to put it all into perspective is overwhelming to say the least! I've moved on from jobs in the past but this one was the first "real job" I had since graduation. To start fresh again is exciting, hopeful... yet scary and daunting. The prospect of starting anew is nearly suffocating as I've been stable here; everything familiar, comforting, keen. But I do have to move on and focus on what's best for myself. I won't go into details about why I've decided to leave but it's really a number of things. I hope it's the right decision and I pray that this change will be worthwhile.

I'm quitting my stable office job to be part of an exciting new start-up venture where anything can go. It's crazy but I feel in my gut this is going to be the right move for now. Keeping my fingers crossed!

There's going to be bouts of uncertainty in life and a road block or two down the road but it's the unknown territory that is equally terrifying as it is exciting. !

(source)

I'll be starting my new job on Apr 8. Any tips or advice is welcomed!  

Skin Savers: O'Keeffe's Skin Cream for Hands and Feet!

Dry, chapped hands and feet are commonplace in California, especially with the weather being on the drier side and the humidity levels low. Having parched skin is no shocker for me as my hands and feet often dry year round.

A lot of moisture is stripped from our hands when we wash it with soap. And while hand creams and lotions are great, sometimes they're simply not enough. I really love a rich hand cream, and I have several kinds at the office and in my handbag. By my bedside, however, I have O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream! To say it's a miracle hand cream is an understatement.

What is this stuff!? 

Well, to simply put... the Working Hands hand cream is ideally for people who use their hands a lot (gardeners, carpenters, etc), or people who are prone to dry, chapped and/or cracked skin. The main ingredient in this cream is an ultra concentrated blend of glycerin which is a humectant that draws water to our skin to keep it moisturized and healthy. The awesome thing about this cream is that it actually helps the skin to retain the moisture even after washing your hands hours later. 

Personally, I've had incredible results with this cream. Since I have really dry hands, I apply a bit at night and don't touch this stuff during the day. It's highly concentrated and a little goes a loooooong way. When applied, it has a "wet" feeling then it goes away. It's not greasy or filmy in any way (given you use only a teeny bit!). My hands felt really soft in the mornings and throughout the day when I would wash them, it still felt really soft. There wasn't the usual tight feeling that I normally felt. 

Their packaging is quite simple - in a tub with a twist cap. It's perfectly unisex.

This cream is also 100% odorless. This cream is colorless, and odorless. You absolutely cannot detect a scent even if you tried. The texture is interesting. When you scoop it out, it's a bit flaky but that's only because of how concentrated the water and glycerin ingredients are. 

The night before and the morning after! Drastic difference!

My hands feel insanely nourished!

This hand cream is really a miracle cream. And since you only need so little to work through the parched skin, it's really a nice alternative for an overnight hand treatment. I love it a lot, truly. I honestly can't imagine not having this next to my bedside. 

You can buy this easily too! It's available on Amazon, for $6.98. Each tub contains 3.4 ounces of product. That's a LOT considering you only need a small bit each time. I'd say it's bargain priced for a high quality product! 

Have you tried any products from O'Keeffe's?  

Disclaimer:  Samples were sent to me for consideration 

MAC MSF: Stereo Rose / Review

Stereo Rose has been one of the most coveted MAC MSF's I have ever encountered. Before the re-release, I had been searching everywhere for it! I received the 2010 one as a gift many months ago but not before perusing eBay at its ridiculous prices! Since the re-release, it had me thinking of its hype. Is it worth the hype? Are their any dupes? 

This MSF makes for a beautiful glowy blush and an extremely lovely rose highlighter. It's a bright coral with bronze undertones. The golden shimmers are subtle and adds a nice warmth to the pan which is just a swirl of prettiness! 

It looks darker in my photos due to indoor lighting but the blush translates gorgeously onto the skin with its vibrant sheen. 

Lasting power is really impressive. It stays on all day through wind and rain. It's of those blushes where a little goes a long way. The pigments are amazing!

The packaging is classic MAC. Sleek, with a see through lid. You can see the shimmers straight from the pan but it is not sparkly at all.

These swatches aren't even close to how pretty this blush is in real life!

Overall, I really love this blush. I don't opt for this regularly because the blush is very obvious when worn but I think it looks fantastic in photography. It really is a "must-have" for blush fiends and highlighter lovers but Milani's Rose D'Oro is a very close dupe. Personally, Petticoat is amongst one of my favorites from MAC but Stereo Rose has its place in my heart as well.

Did you buy into the hype of Stereo Rose? Thoughts?

Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Conditioner

I've been sort of obsessed with this conditioner recently. Let me tell you why!

A few months back, I received a generous sample of the shampoo & conditioner in the Influencer box and I was intrigued by its uniqueness. I don't care for the shampoo much because it was the conditioner that did it for me. 

Clear is a drugstore brand made popular by its supermodel spokesperson Heidi Klum. I'm not easily phased by celebs endorsing products until I try it myself. And for this purpose, I am really glad I was able to! 

It's currently a favorite of mine for many reasons.

1. Uniqueness! This conditioner is unique because you actually massage it onto your scalp! This helps nourish your scalp by promoting hair health from the foundation. 
2. Scent-sational! The scent is fabulous. It lasts all day and lingers quietly throughout. 
3. Healthier Hair - My hair actually looks and feels healthier. I have very frizzy hair naturally but this conditioner has made my hair bouncier and easier to work with. 

Overall, I'm really pleased with the conditioner. It's also readily available here and the prices are great! They were on sale at Target for $4.49 each :) 

My dear readers, have you tried any conditioners where you can actually massage onto your scalp? Any brands you particularly like and/or recommend? =)

Us @ Disney :)

Tarte - Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara Review

If there is one makeup item I cannot live without, it is, without a doubt, a tube of mascara or rather, tubes of mascara. There are different types of mascara formulas, ranging from the very wet to the very dry. I haven't explored mascara as much, as I've never had a preference.  When I made my little Sephora haul in November, my Tarte kit came with a mini mascara that I didn't opened until my most recent trip to LA.

Needless to say, I am in LOVE with it! The formula is on the drier side, which many of my bloggie friends swear by because it doesn't weigh down the lashes.

Tarte describes this mascara has a "push up bra" of mascaras - meaning, it lifts, volumizes, lengthens and curls. 

I would describe my lashes as short, sparse and minimal. So I appreciate any volumizing properties that mascaras have. 

The wand is thin and prickly to get the most stubborn of lashes. The formula reminds me very much of the Lancome Hypnose Doll Mascara (see review here!) and the Benefit Bad Gal Lash, which I love.

I'm really liking it a lot. I think this mascara really holds the curl well and since it's lightweight it also dries fast so I haven't had issues with smudging. 

It does a fantastic job in holding the curl and it volumizes fairly nice. It lengthens a lot though so I am thoroughly impressed with that alone. I also like that it's non-waterproof so it washes off very easily. 

Overall, I am very satisfied with this mascara! It does retail for a steep $19.00 for a full size and that's quite expensive for me to splurge. I am going to keep this mascara in mind the next time I need to purchase but it would be awesome to find a dupe.

Do you have any recommendations for mascaras with drier formulas? It can be drugstore or high end. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts! :)

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