Quote

No Need To Be Afraid

January 18, 2017January 5, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”

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Tips and Tricks

Tip Tuesday #49

January 17, 2017December 30, 2016 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

Here is another tip for Tip Tuesday

Invest in good quality brushes.

Good brushes will last for years and provide better makeup application and blending. The fluffy brushes are for blending while generally the flat brushes are for applying products like foundation, cream products, and packing on eyeshadow.

One of my most used and favorite brushes is my Crown Brush C412 Deluxe Pointed Crease Brush and the INSPR Beauty Eye Fluff Brush which is perfect for blending.

While some good quality brushes are more expensive, some of my favorite brushes are inexpensive $1 brushes from E.L.F. like this defining eye brush.

I feel as if E.L.F. brushes don’t get enough praise and attention. They have some great quality brushes available. I prefer the $3-$6 USD black handled brushes to the less expensive (yet still effective) white handled brushes, yet all the price points have great options avaliable.

This e.l.f. Professional Complete Set of 12 Brushes is $12. While the overall quality of the brushes is good, in this “professional” line set some are definitely better than others. I am personally not a big fan of the Bronzer Brush, it is a bit too scratchy in my opinion. I have owned a few different of the Total Face brushes and found them to be a bit hit or miss.

They have also recently come out with a newer more expensive silver handled line. This 7 piece silver handle set is only $10, and has everything you might need to complete a great face look.

Let me know if you try any of these out and what you think! If you are enjoying these tips every Tuesday you can check them all out by clicking HERE.

*This post is not sponsored by INSPR Beauty, E.L.F. or Crown Brushes, although I totally wish it were! Lol!

No Gym No Problem

No Gym? No Problem! #3

January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood4 Comments

Three weeks into the new year and I hope that you’re still going strong! Twenty minutes and a pair of 5-pound dumbbells is all you need for this quick full body workout!

Do you have 20 minutes to improve your heath and wellness? Yes, you do! Just do it, no excuses! Remember to keep good proper form, warm up before, and stretch after you exercise!

Are you enjoying these “No Gym? No Problem!” posts? If so, you can check out the rest by clicking HERE!

Beauty Subscription · Make up

Ipsy January 2017 Glam Bag

January 15, 2017January 13, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

A whole year has flown by and it is already 2017! I cannot believe how quickly 2016 seemed to go by. Here we are already at January and another review of the ipsy glam bag.

(If you don’t know what ipsy is you can check out my previous post all about it by clicking HERE)

January’s theme is “Metropolis”

“A Day in the Life of a City Babe Coffee? Check. Lip gloss? Check. Taxi fare? Check. Here, everything you need to own the concrete jungle.”

This month’s bag is super cute! The material it is a double layer with pale blue metallic faux leather with small circular cut out pattern on top with a silver solid faux leather below. According to the ipsy website “This silver stunner was inspired by skyscrapers! Wear it uptown, downtown, or wherever you’ll be slaying this month.”

Here is what I got in my bag for January:

clariSEA Instant Glow Lavender Powder Exfoliant 1 oz

Because of this being a loose powder, this exfoliator can be made as intense or as gentle as I want it to be. It is made by adding equal amounts of the salt to my cleanser. If I want to sprinkle in a little more powder I can get a little more exfoliation. It says that it can also be mix with water as well for a stronger scrub.

It is made with two types of salt, Pacific and Himalayan pink sea salt, and it smells like lavender. Pretty interesting, I can’t wait to try it out!

Naked Cosmetics Mica Pigment in Desert Sunset #02 .05 oz/1.5gm

This is such a beautiful vivid loose pigment! It is a gorgeous shimmery champagne shade that has tiny sparkles in it. I am a huge sucker for sparkles!

This product is made with no talc, oils, waxes or fillers. Swatches just don’t even do this eyeshadow justice! It is just so beautiful. I am already in love!!!

Pacifica BLUSHIOUS in Wildrose 3 grams

First off let me add that I am completely NOT complaining about getting this blush because it is absolutely beautiful! Secondly, ipsy thinks that my makeup collection needs lots of liquid eyeliners and coral blushes, because I get one or the other in my glam bag each month. (This is my 6th coral blush from ipsy.)

I love blush and use it every day…I may still need to retake the quiz and let them know that I am all set with blushers for now.

This shade is beautiful and it goes on a little lighter than it looks in the pan. Another great thing about this blush is that Pacifica’s products are all are 100% vegan, gluten- and cruelty-free.

Rimmel London Lip Conditioning Balm by Kate Moss 0.13 oz

You may remember that I have a thing for good lipglosses, chapsticks and lip balms. Of course, I put it on immediately after opening my glam bag. This is a delightful lip balm! Soft, creamy, and moisturizing. My lips feel smoother and healthier while wearing this balm. It has just the faintest sweet scent, not too much at all.

Smashbox Cosmetics Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 in Light or Light Medium .25 fl oz / 7.1 ml

So far everything that I have tried from Smashbox has been great! I haven’t used this bb cream yet, but I love bb creams, so I have high hopes for this one.

Formulated without: parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates, oil, fragrance & talc

“Sun protection, check. Hydration, check. A glowy finish, check. Add a hint of coverage and this BB checks all of our boxes.”

I love everything that I got in this month’s bag! I am so happy with everything!

Did you get a glam bag this month?What did you get in yours? Were you happy with your samples? Do you get any other monthly subscription bags/boxes that are worth trying out? Let me know in the comments below.

Don’t forget, if you don’t already subscribe and would like to try out ipsy, you can use my referral link by clicking HERE! Also, if you are interested in seeing my other recent posts about ipsy click HERE.

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Health/ Fitness · Lifestyle

I REALLY Don’t Want To Get Sick!

January 14, 2017January 13, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

I hate being sick! Who doesn’t though, right?!

Although not unexpected for this time of year, it seems as if especially recently there has been an increase in viral respiratory and gastrointestinal illness recently.

The spread of viral illnesses, like the flu and norovirus, can be prevented by practicing good personal protection measures.

Prevention is KEY!!!

Help yourself and your family stay healthy by following these few tips:

Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and warm water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand gel, like Purell.

Sneeze and cough into your elbow.
If you are sick, stay home from work, school, or childcare.
If you are a food handler, healthcare worker, or child care worker and are vomiting or have diarrhea, you must stay home until symptoms have stopped for at least 48 hours.
Do not share utensils, water bottles, or other personal items. Many germs that cause viral illness are spread through saliva.
Wipe down common items like phones, keyboards, doorknobs, and railings with a disinfectant that contains bleach. (You can also use a solution of 5-25 tablespoons of bleach to one gallon of water.)
Get a good night’s rest, drink plenty of water, and eat a healthy diet of fruits and veggies. Helping your body to be strong enough to fight off illness is so important.

Many viral illnesses need to run their course and require staying hydrated and getting plenty of rest.

Antibiotics fight bacterial infections and will not cure illnesses caused by a virus.

If you are sick enough to seek medical care but your problem is not life-threatening don’t waste your time sitting in an emergency department. Call your doctor or go to an urgent care center instead. You will get seen much quicker at their offices and you will feel more comfortable with a quick visit then spending hours in the ER waiting room.

If you are already feeling sick, I hope that you recover quickly!

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits · Health/ Fitness

Top Ways to Ditch Dieting For Good

January 13, 2017January 31, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood4 Comments

It’s Not About Dieting It’s About A Healthy Lifestyle

1) Find healthy foods you love:

Since I have changed my eating habits I have found so many foods that I thought I hated but I actually now love. Eggplant, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Roasted cauliflower, Baked Kale chips, Sweet potatoes, Mushrooms just to name a few. These are all things that I never would have eaten 18 months ago, yet they are now part of my every day diet…I still hate cooked peppers, I don’t think that will ever change.

2) Get a routine:

Make it easier on yourself to make better choices. Have your fridge stocked with fresh fruits and veggies. Set regular meal times and don’t let yourself graze or snack. Keep yourself accountable with a food and fitness journal. Make a plan and stick to it! It is not about perfection it is about consistency.

3) Do exercises you enjoy:

I don’t like to run. So you know what, I don’t do it! There are sooooo many other way to get in a great cardio workout without having to pound the pavement. The more time I have spent doing different types of physical actives, the more I have discovered the things that I love and things that I don’t enjoy.

I hate lunges, but I love squats. I hate pushups but I love doing plank. I love jumping jacks and cardio kick boxing. I really enjoy lifting weights and strengthen training. Find what you enjoy and do it!

4) Always have a goal:

The scale is not the only place to have goals. There are so many other ways to stay motived and push yourself. Recently I have been pushing myself to increase my reps as well as up the weights. It is so satisfying to reach a goal and set a new one!

5) Indulge:

You know I love sweets! If you are going to a special event, like a birthday party or a friends BBQ, let yourself indulge within reason. Denying yourself can lead to unwanted binges. Instead try to be strict with your diet leading up to the event. Do not, I repeat DO NOT make yourself feel guilty about it later on. Occasionally enjoying a sweet treat or special meal is an absolutely necessary part of a feasible healthy lifestyle. This is a lifestyle we are ditching the “diet.”

6) Don’t focus on denial:

How true is it that all you want is what you can’t have! If you want a french fry, have a fry or two. You don’t need to eat an entire large fry, but a fry or two might be just the thing to keep you from derailing your entire healthy plan.

Remember, It’s Not About Dieting It’s About Lifestyle!

After a few weeks you won’t even have to think about these changes. Making a lifestyle change is worth the time and hard work it takes. Long lasting results are so much more satisfying than short ended quick results from a fad diet.

You and your health and wellness are worth it!

If you want to read more about the benefits of lifestyle vs dieting check out my flab to fab post about Balance.

Review

How ’bout Them Samples…

January 12, 2017January 5, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood4 Comments

I am still going strong with not buying new beauty items! Of course getting a bunch of new stuff for Christmas has helped a lot. In the meantime, I am still trying to use up samples that I have already received and often neglect.

Since I started doing this several months ago, I have really enjoyed using and trying out these samples. It has really helped me to not make any unnecessary beauty purchases! I don’t think that I have ever gone this long before without buying new makeup!

I think a lot of times the excitement of getting the new things is greater than that of actually trying out and using the samples. So far, so good. I have so many samples from ipsy bags, or Target boxes and others from Walmart beauty boxes. This has really been a great way to use them up.

Here is another group of samples that I have decided to try…

Biore Charcoal Pore Strips

Cetaphil Gentile Skin Cleanser

Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner

Covergirl Intensify Me lash blast liquid eyeliner

Eco Tools makeup brush cleansing clothes

Hello Mojito Mint Floride Toothpaste

NSPA Coconut Rich Body Butter

S.W. Basics Exfoliant

Check back in a few weeks and I will let you know what I think of each thing and if I would purchase the full size of these items based on my thoughts from using these samples.

If you would like to see which samples I have already tried out in the past you can read more by clicking HERE.

Beauty Subscription

Walmart Beauty Box Winter 2017

January 11, 2017January 8, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

Did you know that Walmart has it’s own a subscription beauty box? Yup, they do! It is a quarterly box and only costs $5 a season.

Walmart technically calls it a “sample box” and says that the box itself is free and the $5 is a flat rate for shipping and handling. Either way, the box costs $5 each season.

In your Walmart Beauty Box, you can expect to find around 7-9 samples. Sometimes there are even a few full sized makeup samples.

How does it work?

You sign up at https://beautybox.walmart.com/
Create and account
Add your payment and shipping info
Wait for you confirmation email
Enjoy your beauty box when it arrives

The Walmart beauty box website says

“Each subscriber will be charged upon receiving an order confirmation (locking in your box for the season).
If you do not receive an order confirmation, please check your account information to make sure the payment and shipping information in your account is up to date (as well as check your junk mail). Following the order confirmation email is a shipping confirmation, once you receive the shipping confirmation email you can expect a delivery within 5-10 business days. Each seasonal Beauty Box is a limited edition and may sell out at any time.
Note: Beauty products may vary by box.”

There are two different types of boxes available, the classic and the trendsetter. Up until recently, only one box could be sent per email address, but that has been changed. I now recieve both boxes.

Here is what I got in this seasons boxes:

Classic Box

1 full size, 3 delux samples, and 2 shampoo/conditioner foil packs

Trendsetter Box

2 full size, 3 delux samples, and 1 shampoo/conditioner foil packs, coupons.

Over all, I think that this was just an ok set of boxes! The Trendsetter was definitely the better of the two. Compared to last season’s boxes, and previous boxes, I wasn’t overly impressed. (see the photos below)

For $5 each I find that the Walmart beauty boxes are generally a great deal! How about you, do you get the Walmart Beauty box? Did you get the same samples in your box? What do you think?

I’m sure you will be seeing some of these items in an upcoming How ’bout Them Samples Post. 🙂

(none of the links above are referral links, just regular informational links.)

I would love for you to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three.

Here is what I got in the Fall Beauty Boxes:

Tips and Tricks

Tip Tuesday #48

January 10, 2017December 28, 2016 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

Here is another tip for Tip Tuesday!

This tip may not be about makeup, but it is still important for living a healthier better life.

Here are 7 Tips for healthy living:

Move More
Cut Fat
Reduce Stress
Wear Your Seat Belt
Floss Your Teeth
Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
Drink Plenty of Water

Let me know if you try these out and what you think! If you are enjoying these tips every Tuesday you can check them all out by clicking HERE.

No Gym No Problem

No Gym? No Problem! #2

January 9, 2017January 7, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

If you have a little bit of space, some sturdy athletic shoes, a computer and 10 minutes, you can do this workout by Jessica Smith!

I have spent so much time “working out” with Jessica Smith that I seriously feel like every time I do one of her videos I am working out with one of my friends. Not only is she a pleasant knowledgeable fitness expert she is also funny and beautiful!

She has so many awesome free workouts on YouTube. Check out her website too. She has a lot of great health and fitness information: jessicasmithtv.com (Check out all of her other great workouts at her YouTube channel by clicking HERE.)

She even has a whole playlist of 10 minute or less workouts. You can check them out by clicking HERE

Remember to keep good proper form, warm up before, and stretch after you exercise!

Are you enjoying these “No Gym? No Problem!” posts? If so, you can check out the rest by clicking HERE!

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Here is another tip for Tip Tuesday

Invest in good quality brushes.

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Here is what I got in my bag for January:

clariSEA Instant Glow Lavender Powder Exfoliant 1 oz

Naked Cosmetics Mica Pigment in Desert Sunset #02 .05 oz/1.5gm

Pacifica BLUSHIOUS in Wildrose 3 grams

Rimmel London Lip Conditioning Balm by Kate Moss 0.13 oz

Smashbox Cosmetics Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 in Light or Light Medium .25 fl oz / 7.1 ml

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Prevention is KEY!!!

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It’s Not About Dieting It’s About A Healthy Lifestyle

Remember, It’s Not About Dieting It’s About Lifestyle!

You and your health and wellness are worth it!

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Here is another tip for Tip Tuesday!

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