Girls, you know that when I like something I like to share it!
One thing I love about Pinterest is finding awesome blogs. That is exactly how I found Erin’s blog Living In Yellow. She not only has awesome style and is beautiful, but she is also hilarious too!
She recently did a whole post about style on a budget from Target. You know I love Target!
You have got to check out her blog!
Lately I have been loving eating black beans! They have such a great hearty flavor and are so good for you too! This time of year when it is so cold outside, I love to eat soups!
When I saw this recipe on Tidy Mom, I knew that I was going to love it! So simple and so delicious!
This Hearty Southwest Black Bean Soup is full of flavor, you’ll never miss the meat. Ready for the table in 30 minutes, but it’s even better the next day!
yield: 6 SERVINGS
prep time: 5 MINUTES
cook time: 25 MINUTES
total time: 30 MINUTES
Check out the original recipe by clicking HERE.
I serve it with sour cream (or plain no fat greek yogurt) and cheddar cheese on top. I also make corn bread to serve with it. You can also serve it over white rice for a different type of dish completely. If you want to have meat in it, add ground beef or ground turkey or shredded chicken. So delicious!!! Enjoy!
Seriously though, how beautiful is this blood orange that I had for breakfast this morning?!
If you know me, you know that I love Target! They take all of my paper and mobile coupons, plus they have cartwheel.
Back in October, I bought all of these things at Target and posted a Target Mini Makeup Haul. Since then, I have had time to use some of the products for a while now, and I am ready to give a review on them.
Once again I am going to use the simple “Good Buy” or “Goodbye” rating 😉
Here is what I got:
Ultimate 10 BB Creme Conditioner and Nature Fusion Moisturizing Shampoo with Melon Essence. I love Pantene! It is my all time favorite shampoo/conditioner brand! Even when I have used other higher end brands of hair care I always end up coming back to Pantene. I am sad to say though that neither of these specific two worked out for me. I have very straight fine some what oily hair. The BB conditioner left my hair feeling weigh down and the moisturizing shampoo was just too moisturizing and not cleaning enough. Pantene is a good buy, but neither of these two were. So it will be goodbye to both.
I have been enjoying the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation and wanted to try out theFit Me Concealer. Nope, can not figure out what all the hype is about?! I don’t like this concealer at all. Maybe I got a bad tube but it does nothing for me! I don’t really even have dark circles under my eyes, but I still like to try to brighten up my under eye area. I may as well be putting nothing on my face because that is what it looks like. Goodbye!
I love the YES to Grapefruit Daily Facial Scrub, I was hoping these facial wipes would be good as well. I like the way they smell and feel, but unfortunately they stung my face and gave me a bit of a red raised rash. Obviously anything that irritates my skin and causes me pain is a Goodbye!
I say it all the time, I love Maybelline mascaras. I have heard so many great things about the Lash Sensational Mascara but I have never tried it. I figured I would give it a try to see if it lives up to the recommendations. I have to be honest, I have so many other mascaras that I still need to use up before they go bad, that I haven’t even opened this one yet. So…good buy/goodbye? I still don’t know.
I gave the EOS Visibly Soft Vanilla Mint Lip Balm a try. Let’s face it, the EOS lip balm packaging is super cute, but overall that is where it ends! I have tried the Strawberry one, and was less than impressed by it. I was told that the vanilla mint one is different and better than the others. It is definitely better than the strawberry one, but I don’t overly love it. I have used better lip balms that have cost a lot less. Also, I feel like so much of the product gets wasted because of the egg shaped design. After wearing this lip balm my lips don’t feel any more moisturized. At $3 each they are just ok, I have to say this is a Goodbye.
The Soothing Remover Cleansing Towelettes for Sensitive Skin wipes were just ok. They get my face makeup off pretty well. I can get some of my waterproof mascara off, but not much of it at all. If I really want to try to get my mascara off, I end up having to really work at it. The wipes start to dry out before I can get it all off. If I use the wipes too much around my eye area they end up burning my eyes like crazy, so yeah, I’m not into that at all! I have to say Goodbye to these wipes.
I had a coupon for the Herbal Essences Happy Go Lather Body Wash and decided to give it a try. It smells delightful. Nothing overly special about it. It was a good price and it gets me clean without drying out my skin, so I guess it is a good buy.
If you are interested in seeing some other things I have recently purchased and have been trying out, check out my recent mini drugstore haul by clicking HERE. Check out my recent haul reviews by clicking HERE.
Have you tried any of these products? Did something that didn’t work for me work out awesome for you or vise versa? Let me know!
Do you shop for your beauty items at CVS? If you don’t, you definitely should! There are so many ways to save at CVS. Get yourself an Extra Care Rewards card and start saving. They often have great deals on beauty products each week as well as awesome coupons you send to your card as well as print right at the CVS store .
Here is a list of this weeks sales:
CoverGirl Simple Ageless products $12.99 each
BOGO1/2OFF all Almay cosmetics (excludes clearance)**Also check your extra care card for additional beauty coupons. I have a $3 off $15 Cosmetics – includes eyes, face, lips and nails coupon available on my card this week.**
Also, did you know about the CVS Beauty Club. For every $50 you spend, you’ll earn $5 ExtraBucks. It is free to join and you don’t have to spend the $50 at once. You can keep track of your purchases by looking at the bottom of your receipt.
What do you get for being a Beauty Club member?
You have to have an ExtraCare Card join the Beauty Club. All you have to do to join is clickHERE and fill out your info . You can earn reward points on Cosmetics, Fragrances, Hair Accessories, Hair Appliances, Hair Care, Hair Color, Healthy Skin Care and Skin Care.
It is like being paid for being beautiful 🙂
Here is another workout you can do whenever and where ever you want! All you need is a sturdy chair and a small amount of space! No excuses, just do it!
Remember to keep good form and stretch after your exercises!
I can’t believe that I completely forgot to post about this months ipsy bag! Another month has flown by and it is already time to receive another ipsy glam bag! If you don’t know what ipsy is you can check out my previous post all about it by clicking HERE
If you are thinking about trying out ipsy, I would love it if you were to use my referral link https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=uqdkx
This month’s glam bag theme is “All Eyes On You“. The bag is a cute retro looking white bag with a pattern of a girl wearing glasses in bright primary colors. It has a nylon/plastic feel. The zipper is across the top which, you may remember, I like a lot better than the style of the ones that have the zipper 1/4 of the way down.
With the theme All Eyes On You, the majority of the products included in the bags were eye related. I love eye makeup the best, so I was very happy with my samples this month, (also that means no nail polishes for me!)
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you have already seen what I received. If you don’t follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you totally should be!
Since I received this a little while ago, I have already been using some of the products. I’ll give mini reviews on those that I have already used….Here is what I got in my glam bad this month:
OFRA’S Universal Eyebrow Pencil: I don’t usually use a brow pencil to fill in my brows. I tend to only use a powder, so I am probably going to pass this along to someone. It seems like a decent pencil. The more you apply the brow pencil the darker the color will get, so it will work well with a lot of skin tones. I may try it out as an eyeliner before I pass it on.
theBalm Cosmetics Mr. Write (Now) Jack B. Bronze (rich bronze) Overall I like the brand the Balm. This eyeliner is no exception. I only wish that I had gotten the other color Scott B. Bordeaux (deep purple), but this is still a great eyeliner. I prefer these twist up liners over the type that need to be sharpened. I have worn this to work a few times already and it has lasted throughout the entire day well without any smudging or budging.
J.Cat Beauty Blinkle Shimmer Eyeshadow I think that I have gotten things from J.Cat Beauty in my glam bags before. This blinkle shimmer shadow is in the shade Tangerine Light. It is not really a color that I would choose for myself, but it is actually a really beautiful color. I have used it a few times already and it lives up to its name, it is definitely shimmery! One of the things that I really like about ipsy is I often receive samples in colors and shades that I wouldn’t try otherwise but end up really liking them. (not the nail polishes though, I don’t appreciate them no matter what the shade or brand!)
skyn ICELAND Travel Size Glacial Cleansing Cloths Infused with Icelandic glacial waters and beneficial natural extracts, they sweep away makeup, dirt, oil and other impurities while refreshing and soothing stressed skin. I really like these cloths. They are a lot wetter than most cleansing cloths. If you rub the sides together it lathers up. Pretty interesting and works awesome. They kind of have a cinnamon scent and a warm feel on the skin.
Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes CURL So, according to the product description: “Fairy Lashes CURL is a sculpting mascara that continually curls lashes throughout the day with a unique synthesis of Moringa Seed resin that holds the curl of lashes for long-lasting results.” This kind of seems like quite the claims! I have 4 mascaras open right now, so I haven’t tried this one yet. Although, I have tried a few other products from Jelly Pong Pong and I have liked all of them. When I do use this I’ll let you know if my eyelashes are “continually curls lashes throughout the day” by this mascara.
Well, that is what I got in my bag! I hope next months is as good as this one! How about you? Did you get an ipsy 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.
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.
I would love for you to follow me on Instagram and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on both. I would also love to follow you as well, so let me know your user name in the comment section below!
I have been dreaming of this Naked 2 palette for what seems like forever! I finally got it this year for Christmas! I am not going to lie, for several days I didn’t even use it, I just stared at its beauty! I didn’t want to mess it up by using it. Since then I have gotten over that and have been loving using this beautiful palette. I know that since this palette was released in 2011 there are probably a million or more reviews and swatches already, but I just really want to add my own anyway. 😉
Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette ($54.00 each shade is 0.05 oz each) contains twelve eyeshadows and a dual ended brush. (The brush is good; it is just like Urban Decay’s full-sized brushes: same size, feel, density, and softness.)
Foxy is a pale yellow cream with a matte finish. It’s on the sheer side and a bit powdery. I use it as an underneath base all over the lid or for highlighting the brow.
Snakebite is satin deep bronze with golden shimmer. It has a really buttery texture with excellent pigmentation. Pretty much gorgeous!
YDK is a warm, coppery reddish toasty taupe with coppery micro glitters. The pigmentation is awesome, and it has a buttery smooth texture. I can’t decide if I like Verve or YDK the best. Both are absolutely beautiful! When applied to the lids, both give a beautiful sparkle to the eyes.Matte shades: Foxy, Tease, Blackout,
Satin shades: Booty Call, Snake Bite, Suspect, Pistol, Busted
Glitter/metallic shades:Half Baked, Verve, Chopper, YDK,
Girls! I have a whole new respect for all of these bloggers/vloggers that take awesome photos of their swatches. Good job ladies, it is a lot harder than it looks!
Do you have the Naked 2 Palette? What do you think? Which is your favorite shade? Do you own any of the other Naked Palettes? Which do you have? Which is your favorite? Do you recommend any others over the Naked 2?
I’d love for you to follow me on Instagram Lookingjoligood and on Facebook Lookin Joli Good
One of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is oatmeal! It is a great way to start the day because in just a half a cup of rolled oats there are five grams of fiber! Oat meal also has an appetite regulating hormone called cholecystokinin. Both of these will help you to feel fuller longer. (You can put an entire tablespoon of raw sugar on your bowl of oatmeal for only an additional 45 calories! Or a tablespoon of real maple syrup is only 52 calories!)
Chia seeds are a great source of omega-3s, protein, and fiber. I love to put the seeds into hot water so that they swell up. Then I brew some chai tea and add the “bloomed” seeds to the chai. Does that make it a chia chai? I don’t know if the swollen seeds actually fill your stomach to make you feel less hungry, but I still really love them. They are great in yogurt and smoothies. Just be careful because they can easily get stuck in your teeth, (not pretty, haha!)
Avocados are full of healthy monounsaturated fats, which help keep you full.For breakfast, I love to add half an avocado to a slice of toast with one egg scrambled and a little bit of Frank’s hot sauce (so good!).It is a great way to start the day that will also keep you full until lunch. That leads me to my next food…
Studies have shown that Eggs are a protein packed food that can help you control your appetite for up to 36 hours. Not really sure if they will keep you full for 36 hours, but hey, if studies say it, I like it!
Nuts are a great sources of fiber. They digest slowly so you feel fuller longer. My favorite nuts are Almonds! There are so many different types of nuts that just because you don’t like one doesn’t mean that another won’t be your favorite! Just be sure that you are eating raw nuts and not processed or sugar coated ones!
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right?! Apples have pectin (a soluble gelatinous polysaccharide that is present in ripe fruits and is extracted for use as a setting agent in jams and jellies) which helps to prevent spikes in the blood sugar. Apples have a high water content and are also are a great source of fiber giving a feeling of fullness.
Another food that is high in both water content and fiber is dark leafy vegetables: kale, spinach, Romaine lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. I love to eat salads with all kinds of dark leafy greens. Adding a tablespoon of your favorite oil and vinegar salad dressing will only add between 50-80 additional calories. Stay away from cream based dressings they cause the calories to really add up making your “healthy salad” into a diet destroyer!
I love to add lemon juice to my water. Just like apples, lemon juice also contains pectin, that can help slow digestion. Eating something sour can help you feel satisfied after a meal by curbing cravings. Speaking of water….sometimes a craving can be quelled with just a glass of water, and it can also keep you hydrated as well. (I wrote a whole post just about water. Read it by clicking HERE.)
One of my favorite things to eat is sushi! While sushi isn’t necessarily the thing that helps me lose weight, one of the things I also love to get when I eat sushi is edamame. Half a cup of edamame has over eight grams of protein but is less than 100 calories. Making it a great way to keep you feeling full!
Ever since I have been eating more healthy, I have been loving beans. All kinds of beans! Black bean, garbanzo beans, kidney, and navy! Beans are a low-calorie source of fiber and protein, so if you’re wanting to stay full longer, eat some beans.
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Obviously from the title you can probably already tell that this book is hilarious! Especially if you are a mother you will relate to almost everything written in this book. I really loved this one!
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This book goes into great detail about the foot binding rituals. It is also a great story about the complexities of realtionships with others and with yourself. I was thinking about this book for a long time after I finished reading it.
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This isa trilogy that covers the time from right before the first World War up until somewhat recent history. I recently read all three of the books in this Century Trilogy. I highly reccommend the first two, the third one is only ok.
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You know how recently all books want to say they are “the next Gone Girl”? I kinda hate that… I think that this on claims the same. Despite that, I still highly recommend this book.
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Dark Places and
Don’t get me wrong, Gone Girl is awesome, and if you haven’t read it, you should! Instead of reading “The Next Gone Girl”, why not just read another book written by the author of Gone Girl. Both Sharp Objects and Dark Places are amazingly creepy reads.
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Looking Joli Good 