It’s About the Cross

April 14, 2017April 14, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood1 Comment

Today is a very special day, it is a day where I set aside time to remember what Christ did for me when He came to earth and died on the cross for me! I am so grateful for such a wonderful Savior! I am humbled when I think that God loved me so much that he sent His Son to suffer and die in order to rescue me from my sins!

“The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me! Galatians 2:20.

It’s not just about the manger
Where the baby lay
It’s not all about the angels
Who sang for him that day

It’s not just about the shepherds
Or the bright and shining star
It’s not all about the Wisemen
Who traveled from afar

It’s about the cross
It’s about my sin
It’s about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again

It’s about the stone
That was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday

It’s about the cross
It’s about the cross

It’s not just about the presents
Underneath the tree
It’s not all about the feeling
That the season brings to me

It’s not just about coming home
To be with those you love
It’s not all about the beauty
In the snow I’m dreaming of

The beginning of the story is wonderful and great
But it’s the ending that can save you and that’s why we celebrate

It’s about the cross
It’s about my sin
It’s about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again

It’s about God’s Son
Nailed to a tree
It’s about every drop of blood that flowed from Him when it should have been me

It’s about the stone
That was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday
So that you and I could have real life someday

It’s about the cross
It’s about the cross
It’s about the cross

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

The Power of Protein

April 13, 2017April 12, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

~Ditch the Diet~

As I mentioned in a previous post macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories (or energy). There are three macronutrients: Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat.

Today I want to specifically talk about the macronutrient protein.

One of the first things that I learned about in nursing school was that amino acids are the building blocks of life. Proteins are made up of amino acids.

Some amino acids are nonessential which means that our body can make them. Others are essential which means that we need to get them from our diet.

What do we need protein for?
Cell Growth
Tissue repair
Immune function
Making essential hormones and enzymes
Preserving lean muscle mass

Where can you find protein?
Protein is found in meats, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, nuts, legumes, and in smaller quantities starchy foods and vegetables.

When we eat these types of foods, our body breaks down the protein that they contain into amino acids to be used to rebuild our bodies and create new cells.

The protein that comes from animal sources contains all of the essential amino acids that we need. Plant sources of protein, on the other hand, do not contain all of the essential amino acids.

While everyone’s body is different the USDA recommends that 10% – 35% of daily calories should come from protein. You can easily meet this need by consuming a balanced diet.

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

Ipsy April 2017 Glam Bag

April 12, 2017April 12, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood4 Comments

The beginning of April had been foggy and rainy and seems to drag on! These last few days have been absolutely beautiful! I hope this weather continues!

April’s theme is “Side Show”

“Step Right UP! Step Right UP! Nows’s the time to be bold and shatter the mold…Standing out is the new fitting in. This month’s bag is dedicated to anyone who’s ever felt like an outcast”

If you follow me on Instagram you already saw my April bag.

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

I HATE this month’s bag! The material is a faux leather feeling, bright orange shade with printing on it to look like a circus ticket. The way that ipsy describes the bag is “This hawt red-orange bag is clutch for rides on the ferris wheel, killing it at the arcade, or you know, just being your uniquely awesome self all month long.”. This bag looks very juvenile to me… My son wants it, and I am giving it to him.

Speaking of juvenile…I have to also admit that the kitchy talk and overly trendy way that ipsy describes things drives me nuts!!! It feels as if they are trying waaaaaaay too hard to be cool and it is totally not working. (ie: dramz, gorge, hawt, probs, low key obsessed…) Anyway…

Here is what I got in my April 2017 ipsy glam bag:

Adesse New York Cupuaçu Butter Lip Balm 3 g

Ipsy describes this as a ginger mint scent. I don’t know if that is what I would call it, but it smells wonderful! This lip balm is perfect! It’s made with cold pressed Cupuaçu butter. All of Adesse New York’s formulas (even their nail stuff) are cruelty-free, vegan, and clean!

ColourPop Cosmetics Crème Gel Pencil in Best O

The formula is super creamy, making application easy without any tugging or pulling. I have received Colourpop liners in my glam bag before, so I already knew that the formula is super creamy. I was glad to get something other than a black liner. Mine is in Best O which is a deepened burgundy brown.

Others who received this sample either got Best O (deepened burgundy), DTLA (deep blackened blue), Mr. Bing (rich warm brown), Show Me (vivid true copper), or Swerve (true onyx black).

Hikari Cosmetics Cream Pigment Eyeshadow in Honey Dew

This shadow is absolutely gorgeous! I have gotten a few different samples from Hikari and I have loved all of them. I think this shadow is one of my favorite things that I have ever recieved from ipsy

OFRA Cosmetics Peach Blush

In the pan it looks like a coral blush, on the cheeks it is a beautiful gold toned highlight. Not a blush at all, but that is fine because I have gotten several blush samples from ipsy in a similar coral shade.

Ipstiers could recieve this blush in one of three colors:
‘Peach’ shade is perfect for a flirty, warm-toned flush (v. on trend right now). The ‘Format’ shade is the perfect rich terracotta shade for a warm, bronzey glow.The ‘Rendezvous’ shade is a classic, cool-toned, soft rose that looks amazing on all skin tones

I am still trying to decide between Glossy box and Boxy charm and haven’t signed up for either of them yet. Although, I have to admit that I signed up for Birchbox again just for April. (Stay tuned to find out why and what I got in my box.)

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

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

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

Beauty Subscription

Walmart Trendsetter Beauty Box Spring 2017

April 9, 2017April 7, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood1 Comment

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 receive both boxes.

Here is what I got in this season’s box:

Trendsetter Box

9 products total: 1 full-size nail polish product, 5 travel sized samples, and 3 foil packs

Seriously though, how many times are they going to send me the same exact Dove advanced care deodorant?! I think that I have gotten 8 so far! I don’t even use this type of deodorant, so I have 8 mini tubes just sitting around.

This season, I got an email from Walmart Beauty asking me if I would be interested in opting in to get a special box called the “Take A Me Moment” beauty box instead of one of the regular Spring Beauty Boxes. So far it hasn’t shipped yet, but I’ll post about it whenever I get it.

Take A Me Moment Box

Luckily for me, looks as if I will be receiving another bottle of nail polish…sigh…🙄

Overall, I think that this was just an ok set of samples in the Trendsetter box. Personally, I hate foil packets! They are such a waste of a sample! There is usually enough product inside the sample for more than one use, but because of the packaging, it is hard to use it more than once.

Also, possibly because my only full-size product was nail polish, and I hate nail polish, might be why I feel as if this Trendsetter box wasn’t overly impressive compared to previous boxes. (see the photos below)

The product that I am most interested in trying out is the Biore Free Your Pores Baking Soda Acne Scrub. In previous boxes, I have gotten several great skin care products that I probably wouldn’t have tried otherwise.

Although I am not as impressed with this box as I have been with previous boxes, for only $5 each, I find that the Walmart beauty boxes are generally a good 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 Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

**There are no referral or affiliate links in this post! The links provided are just because I really like to tell everyone about great deals!**

These boxes are from the Fall 2016 boxes. I wasn’t overly impressed with the Winter 2017 boxes.

Review · Weekly Product Highlight

Eco Tools Brushes

April 8, 2017April 15, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood4 Comments

~Weekly Product Highlight~Eco Tools Brushes~

Eco Tools is celebrating its 10th anniversary and they have recently rebranded a lot of their brushes and tools.

Recently my sister told me about a great deal on Amazon, I got this Limited Edition Anniversary Collection set for only $5! I have no idea why they were offering these brushes at such a great price, but I am glad that they did.

These brushes are 100% cruelty-free and vegan. All of Eco tools products are made from recycled aluminum and plastic. The synthetic bristles are super soft.

This set comes with six brushes and an aluminum metallic rose-gold cylinder brush-holder
The brushes included are:
Spoolie
Eye/Lip Blur Brush- perfect for applying eye liner or lipstick/liner
Eyeliner Brush- used for the application of eyeliner and eyeshadow.
Angled Crease Brush- perfect for applying eyeshadow to crease.
Airbrushed Finishing Brush
Controlled Setting Brush- perfect for applying setting powders and highlighter.
Aluminum cylinder brush-holder: perfect for traveling this is a recycled beautiful metallic rose-gold holder.

My favorite of all the brushes is the angled crease brush. Whenever I am trying to get ready quickly and only have a lot of time, I use this brush to apply my shadow. It makes applying a transition crease shade quick and easy. As well, a great brush helps to make even the worse of shadows go on easier.

While the amazon special sale is no longer going on, the Anniversary brush set is still available for $19.99. Whether $5 or $20, these brushes are absolutely worth it! I would pay more than $5 for just this angled crease brush alone.

What does the Eco Tools Website have to say about these brushes?

“Only available for a limited time.

We’re celebrating our 10-year anniversary the best way we know how…with a limited-edition brush collection!

This Collection features six face and eye brushes to create a fresh, healthy-looking glow.

EVEN: Create a flawless base with the buildable duo-fiber bristles of the AIRBRUSHED FINISHING brush.

HIGHLIGHT: Use the CONTROLLED SETTING brush for precise application of highlighting powders and creams to apples of cheeks and arch of brows.

TAME: Comb unruly brows and lashes with the SPOOLIE brush.

ACCENT: Add definition with the ANGLED CREASE brush by adding accent colors to creases of lids.

LINE: Add definition across lash line with the FLAT EYELINER brush. For a more diffused look, swap your usual liner with an eye shadow in a similar shade.

BLUR: Diffuse and blend shadows and lip colors with the soft bristles of the EYE/LIP BLUR brush. Remember to clean brush well when switching between eye and lip products.”

Eco Tools has a lot of great new brush and tools available! They are great quality for a reasonable price. With most sets being less than $20, these brushes are great for a novice to makeup as well as a pro.

What about you? Do you have any Eco Tools brushes? What do you think? Which are your favorites?

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

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits